Variety (September 1918)

CABARET BernJe Grauw, former pianist at Amron's, has joined the Black and White Five, and is now at the Tokio. Tom Murray has taken Boss' place in Gordon, Ross and Ball (Triangle Trio). Billy Sharp opened a revue at the Marlborough Hotel Sunday night, fea- turing the Three Chums (Miller, Black and Mack), - Henry McCauley will manage the 181st Street Ice Rink this winter. _ He formerly managed the Bay Ridge theatre. The Plaza in Brooklyn has changed its name to the Piccadilly and opened with a new revu6, produced by Victpr Hyde, last week. Boh Levy was in San Francisco last week securing talent for Levy’s, Los Angeles. According to a report Levy’s, however, will discontinue the enter- tainment feature. The Somers ; restaurant revue, . Brooklyn, produced by Billy Sharp, has Grace Palmen Billy Walsh, Nat Coster, Flo Reed, Leon St. Clair,-Babe Smith. Mae Brown and a chorus of eight girls. The Hotel Seaboum, Coney Islaind, closes its season tomorrow (Saturday) with a "Deoch and Doris Night” as the finale. It will also mark the end- ing of Billy Werner’s tenancy of the place. The Pommery agency over here will move to Chicago Oct. 1 when Murray Keller of that city assume it, taking the agency over from Francis Dratz in New York. At the same time A1 Sanders will again resume his connec- tion with the Pommery brand, A* the quiet Sundays succeed one another there is less motoring in and around New York, with the road houses remaining closed on that day. Most of the road house men come into New York by train to see their city competitors. The Committee of Fourteen has been somewhat active around of late in con- nection with the cabaret shows, look- ing for “bare legs” mainly. One restauran't was called upon to give a private performance of its sho^ for the information of the committee’s representative. A runway was installed at the Por- tola-Louvre, San Francisco, for the new revue which opened last Sunday. The new show has 16 girls in the chorus. The principals are Bobbie Robinson, Vera Ransdale, Charlotte Vermont, Mary Kay. The show is under the direction of George Woeds. . Changes seem imminent or have been made in the Folly Caprice, Pabst Harlem, Frances Demarcst, one of the leaders of the cabaret at its open- ing, is preparing to enter vaudeville as a "single act.” Gertrude Venderbilt, another principal, is engaged for a new John Cort musical show. The Seven Bracks, the acrobatic turn specializing in "risley” work, are at Rector’s (downstairs) on a 20-week contract. The act is reputed getting the same Bracks are said to be the first big acrobatic act tried in cabarets. The Rath brothers have been in the Cen- tury roof show for several weeks. The College . Inn, Chicago, expects soon to resume with an ice show. Charlotte, who was th« fc#tgl» year, is still in that city. Offers for her appearance in New York were turned down. Tjie skater at first de- manded $1,000 weekly, later dropping to $700., The latter is reported to be double the salary paid her at the Hippodrome, New York. Frisco the “jazz dancer” is going into vaudeville, having a girl assistant. He expects to include the Dixieland Jazz band, a Chicagb bunch of players who have been at Reisenweber’s. The act is framed to play the bigger New York hduses with a possible repeat. Last week? Frisco stuttered his “notice” to Flo Zeigfeld who laughed, but the “jazzer” said he was getting through at the “Midnight Frolic” Saturday. Detectivo James McName'e, of In^ spector Cahalane’s staff, stepped into Chester’s Cabaret at Central Park West and noth street, Monday night, announcing that the place was “pinched.” i6r permitting dancing with- out a license to run a dance hall. Faetano Camparatb, the manager, was arrested and was paroled by Magis- trate Nolan, in the Washington Heights Police Court, until Oct. 4, when the case will be ^ heard. The manager pleaded not guilty. The new show to be produced by the Shuberts at the 44th Street theatre roof is as yet unamed, In the cast are Justine Johnstone, Avon Comedy Four, Father Sisters, Watson Sisters, Ed. Wynn. The rehearsals start today. In the minstrel first part, in white face, will be Connie Farber and Kitty Wat- son on the ends, and Justine Johnstone as -interlocutor. The material is by Henry I. Marshall, and this part of the performance is scheduled to run an hour. The show is due to open on Oct. 16. As indooY ice skating rinks will be discontinued this winter to conserve ammonia, the college hockey teams will, for the duration of the war, confine their hockey activities to roller skates. A committee of students, representing the hockey teams of the large casern universities, called upon Charles Dil- lingham recently, to inquire regarding the use of the new Hippodrome Hard- wood skating floor, employed in the roller skating scene in “Everything.’ The collegians proposed to use the Hippodrome floor in the mornings for matjches. The former Balconnades Room at Healy’s, at 66th street, is now "Camp Frolics,” w»»h the interior converted into the semblance of a cantonment. The room is partitioned and tented, with the several “camps” named after generals of the American forces. There is a soda fountain department in the room, where any kind.of a drug- store drink may be, secured by men in uniform or those who want it. The soda fountain to date has done little besides getting rusty. Benny Urber- all is again director of the Balcon- nades Room. Healy’s new ice show on the floor above (Golden Glades) will open about Nov. 1, supplanting the present ice revue there. Rod Wostorlaln, who gives his ad- dress as Brancardier, III, Belgian Army, has written asking for infor- mation regarding the whereabouts of his father. He says: “Fred Westcrlain left Belgium for the United States ^ some-30 year s-ago and played .in atre orchestras and bands, I believe he was in New York, Chicago, Butte, Helena, Victoria and Douglas (Alaska). I am a poof Belgian private soldier who has spent his courage and health these last four years for the honor and liberty of the world.” Anybody having any inforwatioo reg ardipg Fred Westerlain kindly communicate it to the Shubert Press Department, 44th Street Theatre, New York. According to the music stores and ' the various orchestras, the following pieces ^re the song hits of the current new musical attractions playing in New York. “Head Over Heels” has “Head Over Heels” arid “The Big Show”; “The Maid of the Mountains’* has “My Life Is Love” and “When You’re In Love”; “Some Day Waiting Will End" seems to be the hit of “The Girl Behind the Gun”; “Everything” numbers “Sun- shine Alley” and “Come Along to Toy Town,” as its favorites; in "Some ■Night” there are "Something That Money Can’t Buy,” “With the Boy I Love” and “Alone in a Great Big World; “Fiddlers Three” has “Can It Be Love at Last?” while “The Passing Show of 1918” has "On the Level You’re a Little Devil,” and “Smiles." The pescimUtic news from Washing- ton has not deferred Atlantic City cafe proprietors from their position that a splendid fall and winter business awaits them. Proiirietor Robert G. Simon of the Martinique has just opened the Russian Balalika Orchestra of ten for an indefinite engagement with a mu- sical program each evening. At the Bedux Arts, Joseph H. Moss is plan- ning for special nights which will e^iial those of former years, though minus the cabaret features, now under local police ban. The Jackson is making a specialty of dinners with Kienzle's or- chestra feature. At the cozy Latzcellar dance music adds to the splendid res- taurant bill, while the Martin Cafe continues the Three White Kuhns and Harry Nossokoff. The Regent, under Manager Frank Bowman is also sched- uling fall features for its cafe. Joseph C. Smith hit Broadway last week from Chicago in quest of fee skaters, that class of cabaret artist^ being in high demand in the west ana especially in Chicago. . Cafes there holding ice rinks continue along as in the past, the anti-cabaret ordinance prohibits liquor being sold where danc- ing is allowed. Dancing on skates by the artists, singing on skates and the like slips by the law. Smith has a two-hour pantomime on skates at Terrace Gardens, using 40 skaters. Three shows daily are given--one at noon and two in the evening. There is a 50 cent cover charge. The show is really a revue, made up of portions of well known pantomimes. Smith also has running a novelty than has caught on strongly along the north shore of the lake. It is a dancing revue given for the\ guests of the Edgewater Beach Hotel. The dancers perform on a plat- form float bn the water about 200 feet from shore. The platform is painted black and under the glare of spot- lights, the artists appear to be dancing on the water. Maxim’s new show, once more pro- duced by Percy Elkeles and stagpd by Billy Sharp, had its opening Monday, with Veronica, Gosman Twins and Miss Bradwell as principals, together with six chorus girls. The costuming of the revue is extraordinary when the size of the restaurant, which must regulate the cost of the show, is con- sidered. No more costly nor more tasty dressing has been seen in the restaurants. There are several^ num- bers, one excelling the other in the clothes, with the opening set of cos- tumes starting the admiration. Among the people of the revue Veronica (who prefers to be hereafter known as tionably stands out. She is a natural toe dancer, lithe, graceful and skilful on her toes. Miss Marquise is doing a pretty doll dance, also another num- ber. She is a very attractive picture, whether in solos or in the ensembles. The Gosman Twins will recall to Mwip’B pMrqtw tlttfi Bqrr Twigs, who got their start there. The Gosman girls do not resemble the Barrs in more than the composition of their turn and name. They do very fairly, and will probably improve as they grow accustomed, to the restaurant. Miss Bradwell is the sbubret. She suffers somewhat by comparison. The chorus girls, made to look reMly hand- some by the clothes they wear and who are also making up much better than the usual cabaret choristers, are Helen Paine, Babatte Bussey, Florence Weston, Denys Davidson, Marion George, Ruth Lloyd. Mr. Elkries has always fitted Maxim’s perfectly with its revues. He has done it again with this show, helping along the intimacy of the rather small room with a novelty number, through which the patrons are allowed to try to throw cotton balls into the pockets of a pro- truding costume. A reward is /given by the girls to the successful pitchers —either a kiss or a smile—^nd that should become popular. “Attaboy’* is the new and smooth running pleasing restaurant revue Gus Edwards has placed in the Oinar Khayyam Room of the Hotel Martin- ique. It is prettily costumed; has eight good looking girls, also “workers,”^ in the chorus, with principals from other Edwards floor snows who have be- come quite fairly well known. Among the latter are Mercedes Lorenz, Irene Martin and Bobby O’Neil. Mr. O’Neil seems a valuable juvenile in these days. Miss Martin is back again with Ed- wards after having played vaudeville for awhile with Sheets Gallagher who ■was drafted. Kathleen Hitchens is new to the company. She is a prima, young and of good appearance, with a splendid voice, but no animation or- "spirit.” Miss Lorenz takes good care of the numbers the leads. Mr. O’Neil sings and danceli "doubling” In black- face for the/nomewhat protracted ■ patriotic finale of the performance. The finale of the first part is “You Can Always Get a Packavc Here by Parcel ■ Post.” with the girls going through the dining-room, “delivering” little addressed boxes to the patrons. Most of the boxes were addressed to Lila Lee ("Cuddles”) at the Paramount studios, Hollywood, so Gus mixed pleasure with more business here. This finale closes nicely through all the girls arguing among themselves as they return to the stage. The music of the special numbers was written and the show staged by Mr. Edwards. Will D. Cobb wrote the lyrics, and as usual they are well worth listening to when unaerstood. It Is^ rather inex- plicable why such a brilliant lyricist as Cobb doesn’t swing into a wider sphere. His peer would be bard to locate were Cobb ever to set himself to the task. Several numbers from other writers are used In the grand finale, with the choruses printed on the program for '■the audience to sing. The costuming is tastefully attractive all the time. The closing suits or uni- forms of the several military and naval divisions, each represented by a girl,.are alluring. The opening num- ber is "Lady Laborers.” with the differ- ent girls in some man’s work attire. Mr. O’Neil is the only mate in the show. Eleanor Pierce does a dance at one moment called ‘The Oriental Jazz.” Any other name will fit it as well.. One of Miss Lorenz’s numbers is “You’ve Got to Be in Khaki to Look Good to Me." “Attaboy" makes a nice entertainment. It’s agreeable-—and there are “girls" (in fleshings, though their limbs look bare). Los Angeles, Sept. 25. Earl Williams, now in the ^st, is to shortly marry a wealthy girl named Florine Walz. Announcement was made of the coming event before Mr. Williams left here. His bride-to-be is here, but will go east in a few days.