New York Clipper (Feb 1923)

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February 7, 1923 THE NEW YORK CLIPPER li REGENT (Lmtt H>If) Business was not as good at the Resent Thursday matines as it has been for some weeks past but when the excellence of the bill gets noised about the neighborhood receipts are bound to pick up. Vatdo. Meers and Valdo opened with a few novelties in . th? way of wire walking, the feature of the act being the mechanical con- trivances used by the tall man who does the clowning.' The offering was wcU received. Golden and Lewis presented an act that was novel. Two boys who open with a'double song and then rely on the saxophone ^d clarinet playing of Golden to put the act over. Lewis works hard but ie deficient vocally. The mu>-=al work is good. The entertainment valtie oi the act is fair and it is nicely drcMcd. Allraan and Howard, with a slightly changed routine also found themselves in a strange country with their best gags falling flat. They have cut out their Oriental namber, formerly one of the "show** pieces of the act and have interpolated a song to take its place. ^ Miller and Bradford worked hard bat found the going rough. They have a' high*class act relying on subtlety which most be tinderstood to be appreciated. Write your own ticket on their chancss at this house. Miller has a fine voice which he uses to advantage and Miss Bradford dances well. The act is elaborately set and a good vehicle, none the worse for the length of time they have bco) using it- Ben Welch, assisted by Frank P. Murphy held the stage with good effect for over twenty- five minutes. It is Welch's formula to give them a long show for the opener and he used every gag in bis repertoire to fill out the time. At times he had Murphy fishing for his lines but this was not discemable to the audience. For Murphy it must be said that a large por* tion of the success of the act depends upon bis fine character work as the Irish cop. Welch minimizes his blindnuess so that one not familiar with the turn hardly knows he is afflicted. As far as bis material is concerned, it is all tried and true and has been sueccasful for years. Besides this he was on home ground and could talk Yiddish all day long to this crowd and be positive that h: would be understood. This reviewer needs a interpreter for that. How- ever as Welch represents an East Side character it is in keeping with his part and not as ob> jcctionable as it might be. The Yung Wong brothers closed the bin with m fine exhibition of fire-eating, and gymnastie work. A youngster who docs not look to be more than eight years old provides most of the oitertainment and is an excellent contortionist, the act really being built around him. C. C* COLISEUM (LaU Half) A poorer' show on the whole than this house has been accustomed to getting. Host of the acts were of small time calibre and even though this theatre does operate under a split _ week policy, it has been playing acts which ordinarily do credit to a big time bill. Not that the acts weren't entertaining. They were,—but not as much as the previous shows - have been. Foris and West made a good opener with their strong man offering. Th: novelty of the gymnastic work offered by the two seems to lie in the cigar which the tmderstander keeps in his mouth at all times, and despite the many times it seems that the top-mounter will be burned by it, he never comes in contact with it. Follis and I.e Koy appeared in a routine of songs and dances, before a drop of their own hung in one. Their work was just fair, prac- tically in keeping with the average man and woman combination seen in the dance spot on a small time bill. Most' of the comedy for the show was fur- nished by Frank and Teddy Sabini. Frank's "wop" comedy found it easy to get laughs, although the act has been seen htre before. Teddy Sabini did a "blues" to good results, and the instrumental work rounded out the rest of the offering. Friui Scheff and "Kiss Me Again" were also present. There have been times in the past, a great many of them, when we've heard Miss SchcS in much better voice. Kellam and O'Dare had things their own way, having little or no competition from the rest of the performers with their line of comedy. Kellam's song with gestures is really very funny. The woman makes a great straight and sings .wdL Cy Compton and Company brought back the old days of "Buffalo Bill" with a Wild Western act in which they gave some very good ex- hibitions of roping, and horsemanship. G. J. H. PROCTOR'S FffTH AVE. (Lmat Half) Kine acts, combining everything that makes for rattling good entertaioraent and ranging from single acts to those earrytng productions, com* prised the new bill which ushered in the last half at this house last Thursday afternoon. A super- sophisticated audience sat in judgmoit as to the entertaining quality of each turn and few, if any, failed to win a verdict of approval. "Pot Pourri,** a novelty that lives up to its name opened the show to a good start and enter- tained the mob with a line of divertissement which crowded dancing, magic, instrumental numbers and a birdland fantasy into the breif runsiog time of fifteen minutes. By ofl'ering merely a suffgestioa of each and featuring the performing birds the "opener" proved a decided novelty and set the house in good btmior for the succeeding entertainers. Sargent and Marvin, a couple of likeable chaps, followed with their mtisical nonsense and anc- ceeded in keeping the audience in a happy mood with a potporri of instrumental numbers that were exceedingly well executed. They drew melody from handsaws, clowned a bit and effected a de> gree of finiah to everything thC7 attempted. Rolland and Ray, a mixed team, lifted np the comedy vein of the performance with a ddigbt- fol duologue, **By Appointment." It is New Year's Eve and the chap has invited a "swell broad" to see the New Year in at the festive board of the Automat. Of course, the lady is "pcrved,** but when the chap decides to. quit stalling and lay his cards on the tabte^ by tdling her he's broke, she forgives him and pilots him to her domicile in the Bronx for real feed. Be- fore this climax the couple indulge in a gay repartee that is dcliciottsly bnmoTDtta. The inevitable band spot is awarded this week to Dave Harris and His Syncopators. The boys have been playing for the records and arc de- buting in vaudeville. Harris, besides playing several instruments in the nine piece band, sings several numbers. In selecting repertoire he has given all publishers an even break and bis act is a good plug for their niunbcra. At the cinn- pletion of the act he encored with two of his own numbers, "Down Home Bines" and '*The Hayseed." In the latter number tbe boys affect rube costnmes and there is a suggestion of comedy throughout the proceedings that greatly enhances their rendition of this orchestration. Tbe rural melodies of the prcvioos act may have been coincidental, nevertheless, it was a great "set up" for the offering of Mr. and Mrs. Jimmy Barry. Jimmy's rural types have been comedy wows of many a two-a-day bill and more recently the outstanding feature of tbe Broadway musical comedy, "Onr Ndl." His present offer- ing "Scandal at Henafoot Comers" includes much of the same chatter he had incorporated into the musical production. Bany essays the wise-cradc- ing "hick," one of whom is to be fonnd in any hamlet. His penchant for town gossip makes him exceptionally popular with the fair sex, but when he attempts to marry the former town belle, who has just planted her third husband, he realizes that "as a Romeo, he's an onion," as Richard Carle used to put it The act is a great sketch of small time life. Barry's delineation of the "town sport" is a gem of cfaaracterization. Mrs. Barry handles the r61e of a merry widow with much vivacity. One of the high lights of the piece is a satire on an old-fasbioncd song which Barry puts over for a wow. Grette Ardine, assisted by Tyrell and Mack, combined forces in a siappy production act, **The French Modd," which featured every form of dancing imaginable. Miss Ardine scored in a solo and did remarkably well later in an aiMchc dance with one of the boys. Tbe boys, too, acquitted thcmnelvcs creditably both in si^o dances and in the doubles. . AI Woblm.m pleased with bis songs and nifty nonsense, while Roily and Laird provoked ad- ditional laughs in their new skit "At* Palm Beach." The Three Hendersons, two men and a girl, closed the show, in a clever routine of acrobatic stunts. E. J. B. VALBOINO-KEITH DEAL OFF The negotiations between Rodolph Val- entino, the motion picture star, and the Keith vaudeville circuit, for the former's appearance in vaudeville, have been called off, owing to the fact that an agreement could not be reached on the $a1::ry tu be paid Valentino. The screen star asked for $7,000, through Harry Weber, and was of- fered a simi under $5,000. While there was no question as to whether Valentino 'was worth the amount, or not. it was thought that business is too good in thea- tres at present to warrant such an expendi- ture in order to draw patrons. HAMILTON (Last HiUO For solid entertainment value, and a fast, smooth-running show, the bill fur tbe last half of the week couldn't be matched. The only fault one might be inclined to pick on was the fact that it ran rather late, but with the type of acts and the motion picture they had here, that vras more of an asset than a liability. "The Flirt" was the feature, and proved to be one of the best pictures of the season, evaa though it did run ninety minutes. In kseping with the quality of the show, and what gave it a belter sUrt than anything else, was the overture played by . WDKam R. Mc- Elwain and bis Hamilton orchestra.. It con- sisted of a special arrangement of ''My Buddy," and would have done credit to White- man for novelty and effectiveness.' The bint part of this chap McElwain u the way Ih vrhieb he docs his work. No tricks, no l>ows, ]ust ccnsdentious directing, with bis heart in his work, and a million dollar smile. It's no wond=r that the acrobatic acts work as heartily as they do here. The Rios made a great opener with their aerial acrobatics, containing some very -""fil stunts. To make the act more effective, the woman is one of the very few acrolats we've beard sing who had a good voice. Uallen and Day held the deuce spot fairly welL At present their strongest assets are their person^ties and the girl's singing. They an capable of handling much better telk material than the major portion of their present act consists of and should get It. Mrs. Gene Hughes and company appeared In one of the most appealing comedy sketches seen in a long time called "Youth,** in which she was supported by three women and a man. Edgar Allan Woolf is responsible for the play- let, which is the type^whicb will go well in any theatre, big or small time. Mrs. Hughes is cxcelloit in it, and the supporting cast couldn't be better, especially Alice Davenport, Haxel Stone and Vera McrTiH. Yvetle Rugel could luve remained in view for the entire afternoon, singing continually and the audience 'would never have tired of her. Her opening nnmber about "The Old Songs Are the New Songs," is very good, and the rest of tbe numbers in her repertoire are well- selected. A new number, announced by Miss Rugel as a successor lo "Silver Threads Among Tbe Gold," called **Vou Will Always Be the Same To Me." went nicely. The "Cecilia" story, which gives her an opportunity to sing "Little Grey Home In the Wot** m three different ways, made a great finish and brought her back for an encore. Joe Laurie. Jr.. quietly talked his way to a solid hit. The "sister" is perfect, every little action she does being natural. Laurie's mono- logue went along at the rate of a laugh a line. The Original Memphis Five, with Rome and Dunn and an unbillcid woman, all combined io one act closed the show. The act nans much too long and th^ last twelve minutes of it could be used for encores, for there was about a half hour of time to it in addition. The quintette is great, and the cometist particularly one of the best. Rome and Dunn sing well. ■ and the woman handles sevsral numbers in "coon- abooter" style effectively. G. J. U. STATE (Lmat Half) Dolly Conolly and Percy Wenrich are headlin- ing the bill for the week, being held over from tbe first half. A repertoire of Mr. Woirich's newest compositions are sung by Miss Cooolly, all of them unusually -tuneful. Few singers in vaude- ville have the poise, and easy style of singing affected by Miss Conclly whose voice fills the spacious auditorium with little effort on her itart. As a piano solo Wenrich played one of bis new ones entitled "All Muddled Up" and toward the close of the act a violinist joined in. At the finish Miss Conolly further augmented the moslal part of the offering by strumming on the ukuld& The act moved alimg smoothly and registered easily. Mr. Wenrich is to be commended for brealuDB away from the usual sotiR-writer stunt of playing bits of former hits. Writers with leas to their credit than Wenrich depend to a con- siderable extent on that sort of stuff. The Hori Trio, Japanese novelty act opened the show with clever exhibitions of acrobatic, risley work and juggling. Unusual for such acta, tHry gathered a few laughs by jnijgling with the barrel, nuking alleged {aolty catches, etc. The dxT>p depicting a native some is p!cture3<iue and very cfTcctive. In the seccnd spot the Melroy Sisters surted a little weak due to their opening song, a neces- sary evil, and finished powerful after trotting out some splendid hard shoe bock and wing steps. Their white costumes are very attractive and arc worn when offering the piice de resistance of the act, the bnck and wing dancing. P i e vi ou a to that they did aonie special songs in vcraatilo' style. The Caledonian Fcnr, in Idlts sang several selections, including two or three pnhlLshed nnm* bers and some classical selection*. Their Toieci are good and they Elled in intenals between songs with some comedy. Brooks and Crayce. proved to be a clever tmn with an eatdtaining type of conMdy tbat went over very well, the girl doing moat of the comedy, working as a javenDe-cnmcdtennc, while the man played straight. In addition to the concdy one or two songs were done» aone dane- ing by both. An acrohntic dance done aa a single by the man took especially good. The closing bit of nonsense wu a wow and waa worked np nicely by the girL FoIIawIng the CoBoUy-WcnticIl act. the Mahd BlondeU Bevue, elated tbe Tauderille part of the show. ■ Miss Bloodell, haa •nmnnder henelf with excellent entertainers In the form of a good soprano,, tamr. and a male team of nif^. dancers* all. of whom sell their stnff in good itylb Hiu BlmdeD facnclf. while a trifle bnane did MTcnl amgiag (pedaltlea, one of the stnagot bita being her impetionation of 'Ftiscok and the cbc Imitated wetild have fonnd U hard to go ofa any better than ihe did. Tbe offering acema to have belter taleot than most of the tevnca thai play tbo hoaac. H. H. S. PROCTOR'S 23nl STREET (Laat Half) Melody and merriment predominate the new bill offered for the last half here. Add Ihe splendid film adaptation of Booth TarhingtoD'a latest novel, ''The Flirt** and yon have aa d» lectable a *'amall time** bill" aa baa been glinpacd in these part, in some time. Heading the vaudeville aedtion (a Chark* Ahcara, the comedy cyclist, who haa snrronndcd himself with a pretty girl, a niisfit army of comedians and a production act that ta divided into several armrs The 6rst set representing Time* Sqtiarc at night bring* on Aheam in his funOiar tramp make-up. He ia drawn on in one of those sea- going hacka that weie pact of the night life ia the days of the **old Tenderloin,** before Henry Ford began grinding out flif lu*. Aheam goca into some clever cycling, yet manages to sand- wich an dement of comedy between every- thing he does. The scene shifts to Spain, with Aheam and hia comedy aasmhied a* musiciana, doing a ballyhoo outside of a bull ring. Their lia v ealy on the -orchcstsa act** crmae soundnl another sharp comedy note and kept Ihe atldi- encc in roan. We next find them in Egypt, with the girl coming on for a dance, which ia later trmvcsted for a howl by Aheam and hia downa. Cedlia Weston, character einger, was another fait in a well arranged song cycle. Her num- bers included "Yon TeU Her, I Sttrtter," "0*Reflly,'* an Irish comedy number; **Tbe Woman She Cotu Da Vote." a wop comedy number and a "hehs** number that waa not for laughs. Howard and WsQiams, nttt comics, siso were awarded thor share of applause in a nntine of nifty nonsense and parodies, while Rnby Royce, ferwicrly of Rolls and Boycc, offered a delightful dancing "single." She gave an im- pression of Mary Hay, in one of her ilancea* that won her a good hand. '*A Southern Revue," a seven psopte tabloid, mostly girls, offered a happy conglomeration of songs, dances and instmmental nnmber* that were nicely blended into a prodncGon act that will undoubtedly find favor on the smaD time circuits. The Terrace Girls, a fmale quartette, opened the show with a delightful mixture of songs and. iniUrumcntal numbers. E. J. B. RAMBLERS CANCEL WEEK The California Ramblers were obliged to cancel their engagement at Keith's Or- pheum theatre in Brooklyn for the current week, in order to'Open at the Palais Royal on Monday night, rcb. 5, where tbey will fill in the next two weeks for Patil White- man, who is now on tour. They will re- turn to vaudeville at the end oi the two weeks, and on May 1st will go into tbe Palais Royal for an indefinite period. GRACE EDLER HAS REVUE The Edier Sisters have split their vaode- ville act in order to enable Grace EdIer to head a big revue of her ovm for vaudeville to be known as Grace Edler and Steppers Unique. The other Edler sister is letirins from professional activities.