Variety (Mar 1907)

VARIETY NEW ACTS NEXT WBBK. Initial P r m iU ttoi or First Appearance i* Mtw York City. (iNCW AGTSOr THE WEEK) R. E. Graham, Hyde and Behman's. "The Stunning Grenadiers," Twenty - third Street. Kelso and Leighton, Pastor's. "The Mysterious Crucible," Pastor's. Carl Brehmer, Pastor's. The Scottish Meisters, Colonial. Ford and Swor, Fifty-eighth Street. Mason-Keeler Co. (New Act), Gotham. E. M. Holland and company (a). "The Phantom Highwayman" (Dramatic). 24 mins.; Full Stage. (Interior.) 135th Street. A sort of monologue with two feeders to supply cues. The plot is unconvincing in the extreme owing to errors in structure and handling. Nothing happens except Mr. Holland's speechifying, and Sherlock Holmes posings. Of action there is not a whit. The nearest approach to an occur- rence is the scorching of a dinner coat by the valet with the pressing iron. The idea of the writer was to build up a mass of incriminating evidence against Mr. Snaffles (Edwin Middleton) connecting him with a series of murders of which his valet is guilty, and finally to fix the crime upon the valet. An excellent theme and one calculated to sustain a high degree of tension, but it fails in its purpose because Mr. Snaffles upon his entrance establishes his absolute innocence to the entire satis- faction of the audience. The climax, the arrest of the murderer, who has gone coolly about his business during the questioning of his employer by the detective, is skill- fully arranged to come swiftly and without preparation. Devore Parmoer, as the valet, played with good judgment in his small part, but Mr. Holland exaggerates the pose of the astute sleuth beyond all necessity. Rush. Staley's New Transformation Company (4). Musical. 13 Mins.; Five (Interior: Special Sets). Colonial. Although Staley and Birbeck have re- tired, with their former transformation act, the present company at the Colonial this week for their first American appearance is Richard Staley's, of that team. The company includes Cass Andrews and Miss Ida. "Miss Ada" follows Miss Birbeck both in dress and work, and the present combination musical and transformation offering is similar to the previous one. The setting is a cooperage. At the opening the men are busily engaged in hammering music out of barrels. With bamboo chimes in the form of hoops more melody is ob- tained. After still more music is secured from other novelty instruments a lightning change is made to a parlor setting, very complete in details and bright in appear- ance. It is accomplished in less than two seconds, and the return to the first setting is done in the same length of time. The music is liked, more so than Miss Ada's dance, but the young woman had the handi- cap of a poor orchestra last Monday night. The act was loudly applauded. Scenieally it excels Staley's own and originnl transfor- mation. It will always be a unique feature on a program. Sime. Countess Olga Rossi. Singing Sketch. 19 Mins.; Five (15); Landscape; Close in One (4). Twenty-third Street. There is a romance supposed to be con- nected with the history of Countess Olga Rossi, which does not appear in the un- named singing sketch the Russian is play- ing for the first time this week, having ap- peared last summer alone on the Metrop- olis Roof. She is assisted by Fred Paula, a very good singer and comedian, qualities that are lacking in the titled lady. The Countess speaks English with a delightful accent, but when singing displays one high note as her sole stock-in-trade. In her lower register she is ragged, but dresses in a manner that appeals to an American as most "Frenchy," par- ticularly the full bust, low-cut cor- sage and laced-in waist. The scene of the sketch might be placed in Central Tark for the appearances. There is a back- ground of green fields, in the foreground of which has been placed an imposing- looking soda water fountain in full work- ing order. From this Mr. Paula draws liquids upon request, and in mixing a fruit cordial or something resembling that drug- store drink, he is most indelicate in the preparation. Countess Olga gives an im- itation of Anna Held, formally announced in pure New York talk, by Paula, but neither the announcement nor imitation is necessary to the act. The impersona- tion especially mav be likened to the airv wordy by-play on Miss Held's surname. With a busy press agent dreaming out Russian plots, the act should find good time. By itself it is a neat offering, with some novelty in the presentation, and does not become tiresome at any moment. Sime. Beaumont's Ponies. 16 Mins.; Full Stage. Twenty-third Street. Appearing around New York for the first time recently, Beaumont's Ponies at the Twenty-third Street theatre this week are making a closing number which will be much enjoyed by children. All the ani- mals are undersized, directed by a gentle- manly looking trainer in evening clothes, who is mild of voice and quiet in manner. A couple of the ponies are exceptionally well trained. While nothing sensational or very novel is shown in the tricks, the act passes easily. Sime. Quinn and Mitchell. "Mr Dooley and the Land Agent." 19 Mins; Two. (2 special drops.) Pastor's. A first rate novelty talking act is 'Mr. Dooley and the Land Agent." Paul Quinn is ■ clever Irish comedian with a home- grown brogue and a makeup that fixes the type without any offensive grotesqucries. The talk runs along entertainingly and to a good percentage of laughs. Joe Mitchell handles the "straight" part adequately. He is the landshark, holding out. glowing in- ducements to the unsophisticated investor III "Lemon City*' properties. The Irish- man "falls for" a purchase, helped along by a picture of a flourishing city painted on the drop. They exit to look over the ground. A dark stage for half a minute gives an opportunity to change drops and when the lights go up "Lemon City" is shown. The flourishing metropolis is a desolate swamp with signboards to desig- nate the locations of the various busy thoroughfares. There is more bright talk and the closing lines verge on the serious. The sketch, light as is the plot, is amus- ingly interesting and should meet a cordial reception. Rush. Snitz Moore and Company (3). "A Self-Made Man." 16 Mins.; Five (Interior). "Parisian Widows," Murray Hill. Sixteen minutes are too short a time to properly tell the many-sided story at- tempted in "A Self-Made Man," written by Edward ^. Rush and N. H. Lytell. It is a melodramatic-pathetic comedy sketch, constructed to have the "heart interest" always prominent, but a great many of the heroic speeches are lost on a burlesque audi- ence, which has not even the intelligence to understand that it is a peculiar cir- cumstance when a wife does not know her husband owns the home they are both liv- ing in. That is only one of the faults, but it occurs early enough to cause sus- picion of what is to follow. A son prac- tically disowns his father, who is unaware his offspring is cashier in a bank; within a few moments a newsboy is heard plainly through a window to shout that the "bank has failed;" the son acknowledges he is a defaulter to the amount of $20,000, and it is his bank ; the father returns, forgives the son, removes a certified check for $25,000 from his wallet, hands it to his boy, and then father, son and daughter-in- law proceed together to a banquet at the Waldorf-Astoria, while , the wife and mother is lying home in an East Side tenement awaiting her husband's return. Aside from the crudities and improbabil- ity, the piece is well suited to a burlesque olio, and might do in a way for vaude- ville, but even this playlet is dependent upon the work of those impersonating the characters. Snitz Moore gives an aged orthodox Hebrew, finely drawn, without exaggeration, and he commands the re- spectful attention of the house when on the stage. Lee Hickman, as the son, has an unsympathetic part. Sime. "Danse De La Revenge." Pantomimic Tragedy. 15 Mins.; Three (Interior). "Parisian Widows," Murray Hill. The story of the "Danse De La Re- venge" is almost identical with that first played in New York by Rosario Guer- rerro and called "The Rose and the Dag- ger." The Spanish dancer in the piece, which is a number of the "Parisian Widows" olio is La Tierro. Phillipe Du Faure is the bandit in this, as he was also in the other. As a pantomimist he is al- ways excellent, but could display his art better with Guerrerro, for she was nearer to his class, while La Tierro is not. A third person, called Senor Garcia, appears, and there is a knockabout finish, during which everything movable in the cabin- interior setting is pushed over. This the audience liked; also the battle between the man and woman, terminating in the death of the bandit as the church bells toll. If hard work entitles La Tierro to credit she scored a success, but it was rather the idea of the pantomime, with the suggestiveness of it, that held the at- tention. Sime. Edison Film. "The Teddy Bears." is Mins. Colonial. Probably based upon the fairy tale of "Golden Looks and the Three Bears," "The Teddy Bears" series at the Colonial this week is made enjoyable through the mechanical acrobatic antics of a group of the fluffy haired little hand-made animals. The closing pictures showing the pursuit of the child by the bear family is spoiled through a hunter appearing on the scene and shooting two. Children will rebel against this portion Considerable comedy is had through a chase in the snow, but the live bears seemed so domesticated that the deliberate murder in an obviously "faked" series left a wrong taste of the picture as a whole. Sime. out or TOWN. Joseph Lehmann and company (2). "A Fool's Wisdcm" (Dramatic). 22 mins.; Full Stage. Jeffers, Saginaw, Mich. Mr. Lehmann admits the authorship of his newest offering. He is supported by Margaret France and II. M. Peterson. The outline of the plot is as follows: An actor, playing the Fool in "As You Like It," falls in love with an unknown woman in the audience. To his dressing room comes the mysterious one in search of aid in realizing her ambition to go upon the stage. In the conversation it developes that she has a husband and a young son whom she is willing to desert. It is here that Mr. Lehmann has his big scene in which he dissuades the woman from her desire. The mounting is picturesque and the sketch absorbing, albeit a bit wordy. Margaret C. Goodman. Olinto Lombardi and Guido Ceccotti. Songs. 20 Mins.; One. Orpheum, San Francisco (Week Feb. 24). As former stars of the Lombardi Opera Company the vocal powers of the men cannot be questioned; but their lack of re- pose was evident, and the awkwardness of their stage presence caused a broad smile in the audience. The selections were entirely too unfamiliar for even Italian opera. The act is deeidedly out of its ele merit in vaudeville and beyond the drawing power of the names has nothing to recom- mend it. It is doubtful if the duo will continue in the new field. W. Alfred Wilson. Walter Thompson, husband of Grace Childcrs. died in St. Joseph's Hospital, New York, early this week. He was 28 years old, a legitimate actor, and had recently been playing in melodrama. At the soliri tation of Tony Pastor, the funeral ar- rangenients were taken in charge by the Actors' Fund, and services were held Thursday at the Thompson home, No, ,11 West 23d street.