New York Clipper (Mar 1923)

10 THE NEW YORK CLIPPER March 14, 1923 BROADWAY The opeaing act at the house this week, "Scolptor's Osiden," shows two women and a. man in "artistic" poses. They are all plentifully covered with white or gilt paint but very little else. The act pleased the Broadway audience. Arthur Angel, looking like a G. A. R. vet, tells about the change in the way s<nig3 were sung when he was younger and the waj they do them on the rialto, giving an illustration with two versions of "Darling I Am Growing Old." Angel keeps in character very weU, his voice be- ing typical of the part he plays. His work on the clarinet is amusing and his fast dance finish is good, but we believe that hi? sad ending, for a finals his getting a letter that he is^ too old to play in his home town band, is unnecessary and out of. place, even thou^ the acting is good. Msibel Bntk^ on third, was the 6rst act to make any real attempt to wake the audience up. Miss Bnrke and her accom- panist both have good voices and put over their songs weU. They move along to a good band for every one of their mmibers until they come to the finish, the medley of illustrated songs, the illustration being shown in the form of a moving picture ending with "Yankee Doodle Blues" which is a Knockout for them. The act went over greaL It is a dean, sweet act and deserves everything it gets in the way of success. Lane and Freeman give a great im- personation of two men meeting after not having seen each other for six years. The act develops from this start into a great comedy offering' with both characters pro- viding the comedy, said comedy being absolutely natural, and, therefore, twice as funny. The doughnut bit is worked up to a good langfa and their rendition of "Allies for a closing takes them off to a good hand. There are.a good many new and original gags in the act and the team deserve credit for working them out. If more acts would try for new gags instead of usin^ the old hoke stuff and try to get away with it less trade paper critics would .suffer irom sleeping sickness. Gssie and Georgie Sewell have rather a pretentious offering, well costumed and tastefully set. Another girl is used in the act who acts as an annoimcer, impersonat- ing the Goddess Terpsichore, pronounced for the occasion in three syllables, the Goddess playint; the piano and singing be- sides. In the end she awards the golden laurel wreath to the sisters for winning the prize by walking upstairs without waking their husbands or something like that. The ^rls do several routines of dandng, finish- m^ with a jazz eEfect the best numbers bemg the Russian and the Oriental, and perhaps the Irish jig. Harry Breen really scored , the applanse ' hit of the afternoon in spite of the fact that practicany every one in the house had seoi him before and that he was not using a single new line, in fact he even left out some of bis old stand-bys. It is the speed ' wiA which he works, combined with the underlying philosophy beneath his nut ex- terior that gets to nis audiences and makes 1dm the success he is. His conversation with the imaginanr ihommer is delightfully true to Ufe and his talk about the lower East Side is done naturally and as though he really loved the neighborhood. . "^reatioos" with Mons. Berg draping gowns oo two good-looking living models closed the bilL This act is saved from dragging by tile excellent showmanship of the creator, who claps his hands and poses aroond nimself jnst enough to put it over without laying it on too thick. His gowns are fine. Ernie Golden headlines the bill here for •the sixth consecutive week with his popu- larity stronger than ever, but did not ap- pear'at this performance. C. C. Rajr Raymcad and Dorothy Mackmye are rdiearsing a new act for Tauderille which win shortly be shown in the Keith houses. EIGHTY-FIRST STREET Six acts of vaudeville and Charles Chap- lin_ in his latest screen triumph, "The Pil- grim," combine forces and talents in' a rattling good bill here. Prefacing the showing of the Chaplin film. Manager Lewis has foregone the prologue for a musical novelty called "Reminiscent Melo- dies." It's a motion picture stunt that is a sort of parody on "Topics of the Day." The introduction states that it is to be a mem- ory test in a musical way to determine how many of the old favorites are still remem- bered. The choruses of a number of veteran melodies from "Sidewalks of New York" to "Daisy Dell" are flashed upon the screen with comic captions and an invita- tion to the audience to sing them. The novelty proved a great laugh-getter with the mob and many enjoyed chiming in on the medley of choruses. The Bellis Duo started off the vaude- ville section with an aerial gymnastic offer- ing. Both the man and the woman did many remarkable stunts individually^ and later joinod forces for several thrillers among which was a teeth hold that was every whit as thrilling as the most "creepy" mystery play in town. Valentine and True, substituting at the eleventh hour for Vaughan ComTort, of- fered a fairly diverting mixture of hoakum and songs blended into an offering called "The Elopement" The girl has been be- trothed to a wealthy gent, whom she does not love. Her old sweetheart looms upon the scene and persuades her to elope. His timidity' about the whole affair riles the girl and she sends him away after deliver- ing a lecture chiding him for his lack of cavemanish habits. She tells him she doesn't love him because he isn't brave. . The man she could adore, she continues, is one who would pick her np and carry her off whether she liked it or not. In a fit of desperation he knocks her tmcon- scious with a blow from a brick and car- ries her off. The act is interspersed with several songs. Were it not for the lack of laugh materia] this act would have gone over for a wow. As it was, it closed to mild applause. Anderson and Graves were as delightful as ever in their aerial novelty, "Living on Air." The action is set in a suspended aeroplane, the idea of the aeroplane bun- galow having been hit upon to defeat the high cost of Uving._ The nsual _ family wrangle and the stupidity of the wife fur- nishes the greater part of the comedy. The novelty of the setting is another valu- able asset in getting the piece over for a big hit Emil Boreo, late feature of the "Chauve Souris," also went over well with _ his mixture of French. Russian and .American songs, his comedy antics and dancing. After having devoted the greater part of his offering to foreign songs to clown variety, he contrasted with "Pagliacci." Everything he offered was enthusiastically received whidi augurs well for his .success in vaudeville. Dudley Lidell and Del Gibson followed in an offering that was dangerously similar to a previous vaudeville-act of Savoy and Brcnnan. The tall, thin member handles the comedy in a character that is almost an exact replica of Bert Savoy. He de- pends upon repetition for most of his laughs and even uses some of Savoy's sure fire gags, particularly some that Savoy is now springing in "Greenwich 'Village FolUes." The straight makes up attractively and sings two songs. When they lift their wigs at the finish and reveal theinselvcs as men, the surprise proves a knockout Bomie Barton's Revue closed the vaude- ville section. It is one of the most engag- ing tabloids the reviewer has thus far seen in vaudeville. The act carries its own band with Barton doing a Ben Bemie and the supporting players gallop through a lively routine of songs, dances and instru- mental numbers. E. J. B. PALACE . (ducaigo) A good bill, headed by Eddie Leonard, is offered at the Palace this week. Songs and dances t>redominatedL ' Mallia, Bart and Company in "The Baggage Smashers," proved an unusual opener. Thiy get over a good deal of comedy wliich requires some tumbling of a high order. In the second spot the Quixy Four, a singing and musical quartet, did very well but seemed to have too many solos which stowed up the act Equally as good as their harmqnizihg is their banjo selections. Irwin and Jane Connolly, in their sketch "The Tale of a Shirt" provided excellent comedy and entertainment Here is a sketch that combines comedy and pathos in such a clever manner as to really mzke you forget it is a vaudeville playlet. It is very well acted and both the principals deserved the praise which the audience gave them. James Burke and Eleanor Durkin have a routine of songs and chatter that registers welL Burke's delivery of a published num- ber scored heavily. May Wirth aiid Family, with Phil, got over as strongly as would be expected. 'Miss Wirth rides well and the antics of Phil hit as usoal. The opening bit is a novel piece of business also. Sylvia Dark, late of the Shubert Units, was a sure fire hit with her line of stuff and the way ^e put it over. Some of her bits are original and her store clerk and Russian dance stuff were the brightest spots in her routine Eddie Leonard worked himself into the hearts of the public in a way seldom at- tained by a performer. Stewart and Olive still dance as wonderfully as ever, while Eddie still sings Ida, thirty years old now but still capable of stopping a show. Dooley and Sales had a tough position following Leonard, but were equal to the task. Here are two wise-cracking geniuses who crack 'em so fast you can't get them .all. Columbus, Snow and Hocter closed the show in an unusual dancing act. All three can dance, but honors must be given to Miss Hocter who does some toe dancing, the like of which the writer has never seen in vaudeville. The act is well staged and certainlv deserving of a better spot. R. E. R. STATE-LAKE (CUciiso) Lou Tellegcn holds forth on the boards here, heading an excellent show in honor of the theatre's Fourth Anniversaij. Hie Laytons opened with exhibitions of strength and acrobatics that were nothing short of marvelous. One of the men is a contortionist, which enables him to do feats beyond those of the average athlete. They deserved more applause than was accorded them. Hallen and Russell, deuced it, the woman in the act not doing_ mudi, but her partner making up for.it with some stories told in a manner that keeps the patrons in con- vulsions. Consequently the offering scored heavily. Beatrice Cartel and Ruth Prior, assisted by Marcell 'White, have a dance offering that is staged in novel fashion, prettily costumed and 'well done. The act can hold a spot anywhere on the bill, for both girls are clever with fteir feet and have the necessary personality. Alexandria, assisted by an unbilled man, derive great fun from a xylophone set in comedy style bnt when they settle down to play, the syncopation is a treat for the cars. It just shows how an old idea can be -served in a new manner to good ad- vantage. Lou Tellegan and Company in the play- let "Blind Youth" which he has adapted from the play of the same title, did some creditalile work, and was ably assisted. The stor^- concerns the downfall of an ar- tist on account of a woman, but who finally manages to get up enough will power to start all over again and cast the woman out of his life. The playlet con- veys a good lesson, but apparently it is over the heads of most of the patrons. Wayner and Warren furnished about the best comedy of the bill. Their ma- terial- concerns a scrap between a fellow . and a girl, returning home from a dance and having to wait Tor a car. Their stuff - is original as it is funny and both are clever in putting it over. The De Marcos and their Sheik Band closed the show, proving to be a good dancing act well done and which held them all to the, finish. Elaine and Marshall, Pierce and Ryan, were not seen at this show. R, E. R. MAJESTIC (CliIei«o) The majority of the acts playing at the Majestic this week have recently played the State Lake and many have also played the Palace recently and appeared at the Majestic during its big time policy. This is evidence of a return to the best acts obtainable policy which was put into ef- fect at the opening of the theatre under its popular price regime but which for a time was abandoned, evidently with the idea that the audiences attracted to that house sought the hokum type of act or offering. "Annabelle," a miniature musical com- edy with two men principals and four girls who play parts and do different specialties with a plot of some little consequence. The talk is the big portion of the act however, and as the lines are clever the act scored. Affie Tranger and Eight College Girls in a new act framed by Bert Earle^ is a girl orchestra with a man saxophonist fea- tured. The girls are nice looking and play well. Hector, a dog art, in which a dozen canines are featured proved something of a sensation. The directing of Hector to go to various parts of the theatre in the audi- ence section scored strongly. Austin and Dclancy, in Hotel Syncopation, gave a bit of clever entertainment of the character expected from colored entertainers. Their dandng won lots of applause. Miller, Packer and Selz have the audi- ence pleasing art down to a fine point and registered a genuine hit The Dancing Kennedys won applause ap- preciation for their clever stepping and the interruption of the act when the spot- light failed to work right gave it a bit of novelty. The Four Arleys held dose at- tention with their daring perch stunts ac- complished with evidence of fine show- manship ability. Flo Lewis and Senator Ford, who came over from the State Lake for Sunday only, when extra acts are placed on the bill emphasized the (|uality of the bill. Miss Lewis was a big hit Belle Montrose, who worked with an audience plant is one of the best known of the many acts of that nature, met w4th but fair appreciation only. R. E. R. NEW LOEW THEATRE FOR BRONX Construction was begun last week for a new Loew theatre, to be located at Bum- side and Walton avenues in the Bronx. The theatre, expected to be completed by next September, will be devoted exclusive- ly to the presentation of motion pictures. It will have a seating capacity of 3,000 'and will involve an expenditure of more than $750,000. MORRISEY ACT ON LOEW TIME Will Morrisey, .with his aggregation of movie stars, which include Billy West, - Marguerite Marsh, - Ethel Gibson and Gabriel Rinaldo, have been booked throogb Ahe I. Feinberg for a tonr of Loew*! Southern' Circuit bf theatres.'