Variety (September 1919)

WW ' '. .. - SP£ ■ :. i?: v,^|v^^p^ / . . ■ . ... ... ...... ... x .^y V A U DEVILLE r l v.; / A. E. A. SHOWS i SSK. fe X ' ~ ~ J EQUITY BENEFIT, CHICAGO. Chicago, i«t & A f&JBOO holiday matinee started off the week of Actor*' Equity Association perform- ances at the Auditorium. There are to be 10 ■ham, with matinees Monday (Labor Day), Wednesday and Saturday. The following play- ers appeared at the Initial show: Tom Wise, Wallace McCutcheon, Paul White, Ada Meade, Duncan Slater, Bryan Foy, W. C. Fields and Co.. Frank Fay, Zoe Barnett, Blanche Ring. Charles Winlnger, Walter Jones, Grant Mitchell, Victor Mordant, Eugene How- ard, Ivy Sawyer and Joseph Saatley. Chio Sale, William Courtenay, Douglas Leavitt and a chorus of Equity members (about 60) in the finale. Some of the professionals mentioned appeared only in hits, and Miss Barnett, plead- ing a sore throat, bowed and made a panto- mime apology. Wise was the announcer, intro- ducing all acta, Van and.Scb.enck were the only one programmed who did not 'make an "appearance. Bam Hardy acted as general man- ager, with Frank McCormack, Learnt and George Henry Trader as general stage di- rectors ; Perclval Moore, Btage manager. There was an orchestra of 18, led by C. J. BJomson. Out of a bill of celebrities the little Duncan r-' Sisters cleaned up the surprise bit The two youngsters In quick comedy and entrancing harmonizing of two youthful and melodious voices, pulled a panic in "one." "Idaho." •'Story Book Ball" and a medley of smile songs gave them a routine that never lagged. Chio Sale In his standard work was beaTtly appreciated, and later returned to help Frank Fay in an intimate and somewhat Impromptu bit to let Fay off. Fay came on next to closing, following Sale, and was heartily taken In that trying spot. Wise opened the show with an Introduction of Ada Meade and a chorus of 21, mostly from "Take It from Me," in the modesty number from "The Mikado." Wlnnlnger, aa a single in street dress, sang two numbers, than did his killing trombone foolery for a smash. Later he came on la several places with other acts for snappy laughs. W. G. Fields and his orig- inal girl and caddie gave the golf scene from last year's "Follies" for a continuous uproar and strong applause. Ivy Sawyer and her handsome hubby ran only one song, "Nobody Cares," and one encore chorus with a light dance, but were splendidly applauded. The Equity. Dancers opened the second half, - and in their ranks—6 men all in street sttlro were recognized Wlnnlnger, Bryan Foy, Ouy Kendall and Frank Healy. The star role in the oratorical skit which went. so hugely In . New York was here given to Courtenay, who brought to It an Ideal appearance and a clarion voice, aa well as a wealth of sincerity that was more than artlstio—it waa overwhelming. Chicago is not a theatrical town. There didn't seem to be a hundred people in the house who knew much about, "the cause," or who cared. ' But on pure vehemence the propaganda oration swept the theatre to its feet, whereas all earlier reference to the purpose of the snow were but mildly ratified by the house, which was made up of society people and theatrical bargain hunters. Blanche Ring made the only reference by name to any of the "enemy," «ingn«g out Louis Mann in a heavy stage whisper. The audience seemed unaware of the significance of the allusion. She did three special verse* of "All Those In Favor Say Aye" about the strike, but got her big band on "Rings on Her Fingers." Wallace McCutcheon and Pearl White talked before the curtain. Miss White had been billed to work with Fay, and Mc- Cutcheon had not been announced previously at all. He was in dinner clothes, and the Pearl of great price" in the movies wore a shimmering black gown. They clowned for a good hand early In the running order. The programs were sold In the lobbies at a dime, and flowers were pushed for what they would bring. Among the outside workers were Lillian Tucker, Helen Raftery, Grace Fielding, the Dawn Sisters, Ann Warrington, Evelyn Qoenell, and a number of chorus women. Harry J. Powers was the only manager seen in the audience. Prospects for the week are around 125,000. ACADEMY OF MUSIC Monday evening, a single performance for the benefit of the A. B. A. was given to a near-capacity house at the Academy, Brook- lyn, the box office estimate being in the neigh- borhood of $3,000. The show ran smoothly from a little after 8.30 until 11, with Robert Enunett Keane, nest to closing scoring the applause hit of the evening. Pedro de Cordoba announcing, Introduced the first act, William J. Kelly and the Equity mob, Mr. Kelly rendering the Hassard Short parody of Mark Anthonys speech In "Julius Caesar," which Brandon Tynan did at the Lexington. , ..' Every act following pulled down a hit, by no means by virtue of the sympathetic au- dience but coldly based on their merit There was Fred Hlldebrand, erstwhile applause taker In "Take It From Me," with his semi-dance, - songs, and "Manager's Lullaby" (parody o* "Pal O'Mlne"), Louise Oroody and Hal Skelly. erstwhile "Fiddlers Three" members, song and • danced away in the second spot to a hit Skelly Introducing von Tiller's new "Whoa January" number. Eddie Foy and his half doien Equities fared well as per usual. Her- ,' bert Corthell following, and doubling from the Lexington that evening scored with song and stories. His routine was perforce cur- tailed, Ethel Barrymore and Conway Teaxle closed the first half with the Romeo and Juliet balcony scene. It need not be stated they did not go unappreciated. Jack Squires with Ted Shapiro, tickling the Ivories, opened the second half with songs. Squires using two Irving Berlin numbers, the "Hand That Rocks the Cradle," and "No- body Knows-Cares" songs, to good advantage. Marjorle Bentley and John Lowe made them- selves conspicuous by their frugality in sel- ling their wares, doing two dance numbers, and quitting despite clamorous applause. Mr. Keane, introduced as a prominent member of the Lambs, had them In convulsions with his stories. Adele Rowland closed with Will Donaldson accompanying her at the piano. Miss Rowland was her usual winning self and held them enraptured with her songs. Miss Rowland stepped into the breach made by Mme. Leonl, whose orchestrations failed to arrive on time. Marie Nordstrom, billed and advertised to appear failed to do so, her services, no doubt, being In greater demand at the Second Ave- nue Theatre, where she Is appearing in the revue. Ditto with Knox Wilson, also billed to show at the Academy. Eddie Cantor, while not billed to show, was advertised, but didn't The show was worth the money. Everyone In the audience thought so. Abel. lexWton. There were many changes In the pro- gram at the Lexington, Monday night, the opening of the third week of the vaude- ville performance given under the auspices of the Actors' Equity. "Standing room" was an established Institution long before the curtain went up, with every box and seat in the theatre taken. The cheerful en- thusiastic crowds stood up in roped-oft spaces at the back of the bouse and added their bit to the clamor which greeted the performers in the striking actor's show. The big number this week is the last act of "The Copperhead" with Lionel Barry- more as Milt Shanks. It Is a playlet in it- self. As a whole the show Is the best which his been put on so far, with the make-shift garb in which the chorus girls appeared the erst two weeks changed for costumes and with well practiced songs about the Equity, punctuating the performance at intervals, the show took on the appearance of a smooth running up-to-date revue. The program opened with the Equity Chorus. There waa a pleasing stage set- ting and the 200 members led by Dan Healy sang "Equity"' and other numbers, all of Which went over big with the pro-A. B. A. audience. This was followed with a single by Gladys Rice, daughter of John C. Rice of the old team of Rice and Sally Cohen, accompanied by Charles Prince. Miss Rice has a line voice which she does not use to the utmost of Its possibilities. "Dear Old Pal" and "I Hear Tou Calling Me" were two of her numbers which nearly stampeded the audience. Ada Lewis and Jack Hassard have an amusing triangle burlesque with two play- ers and a water cooler. Immediately they appeared on the stage half the audience started to titter in anticipation of some of the ludicrous stuff these two genuine come- dians were going to pull and they were not disappointed, as the pair was screamingly funny and bad the house sewed up from the start. Adele Rowland pat over three or four songs Including "Mammy O'Mlne." with lots of snap and received a generous hand. Ernest Glendlnnlng's explanation of the non-appearance, through illness, of Marguerite Nomara and the Watson Bisters, was per- fectly satisfactory to the audience, especially aa suitable substitutes had been provided. Hal Skelly and Louise Oroody appeared In dances and songs. This team evidently has already endeared Itself to Equity audiences as the moment they appeared there was an uproar of applause and it was some seconds before they were able- to get going, owing to the tumult. A regular old time minstrel show with real Jokes, good songs and some splendid dancing by Skelly and Healy with James i\ Corbett as Interlocutor and the Equity chorus of 100, was one of the features of the second half of the program. Besides Skelly and Tom- Lewis as end men. there was Billy Clark and Ed Oarvie and almost every legitimate show In New York was represented "around the circle." One of the best songs of the evening was Fred Hlldebrand's ("Take It From Me," Cbi Co) "Manager's Lullaby," sung to a popular tune. Dorothy Dickson and Carl Hyson, and Ray Raymond In songs, all received gen- erous applause. - -J m ^ Brandon Tynan delivered an oration by Hassard * Short, staged by Perclval Knight and Hazzard Short entitled "Equity" with nearly 400 A. E. A. members on the stage. The oration wae highly ImpresBlve, delivered In the words of- Marc Anthony's speech in Julius Caesar. Every time the sentence, "But the Managers Are Honorable Men" was used there was shouts of "no, no" and other evidences of disapproval. The show closed with the audience stand- ing at the suggestion of Mr. Tynan and giving three cheers for the Equity and its members. . ;•%, BERT LEVY Special American representative of "THE STAGE," London, who is reporting the actors' strike for that Journal and a syndicate of newspapers. . . ' Mr. Levy looks after the American vaudeville interests of The Stage," which has the largest circulation of any theatrical Journal In the United States. ■;>3 ACTOR'S EQUITY REVUE. Muslo by various composers. Arranged and staged by Roger Gray. ACT I. Scene l—Golf Links at Great Neck. Opening Chorus.. Ensemble An Experienced Golfer .Matt Hanley . A Novice .............John Qoldsworthy "Running after Nancy". .Alma King, Frank. Donegan and Chorus "Sally Simpklns"... Ellen Beet "Rover" .......Phil Dwyer "Turkey in the Straw"... .Roger Gray and Chorus Scene 2—A Persian Street The Equity Sextetto Arthur Burckly, Ar- thur Cunningham, Nora White, Sarah Ed- wards, Mr. Franklin, Geo. Bognes. Scene 3—"John Ferguson's Finish." (In order of their appearance.) John Ferguson Matt Hanley Sarah Ferguson .Mies Filton Hannah Ferguson....... Dorothy Tureck Jlmmle Ceaser .Jamee Barton Henry Wlthrow...: Chas. De Haven Andrew Ferguson. .............. .Rpger Gray Clutle John....................William Kent. Mailman .-. Dan Marble Scene 4—Helen Ford and the "Dream Man" Kiddles. Nox Wilson, "The Camouflage Man." Scene 6—The Campus at Columbia College. Miss Marie Nordstrom The Rag Time Ball Club Including James Barton, William Kent, De Haven ft Nice, Pierson ft He- Aullffe, Frank Donegan ft Roger Gray, . Dan Marble, "The Round the World Dancers." . ij| ■ ! ACT H. ■ vWi Scene 1—The Great Bluff Hotel at Sen Girt during the action of which numerous inter- >M Dotations of comedy will be rendered by the same folks that were In the first act Scene 2—Miss Marie Nordstrom In "Let's Pre* ■---'■'■ tend.'* ••'•••• ■.-rag 8cene 8—"The Cafe Jan." - '-'V^ Having met- with such royal reception at- . ' the Lexington, the past fortnight the E n«- ;~ ^ tertalnment Committee of the A. E. A. east Its eyes about for new fields. They were, successful In securing the Brooklyn Academy ■-,-% of Muslo ior Labor Day-evening. Tb.omasb.efs-". ky's Theatre on Second avenue and- ■Houston—^-ssj street, and the Second Avenue Theatre, ■ 'proper, but two blocks away, cornering on ■? Second street The Lexington gave Its usual weekly bill uptown. :..-.-rt^ Unlike the other three of the quartet, the -^ Second Avenue Theatre Is offering an "Equity -i Revue." .'..-■■■■ J The show is billed as "the only revue in ■ :■ -m town." But as an entertainment pure and simple, more often as spasmodic as simple, ■'•v it passes. And as Billy Kent says, "For a three day rehearsal, this Is not so worse," or words to that effect, also not forgetting to take a vernal crack at his former boss. Ar- thur Hammersfeln. There were several such flips at "Jake and Lee" and the rest of the P. M, A. members,* not forgetting G. M. C., with the statement by a wag, "I'll give you another /$100,000 and make you president ot it" Kent's speech was apparently Impromptu and on the spur ot the moment. In which he r < promised marked Improvement of the troupe ;. _. with each performance. - ; -:;^[ As a production, it Is out to make as much money as It possibly can at the least expense, costumes being plain and cheap, with no special scenery at all, employing the house drops, the forest and street cycloramaa, for the necessary locations. The show started at --W.1 a regular $2 clip but frizzled out towards the. "j end, iimmy Barton's dancing saving it front ft dire results. In the first section, Marie Nordstrom's vau- deville number of the "Let's Pretend" class ■ was offered and held up the show. She ap-:-.-:.'L peered later In a 'similar capable offering. The first golf scene, done In a forest set car- ried the average patter with little or no noy^S^jfe elty. In front of a Persian street, fa r^oaysSSSS —second scene—a mixed sextet exercised tb(<;-5/T ~. lungs to appreciable returns. '•'• i The kingpin of the first section was the next scene, "Jrbn Ferguson's Finish," a fun- .'■<'*> ny travesty on (he Irish drama at the Fulton, Immensely appreciated. John, In this in- stance, has. a grievance against the tolephone company, reading the telophone directory as the "bible" from which he quotes the psalms of the company. In the form of directions to discontented phone subscribers. Whoever ',', I wrote the burlesque deserves program credit' ~/l, It is assumed Roger Gray Is responsible since he is programed as the arranger and stager ot the show. With a few changes, the piece pan :"- ^ ; be taken out bodily and put to work in-van- . pi deville; .V-". Knox Wilson and his concertina came in for approval, the balance ot the act consisting of specialties and bits, unrelated in lay-out and - - :? theme, petering out with the rest depending on the ability of the performer. A dancing J. £ baseball game bit in the last scene scored,. ' ■'} as did Bartln's lntlmitable skate dance, which stopped the show, he, however, refusing to acknowledge the applause. Marie Nordstrom's •>:; :lj bit came to the rescue here, also. '•'.-> ■, Considering the plus-Yiddish contingent in .■.. U the house and the Ghetto locale, a Yiddish number in the dance revue number Is out ot place. The second act seemed very much up In the air. Another series of bits and special- ties, which grew tiresome towards the end, the show having run from 2.G0 on Labor Day matinee until ' 5.40. with' Jimmy Barton's, stepping taking up the last 15 minutes. They will make money with the revue-rlt _ i .' is estimated they cleaned up |2,500 on the - matinee alone and they were greatly handi- capped by the poor stage crew work, noise, . '. .-. mlscues, wrong lights and what not, causing gaenough confusion to throw any troupe out of = ; i J ^kelter. Abel. h ■ "■:.... (Continued on page .14.)