The Billboard 1913-04-12: Vol 25 Iss 15 (1913-04-12)

= sewe @ wt ere es, 4 Ly > . > The Billboard APRIL 12, 1913. EVIEWS OF LONDON VAUDEVIL PROGRAMS The Palladium Tivoli Music Hall Metropolitan Music Hall Tottenham Palace Address, Argyll Street, London, Eng.; The Capital Syndicate, Proprietors; Chas. Gulliver, , ; . comer: * ne Bl ace ee Address, Strand, London, Eng.; Joseph wWilAddress, Edcombe Road, London, Eng.; Wm. Address, High Road, Tottenham, London Eng.; Arthur C. Knight, Assistant Manager; James son, Manager; James Howell, Acting Manager; G. W. Perry, Manager: Wm. Burgess, Musical Sale, Musical Director; Ernest E. Hooke, Stage Waiter Johnson, Musical Director Bailey, Manager ‘ Manager; Eustace Gray, Press Kepresentativ. Director ™ ! Un the evening of March 12, 16 1 Ss wer | i Was witnest, on M 27. as tir t joth because of his enviable position as a gramed uding an overture aud orchest 1 1 s Ww ba ve Mul Phe | poy vusic ball star and because he is so ections between the first and seceod halves. | enj nt of gra was ¢g y enhancet | sel t Ap i Awerican vaudev the kLisie Faye assisted by Joe Mill nd Sam] t lean and ul ¢ uct of t t t ts |r le to Tott 100 Was well wort while wit Westor the America ati } 3 t 4 yr and fast y “ An | Join Lawson, at the end of it Programed a* mn the rly Harry Willis Nat] agree ncident is I i w just before | ‘‘a moral episode,”” Sally in Our Alley is played : bere, os ere, two co Ayers and Coaki y. Hanvey and y be-lt program Was begut 1Z au wn | by Lawson and seven confederates. We beg t uctors presided, One for overtures and one fo z in “feature pusitions—the ‘ sles and requested, most p> y, that the | d fler, at the outset, with the man who book the turns There is a brief overturs iit in other respects the bill was made up Of] ladies present remove their ats r he took | M Lawson in his judgment as to the avail ting the program in half at this two-show | Erg ish and European artists, none of whom] a special seat, placed just back of the trap-| ability of Sally In Our Alley for American house just the same ag at the one-show thea s+med have offerings suited to American pres ilrummer. from where ‘ ed the audience vil presentations, : ters. entationg in a degree that would make then nd watcht every part yf use with an Tie scene is an artist’s studio, conducted Having seen vaudevil shows for 25 years, | noteworthy of being singled out. Fred Karno's | eagle ey. ty some pre-arrang signals to bis ng atrocious lines. for here comes two men sometimes from six to ten a week, might pos-| Mumming Birds, however, were an exception; | ushers and police in the balconies and gallers f money clearly bent upon viewing the posings sibly qualify the present writer as capable of | the act having shown at home under the title | pe Kent in tou h everything and quelle of the “altogether’’ odels oO near-by expressing an opinion of more or less value, but | of A Night In An English Music Hall. It was] py a lly ie yn ahaa oy ~ 3 room; this per is aan ie ‘way for Mr = _ entering on. > — 2 4 ~o Aig | eg ag gg ey ee as disturbance’ in those, too often, unruly quar| Lawson's p’atitudes and discoutses upon the able dissenters suffice it say that the Palla hen ankees Wwitnest it, and was splendidl) | sore F : " subject of race prejudice as between Jew and dium vaeudevil show was _Just about the best played by a large company. ee Incidentally it might be noted here that ladies do | Gentile. Three models ‘“‘figure’’ generously in Here seems a good spot to introduce a para who were led by a seventh. in about 15 minutes vers om —_ me eae ee “*y ht of eden be pee non my whicl gy ty alan graf of unstinted praise for the stage crews of | of violin playing the while they ‘“‘stept’’ and ro tae pd ane bn ee yee te knee. — ges eter wahena > nusic ls v ars and e > Ge ) oO . . o ‘ : 1 m, é ° Pollogian. T aa ten Coliseum : me ed oe gps mtg om a5 “tele Denving Fiddlers » | creates the wish that English managers would eye — = ee ee che corns — ing stage in particular—the men at these four| There may have been some American girls in| *@0Pt ““lantern slides’ which obtains in so thang bd eee ee ee eee halle have, during one week, shown us the mom | the lot, but @ majority were certainly English | ™40y American theaters with a request for) 0B, WNT baie ines and tag” the sketeb marvellous adeptness in ‘‘striking.”’ clearing a girls who, Mke their compatriots, bave noi | ‘dies to remove their mettinery with: “You are pot the first fallen woman setting vaudevil acts; bave maintained a speed | graspt the American style of dancing or quite moverting to the gordeemence, % maz b2] oo hes made the best of wives and the best in thelr work that bas effaced a full stage | the American style of ‘‘ragging.”’ But thes | P easurably recorded that Charlies T. Aldrich, of mothers.’ “this” yreceeded by lines which ex act and followed it with another in fenomen | were attractiv and their selections, played with. | *20wn years ago in America as a “‘tramp jug tol roy Jew in parece cs ke to the Gentile ally quick order, truly within a space of time | «ut interruption, engaged almost every ‘rag’ | ler,’ was the overbalancing hit of a decidedly | 01" ° a otherwise participate in the scene e brief that it seemed almost incredible ever we have heard in America for years back. The excellent show. Aldrich has improved ten-fold gr the me ve-Gentile ane Bead aed one in the actual beholding “changes’’ were not counted, but they must | ver bis American form and has almost en-| 1 0 seems to have been built save to Let us assemble the Palladium bill. as near|tave played. in whoje or part, 25 different | titely discarded his juggling feats for rapl@| yo. show a type of loathsome caddishness as we can recall, just as it ran for the second | “‘rag’’ tunes. Substantiating the belief that . costumes and “trick” stage doings. | 1. hike of which 1. net recalled as havin, "ever show, March 14, for the programed order was | Londoners were “half dipt’’ on ragtime, the au-| 4 ns his unsupressible handkerchief, bis} 1... depicted on the Atmerican stage . all changed. Whit Cunliffe because of an | dience rose to a pitch of enthusiasm they did | “stowing’’ tree and flowers, and has added a The setting was beautiful at the Tottenbam meunced illness, did not appear and we were | not demonstrate at any other time during the | lightning-like costume change interval and M0] poisce and John Lawson had but to splendid)s thus, denied the delight of witnessing again|evening. The idea of seven girls ‘‘fiddling’ | ¢md of ridiculousiy funny novelties in stage} ponder his herole lines, without scarcely moving the work of one of the pleasantest and most | and constantly changing the formations of their | trappings and tricks. He is establisht a8 @/ from the spot he chose upon his entrance to agreeably talented artists England ever sent to| dances could well be enlarged upon by some favorit: here, but would be a revelation § te bring outbursts of applause from his audience America, a land where he was happily received | =kilful American producer to arrive at an even] Yandevil audiences at home if he should be] .y4 a finish it all with enthusiastic evidences and where he would be welcome again and | greater degree of perfection and consequent suc. | prevailed upon to take a flying trip to his nativ of approval ‘ again. The bill: Jennie and Joe, Three Van] «iss at home. heath. His popularity with his audience proved So much for the reception of the sketch by Dammes, Williams and Segal. Lottie Sarrow Elsie Faye and her two boys have not been] greater than that of any American act We] 4) English audience: so much for the platitudes Clarise Mayne first half: Fred Emeny and] tere very long, we believe. but they have won| have seep on this side thus far. Jnustly so: for in a country where’ there may be such studios Company, G. H. Elliott, Lew Lake and Com-|tbeir place. surely, The girl presents a de | he fs a wonder of cleverness and adeptness at] ang cuch ‘ertist-cads @s are ‘depicted (we are pany, Bioscope. last half. idedly attractiv appearance. sings well and in| illusions. free to doubt it, however)—but in this opinion The chow really began with the Three Vanj| one song advances a line of comedy by rolling Alexander’s Ragtime Band was another act |] american vaudevil will be in no measure en Dammes, acrobats, for Jennie and Joe sang} her eyes which built up her specialty in no} which savored of America, but principaily thru | hanct as entertainment by presentations of Sally enly one verse and chorus, danced a little and | man degree. Miller and Weston are clever | the broad and langhable burlesque on ragtime | qn Our Aller . 7 cleared ovt, as an opening number. The Van| dancers as well as singers and their efforts, red by a company of premaow forty mu Certainly John ‘Lawson is a fine actor and Dammes go more on the excellence of their | combined with Miss Faye’s frequent costume | sicians and singers. Whether the act is all| “qooks" th work than on appearance, a special drop lending “eatmoesfere,”’ to an act which workt up grad vally to a rattling finish which brought down the house. They should fare well in America Williams and Segal, programed as “‘America’s (Continued on page 50). changes, lent attractivness to a specialty whici seems to firmly establisht in London favor Harry Williams and Nat D. Ayers were secon efter intermission and with Coakley, Hanves and Dunlevey, pulled down the great big hit (Continued on page 50). English could not be det veneer of burnt cork. which obtained exception thruout, But surely an has had a hand in putting it might as well take ai ship rminet under = th with one American together: and he home and produce (Continued on page 60.) the type of the clean-cut, wealthy Jew he depicts—a man of fine instincts who revolts at the conduct of the artist and his fellow crea tures Rut his excellent work for a few mo ments at the end of the sketch does not palliate the scenes and dialog that has gone before Tt (Continued on page 50). Coliseum New Cross Empire Finsbury Park Empire Victoria Palace Address, ‘t. Martin's Lane, London, Eng.; Oswald Stoll, Managing Director; Arthur Croxatten, ew Ge Set, Sew Gan, tee Address, Finsbury Park, London, Eng.: Moss’ Address, Victoria Street, London; Alfred Butt, ton, Manager: Alfred Dove, Musical direeter; don; Ernest — Acting Manager; Moss Emiain: Abt: hainitees Gunes dtten, Ateneo Managing Director; Harry Hall, Manager; J. A. Henry Crocker, Stage Manager; H. Pryme. Asa roprietors; Frank Allien, Managing x Say Sip ~ As . Webb, Assistant Manager; J. Williams, Stage sistant Manager. F © Director; Horace Cole, Acting Manager. , | Manager. Beautifully appointed, commodious and fault This is the first of the ‘‘district’’ theaters Twenty minutes, by underground, from Leices lessly conducted an evening spent at the Co liseum is a period of pure delight, especially = when one is priviledged to witness Violet Van brugh and Company, in the third act of The Woman in the Case, an offering that occupie more than an bour in the last half of an othe: wise splendid bill of vaudevil. Miss Van Brugh is ove of England's famous stage beau ties and popular dramatic idols For our pur poses the record is made complete in the decia retion that she is a woman of surpassing!) great artistic attainments and if American man agers could secure her Coliseum production. company and Miss Van Brugh they would have an attraction that would fill thelr houses and make some of their other ‘‘imported” stars loox Ike impostors. Another act that would find great favor lu American vaudevi] is the comedy animal act shown by Gobert Belling, who with a man asaistant, a special scenic environment and a few well-trained animals offers a ripping ‘‘show' with animal training and comedy provided in equal parts for a total of splendid entertain ment. Zona Vevey. seen for Anerica when William tid. came in for rousing appreciation, her ar tistic method and manner, combined with Max Erard’s skillful] plano playing, etriking the au only a few weeks in Morris was making his dience with best effect and resulting in ap plause sufficient to warrant more songs than she seemed willing to sing. She still carries out the scenic illustration and chorus—demonstrations of costumed assistants that made her number eo popular and ‘‘showman-like’’ when she was in the States. At that time American vaudevil audiences did not have nearly enuf of Miss Vevey and her art: her stay was all] to brief. Rinaldo scored one of the resounding hits of the evening with bis violin playing, familiar to American audiences. This artistic chap is not deing so good an act as he did at home—at lenat his selections there are recalled as vastly better than those he is now using—but his bit was. nevertheless, tremendous. Cornella and Eddy (also Americans) high faver with an acrobatic act so cleverly workt that the old material seemed new an: their newly workt-ont detaile delighted. They have s genuinely good acrobatic turn with comedy that is real and acrobatics that are skillful and showey. Lydia Yavorski and a small company gave Lolette In the first half, starting off like an afternoon tea and ending with a smart showing of interest: James Watts gave a burlesque dance ond female impersonation that scored heavily were in (Continued on page 60.) we have visited. In the ‘‘neighborhood theaters’’ shows are given nightly; the first starting at 6:30 and the second at 9:15. Eleven numbers were programed Saturday evening, March 15. one being the snappy opening overture, lasting not longer than two minutes, the overture given States we call them and as over there two between the first and second half not being counted. There were actually nine vaudevi! turns and moving pictures. When we become more conversant with the subject. a detailed story will be written con cerning the conduct and method of managing London music hallg in general; for the present suffice it to say the show at this house is longer and considerably better than most of the ‘‘two a-night’’ bills we have seen in America. This may not always apply. but at the New Cross Empire the standard seemed to be as here stated. And the caowds—simply tremendous; this, possibly, because it was Saturday night. with a closed and “proper lazy’’ Sunday in store. Two American acts on the bill were the initial cause of our visit to New Cross. Mr and Mrs. Gardner Crane and Company were ending their first week in England and Hil! and Whittaker were ending a week which markt the beginning of their seventh tour of the Huglish music halls. The last named specialist« were among the earliest turns to ‘have a try" at the English halls. Of the remaining turns the Four Amaranths with their lively acrobatic dancing number, were seen in America on the Morris time They seem to be the same four handsom and activ girls, and their act scored heavily. Bar clay Gammon (referred to in last week’s re view of the London Palace) was the top-liner and met with the cordial ‘“‘bravos’’ and app!aus: of a popular favorite. His act improves on a second review; a mark, we take it, of excep tional cleverness. The Kepplers, pleasing vo ealists; Weiland, a juggler: Toft and Tate. vo ealists and character changists; Bert Terrell. in German songs. and Jack Warmer, monologist. gave acts that pleased in varying degrees. For their first English showing Mr. and Mrs Gerdner Crane chose The Other One, a dramatk: episode of comedy bent. In this opinion they mode a mistake in not bringing over the ‘‘sleep ing car’’ sketch which, a season or so ago proved such a riot of merriment at home. That sketch would surely have put London music hallers to route, thru Mrs. Crane’s side-split ting antics and the rapid movement of the en tire sketch, . The other one is present execution, not designed in plot, or to make audiences in a (Continued on page 60.) ter Square, landed us at the door of the Empire, in Finsbury Park, whence we journed to see, first hands out how well “‘Mrs. Whallen'’s oy Mike’’ was doing in this his almost adopted field of vaudevil endeavor. Mike Whalen left America several years ago, and save for occasional visits home ‘‘to see the folks,’’ he has — here continuously and working consecutivly. Leave it to the Finsbury Parkites to demon Strate just what has kept him here. He could hardly get away from the audience the evening we saw him, let alone get away from the managers who are holding him here because of his fenomenal popularity. Mike told a few yarns, sang a song, recited a piece, and then got down to his “‘impromptu’’ verses, made up as he went along, and singling out people in the audiences as a topic. Again and again they called him back to add more verses, until, to get away he was ultimately compelled to make a “begging off’’ speech. Michael is some hit hereabouts, believe us. Lily Lena, known and vastly popular in America, was a great favorit with her home folks. She seems to be dressing better here, looks better, and has ‘‘perked up’’ unquestionably, on ber nativ heath, until her number stamps her a deservedly popular idol. The purely English act that seemed to possess hallmarks that best suit it for America, developt in Wild, Willie and West. They have an acrobatic novelty that would carry them anywhere. Their scenery and “props’’ depict a building in process of erection, with three of the workingmen disporting themselves in admirably developt acrobatics and displays of their skill as knock-abouts and tumblers. They are al] in “‘tad’’ make-up, and what they don't do to each other is enuf to keep the audience in uproars. American audiences would like these hardy and humorous brick-and-mortar comedians. George Formby is one of the male features in the English halls. He is from Lancashire, and uses a dialect. that to the untutored ear, keeps one listening sharply to get the Once the combination of his ** Formby is thread. patter’ is revealed disclosed as a dro}l delver into non sense along about the same line of tom foolery that James J. Morton indulges in—but the two men in methods or anything other than their buffoonery are not at all alike. Formby’s method is a little hard to explain. He sings comic dittles which exploit his great “daring,"’ the sequel invariably showing him as the butt of the jokes He is a great student of what he essays, eviaently, and holds to bis character unintermittantly But it seems doubtfen! to this writer if American audiences (Continued on page 60.) This observer, having heard of the success in Engiand of the Three Rascals, was attracted to the Victoria Palace for the second show Merch 19, In the satisfaction of witnessing first hand their unqualified success we were wel: repaid As a further reward we were abl to view Russell and Held. another American act, who opened after intermission Still an other American act, the Vand Derkoors, was also in the bill. Otherwise the bill was made up of English acts and embraced other than will be specitically mentioned, nothing of ex traordinary value Wish Wynn, from the present view-point however, treated ber audience to a delightful sketch of her various characters, drawn with artistic deftness and brought out with songs fittingly composed for her various changes. complete. The Two Hoellanders offered a novel and most Her personal and artistic success was eutertaintng turn; one that would interest American sudiences immensely. They use the picture machine to introduce their number, a special film showing them as street entertainers in Holland, their trip across on the ship and their arrival in front of the Victoria Palace all done in a mad chase which ends in the man and woman rushing down the aisle. Then ensues a series of songs and changes by the girl while the man occupies the orchestra lead ers’ chair He does make-ups to resemble directors of the various nations the songs typify, and does them with a fairly good idea of comedy. The girl is the best half of the act and makes a pleasing picture while she displays a sweet voice in four pretty songs and changes The Three Rascals scored the second ‘‘strenu ous’? hit of the show—the audience applauded longer and shouted more for the Two Hollanders. But the American boys might justly be proud of their success. They were recalled time and again to give extra songs and finally finisht before the audience seemed to have half enur. Their rollicking ‘‘rags’’ took the house by storm and they well know how to ‘“‘cabaret’’ and tickle the fancy of rag-mad Londoners Fred Russell (one time of Russell and Locke) and Lillian Held, who made an enviable reputa tien as a burlesquer, In America have con trived a singing and dancing formation that gives them both an equal show There are clothes-changes for both and Miss Held's gowns were « positiv revelation, when considered in the light of other manners of dressing an act In the English halls She sang well, lookt a “beaute’’ and had the clever dancing of Rus = to round out the applause features of th: urn. The Van Derkoor’s act went much better here than when it was last seen by this writer In (Continued on page 50). ines ecient AB FR