The New York Clipper (August 1917)

THE NEW YORK CLIPPER August 1, 1917 AMERICAN The White Steppers, man and woman, in first position opened with a clog. Then the woman clogged it alone and her part- ner, changed to a Chinese costume, gave a suitable dance. The woman next ap- peared in Turkish costume and clogged, and her partner, as a drum major, did baton spinning and juggling. Then fol- lowed another clog by the woman, dressed as a Scotch lassie. Her partner, in kilts, joined her for a finish with a double clog. They are good dancers, but the woman is better than her partner. She is an excep- tionally clever clog dancer. They worked on a dancing mat, and scored heavily. Vera de Bassini followed and opened with a high-class vocal selection. Her second number was a ballad. Then, for a finish, she gave an imitation of a violin with her lips. Hiss Bassini possesses a well cultured voice of good quality and compass. She phrases well, and the color- atura work in her first number was well done. Her imitation of the violin was fair. She was well liked and received hearty applause for her work. Delmore, Angel and company, two men and a girl, presented a sketch called "A Regular Soldier." The skit deals with events of today and shows a veteran of the War of '61, his granddaughter and her soldier boy lover. When the young man is called to the colors and leaves, after bidding his sweetheart good-bye, the veteran puts on his old knapsack, shoul- ders the old musket and marches off. It is a hurrah finish and gets a big hand. There is much talk in the sketch which could be improved as it is not good com- edy. The Archie Nicholson Trio, three men, presented a musical act sprinkled with comedy. They play two trombones and a cornet as an opener. The comedian then plays a saxaphone solo, and this is fol- lowed with a saxaphone trio. With the saxaphones they give imitations, first of a, German band and then of an Irish band playing for a St. Patrick's Day parade. Then follows a cornet solo and, for a finish, they give a cornet trio, playing the march from Thanhauser. The audience showed its approval of their work with applause that made the house fairly ring. "The Greater Duty," another sketch dealing with the present war, required the services of two men and two women. It tells of a young man, in love with his father's stenographer, who, failing to gain consent to marry her, does bo without it. A year later, when the war is declared and the young man is called, his parents learn of the marriage because of his dis- inclination to respond to the call of duty. The main idea of the skit is good, but it is poorly worked out. First, the father is made to appear much of a cad, and his son is drawn as a coward. Gray and Grandville, woman singer and man and the piano, opened after the in- termission. The woman sang four songs, made three changes of costume, danced a clog and, for an encore, played the piano while she clogged. She has a good selec- tion of songs and renders them well, is a good dancer and fully deserved the suc- cess she scored. Her assistant, besides accompanying her on the piano, rendered an instrumental number which proved him to be a clever pianist. "Milady's 'Gowns," which is called a "somewhat different fashion review," shows a man dressmaker who drapes two women models with pieces of material, fashioning the latest styles in gowns by using only a few pins in each. The act was well liked. Powder and Capman, two men, did a singing, talking and dancing act and proved themselves to be clever entertain- ers. The Fobdn Bros., acrobatic comiques. in closing position, did a routine of feats usually found in this style of act, and pleased. E. W. FIFTH AVENUE One of the best bills of the year was the offering of Manager Quaid the first three days of the week, the program be- ing given over to comedy and singing with one exception, the opening number. But in spite of the good bill, the hot weather cut into the attendance and there was only a small gathering at the first per- formance on Monday. McClure and Dolly, man and woman, opened the bill with a classy equilibristic offering. They do numerous feats found in the routine of similar acts, the man doing the most of them. The woman does a good one when she balances herself on the back legs of a chair which rests on the edge of the seat of another chair placed on a high platform. The man then places the chairs on the stage and repeats the feat with the woman sitting on his shoulders. After three attempts to jump on one hand, step by step, down a flight of ten steps, the man abandoned it. It is a feature stunt and not easily accom- plished in such hot weather because of the hand perspiring. They finished with club slinging. That Texas Four, who call themselves syncopated harmony comiques, live up to their title. They sang five songs, with one for an encore. They nave voices that har- monize well and they work a little differ- ent from the average male quartette. There were several solo number of which that rendered by the bass was best liked. The boys are performers and put their songs over with a bang. The recognition accorded their work was well deserved. Richards and Kyle, man and woman,, in their skit "Club Night," were well liked. They open with a bright and breezy line of talk and go into songs and more talk. They work with a snap and go from the very start and pnt their material over to the best advantage. They work in one with a special drop representing the en- trance to a men's club. Rita Gould, "the girl with the person- ality,'' sang five songs, made three changes of coBtume and scored one great big hit. Miss Gould is blessed with personality and talent, the two chief requisites for success on the stage, and these, coupled with the pleasing appearance she makes behind the footlights are sure to win her admirers by the legion. She has a style all her own and acts as well as sings a song, giving it an expression of which few singers are capable. She works in two and has the assistance of a very capable pianist. Burns and Frabito, the Italian minstrels, were liked so well that they were called upon to respond to an encore (see New Acts). Toney and Norman, man and woman, presented a skit called "Nonsense" which is well named. They opened with a line of bright patter, and have their audience with them from the start. They sing a couple of numbers and the man dances. Their singing a la bare lip style caught the Monday matinee house and had them roaring. This team takes rank among the very best comedy duos before the public. They are strong on personality and put their material over in whirlwind style. The man is a capital eccentric, loose jointed dancer. They scored a pronounced hit. HBI, Cherry and Hill, three men, pre- sented "Grotesque Oddities" and met with deserved success (see New Acts). The feature picture is "Cactus Nell," and the other films are "Poor Peter Pious" and the Pathe-Hearst daily news service. E. W. KATHERINE SELSOR RETIRES Chicago, July 26.—Katherine Selsor, monologist. who was married recently, has retired from the profession. "LEAVE IT TO JANE" OPENS Atlantic Crrr, N. J., July 30.—"Leave It to Jane," a musical comedy founded on George Ade's "The College Widow," was produced here to-night. Guy Bolton and P. G. Wodehouse wrote the book and lyrics and Jerome Kern the music. In the company are Georgia O'Ramey, Edith Haller, Anna Orr, Rae Dawn and Oscar Shaw. It is booked to open at the Long- acre, New York, early next month. NEW POTASH PLAY OPENS AUG. IS "Business Before Pleasure," the new Potash and Perlmutter comedy, will receive its initial production August 15 at the Eltinge Theatre, New York. The com- pany engaged by A. H. Woods includes: Barney Bernard, Alexander Carr, Mnthilde Cottrelly, George LeGuere, Clara Joel, Lot- tie Kendall, Edwin Mordant, Frank All- worth and Stanley Jessup. "MOONDOWN" GETS A ROUTE The one-act play, "Moondown," from the repertoire of the Washington Square Play- ers, has been given a route in vaudeville and is scheduled to open shortly. Regina Connelli and Ruby Craven, the latter of whom had a role in the original produc- tion, will appear in it NAN HALPERIN TRIES NEW ACT Grand Rapids, Mich., July 29.—Nan Halperin met with big success when she broke in a new act this week at the Standard Theatre, Ramona Park. The routine consists of a new cycle of songs, all of which have been written by William B. Friedlander. YOUNG ROSENTHAL TO ACT Jack Rosenthal, son of Mr. and Mrs. J. J. Rosenthal (Kathryn Osterman), has been engaged to play the Club Waiter with the Chicago company of "Oh Boy!" He will be known on the stage as Jack Oster- man. NORTON AND LEE TO SPLIT When Norton and Lee leave the Shel- bourne, at Brighton, on Aug. 5, Sammy Lee will return to vaudeville, while his partner, Ruby Norton, is under contract with Arthur Hammerstein. HARRY SCRANTON IS DRAFTED Harry A. Scranton, of Scranton, Bell and Scranton, holds the 195th number picked in the selective draft drawing. He was at the New Brighton Theatre last week when drafted. GLENNAN BACK IN ROCHESTER Rochester, N. Y., July 30.—J. L. Glen- nan, manager of the Corinthian Theatre, has returned from an eight-week trip with "Miller Bros. 101 Ranch," show through the Middle West. ROBINS RETURNS TO "KATINKA" Robins, the one man band, now appear- ing in vaudeville, will return to the cast of the No. 1 "Katinka" company which goes on the road in a few weeks. SADIE VINTON WORKING "BUSTER" Buffalo, N. Y., July 27.—Sadie Vinton, daughter of the late Ed Vinton, is working "Buster," the trained dog, which brought her father fame, in vaudeville. , ACCEPTS "HUMPTY DUMPTY" H. A. Vachell has written a new comedy with the provisional title, "Humpty Dumpty," which has been acecpted by Charles Frohman, Inc. . YVETTE A SARANOFF TO DOUBLE Yvette and Saranoff will break in a new double act at Jamaica, L. I., next Monday. FUND FIGHT ATTORNEYS CONFER Zanesvtlle, O., July 30.—Ex-Governor Harmon, attorney for the Actors' Fund and Metropolitan Museum of Art, which were beneficieries under the will of John D. Hoge, arrived here .today to confer with local attorneys regarding their plans in fighting the contest of the will in the local courts. With Gov. Harmon were Morti- mer Fishel, attorney for the Actors' Fund and Robert Thorne, also a New York at- torney, as well as Frank Cottle a Cincin- nati lawyer. All that could be learned about the con- ference was that a plan of legal battle was being mapped out so as to force the admis- sion to probate of the codicil containing the million and a half bequests to the two New York institutions. MINSTRELS PLAN SHOW Muskegon, Mich., July 29.—The The- atrical Colony Yacht Club here is plan- ning a big minstrel show for the early part of next month, with seventy people in the cast. Several Michigan towns will be played, according to plans, although, in the past, the annual show has been given with a smaller cast in Muskegon. It is said the Chamber of Commerce will provide a special car for the tour. Gerge Stevens, retired performer, will help produce and manage the show. MAX GRUBER IS BURNED Reoina, Saskatchewan, Can., July 30.— When the grand stand at the local fair grounds was destroyed by fire last week Max Gruber and members of the Wilhat Troupe, who were dressing under It had narrow escapes from death. Gruber was badly burned about the right hand, but the members of the other troupe without any injury. ROBINSON ADVANCE MEN BUSY MoAxEBTEB, Okla., July 29.—McAlester is plastered with posters announcing John Robinson's Circus, which will give two shows here on September 21. The advance brigade, who superintended the plastering, included Al Clarkson, Roy Bridgeman, Ed. BlnsH, J. M. Tyree, O. Willard, N. Cook, Charles Bagle and Jos. Sanndelin. HENKEL BACK AT WORK Baltimore, Sid., July 30.—Harry A. Henkel, resident manager of the Academy of Music, returned home to-day after several weeks in Atlantic City, where he was the guest of Samuel F. Nixon, presi- dent and managing director of the Balti- more playhouse and many other theatrical enterprises. HARPER ELECTED BY ELKS Lynchburg, Va., July 29.—The recent election of Fred Harper, the attorney of this city, as Grand Exalted Ruler of the B. P. O. E., is favorably received by the members of the profession who are af- filiated with the lodge. He is a staunch friend of theatrical people. BREAK IN "LUCKY O'SHEA" Alan Doone, with his Australian com- pany, will break in a new Irish drama, "Lucky O'Shea," at Providence next week. And, following with a week of one-night stands, will bring the play into the Thirty- ninth Street Theatre for a run commenc- ing August 23. HARRY TATE HELD UP Harry Tate will not be able to fulfill bis engagement with Charles B. Dilling- ham to appear in the new Hippodrome show this year. The English government' will not grant him a passport to come to America at present. MAE MELVILLE IN "MARY'S ANKLE" Mae Melville, of vaudeville fame, has been added to the cast of "Mary's Ankle." BILLY REEVES OPENS SEPT 3 Billy Reeves will start over the Orpheum Circuit, opening at Des Moines on Sept. 3. SHUBERTS SIGN CAMPBELL The Shnberts have- signed up Craig Campbell for the coming season.