Variety (February 1909)

VARIETY 17 Incognito. "The Maid of Mystery." io Minn.; One. American. "GueM Who She Is," says the American program. Well, Incognito is Geraldine Axeminster, and she lives at 2450 Hal- stead Street, Chicago. That's a guess. A young woman seated in one of the boxes Tuesday night said her name must be Daisy Lemon. That's another guess. Coggie wears a mask. If she wore the mask with nothing else while doing a "Salome," Incog might be a riot. That's still another guess. On form, Coggie couldnt do a "Salome" without wearing corsets (Fact). Her waist avoirdupois indi- cates her age around 38. There's another guess. From the unmasked portion of her face (bridge of nose to point of chin) Coggie might be 20 or 22. Another guess. She sang three songs (Fact). She should have sung but one or two (Fact). Or none at all (Guess). She may not be singing long, mask or no mask (Guess). Her voice is a soprano (Fact). It isn't a world beater (Fact). The audience didn't know how to accept her (Fact). Wanted to 4 Hdd" (Fact). Probably has at one or more shows during the week (Guess). "Veils and masks" with nothing to back them up can't start anything in vaude- ville (Fact). Never will (Guess). Sug- gestion permissible? (Offered free to the Morris Circuit). We notice an "advertis- ing curtain" in the American. We also notice that Coggie is wearing a decollette 'dress, with quite an expanse of pure white •chest above. The mask is either per- manently or temporarily affixed to the face (Fact). We may never know who is wearing it (Guess). Then why not tell Coggie to have painted on her pure white chest: "Cleaned up by Sapolio?" Say 1,400 people attend the matinee and 1,900 people the night show. There are four- teen performances a week. That gives 23,100 people who will watch Coggie next week at the American. It's worth some- thing to the Sapolio manufacturer; or a de- partment store; or the management could utilize the space to say, "There's a good show at the Lincoln Square." No gent can doubt a lady. Sime. Gilroy and Church. Conversation and Parodies. 14 Mins.; One. Bijou, Brooklyn. Gilroy and Church belong to about the average grade of talking and singing comedians. There is not a great deal In the turn that has not long since been made familiar, but they handle it well and altogether fill in an entertaining quar- ter of an hour in a house of this sort. The comedian is a hard worker and an in- tensely busy person. He puts his stuff over, too. But a comedian who hopes to be accepted in the better-class houses can have no use for such talk as "waiter, get me a yard and a half of soup and wrap it up in an egg." Glory be, regular vaudeville has gotten over that stage of its development some time since. The straight man does the feeding as usual, and in addition sings a ballad soulfully. Ruth. Neil Burgess and Co. (xa). "The County Fair." aa Mins.; Full Stage and Two. Fifth Avenue. The vaudeville version of the rural classic is merely an excuse for introduc- ing the final horserace and Mr. Burgess. It's a good excuse, too, with this reser- vation: not a little of the charm of "The County Fair" came from the building up of rural character relations and atmos- phere, for which there is no time or room in get-to-it vaudeville. The twenty-two- minute version is a mere sketch of the old comedy-drama, but the adapter has managed to suggest something of the wholesome, homely appeal of the original. It moves rapidly to the climatic horse- race, through a well-devised progression of comedy and serious scenes, but it is the race scene that gives the offering its grip. The old treadmill has been made into' a novelty. The three treads are mounted on a circular platform. At the rise of the curtain the horses are racing head-on toward the audience, but as they gallop, the platform turns slowly on its centre, until the racers face the "prompt" side. In this position "Cold Molasses" moves slowly up into the lead. This modern effect is a great improvement on the straightaway race and it is working perfectly. The Fifth Avenue audience gave the whole act its warm approval. Rush. Mosmo Arab Troupe. Acrobats. 8 Mins.; Full Stage. Columbia. The Mosmo Arab Troupe (four men and a woman) contains two familiar Arab faces; one of the other men is probably an Arab also, but the other two are apparent- ly natives of this side. The combination does not mix satisfactorily. The usual Arab style of work is followed, the fast ground tumbling following the pyramid work. The pyramids are not what they should be, principally through lack of num- bers. The ground work is also below what other Arab trounes have lead us to expect. The two Arabs do exceedingly well, but the others cannot follow the fast pace. Dash. Pilzner and White. Songs. 10 Min.; One. Columbia. Pilzner and White were until recently in a quartet which depended almost entirely upon Mr. White's burlesque of Vesta Victoria to pull it through. In the present singing specialty that the pair have framed up, White does a similar burlesque affair, utilizing the now rather played out sheath gown for comedy in place of the Victoria bit. The act, as far as the sing- ing is concerned, does very well, both men having good voices, but there is need of more than that to carry it through, and the comedy used at present will not do the trick. Dash. Norah Kelly has a new act, under the management of Jack Levy. Jennie Ward. Songs. za Mins.; One. Columbia. Jennie Ward is capable of much better things than she is showing at the Colum- bia this week. The house may be to blame in a large measure, for if you have ever been inside the Columbia* you can easily imagine what would happen to a quiet singing turn or a pianolog. Jennie is a nice looking girl with a very good idea of what is becoming to her in the dress line. Her voice is away above the vaudeville average, and she can play the piano and dance in good style. Still with all these things in her favor, she is not even making a good showing at the Co- lumbia. It is due simply to the fact that the specialty has been laid out with iio thought, and Miss Ward is careless about her work. Miss Ward opens in full stage, made necessary here through the use of the piano, plays a couple of ragtime selec- tions and sings a couple of songs not suit- able for her. She changes to short black knickerbockers, closing in "one" with a song and very neat dance. The knicker- bockers are out of place. A becoming dress should be worn instead. Jennie Ward would make a capital partner for a good light comedian. She would do much better in an act than alone. Dash. "SKIQIE" CLAIMS HE KNOWS A CHORUS QIRL Gertie Everett. Singing Comedienne. 15 Mins.; One. Bijou, Brooklyn. "English Music Hall Artists," says the program superfluously. Miss Everett's accent screams her nationality, as does also her method of handling her songs. She sang four Wednesday night and made three costume changes, two neat soubret frocks and the other a comedy dress for "Fine Feathers." Also the fact that she wore silk stockings must not be over- looked. Miss Everett is a neat, sprightly little person, but her voice is a bit un- certain and thin. Ruth. Edw. Quinlan, late of the Mowatts and Juggling Johnsons, has formed a partner- ship with Dan Altus, late Albertus and Altus. B. A. Myers has the new act in ' hand. The admission to the gallery at the Lin- coln Square was raised to fifty cents on Monday for the Lauder engagement. After Lauder leaves the gallery may be closed again. OUT OF TOWN Lillian Mortimer and Co. (5). "Po' White Trash" (Comedy Drama). 25 Mins.; Full stage; Special Setting. Majestic, Chicago. First regular presentation in vaudeville of this playlet by Miss Mortimer, who emerged from the melodramatic ranks, where she starred in her own plays. Miss Mortimer wrote the sketch, "Po* White Trash." It has been made to suit her unquestioned talents as an ingenue. A rural setting, with practical house up stage and details in accordance with the atmosphere, are among the creditable par- ticulars that add realism to the action. The story is melodramatic an at times sensational. An uneducated young girl, a gawky lass, who knows of no evil in this world, is in love with a young city chap. Her name is Jinny (Miss Mortimer). The young man is loved by another, an adventuress, who is spurned by the former. The sheriff of the town, a formidable per- son. While he is absent, Jinny overpowers the adventuress and changes attire with her. The parson arrives and at the point of a revolver forces the young man to marry her, thinking she is the other. She quickly whispers to him and they are mar- ried. The sheriff discovers his mistake and Goes to 135th Street; Growls Because It Is Still Cold, and Says Eva Tangnay Had a "Grouch on." SKIGia "8KIQIB" la ten yaara of aft. His eomatat la not prlutod to bo accepted aertonalj, bat rather aa too JoTonllo The first act was Doelsch and ; Zityhauer (126th Street, Wednesday evening). They play accordeons. They were very bad. A man does tricks with his teeth next (The Kyaayas), and the woman with her hair. I'd like it better if they would quit that shooting. Barry and Wolford sing songs and talk about themselves. They'd been singing yet but they made the audience shut up, and they were fair. Grace Scott has a very nice act ("Divorcone"). I like the man in the act. The act is funny. Bobby North went good and he was a riot. That's what Charlie says. There was one girl in our row and she went crazy over Bobby North, and he is very good. Everybody near her was laughing at her and not at Bobby North. Monroe and Mack have a bad act ("Taking the Third Degree"), and I don't think it is funny, but I have seen bader acts than that. Eva Tanguay is very good, and she has some new songs. She had such a grouch on she wouldn't take a bow and the the- atre was packed, and it was as cold as it was the other week before. She sang "I Don't Care," and the leader got mixed up and she said "She's mad again," and she went very well. "The Naked Truth" is a funny act, and I know one of the chorus girls (Mary Manson), and she's prettier now than when I used to know her, and they have too much singing in it. The sailor that sings is rotten. 'TIS GREAT TO BE GREAT. Sioux City, la., Feb. 4. During the week of Jan. 24 when The Sandwinas should have played at the Orpheum, which they did not do except- ing at the Sunday night show, Mama Sandwina gave birth to a ten pound boy. He baa been christened Theodore Martin Sandwina, after the only two great Amer- icans the Sandwinas know of; Theodore Roosevelt and Martin Beck. There may be others, but The Sand- winas are foreigners. the curtain descends, leaving the plotters foiled. Miss Mortimer is a clever little actress, emotional; full of expession, and acts with conscientious pmiseness. Both the vehicle and Mins Mortimer should oc- cupy a prominent place in vaudeville. Frank Wieaherg.