The New York Clipper (January 1920)

January 21, 1920 THE NEW YORK CLIPPER PALACE The Briants, two men, offer an acro- batic and slap-stick knockabout act that wta well received, doe to the "Dummy" that comes to life and its marvelous falls. "The Dream of the Moving Man" is the title. As an opener it is a corker. Mme. Claire Forbes, piano soloist of the Boston Symphony Orchestra, made her vaudeville debut, bnt did not get over. The act, in fall, will be reviewed in the Mew Act department. "Last Night," one of Lawrence Schwab's new acts, is fall of pep and held down the position. Earl Cavanaugh, although handicapped by a severe cold, worked hard and pnt the punches where they belonged, scoring individually by his quiet but effective manner. Walter Clinton and Julia Eooney were excellent in their respective roles, and the dance by Julia Rooney, giving an imi- tation of her brother Pat, almost brought down the house. Four girls make up the chorus and wore some pretty costumes. Bat the encore after the first number could stand rehearsing. Ruth Tompkins satisfied in her role. Richard Simaon, as Julia's father, was not convincing, as his dialect was not in keeping with the char- acter. The lyrics and music were fur- nished by Blanche Franklin and Nat Tin- cent and the dances staged by Sammy Lee. All concerned did very well and the act will, undoubtedly, score elsewhere as it did at this performance. Allan Sogers scored one of the most sensational hits that has played the Palace in many seasons. The audience simply would not permit him to retire after sing- ing four songs in a tenor voice that con- tained real quality. He is an American and his rendition of operatic arias and a "Hebrew Chant" won for him a warm place in the hearts of those present. This act could be featured, as it is replete with material that vaudeville audiences love to pay for. Dugan and Raymond gathered in enough laughs and applause to entitle them to one of the big hits of the shows. The "Aero- plane" satire is excellently delivered and Dcgan worked every comedy point to per- fection. Miss Raymond has greatly bo- proved in her delivery and is a valuable asset to the act. The "lie" bit, although done many times in productions and vauu- evJUe, has a new twist and is pnt over with a punch. "Topics of the Day" was flashed during intermission. Thomas E. Shea, in a series of playlets, with the assistance of three others, has assembled a vaudeville act that will find it easy sailing. The offering is farther reviewed in the New Act department. Bellclair Brothers proved beyond con- tra diction that a hand-balancing act can hold down an important position on a big time vaudeville bill and go over with a bang. Ben Bellclair has been doing this line of work for many years and it seems that he improves with age. He handles his top-mounter, who is heavier than the understander, in such a wonderful man- ner that the audience gasped with amaze- ment. This will prove to bookers of vaud- eville that an acrobatic act of merit, such as this one, can be "placed" to good ad- vantage. ' The Moseoni Family, consisting of father, sister and brothers, is about the fastest dancing interlude in show business. Each of the six are masters of the art of leg- mania, and "Pop" Moseoni is a wizard. Louis and Charles do a double number that is a corker, bat, after Louis com- pleted his solo dance, the act stopped right there. Verna is also an exponent of toe art and makes a splendid appearance. William and the other brother are learn- ing fast. As a dancing act, it is there a mile and stopped the show for fully two minutes after Mrs. Moseoni bowed. Four Marx Brothers closed the show and held them all in with a brand of comedy and music that was highly en- tertaining. J. D. VAUDEVILLE REVIEWS (Contiued ea Pag* it) COLONIAL Owing to conditions for which the man- agement was not responsible, the bill at the Colonial, on Monday, was in some- what disordered schedule, but, all things considered, Chris Began deserves credit for the way he set things going. De Witt, Bums and Torrence opened on Monday afternoon with their acrobatic novelty, "The Awakening of the Toys." At the night show they held last position. The Four Melody Maids were on second with a singing act that pleased an audi- ence in a receptive mood. The four girls make a neat appearance and dress well. Their voices, with the exception of one, the girl who stands second from toe stage right, are pleasing. Toto was on third. We have seen clowns, we have seen contortionists and we have seen comedians galore. But, this fellow combines all three in a manner that is bound to please even the most hard- headed audiences. His comicalities, gro- tesque tumbling and cortortion work, founa favor with the folks out front and they applauded him heartily. He was called for an encore and offered a burlesque Scotch bit that was a howL DeMorest and Collette held fourth po- sition and scored very heavily with their playing and comedy. DeMorest gave proof of being equal to the occasion, when some fellow in the audience tried to "butt" in on him. His dancing and tumbling went just as well aa ever, if not better. Col- lette played very nicely and her number was received with approval. The Moseoni Family substituted for Wil- liam Seabury's "Frivolics" on Monday afternoon. Seabury's act did not get into town on time for the afternoon perform- ance, due to a storm, but arrived in time for the evening show. The Mosconis went over like a house afire and went through their hag of tricks very cleverly. ■ Following intermission, Fleta Brown and Herbert Spencer offered a singing act, with just a dash or two of comedy here and there, the comedy being furnished by Miss Brown. They offered some numbers for which' they are respousiWe and went over very nicely. Spencer's yodeling num- ber was a big hit. Lee Kohlmar and Company are BtOl using their old vehicle, "Two Sweethearts." To give toe exact age of this playlet would be somewhat of a task, but, despite that, the audience took to it, much to the sur- prise of the reviewer, and relished it. Some new bits of business have been in- jected into the act, and it was noticeable that the passages in Yiddish were more numerous than heretofore. The story of the playlet is well known to all, and a change of act for Kohlmar would be welcome. Sylvia Clark went out and, despite a cold, evened honors with them all. She went ont after them strong and cleaned up. All of her numbers went over with a bang that re-echoed through the house. She was called upon to answer call after call until she had exhausted her material She put over some clever impromptu bits with the assistance of DeMorest, of De Morest and Collette. Miss Clark is an ex- ceedingly clever girl and all she got she earned and deserved. Johnnie Ford and his five Melody Maids were next and, at the Monday matinee, held the closing position. Ford and the girls offered a revue brimful of song, music and dance, all of the latter being furnished by Ford nimnrif. Ford is a very clever dancer. His work was well received, de- spite that toe audience was tired by a long bill and toe delay in its opening. Siegell and Irving jumped into the night show and opened it. All in all, the An- niversary Week bin waa a success, taking everything into consideration. 8. K. ROYAL Martin and Fabrini are doing the same routine of dances which they have been presenting on the small time for the past few seasons, and gave a good account of themselves in the opening position. The eccentric fox-trot at the close of the offer- ing sent them off with a nice hand, bat they made a mistake In taking their last bow. A. C Astor has dispensed with his spe- cial drop and now works in one. He has also left ont a lot of the bits employed when the act was reviewed as new, a few weeks ago, and has made a decided im- provement on the offering by these eli- minations. He has some original bits in his offering and also some gaga that are new. The audience here- liked him and showed it Captain Gruber and Mile. Adeline pnt their elephant, pony and horse through their routine of stunts and went over well. The dog, which was formerly with the act and which was also programmed here, waa not to be seen on Monday afternoon. George Ford and Flo Cunningham are a neat couple, with'a neat act, and that about sizes them up. The patter la clever, and is delivered effectively. Ford's "twitch and wink" number, telling of toe girl who went through those motions because of nervous trouble,, proved to be a riot. It is a long time since Rose Stahl waa seen, and, there- fore, Flo Cunningham's imitation of her does not get the best that should be got- ten from it. James S. Hackett's work is also not very familiar to vaudevOliana, but, despite that, Ford manages to make it do for quite a few laughs. Miss Cunningham is a very well built woman, dresses nicely and has attractive features. Ford also has a pleasing appearance and, together, they make a very acceptable team. Dorothy Shoemaker has improved her sketch one hundred foM since it was last reviewed by the writer. She has made some changes in the cast, all of which are for the better. The playlet itself has been improved with better lines and the setting now looks like what it is supposed to be, instead of the backs of props, which were used before. Following the "Topics of the Day," Marie and Mary McFarlane offered their repertoire of concert numbers, in which they include a published ballad. A young man, unbilled, assisted them at the piano. While both sing very well and, at this house, almost stopped the show, they could improve their offering by getting away from the stereotyped routine of prima donnas who sing the selection from "Chocolate Sol- dier" and "Good-By Forever." Originality in working out a routine Is one of toe reasons for Grace Nelson's success and, simply because the Misses McFarlane are older performers, in experience, is no rea- son why they should not be different. Despite toe fact that Zomah's costume and setting give a circus impression, it must be said that here is one mind-reading offering that is really exceptionally mysti- fying, or better yet, convincing. Her as- sistant does not say one word and she answers toe questions which are asked di- rectly from the audience. This same as- sistant offers $1,000 reward to anyone who can prove a code, wires, or any contrivance is used. The card game finish is one of the best things seen in this line, as yet. Rockwell and Fox stopped the show with their nonsense, but refused an encore and were content with taking another bow alter the lights were out and put op again. Rock- well talked his head off, as usual, and they closed with the instrumental bit. "The Girlies Club," a re-written version of "The Suffragettes," closed the show. The act is pleasing and the work of the majority of toe cast good. It was well received. G. J. H. RIVERSIDE Chang and Roale Moey, in a Chillis version of American songs and (lane—, opened toe show and did excellently with a number of popular songs and some well executed dances. Margaret Ford, the doable-voiced singer, is back at this boose with a new sons repertoire. She was in exceptionally good voice at the opening show and her deep vibrant tones thrilled In some well ren- dered selections. Langford and Fredrick*, in "Shopping," found the early third position none too easy, in spite of Miss Fredericks' fine ap- pearance and Langford's exceptional abil- ity. If the reformers ever get after Lang- ford's act, there will be a lot of cutting, for many of his lines verge closely ea the raw, but his fine stage presence and modest manner enables him to get away with much that the average light come- dian would stumble over. Bobbe and Nelson scored the first clean hit of the bill with comedy talk and a lot of good singing. One of the men gives a remarkable imitation of Jolson's Kinging style, aid, with one of Al'a old songs, stopped the show completely. Anna Held, Jr., is showing a new act in which the bulk of the work falls upon Emmet Gilfoyle, her very stile isslitanti She sings a song or two, dances, recites a war poem and wears a great variety of gorgeous costumes. Gilfoyle is a gOM comedian and worked valiantly to keep op interest daring Miss Held's many coetumt changes. The act could stand consider- able catting and, with the running rims decreased by several minutes, would be much improved. Rae Eleanor Ball and broths* followed "Topics of tae Day" in the second half and scored one of the hits of toe bill Miss Ball, mistress of the king of instruments, played charmingly, with fine tochnic and beautiful tone. Her brother contributed several well played cello selections. .Vsleska Suratt and a company of Its, which included Eugene Strong and Walter Pertival, presented a forty-minute melo- dramatic sketch or playlet by Jack Lais, called "Scarlet." Inconsistent, improbable and poorly constructed, its hope for suc- cess must depend upon toe ability of toe players, rather than the subject of the piece, its dialogue or situations, all of which are far fetched and improbable. Briefly, it deals with the adventures of Lady Billy, a cabaret singer in a cheap scloon called the Scarlet In the back room, at one in the morning, a motley gang arc assembled. Two young society men, a crooks or two,-a waiter who, as a aide line is a minister of toe gospel, are toe pro- minent figures. Into this crowd comes Lady Billy, and one of the young society men determines to woo and wed her. His wooing style is at least novel. He de- clares that he is a crook, a thief and mur- derer and woos the singer before the crowd in real cave-man fashion. He slaps one of her admirers in the face and throws him out of the saloon and the cabaret singer, impressed by his bravery, consents to marry him on the spot. The waiter- minister performs the ceremony and the couple go to the singer's flat and begin life together, toe wealthy young man still playing toe part of toe tough criminal Here he finds that his wife admires all top good qualities of msnfcinH and abhors the criminal. He confesses the part he has been playing and she falls into Us arms. With all the obvious faults of toe playlet it has the merit of giving Miss Suratt an opportunity to act and, make- no mistake, she can. One or two of her scenes were really fine. The cast is a good one, but the work of one or two plainly indicated that the act needs rehearsing, for there were many stumbles in the reading. Roscoe Ails was the hit of the bill with Midsje Miller and the snap Jass band, which stopped the show- at five o'clock, a real stoat on a Monday. Johnson, Baker and Johnson closed. W. V.