Billboard advertising (Dec 1917)

DECEMBER 1, 1917 The Billboard Vaudeville Reviews By Special Wire Chicago Palace (Reviewed Monday Matinee, November 26) chtedigo, Nov. 28.—An easily pleased audience witnessed a Bill which contalned eo many old favorites doing the same things they always did that the ‘program had a strong “‘rébeater™ Savor eatertainers. Yet, from a strictly polnt, the DIN lacked novelty badly. No, 1—Decima and Eddie McLean contributed four whirlwind dance pombers representing wide ly varled atyles of ballroom Thelr work Was well up to the dance standard of the Palace, which leans especially toward Seren minntes, with | Jobo getti ‘No, 3—William Gaxton and five people, Includtog four women, representing a wide range of ages, bave in Kisses, 2 sketch founded upon the idea that a properly qualifed younz man can‘induce any woman encountered to Kiss him, A wager is involved, the ellmax showing bow it ‘won because the gitl for whom Plerce gave good male support, June Belle Mason, Elale Balrd, Emma Campbell and Edna Ves lie falfiling the requirements of the female rice, ‘Twenty-two misutes, in two, with Tafficient applaure to amit of acknowledgment sn the part of the entire codpany. Xo, 4—The Watson Sisters were casily the apptause Bit of the Dill. They sing soon tn thelr intmttable manner, toterspersing chatter| Involving personalities directed at the excessive weight of Fannie, who at thnes appears far more gracefal thin her thinner sister, whose chlef forte is Kid antics, revealed via sopg. The aaallty of thelr offering completely satiated 25 six or seven encores clearly revealed, Dat there was evidently a difference of oploton regardins cuantity, for bothing but a neatly worded speech prevented the audience from stopning the bill. Twenty-one toutes, in one. No. S—A Jazz Nightmare tovolves six visible rast _members Fr Wheeler Wadsworth, who knows late a saxophone cleverty, recetving chlet program mention. Wadsworth and Joba Byam sbare singing honors of the sone embraced fm the of fering, tour pretty girls stepping out from time| to time to give the presentation a mosleal comsly action. There ts bo plot, but mach action, ‘Tro scenes, with special sets, are employed. ‘Twenty minates, several bows, ‘No. 6—Grace ‘DeMar comes before us agate with er rather confidential word pletore of things abe has witnessed, well calculated to cara many inagbs Because of the rabtle woderAerstanding of human ature. Foorteen minutes, 1a one: three bows. ‘No. 7—Marton Morgan's Art Dances agate tell the story of an impetuous yonth's fate at the bands of the gods when he invades the sanctity ‘of the veetal virgins fa ancient Rome, the eatire narrative being unraveled by wonderfully ‘executed dinces, involving the use of many beat{itot maidens who Know much of the light fntastic toe, Twenty-two minotes, with. varlous spectal settings varying from full etage to two; scveral bows, ‘No. S—James Watts did a female tmpersonstion stunt or rather series of stunts with the accent on burlesque, which bit the comedy vein of that portion of ‘the audience which stuck It out, Rex Story assists him tntelligently in Engsh make-up. Watts’ delineation of 2 song ot spring is good, bat bis wild Russian dan: to the tune of the familiar Spring Song is really 8 work of art in crude burlesque conception, Story again glviog him folthfol support. Thirteen minutes; opening ia onc, closing in fall stage.—~CASPER. HOLLIS E. COOLEY Appointed Manager of Military Entertainment Service of War Department New York, Nor. 26.—Hollls B, Cooley, one of | the trastees of the Actors’ Fund of America, has heen appointed manager of the military entertalnment service for the War Department's Commission on Tratoing Camp Activities, and has opened ofticen in the New York Theater Rul ing. Te will book shows.at the sixteen cantonment’ theaters, which will bo" known as the Liberty theaters; The Topmost é@PALACE Here Gerius-not Birth your Rank insures (Reviewed ‘Monday Matinee, November 26) New York, Nov. 26.—The bill this week is an excellent program of vaudeville. In spite of the frst appearance of the dean of the dramatic stage, William H. Crane, a8 a drawing power, it seemed during the first act that the house was not going to fill up, the cold spell probably keeping folks late, but before Miss Gillette had finished the house was packed. Mr, Crane, Miss Clayton and May Wirth were the outstanding features of a bill that was entirely up to the Palace standard. No. 1—Lucy Gillette, billed as The Lady From Delft, opens with a clog dance, and then goes into her juggling specialty. She juggles everything in sight—tables,.chairs, ete. This made an excellent opening. Eight minutes. full stage: special set; two bows. No. 2—Caites Brothers. These boys get better every time you see them. ‘The littie chap appears to be growing very fast. It's a long step from playing a suitcase circuit at $30 per up in Michigan to playing the Palace, New York, but these chaps have a dancing act all their own. Ten minutes, in one; two 8. ‘o. 3—Al and Fannie-Stedman in Pianocapers, have one of those refined “nut” acts that the Palace audience. so dearly loves, and they went over very good in this position. Bighteen minutes, in one; three bows. No, 4—Bennett and-Edwards open in full stage and then go into one with their wonderfully eccentric dancing, and this being the first comedy act of the afternoon the audience liked these boys immensely. Their opening in blackface on a darkened stage was a scream. They worked fifteen minutes and were rewarded with much applause and three bows, No.-5—Adele Rowland, bubbling over with personality and utilizing her captivating smile to the. utmost, took complete possession of the audience before she had been on the stage a minute. Her “Knitting” song was casily her best number, as it gave her unlimited scope to show her versatility. Her Jaytown Juliet and the Red Cross Recitation were both done in her own inimitable manner. Fourteen minutes, in one; three bows and encore. No. 6—William H. Crane and Company, in Winter and Spring, a human comedy playlet by Thomas F. Fallon, have a great vehicle for Mr. Crane’s mellowed art. When the veteran actor stepped out on the Palace <& stage today he was greeted with a hearty welcome on this, his first, vaudeville appearance. The play he has is of the hard-hearted grandfather order, but, nevertheless, as played by Mr. Crane and Peggy Gray, who is the granddaughter, it is a little classic. Twenty-six minutes, full stage; seven curtains. INTERMISSION No. 7—Diamond and Brennan in Nifty Nonsense, went on after the intermission, and they had to work hard for the first few minutes, but soon had the crowd with them. Ladies in the audience were raving over Miss Brennan's gold gown—it certainly is a dream of beauty. The men also were very much interested we noticed. ‘Twelve minutes, in one; four bows. No. &—Bessie Clayton, America’s own Queen of the Dance, can congratulate herself on'putting over one of the most pretentious dancing acts that has ever played the Palace. Her intimate Dance Revue of 1917, for diversity of entertainment, stands unrivaled. It has all the other dancing acts beaten a mile. And when it comes to toe dancing, why ‘Miss Clayton out-Genees Genee. She is ably assisted by Paisley Noon and the d: demons from Philadelphia, the Mosconi Brothers. Charles F. Strickland, at the piano, attracted a lot of attention. He used to have the orchestra at Heal ‘Twenty-two minutes, in full stage, special set; curtains and bows galore and a speech. No. $—Misses Lightner and Newton Alexander stepped into a soft thing following Miss Clayton, as the audience was now in a fine mood. It will be very surprising if someone does not make a star out of: the funny Miss Lightner, She 1s a very clever girl. Fifteen minutes, in one; three bows. No. 10—May. Wirth did the almost impossible. She held nearly everyone in their seats till her final trick. She works just as fast as ever, and her own personality and ability put this act in a class by itself. Eleven minutes, full stage; five people; lots of applause and two curtains.—W. T. H. DID NOT VIOLATE STATUTE $30,000, FROM SMOKE WEEK Now York, Nor. 20.—The police last might arrested Rer, Lindley Gordon, Fanate Witherspoon and Dora ‘Tevet on the charge of “giving theatrical performance at the People’s House, 12 Kant Fifteenth street, without a license. Two Policemen testifed that they bad pald one Gollar each to get Into the show, Mugistrate McQuade, ia the Night Court, discharged the ‘accused, ‘sasing that the acts described in the complaint did not come within the statute which the prisoners wero charged with violating. New York, Nov, 26,—Todsy the Columbia Amusement ‘Company mailed its cheek for {$50,000 to the American Tobacco Co,, this belng the amount collected by the stows on the CoIumbia and American circuits daring Smoke! Week, Norember 12 to 17. Within a few days ‘more than 120,000 individual smoke kits will be on thelr way to-Frauce, labeled: **Compilments ‘of tho Columbia and American Burlesque thea-| ters and thelr patons.” It is expected that the kits will be delivered in time for Christmas. Majestic, Chicago (Goviewed Monday Matinee; November 36) ‘Coicage, Nov, 26.—A slow-raamiag program was usbered into the Majestic this week, with only x few numbers tbat seemed to stir any en‘tbusiasm. The Dill lacks heavy comedy, of ‘which there was moe to speak of, while of the other and there was: too much dancing ant staging. No, 1—Orpheum Circuit Travel Weekly. No, 2 Olga and Mishka opened with a serlex ‘went over fair. The played between dances from the orchestra pit. Pifteen minutés, Ja three; two curtains. ‘No. $—Scarpioff, the boy tenor, and Varvara. the boy pianist, ‘two Roxsian artists endowed with exceptional talents, appeared in the m2: onal Russian costume, offering @ classic pianolog, which was well recelved, ‘They were re‘warded with four bows for their efforts, Twelve auinntes, in one. No, 4—Harry Girard and Company, a capable troupe-of singers, are seen in The Wall of an Exkimo, an act which Is costumed and staged most reallatically to represent the frozen North. Wut the love plot Js carried to extremes In some Jnetances ‘and the characters lack the proper punch which ts required ta the melodramatle spot, Thirty minutes, full stage and three: three bows, No. $-Keller Mack snd: Anna Earl gave the audience thelr first laugh with a Ught comedy plot, A suappy line of patter is carried on between ‘the origival songs which pleased the entire audience. Eighteen minutes, in two ant three; three bows, ‘No. 6—The Corner Store is somewhat of a dis. appointment, owing to its belng billed os a Lllarlous rural comedy. ‘Tho Yaral effects. characters and étage set lend the proper rural aspect, bat the action lacks the comedy which in expected. Ronghhouse foolishness and non: eense fall to cause any laughing sensation in ‘the audience. Sixteen.minutes, in three; three curtains. No, TClaire Rochester, billed for this pa sition, @ld not appear. Her substitutes were Count Peronne snd Delyle Alda. The count la» a stroog musical volce and offers several numbers, in a few of which he is assisted by Miss Alda, who is also bis pianist. The number was a highly pleasing ona Fifteen mtnutes, in fone; three bows, No, S—Imhoff, Conn and Coreene are seen in a new skit, entitled The Pest House, It ‘4 built along similar lines of thelr old aketch, only that this éne has lost the military appearance. ‘The scene is that of a neglected warside tavern, in which Roger Imboft, in the role of an old Irish peddlor, endeavors to put up for a night's rest, only to find-that the place ts inbablted with human pests, who annoy ‘him Leyond the" possible chance of sleep. ‘This was the only spot which brougbt a quick succession of lauzhe, ‘Thirty minutes, in three; three cur-~ rains. ‘No, 9—Blizabeth Murray occupied the headline’ potion, rendering « selection of her favorite character pumbers and a few well-told stories. ‘Miss Murray put everything over nicely and proved to be one of the most entertaining fea‘tures of the program. A No, 10—Holiday’s Dream ts worthy of any Position on any high-class Dill, A dozen or more diving girls and dancers are posed a3 statues on the stone steps and balconies of & Deautiful terraced garden set. The pantomimle dancing and water spectacle combined make this @ novel number, and the dancing and diving Kept the audience solid to the final gurtain. ‘Twenty-three minutes, in full; two curtains. — IN. ALFRED NELSON ON PAROLE ‘appeal for executive clemency on the part of Alfred Nelson, serving a sentence of seven to ten years for manslaughter. Nelson was granted his relewse on parole, the same to take effect December 20, provided be had a guarantee at that, time of a position. ‘The Billboard bas given assurance that a place awalts Nelson, and he will be able to enjoy a real Christmas this year. Nelson has already served two and ¢ Dalf rs and was in Jall four att a half years awaiting trial, ADDITIONAL REVIEWS : ON PAGE 8