Variety (October 1909)

VARIETY 17 i # Harold and Wood. Songs. 12 Mine.; One. Harameratein'a. Orville Harold and Arthur Wood are two singers, one a tenor; the other bass. Whoever is the tenor has a wonderfully sweet voice, not cultivated seemingly, and with tendency to sound tired before the finish of the act. The tenor is somewhat of an actor as well as a comedian, and with his voice would be of great assistance to a comic opera. What the tenor should do, however, is to study for grand opera. It might require more time than he cares r can afford to give, but it would be well worth it, for the voice is there. And the voice is the act. Whoever framed it up believes the tenor is best in an Italian character, with some idiotic dialog for an opening, the bass, very good in his higher register, playing the "straight." The couple can throw everything away excepting that tenor voice. The act will then remain just as big, and go as well if not better than it has been doing at Hammerstein's all week. It is going well enough there to satisfy the most greedy. The tenor in evening dress would add the class that the act now needs, his partner garbing himself likewise. This "Dago-straight" style of act is growing over-familiar. St me. Tylor and Burton. Skaters. ix Mins.; Full Stage. Colonial. When a couple of roller skate special- ists open a big show such as that at the Colonial this week and take three or four bows after eleven minutes of straight work on the rollers, they must be put down as a success. That's what Taylor and bur- ton did Monday evening. The woman wears a knee-length soubret frock, the man a frock coat, silk hat and gloves as though dressed for the street. Nearly all of the routine is composed of team work, including some of the prettiest and most graceful skating seen. The man is ex- tremely tall, and his control and balance in making the long, easy strokes circling the stage are striking. Dizzy spins on both skates and on a single one are run ofT by the pair with the greatest apparent ease. A welcome innovation is a special stage flooring laid in three sections which makes the skating noiseless. The act should be a valuable one on any bill. Rush. 4 Pool and Lane. Sharp Shooting;. C Mins.; Full Stage. rand Street. In a short space of time this man and woman introduce some of the best ex- amples of marksmanship one would care to see. They run strongly to apparently hazardous feats, shooting glass balls from off and around each others head with a halo of splatter and splash. The man is an exceptionally good shot; the woman is almost as good. He fires two guns at once breaking glass balls simultaneously placed four feet apart. This seems to be new: certainlv it is effective. The woman places a folded handkerchief on her head and thereon puts a glass ball; he breaks the ball. This should be taken out, as it fceems a foolish hazard of human life. If it were never done it would never be ■tnissed. Walt. Bates and Neville. Character Songs and Bicycle. x6 Mins.; Full Stage. Columbia. The billing is "comedy bicyclists." It is about eight minutes before a bicycle appears. The man only rides. The talk leading up to the bicycle amused, but makes too slow an opening. A better start might be secured by bringing the machine to the fore immediately, talking after- ward if necessary. The woman sings character numbers between intervals of riding by the man and even when he is performing. The wheel work is close to the usual routine, and well done. The man has a couple of good comedy bits in the riding. As a tramp he is clean and tidy looking. The comedy finish was a scream at the Columbia. Dash. Luken's Ponies. 2i Mins.; Full Stage. Columbia, Luken's Ponies is the feature at the Co- lumbia, playing the week there. Seven good looking ponies make an act ranking very well. The trainer is unnecessarily explaining each trick before it is at- tempted. He might also urge a little more speed. At times the act becomes draggy. The trainer works the animals gently, using the whip only to make a noise. A nice bit is one of the ponies adding, sub- tracting, selecting colors, etc. Several dogs and a monk are introduced for small tricks. The act at present needs more snap, some polishing up with a good big finale of all the animals. The Columbia program says "Luken's Ponies. Come and bring the children." It's a good line. The children will surely like the little horses. Dash. OUT OF TOWN. Football Trio. 12 Mins.; One. American, San Francisco. (Week Sept. 26). From the name the audience wondered where the football came in. Thev were informed after two solos and three trio numbers had been rendered. By that time the act had stayed the limit. They then appeared in football regalia and some roujzh play was indulged in, ending bv kicking the ball into the auditorium. All have good voices, blending well, but the volume was exceptionally weak, per- haps the result of nervousness. The act is somewhat pleasing, but slow. Two of the songs could be dispensed with. Quicker action and more volume all through are necessary. Fountain. Ernest Brinkman. Songs. 10 Mins.; One. Empire, San Francisco. (Week Sept. 26). Ernest Hrinkman has a splendid bari- tone voice and pleasing appearance, tak- ing from the start. What Mr. Brinkman lacks principally, is up-to-dalncss and should secure some sort of an act In which he could use his voice to greater ad- vantage. At present his repertoire is shy of swing-, and dash. His "Fire—Fire— Fire" sung in Fireman's costume is closer to what is needed, and closed the act to generous applause. Fountain. Heeley and Meely. Eccentric Acrobatic Dancing, xx Mins.; Full Stage (Special Set). Wilson Avenue, Chicago. Heeley and Meely made their first American appearance in their new act, "Two Lucky Tramps," and scored a big success. The opening shows a lane in front of a barn and the mow in which hay is stored. After a few momenta the hay moves. A tramp appears, apparently from his slumbers. A little later a second tramp comes to view. After combing their hair with curry combs and securing laughs with dialog, they blow a whistle und a beer keg on the ground cornea up to the hay mow, aerving as an elevator by which they reach the street. A aong and dance, hat % and cane juggling, and difficult acrobatic stunts makes the act a very good one. E. E. Meredith. £. C. Hunt's "Seven Billikins." Singing and Dancing. 20 mins.; Two (Special Drop). Star Theater, Seattle, Wash. (Week Sept. »7). 1 The act is composed of a male quartet and three singing and dancing girls. All have good voices and the girls are ex- tremely clever dancers. They have an appropriate change of costume for their dances. The men sing strongly, each having a solo with the exception of the bass. The act goes with a snap. Closing the show after the Monday matinee, it was a favorite. In a short time it should be running perfectly. IV. C. Thompson. Lyons and Yosco. Harpist and Singer. 18 Mins.; One. Young's Pier, Atlantic City. This pair have placed together one of the finest musical acts seen in years. They were a hit from their entrance. Made up as Italians, they entered chattering, Lyons carrying a beautiful harp, and Yosco with a cello. After a selection on these two instruments and a few dialect "gags," Yosco retired, allowing the clever Lyons to play his harp. This boy produced some wonderfully pretty music. Then came an operatic number by both, Yosco twang- ing a small guitar, Lyons helping in the singing. The final was 'Good-bye Mr. Caruso." It was a riot. This act is going to make 'em sit up. /. li. Pulaski. Edith Livingstone. "The Girl in the Trouserette Gown." Four Special Drops. Orpheum, Savannah, Ga. Edith Livingstone, "The Girl in the Trouserette Gown," closing the show, has an act out of the ordinary, carrying four drops, one for each number, and an elabo- rate wanlrolx 4 . The act may be said to be very extravagantly dressed. Miss Living- stone possesses a sweet voice and many winning mannerisms. The act opens with a French song. "The Girl in the Trouserette Gown," a novel and pleasing number. Next follows a candy store ef- fect in which this clever young woman plays most charmingly as a little child. A bathing number follows. "My Egyptian Maid," with an Oriental dance gracefully executed, closes. Miss Livingstone in this is not suggestive nor is the dance over- done. /?. J/. Arthur. Billy B. Van and the Beaumont Sisters (a) "Props" (Musical Comedy). 29 Mins.; Full Stage (Special Set). Young'a Pier, Atlantic City. Although they closed the show, Billy B. Van and the Beaumont Sisters were one big hit. As Stephen Gall, the property man, Van was a continual laugh. Helping him in the fun Rose and Nellie Beaumont never made a better showing. The setting is a Monday morning stage. Van cornea on loaded down with "props," bitterly com- plaining of the awful responsibility of hia position. Lizzie Smith (Rose Beaumont) arrives to scrub up, her mother being sick. She tells Steve of her ambition to go on the stage. He gives her a aong to sing and during it accompanies her, uaing every device back stage to make noise from a bass drum to storm sheet. It was a screaming number. Mabelle La Trocadero (Nellie Beaumont) enters announcing her- self the star of that week's show and hands Steve a "prop" list two feet long. After some witty talk, ahe sings "When I Arrive on Broadway," which went very well. The three then aing and dance. They closed with a very sweet melody called "An Old Gray Bonnet With Blue Ribbons On It." Full of fun and pretty music these three clever people have an act that is sure-fire and one that you can enjoy seeing many times. /. B. Pulaski. Keit and DeMont. "In the Garage." Comedy Acrobatics. 10 Mins.; Full Stage (Special Set). Young's Pier, Atlantic City. After playing the west for some time these two slipped in unheralded with an act which for comedy talk and excep- tionally clever acrobatics has rarely been equalled. It is away from the average acrobatic turn. The keynote seems to be originality. The talk is good and could stand alone. The feats performed are difficult and amusing, executed with eaae and really new. This puts their work in the light of an achievement. The setting is that of a garage. Tires and accessories arc strewn about. On the walls are signs reading, "Get Your Tank Filled Here," 'Storage Batteries Charged Dead or Alive," "Gas O Lean For Fat People," 'Lovers He ware—No Sparking," etc. Among the excellent feats is Frank De- Mont (a brother of Robert) doing a head- stand with no support with the slighter Keit as the under-stander, the two tell- ing "gags" during it. DeMont has a Dutch dialect. A trick automobile paved the way for an excellent spring from the ma- chine, and closed an act which should win a worthy place on any bill. /. B. Pulaski. John Watson and Co. (5). "An Evening by the Mill Wheel." r 2c Min.; Full Stage (Special Setting). Majestic, Washington, D. C. "An Evening by the Mill Wheel'' is an excellent singing act, with a little comedy and beautiful and elaborate stage settings. There are six people, four the National City Quartet. Those receiving consider- able; commendation were John Watson. Pear Dayhofl" and Frank Warner. The act was well received by an unusually large audience. tfdMeman*. (Oontinaed en page 22).