Variety (September 1908)

VARIETY 15 Violet BUck and Company (3). "In the Subway" (Comity). aa Mint.; Full SUge (SfecUl Set). Fifth Avenue. With a few rough placet incident upon its early trials smoothed out And the enrichment of dialogue that cornea of playing, Miss Black should have a rate- able property in her new piece, "In the Subway/' by Edgar Allen Woolf. The stage is set with a fairly realistic scene on a New York Subway platform, show- ing ticket seller and ticket chopper. Stephen Elton (Arthur Forbes) appears on his way to business. While waiting for a train he reads in the newspaper how a sportive college youth is" mas- querading in the subway as a girl. At this point Bettie Trimble (Miss Black), who has been engaged by mail as Ste- phen's stenographer, descends the stairs. Neither knows the other's identity. At the ticket window Betty finds she has not the necessary nickel. Stephen comes to the rescue, then remembering that the tale of the sportive college youth said he used these same tactics to scrape ac- quaintance with his victims, Steve be- comes suspicious. Out of this situation and with the aid of a comedy ticket chopper, there is manufactured a quantity of amusing business until complications bring about the disclosure. Twice dur- ing the sketch a mechanical arrangement at the back of the stage sends a rep- resentation of a rushing train past the platform. It is rather a tame and quiet Subway. The roar and rattle should be increased. Also it should be remembered that Subway ticket sellers wear uniforms. Just now the offering is rather loose, but it has the foundation of a first rate novelty. Handicapped as it was by be- ing placed at the close of the program this week, the sketch fared very well. Ruth. George McManus. Sketching. 10 Mine.; One. Alhambra. George McManus, whose "Newlywed" pictures have become popular, is making his initial appearance in vaudeville at the Alhambra this week. Of all the car- toonists who have thrown their lot amongst the vaudevillians, two only have been successful. McManus will fall as the many others have. He simply sketches several different heads, using his "Newly- weds" subjects for three. The drawings are well executed and look much better when finished than the usual run. As drawings they will do, but the combi- nation of the whole does not make a vaudeville act. Daah. Selma Braati. Juggler. 14 Mine.; Full Stage. Fifth Avenue. Selma Braatz is making her reappear- ance on this side at the Fifth Avenue this week, with her pretty specialty un- changed. Simple, well handled work with small spheres, billiard cues and like appa- ratus makes an interesting routine, aided by the girl's pretty appearance and the illuminated torches on a dark stage fur- nishes a striking finale. She waa given a rather heavy spot for a single act, but made a good impression. Ru$h. Hyman Meyer. Pianolofue. 17 Mint.; Full SUge. Colonial It is difficult to understand how Her- man Meyer reconciles a German comedian makeup and accent resembling the fam- iliar burlesque type with a specialty that is otherwise entirely polite. Meyer ap- pears alone and unattended except by a grand piano. He wears a wig and other recognizable signs of the "Dutch" come- dian. And then, to the surprise of the audience he sits down at the piano and sings three verses of a song to his own accompaniment, interrupting himself fre- quently to make side observations that are far from funny. In the same way he started with a fairly amusing idea for a grand opera travesty but defeated him- self by having too much to say by way of incidental comment—the comment be- ing always in the German comedy dialect, resembling as observed above, the bur- lesque comedian method. The finish of the turn is the best. Meyer announces that he has a chicken that can sing. Thereupon he goes through the panto- mime of placing the pullet in position on the piano, and, playing an appropriate accompaniment, does a rather skillful bit of ventriloquial work which represents to a laughable degree one's imagination of how a chicken would squawk a tune. It made a ridiculous bit of foolery and the audience laughed heartily at it. This bit of nonsenae is the real hit of the act. Meyer has the framework of a real fifteen- minute entertainment, but he needs a coach and censor, and he needs them quick. Ru»h. Csaress Life Guards. 14 Mins., One. Alhambra. The Czaress Life Guards did not ap- pear Tuesday evening until 11:15, a poor time for a new act. Nine girls and one man compose the Guards. It is, as the peculiarly spelled Czarine's name would suggest, a Russian organization. They open with a national song, followed by the usual Russian dances in which the man shows to advantage. A well-per- formed Zouave drill with the bayonet exercises and calesthentics follows. After the drill there is more singing and danc- ing, a mistake. The songs and dances should be finished at the opening. After the drill, the wall scaling would return better results. The scaling is well done considering that it is done by girls. They do not work for speed in it, making it a graceful maneuver. More speed and more noise would add excitement. The act is not big, but will pass. Dash. GUS. SOHLKE'S PRODUCING CO. The Gus Sohlke Producing Oo. is in the vaudeville field with two large acts for distribution. "Western Life" is near- ly in readiness, and the other is being pre- pared. The latter will feature Clara Belle Jerome, who for the past two sea- sons has been the principal support of Francis Wilson and Frank Daniels. Mr. Sohlke is the general manager of the company. His latest visible work in New York is in "The Three Twins" at the Herald Square. That piece is still run- ning at the house from a summer engage- ment. Pearl And Tosco. Musical. 14 Mine.; One. Keeney*s. In framing up an offering with Rocco Yoscu as his partner in place of Matt Keefe, Tony Pearl has followed the gen- eral style of the former specialty. Pearl's ability as a harpist is well known and his several selections were well received. Yoscu looks after the singing end, and while he has a voice of quality it does not seem to fit the harp and bring the good results that Keefe's yodling did. Tne selections are not entirely suited to vaudeville and this may have been re- sponsible for that in a measure. Each works in the Italian character. The little talk and enthusiastic outbursts of Pearl while Yoscu is singing are diverting. With some working in and a better ar- rangement of selections Pearl and Yoscu should be as acceptable as Keefe and Pearl were. OUT or TOWN Mullen and Corelli. Comedy Acrobats. 14 Mins.; "One." Keith's, Philadelphia. For their new offering, Mullen and Corelli have given vaudeville A very valu- able and entertaining number. It is just a bit doubtful what they are going to at- tempt at the start, but when they get down to the meat, there is some capital comedy and acrobatics mixed in a well moulded routine. It is questionable if vaudeville can boast of a better talking acrobatic act. Mullen secures an unex- pected amount of comedy in explaining the difficult tricks performed by Corelli, which brings the laughs and the interest in the tricks together. Playing in "one" Mullen and Corelli should be in demand at all times. Having none the beat of the plac- ing this week on a heavy bill, the act went with a rush, and it ought to please wher- ever seen. George M. Young. "The Patriot" (Operatic), as Minutes; Full Stage. Keith's, Philadelphia. A tabloid opera and about the most pre- tentious of its kind yet seen in vaudeville is "The Patriot." It is a lyric drama in story without one word of spoken dialogue and telling an imaginary episode in the life of George Washington. Stanislaus Stange is responsible for the book, while Julian Edwards has written a vigorous and dramatic score, which is excellently adapt- ed to the purpose of the librettist, though scarcely consistent with historical accu- racy. In the finale, where the stricken daughter dies, she sings "America," the words of which had not been written dur- ing Washington's time, and there are other discrepancies which will not bear a cap- tious criticism. Antoinette Le Brun and James Stevens, girl heroine and Tory murderer, two of the principals, with Fritz N. Huttman, who has an inconspicuous part, appeared in vaudeville as the Le Brun Trio. Huntington May imperson- ated Washington. Four or five other male voices are used in support. The production is a novelty and an ambitious and praise- worthy effort among vaudeville classics. George AY. Young. Cadet de Gascogne Quartet xx Mins.; One. Orpheum, New Orleans. The three men and women who make up the act appear in peasant costuming, recalling very much the Basque Quartet. There are excellent voices, especially the contralto, and sing three classical num- bers. The act had an enthusiastic re- ception upon its first appearance here, having opened at Kansas City. O. M- Samuel. Myrtle Victorine and the Two Zolars. Songs and Dances. 18 Mins.; Full SUge (Exterior). Pantages', Seattle (Week Sept 14). This act, composed of former members of the Lewis and Lake Musical Comedy Company (now playing in Vancouver), is a prettily dressed character singing and dancing number. The costumes especially are deserving of mention, neither of the trio reappearing in the same dress. Miss Victorine gives an excellent male imper- sonation, following with a toe dance as a girl, which brought a great amount of applause. The Two Zolars sing "Lazy Moon" in a pretty and appropriate set- ting. The act made a substantial hit here. The Markee Family Band (8). a8 Min.; Full Stage (special setting). Crystal, St. Joseph, Mo. The Markee Family follow the usual routine of bands with the exception that each member plays two or more instru- ments, making it seem more like a big musical act than a band. The selec- tions were heartily received and two songs were introduced by the youngest member in exactly the right position to relieve the monotony of what would otherwise be a straight musical act. The selections are mostly of ttafcMppular variety. The act should be a goodfeature. 0utch. Geo. Holcombe's Rube Band (15). Musical Satire. 30 Mins.; Full Stage (Interior). Olympic, Chicago. George Holcombe's Rube Band made its first local appearance in vaudeville at the Olympic this week. The fifteen members are costumed as "Rubes." Holcombe ap- pears as the conductor to rehearse them. The comedy depends upon discords in the music. The idea seems to be very goftt^ but the act is yet in crude shape, due to* newness. It may work out into a very good number. Anna Woodward, a high soprano, is featured with Holcombe's Band, and the final number is the "Lucia Sex- tet," receiving several encores. Frank Wietberg. "LITTLE JIMMY" LATOURELLE DEAD. Minneapolis, Sept. 24. "Little Jimmy" Latourelle, for many years musical director of the Unique here, is dead. The musician, who had composed several songs and light musical sketches, weighed 520 pounds, from which he derived his sobriquet. He was born in St. Paul thirty-five years ago. For a while he was musical director ;it the Majestic. He was a member of th«- Klks, Knights of Pythias and Theatneal Mechanical Association.