Variety (June 1919)

B3 H m ' fii iVsjaWfes REV •' ''TS ' - 211 r.' PALACE. With the thermometer hovering around 80 Tuesday sight the Palace did Its regulation capacity business In the orchestra and balcony sections. The only visible effect of the first real hot wave of the season •was In the boxes and the standees. The first half ran. very slowly. O'Donnell and Blair, on third, -woke 'em up with their acrobatic comedy, and Emma Carua closing the first half caused a little excitement. Knock- outs and riots, however, were conspicuous by the(r absence. Jack Alfred and Co. opening at 8.09 to a corporal's guard succeded In pleasing -the early ones. Alfred gets away from the con- ventional head balancing formation and Is en- titled to a mark of credit for his enterprise. The finishing stunt worked with a see-saw apparatus Is a real thriller. There Is a little too much talk, which tends to slow up the acro- batic stuff. Down at the other end of the bill Collins and Hart worked hard to hold. The bunch waited until the trick wire stuff was reached and then the exodus commenced, the old favorites clos- ing to about a quarter of a houueful. Ted Doner, second, found the going impos- sible. Doner's best score was made with an eccentric dance. More of this sort of stepping and less singing would Improve his specialty. Officer Yokes and Don ran through and re- ceived the attention of the house with a smattering of appreciation at the finish. The little fox terrier's simulation of Intoxication Is really remarkable. The act of O'Donnell and Blair Is slightly reminiscent of the turn done years ago by Felix and Barry. This will not Interfere In any way, as most of the present day vaude- ville audiences have forgotten the other turn. O'Donnell Is a great tumbler, taking chances that seem dangerous at times. The Bert Mel- rose fall used for a finish and well worked up sent the team off to a sizeable hit. Emma Cams' beet liked number was an Irish song, "When the Fighting Irish Come Home." Despite that the fighting Irish arrived home several weeks ago the song landed solidly, a sure fire line about Father Duffy getting the desired results. The other songs, "I'm Mighty Glad to Get Back to the Dear Old Town," "Oh, How She Can Dance," Glad I Wasn't That Kind of a Baby" and "Kitty Cat" all went over nicely. Miss Cams did considerable talk- ing, too, handling a monolog with ability. The speech at the finish seemed a little serious for vaudeville and might be tempered with more comedy. Tom Barry's sketch, "Tarrytown," as done by Harriet Remple and Co. Is one of the most de- lightful playlets now In vaudeville. It Is filled with pretty sentiment and romantic touches are frequent. Notwithstanding the excess of heart Interest the playlet never becomes maudlin. Miss Remple's little company is far above the average. The act scored one of the big hits of the second part, hut Miss Remple wisely refrained from speech making. Dooley and Sales were lust' themselves as usual. The team did 25 minutes and kept the house laughing and applauding all the way. Although following the Remple act Jim Dooley made no attempt at travesty, which seemed like overlooking a bet. Gertrude Hoffman, aided by an army of extra stage hands, electricians and musicians crowded a whole evening's entertainment into the 26 minutes she occupied the stage. A Spanish dance and a classical number consti- tuted the terpslchorean part of her program. Both' werefattractlvely costumed and met with a ready applause response. The Imitations fol- lowed. Her imitation of Eddie Foy still stands as the best seen to date. The "Impressions" of BeBsle McCoy and Ann Pennington were both startlngly accurate, but Miss Hoffman was far away with Fannie Brlce. A session with the drummer's traps closed the turn. Miss Hoffman worked like a Trojan as usual and scored her regulation hit Bel. ',1 BRIGHTON. Away from the sultry metropolis it was de- lightfully pleasant Monday evening. People haven't yet assumed the week-day beach habit as attested by the rather scant crowd at Brigh- ton, but Inside George Robinson's Ideal sum- mer theatre the attendance was very good. So it was at the matinee, too, when Georgo drew hlB annual Catholic benefit. Out on the green approaches the crowd slowly gathered and filled the many benches. There reading a newspaper, for It was light a full hour before show time, sat Frisco, who on his own admission originated the Jazz dance. "Well, k-kld, I been to Chicago and I killed 'em ozt there, "yes, I was In the 'Greasy Vest' with the mob at nights, but 1 didn't hand those guys no banquet. Cost all of eight dollars to do that. I didn't have no time to go to Dubuque, so I brought my folks on to Chi. My folks are certainly putting the bee on me. Cost me three fifty for my brother in a hospital, and they are all giving me the touch. But, kid, that'll all come back. No, that was all bunk about me going Into Georgle White's show. I don't talk to that guy. Cer- tainly he imitates me; why shouldn't he?" Just then he took a slant at the electric signs, with Belle Baker topping and his own name second. "8-say seems to me that sign's wrong. That kid must have been on that 1 bet on the other team. He's been hollering about the Tanks winning a double header around here for an hour." The matter of the lights was not all kidding. Frisco said he had been promised the top line on one side of the V-shaped sign. That not being so he stuttered that he wouldn't go on in the show unless there was a change, Frisco let It go at stuttering and refused to stumble out of the going, regardless of threats. With the peachy Loretta McDermott and the Jazz band he closed Intermission, tickling the house, but not starting any riot. The turn didn't finish as strongly as usual because of a mixed ending. In "one" after the regular rou- tine of the band, a chap who plays the uke and vocally imitate a Jazz Instrument had same iSort of bit which wasn't as dear as It should have been. Rasputin afterwards explained that the bit was a "jazz drama" which Frisco had sold to the "Greenwich Follies," and which was being tried out. He also stated that Frisco would sing for the first time on Tues- day, that event to come In a special stunt framed with Jim Toney. Miss McDermott did her imitation saca cigar, missing Frisco an- nounced because the bouse management didn't think It was sice. Loretta had a song number which she delivered nicely. It was "High Brown Babies Ball," So did two members of the jazz band who sung "Mammy o' Mine" to the twang of string Instruments. Both the band and Miss McDermott are very essential to the Frisco turn. Miss Baker, next to closing, was the smash of the show, a bill without weak spots and one which scored highly throughout. The song caricaturist came on at nine minutes to eleven and they wouldn't let her depart for almost .25 minutes. She was rather stunning in a light frock of some lavender material. Usually she plays Brighton more than once during the summer,, and from the way she went over Monday she can more than repeat this «•• Toney and Norman opened after intermission " to a laughing score planting a needed comedy punch. They were followed by the class of the show In the Mellette Sisters with Lew Polack. One of the girls (Rosalie or Helen) twisted her knee at the matinee and wore a silken elastic bandage at night. She worked as though in pain. The sisters made their usual nice appearance, though prone to high color in facial make-up. Pollack had the house^vhlstling his melodies, which Included "Buddah," another of the new numbers that run to Astatic titles. Harry and Anna Seymour delivered the first laughs on fourth. The duo appears to be work- ing better than ever, and the buebltng Anna had thlngB her own way. Her Imitations with the "Eyes" number found an easy mark, and the team went off to a flock of bows. On third Joe Parsons and Dave Irwin struck a hit with ."A Message from the Front," the men's voices turning the trick. The smiling, youthful Wilton Sisters were another early, strong-scorning turn, they go- ing over excellently on second, The girls handled their full routine, including the extra blues chorus. Rekoma, as equilibrist, opened the show (New Acts). After Miss Baker it was the charge of the Six Hundred, fully half of the house walking before Rasso, a novelty juggler, started. The turn was formerly known as Roberta. • Ibee. HENDERSON'S, CONET ISLAND. Business, despite very favorable weather conditions for the Island, was 60 per cent off Monday night. At 8.30 the orchestra floor held about 300 with a sprinkling of possibly 260 more in the balcony. By nine o'clock the balcony had filled up considerably, but the or- chestra still showed numerous stretches of empty seats. As a result of the light attend- ance the show ran very slowly, with 'hits few and far between. Williams and Wolfus, next to closing, grabbed off the comedy honors, while the U. S. Jazz Band pulled down the applause honors. Roy Harrah and Jacquelina opened with a neatly costumed skating specialty and did as well as could be expected in view of the spot and the undersized house. Jacquelina, a cute little girl, -makes a dandy appearance In ab- breviated costume and skates as well as the average. Harrah works in silk hat and even- ing dress and also scores on appearance. The couple for the better part stick to the con- ventional evolutions performed by most of the skating turns that have shown hereabouts this season. The finish, with the girl swinging through the air with her .arms around the neck of the man. Is effective and under better circumstances would have received the ap- preciation it deserved. The Four of Us harmonize popular melodies In approved vaudeville style. Each of the four boys owns a pleasing singing voice which they use to good effect in solos. The comedy now In use is a bit too Juvenile and it the boys must comede, a more up to date line of material should be secured. Frank Burt of Burt and Rosedale, Is a corking loose dancer, plays the flute excellent- ly and displays a good knowledge of comedy values, but hiB present fun making material Is so ancient that his efforts as a comic are seriously hampered. Miss Rosedale does the straight acceptably. With a regular act this couple would move up the line very fast Francis Yates had them guessing with his female Impersonation, until he started to talk, then It was all off. Yates and Reed, like several other acts at Henderson's this week, ace strong in the vocal department, but a bit shy on comedy. Reed's baritone solos landed their customary wallop. The U. 8. Jazz Band, consisting of 28 former enlisted gobs, could have played for an hour or longer had they desired to, Williams and Wolfus started slowly, hut the minute the audience caught a glimpse of those number eleven russet shoes worn by Williams, they stopped snickering and yelled through- out the rest of the act Williams has de- veloped a quiet style of comedy all his own. Emma Hatg and Jack Waldron (New Acts) displayed real %2 class with a nicely arranged routine of songs and dances, Miss Halg, as In previous turns, confines herself to dancing exclusively. Waldron sings pleasantly and can dance with the best of them. The act seems a trifle long as It stands. Georgle Jesse! with the same act shown around New York for the last two seasons gathered in a sizeable hit. JoBsel'a talking routine heeds freshening. The Ara Sisters closed and held 'em In to the final kick of their dancing specialty. Bell. RIVERSIDE. What a wallop the old weather hit the busi- ness Monday night. Long before eight o'clock it was very much apparent the Riverside was going to do a flop. There wasn't a single sign of the old tlmo line at the box office and only one of the ticket windows was working. At that the theatre looked Invitingly cool from the lobby. The doors were thrown wide open and one could see the interior of the house bedecked In its summer finery of cretonne. But that, coupled with a bill of strength topped by Irene Franklin, failed to pull an audience that would come near filling the house. At a few minutes after eight when the overture started there was hardly enough of an audience present to make it. worth while giving a show. By 8.20, when the news week- ly and the "Topics of the Day" had finished, the house assumed a more likely appearance, the lower floor being a little less than half filled and the balcony about the same. Then the trouble started. . It was right In the orchestra pit and evidently because of the ' fact that Julius Lenzberg was missing. The Inability of the men in the pit to follow the acts or to keep anywhere near in toupk with them was in evidence all through the show, but was most appallingly present during the acts of Joyce and Lewis, the second offering of the program, and in the Franklin and Green turn. It wasn't the fault of the orchestra, how- ever, that almost caused the Franck Joyce and Flo Lewis act to get the bird. The audience started after the turn on about three occasions and almost succeeded In applauding It from the stage. This was only during the moments Miss Lewis was on the stage. Joyce had to work like a fiend to pull the act back to any- thing -like the semblance of entertainment each time that be' followed his partner, but with his stepping he was equal to the task. The cause of the disturbance was the effort of Miss Lewis to put over comedy, and as no one in front could understand what It was all about the audience would have none of it. Nina Payne In her dancing specialty passed fairly well with the orchestra as her leader and pianist were in the pit for the biggest part of her act. But once the leader left the playing became raggedy and the tempo had to be directed from the stage. . Miss Payno was the first act of the bill to show anything like hit proportions. MIgnon, who followed her, did very well with impersonations. She- has Nan Halperln and Henry Lewis in her present repertoire and the vaudeville favorites were more welcome to the audience then were the stars of the legitimate stage. The Harry Watson Jr. act closed the first part and scored. The telephone scene was the first laugh of the sshow and the boxing bout that followed held the audience in good humor to the end. ■ In the last half three hits followed one an- other. Kate BUnore and Sam Williams opened this section, and while the laughs came rather bard at first the act finally bit Its stride and caught the audience. The couple of numbers at the piano, offered by Williams, scored with the audience. Then came Franklin and Green. They were greeted with a reception and each of Miss Franklin's numbers; while not possessing the "punch" quality of comedy that some of the hits that she has previously had, seemingly Interested the audience. There are two new ones. One about experience In fighting and a "kid" song. She walked away with the hit honors of the evening. AI Herman In the next to closing spot was another of the solid hits. The Dennis Brothers, with their balancing on the ladder, closed and they held the audience. Fred. COLONIAL The artists had a lot to contend with at tbe Colonial Tuesday night, and all things con- sidered they did nobly. The sweltering weather kept the attendance down and neces- sitated the opening of all doors In an effort to coax the elusive zephyrs. The best it could coax was the roar of the L trains, and In some parts of the ground floor one had to be a lip reader to follow the dialog on the stage. The first two acts, Three Daring Bisters and Fred Barrens, were annihilated by the late comers. Berrens was on much too early and could have switched to Emerson and Baldwin's spot (opening after intermission) to tbe ad- vantage of the bill. The team's rough comedy Juggling and hokum maglo looked more number twolsh than Berren's specialty. Lois Josephine and Leo Hennlngs, with Arthur Franklin at the piano (New Acts), were fourth, and Harry Breen was fifth. Some of Harry's orchestrations must have been mis- laid, for he kept advising the musicians to "fake" it. He got most with the boy in the street talking to his mother and used the ex- temporaneous song for his finish. The adoles- cent material went just as big at the Colonial as when recently caught around the pop houses;^ and Breen dopped.the laughing hit of thearatvi&i ,i,i^?. rt Do3Worth In ."The Soa Wolf" wai'tSl-MS dramntlc moment. Although Bosworthv" hap : .!*,fl been doing "Wolf Larsen" for many jnor" |:' he hasn't allowed him to become meoha'DO -V-V.'-m* ao yet and the sketch Is played with the 'a^k. ^: [j attention to detail and the same technique asVVv&i* when first seen around. The film which pro- . * :' leges the playlet contained a picture of the^ftf 3 lato Jack London, and was warmly applauded* r;^C it seemed uncanny to watch the mortal actions '^'i. of a man who had since passed away. &■$&$&£' Morton and Glass stirred them up with 1 --'-^' clover dancing and vocalizing. * • ..Si^MJ, ^H 0 ^ 5°! u £> llowc °' «">d mopped up the $&&$$; of the bill. He overcame heat, acoustics, and'^" all the other obstacles, Holtz had everything. If you don't adVertise in Variety don't advertise «- i_"- i"~-j, »"■»"»•"»• n»'» una evorytmng.•:y.Pr'fl lie can handle a comedy number with any one,<, ^ 3 I't a line of lifted material In hiefiM,M and there isn'_ . act. Holtz now doesn't suggest any one In his work and has developed a style and delivery r "?E> all bis own. All this plus personality made' V him cortaln at the Colonial, and the perV'&S&'i spiring devotees of variety rowardod his efforts if voclferiously. ■-■• ~%r,-rT^f Robbio Gordone with her Old Master Pose**!.-; closed . - « ! ."«hs«k9Ss fesra I ';<*.. ; ' >?<'/* m PHILADELPHIA, KEITH'S, ;f f| Philadelphia. JuneJ4,£$r5i It was entirely too hot for theatregolng and- as a result Monday's business for the first show was away off from what 1b usually-the'•«* case at this house. The show was above'the' W& average, but it might have been twice.■■"■■'■•"""' good and not drawn anyone else Into the the*' atre. This despite the fact that Keith's la the coolest house in town and in Its summor dressing is a most Inviting place. r ■ : ■ There was an unusual lot of color to the entire bill, almost all the acts causing thoir own settings or draperies, and it-was credit-:' : 'v$| able that the show ran as smoothly as it did; ^ ; " with no waits to speak of. ■■ s:'\'mxi i As a special feature James J. Morton la-vxSS ! Jocted odd bits -of comedy by his, fUnnyia&v^ii * nouncements about the various acts. Morton; Is funny enough to look at anyway and his remarks were witty and laugh-winning, al- though he had not much time to size up the comedy points. — > Tbai;? were acrobatic acts at both end's, of the bill, the Hall Brothers—local boys, accord- ing to Morton's announcement—having the opening spot and doing very well with, the ordinary routine of hand-lifting feats. Then Kranz and LaSalle, a couple of boys with a lot of volume to thoir voices sang seven or "eight songs, several now, and they got away wiiu a full share of tbe applause honors. Whether '. M was because the audience felt sympathetic . for the perspiring dancers, the act of-Ernestine^ Myers and Paisley Noon Just did nicely, when ,v with an even break It probably would have been a big hit. Mr. Noon describes tbe various i dances he and Miss Myers do, in' song, but the dancing carries the pair along, they have a varied style and alt of MIbs Myers*';' dancing Is full of pop. One number, which is scantily dressed, seemed to fit Into the atmos- phere and was quite the most apropos of the lot, considering the weather conditions. At that the dancers were very well liked;: ^-^ A change In the running order at this st»ge brought Harry Cooper on as a mouologlst, In- stead of the Dickinson and Deagon aot. It" is the first time Cooper has been heard her'e^" in a single and he got away with It in very'■':••*■ good -shape. It Is the talk in Ms act that -r<-4 needs brightening and this remedy could easily be applied, for Cooper was always a good dialect comedian. He got some laughs with a bit, with a violin, borrowed from the orchestra leader, but it was not enough to get Cooper the laughs he ought to have. Ruth Budd made quite a good sized hie on the living rings, doing about the beat line of tricks seen here by any woman in the past, probably excepting Dainty Marie. Miss Budd gives too much time to singing for the opening and the duet with the woman while changing her dress. in view of the audience, gets nothing because the woman's voice cannot be heard. Miss Budd might do just as well with ono song number for the opening, for It Is Ber aerial work that places the value on hor act and It Is well worth all any audience will give it Vlnie Daly was a genuine surprise. She Is remembered best here as a dancer and Jim Morton announced her as a dancer, yet she turned out as a really high class vocaliste, with an excellent voice, splendid method of delivering her songs and finished with Some lighter numbers and a bit of stepping that refreshed memories of .days gone by. She was one of tbe big applause hits of the show. The chief honors wont to Alan Brooks with his splendid one act play, "Dollars and Sense.*' It Is one of the best playlets seen here in a long time, a well worked out sto/y, well acted and with a blending of drama and comedy that Is distinctly pleasing. It is entirely away from anything we have seen in the sketch line this season, and Mr Brooks, a capital actor as well as an excellent lauthor,'.-. •"<:■ | richly deserved the honer of being Brought •--- J before the curtain for a speech of thanks. ' Changing places with Cooper, Dickinson and Deagon not only got over well, but It im- proved the running of tho show. Tlioy havo changed It llttlo or none since last seen,, but It was a big laugh-winner and closed to a very good hand of applause, which was consider- able considering the lato position on a hot day. .. .. -&HBFJI The Seven Bracks filled In the closing epotxrW i In very satisfactory manner, their showfc'Viiii ii costumes attracting attention, and their clean"-f^"^ cut gymnastics winning several rounds of ; '\3rv' strong applauso. . • • !^ It was a much bettor show than was proved J., by tho audience, hut there was enough excuse ' ^•■■•'.■ In tbe weather, ; .v y • ...