Variety (Apr 1907)

IO VARIETY INCW ACTS INfcXT WBBK. Initial Presentation or First Appearance in New York City. I NBW AGTS O v r THE WBBK j Stine and Evans (New Acts), Pastor's Ernest J. Mack and Company, Pastor's. Burke and Urline, Pastor's. Karrera, Pastor's. Muriel Hall, Pastor's. The Great Imhoff, 125th Street. Sazton and Dooley, 125th Street. William J. Kelley and Company (New Acts), 125th Street. Knott and Knott, Colonial. Dorian and Reberto, Alhambra. Charles Mack and Company, Hyde & Behman's. Toby Claude, Keeney's. Elsie Janis. Impersonations. ai Mins.; Three (Interior). Colonial. The attractiveness of Elsie Janis' reap- pearance in vaudeville to the manager is her apparent drawing power. On Monday two overflowing audiences greeted the im- personator at the Colonial, justifying the management in the reported extraordi- narily high salary paid this young girl. Miss Janis is either suffering from a cold or has overworked her voice while star- ring in ihe Vanderbilt Cup." She speaks with hoarseness, and displays no flexi? bility, a necessary adjunct to lifelike im- itations. On Monday evening, seven num- bers were given, if the recitation in Italian about the "Roses" may be included, and although this was not announced, it may have been an impersonation of any one of six burlesque comedians who have done the same thing this season after singing "My Mariecuccia." Another was Miss Janis' dancing for the close, and excepting her faithful copy of Eddie Foy singing "It's a Pretty Thing," the dance was quite the most pleasing portion of Miss Janis' performance. Her imitation of Vesta Victoria singing "Poor John" was little short of a burlesque. Eva Tan- guay's "I Love Only You" was a trifle better, although Miss Janis could have used Miss Tanguay's "I Don't Care" to better effect. Anna Held and Ethel Bar- rymore were also included, but Miss Janis overshot the mark when she attempted "an imitation of Cecelia Loftns giv- ing an imitation of Hattie Williams in singing 'Experience' from 'The Little Cherub.'" Miss Janis, taken by herself and considering her youth, pleases any number of people with her impersona- tions, but she is committing a fatal error against the good qualities of her own work in bringing forth a remembrance with elegant disdain of Cissy Loftus, that incomparable mimic. Sime. Sinclair and Covert. Singing and Talking Sketch. 17 Mins.; Pull Stage (14); Close in One (3). Pastor's. Many are called to the Pastor "sup- per show," but, judged even by the most lenient standard, few are chosen. Tt is for this reason that when a number does stand out it comes as an agreeable sur- prise. Just such a surprise goes a long wav in enlivening the tedium of the carlv numbers this week. Tt is the offering of Com go Sinclair :ind Crace Covert. Win- some about describes Miss Covert. The matter of the sketch is the flimsiest sort of vaudeville dialogue, but both handle their work neatly and the girl graces her lines with a charming personality and altogether captivating stage presence not- withstanding poor dressing. She should be capable of much better things than her present work. With their present vehicle the couple are not due for im- mediate prominence, but they give prom- ise of arriving later on. Their final song and dance caught the house, although the man assumes a peculiarly awkward pose. The couple are worth the attention of some burlesque manager in search of ma- terial for an olio number, with a possible comedian and excellent soubrette for the pieces. Rush. Edgar Allen and Company (3). "His Friend / From Tokio (Comedy). 14 Mins., Full Stage (Interior). Keeney's. The plot harps on the everlasting strain of a former flame of the husband's being introduced into a married household and the efforts to escape disclosure of her iden- tity to the wife, but it develops situations that are laughable in a rough way and in- troduces Allen himself as an entertaining light comedian. As a laughmaker Mr. Burton, as the program described the sec- ond man member, has all the "fat." He was really funny in his drunken scenes and Allen as the harassed head of the house handled his straight role adequately. The company is better than the sketch. Rush. Mr. and Mrs. Truesdell and Company (2). "Two Men and a Bottle" (Farce). 19 Mins.; Four (Interior). Twenty-third Street. This latest sketch of Mr. and Mrs. Howard Truesdell's, written by Louis Wes- lyn, of Indianapolis, holds many laugh producing farcical complications and sit nations. The liveliness of the action is late in arriving, the early portion being given over to talk and explanations. The opening is carried so long forward before the actual farce commences, you are frightened that not sufficient time is left for the mix-up which you know will fol- low. Jack Camden (Mr. Truesdell) one day while in love with all the world in- serted a message into a champagne bottle he had robbed of its contents, and cast the messenger upon the bosom of the ocean. The note inside invited the finder to spend a week as Camden's guest in New York. Hamilton Merryweather (Bobert Gemp) fell foul of the wine holder while bathing at Manhattan Beach. In a spirit of play- fulness, he calls on Mr. Camden, and planting himself in the latter's bachelor apartments, informs his host the invita- tion is duly accepted. To announce him- self Merryweather sends by the bellboy the bottle as a card. Tt brings recollec- tions and terror to Camden, who is at the time entertaining his half-sister. She has a horror of "drink" and "sporty men." Merryweather lives up to both captions by his conversation, and Camden's endeavors to rid himself of his unwelcome guest while disguising his own lively diversions to his sister, ami the discovery by his two guests that they are man and wife, separated after a week's marriage, are the foundations for the fun. Mr. Truesdell has an easy stage manner, and plays nat- urally, dressed fashionable as the "man- about-town" he represents. Mr. Kemp passes, although he has a jerky style of talking and walking. Mrs. Truesdell does not do so well in her part of the sister. With the action quickened toward the beginning, "Two Men and a Bottle" should make a first-class laughing number on any bill. Sime. The Two Vivians. Sharpshooters. 25 Mins.; Full Stage. One Hundred and Twenty-fifth Street. Coming into New York for the first time the Two Vivians, a man and woman, are giving an excellent exhibition of marks- manship with rifle and revolvers. Miss Vivian receives the lion's share of the work and applause, displaying good judg- ment on the part of the man in allowing her to do so. There is some straight and fancy shooting shown that is well done, even technically, and the revolver prac- tice is a novelty hereabouts, although the report of the long barrelled guns give out i cannon-like sound. The free hand shoot- ing exhibited is particularly attractive, but the man following the woman after the opening in practically (as far as the audience is concerned) the same routine drags this portion of the act. With two on the stage, unless both are shooting simultaneously, neither should do anything approaching the other's. For a finish Miss Vivian sings *Mj Old Kentucky Horns" and "I'll Do Anything in the World for You," Mr. .Vivian playing the chorus of each with a repeating rifle on musical bells without changing guns. There is a colored assistant employed for some trifling com- edy, and some more of the same sort by the couple affords a diversion. It is an act that gains appreciation, and is capable of being made more spectacular. Three cur- tain calls were given it on Wednesday evening. Simc. Anna Laughlin. Songs. 13 Mins.; One. One Hundred and Twenty-fifth Street. Something more than a pair of pink stockings, a knee dress and a few curls are required for a vaudeville "kid" which will pass. Anna Laughlin in her reappear- ance has revived the "Wizard of Oz" char- acter at the uptown Keith-Proctor theatre this week and falls short in everything else. Miss Laughlin is assisted by a young man dressed in overalls and a smile. She makes her entrance in a toy express wagon, which he draws, and sings a song, dances and again sings. Her last number is Georgia Caine's "Won't You Buy a Paper?" from "The Rich Mr. Iloggen- heimer." Miss Laughlin is lamentably laughable in this number. Realizing her vocal shortcomings, when the high note in the chorus is reached, instead of attempt- ing it, she says to the youth by her side, both apparently reading a newspaper at the time, 'turn over" in a conversational tone, and those in the audience knowin the bar has been cut out are mildly shocked at«the liberty and greatly amuse.; at the license. Miss Laughlin has a dis- agreeable "wheeze" when singing, which she might correct by tuition. Placed as "Number 2" on the bill, she did not go well, partly owing to the position, and more so on account of her act. Sime. Sheridan and Milton. Singing and Talking, ao Mins.; Full Stage. Pastor's. The girls—Grace Sheridan and Millie Milton—really belong in "one" as a "sis- ter" act. In such a position and with the proper equipment of songs (and dress- ing) they should do very well. Both are conspicuously good looking and the short, dark girl is endowed with a good deal of cleverness. The girls, however, have no business to attempt a talking sketch with character delineations, and the Anna Held impersonation of the blonde was a real infliction. The talk was equally painful. It has almost no point, and the same blonde does not make a good feeder to her more entertaining partner. The latter did exceedingly well in boy's clothes at the finish, and the reception of this part of the act should serve the girls as a hint of their proper sphere of useful ness. In any event any effort to develop along the lines of character sketch work is wasted and they had better devote themselves to the more profitable busi- ness of constructing a proper vehicle in Rush. "one." Shirley. Musical Act. ix Mins.; Full Stage; close in One. Pastor's. The single musical act passes fairly in its unimportant position, but offers little of special novelty or exceptional value to warrant advancement. Shirley is a musician of average accomplishment, but there he ceases. He employs a familiar routine of numbers with the brasses, saxa- phone and mechanical bells and dresses straight in court page uniform of white satin. A comedy makeup would suit a single act of this sort better. Rush. JOHN ROBINSON SHOWS. Tossing Lanellas (6). Acrobats. This troupe was imported for this cir- cus and perform many astonishing feats in an easy style. Most of the feats they do are performed by the best acrobats doing this class of work, but their quickness, clean manner and grace make it a fine circus offering. Eflfie Dutton, Winnie Van and James Dut- ton. Equestrian. One of the most showy acts seen in a long time. They appear in a light vehicle drawn by two horses which afterwards are ridden bareback by James Dutton. with the women suspended in the air clinging to the riders. Dutton rides standing oil the horses, giving a most speetarul.n scene. Wild West. T. F. King's "Wild West" introduces the usual assortment of Western entertain-