Variety (Oct 1906)

s ■•»■ VARIETY •■J ■.-..■». •-.«. •***■?"'•.■"*•'" NEW AGTS or TMC WbCK NEW ACTS NEXT WEEK InituU PreMnuuun ur First Appearance in Mew Yuik City. Josephine Cohan (N*'\v Sketch), Oolonial. Maude Courtenay (IJfapiK'aiance), C<» luiiiai. Metropolis Quartet, Colonial. ^ Julie Mackay (Reappearance), Hyde & I'ehnian's. Everhart (Keappearanee), Keith's. Seabrooke and Hall, Keeney's. Estelle Sisters, Keeney's. Johnston and Hardy, Keeney's. Garry Owen (New Sketch), Pastor'.s. Krause and Beach, Pastor's. Ihe D'Arcos, Pastor's. D'Elmar Brothers, Pastor's. Harry Tate. "Fishing." Hammerstein's. 'Fishing" is funnier than "Motoring." Both sketches belong to Harry Tate and are satires on popular pastimes. In "Fish- ing" the humor i» broader and there are Knglish lolloijuialisnis scattered through- out which might be translated into the .\nierican veruuruhir with benefit. The humor of a man goiuK fishing with nine bottles of whLskt'v and a shotgun inn- not be mLstaken. The setting is pretty and realisti<'. No more may the Kngli8h be awuHed of a density in quick appreciation of humor. To follow Mr. Tate and his company in "Fishing" requires an alertness of mind, for the subtle points are passed over rap- idly. There is continual laughter during the twenty minutes occupied in showing the audience how an "amateur" can catch a solitary fish by stealing it from an- other's hook. Mr. Tate gave an excellent performance of the typical Englishman and a bibulous angler. The company in- cludeH five persons, each earning distinction in his respective role. Harry Kennedy as the "lone fisherman" pressed the principal c!osely. Thomas Tweedlang, the "village idot," caused plenty of mirth in a laugh- able part. There is no (piesti«>n as to the success of the piece. If Mr. Tate's other farces even approach Iho two he has shown us so far they shoujd be hurried right over. »S'i»iic. W. H. Thompson and Company. / / ••For Love's Sweet Sake." Colonial. >/ This one-act playlet from the |»en of Clay M, (ireenc, which introduces Mr. Thompson, late star of "The Bishop's Car- liagc,' to the vaudeville stage, is pitched throughout ill very niiich the key of strained sentiment that might be suggest- ed by the title. Sanford Morgan, million- aire (Mr. Thompson), returns to New ^ Oik after five vears abroad in search of hcaltli to (iiid his son in <liHiciilties and under threat (tf arrest foi an embezzle iiieiit committed b\ another man. The son accepts the otlium of tlio crime for the inexplicable vr;ison that he loves the wife of the really guilty man. The action of the sketch develops from the .struggle of the younger man to convince his father of the righteousness of his course. This rather unconvincing story is handled with ciinsummate skill by the author, who makes it almost plausible. Mr. Thompson as always makes a splendid "old man," and 'J'homas H. Ince as the son played in- telligently and with s^ome fire in the heavier scenes. There is considerable un- neces^ary talk in the early part, and the presence of a messenger boy could not be e.\|dained even by the phrase "comedy re- lief." HuHh. / Hubert Wilke.| "Remembranci"/^ Keeney's. ^' John Luther Long and Edward Childs (arpenter wrote "Kemembrance," selected by Htjijert VVilke, the former operatic baritone, for his vaudeville support. A woman would term it "sweetly pathetic." At Keeney's this week, where the playlet is receiving its first city presentation, it is youthful Jerome Fernandez with Messrs. Long and Carpenter's dialogue that brings to the sketch considerable ap- plause. The child's part which the young boy (he seems not over eleven) plays has l)een so naturally written that all the interest centers in him. \N hat there Is of a si(»r,v i.s watery. A husband absents himself for six years, returning upon the eve of his wife's marriage to another. Disclosing his identity through a familiar song, the finale is not alone illogical but weak in construction. Mr. Wilke with his forty horsepower voice sang two or* three times. Agnes Delaine, the deserted wife, lost any opjiort unity her part aflforded for a display of emotional acting, and M. IVrcival Leniion as the suitor in her grass widowhood gave also a wishywashy love- sick sea captain. Deduct the boy and his character of the son and there remains Mr. \\ ilke with his voice only. For one so young Master Fernandez evinces ex- ceptional aptitude and intelligence. The audience liked him, as everyone having any kiiowled;;e of the child when he is at the "bogie-man'' age must. Stmt. Holcombe, Curtis and Company. "Midnight Prowlers." Pastor's. With Kdyth Palmer in the place former- ly occupied by Margaret Webb, Herbert llolcomhe and Sam J. Curtis are playing and singing a new sketch that no one will take the program credit for. As the title indicates, it has to do with burglars of the noisy variety. Owing to the neces- sity of the trio singing together, Messrs. lb>lc(wnbe and Curtis can not '"burgle" long. Mr. Holcombe does not leave his former cliaracter of the schoolmaster far «'nongh in the rear to obliterate it from memory. Mr, Curtis is made up much the same as before and sings likewise, having one selection unsuited for his voice. Miss Palmer, while looking well, does not e»|ual ^liss Webb vocally. Her tones are cloudy. Tt is a relief, however, to see some one in the sketch who is not remindful of Sadie Cushman both in dress and speech. It is too bad that the ex- periment was not tried on Miss Palmer's predecessor. There i«« opportunity for fun on the lonventional comedy burglar lines in the '"Midniglit Prowlers." Up to last Tuesday little progress has been made in developing it. Unless that happens soon the managers will probably insist upi)n the former piece. /^;.• • ^ .' tiimt\ "The Scottish Fusiliers." "Gill Act." ,,:-,..;..%;';"' ;V^'■■•.■"■:■■.. New York Theatre. ^, Kemoved from the 'Buster Brown" show where it had been a "number," the sixteen girls composing the ''Scottish Fusiliers" appeared at the New York Theatre last Sunday night preparatory to a vaudeville trip if the debut proved suc- cessful. It did in a mild way. The main point of merit to the act is that the young wonien drill without a leader. The formations are simple and the manual of arm.s gone through not complex, but the absence of a drill master on the stage earns for the act what it would not other- wise receive. The opening with songs and dances is slow and should be condensed. As a "girl act" for vaudeville use, if not too expensive, it will find time. w '■■• -. ■ , iSime, U Emil Hoch and Company. "Love's Young Dream." Hyde & Behman's. (Jetting away from the familiar lines of much n«)ise and strained comedy situations, "Love's Young Dream," presumably writ- ten bv Mr. Hoch himself, furnishes not a ft' little ([uiet but effective humor. For the certainty with which the points of the little i-omedv are deli\ered i»ver the foot- lights much credit is due to Walter Lewis, who handles a "fat" part capably. Flor- ence Burnsmore does well as the ingenue, while Mr. Hoch in an "old man's" j»art does most of the feeding to the younger pair. .\ better finish would help the piece, lloch cheats himself out t»f an opportunity for a good curtain by remaining on the stage to indulge in a short soliloquy. HuMh. Count DeButz and Brother. Comedy Bicyclists. Union Square. This pair has been [daying the West, but apjiears in New York for the first time this week. The comedy man has some new ideas both in straight riding ami in the comedy department and the two show seveial striking tricks not seen before. Thev make a finish of a twoliiah. the topmoiiiiter standing erect, while the uiKlerstaiider drives the machine on «)ne wheel. The act stands out from all the rest and should win |dac«'. RhuU. V Mrs. Jules Levy and Family. Musical. Keeney's. ^ Kver green in the memory of the musi- cal world, the name of the deceased fa- mous cornetist carries weight. His widow, with her two children, boy and girl, are apix'aring at Keeney's this w<m k after a vaudeville tour West. The young woman plays a violin, and Jules Levy, Jr.. the son, handles the instrument upon which his father gained a worldwide repu- tation. While not as yet showing any brilliancy in the playing of it, his youth may be accepted as the reason. Mrs. Levy accompanies the children upon a piano, singing in the finale, which is a mistake re.piiring immediate correction. .\ finish alone by the two yoiingsters would bo preferable, with the mother "faking'* some instrument if she insists upon ap- pearing then. It is a pretty act in its way. A profitable investment would l>e made by having it rearranged. tiimc. Sue Smith and Paul Fisher. ;• /;,; Operatic Sketch. . J ? .>; • Union Square. L^ - * v :^ ' ' "'J he Kose of Castile" is the flaunting title of a musical sketch, the libretto by .lean Lenox and music bv Harrv (). Sutton. The structure is not conspicuous, the act differing fnun a straight singing turn only ill its scenic .netting and Spanish costum- ing. It offers a vehicle, however, for the very delightful voice of ^liss Smith. The score is a bit ambitious and rather above the complete appreciation of ordinary vaudeville audiences, but the voices of the principals carry it. Mr. Fisher rather lacks the ease of carriage he is called ujMJn to display, but his excellent tenoi voice makes compensation. Rush. Young Sandow and Lambert. Strong Men. Union Square. The regulation "physical culture" act, with posing in a black cabinet and feats of strenjith. In the latter part the two men i:se each other for weights. Both display* unusual development, but aside from that have little by way of novelty to recom- mend them. They attempted several two- high handstand feats, but either slipped or performed them without style. Htinh. i Mr. and Mrs. Geo. W. Hussey. Ventriloquism and Music. Pastor's. Adding his wife and a violin to his former ventriloqual specialty Mr. Hussey falls into the classification of "New Acts" owing to the length of the Pastor pro- gram this week. Mrs. Hussey contributes two solos on the instrument but is other- wise unobtrusive. Hussev is well liked by the audience and did he grow a mus- tache would be more thought of. He >liould practice speed in delivery, and were the two "dummies" to have a rapid-fire argument without interruption some good lomeJy could be derived. There is a walking figure for the finish and Hussey injects into it a deep voice quite out of the ordinary in ventriloquists. He has a wide range and should seek to per- fci't the act when that resource will be- come of value. *»iwit'. \ Don Carlos. Dogs. Keeney's. Playing North for the third week after leaving Mexico, according to Mr. Keonoy, Don ( arlos first shows an "Aga" canine. The trick is worked as well as any of its predecessors and with a dog as the inani mate figure it is an interesting exhibition of skilled training. The animals arc *cute" in appearance and .the act averages well in its class, making a first-rate mati- nee number. *Stme. Carroll and Doyle. "McNulty and the Sporting Duchess." Pastor's. Carrying a pretentious sketch title for a conversation in "one." Carroll and Doyle, making their first appearance at Pastor's this week, display an excellent brogue by the man and a pa|M>r hat on the woman as the features. The remainder of the act is in need of considerable attention.