The New York Clipper (February 1917)

February 7, 1917 THE NEW YORK CLIPPER PALACE A show full of novelties with men—six- teen of them—predominating, characterizes the bill here this week. Asabi, assisted by a quintette of magi- cians, jugglers, etc, including the Kitamura Bros., opened the show. Their scenery is no small feature. The drop used for the first scene, done in black and silver, repre- sents an ocean effect, with light houses, sail boats and pagodas showing up well on the background. Their feature trick is the human foun- tain, brought over here by the Ten Ichl Troupe some twelve years ago, streams of water springing, in the most mystical manner, from the tips of fingers, fans, lighted candles, tops of their heads, etc. Bert and Betty Wheeler, found it pretty hard for their quiet opening, in No. 2 spot, and while they dance well, they have no right on a big bill of this calibre. The Chaplin number should be eliminated en- tirely. Emily Ann Wellman, as "Young Mrs. Stanford," in Edward Eisner's flash drama, was more convincing and attractive in the title role than last week, if that were pos- sible, and the novelty itself was better. The screen waa more apparent and the blank film was easily discernible. Another feature in this novel offering, is Miss Well- man's certain ability as a pianist. The work of this splendid actress would put the stamp of approval on this offering, aside from the novel manner of its production. Willie Weston demonstrated the fact that he is a splendid singing comedian, and does not have to resort to suggestive songs or ansa- He cava splendid suggestions of how Eddie Leonard, Sam Bernard and Al Jol- son might sing songs. He told his fanny sabway and trench stories and sang of how Lawson found the leak in Wall Street. He went bigger than any single male act has gone at the Palace any Monday this season. Bert Clark, assisted by a Miss Hamilton, would have been a riot hod lights and props run a little smoother. "A Wayward Conceit" is a name that covers a multitude of comedy tricks, sayings and clever versa- tility. Mr. Clark's fanny mena talk gets the same number of laughs as when it was brand new. Miss Hamilton, besides "assist- ing" or "feeding" Mr. Clark, does a dance on her toes. A snow scene, with a song and with snow balls coming from all direc- tions, makes a pretty number and the clos- ing song, with a special drop and both Mr. Clark and Miss Hamilton in oriental dress, is most effective. Mile. Dazie opened intermission and re- ceived as a reward for her new offering, from some admiring friend, a horseshoe of floVers twice as high as herself.- She is reviewed under New Acts. Jack Norworth, the American boy—and it seems he will always be that to Ameri- can vaudeville goers if he don't go abroad too often and let them forget him—is back again. He opens with "My Boy," wear- ing; faultless evening dress and silk hat He sings of Reilly'a Blarney, and says he waa weaned on honey and most of its sweetness stuck to his tongue. The fourth episode of the Mrs. Vernon Castle serial. "Patria" was interesting, as It introduced a doable of Mrs. Castle, in "Elaine," a dancer of the Follies. SHOW REVIEWS (Continued on page 17) RIVERSIDE George and Dick Bath, two fine looking athletes whose ideas of costuming and show- manship are strictly of the twentieth cen- tury variety, open with a particularly well staged acrobatic specialty. Melville Ellis and Irene Bordoni are en- tertainers of the unusual sort Mile. Bor- doni sings French and American popular songs in a manner that may best be de- scribed as "chic" She dresses with the taste of the true Parisienne and possesses plenty of magnetism. Bordoni uses her eyes as well as her voice in the delineation of her songs. She is assuredly a welcome ad- dition to vaudeville. Adelaide and Hughes closed the first part The dancers scored their customary hit. The Allegorical ballet, with its congress of nations, is a beautiful production. Ade- laide is a small edition of Pavlowa and Hughes that rare exception—a male classical dancer who is at once graceful and manly. Stuart Barnes told of the troubles of the married men and warbled a couple of the odd little ditties he always sings so well. He is a monologist who is clean in material and method and is just as much at home in character work as he is in the straight comic style. Marie Nordstrom strolled on after inter- mission and had the house quiet in less time than it takes to tell it Miss Nord- strom has a real act and handles a pathetic bit just as deftly as the lighter material. DeForest and -Kearns in a skit by Blanche Merrill entitled "Ton Can't Be- lieve Them," contributed a likable number. The singing is excellent and the general at- mosphere of the turn suggestive of Broad- way at its best The costumes of Miss De- Forest are worthy of special mention. Reams is a nifty light comedian and works with the ease of a veteran. Elizabeth Brice and Charlie King closed the vaudeville proceedings and were never in better form. Charlie'KIng wears clothes like the impossible chaps In the magazine advertisements and is good looking enongh to be a leading* man In the movies. Beaidea these natural attributes Charlie can sing n popular rag song in a style all his own. and dances inimitably. Miss Brice renders several songs In the act and helps the good work along generally. After singing every- thing they had rehearsed Monday evening, the team put on a medley of their former successes. The audiences must have liked the re-. vivala for scarcely had the pair finished singing than a big bouquet of flowers was handed over the footlights. Whoever played Brice and King's accom- paniments on the piano certainly did ex- cellent work. Following the entire bill Charlie and Elizabeth may well pat them- selves on the back on the showing they made. Laurie and Bronson, a man and woman talking and singing act with unusual ma- terial and quaint personalities, will reach the top in short order. They have real ideas and are doing the nearest thing to a nov- elty act seen in many, many years. COLONIAL In spite of the meritorious acts in early positions Monday night the general appro- bation of the audience was not forthcoming until the last half. A sort of depression, probably due to the breaking of diplomatic relations with Germany, seemed to hang over the crowd. When Joseph Howard and Ethelyn Clark came along in the next to closing spot their turn at once found a ready response and they stayed on stage until Miss Clark's sup- ply of gowns ran out Wthelyn Clark is pretty in a refined way, besides being the last word in modesty and her quaint charm seemed to dovetail just right into the visions Howard's lyrics called up. Her graceful dancing, too, won her favor. Madame Doree'B celebrities, in impersona- tions of the great operatic artists, won ap- proval, and all of the numbers In this fa- mous repertoire received deserved applause. For an encore, they sang in chorus a high- class American ballad, the while a beau- tiful scene in old Virginia being shown. Marshall Montgomery, the ventriloquist, assisted by Edna Courtnay, carried off the comedy honors of this excellent bill through the medium of a dummy that knew his table manners and could tell whether or not soup was good by its sound, Montgomery fur- nishing the necessary sound. The entire routine has been cleverly worked up and is interpersed throughout with sore-fire gags. But if Montgomery never knew 'the word ventriloquist waa in the dictionary, he could hold down a late spot on any bill. He plays the piano well, and puts some haunt- ing melodies into the mouth of the dummy. He can also whistle a little and he came back for an encore and told' some stories that set the house roaring. For a second encore he recited a poem about the true good fellow. Nolan and Nolan, jesting jugglers, went well in the first spot See New Acts. Donald Kerr and Effie Weston were In number two position. They did not get the applause they deserved, for their dancing is clever throughout. The finish of their act is particularly good, with Kerr doing a fast whirl and his partner swinging free of his body with her hands around his neck. AI Lydell and Bog Higgins were billed on the last half, but were switched to number three spot The sketch, "A Friend of Father's." is well done. Helens Hamilton and Jack Barnes seem overconfident and a lot of their staff doesn't register at all. Some of the gags can't be heard and part of the business is obscure. This turn was only mildly amusing. Valerie Bergere and her company closed the first half in "Little Cherry Blossom," a playlet nicely staged and intensely inter- esting throughout Miss Bergere, as 8a- knra San, ia very amusing in her struggles to conquer American slang and portrays her role admirably. Many did not wait for the film "Patria.** The Interest in this serial seems to be wan- ing. ALHAMBRA Melville Ellis and Irene Bordoni found it easy going as headlincrs at the Al- Lain bra Monday night in spite of the fact that they presented practically the same act to Alhambra first-nighters not many weeks ago. They did not finish the weak at that time owing to the illness of Miss Bordoni. Ellis is instinctively a showman and knows how to win an audience. He It master of every trick of the profession and this, coupled with bis fine artistic sense, which he also calls into play, makes his act a sure-fire hit on any bill. Miss Bordoni's dresses always gain "Ohsl" and "Ahs!" from the ladies, and the stunning pink and black creation which she wore on Monday night brought immediate applause from the audience. The show waa opened by Herbert's Loop the Loop and Leaping Canines. Some very clever tricks are performed by the dogs and the act proved a successful opener. The Three Steindel Brothers held the second spot. In this early position they scored big in their way. They will be re- viewed in detail under New Acts. Lawrence Grattan's playlet, "Who Owns> the Flat!" is ably presented by Wilfred Clarke and Company. Clarke has a whimsical way of his own and could gain a laugh if ha should merely recite tbo A, B, Cs. However, he haa good ma- terial to work with and a most praise- worthy presentation of the playlet Is given. Leon Kimberly and Bena Arnold pre- sent "Vaudeville Moments of Enjoy- ment." The latter part of their act is the better part of it. The man slnga his ballad well. The act would be improved by eliminating the widow song which Miss Arnold sings. Its suggestiveness was received very coldly by the audience. Singing rather broadly of her widow life, one chorus ends as follows: "I don't worry when the sun is shining bright, But ifs awfully hard to be a widow When it's time to say goodnight. Mack A Walker, in "A Pair of Tickets," show how neatly a man-end- girl act can be presented. It isn't as ranch what they do as how they do it, and they won their way immediately with the audience. Miss Walker's letter song is particularly good. "The Star-Spangled Banner" waa played at intermission, while President Wilson's picture was flashed, and the audience seemed to enjoy singing the na- tional anthem. Frances Rice followed intermission with some unusually clever impersona- tions. She does not choose wisely in ending her act with an impersonation of George Beban, however, because It is not one of her best. Any one of the other impersonations would make a more effec- tive closing. After Ellis & Bordoni came Inglis ft Redding. Their nnt stuff got the house immediately, and Inglis' antics had the audience laughing uproariously. Theirs was a hard spot following the headline act as they did and closing the vaude- ville bin.