Variety (Mar 1906)

VARIETY William Courtleigh. "Under the Third Degree." Twenty-third Street The present time is opportune for a playlet of the description Mr. Courtleigh enters into vaudeville with. With an es- tablished reputation of having been one of the best leading men the legitimate stage in this country has produced, Mr. Courtleigh brings into vaudeville the consummate skill in the art of acting which raised him to the front rank. The wide range of characters Mr. Courtleigh has portrayed in his experience stands him in good stead in "Under the Third De- gree," which had its first New York pres- entation at Proctor's Twenty-third Street Theatre on Monday. The protean sketch is by Campbell McCulloch, whose knowl- edge of vaudeville wants is well defined and is proven in the playlet by the almost biographical rapidity of the action in which the several characters pass before the view of the audience. The sketch it- self is based upon the inquisitorial exami- nation founded in New York city under the regime of Thomas F. Byrnes, then Chief of Detectives, and commonly called the third degree. It is an Americanized version of "A Case of Arson," the char- acter curtain raiser which Henry de Vries brought into the varieties from the Madi- son Square Theatre, but Mr. McCulloch has so well disguised the several parts that even to those who have seen Mr. de Vries the interest is maintained by tha excellent acting of Mr. Courtleigh. He has seven distinct characterizations, each perfect in itself, and will stand compari- son with any protean artist, Mr. de Vries not excepted. His conceptions are lifelike in their reality and appeal to the finer senses as studied impersonations. The supporting cast is smothered through the fine makeup and forceful work of William Randall as an Inspector of Police. John Roache is a police or- derly and Charles Newton a detective sergeant, while Delfiah Bryant is Kate Warner, the wife of the accused, who is suspected of arson, and compels her hus- band to confess his crime in a very dra- matic finale. That if any is the one fault of the production ; it is overdramatically drawn. The sketch and the players re- ceived several curtain calls on the initial performance, Mr. Courtleigh's impersona- tions being broken into several times by involuntary applause. Vaudeville is most fortunate in gaining William Courtleigh and no manager need hesitate for an in- stant in booking "Under the Third De- gree" with him in it. * Sime. Harry Corson Clarke & Co. "Strategy." Orpheum. After an absence of a dozen years spent in the west Harry Corson Clarke made his reappearance at the Orpheum Theatre Monday in a twenty-five minute sketch in which he has the assistance of two per- sons whose names do not appear. The sketch is a familiar one in theme, being the outworking of the idea of a man mar- ried to a rich woman who invents a spuri- ous son for the purpose of obtaining money from his spouse. On his birth day she surprises him by declaring that she is going to adopt the boy legally and a friend from New York, put ting in an appearance just then, is passe.I off as the son until the schemer has time [ NEW AGTS OP THE WEEK J to find a better solution of his troubles. Jn the end he finds that an address given as that of his son develops the fact that the person (who is no acquaintance of his) is a fugitive from justice and so an es- cape is provided. The sketch is brisk and amusing, though on Monday a premature curtain cut off a couple of minutes from the climax. The woman assisting Mr. Clarke played very well. The man was apparently unable to make the most of the opportunities provided, 3imply walking through a part which should have been played with spirit. Chicot. Charles £. Evans & Co. Sketch. Proctor's Fifth-eighth. Originally presented as a rather dreary evening's entertainment under the title of •There and Back," the theme of^'It's Up. to You, William" serves better as a twen- ty-five minute sketch and brought suc- cess to Charles E. Evans and his associates at the Fifty-eighth Street Monday after- noon. The story tells of two men who have made a trip together and are sup- posed to have taken passage on a ship which is believed to be lost. In reality they have been ofT on an entirely different excursion and coming home ignorant of the happenings of the past few weeks, find their wives in tears and widow's weeds. They build up an elaborate string of false- hoods to cover their deception, all of which tumble about their heads when the steam- ship company wires of the safe, if de- layed, arrival of the ship. There is little action to the piece, more than half of the time the two men standing in the center of the stage while their wives occupy seats at opposite sides, but there is a deal of fun in the lines and laughter is fre- quent. George Arliss, who is credited with the work, has not improved his literary reputation with this offering, but he has provided a useful vehicle. Charles 11. Hopper, Elizabeth Barry. Helena Phillips and June Marlowe gave competent sup- port. Chicot. Rigo. Alhambra. \A The Hungarian ex-husband of Clara Ward, who became the Princess Chimay after leaving her native home (Detroit) for foreign lands, appeared for the first time in America at the Alhambra Thea- tre in Harlem last Monday afternoon, surrounded by ten musicians, said to be countrymen of the gypsy, and who were brought over here for the sole purpose of playing their Hungarian instruments in accompaniment to Rigo's violin. Through an accident Rigo himself could not play, but directed his orchestra with one hand bound up. That mishap prevented a true criterion of the reception he would have received otherwise being taken. The ap- plause was quite light. Rigo being a bet- ter drawinsr card here as a freak than as n musician. Tn appearance he is squatty and looks unsainly in evening dress upon the stage. When smiling he is remindful of the simian. The music of the orches- tra is similar to that heard in restaurants having Hungarian orchestras, it having been remarked during the week that sev- eral of Rigo's assistants were secured from Second avenue, only two having been directly imported. If Rigo. dives up to published promises of the wonderful music he can produce personally he will be a hit. Sime. Alhe Gilbert and Her Six Summer Girls. Songs. Pastor's, Two changes and extra coats, inciden- tally three songs, comprise the offering of Allie Gilbert and her Six Summer Girls at Pastor's this week. The songs are not well chosen, and the girls have been given only the conventional business that, in view of the increasing number of girl acts, grows worse than tiresome. They are rather good looking, as girl acts go, and appear to be willing to take more trouble to be entertaining, but they are not per- mitted to work out, and the result is the commonplace. Some novelty of idea is de- manded these days, and fluffy dresses with a change to Indian costumes does not qualify under this classification. Miss Gil- bert, having spent money on costumes, should now go to some expense for a good stage manager. A really experienced man could do much for the act. The act needs it. Chicot. Cathrine Countiss. "Wedded by Wire." Imperial. Miss Countiss is billed as "late leading lady of the Imperial Stock Company," and as such is possibly depended to draw busi- ness which doesn't materialize. She ap- peared in a Haddon Chambers playlet the opening week of the Imperial Theatre in Brooklyn for vaudeville, but has not been heard from since that time until this week, when another sketch by Henry Gottschalk and George D. Parker is presented at the same house. The comedy vein is predomi- nant, brought out through the elopement of a young man with a widow. The cham- bermaid in a hotel, getting an inkling of the situation, knocks upon the door and demands $2 as a bribe. Here arises the highly momentous humorous situation. Only $1.08 can be raised to quiet the in- former, and a monkey attached to a hand organ is robbed of the necessary two cents. Another comical idea is to cut the rope which the organ grinder climbs to recover his "monk," after which a marriage cere- mony is performed over the telephone. Miss Countiss played the widow with elaborate modesty, especially as the set- ting displayed a fully dressed bed, and Robert Gaillard as the young man made no impression. Mr. McMahon was re- quired to wear a bathrobe only. The sketch is neither amusing nor well played. Sime. \ The Royal Musical Five. Keeney's. From tho program announcement it is concluded that the four young men and one very youthful girl are members of a family party residing In Brooklyn. Re- gardless of whence they came, the act is destined for a hit in vaudeville if properly handled. They are receiving a great deal of applause this week at Keeney's, even without deliberation being shown in the offering. No brasses are used, a 'cello, two violins, piccolo and a pianist composing the musicians. The girl sings at the opening, a mistake easily rec- tified, not because she has no voice, for she possesses a pleasant one, which is used to much advantage in "Strolling" with the male members as the chorus in natty white suits. The young man's piccolo solo should be dropped and the final selection now used should be substituted for it, the finale to be the "Strolling" number, which is the prettiest effect of con- certed singing seen around town in a long while. Also the first overture should be given with the players not grouped to- gether. The patriotic addition to the musical finish is not required and did not aid in the applause. Any rearrangement will benefit, but the act as it is will please. Sime. Mr. and Mrs. Chas. S. Hammond. "Family Jars." / / Pastor's. \S % This is a sketch of the home made sort, the jars being the three canisters supposed to contain the ashes of the three previous victims of the feminine character's matri- monial adventures. They do not in the least resemble the containers used by cre- matories, but that is a detail as are the cans, for they crop up but twice, in the opening when they arouse the jealousy of the fourth husband and near the close where he throws the cans after his wife. In between there are dreary stretches of words. Neither of the players can acr. The woman is a weak copy of the wailing wife type and gains a couple of laughs by her pretended tears. The man does not even accomplish that much. He lacks dis- tinction of presence and performance, and the wonder is that he ever got on the stage. Chicot. \J Morris and Cramer. Songs and Dances. Keeney's. A team of blackface comedians who have been recruited from an "amateur" night at Keeney's Theatre, and given their opportunity as professionals at the theatre where they first "went on." Both are very young boys, and fair dancers, much better so than singers. One is a "comedian," but he would have hard work convincing any one of the truth of that. Their forte is dancing, whether in white or black face. Coon songs only may aid, but it is too early in their career to attempt comedy in seriousness. Time on the cheaper circuit should be procured, allowing chance for proper training before attempting tho larger houses. Sime. Charles Van Dyne and Laura Dean. "The Ambassador." Keeney's. Tlirough the management of Keeney's suggesting to Edward Sullivan and Com- pany in "A Woman's Way" that they might as well close last Monday instead of finishing the week out, Charles Van Dyne and Laura Deane replaced with "The Ambassador," a sketch allowing the songs and duets of the couple to be introduced. No information was obta'nable as to how