Variety (September 1908)

18 VARIETY FIFTH AVENUE. The use of a light comedy talking sketch to close an important show is a risky proceeding under any circumstances. When the sketch is a new one the hazard is doubled. Certainly the placing of Vio- let Black and Company (New Acts) in that position at the Fifth Avenue this week is far from satisfactory to the number. The latter half of the show does not go very well, partly from this cause and partly because of the presence of Ezra Kendall with a new monologue (New Acts) which needs a good deal of brushing up. Selma Braatz was the third of the newcomers, the little juggler mak- ing a reappearance on this side. Except for Quintan and Mack and Fred Walton and Company, the latter in an on- accustomed place, "No. 2," the show is practically without ecciedy, Ed^rda Davis having a spot midway in the eve- ning with his very heavy playlet "All Riven Meet at Sea." The hit is the Hawaiian Trio, held over for the second week at this house. The novelty musical act has caught on firmly. Tuesday evening with an audience that appeared hard to move they almost held up the show. It would seem that the special scene which they use only for a moment or two could be more profitably employed at the end of the act. The transition from a pretty and appropriate background to a rather incongruous in- terior drop dispels the "atmosphere,* which is capitally established at the open- ing. The very agreeable singing of the trio wins immediate approval, while the odd accompaniment gives the turn a pleasing favor of oddity. Alexis and Schall have material enough in their dancing, acrobatics, singing and contortion to fill out their time allowance without resorting to dialogue. The ex- change of talk has little to recommend it and the turn would go better as a "dumb** act. Fortunately the talk Is held within limits and does not affect the speed, while a good finish gets the pair off splendidly. For an opening number they did un- commonly well. Fred Walton describes himself neatly in a new program line 'The pantomimic paradox—the man who talks without speaking." That's what he does. By his skillful pantomime as the toy soldier, he makes every movement count in the de- velopment of the quaint little "Cissie's Dream." A partly new cast surrounds Mr. Walton. Reba Harrison is the French doll, a graceful dancer and pantomimist. Alfred Hemming is still the Dude doll. "All Rivers Meet at Sea" furnishes un- limited opportunity for tall acting, but the story and characters are rather unconvinc- ing. One is inclined to accept under pro- test the character of Kern, the "fiend" who wrecked the domestic happiness of Joaquin and then lived on his bounty, or the divorced wife of the latter who comes to work as a servant in his home. Mr. Davis calls the piece a tragic triumph. It is neither, but it is a triumph of lux- urious stage setting. Ordinarily a stage drawing-room is a barren prospect, but Mr. Davis has made his look like a human habitation. The handling of lights give the scene all the effect of a rich painting. Quinlan and Mack with their "Traveling Dentist" scored a laughing success in a show where that element was far from being strong. Rush. 125TH STREET. "Salome" is still a feature at many houses. Probably as most it is giving the bill the same moistening as at the up- town house this week. With a vaudeville act in place of the "bunk," this week's bill would be entirely satisfactory there. Frank A. Gotch and Company, in "AH About a Bout," is the program's big num- ber. For a feature it leaves little to be desired. There Isn't a great deal to the sketch proper, but what there is is good, wholesome stuff, without the usual thug- gery that is brought into athletic acts. The wrestling match is away ahead of the boxing bouts that have been shown for vaudeville use. There is nothing repulsive even to women. The excitement is held at just as keen a pitch. A prettier built man than Gotch, the champion, in his -wrestling togs,would-b* hard-to-Aw* and his cat-like actions were followed with great interest. The surprising feature, however, is that Gotch handles his lines just as easily as he does his wrestling partner. George Porter Smith and Joseph Burton also did some commendable work, and the remainder of the cast is entirely adequate. Elfle Fay sang four songs and after it was all over you just sat back and won- dered what it was all about. The Fay trade-mark, "The Belle of Avenue A," was the only one that brought any re- turns ot all. For the rest, it was a little "mugging," a distorted arrangement of the hair and a hurried exit. The hurried exit became very popular. Miss Fay re- marked, "I'm getting too stout to work." Maybe she is, but there's something the matter, that's certain. George B. Reno and Company's acro- batics have been gradually weeded out until now none remains. The object is to get the laughs. Monday night they were successful. The appearance of the outfit alone is funny enough. The midget is still retained; also the fat man (not the same as when last seen). A tall, thin man has been added, and a good-looking woman sings and dances acceptably. "Joseph Adelman," the program reads, which would give the impression that it was a single act. There are three women besides the man. Two are quite as busy as Mr. Adelman. It is a musical specialty. Toy instruments are used at the opening. They do not make the best music as may be imagined, but it passes on the novelty. The xylophones at the finish pulled the act through nicely. Howell and Scott opened with talk and parodies. The parodies did well enough, but the talk is not funny, and wasn't even when new. A burlesque on "Sa- lome" and the "Merry Widow" did better. Lew Sully got on friendly terms with the house early and remained so throughout. La Sylphe did the "Salome" to an inat- tentive although quiet audience. Murphy and Francis wait too long before dancing. The stepping is of the right sort. As soon as they go into action they have things their own way. Until then, the number moves slowly. Dash. KEElfEY'S. It is two years since Keeney's patrons have been treated to a vaudeville show of the same caliber as the one presented at the house this, its opening week of the season. In accordance with the show it may be also stated it has been seldom so completely filled on a Tuesday evening. The "good show" report travels as fast as the proverbial bad news. Edna May Spooner was chosen as the headliner. A better one could not have been found. Miss Spooner has a tremen- dous following across the Bridge, where they are as loyal to their favorites as they are in Harlem. Also Miss Spooner's offer- ing is the latest theatrical erase "The (She) Devil." The sketch itself was fol- lowed with much interest, although there is no action in it. It consists entirely of dialogue woven together by. innumerable, epigrams, some bright, some amusing; a few true and just about as many incom- prehensible. Miss Spooner's "Devil" suited the Brooklynites down to the ground, as would anything she might have attempted. Edwin M. Racey was the only member of the cast who managed to hide all trace of "stock" training. He played carefully with a well defined idea of what he was doing. Not so with Maud Dickerson, little beyond amateurish. Virginia Earl is showing what is almost an entirely new specialty. She is billed as a single act although using a male as- sistant (no name given) for the finish. Miss Earl renders three very good num- bers finely. "It Looks Like a Big Night To-night" was the best. She has a "prop" lamp-post in the number and gets some good fun out of it. "The Devil" and "Sa- lome" have been selected by Miss Earl as subjects for burlesque. Her assistant, a man of unusual height, appears as "The Devil" and summons before him "Salome." Miss Earl wears little more than the regu- lation string of beads. The talk is bright and snappy. Some runs to punning and this should be eliminated. With a little working it should turn out entertainment of the right sort. One of Miss Earl's early songs should be taken out, which would bring her more quickly to the finish. The Kellinos in "Risley" acrobatics closed the program, and what a closing act it is! It will hold any audience in their seats at the finish. Emil Subers was best liked when he was singing. He has two very good numbers and handles them ex- cellently. Subers is funny to look at and he has a peculiar smooth darky dialect that is distinctly his own. Joseph Hart's "Rain Dears," with Maude Dunn leading, went through well. Miss Dunn is not over strong as to voice, but her dancing is up to the mark and she sets a lively pace for the girls to follow. The Two Hardts did fairly well as an opener with burlesque feats of strength. A better finish should be secured. Pearl and Yoscu and John T. Kelly and Co. are under New Acts. Dash. ALUAMBRA. Hackeuschmldt reopens in London Oct. 15. He was going to the North Pole for his health, but missed the boat. Instead, "Hack" went to Italy, where he continued to complain of the treatment received in America. The "treatment" referred to is supposed to be his defeat by Frank Gotch. What are the effects of "song plugging" in a first-class vaudeville house. The an- swer to this question may be readily as- certained at the Alhambra. The bill when laid out was probably figured to run in the neighborhood of eleven o'clock. Extra time for the exploiting of songs was very likely not calculated. Conse- quently the program is stretched out until half after eleven, and becomes very tiresome before it is finished. Jack Nor- worth, Harry Cooper and Lillian Shaw were the offenders. Although the latter can hardly be classed as a "plugger," she merely makes capital out of the always present few who think they ought to be on the stage, but haven't got the nerve. It is a close race between Norworth and Cooper. Jack is carrying a quartet dressed in sailor costume who sit in the box and fool the audience for a moment. Harry carries no assistants but does a "Family Theatre" by throwing the words of the chorus on the sheets. Both the men are adepts at this work and they got plenty of amusement out of it, but the appreciation came for the most part from the upper portion of the house. All the fun derived was not worth the whistling and general' racket it caused. Clayton White and Marie Stuart closed the intermission in "Cherie" and they were the legitimate hit of the evening. The playlet is aglow with bright understand- able slang phrases which gain weight through Mr. White's delivery. Miss Stuart runs evenly with White and puts over several laughs on her own account. Just a word to the girls; catch that gown Miss Stuart is wearing and dont overlook the hat. When she says she just returned from Paris you won't doubt it. Pauline Taylor is acceptable as the wife, while Oscar Bates as the husband is there, and that's all. "The Naked Truth" is still running too long. There are one or two bits that could be extracted without being missed and it would tend to quicken the pace. Harry Davenport is the one big, bright spot in the performance and saves the "production." He is a bully Scotchman, while his work all through keeps the piece alive. De Biere was in the third position and did exceedingly well. There is little to say about the offering. It is almost iden- tical with that shown by Horace Goldin, trick for trick. De Biere doesnt work with the same speed that Goldin does and the act is not on quite as an elaborate a scale, but this is not to say that the tricks are not well done. They are, de- cidedly so. The mystic clock trick, not used by Goldin, was very well worked and caused some thinking. Miss Shaw besides being handicapped by an early position (second) was suffer- ing from a severe cold which kept her pretty well away from the high notes. She pulled through very nicely, however, singing five songs. Jack Norworth did very little talking. He devoted most of the time to a new sailor song. Besides the sailor quartet in one of the boxes, Jack is employing an accompanist who officiates at a baby- grand on the stage. He was his usual hit in Harlem. The Empire City Quartet with a bud- get of new songs, and a very funny piece of business of Hsrry Cooper's with the violin hit 'em hard. George McManus and The Czaress Life Cuards are under New Acts. Mar- seilles showed his contortions at the open- ing. Dash. The Arlington Four have been booked for forty-four weeks by the United through Max Hart