New York Clipper (Jun 1923)

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10 THE NEW YORK CLIPPER June 6, 1923 EIGHTY-flRST STREET Only live acts comprised the bill at the Eighty-lirst Street this week, but one of these was a rather pretentious vehicle of Hockey and Green's, "nie World of Make Believe," lasting about twenty minutes. The other four acts on the bill were also of more than ordinary quality so that, from start to finish, those who went to the show to keep out of the sun got just as warm by applauding. They didn't seem to mind H though, and kept right on asking for encores without any thought of perspira- tion. Opening the show was Canova's Plastic Posing Dogs, a novelty in. the way of animal acts, the beautiful canines going through a series of difficult and artistic poses that delighted the audience. Malinda and Dade, working as if the heat were their natural element, went over for a "wow." This team of dusky per- formers always take delight in pleasing the folks oat front and pot everything they have into every nuiid)er, working with such pleasant personality and good will that a person has to be unbelievably hard-hearted and blase not to applatid them to die echo. Their dancing b great, their personalities are pleasing, their comedy is slight but put over well and their sense of showman- ship is great, so that, ability being taken for granted, there is nothing lacking to make the aa one of the best of its kind, and that's what it is. George MacFarlane & Co. were in third position but the bill was well under way by that time and besides, was so well bal- anced tint one spot was as good as an- other. MacFarlane has an excellent vehicle. The act is entitled "Song Fan- tasies" and the program states that it is produced by George MacFarlane in con- jQOction with Charlie Grapewin. Herbert C Lowe is at the piano and Dorothy Du- valie is playing the violin, both in Golotiial costumes, when the curtain rises on three quarter stage with parple eye, legs and borders. MacFarlane enters after a short introduction and sings "The Bells of St. Mary's," foltewrog with rThe World Is Waiting for the Sunrise," both to good hands. A dance is perfoimed by Miss Margaret Walker, a pretty girl full of personality and an accompliuied dancer. MacFarlane assists vocall/. Miss Duvalie perfomis well on the violin for a solo, followed with barely time for applause by another vocal number, "Dorothy" by MacFarlane. Miss Walker dances charm- ingly at the end of this number and also after "Marquita" -which MacFarlane sings next. For an encore MacFarlane renders "Dear OM Lady," forming a tableau with Miss Walker at the finish. Not in our wildest dreams can we picture Miss Walker as MacFarlane's "Dear Old Lady," bat if he wants to call her "mother" for the sake of the act that's his. lookout. James H. Cullen. "the man from the West," also went over big. Unfortunately Cullen's voice was tmnsually weak and those in the rear of the house or upstairs had difficulty in hearing hiiiL It required a. physical effort to catch his act that was an annoyance on a day like Mondajr. Nevertheless, the act went over to solid applause, the "wanted ads" at the finish proving a good laugh-getter. Oosing the bill was the "World of Make Believe." In a short prolofme a young girl. Miss Nola St. Claire, seeks admission to the gates of Anrosement. Within the gates arc Drama, Burlesque, Musical Comedy, Coim'c Opera, Opera and Circus. The keeper of the gates tells her that the noise shie hears are these different arts fighting' because each claims the public likes them best. She suggests that they test them out, and the gates <^ien to show each in turn, and give each a chance. the characters are excellent but Miss St. Gair. who, at the finish, reveak herself as "The Spirit of Vaudeville," easily walks away with first honors through her clever down- ing and her line ability. The act is great. C C. PALACE (Chicago) .An exceptionally good bill of vaudeville is offered to Palace patrons this week, headed by Van and Schenck in their sec- ond week, and Leon Errol, who has just closed with "Sally" in this city. Between these two headliners, the honors were pretty evenly divided, and both acts lad no difticulty in running away with the bill. Errol is dcNn^ the "drank bit which he did in vaudeville a few seasons ago, and found it easy to get laughs, in fact, kept them laughing at a rate which bordered on hysterics. Errol also did a very funny bit with Van and Schenck which was a comedy riot. The (White Brothers gave a good start to the show with a contortion and comedy offering. The stunts in. contortirai were very good, and the comedy tumbling drew plenty of laughs. They scored exceedingly well for their' spot. Beatrice Gardell and Ruth Pryor, assisted by Marcell White, offered an attractively staged and routined dance offering, and were handicapped slightly by being on too early for an act of their type. The girls are very good dancers and despite the earliness of their position, made their work register. Bill Dooley and Helen Storey kept the fast pace going. Dooley is a thorough en- tertainer and has some fine material of which he gets the full value. Miss Storey is very pretty, and makes a fine foil for Dooley's comedy. Jean Adair and Company offered "The C^e-Eaters," one of the best comedy sketches which has been seen around here in a long time. The plot revolves aroimd a young mother who is trying to hold her son for herself and keep him from marry- ing.a flapper who has designs on his money only, and who wishes to marry him not becatise she loves him. but because, as she states, marriage is a door to her through which she can enter to even greater free- dom in having good times than she is hav- ing while single. The flapper meets the mother, unaware of who she is, and tells her of her designs oil Billy, the son. The mother gives the impression that she also loves Billy, and will fight for him, wlu.ch leads to an argument. The flapper calls the mother some names, which Billy over- hears and he steps in and reveals the idemity of the older woman as his mother. Exit flapper. Laura Lee is excellent as the flapper, and the two boys, particularly the one who plays the part of Billy's friend, do exceptionally good work. Miss Adair is an adorable mother. The playlet didn't lose interest for a minute, and scored heav- ily at the finish. Earl and Carl Pearson, and Qeo New- port, are playing a return engagement here for this season and scored a big hit onre more. The comedy and dance bits all registered. Leon Erroll and his take-off on the in- ebriate followed, and then Van and Schenck made their appearance. They sang twelve numbers and could have been singing yet. had the>' desired to stay in view as long as the audience wanted them to. "Rainbow's End." closed the show, being a very beautifully staged offering of pic- torial studies in color. R. E. R. MARTIN TABLOID SCORES HIT Ray Martin's production of the tabloid musical comedy, "My Wife," featuring "Smiling" Billv Mason and his bathing beauties, opened at the Newark Theatre, Newark, last week and scored such a tre- mendous hit it has been routed over an_ in- dependent circuit of fifteen leading motion- picture theatres throughout New Jersqr. "The act was conceived and staged by Harry Walker and routed through the Harry Walker Booking Office. It is the first of a series of acts Messrs. Martin and Walker will produce for this circuit of film theatres. • STATE.LAKE (Chicago) The show for this week is well balanced and offers good entertainment. It is started by the Bcnto Brothers in a series of gym- nastic feats in which they do some very good stunts, but their routine drags a bit and need.-! some speeding up. A rural comedy is offered by Silver, Duval and Kirby, two men and a girl, which incorporates plenty of laughs. "Dance Creations" was spotted third, but could not go on, owring to the fact that their trunks had not arrived, and a switch in the bill brought Smith and Baker, with a very clever comedy sketch called "The Yoimg Physician." The tale is of a youthful doc- tor who hasn't had a case worth while as yet, and -takes a job as errand boy in the comer grocery in order to keep the wolf from the door and make sure that he and his yotmg wife will at least have sufficient to eat. He finally gets a call from a wealthy patient, who tells him she has al- most every disease. He tells her that she has nothing wrong with her at all, and refuses to take her money to prescribe for any illnes.<i which he tells her is imaginary on her part. Whereupon she reveals her- self as the head of a big hospital who has been seeking for an honest physician who wouldn't take her money on false pretenses and gives him the position of being head physician in the hospital. The cast consists of three people includ- ing Smith and Barker, all of whom are more than capable. The laughs came heartily , all through the act, and the ap- plause at the finish was very heavy. Ernest Ball followed with his songs and stories and scored his usual big hit. Ben- son's Orchestra, directed by Don Bestor, was the musical treat for the afternoon, and the organization of eleven men had the audience begging for more at the finish of the act, and after doing several encores. Ben Welch, assisted by Frank Murphy kept them screaming with laughter at the comedy they pulled and the monologue bit done by Welch. Gillett's monkeys closed the show, holding all in. "Dance Crea- tions" and Wright and Dietrich were not seen at this show. R. E. R. PUBUCITY FOR BROWN Des Moines, Iowa, June 4.—(Seorge N. Brown, whose "Puritanism" vaudeville act played the Orpheum Theatre here last week, staged one of his famous walking contests under the auspices of a local pa- per, the'News, last Thursday noon. "The world's champion heel and toe walker gave a walking demonstration of two miles through the downtown streets, starting from the office of the newspaper attired in his walking tights, and the route was made in about twenty minutes. Some' of the best Des Moines hikers were called upon to walk against Brown, who wagered he could beat them, but Brown is still the champ. The news devoted considerable space to George's efforts. RETURNS FROM TOUR OF CIRCUIT Harry Walker, head of the Harry Walker, Inc., Booking Office, has returned from a ten-day tour of his cabaret circuit. During his tour of inspection Mr. Walker, who was accompanied by Mrs. Walker, visited Oicago, Boston, Kansas City and Detroit. In the latter city he visited his mother. Walker has ten cabaret unit shows now in operation and reports that all are doing good business. He hopes to have as many more in operation by the latter part of the summer. SLOCUM IS GLOBE MANAGER John P. Slocum, manager of "Aren't We All" at the Gaiety Theatre, was delegated to add to his duties last Monday, the man- agement of the Globe Theatre, replacing Edward Long, brother of Ralph Long, general manager of the Shubert enterprises. SINCLAIR AND GASPER Tbeatre—ifami7(0H. Style— Talking and singing. Time— Fourteen minutes. Setting— one (special). Ethel Sinclair and Marie Gasper were a standard sister act up to about_ three years ago, when we believe Miss Sinclair retired. Miss Gasper did a single for a while and then also went into temporary retirement. The girls are staging a come-back with a vehicle by Paul Ger- ard Smith, billed as "The Long, Long Trail," and this come-back packs a wal- lop strong enough to plant both girls as permanent features of big-time bills. Formerly, the nrls did mostly singing, and now their offering contains but one song, the rest being talk. The special drop, in one, portrays a scene in the country. Honking of automobile horns precedes the entrances of each of the girls, one from each side of the stage, each arguing with some chap in a car. It develops that both are just leaving their escorts flat, and are about to start their walk-home, instead of riding. One left a man in a Rolls-Royce and the other a chap in a flivver. The former lives in the Bronx and the other in Wee- hawken. The conversation also brings out the fact that girls are accustomed to walking home, the one from Weehawken carrying a pair of spare shoes. The one song in the act is a special number, "Step by Step," done in good harmony by the girls. The Bronx girl shows a picture of the chap in the Rolls-Royce to the other, and he proves to be a brother of the Weehawken girl, and just a chauffeur at that. When Bronxie hears this, she gives the girl a watch and wallet and tells her to return it to her brother. The other is about to leave her, but re- considers, and they both decide never to flirt with automobile drivers again, and never go riding with strange men. They hear a machine coming, and when the men call to them, rtm to join them. The stage is darkened while an auto- mobile "tail-light effect" is shown travel- ing up the road, and suddenly the car stops. The girls return arguing, Wee- hawken saying to Bronx, "Well, you could of yessed them until they took us a few miles, anyvray." The talk is very cleverly written and excellently done by the girls. In addi- tion to looks, both have plenty of per- sonality and ability to spare. They'll hit in any theatre. G. J. H. GEO. OLSEN AND HIS BAND Theatre— Orpheum. San Francisco. Style— Nine-piece band. Time— Thirty minutes. SttOag—SpeciaJ eye. Nitie clean-cut young men, unheralded and simply announced as "There's a New Band in Town," made their first vaude- ville appearance at the Orpheum, Sun- day, May 20. The fact that they grad- uated from a dance orchestra, recently playing at the Hotel Portland, Oregon, they ifnmediately grasped the vaudeville idea, all showing great showmanship. Much praise is due them, for they stopped the show at every appearance, and following such bands as the leaders that appeared here, all of whom made ex- cellent impressions, this new band is en- titled to the headline honors which is bestowed upon them, for in order to re- tain them for a second week it was nec- essary for the management to switch all the bookings. The boys are all trained musicians, play over thirty-£ve instru- ments, and have created town talk, that all the local musicians have flocked to the Orpheum to hear them, and pro- nounce them one of the best ever. A complete route is being arranged for them, and they will be heard in the East shortly. R. C.