New York Clipper (Apr 1923)

20 THE NEW YORK CLIPPER April 11, 1923 THE CUPPER wiU be Seventy years old next month and is going to celebrate its Seyentieth Anniyersary. NEW ACTS One of the events in connection with the celebration will be the publishing of an Anniversary Number filled with interesting facts and etoiies of its long career in the show business. Advertising space in that issue will be particularly valuable, but the rates will be the same. Send in your copy now. Everybody in the world of theatri- cals will read it. HUGH HERBERT AND CO. Theatce—Frtrnklin. StyJa—Playlet. Time— Twenty minutes. SettinK—/» three {special). *^Iomoa's Children" is the name of the new vehicle which Herbert has writ* fam for his latest vehicle, succeeding '^find Yonr Business," wfaicfa he did for several years. "Solomon's Ouldrea" shoald last fully as long as the former Tcfaide, for it has universal appeal, plen- ty of laughs, and a great finisL Herbert is supported in this act, by Anita Pam, who appeared in his former act; Ackland Powell, Henry Gurvey and Phyllis Gage. One of the girls is his married daughter, and one of the men, his married son, in the act. The scene is laid at the home of his son-in-law, where the children have prepared a sur- prise party for Solomon, on his birth- day. . He nas been boarding with a Mrs. Greenbatim since bis wife's death and his children's marriage. All four of the children, eitpress great affection for their Dad and father-in- law, and both couples extend invitations to him to come and live with them. In this offermg, by the way, Herbert appears with a grey beard and wig. He doesn't know Just which one's in- vitation to accept first and is afraid of offending either by accepting the other's. He leaves them alone for a few min- utes, while they quarrel as to which couple he should live with. It then appears that both couples are. anxious to have him live with them in order to have him hdp them in their business, for the old man is worth plenty of money. While he is out, a_ 'imone call comes from his lawyer, telling him that all the money he invested with Babmer and Company, stock-brokers, has been lost with that firm's failure. Then the children go into a qnarrel over who he should live with again, this time each one demanding that he live with the other. Solomon retuins and notices the change in the atmosphere. He accepts each one's invitation, and is stalled by excuses, one bong that the room for him isn't <iuite ready, it needs repapering, the ceiling is falling down, and would not be ready for him to move into for weeks and weeks. The other says the plumbing is bad and that the room would be too cold for him He is Oua ^ven the 'phone message about his money being lost He then reaUzes the cause for the change in their attitudes, and quotes the Talmud, saying "One father can support seventeen children, but seven- teen children cannot support one fath- er." The truth of this got a big hand from the audience here. Mrs. Green- baum, his landlady 'phones to tell him not to worry and that if he needs any- thing she will be only too happy to aid him, and that his room_ is always open for him. He throws this up to his chil- dren, and then it develops that he had only $700 invested with Rabiner, but is still worth over $100,000. The children try to make up, but he announces that he and Mrs. Greenbaum are to be mar- ried. The entire playlet is very well written and excellently handled by the entire cast. Herberts Hebrew _ character, as has been stated so many times before, is all the more remarlable because of the fact that this Scotchman is not a mem- ber of the Jewish race. Yet, hb knowl- edge of the traditions, the habits, and the characteristics of the Children of Is- real is nothing short of marveloos. It seems like rubbing it in to J. C Rabiner, however, by the use of his namf Yet again, that might be called timely by some people. G. J. H. Hal Skdly has been engaged as one of the comics for Arthur Hammer- stein's new musical play, "Lily of the Valley." DANCE GAMBOL Theatre—Proc/or'f 23rd Street. Styla—Dance Revue. Time— Fifteen minutes. Setting-Special. Two boys and a girl contribute the series of dances which comprise this act The boys come on for an introductory number, "We Can Dance Our Way Into Her Heart" At the dose of the num- ber the girl comes on and they go into a neat precision dance, incorporating some good kicks and acrobatic stuff. The girl and one of the boys follow with an aeroplane waltz number, im- provising it with some dever stuff, after whidi the other boy returns for a fast solo. A mammoth vanity case is lowered and the girl hops out in a powder puff cos- tume and puts over a neat toe danrr The boys return for another number, "Where There's A Girl There's A Boy,' and fol- low with a competitive contest in which the boys attempt to out do each other. They showed some stepping that beats anytiiing ever seen in a small-time house ai^ a lot that has been shown in the big-thne theatres. The girl returns and the tihree wind up the offering with a snappy iiaale. "The act is superbly mounted, costumed in good taste and is sold with a lightning like gusto. It will make a corking "doser" for the small time and with a little polish could get over in the big- time houses. E. J. B. MELLETTE SISTERS & CO. Theatre—Proc/or'j Fifth Ave. Stylo—Dancing. Time— Fifteen minutes. Setting—Special. The Mellette Sisters are statues<^ne blondes, who do a dance revue, with Lew Pollock, the composer, carrying the accompaniments on the piano and doing a couple of solos on his own. The girls come on, attractively cos- tumed, for a tongue twister song, "Le- na's Lips Lisped Listlessly," which was topped off with a neat double. Pollock , followed with a medley of his past and present scng successes, with the girls returning for a precision dance set to a waltz tempo. Pollock filled in again with what he said was his latest song, "Vam- pin' Sal," with the girls returning in Russian costumes for another double dance, which closed the act The cnrls look wdl, are i»stamed in good taste, dance in unison and sdl everything with a pleasing punch. The offering did well in closing spot, but would undoubtedly do better in an ear- lier spot of any bill. E.J.B. NICK AND GLADYS VERGA Theatre—Proelor'j 58»A Street. Style— "Wop" comedy and singing. Time— Fourteen minutes. Setting—/» "one." A good small time act which will get lang^ in the "pop" houses and should find plenty of work along that'type of circuit The man does ^op" comedy, using mostly released gags for material, which can be best illustrated with one gag about "my uncle is sick," meaning "ankle." Both sing, in fairW good voices, the man using "Crying For You" as a solo with big results. Some of the talk ma- terial is a little too old and should be dianged for better lines. The idea used by so many Hebrew comics, that of speaking Yiddish to an audience, is also used by Nick Versa, who speaks Italian instead, much to the ddight of the two or three in the average audioice who may be able to tmderstand that language, and to the mjrstification of tiiose who cannot understand what he is tallchig afbout As little of this as possible would improve the act G. J. H.