The Billboard 1923-11-24: Vol 35 Iss 13 (1923-11-24)

” Aes nr. NOVEMBER 24, 1923 The Billboard —T Palace, Cincinnati (Reviewed Monday Matinee, November 19) There is not a weak spot in the entire seven acts being offered at the Paiuce this week. From the first to the last entertainment of a most pleasing brand, guaranteed to satisfy the appetite of any vaudeville devotee, is on tap. Pictorial program: ‘Michael O’Halloran”, a well-directed picturization of Gene Stratton Porter's widely-read novel. Fvcellent ground acrobatics and balancing feats were executed by Lillian and Henry geeler in “big league’’ style. The Zieglers have several entirely new and thrilling stunts and there is an atmosphere of class about their work in general that will enable them to give an excellent account of themselves on any bill. Eight minutes, full stage; two bows. Cronin and Hart, man and woman, displayed ability in delivering popular song numbers. The man is an especially clever entertainer and has on engaging personality. Too bad they should mar their efforte with very smutty songs and one or two suggestive gags. Eleven minutes, in one. The applause honors of the afternoon went to Pinto and Boyle, Italian comics. Both are musically inclined; one plays several selections eon a banjo to enthusiastic plauditory returns, and the other gets a bass fiddle effect out of a large metal trunk by rubbing his thumb across its surface. he third man in the act plays straight and made a very good impression as a vocalist. Fifteen minutes, in one; half a dozen bows, Mack and Stanton, a hobo In eccentric makewp and with a precise, delicate manner of speech, and a hard-hearted, loud-spoken prison official. The desire of the tramp to be locked up for the winter and the objections of the turnkey to such an arrangement form the basis ef the comedy. The several songs they sang could be discarded in favor of newer ones, Twelve minutes, im one; four bows. Adelaide Bell fs in a class by herself as a dancer. Miss Bell executed a great variety of dances, all arranged to provide her with opportunities to display her wonderful grace and suppleness. Ter backkicks and aidekicks, in which she touched the back of her head, shoulders and upper arms, were sensational. She was assisted by an accomplished male pianist caused the several waits between Miss Bell's dances to pass unnoticed. Eleven minutes, full stage; numerous bows. Bender and Armstrong are best described as “nuts”, They aroused considerable merriment with thelr buffoonery and avoided everything that might be offensive. The burlesqued mindreading bit was cleverly and humorous!y !ntroduced, but there was too much of it. A dering acrobatic feat provided a strong finish. Serenteen minutes, in one; two bows. Flashes From Songland is an artistically staged and costumed song review, presented by three men and two women, all accomplished singers. Classic, popular and folk songs were included in the repertoire. Appropridte settings gare added appeal to the numbers. Thirteen minutes, in one and three; two curtains. KARL D. SCHMITZ. Grand O. H., St. Louis (Reviewed Sunday Evening, November 18) who Martel and West. Some good balancing, jugsling and tumbling by Martel, with a double blindfold toe-catch for a strong finish, set things off in fast shape. Miss West does a fair three-hoop crawl-thra specialty. Ten minUtes, special in full stage; two curtains. Verdie and Glenn, in “Tony Boots’ Return’, A man and woman depicting an Italian statuary peddler and his daughter in mediocre comedy emoss patter which is intended to evoke langhe but falls flat. There is naught to merit commendation in this act and these folks ought to get an entirely new webicle if ther expect to stick in vauedville for apy length of time. Eleven minutes, in one, Desiys Sisters and Company offer an elaborate musical and dancing revue that justly Scored heavily, Essie and Norah Deslys are talented and versatile, can sing and are nifty soft-shoe and clog dancers. They have personality plus ability and this, combined with tasteful costumes for their different specialties, four Pretty, accomplished female musicians, and a beautifal setting for a background, put them orer to an immense hit. Eighteen minntes, full ftage; encore and bows. Morton Brothers are unquestionably the “‘harmonikings’’ of vandeville and they veritably make their mouth organs talk. They wind op their act with some exceptionally clean-cut paper tearing at which they are past masters, Twelve minutes, in one; four bows, Lady Alice's Pets, a cleverly trained troupe of rats, cats, pigeons and a dog. The usual miraculous feat of putting a bevy of rats thra such a variety of stunts. Nine minutes, special in full stage; two curtains and bow. Roe Reaves, ‘The Kid Glove Kidder”. A poor repertoire of nut songs, talk and recitations, Interspersed with poor hokum in a supposedly burlesqued war, was only passively received by the audience. Tifteen minutes, in one; two bows. “For Pity Sake”, featuring Howard Bly. Orpheum, St. Louis (Reviewed Sunday Matinee, November 18) A wonderful array of artistes combine to make the current bill about the best of the season at this house. Garcinetti Brothers opened with seven minutes of classy bat throwing and trampoline acrobatics, intersperved with some comedy in which a bulldog acsisted. Full stage; two curtains, Emmett O'Mara, with Jean LaFarge eccompanying at the piano, offered a varied selection of songs in his clear tenor voice. Best in his repertoire were “Rose of Picardy’’ and the rendition of the ‘‘Ario<o’’ from “Pagliaeci"’, Eighteen minutes, special in one; encore and bows. Alma Nielson, assisted by Dan B. Ely and Dave Rice and the Frivolity Five. Opening inauspiciously, this act proved to be the knockout surprise of the Dill Miss Nielson has surrounded herself with seven clever males, making her offering one of the best revues in vaudeville. As a diversified specialty dancer, nimble and peppy to the extreme, Alma Nielson ranks second to none and she puts her stuff over all the more emphatically with her fascinating dancing eyes and her winning smile. Ely and itive are erackerjacks as a team and as single dancers, and showed some exceptionally difficult and individual steps. The Frivolity Five are a pleasing quintet of versatile jazz musicians and singers, each member ably accomplishing a musical or gong specialty. Twentytwo minutes, pretty special in four; encore, eurtain and bows, Marry Hines, ‘‘the fifty-eighth variety’’. Using showmanship to the nth degree Hines put over nut songs and confidential comedy talk to a big hit. Twenty-one minutes, in one; speech and bows. Frisco himself, with Loretta McDermott and Fddie Cox. Frisco’s dancing is always a riot and he augments it with some clever eomedy talk that aids materially. Miss McDermott and Eddie Cox doubled in several specialties to good advantage and the latter proved to be a masterful soft-shoe dancer, Twenty-nine minutes, full stage; talk and bows, Frances White, diminutive musical comedy star, in her piquant style captivated the anudience as soon as she tripped onto the stage with hair slicked back and appropriately costumed for her various numbers. She interpreted each in her inimitable way. She offered “Dancing Shoes", “Pigtail’’, ‘‘Monkey in Zoo", “Ohio”, “Village Sheik” and “‘Sittin’ in a Corner’. Ted Murray assisted at the piano. Twenty-five minutes, pretty settings in three; encore, curtain and bows. George Moran and Charies Mack, “the two black crows"’, had ’em in stitches thruout with the comedy talk—one in his drawling, droll way and the other with his facial contortions. Closed with their burlesque boxing bit that brought them additional laughs. Eighteen minutes, in one; encore and bows. Fink’s Mules, under the dire¢tion of the aged trainer, three mules, four dogs and one monkey, performed their feats satisfactorily, with a kicking donkey and a ha'f dozen ‘‘supes’’ for a comedy finish. Eight minutes, cireus interior, full stage: two curtains. F. B. JOERLING. BANKS WINTER'S “WHITE WINGS” HEARD OVER RADIO Chicago, Nor. 17.—The older citizens within the reach of receiving stations must have sat up and listened with interest last night when the strains of ‘“‘White Wings’, broadcasted from the Zenith-Fdgewater Reach Station, floated out and stirred memories of forty years ago. And, sitting fer off in Brooklyn, a whitehaired old man listened to the song and saw unfolded the antebellum greetings given him when he sang the famous baliad written by himself. It was Banks Winter, veteran minstrel, who wrote and sang the song, and it was he who listened to it last night again, sung by his daughter-in-law, Louise Hattstaedt Winter, in Chicago. When ehe finished the song Mr, Winter sang it back over the radio. —— —= An exact duplicate thruont of the original well-known Charles Withers’ ‘“‘opery house’’ travesty on the old-time melodrama. Two of the cast who played with Withers in the Mound City several weeks ago are with the duplicate vehicle. Ely in the leading role is splendid and Charlies Withers had better look to his future laurels if he does not want to be outdone, The play evoked the usual numerous laughs and was a riot with the audience. Twenty-five minutes, full stage; four curtains Monroe Tabor and Fred Green, “Two Dark Knights’. Black-face comedians whose criss cross comedy patter went over big, They harmonized “Old Black Mammy" to a hit and added a smack of piano playing and yodeling to thelr offering. Twenty-one minutes, in one; encore and bows. Sawyer and Eddy, “An Aeria! Novelty’, Two classy aertalists who do some fancy and thrilling balancing on the swinging bars, which held ‘em all in. Twelve minutes, full stage; two curtains. Pictures opened and closed. F. B. JOERLING, Keith’s, Cincinnati (Reviewed Monday Matinee, November 19) An average bill this week. The biggest Monday afternoon attendance of the season, it seemed, was on hand. Pathe News. Aesop's Fables, Four Adionas. These men have brought a high-class trampoline act from Europe. The casters are upright on pedestals. Half and full twisters are performed by the fliers, who also figure in novel hand-to-hand catches. Eight minutes, full stage; merited applause and two bows. Thornton and Syuires. The novel entrance of the team following a motion picture introduetion and a zippy eccentric dance by the man are the redeemable features of this skit. The lines used about show people and back-stage conduct tend to create il! impressions and should be eliminated. Seventeen minutes, specials, in one and two; three bows, Eddie Nelson, in blackface, drew a good portion of laughter with wheezes and annexed three encores with his energetic “mammy” song delivery. Twenty-one minutes, in oue. Raymond Bond's latest sketch, “The Minute Man", is another mark to his credit for giving vaudeville a breezily humorous and clean-coated vehicle, He plays the leading part, that of a wise “rube’’, im his accustomed favor-winning style, with Duncan Harris and Eleanor Magnnson furnishing able support. Twenty-four minutes, office set; four curtains. Wilbur Mack, assisted ‘by an unprogrammed young man and two giris, offers a talking routine that allows room for more forceful entertainment qualties. It is billed “A Smart Comedy Diversion’, which is true of the way the matter at band is handled. Sixteen minutes, specials, in one and two; three bows. Joe Fejer and His Famous Hungarian Orchestra. A piano and six stringed instruments are used by the combination, which rendered the “Blue Danube Waltz’ and “Hungarian Rhapsodie No. 2” artistically and to great returns. Mr. Fejer also gained strong approval with his violin solo of “Chanson Bohemian’ and a part of a mediey in which he muted the strings. Some of Mr. Fejer’s manners as a conductor ean stand changes that will make for better acceptanse by audiences in this country. Eightenn minutes, in three; two encores. Val and Ernie Stanton had things their own way with their fami iar “English as it is not spoken” brand of witticisms and clever ukulele and harmonica playing, but snagged on the encore thru the use of an unwise attempt at comedy in which they donned Salvation Army lass hats to sing a special version of “Yes, We Have No Bananas". Fourteen minutes, in one. Guy and Pearl Magley. Theirs is a neat dancing arrangement mounted in two pretty scenes. Phonograph accompaniment is provided for two of their numbers. Eight minutes, full stage and three; held ‘em well. JOE KOLLING. McTIGUE SUES FOR ACCOUNTING New York, Nov. 17.—Mike McTigue, the light-heavyweight pugilist, today becan suit in the Supreme Court, thru his attorney, Jeremiah J. O'Leary, to compel Joseph Jacobs, his manager, to account to him for proceeds alleged to have been received under a contract for three years, beginning Angust 30, 1921. McTigue says the contract provided for his appearance in boxing exhibitions and stage performances in Europe, Australia and where and that he was to receive 70 per cent of the proceeds after deduction of traveling, advertising and other necessary expenses, McTigue says hig tour of Ireland and England cost him about $9,000, for which he received but $6,556 from Jacobs, and that in May last he appeared at the Columbia Theater at $1,250 per week, for which his managet paid him but $482 and ‘‘wrongfully charged against plaintiff bills at the Hotels Astor and Pennsylvania.”’ Iie also charges his manager with making false statements to the State Boxing Commission regarding his fight with Tommy Loughran and with borrowing $1,481, which Jacobs, he says, failed to pay back and for which be asks the court to award him judgment. “BOYCOTT” STICKERS POSTED New York, Nov. 19.—Motion pictvre employees working on location at Yaphank, Long Island, on the Griffith film, ‘Chronicles of America", found 2x3-inch pasters stuck all over the town entitled ‘‘Royeott California Movies". The title was printed {mn red ink in the center ef a black border. Other words on the stickers read: “California's prisons are full of union men. Help put an end to the injunction, the frame-up spy system and the anti-labor criminal syndicalism law.” “SHARLEE” OPENING POSTPONED New York, Nov. 18.—‘‘Sharlee”’, the John Cort musical comedy slated to open at Daly's Theater next Wednesday, has had its opening postponed until Thursday. else Lafayette, New York (Reviewed Sunday Concert, November 18) Fmma Gober and Harry Cahn, pluggers for a Melody Music Company number, ‘Lost Little Girl’, began the program and their work was such es to very thoreiy remove any unfavorable impression because of its commercia! character The Stewart Sisters, a pair of clever girls in “kid” stuff, in one, did a pair of double song numbers and a solo, each in a highly entertaining manner. Their act is simple, neat and is a genuinely youthful act. Brown and Williams, a colored comedy team, man and woman, were next and opened to a reception that they soon justified. A blues number from the girl and a comedy song by the boy both went big. His talk drew hearty laughs. Three Voices, a girl with male tenor and baritone, opened with a medley of pop numbers, followed by a solo by the woman, a duet by the man, and a trio finish with bazoo instruments and a change to semi-Chinese costumes for the finish. The act took well. Martine, with piano-accordion, is a repeater here. This time he has added James Chisholm, a colored dancer, as an accessory to two of his numbers, and the boy is a dancing find, Martine plays two operatic numbers that were very favorably received by the auditors who seemed to like it as well as they do the jazzy stuff. Faton and Stewart, a pair of colored fellows from a Mutual Wheel burlesque show, repeated after but two Sundays’ absence and opened to a reception. By the time they had finished their comedy and the odd music from the cigar-box vivlin and the tiny organ they had just about rioted the house. Four bows and an encore was their score. The artist and his models, working full stage, served to introduce Edna Bennet, the “champion female boxer’, and her dancing partner in boxing, wrestling and fencing. Another member of the at worked on the Roman ‘ings, seng and danced thru a nice number and added very materially to the stage picture as she posed for the arti-t, who faked painting her. The male member who depicted the artist at the opening of the act later did the fall stuff, when Miss Bennet did <ome quick stuff on the order of the Icelanders’ act. The act was a fast and impressive closer for this or any other bill. “Only 38°’, a Paramount film, completed the program, J. A. JACKEON. COLORED VET. SUES FOR ALLEGED DISCRIMINATION New York, Nov. 17.—Walter Hampden, Ine., lessee of the National Theater, is made defendant in an action for a penalty, brought by Charles Chennell under provisions of the Civil Rights Law. Chennell, a colored war veteran and member of a local government vocational training school, alleges in his complaint filed thrn Attorney Carl Brecher in the Third District Municipal Court that he held a ticket for a performance of ‘Jolly Roger’ at the National Theater for the night of October 3 and that he was refused admittance to the house on account of his race and color. He asks for $500 damages. According to Manager Entwhistle, of the National Theater, where Walter Hampden is now playing in ‘“‘Cyrano de Bergerac’’, Chennell was not discriminated against on account of his race or color, but was refused admittance because it was believed at the time that the ticket held by Chennell wae not in the hands of its rightful owner. Reid, Dougherty & Hoyt, attorneys for Walter Hampden, Inc., filed notice of putting in an answer for their client. They have until November 28 in which to answer. Several suits bronght against restaurants and theaters under the Civil Rights Law during the past few years in New York have in practically every instance been settled ont of court, the plaintiff having been prevailed upon to withdraw his complaint. McCORMICK MANAGING FENWAY Boston, Nov. 17.—Barrett McCormick, after making quite a name for himself thru his management of moving picture houses in the Middle West, has come to Boston and assumed the position of managing director of the newly reopened Fenway Theater. Mr. MeCormick has done much good work in the development of picture theaters for Paramount, and among the houses formerly managed by him are the Circle Theater in Indianapolis, the Ailen Theater in Cleveland and MeVicker's in Chicago. He is expected to bring some new ideas to Boston in the line of moving picture presentation. EMILY STEVENS TO WITHDRAW New York, Nor. 17.—Emily Stevens, having definitely decided to withdraw from “A Lesson in Love’, which goes gn tour in another week, will be replaced by Gilda Leary, who has been playing a minor part in the company. “A lesson in Love’’ will be succeeded at the Thirty-Ninth Street Theater by Arthur Henry's three-act comedy, entitled ““Time’’.