Judge — February 23, 1929 — page 20: what you’re looking at

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

JUDG JIUWY GING . o sin!) No woman can wind me around N her little finger—not me!” observes the fat comique. “Come here, you, this minute!” commands his wife from the wings. Whereupon the fat comique departs wiltingly. Well, “Boom Boom,” the musical show at the Ca- sino, isn’t all quite as stale as that—but you get the idea. If you don't, then you may be told that the one about “I like my women a Ia carte, not table al is also present,.to say nothing of the bit in which two lovers, surprised at their petting, pre tend that they have been merely rehearsing a scene from a play, the comedian dressed as a waiter who asks a customer if he'd like a big, juicy porterhouse steak with mushrooms and, when the customer says he would, replies that they haven't got it, and the one from College Humor of 1926 about the girl who hasn't got “It” but “If.” Also on deck is the gil who shakes her hair wildly and throws her legs about in imitation of Zelma O'Neal. Something must be done soon about these imitators of the Mlle. Zelma; the O'Neal influence on musical shows is get- ting to be as promiscuous as the influence of her uncle Eugene on drama. One O'Neal or O'Neill with the authentic signature on the bottle will do. Present, too, are the sentimental song su in the spotlight moon, the chorus number called “Shake High Shake Low” in which the girls make hippy, the “dance specialty” in which a cutie converts her anatomy inte a pretzel, and—but I assume you have anticipated me—the big finale called “Blow Those Blues Away.” However, though by this time you may not believe unde can't find anything “Jealousy” (Eliott) —T ly recite their con recitations are better than The Age of Innocence” (1: ell wits against a peep-echor “The Kingdom of Ged” (Barrymore) — Barrymore who has bavebed by the me holds the family name rama. Belasco) — ud The Mare ta let go and provide a “Fellew Thru” (45th Street) —A fast, fa al thow. ge)—A first-rate ent even to Brieut. “Held Everything” (Brow! Songs, dances and comiealities to you forget the nonsense of the so-called the All Casino) —Musical how coaventional pattern of. Rogers fetching features lightea the otherwise “Wings Over Europe’? (Alvin) — A ot heavy drama pve the pew leetuals to @ it, there are several elements in the show that aren't so bad. Cortez and Peggy dance a w: ory tifully, some agile virgins coached by the MM. Donahue and John Boyle perform enterts aed Frank MeIntyre, the featured zany, contrives. peri odically to brew a laugh and make one overlook the Four Nightingales, a quartet of ladies who amble on and off every once in a while and, by force of numbers, go the Three Giersdorf Sisters one worse. In connection with this show there one mat- ter I'd like to have brought up at the anny vention of intelligent American dramatic critic be held this Spring in a telephone booth at the Ws dorf. Whenever anything with a name like “Boom Boom" is produced, a lot of otherwise rational re- viewers wax claboratcly facetious over the employ- ment of such titles for musical shows and plead for names with at least a little sense to them. Just why a show like “Boom Boom" shouldn't be led just “Boom Boom" I can’t make out. What would you call it if not by some such name as that? An exhibit consisting of sixteen jazz girls, a comedian who falls upon his hindquarters and a scene in which the old Puritanical aunt from Boston gets cockeyed on gin punch would be untrue to any other kind of label. The best titles for such things reviewers would seem to urge, “The Maybelle,” neralda Goes In For Epistemology” or “Up In Schopenhauer’s Room,” but “Pitt, Paff, Pouf,” “Criss-Cross, Twinkle-Twinkle,” “Whoo- pee” or “Boom Boom"—or some such nonsensical (Continued on page 28) Digest wes the tine Playhouse) —The best et” ( Republic) —Exces jwyn)—The omy behave. “Hot Water" (La Verne) —C. “Merry Andrew” (Miller)—At x feeb “The Red Robe” (Shubert) —\ meloli- score and some capable voices. “The Front Page’ (Tim I the jolliest show in tow “Congai” (Harris) Helen Menken “Lady Fingers” (Vanderbilt)—\ gay makes naughty- China. evening with the M. Edie Buzzel 1 Recocamendest “Be Your Age” (Belmont)—See next k's inva. the King’s Men’ (Fulton) —Same (Morosco)—~Ably The songs give fashioned burlanyee “wneope Carroll) —And bere. tel Vie Rev. Dr, Cantor will give yc Beck)—O'Neill’s latest. 18 comicbooks.com