The New York Clipper (November 1917)

TBE ' N WW YO RK ;CUkP &E Rr November. 7>1917 COLONIAL Out of the eight acts, seven offered ■ones. Dancing and high class comedy predominated throughout: Sallie Fisher and Company headlined and closed the first half with honor. Iter rendition of "A Wonderful Thing Has Come Into My life" was excellently sung and her reading' of lines was done' to per-' fection. John Hogan (the new minister) got tangled up in his lines, arid the audi- ence would not. have noticed .it if John Ryan, had not laughed 'at the' blunder. However, Clare Kummer, the writer of "The .Choir Rehearsal," has given Miss Fisher a rural offering that is '» gem."" Pat he News opened, with Lou Locke tt and' Jessica Brown following in a; singing and'dancing act.' They fall short in the singing department, but'make more than good when they swing . their legs.' Lockctt'a acrobatic dance and Miss Brown's high kicking left nothing to the imagination'. Median's Canines started slowly, but picked up after the act' was a minute old. The act now has appropriate music for each bit. The leaping hounds received applause for their endeavors. Meehan, when taking a bow, waves his hand up and down completely covering his face. If this were eliminated, the act would be up to the minute. Lydia Barry appeared dressed as a widow. Her gown was appropriate, but the riding boots are out of place. She offered "I'm a Widow Again" and "A Vaudeville Dream." Both numbers are suited to her style of work and she has the art of putting them over. The ''Dream" number is a classic and several bits of new business are introduced. Dur- ing the act the musical director hands over a bouquet consisting of one withered rose and a bunch of foliage. If a dozen cards hung from. the bouquet it would convey the impression that they all chipped together for the "Floral Gift." Miss Barry could get a heap of comedy ' out of this bit. A jollier entertainer would be hard to find in vaudeville. Jim and Marion Harking entertained after the intermission, and the moment they appeared the audience knew they would nave a pleasant time. Jim is an excellent comedian and tells Stories that. hit the mark. The one about the mind- reader who slapped him when, she dis- covered of what he was thinking is very good. Little Miss Harkina sings well and ■"feeds" her big partner in great style.' Harkins also offered a coon song that made a big hit. Jim and Marion Harklns could hold down a next-to-closing position on any bill. There are two things that Gene Greene should do immediately. One is to pro- grain Beth Mayo, who is a valuable asset to the act, and the other is to omit, the "Coke-Sniffing" bit in the Chinese number. One may argue that it fits, but in these times all audience does not care to know whit' 'effect - ddpe has on the system. Greene sang many songs in white and black race, and' did them wonderfully well. Miss Mayo stopped the show with her solo. Phil. Cohen did creditably as the accompanist-'The act was a big hit and the songs are well chosen. Moore and Whitehead came from the Palace and did'their nut act to the liking of all. Whitehead does all the heavy woffc-whife' Kftore feeds. The boys were a rteided tnt? 1 Closing the show, Garry McGarry pre- sented *The Garden of Aloha.**.' This Hawaiian pantomime is welt put on and the music and dancing were received with applause, sending the spectators home in a happy frame of mind. J. D.' LOWER PRICES HELP TO PAY TAX Mr. Lipkowitz. manager of the. Folly Theatre, Brooklyn, has lowered, his prices so as. to accommodate his rmtrona who might have to pay a too-heavy , war tax. Thirty -five cent* seats, are now thirty cents. AMERICAN ■ Howard and Symans, twd men, opened the bill the first half of the- week and - presented dances of various kinds. Dressed as sailors, they first gave a sailors' horn- pipe. One of the men then changed to a black knickerbocker suit and did a Scotch dance of the Highland fling order. His partner in a dress -suit, followed with-an unusual -. loose-jointed eccentric dance; Then dressed in the old -time- Donij brook Fair costume, knee breeches and all, they finished with a reel. They are'very clever dancers, and were well received. ; Oben and Holland, man and woman,- present a* novel act.-- - They open with a' little talk, which -is followed 1 by a song rendered by the man. His partner -then gives-a toe dance, after which they'sing. After the first verse of this number the girl starts a flirtation with a man in jijc of the stage- boxes, which is responsible for a' great deal, of comedy. For an encore the girl danced while her partner made a burlesque attempt at imitating her. They are clever entertainers. - The man is a capable comedian, and gets his material' over with a barig. The girl is an excellent toe-dancer, and a clever comedienne. Their work with the man in the box was well worked, and they scored one of the big hits' of the bill. Bert and Hazel Skatelle do a very clever act on roller skates. They open with a song and go into a clog. This they fol- low with a fandango. Miss Skatelle then renders an Irish song and does a jig. He follows with some fancy skating and a clog, and they finish with a. double clog. Ryan and Joyce, in pianologue and song, scored a pronounced success. With one of the team singing and his partner assisting him at the piano, they sang six songs, one of which was for an encore. Neither possesses much of a singing voice, but they render their songs with telling effect. "Lincoln of the U. S. A.," a sketch of 1865, was presented by a company of fonr, three men and a girl. The characters Abraham Lincoln, Secretary Stanton, a young lieutenant and a girl pleading for her - brother's ' life, are represented. The time set for the action, of the sketch is the evening of the day Lee surrendered, and the scene is laid in a theatre in Wash- ington. The story tells of how Ann Marshall cornea to plead with Secretary Stanton for the life of her brother, Who has been convicted as a spy and is to die the following day. Stanton is obdurate, but President Lincoln listens to the girl's' plea, and promises to pardon her brother. Then comes the dispatch from Grant telling of Lee's surrender. The sketch has little to commend it. The author has evidently intended to make it a .patriotic appeal, but if this was his intention be has faMed in his purpose. The man portraying Lincoln i smade up to strongly resemble the martyred President, but does not. give an impressive perform- ance of the role. The same criticism ap- plies to the man who plays. Secretary Stanton. The other two had l trie to do. Elizabeth Mayne is a prime favorite here and was accorded a hearty reception on her first entrance. She re- songs, and gave a patriotic recitation, and received marked approval for her work. Charles Middle ton and Leora Spell- mayer found much favor in their sketch "An Ocean Wooing." The skit tells a little love story in which a young couple meet and recall their childhood days when they were sweethearts. The material con- tains many bright lines, and is capably presented. Middletou sings two songs, the' second of which is a patriotic number. Henry Lewis, in black-face, sang three songs, and danced a little. For a finish he had the assistance of fonr stage hands. Kranier and Cross closed the vaudeville portion with an athletic act.In which they, present hand-to-lmnd balancing and other feats of strength. They are experts' in. their, line. ' E. W. ' FIFTH AVENUE The; theatre ticket tax has made no 'appreciable' difference in the attendance: at this house. The bill for the first half of the week-included a number of excel- lent acts and the Monday afternoon show drew a capacity house. Mabel-Burke -was' first after the pic- tures and was particularly well received with l her - illustrated Bong,' which was a patriotic number. The Artois Brothers, clown gymnasts, held-' number two position ' and received- full approval for their work. They pre- sent an Al horizontal bar act in which they do a routine- which includes many of, the more .difficult stunts usually found in a bar act. One downs- and the- other works straight, but each is a thorough gymnast. They finish with a double giant swing. ...•;■ • ; Johnny Cantwell and Emma'Walker, have . a pleasing sketch ■ entitled "One Man's Opinion," which pleased the audi- ence at the opening show. The skit tells- a little story of a sporting writer on a paper who is sent to review a dramatic performance. He writes the notice as- though he were covering a baseball game, using ' terms familiar in- the national pastime, putting the show through a thor- ough "roasting," and being particularly harsh with the prima donna. The latter meets him in front of the office of the paper and, in place of getting even ■ with the writer, falls in love with him The act is well put together and hab many bright lines which Cantwell and his part- ner put over to the best advantage. Cantwell sings a couple of songs and Miss Walker looks her prettiest in a couple of fetching gowns. They carry a special drop representing a newspaper office with the perspective showing a large city be- hind it- Thomas P. Jackson and Company, two men, presented "Once a Thief, and re- ceived, well deserved recognition for their efforts. The sketch, which is a little out of the ordinary,' tells tile story of the difficulty an ex-convict has in getting a chance to earn an honest dollar. An ex-convict has just been released from prison and comes into a dye manu- facturer's office in answer to an adver- tisement for a male stenographer. He tells the manufacturer the story of how he stole $500 from his last employer and served a_ year in prison, that he has learned his. lesson and is going to travel the straight road. The manufacturer puts the' man to the test and tries .to tempt him to steal a dye formula and earn $1,000, but the ex-convict keeps to his determination to "go straight" and is re- warded by getting the job for which he. applied. ., The skit was well played. Jackson, as the manufacturer, did capital work and received able assistance from the man who played the ex-convict.- Elsie White scored the great big hit of the bill. She sang -five songs, includ- ing an Italian, a Jew,'an Irish and a dope fiend number with a patriotic song for the finish. Miss White, is an artist of the first rank." She uses capital dialect in the rendition of her songs and acts as well as sings them. She responded to a couple 1 of encores and could have taken more. Walter Brower monologued his way into a laughing success and a well-earned encore. Brower is good in the monologue class and is a very capable entertainer. "Too Many Sweethearts," a tabloid musical comedy, is a most elaborate offer- ing employing twenty-two people and using four scenes, all special seta, the first and third in one and the other two in full stage. There are ten musical num- bers rendered by the principals- and. chorus, considerable comedy and. a little dancing. Frank Kellam and Sid Friendly are entrusted: wjth the comedy and take good pare of it Patricia Q'Pare sings and. makes a, pleasing appearance. B. W.'. CITY Novack, the balancing artist, opened with some difficult' tricks; ' He goes through the routine of'balancing'acts and tor a finale piles up tables and'chairs and balances on one foot on the topmost chair. The Harvey De Vora Trio, two men and a woman, open with a song and dance, after which Harvey does an eccentric' dance, followed', oy the woman, who dances' on' her toes. ' The two' men, one' as a comedian and the other as a straight, then do a comedy skit and close with an exceptionally good ;soft shoe dance. The third Spot on the bill went to Billy Long and Company with a sketch in which a young girl tries to bunco a gam- bler out of $10,000 for some love letters belonging to him, and which she threat- ens to publish. The man, however, is to be married shortly, and- not. wanting any publicity, agrees to pay her the' sum she asks.' On giving her the money, he asks for' some identification which she cannot give. He then calls for the police. See- ing the game is up she confesses' that it was all a frame-up between a man and herself. He lets her go telling her never to try and bunco an experienced man in the game, but on her departure finds that she outdid him anyway, as the letters were all blanks. The College Quintette, four boys and a girl, open their act with the boys sing- ing and playing the piano. They then accompany the woman, who sings three or four songs with a change of costume for each. They finish with the men play- ing musical instruments and imitating a jazz band. Casper and Sinclair, two young girls, make a hit with their new act entitled "Fancy Foolishness," a collection of songs and dances. Miss Sinclair sings a song entitled "Nursery Rhymes," which she puts over well. Miss Casper, after a change of costume, sings a pretty ballad and they finish their act with jokes and another song. The act was well ap- plauded. "The Coward" tells the story of a man who wants to enlist but is held back by his wife's pleadings. The son enters and tells his father that he has been accepted by the army. On asking the father why he docs not enlist he is told that he can't for certain reasons. The soldier then brands the father a coward, and shows him the newspaper telling of the forth- coming conscription. The father is cheered by the announcement because now he will have to go, but. the wife takes a revolver and shoots.him, injuring his trigger finger. The man finds it is only a scratch and goes with his son to serve the "King." Lew Holtz .tells some stories about Hawaii which, pleased immensely. He follows these up with songs and recita- tions. He then plays several selections on the banjo. The Picaro Troupe closed the show with the usual routine of acrobatic and balancing tricks. The troupe closes with dances and songs of the South. The film offered was "The Dividend," with Charles Rav. M; L. SOLDIERS SEE "LILAC TIME" Plattsbubo, N. T., Nov. 5.—The entire production of "Lilac Time," including three sets of scenery, was transported from the Standard Theatre, New York, to the training camp here and the show was given recently in the camp theatre Jane Cowl was accorded an ovation, and she and her company were entertained by officers after the performance. Selwya & Ca, managers of the.attraction, plan to pre- sent Jt:.*t all. the camps located along the route of the show.. ( ■ ■ . ' : BARNOM, «V BAILEY TCtOSE ?«*& l *DlS$ > "#*«* Reason tonight £#**!& •*^?l™ ,la J S* the performer* left at ones lor New York.