Variety (February 1909)

16 yARiB-TV/ PADS AHD FOLLIES. The Murray Hill has a clean, clever, bright burlesque entertainment this week in Charles B. Arnold's 'Tads and Follies" Co. It is, perhaps a bit short in its complement of women principals, but a good dancing chorus overcomes this to a certain extent. The choristers are in frequent use and the girl element goes a long way to keep the stage busy. Between times the proceedings are in capable hands. Snitz Moore, one of the best of the burlesque German dialect come- dians, is the party of the first part in the fun of the show, with Irving R. Wal- ton supplementing, his comedy in first rate shape. Moore and Walton make their first appearance in the persons of Sam Bernard and Eddie Foy respectively, and retain those characters throughout the two-act -piece, except for the olio in which both have specialties. All the principals are introduced through the "review" scheme except Harry Hills, and even he later essays a Harry Lauder impersonation. That is, he says it is an impersonation, and he does wear Scotch costume and sing a Lauder song, but there the impersonation Stops. Hills has a capital voice and the song was ac- ceptable on its merits, so all was well. Otherwise Hills plays "straight* and does it with unusual success. He has almost the only really good voice in the organ- ization. Arthur Williams is a "cissy" and is funny or not, accordingly as you regard that character. Williams handles it as well as any other comedian that comes to mind. Johnny Morris and Georgia Morton do a capital dancing turn at the opening of the olio and have light parts in the pieces. May Walsh, who was cast as Cissy Loftus, was the eminent soubret, sharing honors with Daisy Melton, who assumed the name if not the charm of Lillian Russell. Each principal has an entrance song. This series of numbers keeps the first part running almost to the finale, and involves several costume changes. One of the prettiest was the Scotch ar- rangement. Singing is not the strong point of the chorus, partly due to the presence of ten English dancing girls, whose voices are below par, but who con- tribute all sorts of whirlwind motion to the ensembles with their snappy danc- ing. Allie Vivian had a subordinate role, and contented herself with wearing a neat frock or two and working smoothly in Moore's olio sketch, "An Ungrateful Son." Heloise Horton, at times in the ranks of the show girls, and at others appearing as a principal, was likewise in Moore's olio offering. The second part is in two scenes, sepa- rated by an interval when Hills and Moore have a funny bit of conversation in "one," resembling in many ways Billy Inman's former sketch. This leads up to the finals of the burlesque, a travesty boxing bout between Walton and Williams. Here is an unhackneyed arrangement, and it held the audience in nicely at the finish x of the show. The first* part finale is a t:f>i£ghi adaptation of the old Amazon march and also got away from the routine schemes. There is perhaps a bit too much of Moore in the show. He and Walton are almost constantly in evidence during both pieces and both have olio specialties. Wal- ton does not change his make-up through- out and Moore only once, switching from German to Hebrew for his sketch. The house liked both men in pieces and olio, but toward the end they had worked themselves out. Walton has a capital line of talk for his vaudeville turn. It is quick, snappy and timed to just the right length. Moore's olio sketch is an- other of those serious efforts. The senti- ment is strained and the character rela- tions most improbable, but the audience accepted it with not a little enthusiasm. Ruth. THE FASHION PLATES. *^here are eight male and three female principals in the opening piece ("The Three Skins") of "The Fashion Plates." The proportion throws the action out of balance, although it is made necessary through the skit being an adaptation of "The Three Twins." Since "Three Twins' is a farce so broad it could not well be travestied or burlesqued, the authors, Searl Allen and Jack Burnett, have simply, re-written, it under the name of "The Three Skins," in- serting three "Dutchmen" for the "twine," and adding a Hebrew, Irishman and "coon." They fill the stage with "char- acters," too many, while the women have small chance, excepting Rose Garlin, who leads, 'I'm Strong For You," claimed by the program to be one of the exclusive musical numbers written by L. Frank Mil- ler, the musical director of the show. The Phillips Sisters (Ida and Martha), who have, a character change singing and dancing olio number, are the other two girls with their names programed. In "The King's Hussars" they are at the head of a rather nice march, although the music sounds familiar as it does in all the selec- tions. The comedy of the skit is repeated often, it resting upon the "mistaken iden- tity" idea worked to death in this instance by repetition in the frequent reappearance of the "twins." The original, which en- joyed a phenomenal run at the Herald Square, was made possible, not through the farcical complications, but in the "numbers" and staging. Of the "Dutchmen,"' A. Canfield seems about the best, though at the same time he impresses as a possible better "straight" man. Meyer Harris is the Hebrew, without winning nearly the dis- tinction he does afterwards in a semi- pathetic unprogramed olio sketch, of good idea, light construction and a weak finish. Mike McDonald is the Irishman. Three of the male principals compose "The Three Lyres," a new comedy musical act, who are trying to do too much in the olio, but turning out something different in instruments, music and talk from the usual turn of this kind. It is really a blessing to hear a blackface comedian in a musical act tell "new stuff." With a little trimming down of selections and revision of running order, the trio should have remaining a valuable act in its class. If the Phillips Sisters were to dance more, sing and "change" less, they would be much better off. The "changes" espe- cially could not pass ordinarily. They are too simple to be so termed. The girls look the best in the final one. All are a matter of underdressing. The McLallens give a pretty "sight" exhibition of roller skating, with the man performing some of the most difficult tricks upon skates, without attempting the spectacular,, and he makes a big hit by buck and wing dancing upon them. Kichi Hashimoto, a Jap, does some neat manipulation of a spinning top, and makes a "slide-for-lifc" from the dome of the theatre which earns him several "cur- tains." He is a good-looking Jap, and a strong act for a single number. Charles Falke, who owns the show, closes the olio with illustrated songs. Miss Carlin was announced, but did not appear. The vaudeville division of "The Fashion Plates" is among the best of the season in its lay-out. "Buying a Harem" is the burlesque, written by Allen and Burnett also. Mr. Falke may be commended for at- tempting a musical comedy with a legiti- mate plot held until its finale as in "The Three Skins," and the first part undoubt- edly pleases burlesque. But this is a point which doubtless Mr. Falke has discovered as well as many others, and it covers the question of "musical comedy" in bur- lesque: A musical comedy without an adequate cast cannot be properly pre- sented. Sime. COLONIAL BELLES. Campbell & Drew's "Colonial Belles," at the London last week, is as bad a burlesque entertainment as the same 'firm's "Champagne Girls," which occupied the same house only a week or two ago, was a good one. As an out-and-out "turkey" organization it deserves a prominent place in this season's burlesque aviary. The investment for costumes and scenery must have been very small. The three costume changes that went to the numbers of the first act (the show is a two act piece with an intervening olio) could not have cost more than one proper outfit. One was a wild west scheme, con- sisting of blue shirtwaist and "chaps" made out of brown canvas or burlap. It might be worth $3.98. Two other cos- tumes out of the total of six in the whole show are of about the same value. The setting for the first act looked like the limit of economy, but the second went it even better, for the same back drop was used, the side settings only being changed. George W. Bandy is almost the only capable worker in the present cast. He handles several songs nicely, and with Florence Fields scored one of the few hits of the evening in an olio act. Dur- ing the pieces he was not much in evi- dence, the centre of the stage being in continued possession of James F. Maher, Irish comedian, and Charles LeRoy, a conventional Dutchman. This pair went through an almost unbroken routine of the oldest imaginable burlesque "bits" stretched out interminably. Hazel Lucas was the prominent female principal. She sang several numbers ac- ceptably, but did not inject a great deal of ginger into her work, perhaps being discouraged by the atmosphere of gloom that surrounded the proceedings. Miss Fields, the soubret, also played listlessly. These two, however, did contribute a dress or two that went a little way to brighten up the stage, which, Heaven and the or- chestra leader, know, needed brightening sadly. Billy Betts played a burlesque "bad man." He is built on Taft-like lines and the comedians could have got some humor out of him if they had gone about it properly. Betts was devoid of comedy himself and merely ambled through his lines and business. Ethel Kherns won a laugh or two, thanks to her grotesque makeup and buffoonery and three or four "straight" men (members of the "Texas Steer" quartet in the olio) came and went at intervals without affecting the dreari- ness of the offering. The show had its certain effect, too. Friday night the orchestra floor at the London was less than half full and begin- ning at 9:45 there was a steady lessen- ing by departures. The olio was the best part of the show. Bandy and Fields opened this portion. Miss Fields does her subordinate work nicely enough, but it was Bandy's comedy dances that pulled down the applause. Charles LeRoy passed with a monolog and a parody or two, and the Texas Steer Quartet (Ed. J. Sheehan, Mr. Angelo, C. T. Raymond and James F. Maher) were to the taste of the audience. De Hollis and Devora closed the olio with a really capital arrangement of comedy juggling. The man, dressed in a clean tramp make-up, is an unusually sure worker and has a well arranged line of comedy. The woman does a few simple tricks and between times acts as assistant. Rush. COLONIAL. One of the weeks when a high-grade show will get together to give value re- ceived has arrived, and at the Colonial the program is giving the very best satis- faction possible. It might happen once a season in a house. The excellence comm .ices with the lift of the curtain, and never stops, not even during intermission, when Jules Lenzberg pleasingly passes the few moments with Jean Schwartz's dandy "rag," "The White Wash Man." The first half is made stronger than usually found through Jimmy Lucas ("No. 2"), separated only by a "Jap act" from Stella Mayhew, giving the bill a laughing commencement, started partly by some comedy in the rattling good trick bicycle riding act of Count De Butz and Tossell, in which the music ran second to the rid- ing with the comedy still to be heard from. "Circumstantial Evidence," a sketch well up in the dramatic class, closed just before intermission, while the variety of the program was clinched by Annette Kel- lerman closing the show (third week) with her expert "Diabolo" playing, and still more expert diving, the girl with the frank exposo of figure which doesn't shock, having dropped the dancing portion. Before the closing number Frank Fogerty, with a new song and stories, kept them laughing, continuing the amusement Sam Chip and Mary Marble (New Acts) had created preceding him. Some of Mr. Fogerty's new jokes are as good as his old, and he also let loose a few of the latter. The new song is "I'm a Member of the Midnight Crew" (having a catchy little chorus, in use for the final encore), while a recitation "Gee, but It's Great to Live and Learn" did its part towards giving Mr. Fogerty's offering rather a wide scope as it is arranged at present. The laughs were continuous for him, and the applause prolonged. Opening after the intermission La.Petite Adelaide, with four young women, pre-