New York Clipper (Jun 1923)

10 THE NEW YORK CLIPPER June 27, 1923 BROADWAY In spite of the intense heat the first show of the afternoon on Monday saw the orchestra at the Broadway pretty well filled and the balcony only about half empty. Six acts fnraished the en- tertainment which was rather spotty, there being no definite headline act on the bni and the best acts seemingly being nnder the weather and working away off their osnal form. The show got away to a good start with the Brightons who do a series of pictures with rags, being abont as good as an act of this Idnd can be and win- . ning applause on the finish with pic- tures in black and white of Roosevelt and Lincoln. The Kelso Brothers went on second and gave their nstial performance, al- ■ thongh it seems to us that the act has been slightly changed. They managed to get the langhs most of the way and the folks out front forgot the heat in iratching their nonsensical hokum. When one of the brothers sings in a pleasing tenor voice it comes as a welcome sur- prise and adds an agreeable contrast to the act. A little more of the same would not be out of order but the nkelele is entirely unnecessary and un- called for and does nothing to help the nombcr along, he might as well hold a bass tuba in his arms while singing. "Shadows," the little dancing skit written by Francis Nordstrom, went over nicely although the light and music cues were a little bit oS. The act is ronnding into shape rapidly and the young lady who does the dancing has made several improvements in facial ex- pression that are worthy of comment. Her toe work in her opening dance is really phenomenal and deserves un- stinted praise. The old coaple did not speak as distinctly as they might early in the act and were practically inaudible in the balcony but overcame this later. Ted and Betty Healy worked without wardrobe but went over well neverthe- less. Of conrsc the fnll effect of seeing Betty Healy in costume was lost but Ted worked hard and gave the audience a general idea of how his partner would look in the costume and the gags he would pull if she had it on. It seems to us. though, that it was a mistake for Healy to keep referring to the heat as that is something that' the audience wishes to forget and the performer that reminds them of it merely distracts their attention from himself to their lack of comfort. As a consequence they feel too warm to applaud. Billy de Lisle, a juggler whom we have seen before and usually very good put up as poor a performance as we have seen on the stage in some time. Included in de Lisle's act are several exceedingly difficult and unusual feats but he performed them all as if his fingers were all thumbs, dropping his apparatus continitall:^ aud trying to laugh himself out of it without success. The audience was lenient with him and applauded him well for his speed and persistence. Cliff Nazzaro assisted by Phil Ro- mano and his band closed the show. Vazzaro is a hard working, clever Sonngster who gets over distinctly on is merits. He sings "I Love Me," "Crying for Yon," and "New Orleans," and dances to "Sister Kate" and "New Orleans." Whenever he dances he takes them absolutely by storm and his sing- ing is also good. Concerning the band we can only say that it shows need of rehearsaL The eight pieces seem to be ^ood mnsirians but they are not work- mg together and are farther handicap- - ped by the use of poor arrangements. McFarlane and Palace and Charles Olcott & Mary Ann were not caught at this show. C C PALACE (CUcago) After four weeks of dght act bills, during the run of Van and Schenck here, this house is again offering a nine act show, which made a later show than there has been here during the past Anatol Friedland's revue and the Avon Comedy Four top the bill and both are great favorites here. The hot weather, which cut into the palace box office to the extent of three hundred dollars last Sun- day, made even a deeper niche this week. There were less than ten rows filled down- stairs. The opening act was somewhat weak for a big time bill, consisting of Curtis' Animals, which included a nuiAer of dogs and ponies who perfonned'various stunts. Dave Harris followed, displaying his ver- satility with a number of diiBFerent musi- cal instruments, and a good voice in ad- dition. He didn't do as well as he de- served to. Howard Smith and Mildred Barker held the interest of the audience with a clever comedy sketch, called "Good Medicine^" which the two, assisted by another woman, do excellently. Olga Cook was the first real hit on the bill, with her song repertoire. Her person- alis and voice made her one of tl^ most likable woman singles seen here. Charles Irwin followed and his comedy found it easy going. Irwin's clever deline- ation of his dry comedy kept them laugh- ing and he scored heavily at the finish. Anatole Friedland and his revue, called "Anatole|s Affair" proved to be the meat of the bill with the effective arrangement of the act. The manner in which Fried- land's former song hits are produced is a particularly bright spot of the act It is very nicely mounted and the cast very entertaining. George Whiting and Sadie Burt regis- tered the artistic hit of the performance, despite that they were handicapped by the fact that theu' music trunk had gone astray. Sadie Burt seems to get more and more charming as each season passes. The Avon Comedy Four, which now in- cludes three of the original members of that quartette, kept the audience screaniing with laughter as long as they cared to and then did some fine singing. The Florenis closed the show with pos- ing and equilibristic feats of a very high grade. R. E. R. STATE LAKE (Cliieago) The headline attraction for this week here consists of the Four Mortons. The show, is started by Visher and Company, who offer acrobatic dancing and comedy bits. One of the bits in which a duck was used by one of the men, was a big laugh and gave tiie bill a great start Clayton and Lennie got many laughs in the second spot with their comedy. Honey Campbell, formerly of the Camp- bell Sisters, offered "A. Dream of the Old South" in which she was assisted by the Campbell Trio. The offering consists of old songs rendered in a real old Southern atmosphere, which appealed strongly to the patrons. The Four Mortons are always a hit here and scored their usual big success at the opening performance for tUs week. Miller- ship and Gerard followed with their musi- cal comedy revue and were also a solid hit Florrie Millership's wardrobe was especially beautiful. Bert Fitzgibbons, assisted by Brother Lew. drew plenty of laughs and then Uie Chalfonte Sisters closed the show with "Birds of Paradise", "A Friend in Need" and Ruth Glanvelle were not seen in Qds show. R. E. R. CRESCENT FIVE WIN CONTEST The Crescent Five Orchestra, from the Brighton Beach ballroom, were the vic- tors of the orchestra contest held last week at Keith's Orpheum theatre in Brooklyn. As a prize they will be given a week's booking at that theatre during the month of July, the exact date not having been decided as yet The Shel- bume Hotel Orchestra came out second, for which position there was no prize beyond the honor of coming second. Over fifteen orchestras competed in the contest, among which were: Shelbume's Hotel orchestra, Brighton Hotel Honey Boys Serenaders, and Bob Fridkin's Society Orchestra from Oetien's. Michael Cirina's Melody Boys from Staucb's Cor- des Forest Hill Inn Orchestra, Danceland Orchestra from Busoni's, Hotel Bossert Marine Roof Orchestra, Brighton Hotel Ballroom Crescent Five, Original Georgia Five from Rosemont Ballroom, Sidney Springer's Famous Serenaders from Stauch's Youngman's Original Swanee Syncopators, Paramount Jazz Band, Vin- cent Lopez Beau Rivage Orchestra, Chauncey Gray's Rosemont Ballroom Or- chestra, Bohemian Society Orchestra. THEATRICAL PEOPLE SAIL The Keith vaudeville exdiange was well represented among the passengers who sailed for England on board the Majestic last Saturday, among them being Edward V. Darling, chief Keith booker, Danny Simmons, and the agents represented by Jack Curtis, of Rose and Curtis, and Max Gordon, of Lewis and Gordon. Other theatrical people on board were J. H. Shubert, Al. Jolson and his wife, and Edith Livingston (Mrs. Arthur Horo- witz). DANCER TRIES TO ENTER U. S. Mme. Lucy Wemer_, classical dancer and popular favorite m European capi- tals, has been waiting for more than two weeks on Ellis Island to learn if the price of her entry to this country is that she be parted from her eight year old daughter, Eugenia. Mme. Werner is exempt from the quota law as an actress and artist. Both she and her daughter were bom in Russia, and the Russian quota of immigrants has long been filled. The dancer, though exempt was excluded from the country as "accompanying an alien" under pro- vision of the immigration law. Hutchison Boyd, playwright, has inter- ested himself in the case, having travelled overseas on the same ship with Mme. Werner and her daughter, and is lead- ing a fight against deportation of so tal- sntcd a woman upon a mere technicality. JURGENSON PRODUCING ACTS Arthur Jurgenson, the vaudeville agent who heretofore has confined his activities to routing acts, is planning to enter the pro- ducing end as well. He is assembling a number of girly "flash acts" which he will route over a chain of motion picture thea- tres throughout New Jersey. The first of these will open in Trenton next week. It is entitled "Words and Music" and will en- list the services of five principals, eight girls and a five-piece jazz band. AL BENSON MARRIES Al Benson, the "smiling drummer" with the Sunkist Serenaders, stepped out of the band and into matrimony last wedc, hav- ing married Miss Margaret Thwaites, of New York. The couple left early this week for Chicago where they will make their residence. After the honeymoon Al will "beat the drums" at tl:- Calais Royal, Chicago. LYONS IN NEW OFFICE Arthur Lyons has removed his dramatic musical comedy and vaudeville booking offices from the Romax Building to 29 West 45th street where he has taken over the studio occupied formerly by Ned Way- bum. Associated with Lyons in his new headquarters are Al. Rogers, Sol. Greene, Joseph Tinsley and Sam Lyons. ROONEVS BIRTHDAY CELEBRATION "Pat Roone/s Birthday Party" will be held during the entire week of July 2, at the New Brighton Theatre, special events being planned for each day. Rooney, who will play that house with "Rings of Smoke" next week, will be forty-tiiree years old on July 4, and a big dinner is to be held on tiie stage of the Hieatre on that day. GOSS AND BURROWES MARRY Mayse Goss, of the vaudeville team of Pauli and Goss, and Charles Burrowes, of Brown and Burrowes, were married on Thursday, June 21. The two will team up in an act of their own, to be billed as Goss and Burrowes. The wedding was held in St. Malachi's Church, Father Leonard ofiiciating. Mattylee Lippard was maid-of-honor and Fred Miller best man BILLY SEABURY HAS REVUE William Scabuiy will open at the head of a big revue in Keith vaudeville on Thursday, June 28, at the Coliseum The- atre. Ten people will be seen with the act, which has been lavishly staged and motmt- ed. Margaret Irving, Seabury's wife, with whom he has been working in vaudeville since they closed with "The Music Box Revue," is retiring from the stage tem- porarily to keep house. MADISON SPEAKS AT CLUB The Exchange Qub with a membership of representative business and professional men meets for luncheon every Thursday at the Hotel .McAlpin. At each of these functions some topic of interest is presented to them. The speaker last Thursday was James Madison, the vaudeville author, Who addressed them on "The Serious Side of Being Funny." NEW DANCE REVUE Arthur Siefcrt is lining up a new vaude- ville dance revue entitled "Babes of the Seasons," which will be staged by Ned Waybum. The cast will be headed by Jane Overton and will include Virginia Marshall, Alice Coste, Matilda Boss, Mar- ion La Cjur and Esther Rhodes. PANTAGES, WINNIPEG CLOSES The Pantages house in Winnipeg closed for the season on Sunday, June 24. This makes the third house out of the circuit for this season. Saskatoon having been dark for several weeks and Oakland hav- ing been dropped last week. "BANANAS" WRITER FOR VAUDE. Frank Silver and his orchestra, whidi were the main entertainment feature at (Murray's Roman Gardens, New York, for a solid year, opened in Keith vaude- ville last week. Silver is the composer of "Yes, We Have No Bananas." BENNETT AND RICHARDS RE-UNITE Bennett and Richards, the blackface com- edians, have re-united in their former act, "Dark Clouds," and will open on the Keith circuit on July 1, in Montreal. The two have been separated for three years. COLORED EMPLOYEES' BENEFIT The Colored Theatre Employees' Asso- ciation of New Yoi^c City, will hold a bene- fit performance on June 23, beginning at midnight, at the Lafayette Theatre. The program will consist of B. F. Keith acts. LOEWS SPRINGFIELD CLO^G Ix»ew'i Broadway Theatre, in Spring- field, Mass., will close for the summer on Saturday, June 30. The house will re- open in September. It plays five acts and pictures on a split week policy.