New York Clipper (Feb 1923)

February 14, 1923 THE NEW YORK CLIPPER 9 COLONIAL It's a great week {or the stage crew here. Nine acts, and every one of them uses its own special setting, most of them "eyes," and one in particular, Howard and Qark, carry enough hangings to do credit to the most gorgeous of musical comedy produc- tions. The stage hands deserve all the credit in the world for their handling of &e show on Monday matinee. With the holiday price scale up, the Colonial did a big matinee business, the orchestra being packed and but few vacant seats upstairs. The Star-Spangled Ban- ner" started the show, and to observe Lin- coln's birthday, his Gettysburg address was recited at the opening of the second half by Charles Moran, of the Paulist Fathers school, the lad handling the famous speech very nicely. The Great Johnson gave a snappy start to the layout with a routine of contortion stunts, which included aerial and iron-jaw work. Markwell and Gay deuced it, offer- ing mostly dance bits, the girl doinf; tap- work, and the man acrobatic eccentric bits with an easy, unexertive "«»""*^ which went over greaL Edward LcRoy Jlice's contribution to the old-timer revival, in "The Phenomenal Players," moved along nicely, and worked up to a wonderful hit. The turn is framed well, and the specialties brought out ef- fectively. Maude Detty danced to big re- sults, Paul Hamlin did a song and dance bit nicely, Blanche Newcomb was charm- ing in an impression of her father, Bobby Newcomb: Banks Winters rendered his famous "White Wings," W. H. Thompson had a strong inning with "Maggie," and Maggie Le Clair made them laugh with her Irish bits. Hall and Dexter stopped the show cold with a pot-pourri of comedy, dancing, sing- ing and instrumental work, all rolled into one offering without one break in the rou- tine, both performers being together on stage from the start to the finish of the act. They have some very clever bits, and handle them well. Probably the most beautifully staged act in vaudeville is being offered b^ Howard and Qark with their "Etchings trom Life" vehicle, in which they are supported by James J. Morton, Amidia, Tillie and La Rue, Marion Pratt, Betty I.awrence and the Adelaide and Hughes chorus. Most' beautiful, not because anything is mag- nificent^ or gorgeous, but more because everything is dainty, tasteful, soothing to the eyes, and brought out wonderfully. Except for Howard and Clark and Morton there is little done by those in the cast. These three, however, do enough to carry it over to big results. Morton's aimouncc- ments are full of laughs, and the smging of Joe Howard as good as ever. Miss Clark is more beautiful every time she ap- pears, and the quality of her voice is al- ways more than pleasing. Yvette Rugel could have remained in view and sung on indefinitely. Her reper- toire is fine, and her voice excellent. She has tone, power, control and a wonderful -enunciation. Leo Feiner rendered capable assistance at the piano. Laura Pierpont is doing a new act, staged in two, in which she is supported by two men. In this offering, as in the last vehicle she did, she appears in several characters, as a "rube," society" woman and "dop>c-ficnd." It isn't quite as effect- ively written as the former vehicle, but will serve the purpose of bringing out her talents fairly well. J. Rosamond Johnson and Company also scored a riot with their musical offering, which ended with some real negro jazz that brought the house down. A woman is now in the act, Eloise Bennett, who has more class and poise than any colored girl we've ever seen in vaudeville. The others in the company include a singer, pianist, drummer (who also dances) and violinist, all of whom do their work well. Mang and Snyder closed with a gymnastic offer- ing of merit. G. J. H. VAUDEVILLE REVIEWS PALACE Many comedy acts on a bill replace with familiar turns. As an added attraction for Monday only, Frank McGlynn gave a "characteristic" portrayal of Abraham Lin- coln opening intermission. This let the show out about 5:45. Jlaffayette's Dogs gave a fair start to the first half, the dogs being of the more common breeds, doing clever things with a touch of novelty. In the second spot, Al Espe and Charles Dutton. in "Variety Itself," get into their stride in an act that starts where most of such offerings leave off. After their open- ing song and dance stuff, and the piece de resistance, that of the cannon ball being caught on one of the men's shoulders, they work in "one" again in a hand-balancing and acrobatic affair that was good for sev- eral laughs also. Vaughn Comfort, tenor, with Jinunie Jones at the piano, apparently did well with a good selection of songs. His voice is pleasing, of good quality and his enuncia- tion good. The vehicle of Mildred Harris (formerly Mrs. Charlie Chaplin) and company, with S. Miller Kent, entitled "Movie Mad," by Edwin Burke, proved to be a well-written comedy equally well executed, with Miss Harris in the role of a banker's daughter, who impersonates a poor country maid in order to get into the movies on her own. The laughs were numerous, both Mr. Kent and Lavine Shannon doing much to get them. Miss Harris has a charming per- sonality, is not without talent, and is of the type that can wear clothes. "The offer- ing is a novelty sketch with sufficient merit to make it a good vaudeville atraction ex- clusive of the name of Miss Harris. Plus the "name" it is that much more of a draw- ing card, and one that makes good. Chie of the best of our vaudeville co- mediennes is contained in the act of Edna Leedom and Dave Stamper, dojng Paul Gerard Smith's "The Ejicore," a breezy laugh-getter. Miss Leedom's comedy is ever refreshing and her style never misses. In addition to lier fun-making qualities she has a good voice that is there in a pinch also. Stamper played a few tunes from his Ziegfeld scores. He has little to do, but makes a ^ood partner for Miss Leedom, who is doing the best work of her career. The first half was closed by Charles B. Withers and company in his travesty on an old-time melodrama being run off at a small town theatre. Although he has been doing "For Pitjr's Sake" for some time both here and in England, the offering seems to have lost none of its comedy qaalities, and goes over as strong as ever. A few changes here and there, and im- provement in Wither's comedy stunts, make the vehicle as pleasing as though it were being seen for tne first time. Following intermission Frank McGlynn, who created the famous role of Abraham Lincoln in Drinkwater's play of that name, gave an interesting little performance as Lincoln delivering some of his most noted speeches, etc., concluding with the Gettys- burg address. The portrayal added a little variety to the bill, and being artistically done was received accordingly. Dave Seed and Ralph Austin in "Things and Stuff" scored as usual with their well- known comedy offering, officially opening the second half. Pat Rooney, Marion Bent and company in "Rings of Smoke," with Ted and Kath- ryn Andrews and the Kings of Harmony, held everyone despite the fact that the act runs almost an hour, and registered their usual hit. Davis and Pelle in an "Equilibristic Marathon" closed the show. The hour was late but they held in the big audience well. M. H. S. BROADWAY Noel Lester & Co., the "Co." consisting of a pleasant little girl, whose duties in the act consisted in putting the crimp in Lester's magic stunts and in being cute, opened the show to a fine start. Lester performs the usual magic feats, mystifying enough until the girl shows how they are done. He has one stunt that he doesn't tip, however, that of lifting a table up by his finger tips, that is a peach. His levita- tion with the girl, supposed to be sus- pended in the air, coming out from the wings to see what he is doing, is fine, and his slack-wire work with the ventrihMiuial bit thrown in puts a fine finish to the act This act can make good in almost any spot. Barrett and Freeman gave a good exhi- bition of song and dance work. The act is really a dancing act, but the two put in just enough comedy to give them a breath- ing space. The old style barroom is a good piece of business, and their imita- tions of dancing favorites help to make the act, the fast finish getting Ae big band. Robert JleiUy & Co. present a few min- utes of Irish romance, interspersed with some fine comedy. The act is clean and sweet, with the brogue not too much over- done and the comedy honors going to the kid, who works hard and deserves the hand he wins. Reilly sings several nom- bers, and the winsome colleen helps matters along with her looks and dancing. The plot is not strong enough to hurt, but the act is so framed that the plot is a minor consideration. One of the best acts of the Irish type we have seen and vastly im- proved since it broke in several months ago. Dolly Kay, breaking in a new act, scored heavily. Miss Kay, looking chanmng and tastefully gowned, went through a reper- toire of publuhed numbers, most of them of the "blue" type, and cleaned up. She has an easy manner of working, the only fault in the act being a tendency, at times, of the orchestra to play over her voice so that she had almost to shout in the pianis- simo portions to make herself heard. She opens with "Wet Your Thumb," following with "Seven or Eleven," "Lost—A Won- derful Man" and giving as an encore "You've Got to See Mamma." She throws herself into every number and doesn't miss a trick. A fine worker and a fine act, ranking with the best of its kind. Ernie Golden and his orchestra, held over for a second week, have changed their set- ting and some of their routine. They now have a silk drop with curtains in the back which part on a smaller stage. On this, in three of the numbers, are displayed scenes or people intended to enhance the numbers. For "Tomorrow" a portion of "Kentucky Home" is introduced, and a col- ored boy playing a banjo is seen up stage. During the "Parade of the Wooden- Sol- diers" a company of painted wooden sol- diers IS dra\vn across the stage as if on parade, and during the second chorus of "Homesick" a girl made up as a grand- mother is seen as the curtains part The only fault with these effects is that they are shown too soon and last too long. Otherwise the act is great and gets °a big hand. In "The Thief Golden now uses a white wig as the old composer, while his men don black masks as the thieves. Howard and Lewis, following (lolden, didn't find the going at all hard. They busted rii;ht in on them, and from the first slap in the face until the last they did as they pleased and the crowd out front ate it up. This team get a lot of langhs no matter where they work, and they cer- tainly were a hit on Monday. Frank Sidney & Co., presenting a fine jumping and acrobatic act, Sidney bemg ably assisted by a girl and a dog, made an acceptable closing act. C. C. RIVERSIDE Patria, provoked by the observance of Lincoln's Birthday, permeated the bill at the Riverside last Monday afternoon. Dur- ing the intermission Sol Bloom, the newly elected (jongressinan, delivered a brief, laudatory oration in memory of the mar- tyred President in which he encouraged those who had not reached the pinacle of success to carry on as Lincoln did. His- torical records record that the statesman had encountered failure in seven or eight ventures. Instead of weakeoing. he fou«it the harder until he had accomplished his goal. The Lime Trio, male comedy aerobaU. gave the show a lively send-off with a rou- tine of acrobatics and cootortioo stunts that were truly remarkable and in which they managed to inject a semblance of co m e tfy. Carter and Cornish, onbleadhed dancers, followed with a speedy routine of danees. They offered two clever doubles, a couple of solos and wound up with one of the fastest dances the reviewer has seen here- abouts in some time. Mrs. Gene Hughes and Qnnpany did nicely in third spot in her comedv classic, "Youth." She essays the role ot a mod- ernized grandmother who happens in npoa her daughter and granddaughter to find that they are stifling all feminine charms behind antiquated costumes. Grandma in- jects her pep into the home^ establish- ment, turns the cocoons into radiant but- terflies and assists her granddan^ter in landing the yornig man of her choicei The Wilton Sisters, harmony sionrs of unusnal ability, offered a lively andnaation of songs and instrumental numbers. Th^ opened in kid costume with "How'd Yon like to Be a Kid Again?" offered a vio- lin and piano duet and dosed with another popular number. Gladys dark and Henry Bergman dosed the first half with a deUghtfnl comedy, with songs, entitled "Seminary Mary. Bergman essays a traveling salesman vnto has missed his train and wandered into the prohibitive refuge of a girl's boarding schooL Here he meets Mary, who ttns out to be a kid sweetheart When the prim principal discovers them and yells "Uis- missall" Mary lauqjis and retorts, "No, Marriage 1" Sandwiched between the dia- logue and action are a nnmber of songs which they put over in ^rezt style, top- ping several of them off with a dance. The act is by far the best vehicle this versa- tile team have had in a great while. Irene Franklin, singing comedienne, gave the second section its start with her de- lightful characterizations and delectable songs. Miss Franklin planted herself with a novelty number. "In the Spotlight" She followed with a lyrical wail of a com- muter, "I Want to Go Back," which packed more than one laugh wallop and finally knocked them off their pins with "What Have Vou Got On You Hip?" "Help! Hdpl HelpP and "The Waitress From CHiiids" were among her other comedy gems that brought many rounds of ap- plause, and before she could get away the mob made her revive "Red Head," which, received as good a hand as this song ever brought Miss Franklin. Claude and Marion, a mixed team in .which the oversized woman handles the comedy ^d displays rare versatility, kept the audiences in roars with a- routine of nifty nonsense and songs. Vivicnne Segal and Harry Carroll also got over for a huge hit in a repertoire of songs, old and new. Miss Segal was in exceptionally good voice and put her num- bers over for a good hand. Carroll chimed in occasionally with a bright number, ducted with his partner in several other and played a medley of his former song snccesses. Miss Segal incorporated a veritable fashion show in the offering by displaying a gorgeous gomi with each Captain H. C. Mclntyre and Company closed the show with an artistic exhibition of sensational marksmanship. E. J. B.