New York Clipper (Feb 1923)

12 THE NEW YORK CLIPPER February 14. 1923 "FOOLIES OF 1923" thutZK—Regent. Style— Comedy revue.^ Timb — Tieenty-two minutes. Setting—"One" to full stage (specials). "The Foolies of 1923" iniglit just as well be billed "for langhin^c purposes only." Ed Conrad is responsible for the act. whicb features Husfa Herbert. hitD- self and Birdie ConradL Lew Hunting is the other featured member of the cast, which includes two freaks, one be- ing a fat Udy and the other a skeleton giant, and a girL There u no plot to the IFoolies" and pcacticalhr no sense to it But, meas- ured in laughs, it is a tremendous suc- cess. It might be called a burlesque on the "Chaove Souris," and then again it migjit be called a lot of other things. The "Chanve Souris" part comes in with Eddie Conrad, who does a burlesque BalieS before each scene in the revue, amionncing them in misplaced and mis- pronounced English which is good for a scream of laughter before the actual scene is done. The first scene is "Taking Baby's Pic- tuTC," in which Hugh Herbert, Birdie Goourad. Lew 'Hunting and the tat girl OS the baby is seen. The next scene is on the street, with the same people, and introduces the giant skeleton at the fin- ish for a riot "The Tin Types" serves as a song and dance parade tor the en- tire cast with the exception of Ed Con- , rad. The finale u a hokum Egyptian scene with all present again. 'There's no use trying to describe the bits in each scene, for they are too non- sensical and hokiuiatical to be described. All diat need be said is that they are full of laughs from start to finish. The sort of laughs whidi can be drawn from any Audience, big or small time. Preferabb' big time, for the offering b too fimny to be wasted on the three-a-day route. G. J. H. NEW ACTS AND REAPPEARANCES JEAN ADAIR AND CO. TbtMtn—Regent. atyto—-T*e Cake-Eaters." Tba»—Eighteen minutes: SfMBf~Three-(sftcial). Tom Barry Is responsible for the new • playlet which Jean Adair is using for a vehicle, called "Tbe Cake^ters," which should serve Miss Adair folljr as long as any of her previous offenngs, even longer. Miss Adair has always done the most lovable "mother" charac- ter in vaudeville, and in this playlet of "cookie-sniffers" and ' "flapperism" she loses none of the sweetness and charm which have always been her greatest assets. "The Cake^ters" is a tale of a young boy who is about to leave college in order to many a flapper whom hb mother has not met The mother, anx- ions to see what sort of a ^1 her son has selected, goes to an affair with him and insists on not being introduced as his mothtr in order to get a glimpse of the §'rVi character when acting naturally. ie also meets a boy friend of her son's who begins to make love to her. She meets the fiance of her son and gives her to onderstand that she !s in love with Billy (the son) also. The flapper tells her that she is only getting married in order to be freer, and be able to have good times. On learning that the elder woman loves Billy and will not ^ve him up, the flapper Insults her,-and b over- heard by her fianc& Whereupon she receives the grand order of the ozone. Motiier and son come to an understand- iiig, after the boy has introduced her as his mother to his friend and the former sweetheart The lines are very clever, and the cast «n that could be desired. The playlet holds interest from start to finish, and should hold a spot easily on any big time bflL G. J. H. "VIOLIN BEAUTIES" TbeAtn—Proctor's 23rd St. Stfie—Revue. Timt—Fifteen minutes. SettiBt—Special. 'Five charming violinistes and a girl singer comprise this act The singer opens the act with a brief introdtictory. The silken dro^ lifts and reveals the five violimstes playing a selection behind a scrim. They planted themselves with "When You and I Were Young, Mag- gie." The singer returns in an old- ushioned costume and puts over "In the Days of Auld Lang Syne," with the violin girls coming in on the chorus. They follow with a° selection in jazz tempo, the singer poin^ into a snappy jazz dance. The violimstes stay on for a popular medley that brought them a ^ood hand, later giving way to the singer m a Chinese number, with the musicians augmenting her on the repeat dorus. All are garbed in Chinese costumes. t'Yankee Doodle Blues," with the entire sextette working at top speed tempo and the singer doing another fast dance, brings the act to a great finbh. The five girb are musicians of more than passing ability and get over their numbers for a "good sell." What the singer lacks in voice she overshadows with animation and showmanship that gets her over just as well. The offering IS a great closing number for the small time bills. . E. J. B. AUCE & LUCILLE SHELDON Theatre—/efferjim. Styln—Singing. Tisat—Txpelve minutes. Setting— "one." Sister act doing the usual routine of pnblished-songs in an offering suitable for the three-a-day at present Both have fair voices that blend well and with more work will undoubtedly have better stage presence. The girls follow each other, opening as a single, and singing the sane version of a song about the act being split and each b waiting^ for -their new partner. The partners faiUng to put in an appear- ance the sbters meet and decided to do their old act for the time being. Subsequently they sang a duet that was fair and_ followed it with a single, one of the girb singing a ballad at the piano. The second chorus of the ballad brought out the other sbter, as an up- to-the-tninnte rounder who smoked ciga- rettes and also took a swig out of a pocket flask. The song was about the kind of girb men marry, etc. This lat- ter bit strengthened the number consid- erably. For a closing song they sang a blues number with one of them strum- ming on a ukelele. The patter was rath- er long and not on the style usually sung in the East. M. H. S. PROF. EDWARD BAMBERG Theattt—Proctor's 23rd St. Style—JVoi/Wty. Time— Twelve minutes. Setting—FM//. Thb act b done by an entomologist, who features an African beetle^ "Syko," which he calls "the insect with a human mind." A lecturer explains that the professor has trained the beetle to a state of intelligence. The professor comes on in a tropical costume and de- posits the beetle on a glassy surface containing the letters of At alphabet and numerals ranging from one to ten. The layout reminds one of an enlarged ouija board. The professor then passes into the audience. Any article he touches is spelled upon the board by the beetle. (He next affixes a board containing the symbols of the various suits of an ordi- nary deck of playmg cards and has members of the audience select a card. Upon selection the beetle points out the number as well as the suit called for. A number of figures are called for, picked out by the beetle and assembled on a blackboard and then added by the insect. As a final test the insect spells anybody's name in the audience who makes iht request The novelty of flie act will get it by for strong applause on any bill. E. J. B. THE GRACE TWINS Theatre—Proffof'j 23rd SI. Stjlt—Songs. Time— Fifteen minutes. StWng—Special, in "one." The girb are harmony singers of good appearance and fairly pleasant singing voices. A chorus of "Birds of a Feath- er" brings them on in blue satin cloaks. They do a bit of dancing and put over some talk stuff that is named to plant their next number, "No Wonder You're Lonesome." Upon their return they have discarded the cloaks, revealing pretty evening gowns, and offer "Har- mony Baby" and wind up with "Down in Maryland." The act did well in second spot at this house. E. J. B. SHURA RULOWA AND CO. Theatre—/fonu/fon. Style— Dancing. Time— Twenty minutes. Setting—FuK stage (.special). Shura Riilowa, we are given to under'- stand, is half of the former combination of the Ruloff-Rulowa ballet act For her offering Miss Rulowa b supported by four ballet girb and a male dancer. The offering has been attractively staged, and fairly well routined, but will serve at best for a flash in the better small time houses. The four girb are probably students in some ballet sdiool. and while attractive of face and form, have as yet a good ways to go before acquiring diat finesse and polish which b necessary for a big time ballet offering. Rulowa is a very good toe-dancer and also does some fine ballet and Russian work with her male assbtant The musical setting of the act hasn't been arranged with very careful attention and could be vastly improved upon. "Nola," for instance, is a very good number for an orchestra or piano solo, but hardly b effective for a toe- . dance. The girls should be rehearsed more carefully. G. J. H. LEEDUM AND STAMPER Theatre— Coliseum. Style— Comedy. Time— Twenty-four minutes. Setting— One. Coral Melnotte, Harry Tighe and John Gardner have been the partners of Edna Leedum during the past two or three seasons. We may have omitted some, but those three will suffice for a "past performances" summary. Of the three, we are of the impression that John Gard- ner lasted the longest. A summary of the "past performances" of Dave Stamper is unnecessary. There was a week and a half in vaudeville with Helen Groody, but that isn't worth speaking about However, the combination of Edna Leedum and Dave Stamper certainly b worth talking about. It will soon be in the class of the best man and woman comedy acts on the circuit—if it lasts. Paul Gerard Smith is responsible for the act. which is billed as "The Encore." Smith evidently couldn't get a good opening for the act, and figured "get them on stage, and then begin to worry." "The opening consists of the old bit, which Janet Martine and Con Conrad did a few years ago, that of the man 'phoning to some one, in this case. Stamper to Zieg- feld, telling him that he'll be over to see him in ten minutes, then discovering the woman entering, and telling the person on the 'phone that he'll be over to- morrow. This gets them on stage, and that's that. The talk contains a few remarks about Mbs Leedum's figure, or rather lack of it, which were used by her in other acts. Sue appears now in an afternoon frock, loosely constructed, in which she is very attractive. For, figure or no figure, Edna Leedum is a ver>- pretty girl. Stamper b becoming as good an actor as he b a composer. No one. would recognize this confident, assured young man, who reads lines with the ease of a veteran performer, as the scared, ama- teurish chap who worked with Helen Groody. The answer is siinple. Groody and Stamper were both new to vaude- ville, and neither could back the other up. Mbs Leedum adds confidence to Stamper and the results are very grati- fying. There are some very funny bits in the act There's no getting away from the fact that Miss Leedum b one of the best natural "nut" comediennes to be seen. And she and Stamper are fitted together like hand and glove. The one fault with the act is the length of time it runs. Twenty-four minutes are too many for good results. Either the "Dumbbell" bit or some others could be eliminated. Something should, to cut it down. Then it will hold its own on any bill in any spot. G. J. H. EMMA STEPHENS Theatre—Proc/or** Fifth Ave. Style— Songs. Time— Fifteen minutes. StttiBg—Special. Miss Stephens has voice, animation, personality and a pleasing cycle of songs that should make her a strong favorite on any bill. She comes on in a black evening gown, trimmed with jet spangles, sings a brief introductory, working into her first number, "Prudence Was Pru- dent" She follows with a ballad, "The Sunrise Reminds Me of You." She ac- companies herself on the piano for a fantastic number, "Tick Tocfc," and brings her offering to a close with "Keep On Smiling." Miss Stephens had an early position when caught at this house. Nevertheless this did not handicap her in getting over for a genuine hit. At any odds, she de- serves better than number two spot E. J. E. MME. BRADNA TbtAtn—Jefferson. Style— Circus act. Time— Eight minutes. Setting— Full stage (eyes). Assisting Mme. Bradna are two men in clown make-up and a groom for the horses, .\nimab in the act include two ponies and several dogs. Many pigeons are in the offering, also. The usual stuff is done, Mme. Bradna opening with a bit of bareback riding, putting one of the ponies through his paces, making the dogs jum{> through a hoop, and then releasing the pigeons, who flew around before alighting on a small For the closing bit there was a parade of a wagon, with all hands working dogs, pigeons eitiier riding or following the wagon. Makes a fair circus act for the three-a-day, for it is hardly big or fast enough for the big-time bills. - >Mme. Bradna has for years been con- nected with the big circuses, last year with Ringling Bros.