New York Clipper (Feb 1923)

20 THE NEW YORK CLIPPER February 14, 1923 B. F. Keith's — RIVER8I DE — Now ORPHEUM, Next Week Feb. 19—ROYAL, Feb. 26—BROADWAY, March 5—KEITH'S, BOSTON, Manh 12—ALBEE, PROVIDENCE, March 19—KEITH'S, LOWELL, March 26—ALHAMBRA, AprU 2. CLAUD & MARION "STILL ARGUING!" MINNIE ALLEN, ANNIE KENT A CO. TheMtm—Proctor's Fifty-eighth Street. Stjla—Comedy skit. Time— Fifteen minutes. StAHaz—Special. This is a comedy of reminucences caUed "Why Cry," the anthorship of which 19 credited to Miss Kent Both lave been veteran choristers that have lest thcar charnu to divers *^rkey shows." Miss Kent, who is the comic of the act, drops in on her pal to find that fortune has been exceedingly kind. While it has smiled at Miss AUen, it has not even given Miss Kent a ripple. Their snbseonent talk of old tiines is punctuated with an abundance of wit and some clever clowning by Miss Kent The Sone is kept bnzzhig with admirers of iss Alleo, beseeching her for permis- sion to lavish costly gifts upon her. This gives both Annie and the audience an idea that Minme has turned "gold- digger," but at the climax she lets every- body into the secret. The little patch of land Annie persuaded her to buy ont of her scant savings has developed into valuable oil properties. She is going to share it all with her pal. Just before the curtain she yells Tm the Oil Queen," with Miss Kent reta l iating with "Then I mnst be the oil can." ■The act u pnt over a lively gait with both woildng like trojans to plant their laughs and making them count for full value. Early in the proceedings. Miss Keat ptit over a comedy song that was a -wow." The act should be a great feature for the small E. J. B. MARTIN AND GREENWALD TttMtn—Proctor's Fifth Ave. . StylB^omedy skU. TisBB — Fifteen mimiies. SttOng.—Special. These two men have woven a sidewalk conversation act into a production, thus making their talk stuff sdl for additional value. One worla as a "hebe" comic and the other as a race-track tout. They come together in front of the "hebe's' tenement on the East Side. The .tout learns that the "hebe" has "ten grdnd" reposing in his pocket and he immedi- ately sets out to separate him from the roll by inBuencinK him to bet on a sure- fire tip on a horse. The scene changes to the race-track. Both indulge in some bright cross-fire. The tout manages to st e el his prey onto a bad horse. He makes a deal with the "bookie" to take the bet and dieyHl split the profits. The horse nms second, but the wmner is later disqualified and die "boob" gtta the money. When the wise fcnt tries to "mootch" a cnt in the wmnings he is elected to the air, which again goes to prove that the lobster is the wise gny after aU. The act is put over in a spee<^ tempo and has much to recommend it for nov- elty and genuine comedy value. It is a strong feature for small time and could also hold its own in an early spot on die big time biUs. E. J. B. PARAMOUNT FOUR style— Songs. Time— Fifteen minutes. Setting—/n one. A male quartette, working in tux, of- fering a pleasing variety of songs, dances and instrumental numbers. The boys are all neat appearing and have fairly good voices. They open with "We Can't Keep Away From Old Broadway," follow with a clever "busi- ness" dance and play a zobo solo on their cane handles. They return to harmonize "A Picture Without a Frame." The baritone follows with a solo, with the others coming in on the choras. One of the boys steps out with a fast eccoitric, getting in some clever ankle and scissors steps. All join forces in an instru- mental number, utilizing three banjos and a guitar. They close with a yodel- ing number that takes them off to good applause. The act can do well in an early spot on any small time bill. ' E. J. B. RUSSELL AND MARTONI Theatre—ColiiCTon. Style—/listnonenla/. Tisob—Twelve minutes. Setting—Onf. There are times, during the Russell and Martoni offering, that one can't hdp but think of the Phil Baker and Ben Hemic combination of several years ago. The Russell and Martoni offering is also a violin and accordion duo, and are also two very neat-appearing boys. As far as comedy goes, these two chaps omit that entirely, and perhaps it's just as well that they do. Their work on the instruments is very good, most of tiielr numbers being of the popular publiabed repertory, and effectively arranged. At this house they almost stopped the show in the second spo't when reviewed. _ They|ll do more than nicely on a big time hill in an early spot. G. J. H. RUSSELL AND HAYES Theatre— Hamilton. Stylo—Acrobatic. Timt—Eight minutes. Setting— In one. These two men were spotted second at this house, although Hbey do an acro- batic routine and followed an acrobatic offering. The work consists of gymnas- tic and tumbling stunts, all of which are very well done and some ex c ep ti o na lly good stunts are offered in the routine. They keep up a rmming line of chatter all the way through the act, which at times tends to become boresome. They could easily omit some of the talk for one or two of the stmits. The acrobatic work is good enough to place them for a dosmg act, preferably, m any big time house: G. JT H. Direction E. K. NADEL, PAT CASEY AGENCY most of it being original. For an en- core they included a few words, one say- ing his stuff was going to be "lighning" and the other anoimdng his stunt would bring on the storm which was a bit of eccentric dancing. Both sell their stuff well and go through with the routine unspoiled as yet. Their music is late material, some of it being from the show "Eliza," which also helps. M. H. S. GREY AND YOUNG Tbemtxe—Regent. Style—Comedy. T imt i Thirteen trinutes. Setting—/n oru. Roger Grey, of musical comedy fome, tired of trying to make actresses out of chorus girls, has at last taken a partner who is a fine little comedienne and the results speak for themselves. Grey, as a traffic cop, enters into conversation with a young lady from the bucolic re- gions who has come to the dty to get married, having sent a picture to her fiance. She naively confesses that she sent a picture of Mary Pickford but signed her name so it was all right There is a good deal of familiar comedy handled in a novel manner and several bits that are brand new. "I Love Flowers" is funny but not in the vaude- ville mood, the business putting it over. Grey has a good line when, as the girl exits showing her leg, he says. "You can't tempt me, my weakness u liquor." His "Reincarnation" song is good, but again, it is not the best thing for a vaudeville audience. The double dance finish is great and puts the act over for a fine band at the end. The act should have very little trouble in finding work and should prove a good attraction. C C. THOMPSON AND COVAN Theatre—/e/Trr^on. Style— Dancing. Time—10 Minutes. Setting—/n "one." ' A colored team with an excellent assortment of soft shoe buck and wing, and eccentric stei>s, that will be suitable for big time presentation with a little more work. They open as a double, with buck and wing dandng, and follow it with another on the same order. These steps in- cluded a little bit of everything done by the dancers of the past and present plus a few steps of their own. Doing their eccentric stuff they alternated with each other until each bit got across, and the act at the finish was a decided fait S. KEENE AND WILLIAMS Theatre—Frortor'j Fifty-eighth Street. Styla—Comedy skit. Time— Fifteen minutes. Setting_/» "one" and "two." The same ingredients that formed the basic plot of Marie Dressler's musical success, "Tillie's Nightmare," are doing a like service for this "two" act, which is called "A Roadside Flirtation." The woman of the act carries off com- edy honors as a misfit country girl type, whose awkwardness and affected bash- fulness makes her an excellent foil for the man who does a city chap. At the outset we find &e bucolic Juliet creating a piece of personal adorn- ment from a knitting yam and yarning about the wild time she had at the movies the night before. Her father is heard off stage calling her to bring in the wood. We neirt find her face to face with the slick city feller. There is some lively cross-fire, most of which is of semi- suggestive nature, but which tidcled the audience. Small time audiences seem to eat this "blue" stuff up. After much clowning there is a proposal. She is hurrying off to make ready for the elope- ment when there is a flash-out At the ensuing illumination we find her cuddled on a bench, where she has been reposing- in slumber. Her near romance was no more a reality than was Tillie's. The woman gives an excellent char- acterization of the "boob" type of coun- try girl, while the man fills m nicely in a role that is more or less that of a feeder for his partner. E. J. B. W. A. BRADY, JR., ON RADIO William A. Brady, Jr., who has been managing "The World We Live In" at the 44th Street theatre, stepped into a breach last Saturday night and substituted for his father by making a speech on "Conditions in the American Theatre," over the radio in Newark. Wichita^ Crawford FOR FEBRUARY, MARCH and APRIL Every Good Attraction Should Get CAPACITY. Busineu is Great in Wichita. KANSAS carr office: e. s. E. U MARTUNC, Mcr, OmwM M Victor VLiM- itevb Wichita, "