New York Clipper (Jul 1923)

July 11, 1923 THE NEW YORK CLIPPER 9 PALACE Van Horn and Inez, in "Sixty Turns a Minute," started a splendid first half, with their fancy skating exhibition, in which' they' featured their swivel neck spin, a very effective stunt. Graceful motion-char- acterizes their performance throughout. In perfect form, Florence Brady, breezed across for a decided hit with a charming delivery of well selected popu- lar numbers, each number scoring greater than its predecessor. Her "miles of smiles" is no idle phrase on the program, but a poor defimtion of Miss Brady|s delightful un-theatrical oounteoance as it were. It would be no surprise to see her further down the bill the next time she plays the house. Miss Grette Ardine, with John Tyrell and Tom Mack, in "The French Model," a dancing story by Neville Fleeson and Albert Von Tiuer, seem to put more pep and steps into the offering everytime it plays ;tne house, and gets across that much stronger. At times the story is sung like an operetta, and danced tor good measure. The routine is a vigorous one and novel, and the individual efforts of the trio is steadily improving, espedally the work done by the boys.' In "Laughs of the Day", Charles Crafts and Jack Haley, did not do so well at first, probably due to the fact that they have the appearance of a couple of juveniles -who should sing and dance, but who insist on doing comedy. The gags gathered a few laughs here and there and included both new and oldi ones, and the song done by the straight man slowed up the act until it seemed as though it were going to die right then and there. However, they managed to pick it up toward the finish and closed in fairly good style. Some day the boys will have an act worthy of their talents, but their material will have to have a reasonable amount of continuity, for dis- connected bits do not fit all styles of comedians. More powerful than ever, Vincent Lopez and His Pennsylvania Orchestra in the second week of his present engage- ment, had the house applauding for more when intermission had been on its way for several minutes. The program in- cluded excerpts from Carmen which opened the act, subsequently followed by "Carolina Mammy", "Runnin* Wild", "Bouquet of Roses", Rose song medley used last week, and "Rubetown Frolic", which was the final selection and a wow all the way through. The effects back of the act were clever as usual. Lopez now has an orchestra that is more than a dance combination, for its supplies de- lightful, entertaining music, with ar- rangements that preserve the melody. The second half was opened by Fleurette Joeffrre. "miniature prima donna," who proved to be an exotic little creature; -with a remarkable coloratura soprano voice. Mile. Fleurette opened with a classical selection and followed with a song from "Lakme" which is one of Galli-Curci's favorites. Two other songs of the English folk song type con- cluded her repertoire. The prima donna. Iiowever, goes through her songs as though' she were singing for her teacher and not the public, so exact and blase is her performance. Ethel Barrymore appeared in her for- mer vaudeville vehicle, Barrie's "The Twelve Pound Look." ably supported by Harry Plimmcr, in the male lead, Ena Shannon and James Kearney. As is t be expected, our leadint; feminine stage star, was superb at all times, bringing with her the dignity and delightful quali- ties that usually characterize her shows. Hawthorne and Cooke, in the next to closinpr spot, did a little burlesque on the preceding act, and gathered additional laughs in the regular part of their comedy routine. Percy Oakes and Pamelia Delour, closed the show in a •"Cycle of Cyclonic Dances." M. H. S. VAUDEVILLE REVIEWS RIVERSIDE An eight-act bill with comedy and music as its chief motif ushered in the new week here. Attendance at the Monday matinee was considerabljr off and noticeably below that of the previous Monday. Aside from Harry Stoddard and Band, which held the coveted spot of the bill, the show lacked draw material, yet the acts were enjoyable features despite the inability to qualify as box office magnets. Al Stryker proved an adequate pace- maker and managed to blend comedy and thrills in his tmique balancing and gym- nastic offering, Stryker is an accomplished acrobat and also has a sense of bumor that makes his worlc all the more enjoyable. Ryan, Weber and Ryan, two girls and a boy, deuced with a happy mixture of songs and dances, scoring particularly with the stepping. All three are clever ex- ponents of footwork and managed to bring down a loud hand either when working in- dividually or collectively. The girls arc stunners and the boy Is a cleancut type. Their routine is assembled in a clever man- ner which builds up to a smash climax by the dancers planting their real stuff near the finish. "The Intnider," a novelty act in which the featured players work from the audi- ence, proved an admirable vehicle for Fred Wayne, Loretta Marshall and Truscille Canby. At the opening a girl comes on and apologizes for not being, able to go on with the act. The other couple, affecting the roles of singers from a neighboring cabaret who arc spending their holiday after the fashion of the proverbial cabby, are attending the show. After much com- edy confab they volunteer to fill the run- ning time of the team who cannot go on and proceed to the stage, where they clown through the remainder of the act and man- age to intersperse their nonsense with sev- eral clever songs. Frances Arms, singing comedienne, is evidenthr a strong favorite with the patrons here. She received a hand as soon as the card was displayed in the enunciator. Her act consisted of three published numbers and a couple of speciab. It was the latter that gave her her best opportunity, par- ticularly a "hebe" comedy number. "When I Want to Find Out How Good They Are, They Want to Find Out How Wise I Am." • Miss Arms has been improving in her style from season to season and can now hold her own with most of them. Harry Stoddard and his orchestra closed the first section, offering a happy selection of instrumental numbers. Of course their best bet is "Streets of New York," in which they synchronize melody to fit the different parts of the tovm. For the vari- ous sections they effect changes of costume in keeping with the section announced by the lamp-post enunciator. The boys have worked this number up so that the changes are being made much speedier than when last seen. The remainder of the program was equally good and managed to bring the boys deserved and prolonged applause ^fter each number. Irving Fisher, assisted by a male accom- panist, scored as usual in his song selec- tions, while "Oklahoma" Bob .Albright went well with his mixture of songs, gags and instrumental impressions. "Parlor, Bedroom and Bath," a tabloid edition of the Swaii-Bell farce which served as a starring vehicle for Florence Moore, was another worthy .asset to the comedy department of the bill. The plot revolves around a benedict who has misled his wife into believing that he was a devil with the ladies before and is called upon to con- vince her of his wickedness. Helen Good- hue is featured as Polly Hathaway, the former Florence Moore role, and does re- markably well with it. She is supported by an adequate cast of comedians. E. J. B. PROCTOR'S 5TH AVENUE (F!nt H.10 A very good layout of entertainment is here for the first half of the week, mak- ing up a show quite in contrast with the • bill offered at this time last week. One of the best contortion, aerial and iron-jaw offerings we've seen is done by La FleiA- and Portia who opened the show here. The woman does a wonderful sturt-in the bit where she rests the entire weight of her body on her headi support- ing herself by holding the "iro«i-jaw" inratus in her teeth. The man tops this stunt for a finish, by whirling for more than two full minutes, while suspended by his teeth in mid-air. Boyle and Bennett put life into the usually dragpy second spot with a series of leg-o-mania dances, including both tap and eccentric work. The "echo" dance, a new bit since we last saw the act, made a very effective finish, and is a difficult routine, comprising a novelty among the ordinary run of eccentric dances. Charlie Aheam and Company were on somewhat early of an act of its type, and didn't get quite as many laughs as the act ordinarily does. While essentially com- posed of the same hokum bits which Ahearn has been doing for years, the placing of them in different scenes each season, gives the act an atmosirfiere ol newness. Aheam now has, in addition to his original street scene with the bike, an Egyptian bit, which brings in a girl dancer and also his burlesque oriental dance, and a Honolulu scenes serves for a .South Sea dance by the girl. Ahearn has a four piece jazz band with him. which doesn't get much opportunity to show their abilities. It's a long jump from the rough hokum such as done^ by Aheam to the sweet, refined entertainment offered by the Ben- nett Twins, but whether the contrast aided or handicapped them, is hard to say, for these two kids seem to be able to follow any kind of act and make good. We have reviewed the Bennetts in de- tail already, and to say that they are sweet, adorable, and the most lovable sister team in vaudeville, would only be repetition of the same statements. So we'll work on another angle, and just state that we wish a great many other vaudeville artists _ could watch this act, and see the legitimate manner in which they take their bows and encores. There's no jockeying possible, for the music ceases while ihey bow, and applause is the only noise which makes them come back. And they came back often on Monday afternoon, which spoks for the amount of applause. And this with a "sweet kid act". Bob Hall followed and tied up the pro- ceedings by stopping the show cold, after being compelled to take several encores. ^ Hall is a great favorite here, and he could have remained in view indefinitely and it seemed that they wouldn't tire of him. D. Apollon also found great favor. One of the girls, the blonde, is new to the act, and does very well with her various numbers. The one with the raven curls also scored a large sized individual hit. Apollon displayed his versatility by play- ing piano, mandolin, accordeon. and doing some very good Russian dance work Tom Smith, assisted by Harry New- man at the piano, closed the show, findini; it easy to get laugh: with his nonsense. Smith is doing more "nip-ups" than he did previously. We'd suggest that he replace a lot of the old <^gs with newer material, even though he does get laughs with one or two of them. It's his delivery more than the gags which get the laughs, and he may as well leave no opening I'cr complaint. G. J. (I. BROADWAY The summer policy of having but six acts at the Broadway Theatre continues in force and it seems as if either this or something else were having an effect on the business because the house at the early show on Monday was not up to the tisiuu size. Walters and Walters and ZeUya walked away with the honors of the bill, but seveiaL other.-acts-.were dose faehiiMl them, providing a good afternoon's enter- tainment Opening the show were Beoder and Knapp, a pair of hand-to-hand balancers with a gopd routine which ther pnt over without any apparent effort One o£ the men gives an exhibition of liinirular devel- opment during one portion of the act that is interesting but in no way tmnsuaL The aa u a good opener and finishes well, with the throw used by the Rath Brothers. On second were Winfred and Brown, a two-man act working in one before a drop depicting a Chinese scene. One of the men is made up as a colqred sailor and the other does a Chinaman. All set, with a great situation and the chance to gather a million laughs as the material is right, this pair succeed in flopping great. The worlc gives all the appearance of being amateur- ish when a litUe effort could make the act a beaut One of the worst tronbles of the team is that it is almost impossible to tm- derstand them. They are laboring so hard with their accents all the time that they forget everything else, and in this way half of their gags are lost The Chinaman does an tinfunny dance and the blackface sings in poor voice. Their yodel number on the finish almost redeems the act, but thi; has been done so often that it doesn't get what it might Charles Keating and Company present an act based on the theory that vauderille audiences like to cry once in a while and use a wide interpretation of Huck Fiim as a vehicle. Charles Keating as the young actor who has not made a success but feels that he could get over in vaudeville if the audiences could ever see him turn on the juice, proves his point pretty thor- oughly oy singing a song about his mother while the lachrymose ducts are hitting on all six. In this part of the act he docs some fine work, although as much cannot be said for his reading of lines in the be- ginning of the turn. Walters and Walters, with their famil- iar ventriloquial act, proved one of the high spots of the entertainment This pair are both good ventriloquists, present a neat ap- pearance and have an act titzt contains a good deal of natural comedy. As usual the part of the act which received the most applause was Miss Walters' "baby" stuff. When she begins to imitate a baby crying the result is so realistic as to be startling and it takes the audience by storm. A person to do this successfully must have been a close observer of inbnts and the young lady deserves a lot of credit for the faithfulness of her work. The mechanical effects used on the dommies are worAy of note and help considerably to put the turn over. The audience showed their appre- ciation in no tmcertain manner. Zelaya, following, is one of the finest pianists it has ever been our pleasure to hear, playing with excellent technique and feeling. He has interpolated a speech in which he points out the physiological rea- sons for the success of jazz music and also compliments his audience on their appre- ciation of good music. This is good show- manship and he puts it across well, giv- ing a fine touch of comedy to his remarks. He finishes with three modem numbers which he plays with equal facility. Oosing the show were Lew Seymour and Company, a man and four girls, who have a clever" little act on the semi-revue order with the faintest trace of a plot con- necting it. The four girls are all good- looking though of different types and the act moves smoo.thly and gets over welL Bums and Lynn and Emilie Lea & Com- pany were also on the bill but were not caught at this show. C. C.