New York Clipper (Jul 1923)

12 THE NEW YORK CLIPPER July 4, 1923 BENNETT TWINS TheKtze—Regent. Style— Singing. Time— Fourteen minutes^ Settine—/n oiif. Al Jolson is certainly "nobody's fool." Just where that statement comes in with a review of the Bennett Twins' vaude- ville act may sound like a mystery at first—but think it over. There have been sister acts and "kid" acts in vaudeville and production by the dozens. Jolson, when one of the Hart Sisters passed away, had to seek for a sister team to replace them in his shows. So he prob- ably cast about among the many sister and "kid" teams m order to get not only the best one, but the sweetest, and most adorable pair of girls to be found. He picked Katherine and Gladys Bennett. We repeat—Al Jolson is nobody's fool. We caught the Bennetts often in vaudeville prior to their appearance in "Bombo" with Jolson, and like the many others who saw them, thought they were wonderfol, and it was practically im- possible to improve on them. The kids have shown that it was, by improving on themselves. Oti their personalities, their appearances and ability, it would be difficult to improve, so they went ahead and became better in showmanship. One of the most difficult things to do in vaudeville is to get heavy applause with a sweet, cute and refined act. With this sort of offering artists can make audiences love them and entertain audi- ences while they are on, but getting ap- plause at the finish is another stunt. And that's what the Bennetts are doing. Their opening number, in very pretty little frocks, is "We Know Our Book," telling that kids are not as childbh as they look. Then with Gladys at the piano, both smg of "Little Boy Blues," a very appealing narjery "blues," which goes over with anyone. This is followed by "Paradise AUcy," in which both do a couple of ragamuffin kids, who, when society goes slunatiing on Tenth avenue, so {xmrniing on Riverside Drive. "How'd Yoa Like' to Be a Kid Again" and "Mad" complete the repertoire, and for a finish they do a dance routine of kicks and Russian steps which is in a class with the best and makes their finish sure- fires All the ntmibeis are done in excellent harmony. Their appearances are lovable and their personalities will make the hardest-tioiled "forty-minute egg" in the audience want to hug them. They'll go over with a bang in any theatre. G. J. H. SUN FONG UN Theatre—Proctor'j S8th Street. Stylo—tfovelty. Ibne — Fifteen mhuites. SttOatSpeciaJ, m full. This is a mixture of conjuring, boom- erang throwing, balancing and contortion feats, offered by a troupe'of Chinese performers, which includes five men and a girl, yet only bills the featured mem- ber. The latter is a conjurer with a keen sense for comedy who never misses an opportunity to inject a suggestion of humor in his routine. For an opener he does a ribbon trick in which he severs a white ribbon in the c e nt e r by burning it and later joins it. leaving no detection of the break. He then prtKlnces several bowls filled with water from behind a black cloth. This stunt is a bit shoddy and is not worked as fast as it should be. A contortioaist gives a very creditable exhibitiotu and two men do some clever manipulation of boomenmgs. The sextette follows with plate spinning stmits and for a finish two of the men do a nnmber of aerial stunts suspended in the air and supported by thar.coes. Much is crowded into the act and it •^nrlcs fast. It is a good closing feature for any bilL E. J. B. [new acts and reappearance RAINBOW SIX Tbtitxe—Jcfferson. Style— Singing novelty. • Time— Eigftleen minutes. Setting—7it two (.eyes). This act is somewhat along the lines of a minstrel show, done by five men and a woman. The moi are clad in minstrel garb and instead of heing in blackface they are made up in bluetace, white, purple, red and black, respectively. The woman was made up as a high "yallcr." While the woman seems to head the company, no one acts as the interlocutor, although a few gags are sprung. All of their voices are excellent and of the kind that would put any act over. Several songs are done, some as solos and others as ensemble numbers, some dancing and a few gags are also offered. The five men opened the act with a song, after which the woman entered and sang an explanatory number about their act. She then seated herself at the piano and sang a verse of a song, three of the men gathering around at the chorus done by the four as a harmony number. This went over very good, although the four certainly looked weird on account of the spotlight. The man in white grease paint did some clever tap dancing, after which the woman and the bluefaced one did some comedy talk. One of the hi^h spots of the act came next when the smgcr in red sang a ballad in a powerful voice that had the qualities of a baritone and the range of a tenor. After another gag was sprung, the one in -blackface did a Mammy song and followed it by a dance. For the closing number the woman sang a waltz ballad in high key, but a trifle too fast a tempo for the good of the song. She revealed a voice of great range, and when the rest of the company joined in she sang a counter melody that harmonized well. M. H. S. MORRIS AND FLYNN Tbt^tie—Regent. Style— Singing, Time— Twelve minutes. ScttinK—/i> one. _ Two neat-appearing young chaps, wjio sing in pleasing voices, offer a repertoire of published numbers,. which will get them over very nicely along the thrce- a-day route. The routine includes a solo by each of them, and the remainder of the numbers,.being done together. Thv closing bit, a medley worked around "Don't Let Yourself Get Lonesome," lias been done by many other acts several seasons back and could be changed to advantage to either a later number or the medley to include later songs. G. T. H. LYLE AND EMERSON Tbestze—Regent. Style— Talking and singing. Time— Fourteen minutes. Setting—/» one (special). Lyie and Emerson stage the scene of their offering in the hallway of a hotel, . in front of the entrance to their rooms. The opening bit is on the flirtation style, and leads into the talk naturally. The talk has been written fairly well, con- taining quite a few laughs and none of them forced. Two songs are done in the offering, one evidently a special number and the other an old published song, "I Want to Settle Down." which also fits in with the plot. Both handle the talk wcll._ and have an entertaining vehicle which should have no difficult}- in gqing over in any of the family houses. G. J. H. "SUNSHOWERS" Theatre—Hawi7»o«. Style— Revue. Time— Thirty-three minutes. Sitting—Special. Harry Delf moves his personality in and about "Sunshowcrs" which is about all that can be said for this reduced ver- sion of his longer show. Before the cur- tains part on the gold silk eye Delf ex- plains the plot, somewhat in an Ed Wyiui style, except that he means it. A row is on between the school teachers and the school board and the educated Misses resolvc/that instead of striking they will vamp jhc old guys. Delf plays the sweetheart of the spokesman 'or the school teachers and also plays all four of the school board. His comedy work is good! and he has a fine singing and dancingVnimibcr with the ingenue, some- thing about "How Do You Doodle Do," whic^' gets over big. His story about terpsichore. Mercury and Apollo misses beind funny , by a large margin. There is a Idhnce team in the act that do some fine work and besides twelve, good-look- ing choristers are used. There is evi- dent economy in setting and costumes and the act fails to impress, it being too evidently what it is, a reduced version of a show that failed to make good, re- duced both as to size and circumstances. Cutting and speeding up will help it materially. C. C. HURST AND VOGT Tbestit—Jefferson. Style— Comedy. Tim*— Fifteen minutes. Setting— In one. A likable comedy team despite a few rough spots and some gags that are not so new. The one doing the comedy is tall, slim and wears a frock coat, silk hat, etc, and the Other a tuxedo and tan colored pants like his partner. Both looked neat, and the comic fooled around with a long cigar. They entered with several loud "hurrays" and were assisted in some by the house musicians. Their ca^ were numerous and fast, most of uieir early stuff being unusually good and cleverly done. One of them sung a published Irish ballad and the gags_ were brought out again. These consisted of both good and bad ones, but they were sold equally good. For the closing bit, the comic stood in back of his partner using his hands as though they belonged to the one in front, doing all sorts of things, even blowing his nose, and gathering no ends of laughs in the meantime. With the poor stretch of gags ironed out the team ought to get _over_ easily at most of the inter- mediate time houses. M. H. S. PATRICE AND SULLIVAN Tbeatn—Hamilton. Style—Double. Time— Ten minutes. Setting— In one. The act is done by a man and woman, the man playing the piano and singing and the woman singing and playing the violin. She is comely and talented and he is also a good performer with a pleas- ing personality. The act opens with the )'0ung lady in Spanish costume singing a song about "Sunny Spain" which is followed by the man singing "Dawn in Maryland" and playing Uic last chorus in flash style. The girl comes back af- ter a costume change to play "Gypsy Sweetheart" which she does well, han- dling the instrument as if she knew what she was doing. They finish with "Bambalina." Both man and woman play well and the act should be good for an early spot on any bill. C C. AARON AND KELLY Tbtatie—Proctor's 23rd Street. Style— Singing and dancing. Time— Fifteen minutes. Settins—/n. one. Two male "unbleached Americans" contribute this act which consists of some splendid harmony singing and fancy footwork. The boys appear in black tux coats and grey trousers. They manage to pack some delightful harmony into "Sleepy Hills of Tennessee," whidi titey use for an opener, countering with a comedy number that leads them into a neat soft shoe dance. Some brief dialogue pertaining to a dancing contest follows. They make a wager as to whom is the best dancer and permit the audience to decide the bet. This gives the boys a great opportum'ty for eccentric solos, after which both join forces in a snappy routine for a finish. The act is sold with a picasureable speed. When they leave the stage the audience is begging for more. But the boys arc sufficiently good showmen to bow off to great applause without be- laboring them with encores, which would undoubtedly have tempered their smash finish. The act is a strong card for the smaller houses. It is. also a .commend- able offering for an early spot on the better class bills. E. J. B. HARRY DELF Theatre—Hami7/oi). Style— Song and dance. Time— Seventeen minutes. Setting—/n one. Harry Delf s act is merely an exposi- tion of personality and talent plus some clever lyrics. Almost the entire act is specialty stuff and Delf puts it over well. He opens with a number concerning "Everything a Fellow Wants," and then has a good number about life on a desert island with the girl you love that he works up to fever pitch. His love scene, wherein he uses his left arm to imper- sonate his sweetheart and goes through all the usual mush is exceedingly fuimy. He has a great bit in which he shows how different people eat soup which he does in several characters including the guy who is in a hurry, the old man and his family and several other ways. He does some dancing during the course of the act, just enough to let the audience know he could dance if he wished, and puts it over in great shape. He also makes a few remarks in reference to his latest flop, "Sunshowers" which he thinks some members of the audience may have seen him in during the hour and a half the show played Broadway. As a single Delf is great and deserves a fine spot on any bill. C. C. MILLS AND KIMBLE tbttLtte—Proctor's \2Sth Street. Style— Singing. Time— Fifteen minutes. Setting— One and two (specials). A high-class singing act is offered by the man and woman comprising the team of Mills and Kimble, consisting for the most part of old songs. The girl does a prologue to one to start the act off, and the curtain is drawn aside for the duo song numbers to be done before special place drops in "two." Their repertoire consists of numbers such as "In the Gloaming." "Carry Me Back to Ole Virginia," "Sweet Sixteen," "Hello My Baby," and the like. For solos, the man renders two num- bers, one of them "Sunrise and You," and the woman uses "Roses of Picardy." Both have fine voices, the man a good baritone and the woman a clear con- tralto. The one trouble with the act at present is that it runs somewhat too long and can stand cutting of a minute or two. The finish consisting of up-to-date songs, could be improved by the use of a better number for the closing. G. J. H.