Variety (September 1918)

B U Y B OND S ! 17 ■ r'J "The Currant of Fun." Electrical Novelty. 16 Minj.; Full Stage (SpecUl Sat). Riveraide. A man dressed in a blue suit with red trimmings informs the audience he will endeavor to prove by various electrical experiments that electricity can pass through the human body in such a manner as to bewilder an audi- ence. A committee is invited on the stage, set in a sort of a grotto scenic environment. Three youths. and one with the appearance of a boob go on v the stage. The electrical, cur-rent is turned on and passes through an in- sulated cable, handed the boob who makes a leap to get away. Madam Brunei!, dressed in a peculiar looking gown, is introduced with a chord in G by the orchestra. She laughingly takes the cable in her hand and lights a piece of cotton by contact with her arm, shoe, etc. Next a gas jet is lighted by the Madam touching it, then through a banana, lemon and a piece of ice. The boob is induced to take a piece of the banana to show that it is genuine . and takes nearly all of the fruit which -is in turn taken away from him by a stage hand in the wings. She ,touches the boob with a wand and'his hat flies over the footlights and he follows his hat. Madam Brunell then makes a short speech announcing that with her mouth she will light an arc strong enough to illuminate the entire theatre. This is easily done and the act comes to a slow finish. It is the old fashioned electrical act with new trimmings, in- asmuch as the boob does all the com- edy and the electricity is handled by a woman. As a laughing act it scored and as a turn interesting enough to close a show proved of value by the way the crowd remained to the very finish. However, the act could be made classier with different scenery. Billy and Edna Frawley. Songs and Talk. 12 Mini.; One. ^ " Hippodrome, San Francisco. ^.J For a team coming from.-the cabarets Billy and Edna Frawley have more class, refinement and personality than is usually found in cabaret graduates. Following a flirtation opening, which includes a -few stories, they sing a duet, apparently a special song, entitled "I'm Going to Hang Around Till I Make You Care for Me." Miss Frawley then sings a ballad, and after a single by Billy (which includes war stories and some dancing) they close with a double number and a few dance steps. With a ' little more vaudeville experience the team is headed for the big time. Miss Frawley's good looks and dainty style added to Billy's cleverness, and good singing voice assures them recognition in better company. Gold, Reace and Edwards. ' ■• Dancing and Roller Skating. One; 11 Mine. Hamilton. The two male members may have been formerly known as Gold and Seal. They have retained most of the old , act, the skating bits, Frenchy make- up and the dances, adding a young, woman, who exhibits a goodly portion of her bare legs. She can dance. The soio toe dance earned her something. The clog dance on roller' skates is ef- fective insofar as it makes a lot of noise. A good pop time turn. Robert Swan. Dancing and Juggling. 10 Mini.; Two. American Roof. , .-Opening, with-a. .jig. while ..jnggljing high hat and cigar with a few more tricks, Robert Swan makes a good impression and is a good opener for the better small time bills. Taps on a drum with three balls earns applause and he closee with comedy club swing- ing while juggling. The work runs smoothly without a hitch and without dullness. Eddie Leonard and Minstrela (11). "Dandy Dan's Return. 34 Mins.; Two (7); Full Stage (10); Two (17). Colonial. s. ■ Eddie Leonard held a popularity con- test all by himself Monday night. He had with him a bunch of "minstrels," but it was Leonard the house cared for, no doubt about that. He was through with his own routine in 30 minutes, but the house kept calling for the old favorites and there was no denying. Eddie is due to start in a production this fall, the show probably being timed to. appear after the vari- ous war drives have been accom- plished. To fill the gap he framed the present turn. It opens with a circle of black face men in front of a striped satin drop, later going to full stage to show one of the older cotton field painted drops, then back to "two." The men in the circle stick to ensemble singing, while Leonard makes changes. At times they stand up and the first line-up brought a laugh, for the two men on the ends were grotesquely small. They do not indulge in "gags," and the reason is that they are colored (one is said to be 81 years old). To the casual observer it would be hard to tell whether the men are white or black, for they are'-all corked and slicked up. in tuxedos. One tip-off is the clever dancing bits they show near the close. However, Leonard is the main portion. He flashes a number-of brightly colored satin costumes, until the last when he is in dandy evening dress with crystal ^waistcoast. There were some six songs before the en- coring of the old favorites. ' First was "Dandy Dan," with "Dixie Land," "Nora" and "That's A 11 " following. Each number was followed by a dance, Eddie giving all his various stepping styles, including the sand dance. Two of the minstrels swept up the sand . while singing a number called "Sweep It Along," the lyric telling *about the stage hands going off to war and no member of the act being this side of 45. Leonard's best melody came last with "Sweetness, Honeysuckle of Mine." Then came "Ida" and "Roly Bolly Eyes," both asked for, and there were still other requests. , But Eddie took it out in thanking the house and calling to Mabel Russell to show-her- self. Eddie said she was stage man- ager of the act. Ibee. Sophie Tucker and Her Five Kings of Syncopation. Songs and Muaic. \^_ ■ 26 Mini.; Full Stage (Parlor). Fifth Avenue. Sophie Tucker has five new boys as her second allotment of musicians who are bijled with her as^ the "Five Kings of Syncopation." Miss Tucker also seems to have some new songs, some of the very latest in the rag line, and one old ballad, "I'm Sorry I Made You Cry." Miss Tucker's reason for singing the ballad under a red spot- light must be that it's easy for her boyish group to rag the tune on the chorus. That's not alone a reason, it's the excuse for the song being in her act most likely. The boy musicians are a violinist, pianist, cellist, cornetist and drummer. Of these the violin player, 16 years old, becomes the star next to Miss Tucker, who gives this youngster every opportunity and he takes full advantage. The boy kids with his instrument, kids with Miss Tucker, also sings, and in a general way becomes the life of the party that the hostess keeps up at highest pitch all the time. During the period the orchestra has by itself there is a series _pf...solos... .TJhe,. one. supposedly done by the cellist sounds s'uspiabusiy'lifce the Victrola on the stage playing it alone, although the cello player goes through the motions. Miss Tucker Euts over all of her numbers of the rag ind and the most of them with a crash. Her act is an easy hit. The time 26 minutes tells that and she could have done more. Rime. Wfl ton Sit ten. ' Muaical. 22 Mins.; One. Riveraide. Mae and Rose Wilton have an act slightly different from the usual run of sister acts opening with a double song in which their voices are pitched about the same. To this number they add a few dance steps and after re- moving their capes and hats one re- turns to sing, "I Hear You Calling Me," in a good soprano voice, but without clear enunciation, personality or ex- pression. This number slows up the act at the start, but it might only be used to show that one of the sisters can take a suppressed top note. The singer goes to the grand piano and the Other sister returns with a violin, with which they play a noisy jazz type of melody, only to stop to play a popu- lar ballad and let the. audience see that the violin is a very raspy affair. They' play a "blues" number on the instru- ments and interpolate an old song. A fox trot is then played and the violiniste does several good dance steps. They sing the Hawaiian "Fare- well" song in good harmony, but re- turn to play "Tickle Toe," where the pianiste does several toe steps. The violiniste attempts a speech in which she endeavors to secure comedy by making several personal references, one to a man in the audience whom she believes to be in Class A and might be , a member of the Jewish branch of the Knights of Columbus. A double blues number as the girls depart. The act in its .present shape is too long. With the elimination of the second song and stopping at the toe dance number it is an excellent act in an early spot on the big time, Frederick* Sima and Co. (4). '» Songa and Music. 19 Mins.; Full Stag* (Parlor). \Fifth Avenue. :> . Fredericka Sims is a soprano prima donna who sings straight songs, clos- ing with a new war song version, very fine in theme, of the joy in France at the arrival of the American forces. It's quite the biggest thing in Miss Sims' act, not excepting herself, nor her voice. The singer acknowledges a cer- tain lack of confidence in herself by appearing with a quartet of rag musi- cians, who however play the accompani- ments for her straight numbers. But when left to themselves those four boys dig right into ragging and stay there, to the evident pleasure of the audience, who appeared to prefer mu- sic to the singing, if the applause was a true guide, barring the closing war number (applauded for its sentiment). The musical combination looks very much like the boys who played the dance music at the Chateau Laurier at City Island this summer. They were a dandy little bunch up there and they are just as goo\J on the vau- deville sta'ge... There is a drummer, piano player, cornet and bass viol. The pianist has a session by himself, for "variations," and does something with it. There seems to be no great demand for this particular or peculiar style of combined act, unless "Fred- ericka Sims" means ever so much more than may be imagined. . Sime. 1 ■ ■ a ■ . 1 i Clara Morton. "Solo Songalogue." One. Palace. Clara Morton is alone this^trip in vaudeville and doing very well. She will do all of that in any house while .alone, with her 'songs and dances, the "piano dance" included.' The piano- dance is from Miss Morton's earliest stage appearance, the first vaudeville had then seen, and Clara is doing it as neatly today as she did always. Pre- vious acts headed by Clara Morton had a sketch foundation with an assist- ant, both superfluous for this girl, who needs only herself. She's an enter- tainer, and a good one, the daughter of a famous vaudeville family. Clara helped to make it famous and can al- ways present the family's name and represent it With justifiable pride and to its glory. Sime. Myrle and Delmar. Acrobatic. Full Stage (Exterior). Fifth Avanue. Two young fellows stroll on the stage, one carrying a golf bag and the other a kodak. It looks suspici- ously like an acrobatic opening, this' soft stuff acrobats have affected of late and of course all folk)wing one another.' Then the couple commence to acrobat, including hand balancing, and exit with the kodak and golf bags as chimes are heard. It isn't made known who rings the bells on them. The turn seems too light for big time consumption. The camouflage has grown too familiar to leave this sort of an act longer in any kind of a novelty class. Sime. Ben Bernie. Music and Talk. 12 Mins.; One. Fifth Avenue. : i "Ladies and Gentlemen: I wish to announce that Ben Bernie will posi- tively appear here this afternoon, said Ben Bernie as he walked on the Fifth Avenue stage. It was a good start for' his new single, who stated his former partner, Baker (Bernie and Baker), had gone into the Navy. Several parts 'of .the former twO-act have been re- tained, particularly the "Humoresque" number which Bernie, only with his violin, when starting into the rag ver- \ sion of it misses much of what Baker's accordion formerly did with this. But Bernie does just as well as both did with "Over There" as a Yiddish march. Bernie has something brand new in travestied music, ragging a bugler call- ing Reveille, also "nancing" it, with his violin. A couple of new stories strongly appealed for laughs. Bernie. without doing anything of any real . purport nearly stopped the show in the No. 2 spot with his amusing noth- ingness. His easy manner when on the stage and his affable assurance, with the violin as an old reliable, will send Mr. Bernie over as a single on any bill. He's just one of those natural entertainers and in- this case some- what of a higher grade than a large number of others who could be so classed. . Sime. | w .'•*: Smith and Loael. Songa and Dancei. 0 Mint.; One. Columbia (Sept 22); -—-«-««--««------ mm Man and woman, colored, with the man's best, dancing; woman's best, singing. Between the two the woman's is the better end of the turn. -The man's one dance, however, does much to redeem him. At that though he will keep the turn on the small time where it can get away. BitM. Jane Green and James BIyler, Songa and Piano. 14 Mini.; One. Hippodrome, San Francisco. This new vaudeville combination will be heard from. The turn consists mostly of rag and jazz songs sung by Jane Green, accompanied by James BIyler on the piano. Miss Green makes one change of costume. During the time occupied by the change Mr. BIyler plays a rag on the piano. It could be replaced by something more suitable The little talk indulged in for Miss Green's exit does not help the turn, but these minor faults are 'forgotteirafld^didnot~secn«= to^have■? any effect on the success of the act here, where it was the hit of the bill. In putting over jazz numbers Miss Green was a real surprise, and sur- passes even the big 'timers who have been seen here. The "wiggle" of Miss Green's, in evidence in most of the numbers, is slightly overdone.' of •.■ ■:>. m ■■a m m I ,4 I \ ■-.-■ esj • :