The Billboard 1924-12-27: Vol 36 Iss 52 (1924-12-27)

DECEMBER 27, 1924 Bobby Walthour, Jr.; Reggie McNamara and Eddie Madden Reviewed Monday Matinee, December 15, at the Hippodrome, New York. Style —Pycling novelty. Setting—Specials, in full stage. Time—Fourteen minutes. This trio of professional bicycle riders, favorites of the six-day bike races held at Madison Square Garden, has been engaged especially for the Hippodrome, and an ingenious novelty featuring them has been arranged for their appearance at this house. There’s a strong probability that they will appear in other Keith theaters also, due to the popularity of this Withour, Jr., probably the youngest bike champion in the business, won second prize at the recent six-day races His partner was George Eddy. McNamara was the winner, with his partner, Peter Van Kempen, while Eddie Madden, also riding in the last six-day race, was forced to quit after the fifth day due to illness of his partner, Tony Beckman. It was the first time Madden didn’t come in for honors. A unique novelty in which the riders give interesting exhibitions of their bike prowess has been arranged for their vaudeville engagement. They work ona sort of treadmill arrangement of three rollers, Which meters the speed they are attaining thru a mannikin prop built something on the style of candy race tracks used in the outdoor concession business The mannikins are miniature bikes with riders. There are three, each colored to correspond with the shade of jersey worn by the racers themselves, so that one can tell which is which. An announcer tells of the actual time of the exhibitions, etc. A 20-lap race is staged on the opening between Walthour and Madden, then a half-mile exhibition by McNamara is given, : + finish a two-mile match race between @the three champs, to determine the winner takes place. For this, latter, won by Walthour, announcement was made at the Monday afternoon perthat Benny Leonard, also on the bill, was to present a loving cup to the man finishing first. This racing is interesting all the way thru and keeps one on edge as the neck-and-neck sprinting reaches the final laps. At the Monday show it seemed the auditors were pulling for yoyng Walthour, who, _ incidentally, is a right good-looking chap. They applauded generously as he passed the other two contestants and came in ahead of them And the Hippodrome management did a wise thing in spotting this novelty to close the show. It held everyone to his seat until the finish. R. C. Dick Henderson Reviewed at Keith’s EFighty-First Street Theater, New York. Stule—Comedy ana singing. Setting—In one. Time—Twelve minutes. Dick Henderson, rotund comedian of the low order, who successfully combines monolog with song in a_ nicely built routine, is a recent arrival in this country, having played but a couple dates thus far. He was brought over here by Harry J. Mondorf, and is destined no doubt for the Hippodrome and other large houses of the Keith chain. His act is a worth-while one, embodying = hy talk and song, sold in good style. enderson opens singing offstage, then hurls himself into a comic dissertation upon the faults and eccentricities of “his wife”, pulling a number of heretofore unheard nifties anent a “frau”. The songs, What's Become of Sally and a couple others from the popular rack, punctuate the talk. A comic song_and dance winds u p. Henderson got a good sendoff when reviewed, taking a number of bows. <A unique part of his offering is the apparent discouraging of applause until the finish of his act. He doesn't really mean it, but it’s clever showmanship to impress the audience thusly. nz ¢ Rieffenbach Sisters (Courtesy of Ringling Brothers) Style Setting—Full_ stage. Twelve minutes. , rhe Rieffenbach Sisters, who recently Closed the season with the Ringling rothers-Barnum & Bailey Circus, are making their first appearance in vaudeVille to the knowledge of the writer. Their offering is a suitable one for the two-a-day, being somewhat along the line of May Wirth’s popular ‘act. The difference lies in the acrobatic feats performed by the sisters on a runting horse—shoulder stands, hand-to-hand bits, ete.—requiring a skilled sense of balance. A number of equines are used, a dappled gray on the opening, then whites of various types. An*unbilled male rider assists the Rieffenbachs capably, doing a humber of interesting equestrian bits. ® acts registered strongly at this hous when caught by the writer. The billing used by the Rieffenbachs, “feat*of Brace, skill and strength”, doesn’t exaggerate in any way. R. C, Braile and Pallo Revue Reviewed Monday matinee, December 8t; at Loew's State Theater, New York. iule—Song and dance act. Setting—Full stave. Time—Fifteen minutes. Aside from the clever dancing of Braile €nd Pato, there is but little that can be The Billboard NEW TURNS AND RETURNS Lew Kessler, , said-in favor of the revue. revolver in the dresser. who does some fairly good soft-shoe the prisoner is one who might seek imdances, opens the act with a le ngthy medf#ate revenge at the district attorney's dialog about taking in the different home and he decides to rush home. cabarets of Paris. Braile and Pallo then introduce an apache number, which is heightened by many neat spills and acrobatics. Kessler follows with a song, Sweet Little You, which is “eee with a wing dance. For from the Next scene shows a room Nash as Anna Burchell, siren, which sounds just as loud and near as it did in the district attorney's office. warden that Harry Denby is a finish Bra@ile and Pallo do a classic ¢), ; 3} . le escaped convict. She reveals the e number with genuine artistry. The girl wos her. first husband “an an ae is graceful and injects a great deal of : pa , 7 shielded him upon the occasion of his last run-in with the law. She doesn’t want her present husband to know about it, etc. She hears a noise at the window and it seems that someone is hiding behind the portieres. Soon she turns the lights out with the exception of the piano lamp. making an excellent baby spotlight, and with revolver in hand begs Denby to come out instead of hiding there. She grows hysterical and shoots into the curtain, just as hubby arrwWes. He tells her that Denby was shot and killed 20 miles from suitable for there a half hour since. house. De He learns her supposed secret from her technique and is and then tells his wife that he knew all despite the equal along her relationship with Denby and billing. He offers several classical selecthat he had expected to inform him of tions, accompanied by his partner. the whole thing in time. Barsukov does one solo nicely and both Miss Nash leads into her scene rather make a fine appearance in their bright quickly and the idea of standing there sashes symbolic of their native colors. under the light is too obviously theatrical. For an encore the violinist played Her work seems rushed and unconvincing. Marcheta, which was the only popular In some houses it would encourage the piece of music in his repertoire, and the cheaper-seat patrons to snicker, especially charm into her work, while her partner shows virility and finish in his lifts and whirls, G De Sarto and Barsukov Reviewed Thursday evening, December 11, at B. S. Mess’ Regent Theater, New York. Style—Violin, piano. Setting—Iin cue, Time—Fourteen minutes. Pablo De Sarto, violin virtuoso, is assisted at the piano by Sergei Barsukov in a high-class musical turn second spot in the average Sarto displays unusual the strength of the act unusual manner he employed in selling it 4 ; e e closed the offering strong. Bg (8 Ge ray Gong ome & stage’, Ss. Lewis & Gordon Present the Famous Eddie and George Reviewed Thursday matinee, December 18, at Fox’s City Theater, New York. Stule—Dancers. Setting—In one. Time —Ten minutes, Star Mary Nash In a Dramatic Playlet, “Fear,” by Elaine Sterne. Staged by Howard Lindsay. , e AS Eddie and George are a couple of heceo ee SN rye, ge y tic shuffers without any particular disEmma Mayhew, His Stenographer..... ae *Y¥ tinction. So long as they keep on dancing diweiss eceetcseeeceseeeee Constance Shaw there is plenty of action, but their atAnna Burchell, His Wife....... -.-Mary Nash tempt at springing nifties is little short Scene 1—District Attorney's Office. 9:30 of being disastrous. p.m. Their failure to burst into song is somescene 2.—Living Room of .the Burchell what disappointing, what with a host of Home at the same hour, plantation numbers to choose from. Ap Reviewed Monday matinee, December propriate material with a darktown num ber or two‘thrown in would help the act considerably. As it stands now Eddie and George barely get by with soft-shoe and wing dances. * 15, at the Palace Theater, New York. Style—Dramatic playlet. Setting—In one and full stage, interior, Time—Fifteen minutes. While the name of Mary Nash of the legitimate stage may carry this playlet thru for a limited tour, it is far from being a sketch measurifig up to what is generally expected of a star. Which is the usual trouble with all such vehicles Frank Stafford and Company Presenting a Woodland Fairy Tale Entitled “Rip Van Winkle’s Dream” THE CAST s eeoed t for such stars. An Indian Princess......... eas i“ geese y ; , 3 KR GoM cccccccccecscecccccseccces «des # Miss Nash has a scene lasting about Sneider seddaetac sxediews By Himself two or three minutes in which she shows Rip Van VOM cowie cdées Frank W. Stafford ta person. Outside of affair the act is a how fear will Time: Autumn, 1775. Three Scenes: The Drink; the Dream; the Awakening. Reviewed Thursday evening, December 11, at B. 8S. Moss’ Regent Theater, New York. Style—Novelty sketch. Setting— One and one-half to full stage, special. Time—Seventeen minutes. In this vehicle Stafford has devised an excellent manner in which to sell his song and whistling specialties, as well as imitations of various insects and machinery noises. His characterization of Rip Van Winkle is well done outside of his specialties and follows out the original story to some extent. ° The three scenes are well built and full of color. Human interest is added by the Sincere Greetings for Christmas and the New Year FROM “s JOHN G. ROBINSON'S ELEPHANTS “TILLIE” AND “PITT” “TONY” Trainer, MR. DAN NOONAN “CLARA” Keith’s Theatre, Washington, D. C., week December 22. Maryland Theatre, Baltimore, Md., week December 29. 3010 READING ROAD, CINCINNATI, OHIO. this short hysterical cut-and-dried little fiction yarn. Opening in “one’, is the district attorney, working overtime at his office, dictating to a reluctant steno. She'd rather go home than work all night and, besides, it is lonesome going home alone. He offers to take her home, but she thinks her boy friend might be waiting for her at that. The sudden blowing of a siren announces the escape of a prisoner. This siren can be heard whirring nearby in the wings, as tho just outside the office window. Business of getting the warden on the phone. He calls his wife on the phone and tells her not to be aftaid and that there is a Permanent Address: NE NY NE OE BARE BI WE EO BE ee Later he learns where Miss listens to the She calls up for information and learns 15, at B. S. York, elty. Twenty-two minutes. sings, quite singing aombination devoid of, brass. In addition to Mattison there which does excellent team as solos, acrobatic features: dances, w 21 clever dog Sneider, a gnome of the midget type and an Indian maiden. First the gnome is seen rolling out a cask of Nquor from his cave and he mentions that Rip is coming up the mountain and that he will give him a drink. After the drink the scene with the Indian Princess takes place as a dream, and there are many novel bits incorporated, including Stafford’s imitations The final scene, showing the awakening, finds Stafford’s makeup and acting excellent vaudeville mal, and is more like the’ play of old. The whole preduction shows a succersful attempt to do something different, r sulting in clean entertainment for young and old. The intermediate-time hous will find it an unusually satisfactory offering. M. E.G. (Continued on page 23 Boyd and King _Reviewed Monday matinee, December 15, at Loew’s State Theater, New York. Style—Songs and quick changes. Setting —In one. Time—Twelve minutes. The song numbers are not especially meritorious, but they give ample oppor tunities to the fema'e member of the act, who change of dress. a fair impression of being a capable musician. and finishes with ular music. gers his appearing as a single brings on the girl, who is plied with questions as to her qualifications, with each song makes a rapid The piano player gives He starts with a classic selection several bars of popA brief remark that mananot particularly pleased about are With the announcement that she can-do character work, the girl strips off her evening gown and is disclosed in the peasant woman. in full view of the audience garb of an Italian At the conclusion of a “wop” number she is revealed in ag quaint Irish gown and sings a Shamrock number to an Irish folk dance. In short dresses she follows with a kiddy song and closes with a military number in rhinestone-studded tights. Lee Mattison and Band Reviewed Monday evening, December Moss’ Regeut Theater, New Style—Orchestra and dance novSetting—In ihree, cycs. Time— Mattison is a versatile juvenile who dances and leads his orchestra perfectly. He has an eight-piece is a sister act, work as well specializing on high kicks and They have a fast assortment of clever ile the ore tra works in sev eral different combinations such as saxophone duets, quartets and others. Come edy also comes in 1 its due, especially with a sort of Bowery Apache number done by Mattison and one of the girls. Thruout the routine there are several novelties presénted, all worked out with entertaining continuity. is a lessly to put over his offering. Mattison himself capable dancer and he works tire As a matter of fact he has so much stuff that some of the later dances done by the girls seem to be it would probably be better to condense the act somewhat for the sake of putting more kick formance after the reached does not help it any and Matti a repetition, and into it. Continuing the per climax has been COGHLAN’S One JESTER No. pre Professional Comedy of merit. This great book of ORIGINAL Comedy contains 5 Monologtes, 8 Double Acts, Tab. for 10 characters, Ventriloquist Act, Quartette Act, Single Gags, Minstrel First Part, Minstrel Finale, Poems, and Parodies. Price, $1.00. JAMES J. COGHLAN, 93 Wade 8&t., Jersey City, New Jersey. Burlesque with any unsightly mar of your features, such as or Weak Chin, all Nose Deformities, Cross-Eyes SCIENTIFIC COSMETIC. 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