Variety (February 1909)

14 VARIETY NEW ACTS NEXT WEEK Initial Frasentatien, Firtt Appearance tr »—pp o aranc a in or Around Hew York City. [ NEW AGTS Or THE WEEK j Geo. Mozart, Colonial. Sice and Cady, Fifth Avenue. Carton and Willard, 125th Street. De Lanr Trio, 126th Street. Fregolia, Bijou, Brooklyn. Dainty Dotty Dale, Bijou, Brooklyn. Edwin Barry and Co., Greenpoint. Tom Fletcher Trio, Greenpoint. Tinkham and Co., Columbia. Tom Smith, New Brunswick. Bert Danson, Perth Amboy. Force and William*, Orange. Harry Bulger and Co. (5). "He Wat a Soldier Too." 03 Mini.; Full Stage (Special Set; Ex- terior). Colonial. "He Was a Soldier Too/' Harry Bulger's latest vaudeville offering, was probably taken from the erstwhile "Algeria," in which the comedian was featured. A pretty setting has been given the piece, altogether nicely staged. It is solely comedy, 3f course, with very little plot. Bulger is a deserter from the army of the Sultan. He makes his ent rance on a camel, using two companion deserters as the fore and hind legs of the animal. Later he disguises as a woman; is recog- nized, and while trying to escape in a balloon, the air ship is punctured by a bullet end the comedian is seen swinging In mid-air by the anchor rope, giving the act its close. The greater portion of the comedy is supplied by the men under the camel skin, although Mr. Bulger gains laughs in the ridiculous woman's garb. His singing of a song with the same title as the piece was the hit of the specialty. Henriette Byron is next in importance to the comedian, doing very nicely with a couple of numbers, one an old one she has used for some time in her former offering with Barney Fagan. There are also four men mixed up in the proceed- ings who do not figure to any degree. The act runs smoothly and should pass nicely. Doth. Ed. F. Reynard. "A Morning in HicksviUe" (Ventriloquial). 18 Mine.; Full Stage (Special Settings). Hammerstein's. The ventriloquial art as typified in the production surrounding the new act pre- sented this week at Hammerstein's by Ed. F. Reynard has leaped ahead in a great stride. It is no longer "throwing the voice" only. Mr. Reynard is billed as "The Ventriloquist With a Production." This he has assuredly, although his pre- vious act was in the same classification. In the new number a setting represents the main corner at HicksviUe, with the police station and firehouse on opposite sides of the street. In the center is a warning to automobiles to "Go Slow or Go To Jail." The curtain lifting reveals early dawn, with the lights well handled until daylight arrives. Down the moun- tain side speeds an automobile, making * two turns, when a full-sized car runs on the stage, with Mr. Reynard at the wheel. Inside are a woman, dog and colored boy. Halting at the sign, a constable appears from behind a tree and a humorous con- versation follows; there is another talk- fest held between the driver and a boy fishing. A bull throws a second young- ster over the wall, and when placed beside the fire alarm, he breaks the glaas, calling the fire engine and firemen, who hold con- versation also. This is the only portion of Mr. Reynard's former act remaining. Reynard has a rattling finish. Hurriedly driving off the /stage, the constable "dummy" in a sully cart with the "dog- pony" comes racingwter, a pistol firing from his hand automatically. There is humor all through the turn, in the talk, actions and effects, the mechanical part being intricate apparently and running smoothly. The comedy, of which there is a great plenty, and the technical construc- tion as well as the ventriloquism unques- tionably stamps Reynard's latest effort as the best ventriloquial act'ever pre- sented, bar none. Bime. 4 Emilioni. Acrobatic. 9 Mine. Hippodrome. The 4 Emilions, a foreign acrobatic act, have their first American hearing at the Hippodrome this week. The act consists entirely of hand-to-hand balancing, and they turn off a routine of capital new tricks. The best shown was a half-back somersault from the shoulders of the understander (on a table) into a hand-to- hand with the fourth member, standing on the floor. There were several of these long jumps and somersaults into hand-to- hand balances, and all in neat trim style. The top-mounter in most of these was not the lightest member, but a pood-sized man who looked fully as heavy as the* other. The dressing could be improved. The Emilions rank well up. Dash. Paul Durand, H. H. Feiber's representa- tive, will make a business and pleasure trip abroad early in May accompanied by his wife, Elsie Boehm. Miss Boehm will remain abroad, spending the summer with her folks at Vienna. Von Hon*. Mimic and Impersonator. 10 Mine.; One. American. "The Man with the Twistable Face" is the program tale of Von Hoff, also billed as "mimic and impersonator." Von Hoff opened with a speech, saying he had stud- ied animals from childhood and would imitate them. Then he imitated a screechy soprano and a fly. Both may be animals. Von Hoff also mimicked or im- personated a soda fountain and a steam- boat whistle; also a motor boat; told a few jokes; wore a dress waistcoat; dress shirt; combination dress and frock coat; light- colored trousers, and told a few jokes. Perhaps in cutting down the bill for time. Von Hoff had no opportunity to give his impressions of the animals he had become acquainted with from childhood—or per- haps that was comedy. He did twist his face some, but not enough to use it in his billing. Mr. Von HofT should strain his act, and the recipe might call for a few additions after the eRsenoe has been ob- tained. Just as he is, Von HofT is a nice little net in n nice little way. He is from the west; he may be a big act out there. Sime. McWatters and Tyson. Songs, Imitations and Travesty. 33 Mine.; Four (Parlor). American. "We're glad to be back in vaudeville," is the opening line of the entrance song sung by Arthur McWatters and Grace Ty- son at the American this week. Vaude- ville is glad to have them back Ukewise, gauging the amount of applause the couple received when they first appeared. Mr. McWatters and Miss Tyson are vaude- villians, have been, and were well content to be, but like many others who are real entertainers, the vaudeville man- agers wouldn't believe they had value un- til they left vaudeville. The usual course to bring yourself to the attention of the manager is to go to Europe or Broadway. Some go to Europe—and stay there—for different reasons—perhaps the principal one their belief that away from home the managers know an act on sight. The Broadway thing is harder to achieve, but easier—if you "make good." Behold 1 Mc- Watters and Tyson—they "made good" in "The Mimic World" at 4h& Casino, so now return to vaudeville at a figure the placid manager who claims he knows his business screams at—and still McWatters and Ty- son are "making good," but not any "gooder" than they did when they were in vaudeville before. Nor any better than tbey will afterward, either in vaudeville or on Broadway, for they are entertain- ers, and develop themselves as favorites the more often seen. "But that can't be," says the manager. "What draws on the bill except the headliner? Of course, it's big money, but look at the house." Well, take a look at the American this week. What's drawing there? You can't help the abstract argument, for it reoccurs so often that were the managers to help make the material they too frequently spurn, the quinces at all the way from $1,200 to $2,600 could stay in the woods. In the comedy singing act now presented by Mr. McWatters and Miss Tyson, they give a wide range of subjects, from imitations and ''mugging" to a very laughable trav- esty on "The Thief," the latter removed from the Casino show where Miss Tyson burlesqued Margaret Illington while Frank Mayne was Kyrle Bellew. McWatters does it now, excellently, as he does his imitations, particularly that of James Mclntyre (Mclntyre and Heath) and Vic- tor Moore in "The Talk of New York." Geo. Arliss' "Devil" ran up a girder and hit the ceiling above the American pa- trons. McWatters had to follow an "im- itation act" on earlier (Felix and Caire) and he accomplished a miracle against the odds. Miss Tyson is the same comedienne, good looking, modishly gowned, cheerful, and always funny. The "Eyes" song from "The Mimic World" was a winner from the go, and the laughable finish to the travesty (partially reconstructed from the original) brought the pair back to bow several times. As they both lean upon a table to gaze ardently at each other, Mc- Watters says, "Oh, you kid," and the table splits and both sprawl to the floor. It's a corking finish to an set in the Al class. Simc. Edna Aug. "Types" (Character Songs and Talk). iB Mins.; One. Hammerstein's. Edna Aug reappears with a new outfit of characters, songs and talk. Her first is a chorus girl singing "Is It Possible You Haven't Heard of Met" with dialog between verses, the talk being somewhat technical in part, but well delivered, laughable in quality and containing suffi- cient "points" for the most obtuse to catch. As a German girl describing her woes, Miss Aug has a bright line of quick witty material and it was punctuated often by laughs, although the finish is ruined through being abruptly chopped off at the end of a line, while everyone must have expected a song to conclude. This Miss Aug did by changing her "char- acter" dress to a "straight" costume of modern cut, for which there is no need, it bringing about a wait as well. Closing with an imitation of a ballad singer, Miss Aug was a substantial hit at Hammer- stein's, opening after the intermission, a notoriously difficult position for a turn of her class, whether man or woman. Miss Aug might better her act greatly were she to continue on into the bur- lesqued selection in the German dress, closing without further change. She may be credited with bringing back, something new, and before a less sophisticated audi- ence than gathers on Times Square, Miss Aug would be even more heartily laughed at, for her present act will appeal to all. Sime. Harlan Knight and Company (a). "The Chalk Line" (Rural Comedy). 24 Mins.; Full Stage (Special Set). Greenpoint. "The Chalk Line" is a plain, homely little story reduced to its elements, but it has been capitally worked out into a light comedy sketch of sure appeal by nice handling. The narrative has to do with the affairs of Webster Sanderson (Harlan Knight), country storekeeper and Ephriam Allen (George Neville), local postmaster. Ephriam defeated the store- keeper in a race for the postmastership and the latter divided off half of the gen- eral store with a chalkline down the cen- tre. One side was his territory, the other Ephriam's. Neither could cross that line, which divided hostile camps. Not so with Fairy Sanderson, Webster's supposed daughter. She loved both of the old fellows with equal warmth, and both sides of the line welcomed her presence. Ephriam's ten- ure of office expires on the dnte of Fairy's birthday anniversary, and Sanderson se- lects the identical day to toll her that he is not really her father. He had adopted her from an orphan asylum, upon the death of his own child. Of course. Fairy turns out to be Ephriam's daughter and, of course, she gets the appointment as post- mistress, so all ends happily and the ene- mies mop out the chalk line. The prog- ress of the tale is amusingly accompanied with a by-play of humor, which, although it is obvious and a trifle labored in spots, is nevertheless agreeably in the picture and true to character. All three mem- bers of the cast play with certainty and make their points tell. Miss Volkman was surprisingly good in her serious scene. Rush.