New York Clipper (Jul 1923)

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10 THE NEW YORK CLIPPER July ii, 1923 EIGHTY-FIRST STREET There are six acts od the bill at the 81st Street Theatre this week and each of them is of a different type so that the show- Tims smoothly and has balance. J. Robert Pauline, who has been familiar to vaude- ville audiences for almost a generation, is made the headline attiactioo bat from an applause gatheriog: standpoint Bill Robin- son, the "Daric Clood of Joy," is first onder the wire. Opemng the show were "Jeanette" and Harry Shields. The act is well con- structed and is put over in an individual manner that makes the audience like it. The two, besides being excellent dancers, are possessed of good singing voices and the few numbers they do attempt to sing are more than pleasing. They have a special opening, after which tiiey do a dandng-school nnmber. This is followed by Miss "Jeanettey impression of Pav- lowa's "Dying Swan," done gracefnlly and without any of the exaggerated move- ments that have always hitherto made this nnmber a thing of loathing to us. This "Dying Swan" is so good m its interpre- tative features and so excellently executed that we wish all the so-called dancers who have mfiicted this number on ns in the past could be compelled to see it If they did they would give up in disgust and we would be spared further agonies. Gertrude Barnes, with the special ma- terial written for her by Blanche Merrill, held down second position successfully and created a favorable impression. She has several good Jiumbers, the best being her chorus girl, as the Sunday papers see her and as she really is. Her vamp is also good. Miss Barnes is fortunate in her choice of costumes and always pre- sents a charming stage picture. Hamilton and Barnes went better at this bonse than when_ we last saw them, the audience here being more in the humor for their particular style of comedy. Most of their gags and bits of business went over well and they were entitled to the bow thn took. The Caul Sisters have an act entitled "A Cycle from Life," which is distinctly different. It is a posing act but so weU staged and so unusual as to be worthy of the position it holds on the bill. For each pose a separate setting is used, the three statuesque and shapely damsels who coatribute this feature of the act being clad in fleshings to give it a realistic touch. A fourth girl, in a prologue, describes the cycle as it ynll be revealed, starting with the time of Adam and Eve. The curtain then rises on the three girls appropriately dad, or unclaid. From then on different poses are presented, the young lady in front either singing or reciting some bit to give a dew as to what is to follow. This youne Miss is not in any way bad looking herself, has a sweet voice, and amply lills the many costnmes she changes to between numbers. One of the big fea- tures of the act is the clever and artistic lighting arrangements used. Each pose starting in the dark, coming to a silhouette acd then to fall color only to fade out to black again for a finish. Bill Robinson b a sure 'nuff performer and puts his stuff over great. His small- est move was a signal for laughter, but he is at his best when he begins to move his dogs. Bovl how he do dance. Tlie last act on the bill was J. Robert Pauline. We remember seeing him more years ago than we care to remember and at that time his act impressed us greatly. He is as fine a showman as the American stage affords birt we did not care as much for the act as we did in our younger days. For one thing, in order to keep up with the t™i^i he now claims his act is auto- suggestion and not hypnotism, bat belies his words by "waking" his subjects after each experiment. But two things in the act impressed us, the rigid man who sup- ported the weight of three upon his body acd the blood removal from the arm. The rest is palpably hokum, but yon have to hand it to him for putting it over. PALACE (Chicago) A splendid bill at the Palace filled the house to the doors and entertained the big audience findy. The Browne Sisters opened and their accordion pla^g, artistically presented, registered a big hit. Harry Roye and Billy Maye followed with a dancing number in which individual showings and joint efforts won great ap- plause. It was the second big success of the bill Milt Collins followed and was another big success. He seems to be constantly improving and his act at this performance was one of the best he has ever presented. Aunt Jemima and the Syncopated Bakers kept up the speed of the show. She car- rial the house with her and took frequent encores. Bert Fitzgibbons following this scored another fait, surpassing in success anything he previously has scored in the past This in view of the many.hits Fitzgibbons has made here was demarkable. He took in- numerable encores. Sarafan, a Russian act did but fairly in so far as the applause was concerned but the offering is a highly creditable one and deserving of success everywhere. 'Fannie Brice did seven numbers and an encore and had to beg off finally after bows innumerable. Bob Snell and Ernestine Vernon closed the bill with an artistic portrayal of ring effort with the one man feet catch as the sensational featnre. But eight acts instead of the usual nine appeared on the bill but there was plenty of entertainment from start to finish. R. E. R. STATE LAKE (Chicago) Yarmark, is the headline attraction at the State Lake this week and the bill is one of the best of the entire season. Most of the'acts seen here this week appeared re- cently at the Palace and at this house duplicated their previous success. The Wilson Aubrey Trio of comedy gymnasts proved a good opener, their wrestling match furnishing excellent com- edy which brought the act to a successful dose. Basil Lambert] and his }qrIophone fur- nished snappy syncopation in the second spot George Yeoman and Lizzie followed. Yeoman's material is excellent and he handled it excdiently. Olga Cool and her likable personality was appredated by everyone: Yarmark, the Russian spectacular offer- ing in a night at the Carnival, was splen- didly received and Senator Murphy proved the hit of the bill with laughs coming every minute. Vmcent Lopez's Red Cap orchestra fur- nished good music and closed the first show and scored a hit of decided proportions. Wells. Virginia and West and the Sheik were not on this bill R. E. R. ACROBAT FRACTURES SKULL San FkANasco, July 2.—William Dun- bar, acrobat, slipped on the stairs of his home this week, fell to the bottom and fractured his skull. He is now in the hospital. Dunbar for years -did all sorts of acro- batic stunts on the stage aiid never in- jured himsdf. ALBEE COURT FOR LARCHMONT £. F. Albee as president of the Albee Court Corp. will build six story apart- ments to bouse twenty-six families with stores in Larchmont on the Boston Post Road and Larcbmont Avenue represent- ing $450,000, annual rents to exceed $60,000. MACK WINS GOLF TOURNAMENT Wilbur Mack won the National Vaude- ville Artists' annual golf tournament last Friday, after playing out the tie with Don Barclay, at the Mt. Vernon Country Club course. The contest was one of the most thrilling games seen, being dosdy played all the way through, and an extra hole made necessary in order to dedde the vic- tor. Barday went out in thirty-seven and came back in forty, making a total score of seventy-seven for the dghteen holes. ■Made went out in thirty-nine and came back in thirty-eight also getting a seventy- seven and tying the score. A nineteenth hole was played, which Mack did in three putts. Barclay missed the hole on the third putt, thus losing the contest A gallery of over one hundred and fifty actors followed the contestants over the links. As a result of defeating Barclay, Wilbur Mack gets the first prize of the Marcus LoeW "froidiy. HARRY THORNE DROPS VEAD Harry Thome, for several years assist- ant manager, back-stage at Keith's River- side Theatre, dropped dead suddenly on Monday afternoon, in the theatre. The Clause was acute indigestion. Thome had previously been an actor, and did several different vehicles with his late wife. Thdr act was billed as Mr. and Mrs. Harry Thome. He was bom on Feb. 19, 1850, and was now in his seventy-fourth year. He is survived by a sister and a daut^ter. The funeral is under the direction of the National Vaudeville Artists' Qub, and he is to be buried today (Wednesday), in the Actors' Fund plot, beside his wife. SAN DIEGO FOUR TOURING Chicago, July 7.—The San Diego Four, all eld timers of the show world, are touring the country in an effort to a^vaken additional interest in San Diego and dur- ing a visit to Chicago appeared on the fifth floor of the State-Lake building, where the booking offices are located, and sang several selections. The Quartette in- cludes Frank Morell, formerly prominent in vaudeville; Will Palmer, owner of Pantages Theatre in San Diego; Esoo lies, now a real estate dealer, and Fred Varin, formerly a minstrel. The <iuartette came here from Qeveland, where a con- vention of realtors attracted them. COMPLAINS AGAINST PATRICOLA Ferry Corwey has filed complaint in the National Vaudeville Artists' Complaint Bureau, against Tom Patriula, now ap- pearing in George White's "Scandals," al- leging that Patricola is infringing on his "liquor" bit The material in question con- sists of expectorating a mouthful of liquor and having it explode into smoke and fire as it hits the floor. "TAKE A CHANCE" GOING OUT Harold Orlob is again lining up a cast for his musical comedy, "Take a Chance," which is the collaborative effort of himself * and H. I. Phillips, the newspaper column- ist. The piece was tried out early in the seasoti and hauled in for repairs. Otto Harbach has rewritten it Alison Skip- worth, who appeared in "The Torch Bearers," will be featured in the piece. MARKUS BOOKS PEEKSKILL Fally Markus, the independent vaudeville booking agent, is now booking the show at the Peekskill Theatre, Peekskill, N. Y., having booked in the first bill last wedc Heretofore the theatre has played straight pictures and traveling attractions. WEEK OF LOEW FOR NONETTE Nonette will appear at Loew State dur- ing the week of July 16. This is the only week she has booked on that circuit thus far. FILMS HURT VAUDEVILLE Moving pictures are driving patrons out of the small-time vaudeville houses, ac- cording to an anonymous correspondent who felt so strongly on the subject that he wrote a letter to the editor of the Sun and the Globe about it The writer is evidently not fond of moving pictures as a whole and the pictures he has seen lately in particu- lar and it woyld be interesting to see how many present or former vaudeville patrons are of ^e same mind. His letter follows: To the Editor of the Sun and the Globe —Sir: I am very fond of "small time" vaudeville, but have stopped going for the following reason: In order to get a front seat it IS necessary to go early, as the seats are not reserved. This means that one must endure a long drawn out movie^ so cheap, trashy and worthless that I feel like groaning. I wonder how many thousands of others have given up the theatre habit for the same reason. One small house loses $500 a year on me and my friends alone.— Less Moines. COLUMBIA TO PLAY ALBANY The Columbia Amusement Company, it is understood, will play Albany this season. For a number of years the circuit played the Empire, that city, but sold the house and property a years ago, which them with- out a house in Albany. It is understood that they have niade arrangements with Fred Proctor to play the Harmanus Bleecker Hall the coming season, the shows playing that house for three days, splitting with the Van CuUier Theatre, Schenectady. The Hannanns Bleecker will play combinations the other three days. When seen in his oflice Monday after- noon, General Manager Sam A. Scribner stated the deal had not been closed as yet but that he was waiting to hear from Proctor. HODGTON TABLET DEDICA-nON Thiirsday, July 26th, has been definitely set as the date on which the bronze mural tablet, to the memory of the late Samuel Kahler Hodgdon, of the B. F. Keith office, will be dedicated, the hour being an- nounced as 4:30 P. M. The tablet is in the National Vaudeville Artists' club- house, where the' memorial services will be hdd. July 26th will mark the seventieth anniversary of S. K. Hodgdon's birth. An elaborate program is being arranged. The dedication speech is to be made by Judge Edward McCall, and an address by Loney Haskell on behalf of the memorial com- mittee. Miss Amelia Bingham will deliver a tributary recitation of Mr. Hodgdon's famous essay called "Christmas, 1921," the words of which arc also engraved on the tablet. BURGLARS IN KINGSWAY The Kingsway Theatre, Kings Highway and Coney Island avenue, Brooklyn, was entered by burglars on Sunday night and the 500-pound office safe rolled into the orchestra and jimmied open. Two hundred and fifty dollars which was behmd the first door was stolen but the burglars found the second door proof against Oieir tools and left In the inner compartment was ain ad- ditional $975 which the robbers failed to get. The theft was discovered by Policeman Joseph Bums of the Sheepshcad Bay Sta- tion, who, when he noticed the theatre door open, investigated and found the wrecked safe. WELSH CHOIR FOR PALACE The Orpheus Club, of Cleveland, Ohio, a famous Welsh choir, will sing at Keith's Palace, New York, during both the matinee and evening performances of Wednesday, July 18th. The organization is to sail on the following day for London, from where it is to go to Wales, to appear in the an- nual national Welsh song contest.