The New York Clipper (December 1919)

KITTY GORDON & COMPANY THEATRE— Colonial. STYLE— Revue. TIME— Twenty-five Minutes. SETTING— Full Stage (Special). Kitty Gordon, beautiful In several elaborate gowns and with a support- ing company that Individually dist- inguishes itself, Is back In what probably la her surest medium of success, vaudeville. Her vehicle is a revue, prettily set and played In a tempo that makes every.moment of it interesting. Hiss Gordon's entrance follows shortly-after the curtain is up, thus displaying her showmanship in not . keeping her audience waiting for what is admitedly the star. A little patter tells of how she discovered how popular she was, with a second person a party to the intelligence. . This party, after praising her to the aides, introduced her as Madame Petrova. It is cleverly done and neatly turned at the end Into a little gem of humor. Following, she renders a song. Of her singing, however, the less said , the better. She does not sing; she . talks. But, by her powers as an artist, it is just as good as singing. Miss Gordon's company is com- posed of Lester Sheehan, formerly with Pearl Regay as a team; Vera Beresford, the star's daughter; Clarence Senna, once so pleasing as a part of Lillian Fitzgerald's act; an unpromgramed young man who plays a saxophone and a clarinet; and Joe Levy, who worked as a "plant" and sang from a box. Each might be mentioned for th« excellent performance he or she gave, but when it is stated the ef- forts o feach required a bow while the show waited, that covers ft NEW ACTS and REAPPEARANCES . HARRY MAYO THEATRE— Proctor's 125th St. STYLE— Talking and Singing. TIME— Fourteen Minutes. SETTING— In One (Special). Harry Mayo, recently of Mayo and Lynn, and once a member of the Em- pire City Quartette, is now doing a single which should make the better houses soon. Mayo calls his act ."After Prohibi- tion" and-works before a drop show- ing an old time thirst Quenching oasis. He appears in tramp make-up. His monologue contains quite a few good laughs, and his singing is very good. Mayo will find it easy going with his new act. G. J. H. HOWARD AND BERNARD THEATRE— Jefferson. STYLE— Singing, Talking. TIME—18 Minutes. SETTING—Special. The scene is set to represent two different homes, with the two men at the phone. It transpires that one has stolen the other's sweetheart. They agree to meet on the street and the scene goes to the street, where they meet as per appointment. After a little difference, they decide to make up. The entire routine of the act is in song, with a few comedy bits as variety. Popular melodies are arranged so as to fit their pur- pose. The boys nave good singing voices, make a very neat appearance, possess quite a little style, and have a pleas- ing vehicle. Theirs is an act that could find no trouble in pleasing. S. K. JACK WILSON & CO. THEATRE— Colonial STXLE— Comedy. TIME— Twenty Minutes. SETTING— One and Two. After an absence of almost two years, Jack Wilson is back in vaude- ville In the East, with a comedy act that is in a class by itself. In this act, Wilson is supported by Kitty Gordon, Vera Beresford and George Burke. Wilson, while naturally and ad lib comedian, is not doing much of the stuff he formerly did. In fact, he passed only two remarks, when re- viewed, about any other act on the bill. He opens with Burke, in front of the olio, carrying a motion-picture camera. From the conversation, It it gathered that Burke is to get $10,000 for making a picture, and, after some patter, which is replete with laughs, Wilson agrees to assist him. The set shift to two, and the pair enter. It develops that Burke has no star for his picture. Wilson sug- gests Kitty Gordon, who plays in the same bill with hi m. She then enters o nbearing her name, starts an argument, telling him not to talk about her during his act He tells her about the motion picture contract, and she finally •agrees to help them. Vera Beresford enters. An argu- ment starts between the two women as to who shall be the star. The rest of the offering is a satire on motion-picture making and the temperament of "movie stars." Miss Gordon's manner of reading lines stamps her as an excellent comedienne. Her work in ths play- let Is great. Burke and Miss Beres- ford, also do welL There is another woman, not billed, who comes in for one bit at the beginning of the act. The act is a scream from start to .finish, and is one of the cleverest offerings handed to vaudeville In a long time. Everyone is familiar with Wilson's work. He Is even better than be baa been in the.past. G. J. H. IMPERIAL PEKINESE TROUPE THEA TRE— Audubon. STYLE— Circus Act. TIME— Twenty Minutes. SETTING— Full Stage. This troupe of five men and one woman, all Chinese, has been one of the big feature of Barn'um and Bailey's Circus' for quite a number of years. The circus having closed, the troupe is now in vaudeville with a sensational variety of feats of every kind imaginable. They open with some dandy stunts In magic. Juggling of a different 'kind than is offered in most vaude- ville acts, follows. Towards the lat- ter part of the act, they offer their famous "spinning plates" stunt, In which all spin plates on the end of rods, one of them spinning four at once while he goes through a routine of tumbling stunts at the same time. Contortion feats are also offered. They close with the two men swing- ing in mld-alr, by means of their hair, hooked to ropes. The offering is sure-fire from start to finish. • G. J. H. BERT LEWIS THEATRE— Audubon. STYLE— Singing and talking. TIME— Twelve Minutes. SETTING— In one. . .. Lewis is a short, stocky man and presents a neat appearance in a tuxedo. His offering contains some clever gags, which he knows how to deliver with the best effect His voice la typical of Al Jolson and his delivery of a song is excellent He has a habit of repeating the last story he told to the audience to any new- commers who happen to be coming in. As he was playing number two spot when reviewed, there were quite a few late arrivals and, there- fore, this bit, while good for laughs and cleverly done, was overdone at this house. However, Lewis is a performer and, with his material and ability, should hold down an early spot on a big time hill with ease. G. J. H. McRAE AND CLEGG THEATRE— Proctor's 125th St. STYLE— Bicycle. TIME— Ten Minutes. SETTING— Fun Stage. This is an excellent turn of its kind The pair use all types of wheels, from the ordinary bicycle to freak bicycles. The stunts are very good, also difficult and thrilling. The act can close any Mil. G. J. H. C A. ASTOR THEATRE— Harlem Opera Bouse. STYLE— Ventriloquist. SETTING— In Two (Special). Astor could immediately set out to improve his act by working in one, for, with his drop set in two, he was back too far.from the audience and his words were very indistinct at times. He uses three dummies and shows, all through his offering, that he is an Englishman. He has a num- ber of good gags, some of whloh fail- ed to reach bis audience but will get over In the average house. The turn should do nicely in the three-a-day houses. G. J. U. BERT AND SAWN ■ THEATRE— Audubon. STYLE— Dancing and Singing. TIME— Sixteen Minutes. SETTING— FuUstage {Special). Billed as Bert and Sawn at this house, Berk, formerly of Berk and Valda, and before that, of Berk and White, offered a new dance routine with a new partner that will easily make the big time His new partner is a little sou- brette, who. If not grabbed by some producer, will be a vaudeville favor- ite. She dances excellently, sings pleasingly and also knows how to deliver numbers. Berk who recently hurt his foot has not folly recovered yet, but des- pite this handicap, does some won- derful dancing. The pair possess personality and ability, and work hard An act of this kind would be wasted on the small time and should be booked on the big time at once. G. J. H. WALTER LAW AND CO. THEATRE— Audubon. STYLE— Sketch. TIME— Eighteen Minutes. SETTING— In Tiro (Special). Walter Law, on a slide, announces before his offering begins that he has appeared as the "villain" in a number ' of Fox Films. In a speech at the end of bis sketch, he also let the uudleuoe know that he has worked with William Furnum and Theda Bara and that he appeared in "The 13th Chair' as the detective. The reason for the sketch, Law announc- ed, was to show the public that he can be a good man and not always play a villains part. To prove this, be confided that she once took the part of a priest in a playlet In this offering, Law is an educat- ed burglar, who has traveled the world over and speaks any lang- uages. While robbing the apartment in which the-scene is laid, he catch- es a man eloping with the wife of an old man. He makes them sit down, at the point of a gun, to listen to reason. He tells them his bitter experience. The woman sees the light, decideds to stick to her husband despit bis age, and the man goes away. However, the author of the play- let, Edward Eisner, did not give such a finish to the offering. The playlet pleases and Law re- ceived his full share. The others in the cast are capable, and the act will have no difficulty in getting over. "LOST ON THE MOON** THEATRE— Fifth Avenue. STYLE— Musical Fantasy. TIME— Txconty minutes. SETTING— -Special, They say the moon is made of cheese. And. we suspect that Blanche .Merrill used a very liberal portion of the moon's fromage in writing this lunar absurdity. We are judging the act from big time standards, because Miss Merrill has always been a big time writer. But the act has a long way to go- even further than the moon.—before it can deserve a big -ime spot The plot? Well, what there is of it brings a scientist a girl, and a negro servant from Mother Earth to the Moon in the scientist's aeroplane. Arriving on the moon, they meet a young fellow and a girl, both of whom gallivant around as if' they had St Vitus dance. Perhaps this touch was put In to be clever, but it is our belief that It tends to make the audience as fidgety as the actors themselves. Of course, the scientist falls in love with the-girl of the moon- and the girl from earth falls in love with the young fellow, where- upon, as the curtain falls, they start back for the Earth. The negro character gets a number of laughs from lines that aren't: any too comical. The rest do the best they can with their Inane parts. The cong numbers are just mediocre, ex- cept that the dancing of the Moon- girl stands out conspicuously as the best thing in the act The scenery Is classy, but scenery alone, cannot make an act Relegate the act to the storehouse nut retain the scenery. Then write' a sparkling musical tabloid with plenty of moon-girls and more play on the anther's Imagination and a good act would probably be the re- sult. H. J. G.