The Billboard 1925-01-24: Vol 37 Iss 4 (1925-01-24)

s Loew’s American, N. Y. (Keviewed Friday Evening, January 16) Real worth-while entertainment is on view at the American for the last half of this week. The high lights on the bill are Bob Murphy and Van and Carrie Avery, who rounded up a goodly supply of laughs from a packed and rainsoaked audience. Wardell and LaCoste started the program with a series of dances that were fast and furious. They worked hard before a discomforting audience, but their efforts were rewarded with appreciable hands. Following came a group of Spanish artistes, who castaneted, troubadoured and twirled about in a revue, entitled A Night in -Spain. The feminine contingent, costumed in the attractive dress of their native country, were fair to look upon, while the men made striking appearances in various garbs of bull fighters. One of the male dancers might have* been taken for Rudolph Valentino, what with his hard-boiled hat, pantaloons and boots and spurs. He hurled his partner several times for a row of Castilian soap factories. A new instrument came upon the scene in the shape of an enlarged beet, which was scraped while a ravenhaired damoiselle dinced. The singing of the troupe was not particularly flattering. Van and O’Donnell pleased in songs and chatter that bordered on the nuf stuff. The gags, moss-covered with age, found an audience that cheerfully and willingly responded with laughs and applause. The comedy was rough and course and at times in bad taste. Irene Trevette offered a group of popular and sentimental songs. While she sang in fairly good voice, still Miss Trevette disconcerted repeatedly by her faulty phrasing. She made a stunning appearance in a white gown of Spanish design trimmed in red and with slippers to match. Van and Carrie Avery presented a fortune-telling comedy act that was punctuated with many laughs. Van, as Rastus Somebody Peabody, did some notably fine character work and his philosophy of honesty is best policy rang with a genuineness that made for a great exit speech. Bob Murphy unfolded some snappy and right-up-to-the-minute material that easily proved his act to be best thing on the bill. While he virtually did a monolog, he was assisted momentarily by a petite young miss, who had the courage to call him worm in a voice that was tiny and high-pitched. If our guess is right, Murphy should tip the scale at 200, but for all his weight he possesses a commanding appearance and a likable personality. He sang several numbers in a pleasing manner. Bluch and Arnold did very well i the closing spot. The former, who needs no introduction, was funny in his pantomimic wning. He brought down the house with the business of counting his fingers and the graduat diminishing of his leg. Arnold’s balancing stunts were quite unique. GEORGE BURTON. B. S. Moss’ Regent, N. Y. (Reviewed Thursday Evening, Jan. 15) A number of fine acts on this bill, the feature of which, however, is the B. S Moss Cocktails tof 1925, an amateur-talent show recruited from the neighborhood and produced by the Moss Amateur Production Department for this work. Strictly from a business point of view, the revue, With a cast of about 50, has proved an amazing drawing card and has been used to good advantage at other Moss neighborhood houses. It turns out to be a much better three-quarters of an hour of entertainment than the billing indicates. Chinko and Kaufman, in an ensemble of amusing bits, provided a clever routine of juggling and balancing stunts by Chinko and able assistance from Miss Kaufman, who. also does some unusual riding on the bicycle. Altho not such an old team in point of years, they have been trained in the old English school of juggling and fancy riding, which makes the duo a dependable offering of its kind. Bill Lorraine and Al Ritz, in Broadway Controversies, did several song-and-dance numbers in high-yaller makeup. Their voices and harmony are but fair and their dancing somewhat better. Lorin Raker and Company are doing the act, Contradictions, formeriy done by Harry Coleman. The g6medy sketch, by Edwin Burke, gets under way a little slowly, but finally breaks out strong as a laughgetter. The characters are a pair of newlyweds, with Raker as the husband and Laurel Lee as the wife, and William E. Morris as the wife’s father. The young husband persists in contradictin everything said to him, and Raker fits the role admirably. Margaret and Morrell have a pleasing song-and-dance vehicle, called A Tour Around the World, the various bits being done as in different countries. Morrell mixes a little comedy with his juvenile efforts and Margaret does the dancing in her own particular style, which is unusually good and different, for she puts a lot of work into her dances. Next to closing, Bert Fitzgibbon, ‘The Original Daffydill,” had easy sledding with his series of nut-comedy bits, more or less well known to the patrons. All of his antics went over at a fast clip, the The Billboard ail COLUMBIA © ° BURLESQUE ¢ COLUMBIA THEATER ~ NEW YORK “JACK REID’S RECORD BREAKERS” (Reviewed Monday Matinee, January 19) A Jack Reid burlesque attraction, produced and presented by Jack Reid, heading his own company, week of January 19. THE CAST—Jack Reid, Kitty Warren, Helen Kay Booth, Rose Sharon, Frank Tanney, Joe Lang, Joe Melino, Billy Cumby, Billy Roscoe and Lew Howard, CHORUS—Peggy Williams, Marie Tunney, Jarvis Kern, Edna James, Catherine Seecamp, Peggie Lewis, Norinne O’Connor, Catherine Hunt, Marguerite Cook, Mae Ritchie, Kathryn Merrill, Beatrice LeRoy, Dovey Aylor, Violet Lester, Estelle Rogers, Pearl McTherry, Babe Hart, Elsie Clark. SPECIALTIES—Johaan Fraanks and Models; Ray Comedy Circus, with William Donahue, international clown, and bucking mules, ponies and dogs; Naomi and her Brazilian Nuts. Review ’ Jack Reid, one of the best known producers and stars in burlesque, has given to the Columbia Circuit this season a production im scenic and lighting effects, gowning and costuming that meets all the requirements of thé Columbia Amusement Company. Reid, heading his own company, appears in several scenes nate tily attired, with a small mustache ard otherwise clean face, doing a modified dope characterization with an entirelys new line of patter that evokes laughter and applausé*on his every utterance. Billy Cumby distinguishes himself in this presentation as a real colored burlesque comique, and let it be said to his credit that he handled his lines and actions in a clean and clever manner. The same is applicable to his singing and dancing specialties that went over for encores. Joe Melino stands out preseminently in a new, novel and unique charatterization a la “Bozo”, and if Melino would confine himself to pantomime and refrain from speaking lines he woul@ stand alone as a new type of comique without a peer in burlesque, for he has the talent and abiilty to use his eyes and facial expression for laughter and applause that is lost when he speaks lines, neverthgless he is a comique in every sense of the word and is to be highly commended for his makeup, mannerism, exceptional talent and ability. Frank Tunney, a short, crepe-faced fellow, from his makeup evidenced an intention on his part to charactérize a Hebrew comique, but his dialog is decidedly Dutch at times and the same is applicable to his mannerism in his actions, but this digression on his part is more than overbalanced by hjs conscientious work thruout the entire presentation, during which he evoked laughter and applause on his own account and in combination with other principals. Joe Lang, one of the classiest and cleverest singing and dancing juveniles in burlesque, works straight thruout the entire show, feeding the comiques, working 4n scenes, leading numbers and putting over several singing specialties. Kitty Warren comiques the entire feminine assemblage, including principals and choristers alike. In leading numbers Kitty is a typical byrlesque singing and dancing soubret, and after leading several numbers, which were fully encored, she took the center of the stage and put over a dancing specialty that was enhanced greatly by her pep and personality. Helen Kay Booth, a slender, stately brunet, appeared in frequent changes of ingenue gowns, leading numbers in a sweetly modulated voice that was more apropos to ‘a parlor entertainment than a burlesque stage, but Miss Booth redeemed herself as a leading lady in scenes in which she evidenced previous dramatic training, and this was especially noticeable in several scenes with Comique Melino, during which she fed him lines that enabled him to distinguish himself as a comique of notable ability. Rose Sharon, Billy Roscoe and Lew Howard enacted minor roles in a satisfactory manner. ‘ ‘i There are several outstanding specialties in the presentation that included Ray’s Comedy Circus, with William Donahue and a colored attendant, “Smoke”, clowne ing with trained ponies, dogs and bucking mule. The outstanding feature of the act was a revolving table on which the clowns took many funny falls, ‘while a pretty little pony held on to the revolving table until it stopped. Billie Roscoe put over some good ground tumbling in company with Comique Melino. Naomi and her Brazilian Nuts included Naomi in person, a pretty, bobbed-brunet singer and dancer, who made three changes of costly and attractive gowns and put over three song numbers for encores in which she was supplemented by “One-String Willie” with his phono fiddle, a tall, slender, graceful masculine dancer, who is also an accomplished uke player, and another masculine musician at the piano, who proved himself a master of that instrument. Taking the act in its entirety it was encored repeatedly and could have stopped the show if permitted to do so. Johaan Fraanks and Models interpreting and portraying in pose a sculptor’s dream closed the show in an artistic manner. The chorus has been carefully selected for its evident youth, beauty, talent and ability. One Dresden doll pony on the end in the opening ensemble stepped out of line in leading a song number. She is fully entitled to become a soubret, and in all probability the name of Dovey Aylor will appear as a principal on the program of some show next season. Taking the presentation in its entirety, it is a typical old-fashioned burlesque show of the bit and number type, and, while there is some evidence of lack of direction, the comedy bits in the show are sufficiently fast and funny to please the auditors and evoke their laughter and applause. The dancing numbers'and ensembles have been produced by one familiar with that form of entertainment, for the girls sing in harmony, dance in unison and make many picturesque groups. Let it be said to their credit that they have personality and pep and there was not a minute of lagging on the part of any one of them thruout the show. ; ALFRED NELSON (NELSE). offering concluding with @ couple of songs and a woman, presented dogs and pigeons done by a plugger, who came on toward = s nice opeeeng, ac. aga eo seid Simons an rown, a colore eam at Sa yy revue, Cocktails of 1925, were next. The woman is of unusual with music and lyrics by Fred ae yee on soon = eopectaliy e008. n rry Shaw, produced by the B. S. yas typical old-time 5., D. & T. act. ty Ao Production Department, The Hippodrome Four, a white male was a surprise as to the quality of enOe sas de ae wae ee ne pol : ; rite Ow tertainment afforded by the se ce that their work obtained for them. talent. Many good singers and dancers Puch i Willis he" were included. They did a routine of the ,, a en by “me. t : Pe ons latest stuff, not too good, but just good h Sane * A with xh h e comic did what h to make it successful. The revue [¢ Pleased with the house and his work enougn aaa ith new costumes and W2% well supported by Caroline Williams, is in nine scenes ben Idi “ a new partner, as neat a little brownHarry Shaw as musical direc Oo MIYER skin as we have seen for some time. She 8S. H. } ’ has personality and wears her clothes with grace. Their act was based on a new wrinkle in the familiar “going to the party” gag, and it was good. Smith and Jackson, a new combination, did about everything in the dancing line Johnnie Elliot and His Girls, the closthat two boys could do in ten minutes, ing offering of an eight-act bill, was the and they did it well. class of the show. It was presented “full 3urley and Burley, a pair of comedy stage”, with nice special setting. contortignists, almost shared with the big Johnnie is a nifty dancer himself and he act for the honor place. Their English is supported by a quartet v4 ae nue ner._tyee of S tosts -—* the Hargirls who work well in either singles or lemites. welve minutes, in one; two in unison. One girl is especially clever in bows. . her Ruth St. Denis imitations; in fact, she The Danger Line, a film need imitate no one. Three Jennettes, a pair of male clowns Lafayette, New York (Reviewed Sunday Concert, January 18) featuring Eighteen minutes. Sessue Hayakawa, completed the bill. . A. JACKSON, January 24 1925 Keith’s Hamilton, N. Y. (Reviewed Thursday Evening, Jan. 15) The name of Larry Semon in the mazdas out front with the addendum “in person”, attracted a goodly sized crowd to the Hamilton Thursday night It is the first appearance of this picture comic in the two-a-day since 1915, when he forsook the vaudeville stage for the silver-sheet domain. When this review appears Semon will be headlining at the Palace, that booking having been made. As a vaudeville attraction the movie comedian proves that not all the Holtywood people are passe for the speaking stage. He stopped the show here, taking two encores, The bill in support of Semon bears up well. The Chevaliers inaugurate proceedings in their nicely presented acrobatic novelty, opening the show to fine returns. The men work with street shoes that have leather heels on them, and are probably the only acrobats using this type of footwear. Juan Reyes, a pianist, whose technique is ever apparent in his work, followed in a routine of pleasing melodies, including Polka, by Bartlett; Blue Danube Waltz, by Strauss, and Fantasie, one of Liszt's selections. He went over so well that he nearly stopped the show. Frank Dixon was spotted third in Lonesome Manor, a typical Paul Gerard Smith skit, in which the out-of-town newsstand in Times Square here is the scene. It’s along the same lines that Smith usually follows, being not without its little love tale. Dixon-and his supporting company of two, one of whom plays the newsboy and the other the lonesome girl, are adequate in their roles. Eileen Schofield and Company were in next to closing in her tasteful dancin revue with its many moments of soli entertainment. Her quartet of boys, in support, are far from the chorus type. They all shuffle their hoofs after a not amateurish fashion, and in a number of specialties prove their ultimate and present value to Miss Schofield, who in her numbers works like a Trojan, but always with a nicetg of movement and a superlative sense Yof classical dance values. The offering registered solidly with the Hamilton fans, Larry Semon closed the show. A onereal comedy of the highest slapstick order featuring him was run off prior to his entrance on the stage. The name of the picture was The Speed Kid. Semon enters on the finish, springing a few jokes and yarns, some of them anent Hollywood and the screen, and then reciting seriously Robert Service’s poem, The Shooting of Dan McGrew, which he does quite aptly. Semon follows this with a drunk recitation, and closes with a song said to have been written by the writer of Yes, We Have No Bananas. The song is What Do We Get From Boston? He puts the number over in great style, assisted at the piano by an _ unbilled man. The Hamilton audience tendered Semon one of the heaviest hands it ever gave anyone. He was a distinct hit. ROY CHARTIER, Proctor’s 5th Ave., N. Y. (Reviewed Thursday Matinee, Jan. 15) As snappy a vaudeville show as there is in town, what with Mabel Ford taking the bright spot and Sinclair and Gaspar picking them up, nothing could be sweeter. Parish and Peru, in an acrobatic act with plenty of divertissement, start the bill off. ey are reviewed elsewhere in this edition under the heading of New Turns. The Radio Robot, Amateur Night in London and Ray and Esther Valey follow in the order, named and are also reviewed with the new acts. Besser and Keller, ambiticus comedians, are going,stronger than-ever with their movie stunt. Besser fairly made them roll over and play dead with several of his gags this afternoon. That one he has where Keller tries to adjust his red sash and tickles him in the operation is a knockout. The stuff of the jockey actor who was killed by a horse's kick in the face while making a film and the director’s suggestion that Besser would do well in that part went for a wow. Mabel Ford and her company stopped the show. Her clever stepping with that of her three assistants and the playing of her jazz band brought on a furore of applause. Her final solo number where she appears in a small bodice and panties covered with ostrich plumes is startiing. She does a hard-shoe step for this. The little twins and she man, who are excellent dancers, af® responsible in a large part for the act’s success. Tey do their own brand of kicking to great applause. The band has its spot in the act, too, and the boys show the customers a thing or two, about jazzmania. Sinclair and Gaspar must have felt good today for their Walking Home travesty went better than ever. These girls have a renal find in their patter and chatter and their description and analy2ing of “touring” touches the spot of the latest automobile complex. Chinese Gladiators take many chances with their Knives, swords and spears They close the bill and were able to chain most of the audience to their seats with the thrilling slashin , dashing style of wielding a death-dealing jnetrument. ALES \