The New York Clipper (September 1919)

10 THE NEW YORK CLIPPER September 3, 1919 AMERICAN Out Half) Madame Dollar's Peta, consisting of a vari- ety of dogs, pleased In the opening position with a routine of stunts. A revolving table and a sliding board are the main apparatuses used In the act, and although tbe routine was not ont of tbe ordinary run of dog acts, tbe animals went through it without a slip, doing their work well. Kahn and Soone, man and woman, did a little better In tbe second spot than most acts at this bouse generally do. Both have fairly good singing voices and tbe man's whistling was efflective. Tbe patter and comedy nave a good deal of room for improvement. Tbe latter Is overdone Is delivery and tbe patter contains gags that are cither old, or of no use ss laugh-getters. Tbe team has ability and should get better material. Mack and Velmar, also man and woman, followed tbe comedy film. Tbe girl. Is at- tractive and dresses welL Tbe man takes off a "souse" all through tbe offering, bat would do well to leave out tbe alcoholic touch In singing bis two ballads. He possesses a good falsetto and the girl supports him well at the piano. She also pleased with one bit on the violin. They also use- some talk In which they put over a few good gags- Jarrow opened to a skeptical audience and received very little applause for his card stonts, but won tbem over after doing his lemon stunt. . The audience applauded his' gags, especially those about tbe house being asleep. Jarrow- is not only a clever magician, but a performer wbo knows the secret of showmanship nnd uses It throughout his offer Hfc. Tbe Five American Girls followed with a musical offering. All tbe gl.is work In colo- nial wigs and costnmee. Their playing Is very ordinary, although they are headlining at this bouse. They use tbe saxophone, cor- net, violin, French hern and piano. They would do well to work out a better selection of numbers than their repertory contains at present. Mildred Sogers is an attractive little girl who announces that she can't sing, but will show a few steps in dancing. ' She lived up to ber promise. Sbe opened with a good soft- shoe waits clog, did an oriental eccentric dance and then forgot that sbe couldn't sing and offered a "kid" song. However, tbe song was a comedy number which didn't require a voice, and the andlence forgave her. She closed with a dandy buck and wing dance which netted ber a big hand. Pearl Abbott and Company offered a serio- comic sketch tbat went over for much ap- plause. The plot of the playlet la on the eternal triangle—the oldest of themes. Miss Abbott plays ber role wen, and la given capable support by the other two. O'Nell and Avery closed the show with a comedy black-face offering. The two have some good gags In their act and also do some dancing that gets over. In the closing posi- tion, they held the house and took a big band. G. J. H. FIFTH AVENUE (Las* Half) The Nippon Duo opened the show with an exhibition of musical fand acrobatic skill that is not only entertaining, but is novel, aa well. They scored heavily. Second on the list were Tbe Dunn Sisters in their conglomeration of song, dance and comedy. They sang, talked and danced their way into a nit and an encore. They were the first daclng act on a bill that was too full of dancing, if anything. Lee Kohlmar and Company, in bis well- known playlet of Jewish life. Two Sweet- hearts," followed. They scored a bit. The rin For Boys. In dress suits, came next with a dandy double dancing act. The boya are clever dancers, though, like most all good dancers, poor singers. Their steps are difficult and novel, which adds to their value. They had to take an encore, in which the high kicking of the smaller of the boya was a revelation. DuVal and Symondt, following with a song, talk and dance act! would have found It rather rough going, tout for their excellent comedy material, which they handle wonder- fully and which sent} them over for a great big hit. Their act concerns a newly married pair of TaudevUllans who have their first quarrel la public. Rose and Moon, following so many dancing acta, succeeded in scoring despite the disad- vantage. Their danplng was swift, snappy nnd well done. Aiso'they are great favorites with their audience, land they scored a huge bit. The set Is excellently staged and the woman of the turn wears some wonderful gowns. Lew Dockstader needs no introduction, nor explanation. His name alone tells the re- sult of bis appearance. Let it be said, though, that never In his experience has the reviewer seen anyone get so many laughs from origi- nal material as Dockstader did. He is a real artist. r Ed. Janls and Company, in a dancing act, would have flopped terribly, had not Dock- stader broken the monotony. See New Acts. S. K. FOX'S CROTONA (Last Half) The Hayataka Japs opened tbe show with an acrobatic act that consisted very largely of rlsley work. The two men are well formed and work In an easy-going, yet business-like manner. The matinee audience here consisted largely of youngsters partial to acrobatic work, and the offering went over with a bang, scoring one of the hits of the bin. While there is nothing sensational in the act, it will make a satisfactory opening number on any of the better small time programs. Kenny and McCane, a man and woman, do. a song, talk and dance act which lacks punch. They open with some patter that la devoid of bright lines, and follow with a current "Frenchle" song. There is a. ballad by tbe woman, followed by another by the man, using an amber spot, after which they do a song and dance in old-fashioned costumes. There are a few hits of patter, here and there, through- out the act, but the talk is far from funny. Tbe singing Is ordinary, but the dancing Is somewhat better. Kllda Morris was a bit from tbe start and completely stopped tbe show, it being neces- sary for her to deliver a curtain speech before Bhe was permitted to depart. She started with a comedy number that has been heard rather frequently before, but put It over nicely. Her second selection was liked, as was the "Quaker" song, which was good for a laugh or two. Tbe "Darkey" selection which closed, was followed by much applause. While Miss Morris registered a great bit, there is much lacking In ber offering. She should include some real live patter and one or two new songs, substituted for some of those sbe now uses, would also help. The Aristo Quartet, two men and two women, sang a number of operatic pieces and were liked. The tenor has a good voice and the other members of the company also sang Weil. The andlence applauded generously at tbe conclnaion. - ' Milt Collins delivered a monologue which Included a few witty bits and very many that lacked cleverness. For the greater part, the talk Is dull and slow. The audience waited patiently for some real humor, but Collins wandered on in the same manner and the act became really monotonous. Collins gives the impression that he really could put over bright material, bnt with bis present act. be will And troubles a-plenty on tbe small time. "Tate's Fishing," a sort of comedy playlet, closed tbe show and held the crowd in, be- cause they were waiting for the feature pic- ture which Is always shown after the vaude- ville at this bouse. Otherwise, the audience would probably have walked ont. The sketch consists of numerous bits, centered about a ashing- expedition of two men. The different parts of the offering ore Just tbrown together without a real sense of unity, and the finish Is abrupt. The turn ranks high for monotony, and the crowd was much relieved when it was over. I. S. KEENEY'S (Last Half) Mabel Llnd opened the show with a char- acter singing and dancing act. She is a clever comedienne with a well-written vehicle, and the ability to put her numbers across. She does some excellent clog dancing and scored so heavily that she hsd to respond to an encore. Halsey Mohr and his blond assistant, Miss Saxon, came next. Mohr, a songwriter, uses all of hla own numbers in the act. Miss Saxon is n passable clever comedienne, who makes up In appearance and personality what she lacks In talent Their voices are poor; that much can not be denied. But they know how to get their stuff across nicely. Berzac's Circus is an ordinary animal act, with two ponies, a dog, and the usual back- lng mule. The two ponies go through a few tricks, after which tbe ever faithful and laugh-get-able burrow was exhibited, and the usual hackneyed "try and ride him" stunts were gone through, much to the amusement of the audience. The act was well liked, win- ning laughs and applause aplenty. Mills and Lockwood, two rube comics, fol- lowed. Their act consists mostly of cross- fire remarks, and several back-to—the-farm songs. They, sing passably well, and their cross-fire Is just hot enough to keep folks laughing. They close with a yodeilng number tbat won them an encore. "Very Good Eddie." was tbe feature act. It is a musical comedy tabloid, employing six principals and eight chorus girls. The act is well staged, and has a well written foun- dation. The story Is that of two married couples who contrast so ridiculously as to be ludicrous. The became estarnged. the hus- band of one, finding himself with the wife of the other. Their predicament is made the more unbearable because of their Inability to help themselves. Things are straightened ont satisfactorily though, and all ends happily. "Nugget Nell." a burlesque on the "Wild West' movies, was the feature picture. CITY (Last Half) The Burns Brothers followed the films with a short routine of strong-man work. While they showed nothing- sensational, or, for that matter, any stunt that was out of the ordi- nary run of strong-man acts, they received quite a bit of aplpausc for their lifting and balancing work. Beulah Pearl Is an attractive woman and possesses a pleasing voice, but her cycle of songs need more to tbem, and one with a little pep to It will greatly aid the act. She opened with a song of welcome for herself, telling about a party which she attended and where sbe had to sing, and then goes Into her routine. Billy Rhodes also uses a like bit for bis opening number. Miss Pearl offered a number about taxing beautiful girls, one about gossip, and then sprang a very old gag, closing with a fast "Sweetie number. Lillian McNeil and Shadow, the latter con- sisting of a man, offered a dancing skit and gave a good account of themselves. Tbe man would do well to practice up in his first single dance, for he seemed a bit uncertain In Els steps. ■ Miss McNeil did most of the dancing, and offered a Frisco imitation, though it was not announced as one. But it was pretty good, at that. She also did an oriental bit and a jazz number. . Doughboy Sam Ward followed the news reel with a Hebrew monologue about his experi- ences in the army. This kind of stuff has been done to death of late, and it Is doubtful as to whether this vehicle will last Ward very .much longer. The gags have much room for improvement in the way of new material and his delivery can also be Improved. Tbe Magic Glasses, a sketch with three men and. one girl, pleased. It tells of two men, one rich and one poor, who are in love with the same girl. She goes to an old man who has fitted all styles of glasses, and he lets her wear some "magic glasses." Through them she sees what would happen if she mar- ried the poop man, or the rich man. Natur- ally, being a vaudeville sketch, she is happy with the poor one and unhappy with the rich, with the result tbat tbe poor man wins. The plot Is old, but Is handled well by the cast and will please on tbe small time. Phil Baker, assisted by Jo-Jo in a box, scored the langh and applause hit of tbe show. As Phil announced to the orchestra leader in tones that could be heard all over the house, he was trying out some new gags. Baker is a clever boy and It Is really regretable that he is lost to the big time for lack of ma- terial. He should get It, for, If any one la capable. It Is he. He plays tbe accordeon well and delivers his material excellently. Jo-Jo gave a good account of himself with bis comedy. Selma Braotz and - Company closed the show with a clever juggling offering. G. J. H. METROPOLITAN (Last Half) The Morton Brothers opened the show wltb a novel offering. The boys did some playing on the harmonica and then fashioned some creations out of paper. They are ex- perts In their line and, .while the patter they used did not get them very many laughs, they made a good opening ace and received a generous round of applause. Foley and' La Tour, a man and woman, offered a song act tbat was good In spots, but not quite - so good In others. The woman . member of the team has a pleasing voice, bnt the man, a light comedian, does not sing as well. They opened with a medley of popu- lar tunes, after which came a song by the man, alone. There was also a ballad by the woman in which the man joined. Some more singing by both of them was followed by a Chinese number, with which they closed. Fashions De Vogue turned out to be an .act that Interested the women much more than the men. Two girls are naed as models by a man who, using only pieces of cloth and pins, fashions various growns upon tbem. The gowns produced were attractive. One of the girls does some singing, In addition to acting as a-model, and tbe other plays the piano during one part of the act Barnes and Freeman, two men, one of them a Hebrew comedian, presented a talk and song act thst included several clever bits. Most of the laughs, however, were supplied by the comedian's antics and bits of slapstick. The audience received all that the two delivered with apparent glee and they rang up a good- sized hit .There is room for improvement in a number of places In the act bnt it will have little trouble scoring on the small time in its present shape. Minnie Bnrke and her Jasz Band closed. The boys are billed, outside, as tbe Four Kings of Jaxxcopatlon, whatever that ia. Tbe boys played several Jazzy tunes and the principal sang and danced. Her voice la not very good, but her stepping met with ap- proval and. in the closing position, the turn scored a hit - . I. S. PROCTOR'S 12STH STREET (L«t Half) In accordance with last year's policy. Bob O'Donnell. with the capable assistance of Joe-O'Neill, started the Fall season by - offering a double bill of vaudeville acts on Friday and will do so every Friday during the Fail and Winter seasons. ' Sailor Lannlng opened the show with a few imitations of birds and other bit*. See New Acta. Maural Bernardo, assisted by a lady at the piano, offered some singing and patter. See New Acts. Jeff- Davis, the "hobo-king." offered a monologue in "slanguage" that for the most part consisted of a lecture on "hobo- Ism." New Acts. Conne and Albert was the first act of the regular, bill. The team, man and woman. Work as'school kids, the man in knicker- bockers" arid the woman in rompers. The lady member of the team la an excellent "kid,'' and. as a comedienne, can be rated among the best. . Maud -Allen offered a song cycle of an excellent repertoire and In a very good voice, that should soon land her on the big time.' See New Acts. Stanley and Mazie Hughes, assisted by a pianist -who Is not billed, earned applause with their dance offering. The two are excellent dancers and have a good routine of numbers worked out. Each- dance the team goes through tells a story which -was not lost on the audience. Monti and Carti, two neat young men In tuxedos, offered a musical program, using the clarinet and accordeon. They opened with an Hungarian aria, which they ren- dered capably. A clarinet solo, consisting of- popular numbers, followed, and an operatic number on tbe accordeon, which .came after, took a big hand. The duo closed -with a medley of jazz and popular bits and scored a hit. The Misses Parker, assisted by a pianist, offered a cycle of classical songs, but, after the audience had heard Miss Allen, this act suffered by comparison. Tbe two women have fairly good voices, but do more posing than vocal work. Gestures are proper in singing certain numbers, but the Misses Parker, especially the taller of the two, overdo them. They will. find It very much to their advantage to cut out most of the posing in their numbers and to devote more of their efforts to singing. The pianist Is also guilty of posing, and the idea of lighting a cigarette and then putting it down. Just before rendering a solo, certainly does not aid the solo or his work in the least He plays the piano well. The Bluebird Trio, all men. one working as a "wop" comedian, followed with more singing. They offered a number of old Subllshed songs which they rendered well, lowever, their routine Is much too long and begins to tire on the audience before they are through. - Al Shnynn eloped the show and. In that position, took three encores and could have taken more. He ia using a new "plant" In the orchestra, who does his work well. A number of new gags have been put Into the routine-and proved real laugh-getters. G. J. H. HARLEM OPERA HOUSE (Last Half) The Bramlnos have a musical novelty offer- ing that ia worthy of a much better spot than opening position on a small time bill, to mention the queer musical apparatus and the method in which they were worked, would take up too mnch space, but the act pleases from start to finish and leaves the audience wanting more. .,. 1 Y n .5?. I . er an<1 Potter have a fair little skit that will get over mainly because of the per- sonality at the couple handling it and the dancing ability of the young man. rather than because of the material. The patter, espec- ially towards the latter half of the act, needs no comment concerning Its age. The male member of the team does some good eccen- tric dancing. Jules and Annette Garrison have gathered a lot of so-called burlesque that might go on the small time, and even there will probably find difficulty In getting over. The lady has a good voice, and would do well to render one or two more songs. The . Fonr Harmony Kings took three en- cores and, had they so desired, could bave easily- taken as many more. The quartette, all the members of which are colored, possess the negro's natural instinct-for music, and have made aome very good selections for their repertory. Ed Norworth and Company has shown con- siderable Improvement since last reviewed. A new young man has been added to the act The new' addition is a crackerjack pianist, and the audience could not get enough of him. The act Is now billed as Norworth and Wells, tbe latter being the young lady's name. - Yvonne and Company, the "company" con- sisting of a*'violinist in the pit and Con- stant! ne Kobeloff, who is not billed, closed the show with a good dance offering. It will be reviewed under New Acts. G. J. H.