New York Clipper (Feb 1923)

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February 7, 1923 THE NEW YORK CLIPPER 9 PALACE One of the important bills presented here in some time. Not only does it mark the debut in vaudeville of Julia Arthur in a scene from "Hamlet," but nine strong acts, every one a hit, in addition to the "Keith contribution to the Shakespearean revival." The Four Readings opened a remarkable Arst half, with their sensational handbal- ancing and gymnastic feats, done skillfully and fast, closing with their thriller stunt of one man receiving another through the air when coming off the slide, etc. The "master banjoist," Joe Roberts, armed with a good banjo, held the patrons in strict attention for about fifteen minutes while he demonstrated his ability in pick- ing the strings. Anyone able to do this is surely worth all of the rounds of applause received at the close of his offering. Comedy acts that run over half an hour could hardly be presented in a more pleas- ing style than C. R. Maddock's "Fifty Miles from Broadway," a rube novelty combining singling, dancing and some music as well as comedy. Hcadmg the cast eleven are Harry B. Watson and Reg. B. Merville, who were seen until recently in the "Rtjbevjilc" act These two carry most of the comedy, with Olga Woods and Dan McNeil as the juvenile and ingenue. From the novelty "mystic" slates consist- ing of white strips being drawn across and through a back drop early in the act, to the whole outfit slamming the bass drums of various sizes, for the finale, not a mo- ment is passed but that the offering enter- tains with something worth while. The sister team were unusually cute dancers and the rest of the company did all that was expected of them.' Georges I>.?ranne, French tenor, with Carl Stezell at the piano, sang several operatic excerpts and nigh class ballads in a melodious lyric tenor'voice full of music, although not so rotmst at times. Being French, the singer's English ballads were not attended with dear diction. Never- theless, his style, poise and voice on the whole are a combination well suited to vaudeville and certainly desirable. Another comedy offering came in the persons of Douglass I^eavitt and Ruth MaiY Lockwood, assisted by Brother Ray, in "Ourselves," a vehicle that carries many laughs. The first part of the act is taken up with an illustration of "before and after marriage," and the latter part had several bits of original comedy. The homely woman in the act helped to gather <ome mirth also. The first half was closed by Julia Ar- thur, tragedienne, who enacted the Queen's Closet scene from "Hamlet," with nerself in the role of "the melancholy Dane." Miss Arthur's portrayal was up to the standard expected of a star of the legitimate stage of her calibre, and she scored accordingly, for no end of bows, and a pretty curtain speech in which she told how frightened she was at the daring undertaking and how it came about that she did "Hamlet" in vaudeville, answering a call from E. F. .Albec. For detailed review, sec under "New Acts" on another page. Opening the second half, Vincent Lopez and His Pennsylvania Hotel Orchestra in the third week of his present engagement, presented new songs and effects. Stopping the show is an old story with this outfit. Included in the new presentation was "Toot Toot Tootsie, Goodbye," with a clever scene in the background. Yvette Jtugel, prima donna, with Leo Feiner at the piano, in addition to her spe- cial material sang "Swanee River" in a minor key and "Love, Send a Little Gift of Roses," scoring a hit as usual. George Moran and Charlie Mark, in blackface, as levee type of lazy colored gentlemen, were a series of wows, handing out hearty laughs promiscuously. John Guiran and La Petite Marguerite, with Billy Griffith at the piano, closed the show in a dance revue capable of holding most any spot on any bill. M. H. S. VAUDEVILLE REVIEWS COLONIAL Monday's matinee attendance was the biggest yet. If there were any vacant scats in the orchestra or the first balcony, they weren't any too easily found. The bill was also a very good one, one weak spot being the second act. stiller and Bradford. Charles Withers is topping .the bill with "For Pity's Sake," .Eileen Stanley being the ne.Yt feature. Rome and Dunn, the original Memphis Five and a girl named Dorothea Dawn have been combined into one big act by Billy Grady, which closed the first half here, leaving a wallop which carried into the second half of the show and kept the audience warmed up. Rialto and Lamont have a good opening turn with their comedy juggling and lad- . der-walking, and get the audience with them in the early stages of the offering. One bit of stalling with the orchestra al- most let it down again and could be cut to the advantage of the act. Miller and Bradford are likable in them- selves, as far as appearance and youth goes, but their act. and the ability they displayed in it, went to make up one of the poorest turns seen here in a long time. They may be able to do something really effective, but "Typical Topical Tunes" is too weak from start to finish. Miss Brad- ford should either omit her solo dance en- tirely, or leam at least to kick better than she does. The Yip Yip Yaphankers delivered the first real punch with their "Day at Camp," which is full of laughs, thanks to the work of Frank Melino. The tumbling and acro- batic work rivals any Arab troupe's efforts, and by way of more variety, a quartette does fairly good harmony, but needs later numbers. The laugh hit of the show, for legiti- mate comedy, was scored by Holmes and La Vere, who have one of the best man and woman comedy offerings to be seen. The opening bit where both appear in what is supposed to t>e a stage box, is re- plete with clever lines, and the part of the act staged in two is great, particularly the piano bit with the orchestra. The entire offering is too good to use the "sock in the snoot" line for a laugh. The combined offerings of Rome and Dunii, the Memphis Five and Dorothea Dawn ran for more than a half hour when we saw it last week at another house, and now has been effectively cut to about twen- ty-two minutes, not including an encore which the audience compelled them to take, although they closed the first half. The band is great, and the cometist a marvel. They are evidently known to ^his audi- ence, for they received a great reception, especially before rendering "Sister Kate." Rome and Dunn have good voices and Miss Dawn does "blues" very effectively. Jim McWilliams drew plenty of laughs in opening the second half, but it seemed to us that he worked a bit too fast and would have secured better results with a little more attention to his lines. Charles Withers and Company offered "For Pity's Sake." which has a new scene for the finish. The act is familiar to most audiences, and seemed to be to this one, but one can't help but laugh at the various bits of business done by Withers. It wasn't any too easy a spot for any one to follow, but Aileen Stanley held it with ease. She offered a routine of pub- lished numbers, capably assisted by a pian- ist, and delivered all in that soft-drawling swiogy style that only Aileen Stanley can use effectively. Her personality and ap- pearance alone are sufficient to make any audience like her. and with her phono- graph reputation and her ability to Jive up to what people expect, she can't miss. Barbette closed the show, doing a great female impersonation and some sensational aerial work. G. J. H. CENTRAL Six acts of vaudeville and a reduced musical comedy comprise the show "Oh. What a Girl," at the Central this week. The show is stronger than the vaudeville, but of that more later. The Manhattan Trio start the ball roll- ing with several songs done in close har- mony that get over well and finish with a song, not so close, to which the Wilson Sisters dance. The girls are neat dancers, neat but not gaudy. The boys harmonize well and look O. K. It makes a line open- ing act By the time Jack Horton and Mile. La Triska came on the house had begun to fill up a little. The feature of this act is the fixed stare and inuno^ile counte- nance of the young lady. A bit at the finish, in whidi she gives some of the men in the house a thrill by pnttm^ her face right into theirs, sitting in their laps or embracing them is good for several laughs. She should not talk, as this spoils the illusion. The act is a little too long drawn out and, furthermore, should have the opening position. Buddy Doyle, doing a black-fact act, u one of the "uh" type of singers—"You-uh know-uh what-uh I-uh mean-uh." He desn't go so well until he starts doing his imitations, but on these he cleans up. He takes off Cantor, Leonard and Jolson, put- ting the required number of "Mammys to the square inch in the latter and getting his knees all dusty in true -Jolson style. He has a peculiar voice which he gets the most out of. Marie Stoddard, burlesquing various types of singers, tidded the risibilities and did well. Her vocal caricatures are fairly apt and take well with the audience. She works as if she were thorongiily at home and to this sang-froid is due much of her success. Her "Sally" finish is pleasing. The Klein Brothers present a few min- utes of clowning, using as many objection- able gags as they thought they could get away with and employing some effecbve hokum. The Jewish monologue is en- tirely unnecessary, the Central not being in the Bronx. Outside of this the Kleins got lots of laughs and deserved them. Al- though much of their material is true and tried they put it over fine. Al Klein is a good clown and works hard for his laughs. Morair and Wiser closed the first half with their hat'throwing act. 'The stuff of throwing the hats into the audience went ovrr great and the act, after opening slow, finished with a bang. The "Oh, What a Girl" part of the en- tertainment was pleasant Allan Glen, as Jack ilushton dependent on his uncle for his inheritance, smgs well but knows less than nothing about acting. His work towards the end drew several lang^. espe- cially when he tried to dance, but he was ' game and earned a hand at the finish. Klein does a lot of ad lib clowning in this portion and tries so hard for his laughs that he sometimes gets in the way. "Puch, Puch," means absolutely nothing and is not at all funny, that is probably why so many comedians say it. William Moran. as the hypocritical uncle, does well and Eugene Redding is in character as the composer. Irma Bertrand sings well and Hermosa Jose makes a fine soubrette. Marie Stoddard does some fine character work, especially in the "drunk" bit. Jeanne Steele, singing '"Ohio," is one of the most charming little ingenues we have set eyes on this season. Graceful, pretty, with a strong pleasing voice and a knowledge of how to put It over she certainly is a winner and should go far in musical comedy. The rest of the cast is adequate but has little chance to shine, outside of Buddy Doyle, who sings "Buddy" with so much pathos that the ushers have to use the mop when he's through. C. C. RIVERSIDE Rafayette's Dogs opened the bill with a lively canine novelty called "Going to the - How Wows," in which the dogs were put through a routine of balancing, acrobatics and some good comedy pantomime. 'Margarcle Hesslcr, youthful violiniste, proved a worthy represc-'Mive of the concert platform, contribu* .g two num- bers ' which cpntrasted each other and which put her over for a pleasing hit Toto, the down, ddigfated kiddies and adults alike with a routine of comedy pan- tomime that embraced everything under the sun that oould he utilized in an offer- ing of this kind. Alter downing all over the lot he introduced a life-sized marion- ette feature that had a strong conxdy value as well as being a novelty. Mr. and Mrs. Jimmy Bany were the usual comedy treat in their newest vaude- ville conceit, "Scandals at Hensfoot Cor- ners." Barry's delineation of the wise- cracking rube kept them happy, and when . he burst forth in his travesty' on. old-time' ballads, a song called 'Without a Wcddina Jling," the loob literally rolled in their seats with laughter. Venita Gould, imitatrix, dosed the first', half with a series of splendid chaiacteriza- tioDS of popular stage favorites. Among those included in her lut were George M. Cohan. Ted Lewis, Francine Larrhaore. Gallagher and Shean, Grace La Hue, Al Jolson, GiMa Gray and Lenora Ulric. In the impression, of the latter Miss Gould sounded her strongest note. Garbed in a replica of the costume worn by Miss Ulric in "Kik!," Miss Gould enacted one of the scenes from the play that brought her many rounds of applause. If Joe Cook had not already conceived the idea of billing himself as The One Man Vauderille Show," one might be tempted to ntilize it as a denitioa of Miss Gould's offering. Harriet Rampel and Company sotmded ' the dramatic note of the bill in a tabloid drama of circus life, "The Heart of a Clown." The action is laid in the down's tent He has grown embittered through his wife liavin{( deserted him for another and belittling his profession by calling him "a white-faced fooL" Revenge has been consuming his better self. He must have it at any cost In this frenzy he has taken his_ littfe_ son out of a good home and trained him in the ways of a drcns down, the main object being to break the mother's heart. They are playing hb wife's home town and he has mvited her to meet him after the show. Rita, a aptivatiag aerial artist and the little son. Billy, areue only ones whose eyes can see the real heart of the down reposing behind the veneer of hatred. Rita prevails upon him to forget his revenge. She even threatens to br^k with him. but he is obstinate. At the climax when he is all set to mock the wife that betrayed him, his plans are npset by the presence of a sweet old lady, the mother-m-law he never met, who tells him his wife has passed into tbe great beyond. The futility of revenge it brought home to him and he sends the little grandson home with her while he makes ready to make the next stand. Miss Rempd did some remarkably good acting in a dual role. The piquancy she bronght to the interpretation of the ^-oung aerial artist was decidedly contrasted in her portrayal of the elderly woman, which gave her the greatest opportunity for some strong emotional acting. Demarest and Cbllette were pleasing as ever in thdr conglomeration of nif^ non- sense and instrumental numbers. Demar- est is a bom down and kept the audi- ence happy every minute he occupied the stage;. Gus Edwards and his proteges provided a pleasant musical comedy feature in the annual Gus Edwards Revue, whldl enlists the services of Alice Fumess, Chester Fredericks and a bevy of chorus beanties. who combine everything that is, anything in the form of sparkling, snappy 'entertain- ment E. J. B.