New York Clipper (Jul 1923)

July 4, 1923 THE NEW YORK CLIPPER 11 REGENT A pretty good Thursday afternoon audience was on hand at ibe Regent last we«k to greet the various acts on the bill and moit of the people seemed pleased with the program. The show started off wdl with Bob, Bobbie and Bob, three good jugglers although one of them is four-footed. Tbey go through a good routine with one or two good comedy touches but do not make the audience band them the applause they deserve. This could be done by a definite stop for a bow after each difficult trick, as the stunts tbey do certainly warrant a good hand. The dog does some fine work and the finish 19 a novelty, one of the stage hands, with a cigar in his mouth, standing between the line of fire of the flying clubs. Hatasu Kuma, the dainty Japanese prima donna, went on in second position and sang an assortment of sonRS including "Oole Mia,*' "At Dawning/' "Out of the Shadows" and "Falling.'* The young lady has a sweet but not powerful voice and puts over her numbers well. She finishes with a dance and high kicks to good applause. Harry Holman & Co. in "Hard-Boiled Hamp- ton" went as well as this act usually goes. It is a sure-fire vehicle for vaudeville and is well played, although the girls are not in the same class as Holman when it comes to acting. How- ever, their parts are more or less thankless and they merely act as feeders to him, so too mach can not be expected of them. Glenn and Richards have a neat little offering of songs and dances that suffers a little because of Richards' deficiency in a vocal way. As a dancer he is there and the team, have a good, fast dance finish. They sing a couple of pub- lished numbers, two of which are so old as to be almost "specials." Hurst and Vogf missed fire slightly on their gags through most of the act but their encore went over so strong as to practically stop the show. Unfortunately there are but two gags that arc in any way modem in the act and these two arc more or less on the "bine" order. Their encore finish consists of the old bit of one man standing behind the other, the one in front talk- ing while the one in back furnishes the gestures. This bit was done with such perfection that it brought down the house. Bedali, Naiali and Co., in their spirited dance and song offering, closed the show. This act is artistically staged and Bedali and Natali are more than accomplished dancers. C. C. PROCTOR'S FIFTH AVE. (Lut Half) Although this house is offering a headlincrl ss bill for the last half, stellar position was eas.ly earned by the While Sisters, those charming juvenile entertainers whose songs are a feast for the, ear and whose dancing is sufficiently ex* hilarating to make one forget being in the throes of a heat wave. The girls seem to improve continually and their present arrangement of songs and dances is by far the best they have yet contributed to vaudeville. They come on in Kiddie clothes to harmonize "Down by the Old Apple Tree" and bring to that number a piquancy that is inimitable. They stay on for "Rainy Day Sue" and wind up with some neat dancing. Ever>*thing tbey attempt has an air of refinement and vivacity. They demonstrated their ability as show stoppers at the Thursday matinee. Gilfoylc and Lange ran the White Sisters a close second for stellar honors. Gilfoyle worked like a trojan to keep the mob happy with his comedy antics, while his partner rendered several songs and displayed a collection of gorgeous gowns. The Runaway Four proved as delightful as usual with their combination of knockabout comedy and dancing, while Cooper and Cavan* augh also did remarkably well in their songs and dances. "Carnival of Venice." a musical act set amid the picturesque surroundings of a mardi gras ball, was another notable feature and crowded into it was more entertainment than one usually finds in this type of offering.- An atmosphere of gayety is planted in the very beginning by the group of street singers, presumably masqueiaders . adorned in gay colored costumes, cn their way to the mardi gras. The next scene shows the interior of the ballroom and the ensuing in- ' strumental numbers and dancing are supposed to be features of the ball. Joseph K. Watson kept the audience roaring at the incessant flow of comedy contained in his "Abe Kabbible" monologue.. The Cirtons opened the show with a lively acrobatic and , cycling offering, while McCarton and Morrone closed the show in their clever dance revue, which iricloded an exceptionally well executed Apache dance. E, J. B. FRANKLIN (Lut Half) The headliner for the last half of the week was an ideal one for this neighbor hood, and not only drew business, but probably gave the audi- ence more entertainment than any act which has been seen here in many months. It con- sisted of "Sarafan." the Russian revue, and had the audience so enthusiastic that several of the patrons began to speak Russian back to the an- nouncer in the act from the audience. This announcer, of whom we will say more later, drew one big laugh by saying he was happy to be back in the neighborhood where he was bom. There were only four, instead of the custom- ary six tryouts on Thursday night, and these four very mediocre. They ccnsistcd of a woman single, Zclla Green; a man and woman act, Dalby and Allyn; a colored team, Williams and Roscoe; and a sketch, Dorothy Richmond and Company. Foster and Peggy probably never played to a more appreciative audience than they .did here on Thursday night. For that matter, it can be said that there never was a more temperamental or moody audience than that which collects here. There are nights when acts—any land of act— can't help but love every person in the house, and other nights when one just hates them all for they seem so ''wise** and,take that "show- mc" attitude. However, it is only fair to say that the btter type is greatly in the minority and of late has been getting more and more extinct. Thursday night*a audience was one of those crowds which went wild over anything said or d(ne. whether the! aet was classical or hckum. Foster and his little dog drew laughs steadily and scored a riot of applause at the finish. Peggy ha.<i more personality than any dog we*ve seen in vaudeville in a long time. L^ura Orrasbee and Company were also treated TO>-ally. This is a great deal to Miss Ormsbee's credit, for high-class singing and women with refined personalities very rarely get mere than perfunctory applause here. Her sing- ing and violin playing and the bits done by the pianist, both vocally and with the piano, all went over well and they almost stopped the sfaow at the finish. They have a very good act, and de- liver it excellently. Lyle and Emerson found it easy to get laughs with their ofl'ering, which is reviewed in detail under new acts. "Sarafan" was just one happy riot after an- other for both the audience and the performers in the act The announcer is one of the clev- erest wc*ve seen of the many so-called "Dalieff's." The offering is very well staged and is replete with comedy which was readily understood here, and they could have occupied the stage with their songs and dances for hours and hours and' never tired the audience. Billy Shone, of Shone and Squires, was heavily billed in front of the theatre as a **Bronxite" and found them waiting for hts acL His comedy found fertile scil and Louise Squires' work also went over well. Miss Squires displays a very attractive figure, which also had its good results. Or perhaps bad? One can never tell. La Flcur and Portia closed the show with a very good acrobatic offering, which included some remarkable contortion and iron-jaw work. G. J. H.. HAMILTON (LaitHalf) Summer seems to be having a rather curious effect on the matinee attendance here, fcr busi- ness was bigger on Thursday afternoon than it was on the ordinary matinee during winter. The show wasn't quite as good as the bills which have been booked into this bouse lately. The El Rays made a good starter with a fine serial offering, novelty being given to the act by the apparatus used, all of it bang on the style of .^port apparatus. For rings, they used two canoe paddles, with the centers cut out of the bottoms. A golf-stick served excel- lently for a trapeze. Gladys Sloane and Company had a wait of sevcial minutes previous to their act. and were handicapped by it. Miss Sloane has a likeable voice and fairly good delivery, and her pianist also displays a good voice. If it won't be re- garded as too personal, we'd suggest, as an aid to Miss Sloane's appearance, that she wear a corset. Barrett and Oayion and Company offered a dramatic playlet called "Fate," the cast includ- ing two men and a girl. It concerns a wealthy man who visits a Hindoo mystic, bewailing the fact that he has only a daughter and never had a son. The mystic shows him, through h>'pnotism. what might have happened if his daughter had been a son. It seems imperative therefore, in order to make the old man aatis- ' fied with his girl-child, to foretell that had 'be had a son. the child would, have grown up to be a dope-fiend, a liar, a crook, and what- not. Just why—the playlet doesn't tell—so we see no reason for our doing so. The dope-fiend is being supplied with the 'snow" by a girl, and when he asks her how she got it, she replies. "I"—he says, "You did," she says "I did"—he repeats (with emotion) "Yon did"— and then he chokes her. Yes—he did. The audience seemed to like it. They really did. Despite the fact that the father in the cast was not so good, and ^he heavy dramatics were a little too dramatic aD of a sudden. They did. Following an act with as much emotion con- tained in the Barrct-Qayton affair was not a cinch but the Bennett Twins made it «ne. The sweetness and youth of both of them, with their adorable persoaaliiies and the charm of their songs and dance bits, done only as the cutest pair of kids in vaudeville coold do them, created an oasis on a desert. They are fully reviewed under new acta. Hamilton and Barnes are dmng essentially the same act as they did when hoe earlier this season. A few lines have, been added bete and there, some for the better and some for the worse. We always liked this act, but when an act in Keith "refined vmndeville bring the family.** puUs a gag to the foDowing effect* we ask you to use your own judgment. She, **I'ra starving—I came all the way from Buffalo on a bam sandwich." Hcj **rhat*s nothing, last year I came all the way from Chicago on the neck of a chicken." Yes we know all about the old gag, ''Honi sott qui mat y' ptrue." "Flashes From Songland" closed the show, entertaining with some good singing of num* hers from all nations. G. J. H. STATE (Lut Half) The Wheeler Trio opened with a skilful ex- hibition of hand balancing, tumbling and other acrobatic feats, both novel and enterUining. The act isn't strictly a dumb offering, being that Some comedy talk is spread around here and there. In the .second spot Kennedy and Davis had a hard time of it getting their comedy over for several reasons. They were on early in the bill for one, and another is that their material is decidedly weak. The comedy was done by the (at girl and the slim one fed her the material in hand which failed to bit at any time during the act. Both do their stuff in the most un- natural and unfunny manner, their talk being affected and there is no vestige of natural come- dienne qualities in either one' of them. The one playing straight offers a bit of acrobatic dandng which gives it a bit of variety. We've seen . the act do a Utile better, but on this particular occasion they seemed badly in need of material. Dronson and Rence did a little bit of every- thing, singing, dancing and some comedy. The opening bit concerning tbe burglar stuff is not very effective, but serves as an "opening" and that's all. The singing was fair, and the comedy gathered a few laughs as it went along. The business done by the girl with the musicians, singing to them, etc., went over strong and is about the best part of tbe act. Grey and Old Rose proved to be every bit as good as it sounds, the man and girl offering delightful bits of comedy, dances and singing, in colorful costumes and a pretty set. The offering starts with a bit of the grandma staff which subsequently gets lost tn the shuffle, bat not before a quadrille was gone through. The love-making stuff was spably handled by both as well as their waltz dances, one in particular being very effective. The girl does her "kid" act in a style all her own and in a way that can't miss, being cute and consistently so. and of a type that could do equally well in a*big- time house. Kay Marbc, headlining for the week, appeared in the next to closing spot and sold her songs, dances and personality in clever style. Tbe set was attractive as were Miss Marbe's gowns and appearance. Although she is no prima-donna in the strictest sense of the word, she sings fairly well and gets ber numbers over nicely. Her dances are characterized by a certain graceful charm and vivacity, and to us they seemed to be short and sweet. The accompanist at the piano filled in an interval with a solo at tbe piano, sung in a good tenor voice. Hughes Merrilt Sc Company closed the show in a dance offering done by a juvenile and ingenue, with an accompanist at the piano. M. H. S. CASTLE THEATRE (Loog Bnch.) Eigbt ads of cxcdieni vaudeville were «b- thusiastiully received by the large audience that filled Ibij bouse on tbe opening nigbt. Many of the apectatora had come from New York and were worryiog about catching their train* hack u that closing acts worked nnuer a bandiop. The show didn't start nntil twenty minntea of nine and was over about II:JO. "An Artistic Treat," the openins act. is ■ poaiog routine presented by Margaret Stewart and William Dawning aasiMcd by Benlah Stew- art. As a posing act it has the advantage of having the poses follow each other In lapid sDCceuien. The poses are difficult, artistic and well presented. The Diamonds have developed into an act bear- ing the repuution of stopping (he show in the second spot. On the opening night heie they lived np to their reputation and the audlnce conid not get enongh of them. Tbey have added a new bit to tbe turn. While the female men- her of the company is singing "Little Rover" the two youngsters sUge a pantomime dap ganse, the smaller losing all bis money and finally hi* paper* and making his eiit as if longing to be back home. This is effectively pnt over. The aet stopped tbe show cold. Toe Fejer and hi* Hongarian Oiebestim also met with a gratifying reception but FcJer had some trouble with his spot-lights and cnrtain*. Instead of taking it manfully he appwcd to get angry and this detracted from the fine ahov- ing he would otherwise have made. Outside of Fejer his men are lacking in personality but tbey make up for it in musical ability, althoogta rather nervous the first night. Bums and Lynn got more laughs cm their ^g* and dances tbao tbey have for tbe past tiro weeks. They had no other act of the same style on the bill to compete with and got ovtf . great. Tbe "spotlight" man didn't give them much help on their "sailors' hornpipe" reqncst, but otherwise everything was jake. Miss Juliet, presenting her thonogUy enjoy- able and finely drawn one-girl revue, bad to cut her act short beeauK of tbe lateness of the hour, rnciving instructions to this effect from the stage manager while she was receiving requesU for imitations. This did not interfere with her popularity and success. On her chaiactcrizatioa of a shop girl in a "quick and dirty" she cleaned op. * An intermission was scheduled but failed to eventuate because the hour was so Lite. FoUow- ing Miss Juliet's act part of the andieace moved towards the exits for a smoke hut Morton and Glasa were sent right on. The resultant con- fusion caused them a few maments of difficulty but tbey swung right into their act with all their accustomed zest and put it over welL They also experienced a little difficulty with light and noise cues but managed to weather it nicely. Al Herman with hi* intinialo (tyls and Off- hand manner, found the going easy and wisely interpolated several local gags, nof failing to mention that be had been talking to the Mayor and been informed that the "water supply wonid be all right in a few days." This was brought about because, during Mayor Reynold's speech, a female heckler had shouted "What's the matter ^ith the water." It was almost time to make the 11.27 whca the Cansino* stepped on to do their turn, and, as a consequence, they were not able to bold them in. It is unusual to sec this eccellent act closing tbe show and it must have been dis- appointing to them to go on so late. Those who stayed enjoyed the turn immensely. C C ANNUAL AMATEUR SHOW IN PHILA. Walter G. Wroe, a dancing master of Philadelphia, is presenting his seventeenth annual show at Keith's Theatre in that dty during the current week. Wroe has been giving a show in Keith's Riiladelphia every year for the past seventeen years, consisting of his juvenile pupils in an especially staged revue. This year's show, which IS the headline attraction for the week at the house, is called "The Wroe's Buds:" COMMENCEMENT IN KEITH HOUSE For the first time in the history of vaude- ville theatres a public school held its graduation exercises within a theatre's, wall, when Evandcr Childs High School held its commencement at Keith's Ford- ham Theatre. The exercises took place on Wednesday morning, Jime 27- BAILEY A COWAN'S WORLD TOUR Bailey and Cowan, with Estelle Davis, left New York last week for San Fran- cisco, from where they will sail next wedc to begin their second tour of the world with their "Little Production." Thev will open in Australia, and after touring the Antipodes, will play the South Sea Islands and South Africa, also stopping in Japan, China and India on their way. Mrs. Bill Bailey is traveling with theiii.