Variety (Jan 1906)

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VARIETY. Shows the Week THE HEAD OF THE HOUSE. It had been quiet all evening, so quiet, in fact, that rain coats would be a ne- cessity needed no mention. The Head of the House finally lojked up from the dime novel and said: "I say, Bill, I've j great scheme." "What is it?" f^ays I, having gone broke on one or Iwo of that kind before. "First," says she, "how much are you insured for?" "Life or flre?" said I. "Life, of course, you fool," says she. "What have we to burn?" "Well," says I, "there will be about six thousand for you to handle after 1 skiddoo." "Fshaw, that knocks the scheme," says she. "Better stay home to-night," says I, "and tliink up another." "Yes," says she, "I'll stay home, nit." "Knitting at home will never hurt you," I says with a chuckle. "Right," says she. "If ifs coming down to a question of my shifting for myself for amusement, I know a couple of live ones who wouldn't mind killing an evening for my sake." "That's a long speech," says I, "for a girl who generally needs a couple of pints and a lot of mush to get started." "Never mind," says i^he, "don't worry about me hereafter, I'm fixed." "You are going to see a burlesque show at the Circle," says I, "for talking 80 much." "What's a burlesque show?" says she. "Something near vaudeville?" "Near." says I. "Why, it's hugi,'ing it. Sixteen girls who can't get jobs any- where else, and a lot of job comedians make a show." "I heard once," says she, "that they make a holy show." "They do sometimes," says I, "but you don't mind it after seeing the company." "Why," says she, "are they so bad looking?" "Ifs not the looks," says I, "it's the shapes." "How are they," says she, "any good?" "Yes," I says, "they are good in this way. There's no shape you ever dreamed impossible that a burlesque show won't produce." "How is that?" says she. "They ought to be pretty fair." "They ought to be," I says, "but the girls are careless while young." "How about the comedians?" says she. "Arc they funny?" "Are they?" says I, and then T com- menced to laugh. "What are you laughing at?" says she. "I was thinking," says I, "how funny it would be if I ever saw a real comedian In a leg show." "What do you call it 'leg' for?" says &he. '' "Because you watch the legs only," says I. "Which do you like best, dear?" says she, "home life or a burlesque show?" "Well, sweetheart," says I, with a guilty conscience, "you know I have to go to the burlesques." "Ain't that too bad." says she. "I'll go with you after this." KEITH'S. Nowhere other than in a continuous house could fourteen numbers be billed, and the moving pictures commence their movements at 10.14. This happened at Keith's Wednesday evening, however, and with a good bill. One of the two features of this week's program is Julian Eliinge. First seen in New York on the New Amsterdam roof last summer, where he won favor- able comment from the critics, vaude- ville claims him for its own. Mr. Eltinge cannot be rightfully class- ifled as a "female impersonator." What he gives are characterizations. No Spanish dancers, no French danseuse, -nothing but the American girl. Eltinge does not run to femininity in voice, havng a light baritone, which, together with the billing as "Julian," dispels all question as to his sex. The girls he pre- sents are real healthy, buxom ones, without swagger or smirk, and were he a girl or did a girl have the ability to give his offering it would be a hit by it- self. Mr. Eltinge could with propriety dispense with the free advertisement of a certain make of corsiet which he gives upon being obliged to make a speech in responding to the encores. The other feature of the week is Fil- son and Errol. Allow your mind to ruminate in the long distance back. What sketch do you first remember? You can't remember, but it was some- thing about a family jar. And Filson and Erroll played it. They played it well, particularly so for those days as we judge now, but not nearly so ac- ceptably as "The Daughters of Bac- chus," which is now given. Miss Erroll carries off the palm. Although a "drunk" of the thirst-creating kind, Mr. Filson does not handle the part with the con- summate skill of his wife, who assumes the condition as a lesson to her besotten spouse. The Otto Brothers have infused other than German dialect and dancing into their work until now it is first class and takes because it is different from the rest. Daisy Harcourt, an imitator of Katie Barry in songs and actions, was well liked and is a clever entertainer. Spissell Brothers and Mack, in "Scenes in a Cafe," dwell too much upon the comedy, stretching the act out much longer than it should be. Tyce and Jermon, a sister act, re- ceived applause through the Irish brogue and song of one of the girls. Ous Bruno, in a monologue, evidently does not understand the first need of a story teller. That is, to "get to" the au- dience. Mr. Bruno should walk down to the footlights upon entering. Some of his stories are new, some old, some good, some fair, but his Hebrew dialect is so far and above everything else that he should become a Hebrew impersonator at once, letting all else alone. Alfred Arnesen did some balancing on a tight rope with stilts, and Guyer and O'Neill gave the finish which is de- pended upon, although Mr. Guyer is growing sonewhat bumptious over his pantomimic ability. PROCTOR'S FIFTYEIGHTH STREET. A living commentary upon the new- ness of vaudeville audiences is found at Pioctor's Fifty-«ighth Street this week, where the name of J. W. Kelly, "The Rolling Mill Man." is mentioned without a solitary sound in response. It seemf silent mourning for the departed. ,: • But new-comers on the stage are al- most as frequent. Ray and Wood have not been seen often around here. They have travesty, which is given in "one," a mistake in the beginning. Fred Ray carries out the idea of travesty well as a Roman gladiator, and Juliet Wood is an able second. The defect lies in the material and improper presentation. The humor is not subtle, but gains laughs, and the sketch has become pop- ular. The fundamental principle of travesty is solemnity. The three soldiers in the finale are permitted to laugh, dis- pelling the i<lea that it is anything but a plain joke. Mr. Ray would do well to demand a full stage, and Miss Wood would assist by dodging the spot-light in the spirit of the offering, instead of standing in it. Both would increase theii value and demand by having some- thing more modern, written on or about ihe lines of some current dramatic suc- cess. There is plenty of room for any- thing of this sort in vaudeville now. "The Little Black Man," one of the season's "gold bricks" brought over here by the H. B. Marinelli Agency, api)ears and disap|)ears. The pleasant part of the act is the disappearance. Delia Fox hears applause when the caril is net up bearing the letter which announces that she is next, and O'Brien and Havel (Eflle Lawrence) gave "Ticks and Clicks," while Harry Thomson told every story and joke he ever heard or knew, not to forget the numerous imi- tations. Barr and Evans in the 0|)ening number have a mistaken idea as to their talents. Barr is not a "rube" in looks or actions. Made up to resemble an Irish comedian, he falls over the stage while trying to impersonate a farmer. Miss Evans sings songs, among them some- thing about "Because," and because of that she should use another. This team, with the acrobatics and the character possibilities of Miss Evans, should at- tempt something straight, having a sketch written to fit them. Tom Hearn, "the lazy juggler," will hardly claim originality for any part of the billing except the "lazy." The jug- gling portion, inclusive of the crockery smashing, has been seen often here. Mr. Hearn has some first-rate comedy ef- fects, but through working alone is handicapped. He needs an assistant. Avery and Hart inclined many to the belief that they were Williams and Walker under other names, and Rochez'3 Pony Circus pleased the grown-ups and small 'uns. Mr. Rochez should have a heart-to-heart talk with a barber on the proposition could he survive if that curl in the middle of the forehead should be removed. Eddie Leonard has just completed six- teen weeks* booking for a foreign tour. He sails May 29 next and opens at the Palace, London. HAMMERSTEIN'S. Variety with a big V spells out the bill at Hammerstein's this week. Only acro- batics are missing. Emmett Corrigan and Company in "The Card Party" sup- plies the melodramatic end. This sketch, credited to Mr. Corrigan, plays out a dream, which in the diffi- culty arising as to how to inform the audience in the beginning that it is only visionary, is disregarded altogether un* til towards the finale, when the fact be» comes known. This failure of a proper solution for the introduction helpd rather than retards the applause, very few understanding the "dream" part. Since its first appearance a change has been made in the cast, Charles C. Ed- ward now acting the "villain," who, while in evening dress, cheats in a "penny ante" poker game. Mr. Edward also speaks by "space," allowing a speci- fied time to elapae between each word. Mr. Corrigan is convmcing in his se- rious moods, but as a "drunk" is a dis- mal failure. The sketch made a bit Mon- day afternoon. A holiday crowd is not overparticular. The breaking of furni- ture and glass is mainly depended upon for the sensationalism, and the one nov- elty of the playlet here creeps in through the replacing of the broken panes before the dreamer wakes up. Will Murphy and Blanche Nichols se- cured howls of laughter in "From Zaza to Uncle Tom." It is the grossest kind of comedy with any quantity of horse play. Still it was greatly laughed at, which is the essential point. Alan Dale has said in connection with this act that he thought it was the funniest thing he had ever seen. Fields and Ward are giving what is called a "new act" and named "A Vaude- ville Rehearsal." A special drop-is car- ried. The act is new since the reunion of this team. Ward ought to discon- tinue the glove slapping. It jars, and is one of the many "bits" that deserve to be relegated to the past. Something more amusing^ than the "business man" could be given in the act proper. McMahon's Minstrel Misses are here with another interlocutor. Miss Chap- pelle. "Tim McMahon" is mentioned twice as the author of the songs sung, one of which is stolen bodily from "Pas- Ma-La." McMahon should hav.e—the girls black up on the stage. Kitty Traney has a pleasant diversi- fied offering in a foreign animal act, and is one of the few foreign artistes who dress in taste. Frank Bush had some new stories, two or three of which were good. Most of the rest were used by Billy Van years ago. and may have been used by Bush before that. They are old enough. The Red Domino is in what is s»fd to be her last week over here. If this act had not received the press work It did, little would have been heard of her, and much less salary, received. The girls in the act who surround her appear alone as the Eight Shetlands, opening the show, and giving Mr. T 'lescher some added money for a very poor act.