The New York Clipper (February 1919)

February 26, 1919 NEW YORK CLIPPER LT. PAT O'BRIEN, R. F. O. Theatre— Palace. Style— M analogue. Time—Twenty-three minutes. Setting— In one. Dt. Pat O'Brien, an Irian-American who fought in the great war in a Cana- dian uniform, because, aa he stated in bis introduction, the blowing up of the Lusitania convinced him that the place of every loyal American waa at the front, baa a monologue which is a classic De- spite the fact that the war is over and the great majority are anxious to forget its terrors, 14. O'Brien's stories of his experiences at the. front, which cul- minated with hia escape from a German prison, are brim full of Interest Wounded and brought down from his flying machine, he waa taken to a Ger- man hospital and, upon recovery, moved to a prison camp. The prison became crowded and he and several others were taken aboard a train for another camp. On the trip he decided to make an at- tempt to escape and, leaping through the - window of the train while it waa going at full speed, he travelled on foot by night and made his way to Holland, from there to Belgium and finally joined the British army. The trip consumed sev- enty-two days, he lived on vegetables, roots and herbs and, after, innumerable harrowing experiences, found his way back to his own company. Welcomed by his comrades, he was then sent to lgwgMwJ where, by invita- tion, he called on the King, who, he stated, is the most democratic man he ■" era-met. With no attempt at theatrical effects, the Lieutenant told his experi- ences in a modest, unassuming and sin- cere manner and made every point tell. The fact that the war is over has not made him forget the Hun, who came in for severe arraignment. A tribute to America ended the act, which scored a decided hit, W. V. THE GELLES Theatre— Palace. Style—Aoroootic. Time— Ticelre minute*. Setting— In three. The Gelles, three men, a woman, and a male midget, have a combination acro- batic juggling and rialey act in which a score or more of stunts are executed in rapid and showmanlike mauer. While little that is really new ia shown, the offering is so well put on, the char- acters are so well costumed and go through the tricks with such speed and ease as to make of the act a valuable offering. The men work well together and the -woman does a clever bit of tumbling. ' - The midget * furnishes the comedy in the act and also does well in two or three tricks. A well executed bit of Risley work, in which three of the men take part, is one of the big features of the act :i ' v In -the opening position, the- aet scored strongly. W.-F.- RED AND BLONDY -f«s-.. Theatre— Mt. Vernon. Style— Acrobat*. Time— Eleven minutes. Setting—Fan stage. The curtain rises on full stage, ..arith no setting whatsoever except some- props against' the wall and which are turned with the white canvas, aide. .to. the audience." Red started the act going by entering with a rolled up rug in his arms and lolling lazily around the stage. Blondy entered and both started their stunts with a few balancing and throwing feats. Risley work, was the feature part of the act. Some good foot-work, mingled with comedy that was pleasantly put over, sent the act off with a big hand. G. J. H. NEW ACTS AND REAPPEARANCES ' JIMMY CASSON AND CO. Theatre— Tteentg-third St. Style— Singing aet. Time)— Sixteen minutes. Set ting;— In one. This is the Jimmy Casson who has ap- peared at times with Bessie Clayton, the Shirley Sisters, Betty Bond, etc. He has a good singing voice and handles a ballad as well aa he does a raggy num- ber. A nifty manner of wearing clothes and a first class stage presence are both attributes that help him materially. The act opens with a piano solo by a male pianist, the stage being set with the regulation baby grand and pink shaded lamp, without which no self-re- specting singing turn of this type would thing of taking a chance. The solo is cleverly put over, the accompanist being an accomplished mu sician . Casson's first song is a jazay little ditty, which, by the way, he sends over the footlights in great shape. It ia fol- lowed by a song about prohibition which contains excellent lyrics and a swingy melody. The pianist then gets a crack at the audience and proceeds to rag "The Polish Dance," in workmanlike style. A Frisco cabaret song and a soulful ballad are next contributed by Casson. A march song sent Casson off with the audience clamoring..for. more, which ia assuredly., going some, at the Twenty-third Street. Casson wears a Tuxedo throughout the turn. The act looks fit right now for a "spot" on the big time. H. B. MADGE EDISON AND CO. Theatre—Ttoeary-rawv St. Style— Melodramatic comedy sketch. Time—Twenty minute*. Setting— FuU stage. This is a curious mixture of farce, comedy and melodrama. Possibly it is intended as a travesty. If it is to be taken seriously, the most that can be said of it is that it ia very conventional stuff, played in highly competent fashion. The sketch treats of a woman who has been fooling her husband for years, ac- cording to the opening lines of the piece. Hubby is a detective, but he isn't very active around his own home or he would have been "wise" two minutes after he entered the room, in which his wife had only a moment before held a clandestine meeting with another man. The. action here becomes farcical, and shortly after runs into melodrama. The man whom the wife met in the room turns out to be the woman's brother, who, despite a pistol shot which the audi- ence hears, has not been shot and killed by her .husband. Hobby, by the way, plays both male parts well. ' The act will do very nicely for the pop houses but the players would do well to get a better vehicle if they intend to go after the bigger time. " HE. PATRICOLA Theatre—if l. Feraow; Style— Singing. Time— Eleven minute*. Setting— In one. • Patricola took one of the big* hands of the show at this house with a neat song cycle that was well, delivered. She has a good voice for popular songs. Starting with a Dixie number, she offered as an opening a medley of songs. A violin solo and a song with .the as- sistance of the orchestra, received a big hand and also caused some laughter. A number: of old songs completed .the aet Patricola has a pleasing personality and delivers her songs nicely. G. J. H. : KNOWLES AND HURST Theatre— Proctor'* 125th St. Style— Singing and Talking. Time— Fourteen minute*. Setting— In one. Knowles and Hurst a man. and woman team, have an offering that ia good only in spots. They are capable performers, the woman holding her end Up particularly well. But the material, for the greater part does not enable them to use their. talents to the best advantage. With some real dialogue instead of some of their eccentric com- edy, oa better arrangement 'of what they now have on hand, the offering would be vastly improved. They start with a double song and 1 oliow"~with some dialogue that ia lack- ing in laughs. - Some eccentric comedy, which consists mainly of both trying to talk at once, is also offered. But it does not go very well. The woman member of the. team then sings a hu- morous parody on a current popular comedy hit and puts it over well. The man then sings a song, bnt does it poorly. The talking which follows is greatly in need of dash. They conclude with a . doable song which is not very well suited for the close of the turn, and do a dance in which they display the usual stepping employed in departing. I. S. KINGSLEY BENEDICT &. CO. Theatre— Mt. Ferson. Style— Sketo*. Time— Eighteen m i n ut e*. Setting— Full ttage, Kingsley Benedict has taken an old theme and worked a story around it that ia sure to score. The acting is ex- ceptionally well done and the story well worked up. In the sketch, Benedict plays a dual role. The scene of the play takes place in a room that overlooks Sing Sing prison. Time, the present The story is aa fol- lows : Larry Forbes has taken for some in- explicable reason a room which over- looks ssssg Sing. His father comes to take hiia to the city. They have a heart to heart talk in which Larry asks his father if he ever sowed any wild oats. The. father admits that thirty years before, he had a serious affair with a girl in Lima, Ohio, hot was compelled to desert her on account of his father. While they are speaking, a gun shoots, and a siren announces the escape of a prisoner from Sing Sing. Larry goes -bed and the father.muses about his CLARA HOWARD Theatre— Ttoem ty-third St. Style— Singing comedienne. Time— Sixteen minute*. Setting— In one. Clara Howard has a magnetic ^person- tlity and a first rate knowledge of com- edy values. So delivers lyrics Vitfc a diffident kidding style that wins her audiences over as soon as she gets started. At no time during her specialty, it might be said to her credit, does she find fault with her listeners because of a failure on their part to grasp an ab- stract point Several of our-leading fe- male funmakers might take note of'this. Funny women are scarce, and Clara Howard, although a bit crude at present shows' loads of promise as a comedi- enne. With the proper handling she will speedily develop into a female comique of the sure fire order. Her present routine . of songs and patter is np to the minute in every way and could not be improved upon. A few more weeks in the pop houses and Miss Howard will be ready for the best The act was a big hit at the Twenty-third St H. E. GRAY AND JACKSON Theatre— Fifty-eighth Street. Style—Sketch. Time— Tteetoe minute*. Setting—- Special. Gray and Jackson call their sketch "On the Road to Frisco." probably be- cause the full stage settings they use indicate they are among the mountains of Colorado. The man is dressed in full cowboy regalia and the woman makes her appearance with a broken- down motorcycle on which she tells him she is making ber way from Boston to the Coast on a bet He assists her in j fixing a deranged spark plug, and their chance meeting develops into love. This is.the plot of the piece. Bnt after listening; to their utterances for. a few minutes it becomes evident that the real plot is for these twain to appear in vaudeville' with one of the most uninteresting sketches ever seen by this reviewer. M. L. A. i The escaped prisoner then enters and, at the point of a gun, forces the father to hide him until the authorities have passed. The prisoner bears a remark- able resemblance to Larry. They have a talk and it then develops that the pris- oner is the son of the girl the father deserted years ago and his own-son. Ia addition he is paying the penalty for a crime committed by Larry. Larry gives himself up in the prison- er's place and the sketch ends in the prisoner's saying "Give us a cigarette, Pop." The playlet is unusually welk pre- -seuted. G. J. H. JAZZLAND NAVAL OCTETTE Theatre— Mt. Tern on. Style— Musical. Time— Sixteen minute*. . . Setting— In three. Although it was the last act on the bill the Jaxaland Naval Octette went over the top for the biggest hit of the , show and stopped the picture from go- ing' on. The act ia being presented by Bert Wilcox, of the United States Navy, and the band Is conducted by Murdoch J. M.MfaM, C. P. O., who leads from the orchestra and also plays cornet for two numbers. He starts the act going- by playing reveille from the orchestra and thus bringing the octette out on the stags. The company then does an opera selection which they jaiz in the second chorus. A violin solo, with the accom- paniment of the other seven followed and was weU played. Some singing by different members of the octette waa well done and some comedy exceptionally - well put over. The act as it stands, ia ' ready to make a hit on any bill, be it big time or small. G. J. H. BETTY HALL. Theatre—1251* Street (rryost). Style— Singing. Time—Eleven minutes. Setting— In one. ■ Betty Hall started her song cycle try- out with an announcement in song about her being a "Jazz baby," and thus sang her way into the good graces of her audience. Then, despite the fast thai most of the patrons hare are Italian and Jewish, she r ece i ve d a gen- erous hand with an Irish song. A few more "jazz" numbers, on* of which waa . s> "shimmy" sang, sent her off to a big hand. Mas BaU is a blond-haired girl with a good voice for popular songs and a personality that is saris to put her across. G. J. H. -