The New York Clipper (May 1917)

THE NEW YORK CLIPPER May 2, 1917 AMERICAN The Meynards, two women, gave one of the best equilibristic acta seen hereabouts for some time. These women are among the few in their line appearing before the public. They open with head-to-head and hand-to-hand work which ranks with the very beat. After a good routine of this the nnderstander holds a twelve-foot perch on the top of which her partner does various stunts and winds op with a head-stand. As a finish, the smaller one makes a head-slide on a little affair on wheels on a twelve-foot slide held by her partner. The nnderstander is a big, strong woman and her partner is a remarkable gymnast. They present a showy act and scored a solid hit. Orben and Dixie, man and woman, offer an act made up of southern songs and dances. They open with a song and the woman follows with a coon-shouting num- ber. The man joins her and they break into a dance. They then do a rag song and dance and the man follows with a dance made up of the oddest steps imagin- able. For an encore they gave a dance on the levee in which they both step to the ac- companiment of a harmonica played by the woman and finish with her partner doing more eccentric steps. They make a good appearance, and are ace high as delineators of Southern darkey stuff. Their act met with pronounced success and was recalled four or five times. Mario and Trevette presented their ex- cellent singing act and came in for a full share of appreciation. They open with the "Misererie" from "II Trovatore." Miss Trevette then renders a popular song which she follows with an imitation of Anna Held singing one of her well-known songs. Sig. Mario then sings the Carrio song from "I Pagliacd" They then sing a duet and, for an encore, sing an old- time Italian song. They vocalise well and the approval accorded them was well de- served. Dave Tharsby does an excellent single comedy act. He renders four songs, evidently his own special numbers, which are away from the usual run and all have an irresistible comedy twist. He also has a lot of patter made for laughing purposes only. He had his audience with him from the start. Thursby is a very clever en- tertainer with a pleasing personality and would go in any company. He scored the comedy hit of the bill- "Oh! You Devil" is the title of a sketch presented by Herman Becker, which em- ploys the services of two men and two women principals and six chorus girls. There are two sets used, the full stage one being a thing of beauty. The chorus does good work, but there is little else to recom- mend the act, which is in no way enhanced by the broad lines spoken by the black- face comedian and the man playing the DeviL After the intermission Gertie De Milt, "The Girl With the Smile," showed her wares, which brought her success. She sang three songs, which brought her favor and then gave a clog dance which pleased so well that she was forced to respond with an encore. For this she danced an Irish reel, in which she introduced a few High- land fling steps. Harry Stafford, assisted by a man and woman, presented a sketch called, "Money Talks." It tells of a newly married couple who have gone on their honeymoon with two or three dollars as their capital. They locate in a seaside hotel, which they dis- cover, belongs to the husband's father. They also discover that the hotel is about to be sold and the husband, by a clever ruse, gets an option on it and sells the option for $650. The sketch is cleverly con- structed on a good idea and is well played. It was wen liked. _ Joe Burns and Murry Kissen were a big hit in their offering. They are clever com- edians and have good material which they know how to put over. The audience liked this offering and applauded liberally. Richard WaUy. assisted by Mile. Jessica, presents a rather novel juggling act in which he juggles various articles, but his best work is done with billiard balls and cues. B. W. SHOW REVIEWS (Continued oo page u) FIFTH AVENUE Nothing seems to interfere with the at- tendance at this bouse, and the bills ar- ranged by Manager Quaid week after week, please the patrons. Scranton, Bell and Scranton, two men and a woman, presented a tight wire act that belongs up among the top-notchers. They do an exceptionally good routine, one or two of their stunts being away from those usually done by wire performers. One of their most attractive feats is a cake walk on the wire in which all three perform. Their finish is novel and daring. The shorter of the men and the woman each stand on a pedestal at either end of the wire and turn a rope while their part- ner does a rope-skipping stunt from the center. The applause accorded the act was hearty and well deserved. Jean De Lisle and Sara do a sister turn somewhat different from the usual ran. They start in the regulation soubrette dress singing a duet. Then follow a single by one of the team, with an Italian song. Her partner then appears as a Dutch emigrant girl and does a yodeling song and wooden shoe dance. They finished dressed as cow- girls, doing an appropriate song and dance and scored a hit. Gordon Eldrid and company, a man and three women, presented "Won by a Leg," which proved to be a well-written comedy sketch. The material is bright and well put together. It tells of a girl who, in order to learn whether a young man loves her or not, pre- tends to be dead. The young man returns after an absence of a month and, to test her love for him, pretends he lost a leg in a railroad accident The man did good work and his little company gave him good support. The skit opens in one and closes in full stage boxed scene, both special sets. The act went over in good shape. Charles Olcott in "A Comic Opera In Ten Minutes" scored one of the big hits of the bin. He does a travesty of comic opera which, while the idea Is not new, has a newness as he does it. He kept his audience laughing from start to finish and was liked so well that he was called on for an encore. Beyer's "Petticoat Minstrels," with good singing and dancing and a few minstrel jokes, came in for a good share of ap- proval. John and Mae Burke presented their skit, "A Rag Time Soldier," to good results. They open in one with a lot of good patter filled with laughs and then go to fuU stage with singing and burlesque piano playing. They finish in one and Burke shows what a capital pianist be is. Mrs. Burke sings several songs and is a good foil for the comedy of her husband. They met with pronounced success. The Three Bobs, in dosing position, held the audience. Dressed in tennis suit, busi- ness suit, and as a tramp, respectively, they presented a clever juggling act, using vari- ous clubs. Tbey have a weU trained buU terrier which does a number of clever stunts. The act scored a wen-earned hit. Mabel Burke was beard in a wen ren- dered Mustrated song and had to respond to an encore. The featu-e film was the last installment of the "Patria" picture, in which Mrs. Ver- non Castle starred. The closing scenes of this serial are sensational in the extreme, and show a battle on the Mexican border between the Mexicans and the force of Patria'a men which ends in a victory for the latter. The Hearst-Pathe' pictures presented many of the stirring current events per- taining to our entrance into the European war, showing scenes in various parts of the country. E. W. n JEFFERSON The Three Brittons offer a good routine of selections on musical instruments and were warmly received. The violinist, who, it was announced, had won a first prize in the Royal Conservatory of Belgium, pleased with his classical number. Delight, Stewart and Hardy aing a Uttle and dance fairly well. Bob Quigley and company in a sketch entitled "The Little House Under the HUL" got very few laughs with their slow mov- ing vehicle. The characters are Dish and, while the dialect is good, the comedy was not funny. The sketch seemed to run too long, so much so, in fact, as to prove un- interesting. Jack Strauss, a singing comedian, went over very big. His impersonations were especially liked, the imitation of a colored boy singing a coon song getting a big hand. He finished with a patriotic song that re- caned him. Lottie Williams and company touched the heart strings of the audience with their sketch entitled, "The Bowery CamiUe," and scored a big hit. The sketch is full of human interest, the unhappy ending mak- ing it vividly real. Ned, an artist, has befriended a poor girl, who becomes his model, and they fail in love with each other. Ned asks the girl to marry him and she, in ecstacies, promises. He goes out to buy some brushes and his mother, with whom he has fallen out because he has taken up art, comes to take ber son home. She persuades the girl to give him up, pointing out the differ- ence in their modes of life, and the girl makes the supreme sacrifice, not only giv- ing up ail hopes of happiness, but lying to Ned and making him believe she has loved him for the money she can extract from his parents. ^ Mumford and Thompson brought forth a big response from the audience with their songs and patter. It must be stated that their songs claimed the biggest applause. The Aeroplane Girls closed the show with their, performance on flying trapeze. S. W. SAYS WAR NEEDS THEATRES PrrrSBUBGH, April 28.—The Rev. Dr. William Norman Guthrie, of New York, in addressing the delegates to the seventh annual convention of the Drama League of America here said that the theatre is needed In time of war to alleviate the horrors of the battlefield. CITY The Elvira Sisters opened the show with gymnastic dancing, each of their numbers being appreciated. Billy De Vere rendered several songs, but gained little applause. His impression of Bert Williams was best liked. "Fun on the Farm," Fred Afdath's old vehicle "Hiram on the Farm," could elicit but few laughs from the audience. Jack Rose, nut comedian, saalatsJ by Earl Le h m an at the piano, was a big hit, and left the audience calling for more. They like his style and delivery, aU his songs going over big. His comments to the audience got the laughs, and he kept the audience in continual good humor. Lehman rendered a selection on the piano and Rose came out and sang "Oh, Johnny," which had already been sung by De Vere, but judging by the applause they didn't mind that. May Elinore and Violet Carlton engaged in songs and patter, but found it hard to put them over. They were fairly wen re- ceived. Harry Smith and company captured the laughing hit of the Mil with their sketch entitled "The Alimony Dodger." The ac- tion takes place on board a steamer, where a newly .married couple are going on their honeymoon. A policeman has been killed in a raid on a gambling den and a man, who thinks he is responsible, is escaping on the steamer with his wife following him. Each thinks the other is a detective and the new bride thinks the other woman is her husband's first wife. Harry Ellis registered a hit with his ren- dition of songs, in which the spirits of composers, whose songs he ragged, haunt him The Fridkowsky Troupe of Russian sing- ers and dancers closed the show. There is too much sameness about their dancing, but they pleased. S. W. GIRLS FROM THE FOLLIES HAVE NEW CAST AT THE OLYMPIC For their return date at the Olympic, New York, this week, Strouse and Frank- lin have provided an entirely new list of principals and the show pleased a good- sized crowd on Monday afternoon. The runway over the orchestra seats was used to good advantage for quite a few numbers. Louise Wolfe and Sedal Bennett were well cast in their respective roles and numbers. Ella Tavoleto was a gingery soubrette with vim and vigor as well as looks and voice. Laura Branner was a shapely leader, who appeared to particularly good advan- tage in the "Soldiers of TJ. S. A." patriotic ensemble. A newcomer in burlesque, and one who win be heard from, is Fred Binder, who played the Hebrew role in clever style, in- troducing acrobatic work of novel nature. Al Bush was the German comedian, who aided effectively. Harry Van lived up to his reputation as character man and dancer and George Grennan also had several good assignments. "Cohen's Midnight Frolic" is the title of the burlesque which kept everybody hustling. "Romany," "Keep on Playing Ragtime," "Pretty Baby," "Island Sur- rounded by Girls," by Fred Binder and the girls; "AU Aboard for Chinatown,'.' "Iowa," "Oriental Land" and a toe dance by Mile. Reece were among the successful numbers. The chorus includes Laura Branner, Anna Spears, Margaret Ferguson, Dorothy Minor, Gene Clayton, Kitty Allen, IsabeUe Savoy, Belle FenneU, Viola Spaeth, Flor- ence Whitford, Carrie FenneU, Doris Bran- don, Anna Belmont, Helen Gibson, Vivian Hart, Christie Walton and Irene Clark. MERRY ROUNDERS PLAY REPEAT AT THE COLUMBIA Because they were here earlier in - the season the Merry Rounders are a return attraction at the Columbia, New Tork, this week. Abe Reynolds and George F. Hayes are the comedians and they succeed in handing out many laughs. Eileen Sheridan is the leading lady, and her songs include several clever numbers, notably the variations of "Do As Tour Mother Did," which was caned for again and again. Incidentally. Miss Sheridan got busy for the Actors' Fund and collected ?145.39 at the matinee. Eugene Macgregor, Frank Ward, Kath- erine Beyer, Elizabeth Jane, Addison Voting and Marie Lamar, Dorothy Earle, George Lehman, Jack Gobrecht and Sam Goodman completed the cast. The Record Four gave good musical selections, and the specialty by Macgregor and Miss Jane was also wen liked. "Hawaiian Butterfly," led by Miss Sheri- dan, was a big hit, and Frank Ward enter- tained with his novel specialty. "The Seven Ages of Dancing" was a dancing revue of unusual interest. McINTYRJE SUED BY SON'S WIFE Chicago, April 30.—Mrs. Louise Mc- Intyre, singing in vaudeville under the name of Louie Da ere, has filed suit for $50,000 against her parents-in-law, James Mclntyre, of the vaudevflle team of Mc- Intyre and Heath, and Mrs. Maude Mc- lntyre, charging alienation of the affectiona of their son, to whom she had been mar- ried six years. HAZLETON THEATRE BURNED Hazutton, Pa., April 29.—Fire de- stroyed the Palace Theatre early Thursday morning, causing a $100,000 loss in prop- erty and stage effects, and players' belong- ings to the value of $6,000. JANE COOPER IS PICKET Washhtoton, April 28.—Jane Cooper, a member of "Tne Music Master" company, which played the Belasco Theatre last week, was one of the suffrage pickets in front of the White House gates.