Judge — May 26, 1928 — page 21: what you’re looking at

Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.

JUDGE e yD GI NG the SHOW Se By DE from the sightly Mlle. Irene Delroy, there is little in “Here’s Howe!" to allay one’s Spring fever. La Delroy is a comely minx and massages the eye agreeably, but, for the rest, the show is very seedy stuff. The book, by the MM. Thompson and Smith, is a dispiriting thing concern- ing a poor clerk who falls in love with a stenographer and, upon the latter's offer of an advancement, docs a David Garrick and pretends to be stewed in order that she 4 disgusted with him and be free to go her own profitable wa In the last act, the girl duly sees through his stratagem and winds up coo- y in his arms. The music, by Otto Kahn's jazz son and Joseph Meyer, old man Meyer's pride and joy, is nerve-racking, consisting for the most part of membrane s toots, What the lyrics by Irving Cae : I do not know, as the singers kept them confidentially hidden in the backs of their mouths. John Wenger's settings have the general look of Archambault’s restaurant and the costumes by Kiviette are as hidcous as any that have come this way in some time. The show as a whole is utterly lacking in imagina- tion and charm, The girls, with the exception of the Delroy cutie, are surely anything but lovely, yet the lighting makes them look twice as gloomy they The dance numbers, put on by Sammy follow the same old routine and, as for comedy, the producers’ idea of humor rests in a burlesque she dance, already stale when it was shown by the same pair of hoofers in the last “Follies,” a skit laid in a barber-shop in which the barber is announced to be a professional murderer—a jocosity favorite of the burlesque houses twenty years ago—, and a xylo- phone player with a lizzie manner, Among the chief irritations of the evening are a Mr. Ben Bernie and his supper-club jazz band. Mr. Bernie is one of those toothy and highly pomaded Broadway products, immensely “enchanted with himself, who beams. in- timately at acquaintances in the audience, passes facetia to the orchestra leader, spreads himself with a few venerable vaudeville wheezes and then, by way of a big climax, works himself into a gigantic and idiotic sweat directing his saxophone blower and cymbal banger. As with many such bands, Mr. Bernie’s—in Prof. Parks’ phrase—sounds simply like a drum concerto with a slight orchestral accom- paniment, the drum in one or two numbers subsiding for a spell and giving over its racket to the cornet. The novelty element of the band is managed by hay ing the musicians hang white hats on the ends of their instruments instead of the conventional black derbies. The company, in addition to Miss Delroy, cont y Chamberlain, who apes the O'Neil girl pod News”; Allen Kearns, a juvenile with no dis: cernible talent; a particularly melancholy aglish clown named Erie Blore; and a night-club— zany named Knight, who is very unfunny. . Present Arms,” another of the Spring music shows, is much better, although it hardly offers any- thing to get excited about. However, compared with the exhibit described above, it seems a ruby. Its melodies by Richard Rodgers, its lyrics by Lorenz Hart, and its dance numbers, while lacking in strik- ing originality and bounce, are all superior to. the complete banalities on the Broadhurst Th and at least three or four of the jokes have freshness to them, The book, by Herbert Fields, i as dolorous as these song and dance show books usu- ally are, but we have all stopped hoping for anything (Continued on page 28) “Here's Howe!” (Broadburst)—See ve moet sonar this imue. acess Baggage” (itz) 1 “Present Arms” (Mansfeld) —Ditto. a vaudeville bam, wrest) Coquette” (Hilictt)—A eu and suavely pe r Le reviewed next wee ‘ole murder “Blackbirds of 1 nity” (Selwy Nokes wee dan provocative comedy “The Bachelor Father” (Helssco) — “tye Shannens ef Brosdway” (Heck) Some good laughs propelled by go —The Gleasons burl wisecracks at one feetors Gules “Him?” (Proviocetown)—A pretentious ‘Trial of Mary Dugan” (National) oom melodrama ingeniously a's version of qi the Ben Jonson play, very well produced. —"“Dratula” (Fulton) — Melodramatic “Diamond LiF ( (Royale)—Mae West mayhem. “Paris Bound” (Music Box) —An one dealing with adultery. Guide icMiapering Friends” (Hudson) — Barreem” (Wal. “ohan tragic leaf {rom terved up. for t into a comedy. 0) —Boory @. Chinaman and -One of the 8" (Miller}—Sardonic ¢! Bp Amerienn: expsiria! “Greenwich Village Follies” (Winter dca, De. Rockwell is the profeeor Burlesa se” (Plymoath) might laugh even if be nize the characters, lyn Miter onl dock sate Latter” (Cort) The 0 Ufally aged Zia of ita quality that ever brat Cain's pe appari house. Funny Face” (Alvi ee » Lyrica {nieta the necemary life ed ae ON taba the Ale” (Carroll) Not eouch for you in this one. Construction Co. Orchestra episice is the “The Five O'Clock GieF™ (Shutert)— fusniest thing in town Fair leg and larynx pastime éam)—Mari- in a beaue comicbooks.com