The New York Clipper (February 1917)

THE NEW YORK CLIPPER February 14, 1917 V09CJ ROYAL This bill lacks a really big act. Valerie Bergere, who is the headliner, can hardly be classed with Chic Sale, Belle Baker, Bock A White and other acts of the same calibre that have been headlining Royal bills of late. The house, although jammed to capacity on Monday after- noon, was colder than usual. The snow started slowly and took a long while to gain speed. It fell to the Musical Johnsons to open after the Pathe News Pictorial. Two men and a girl, styled as "masters of the xylophone," entertain with several musi- cal selections, popular and classical. They serve as a good opening act. The girl does not seem very proficient in the art of make-up, her face having an undesir- able white pallor. Rowley & Young danced through the second spot. They will be reviewed under New Acta. Marie and BHIy Hart are back in vaude- ville with "The Circus GirL" The va- riety world welcomes novelties, and in this act there is a real one. The bur- lesque on mind-reading acts was particu- larly well liked by the Royalitea. The versatility of the pair, who sing, dance, walk wire and talk with equal facility, pleased the audience. George Austin Moore and Cordelia Haager sang, danced and told stories in a way that won approval. The man is one of the few ukelele players on the stage who does not "fake" with the in- strument, and his Hawaiian number was well received. The girl has a cute way of delivering her songs. Valerie Bergere & Company presented "Little Cherry Blossoms." Although the cast is weak and the playlet old, it seemed to entertain the audience. 0*Kaiz, the Japanese maid, makes up poorly as an Oriental, looking more like an CKeefe than O'Kaiz. Dunbar's Old Time Darkies followed in- termission in "Southern Plantation Melo- dies and Harmonies," and will be re- viewed under New Acts. Inglis & Redding were a laughing scream. Inglis* nut stuff never went over better. Miss Reading's Hawaiian num- ber proved very popular. Hubert Kinney and Rhea Lusby closed the show in a series of what they are pleased to style "dance fantasies," and presented the surprise of the program. In dosing spot the hand they received was more than gratifying, and deservedly so, in view of their artistic and original work. While breaking in the act in neighboring houses, Tin; Clipper several times commented that this was an act of big time calibre, and could hold its own on any bill. Monday matinee's per- formance bore out this statement, and more is going to be heard about this pair of dancers. However, their opening sing- ing number is weak and, if it should be eliminated, it would never be missed. The Pierrot dance and tennis fantasy are gems. AVIATOR GRANTED DIVORCE San Fbahosco, Feb. 3.—Art Smith, the aviator, was granted a divorce from his wife, Mrs. Aimee Cour Smith. AMERICAN Thomas & Henderson, two colored boys, offer the customary routine of talk, songs and dances, identified with acta of this character ever since Williams and Walker made turns of the kind popular. Both members of the team are good danc- ers and sing fairly well. Billy Brown, in a rube monologue, started very slowly, but soon had the bunch going with his imitations of a phonograph, dogs, pigs, etc. The mono- logue contains several good points, and is delivered in a quaint style. Brown's act is rather quiet for a house like the Ameri- can. A speedier method of presentation will add considerably to his value as a single. The Kimiwas, four Japanese athletes, do some ground tumbling that is out of the ordinary. There is also some great risley work in the turn. The stage set- ting, a Jap landscape, evidently painted by a native artist, is an excellent ex- ample of Nipponese art. As a finishing trick one of the members of the troupe slides down a slack rope stretched from the gallery. It is a real thriller. Kathryn Miley, the singing comedienne, was the big hit of the show. She was in rare form Monday afternoon, and obliged with five or six songs rendered in the way that has established her as a top notcher. Kathryn does considerable talking, and proved that her ability as a monologist is quite comparable with her vocal attainments. The song in which the orchestra so kindly assists was one of the best in her large repertoire of num- bers. . The Doris Lester Trio open in one with a song descriptive of what is to follow. The rest of the turn, performed in a full stage set, is really a one-act farce. The lively little soubrette of the trio, presum- ably Doris Lester, has a likable person- ality, and shows evidence of being de- cidedly clever in reading comedy lines. There are lots of laughts in the Doris Les- ter act, and it should establish itself as a favorite on the local circuits in short order. Lew Hawkins, the blackface comedian, entertained pleasantly with song, mono- logue and story for twenty minutes or more. Lew still retains the knack of placing a comedy point for big laughing results, and his topical verses landed solidly. Hawkins tells some veterans in the line of gags, but one might ask who has a better right? The prohibition gag about whiskey and the accommodating snake sounded new the way Hawkins handled it.- The Merry Maids of Japan is a full- grown "tab." The piece contains six chorus girls, two female and three male principals. The song numbers are neatly and attractively costumed, and the chor- isters make up in ginger what they lack in vocal Qualities. Two English chaps of the "silly ass" variety furnish the comedy and keep things moving nicely. A tenor playing a naval lieutenant is a fair actor, but a corking singer. As a whole the act presents good light entertainment, and should make a desirable headline number for the larger neighborhood theatres in the city. PROCTOR'S 5TH AVENUE Lincoln's Birthday started off Anniver- sary Week at this house in great shape, with an excellent bill of ten acts. The house was filled to its utmost capacity at the opening of the show. Black & White, in number one position, were liked well enough to be forced to make three bows. These girls are -very clever acrobats and tumblers, and fully deserved the hearty recognition accorded them. The two Bolger Brothers won their audience from the first plunk of their banjos, and held them to the end. They opened with a medley of operatic selec- tions, including "Poet and Peasant," "Barbeu Blue" and "H Trovatore." Then they "ragged" several popular airs and. proved themselves expert banjoists. Farrell, Taylor and company, two black face comedians, one doing a wench and a woman in white face, presented "The Stranded Minstrels." The skit is made up of bright dialogue, which the men put over in true comedy style. The woman played on a brass instrument of trumpet-shape, and did some very clever triple-tonguing. The act scored a de- cided hit. Ash & Shaw did one of the best talking acts seen at this house in a long time. They are natural comedians, have bright, fresh material and get the most possible out of it. They scored, a well-deserved success. "Woodrow," with his political talking and crayon act, .had his audience with him from first to last, and was rewarded for bis efforts with hearty applause and con- siderable laughter. Helen Davis, always a favorite, was an- other performer to capture her auditors. Her impersonations of the show girl of the 00's, in hoopskirts and dancing the minuet, the "Floradoro" girl, the Weber & Fields girl and the Ziegfeld Follies girl gets away from the usual act given over to impersonations, and is deserving of. the approval bestowed upon it. Edward Miller and Helen Vincent, in their pleasing sketch, "In the Cool of the Evening," were received in a fashion well calculated to warm the cockles of their hearts. Mr. Miller has an excellent voice, which he used to good advantage, and Miss Vincent's pleasing personality makes friends for her. Their act is way above the average, and can hold its own on any bill. Harry Fern and his company of four presented their entertaining sketch "Vet- erans," and met with their usual success. The act wears well and, just at this time, has an especial appeal. Max Cooper and Irene Ricardo, in their singing and talking act, were favorites as usual. Miss Ricardo's style seemed to hit the fancy of the Fifth Avenueites, and they were net slow in showing their ap- preciation of her efforts. The Mixine Brothers and Bobby, those two clever acrobats with their dog, closed the 'show and, in spite of the applause given to the preceding acts, received a plentiful amount of plaudits. Another instalment of "Patria," with Mrs. Vernon Oaatle as the feature, was shown, together with other pietn JEFFERSON Manola performed stunts on a tight rope, impersonating a drunk and finishing with a somersault, and gained much ap- plause. Armstrong & Straus sang and danced. The girl's impersonations of an Irish, Ger- man, Italian and American girl were liked. Meehan & Knapp rendered several songs, putting them over in good style. Diana's Models was a worthy repre- sentative of this type of entertainment. Nine pictures were presented, all good. Three girls and one man comprise the act. Those Harmony Boys are a misnomer. Four boys, one a comedian, got over in their individual numbers, but as for har- monizing, they couldn't do it. When they sang together, the result was toneless. The comedian was the best of the four. In singing and yodling his work pleased. Lew Welch and company presented a sketch which the Jefferson audience thor- oughly enjoyed. It contained interest and plenty of laughs. Barnes A Robinson, in piano and songs, spent most of their time kidding about the man's baldness and the woman's fat- ness. They were very pleasing, however, and loud applause was accorded them. The Fujiyama Japs, in a versatile of- fering of sleight-of-hand, writing with both hands at the same time, upside down, etc., and jiu jitsu closed the show. CITY You Wing opened with his contortion- ist and balancing offering to a good hand. Manetto Duo, man and woman, enter- tained with songs. Each possesses an ex- cellent voice, but, with the exception of their operatic number, their songs lacked expression. The audience detected the worth of their voices, however, and ap- preciated their endeavors. Chauncey Monroe and company pre- sented a very dry sketch. There were a few funny lines, but on the whole their voices were barely audible and much was missed. La Petite Mercedes, in a terpsichorean offering, was mildly applauded. She is a good little dancer, but as the patrons at this* house do not care much for this type of art her work failed to win the recog- nition it deserved. The orchestra Mon- day afternoon was entirely out of time with the dancer, which should be rectified. Archer & Ward entertained with songs and dancing. They have a neat, classy offering, which was thoroughly appreci- ated. Eugene Emmett and company offered a rural sketch, entitled "The Town Hall Follies." Nothing new, but moderately pleasing, the act runs along smoothly, drawing its comedy from old stand-by rube jokes. Jim McWilliams was a clever enter- tainer, who fairly brought the house down with his opera imitation. He opens play- ing the piano, each hand playing a dif- ferent tune. His material is put over in rapid-fire manner, and it was necessary for him to give an encore. Hufford & Ross, in an equilibristle offer- ing, closed the show.