The Billboard 1924-04-26: Vol 36 Iss 17 (1924-04-26)

APRIL 26, 1924 The Billboard 15 ~ Grand O. H., St. Louis (Reviewed Sunday Evening, April 20) 1.» special Easter show is a good one. Photo' opened, hig George, a brown bear, went thru a series jances and stunts to the accompanying talk vic foreign trainer. George became suddenly prior to his wrestling bits and the cur' < rung down, much to the regret of the aience. ‘fen minutes; woodland scene, in “t ck Danger is a crackerjack at juggling Indian clubs and at the same time **hoofing’’. But be almost spoils the act by attempting in ice to put over two song numbers. Eleven minutes, in one; three bows. losephine Worth and Company have a one+ comedy-pathos sketch on greed in which ' . hardworking woman secretary overcomes the vreed and selfishness of her employer. The infelds a good moral, there are enough comedy lines and situations, and the two men . 7 w ng Miss Worth are good. Fourteen special office setting, in three; three poor vo Lapan and Bastedo, man and woman, the former in a comic misfit makeup, have a good line of comedy chatter. Both can sing and the man is a natural funster Fourteen minutes of relishable stuff, but wouldn't oblige with an encore, altho the prolonged applause justified it. Jobony Yule, the Weldon Sisters and Irene Richards combine to put over an excellent vaudeville revue. Yule is a nifty stepper. The Weldon Sisters are a likable pair and chock full of personality. They sang several good numbers, gave a piano and violin duet and one offered a whistling epecialty. Miss Richards’ two dances were Well done, her Spanish number being best. Fifteen minutes, pretty hangings, in four: curtains and bows, Harry Jans and Harold Whalen, a clever, well-appearing palr, with a speedy line of crossfire comedy that garners them many laughs. Their talk ie natural and comes with an ease that is refreshing. These bors put their stuff over differently, too. They were the biggest laughgetters on the bill. One, too, has exceptionally nimble feet. Their encore was out of the ordinary and novel in the extreme. Twentytwo minutes, in one, Carl Rosini was next and proceeded to mystify the audience with his ‘‘black art’. His production is well staged, the cabinets and tables all attractive and the three assistants well costumed. Best in his repertoire were his trunk trick, cage illusion, disappearing pigeons, bringing forth of ducks and the hoop experiments. Seventeen minutes, special, in fall stage and one; three hows. Charlie Wilson, ‘‘the loose nut’’, assisted by Mike, equally loose, amused with a wealth of hokum comedy and nonsensicalities for the next fifteen minutes. Im one; three bows. Ladora and Beckman do a little of everything and do it well. Dancing, aerial work, singing and talking are included in their routine, which closed the bill to a good hand. F. B. JOERLING. Orpheum, St. Louis (Reviewed Sunday Matinee, April 20) Three hours of vaudeville without a dull moment. An act deserving a much better position and undoubtedly placed in opening spot because of another similar dancing turn was thet of Danny Dugan and Madelyn Meredith, with Freddie Sanborm at the xylopbone. High-class ballroom dances are executed with srace and agility, and Sanborn is a bear at Xylophone playing. Thirteen minutes, special hangings, in four; three bows. _Real showmanship is exhibited by Harry ang Emma Sharrock. Their special midway ‘mitt joint’ setting is a pippin and their ballyhooing prior to going into their mental telepathy work ‘8 typical of the carnival lots. Their code is about the fastest in the business and the comedy clean and wholesome. Twenty-one Mibutes, in one; three bows. In ‘Musie of Motion’, the second dancing cf on the bill, Helene Coyne and Henrl French Present on artistic program. Both work hard ‘nd combine wonderful expression with grace. Maxim Maurice arranged the music and directed the orchestra Eighteen minutes, special, in full stage: three curtains, Dave Kramer and Jack Boyle, the former in Wlackface, sang, talked and amused the andi*nee immensely with their nonsense. The Sharsoee cate on toward the finish and belped put oe over more forcefully with a burlesque on — own fering. Twenty-six minutes, in *, encore und bows, At this juncture Harry Sharrock made a ‘ong laudatory speech on the N. V. A., and = bavkets were passed around for donations. Frederick Sylvester and Company, the latter consisting of two clever midgets and a woman wo Serves only a8 qa prop. The act is justly ‘led “the neatest ‘of the neat’. The head rah ' balancing and the lifting and catching Midgets by Sylvester is elass personi Palace, Cincinnati (Reviewed Monday Matinee, April 21) Little Pipifax and Company made a strong appeal to the ehildren, particularly the antics and pantomime of the clown in over-sized breeches. The ‘‘and company”, another man and a girl, do acrobatics and generally assist the clown. Bight minutes, full stage; one bow. Princeton and Watson bad nearly retired before they hit the funny bone of many. The fellow and girl are supposed to have met in “Brownderbyville’’, and after a flow of wise eracks about the hick village, they seat themselves while the girl softly vocalizes ‘‘Where the Lazy Daisies Grow’. A whispering conference between them, with the man’s back to the audience, and the abhorrent attitude by the girl, precedes the fellow’s marriage proposal which works up to the finale. Thirteen minutes, in one; two bows. Ethel Hopkins was heard in some well-rendered operatic and semi-classical numbers and Managed to get a share of the applause. She wore a white-beaded gown, with train from the shoulders. Miss Hopkins should do away with the carpet on which she stands, as it takes up entirely too much time to roll up in readiness for the next act. Joe Towle showed his usual keen sense of humor and supplied fon with his impression of a female piano student playing numbers this generation has almost forgotten. Ten minutes. in one; one bow. Jack and June Laughlin have a snappy act that is pleasing to the lovers of dancing. The most important contributory factor is undoubtedly the talent of an unprogrammed fellow, but in justice to the others—three female artistes— it must be recorded that so far as dancing is concerned they are most versatile and satisfying. A pretty stage setting enhances the effect. Fifteen minutes: four curtains. Lane and Harper succeeded in their mission of making others laugh, especially their comedy with a novelty “‘baseball” game. The girl sings pleasantly while wearing a white georget gown with orchid fan and introduces some high kicks at the finish of the duet vocalizing of ‘‘Bebe"’. The man also contributed a song over the telephone during his partner's change of dress. Fourteen minutes, in one; four bows. The O'Brien Sextet is a jazz orchestra of men who are average in their line. The two qualities of pep and ginger are noticeable in their modern syncopation numbers. They made a profound impression. The members are nattily attired in purple-colored Oxford-style coats and white flannel pants and white slippers. Seventeen minutes, special interior; three curtains. LONG. , — fied. Eight minutes, plush drop, in one; three bows. Elliott Dexter, cinema star, in a one-act Playlet by Elaine Sterne, ‘‘A Good Provider’’, gripped and thrilled the audience. Winifred Barry, James Neill, Jr.; Nancy Chase and Fred Walton made mp the balance of the cast. The latter is by far the best actor in the supporting quartet. Twenty-eight minutes, in four; two speeches following an ovation. Jay Brennan has tutored Stanley Rogers well in an endeavor to get an able partner for himself since the demise of Bert Savoy. The takeoff of ‘‘Marg’’ is well done and with a few exceptions the team offers the same line that made the old pair such favorites. The house was fn continuous laughter. Nineteen minutes, in one; speech and prolonged applause. Torcat and Flor D'Aliza have perhaps the only troupe of trained game roosters in the two-aday. There are about thirty, of various varieties. The boxing match with the fowls dressed for the occasion is a clever bit. Seventeen minutes, beautiful setting in full stage; two curtains. F. B, JOERLING. B. S. Moss’ Broadway, New York (Reviewed Monday Matinee, April 21) tilly Glason ran far ahead of the field in one of the slowest, lop-sided bills seen at this house in quite a spell. As a song writer Billy still belongs in the aspirant class, but as a peddler of stupid jingles the little fellow tips the scale at a mean angle. Most of Billy's new repertoire of gags were written for him by Neal O'Hara, staff humorist of The Evening World—so the billing tells us. If true, O'Hara makes a better vaudeville gag writer than a columnist, for the folks seemed to be literally rolling in spasms as Billy sent the O’Haraisms shooting across the footlights. Billy's sendoff lasted just one minute and fourteen seconds— official count—which time served to give the stage hands ample opportunity to set the chairs for the minstrel act following, and to set them correctly. The correct position of chairs, you know, is one of the most important factors in the successful makeup of a minstrel act. Take the chairs out of a minstrel act and what do you have? Just plain minstrels. Well, that’s just what they had at the Loew’s State, New York (Reviewed Monday Matinee, April 21) The show this afternoon contained no high spots and the reaction of the andience indicated that it was below par. Even Eddie Foy and his children, headlining the bill, failed to register very solidly or tear loose an outstanding hand. Kara, novelty juggler, who made the record of misses, opened. Some of his stuff is clever, some of it commonplace. His umbrella, cigar and hat trick, juggling the cigar to the mouth “and the hat to the cigar, balancing it on its rim, a trick which required three attempts to accomplish, closed and got a fair hand. Dorothy Wahl, in second spot, accompanies for herself at the piano and offers a singing novelty that gets across successfully. Miss Wahl has an engaging personality, good enunciation and a fair singing voice, but lacks wheatever it is that puts songs over in big-time fashion. Her recitation bit about prohibition found lukewarm favor. Mason and Gwinne, man and woman in black and tan makeup, proved themselves entertaining to a mild degree. Some of the material they use is suggestive and some is old, but it got across favorably, and the singing, cornet imitations, whistling, etc., while of medium-time caliber, still drew appreciable returns. Eddie Foy and the Younger Foys offer a satire on the movies entitled ‘‘Revue of 1924. It is in two scenes, the first outside a moving picture studio, where a scene is shot, the second the interior of a cabaret. In the latter the Foys do their dancing and sing a few numbers while the initial scene is given over to a travesty on the making of a motion picture seene. Eddie and two of his daughters evoke big chunks of laughter as they burlesque a sob scene in which a flowershop heroine and her baby are the victims. Another of the Fors, acting as director, also garners a lot of laughter. The scene is genuinely amusing, and the singing and dancing which followed and closed was of the reliable sort Foy always offers. The youngest of the family is still shoved about by his dad for laughs, and, as always has been the case, pleased the folks out front. Burns and Kissen, doing a couple of Greeks On the opening, sing a comedy number in which restaurants and victuals are concerned. They also do a Yid. number in low derbies, and, after offering a couple of new songs, one of which appears to be a sequel to the ‘‘Bananas” song, the boys do a number of comic imitation bits. These bits struck a gusher of satisfaction with the audience and they were called back several times to give more. Mile. Nina, toe dancer, closed. She is assisted by the skating team of Bacon and Fontaine, who open the act with a gracefully executed ballroom tango on the rollers to the accompaniment of Spanish music. The man does a creditable imitation of a drunk as a specialty. Mile. Nina's toe dance and the terpsichorean bit scored a distinctive hit, and the contortionistic achievements in her Egyptian dance registered an outstanding hand. The offering is attractively dressed and mounted, and the skating is especially diverting. ROY CHARTIER. Broadway. They were slipped into the bill under the billing of ‘‘The Jolly Cork Minstrels’, oldtimers, of variable and questionable ability, but anything that oldtimers essay. particularly in dancing, takes big with the crowd and the five veterans of variety in this act lived up to this observation. There was George W. Cunningham, introduced as the oldest living acrobatie dancer; Tom English, with his sky-larking tambourine; Eddie Horan, shaking a terrific clog, and Harry Armstrong, trying a rather shaky hand at ancient ditties and nifties. A 68-year-old chap rolling around on the floor may be an entertaining sight, but hardly edifying. Speaking of nifties, Hamilton and Barnes pack in their dialog a neat assortment of mirth that raises their stuff far above the usual drivel misnamed comedy. Their wedding pantomime, run off as smoothly and naturally as ean be, gained them a deservedly hefty hand. Snappy. eccentric dancing makes the Dixie Four eligible for better-time vaudeville and little else. Their harmonizing was occasionally tuneful. But when those boys started shuifling the folks just sat up and whacked their palms off. Emilie Lea es didn’t get much of a rise at this performance. Fmilie is more than pretty of face and form and palms off a sample of all the tricks taught at the most modernized school of sensational dancing. Yet the act failed to click. Clarence Rock's air of selfsufficiency and overassurance may have had much to do with the turn’s failure to take with the folks, and maybe not. As a dancing partner Rock blends well. Sam Kaufman did a lot of clowning at the piano, which really tickled the audience. The Diaz Sisters tripped a merry toe on the light wire, closing their routine with a table jump. The applause was moderate. BEN BODEC. A glance at the Hote} Directory in this issue may save considerable time and inconvenience. Lafayette, New York (Reviewed Sunday Concert, April 20) } Paul Specht presented one of his musical or ganizations here in the native haunt of syri copated music and they went away «stamped with the highest approval. The combination included a dancing team—Billy Grant and Ruth Adair—and the Twin City Six, George Hersh, Suck Weaver, Joe Rose, Pat Ryan, Howard MeElroy and Clint Johnson, and they put over sixteen minutes of jazz that earned seven bows and two curtain calls, ip addition to an encore. It's a great act and the boys are good looking, have personality and are musicians. They were fourth. Kola Sylvia and Company, a woman pianist of talent and beauty, with a dancing team working full stage, opened the show. A team number, a toe dance by the female, a pianolog, another team offering and the male in a brief series of Russian steps was the nine-minute offering of a good opening act. Smith and Jackson, man violinist and woman pianist who can sing and possesses a beautiful voice. They are newcomers and lacked pep. Whatever chance ther had was ruined by their being obliged to follow the pianist in the opening act. With some livelier numbers and an occasional smile the act will get over, but these features were missing here Sam Costow, a composer and pianist, was next with some song boosting By this time the phone seemed to have become a fixture and the andience was a bit apathetic towards Costow's three songs. ‘Maud Mills and Company, Arthur Gibbs at the piano, took second honors. She offered four songs, beginning with ‘Old-Fashioned Love’’ and closing with ‘“‘Buzzing"’, doing a bit of Charleston dance with the latter. While she changed costumes Gibbs did a bit of ragtime at the piano. Williams and McCarver, a pair of elever dancing boys, were next to closing. They step well as a team or in single numbers. McCarver got away with an excellent novelty, doing jazz steps on roller skates and doing it well. Ten minutes, in one; three bows. Frawley and West. man and woman acrfobats with rigging and rings, closed the show with a well-executed routine. “The Call of the Canyon’’, a Paramount film, completed the program. J. A. JACKSON. Keith’s Hamilton, N. Y. (Reviewed Friday Evening, April 18) Ruth Roye, of the winsome smile and enchanting manner, heads a fairly good bill, with Lorin Raker, late of the musical comedy, “The Gingham Girl’’, running a close second in a new skit from the Lewis & Gordon mill. In spite of the inclement weather and the fact that Good Friday keeps many theatergoers away from their amusements, a moderately good house was in attendance. G. and A. Schuller opened the proceedings with an offering of neatly executed acrobatics involving hand-to-hand work, head stands, balancing and endurance tests. Bob La Salle, who recently appeared on the Loew Time, isn’t much on dialect in his Irish and Russian comedy numbers, but with the genuinely laugh-making jokes told between the songs and the hot-footing on the close, he carried the deuce spot to a good hand Lorin Raker, in the spot following, is seen in the sketch, ‘“‘Pals and a Girl", by LeRoy Clemens, a new act which for some time has been yearning for production. William An thony McGuire, in whose connection the skit was first mentioned, has staged the piece, and Lewis & Gordon are presenting it. Raker is assisted by John Humphries and Nina Penn, who ably portray their parts. (See ‘“‘New Turns’ for detailed review.) A. Robins, “The Walking Musie Store”’, which might almost be taken literally, kept the folks in continuous titters as ‘“‘he’’ unloaded himse!f of an unending string of masical instruments tucked in various pockets of his comic garb, giving imitation by mouth of the music each instrument plays. Tho Ruth Roye, in next to closing, is in clined to be a bit careless in her diction, nevertheless found the folks out front deepl delighted with her cycle of songs, and ca tivated them by her irresistible style of deliver to the tune of a rousing hand. She took couple encores, and makes a distinet bit wt the song ‘“More’’, which most artistes i found to be unfavorable. William Seabury, assisted by I \ who does some fairly good ballet and t wor closed. Seabury tore loose a fl band dance specialties involving ditt steps, and Richard Conn, at t musie that was equally as enter! g as t stepping. ROY CHARTIER Bernard Glazer, who literary efforts to the 1 adapta tion of plays by Ferene Molna 1 othe Hungarian playwrights s tl :uthor of a mystery play, The Missing Man™ It wil be included in the roster of new plays to Db tried ont this summer in Los Ang s unde the associated management of A. H Woods ‘and Edgar Selwyn.