Variety (September 1907)

VARIETY 15 — cuge. Her playing is excellent and she n>ade a great impression on the audience, who listened in absolute astonishment. She will be a big feature for any house. Harlow L. Steele. Willie Hale. "The Man With the Globe." 20 Mins.; Interior; Full Stage. Teck, Buffalo, N. Y. This act, which is given in a parlor scene, introduces Willie Hale and an as- sistant who is an artist inasmuch as he is an excellent musician and an expert jug- gler. Mr. Hale is at home on the, rolling globe. His acrobatic work on the globe is remarkable. The act takes with an audi- ence, and will no doubt make a hit any- where. Dickson. The Seven Peerless Mowatts. Club Jugglers. 17 Mins.; Full Stage. Gar rick, St. Louis. The Seven Peerless Mowatts evidently consist of seven, although only six put in an appearance Sunday afternoon. There arc five young men and one young woman. The juggling is excellent, and they are easily the best in their line. It is the former act of "The Five Mow- atts" enlarged. Ed J. Cain. Grand Opera Trio. Songs. Franklin Square, Worcester, Mass. The trio consists of two men and a woman, all excellent vocalists. Thev ren- tier the prison scene from "Faust" in a highly entertaining manner. As a whole the act is very good. Harlow L. Steele. Al Watson and Co. "The Dog Catcher" (Comedy). 17 Mins.; Full Stage (Interior). Empire, San Francisco (Week Aug. 19). Al Watson, well known on the coast as a producer, assumes responsibility for the vehicle with which he makes his entry into vaudeville. The sketch is of the "Wise Guy" type, but in his handling of the title role, Watson assumes a milder mood than that of the Edmund Hayes pattern. The woman of the household, expecting a visit from a Western friend, mistakes the poundman (who enters to negotiate for the release of the madam's dog) for the Westerner. The name of Mary arbitrarily bestowed upon the cap- tured canine, regardless of sex, leads to another confusion. The "tough girl" sweetheart of the dog-catcher intrudes, filled with suspicion of "her Jack's" fidel- ity. Jack is also the name of the. missing pet, and another comedy of errors ensues. Laughable situations follow, but this "triple mistaken identity" confuses even the audience at times. The farce is rich in understandable slang, and was award- ed its share of well-merited approval, but some of the "kinks" in the plot will have to be smoothed out before it registers full strength. Wm. Alfred Wilson. Major Johnson, once of Johnson, Dav- enport and Lorella, and Harry Madison, formerly of Bailey and Madison, will open at the 58th Street house on September Id in a travesty called "It Never Happened in Rome." with a company of 15. HAMMERSTEIN'S. Mr. Hammerstein is offering a program of no especial merit for the closing week of the Roof Garden. The Empire City Quartet top the bill and easily hold down the position. New and becoming sack suits, a complete change of songs, together with some new comedy business, carry the act to the same hit as formerly. Gpnarro's Venetian Band scored strongly in an early position. Mr. Genarro does away with the platform and stand, lead- ing from the stage. He makes a natty appearance in a blue and white uniform and leads his men gracefully, but at times is not convincing, carrying his antics and contortions too far. The act runs very long as it now stands and were the in- evitable kind applause finish cut out, would use just about the proper amount of time. DeWitt, Burns and Torrance in their neat and novel acrobatic offering closed the show and did surprisingly well in that most trying position. Aside from the ex- cellent acrobatics shown the trio have a pretty and picturesque idea in the toy- shop setting. Both men are first rate acrobats, while the girl, who does very little in the act, dresses the stage and adds greatly to the general effect. It is a great act for the children or, for that matter, for anyone who ever was a child. As a showman Paul Conchas has no superior in the heavy weight juggling line. Mr. Conchas has his appearance in his favor, which is not a small item, of course, but aside from this he goes through an extensive routine of work with a rapidity and dash most pleasing. He is also fortunate in having secured an excellent comedy assistant who under- stands just when and how far to carry the fun. George Primrose is doing the same act he showed for a few weks last season. There has been no great expenditure of money on the production. In fact, it can hardly be called a production, although there are six men, besides Mr. Primrose, employed. A special drop of a huge water- melon, not in evidence last season, is now carried. The veteran minstrel man has lost none of his old-time grace as a dancer and in this line is always pleasing. The six men are also good dancers and sing the old "coon" melodies agreeably. Joe Cook and brother were seen at a disadvantage in the opening position. Mr. Cook is a young chap, and while he does nothing extraordinary in juggling, he has a good start and should improve steadily. This can also be said of the brother, who is the comedy end. He has a good com- edy makeup, but is following too closely several of the older men in the same line. Better results would be obtained did he reach out for originality. Rossi's Musical Horse is not much of a musician, but is a good looking animal, and if the trainer would do away with the great quantity of unnecessary talk it would become a pleasing animal act. Oterita, a Spanish dancer of the conven- tional type, is not any better nor any worse than the usual run. Dan Sherman, Mabel DeForest and com- pany are still fighting "The Battle of San Dago," and it is as big a laugh getter now as it was when first produced. TWENTY-THIRD STREET. The dash and smoothness generally dis- played in the running off of a bill at this house is lacking in this week's enter- tainment. This may be due to the first show. Later in the week the little rough- nesses were undoubtedly done away with. Variety is evidently the aim of the Ex- position Four and in this they are success- ful. The music composes the main por- tion, although the singing passes, and the neat dancing finish sends them off nicely. Four costume changes are made. Three are well taken care of; but the fourth (band uniform) could be bettered. The choir number should be dropped and something substituted more in keeping with the remainder. * Bert Levy has hit upon an unique and interesting idea in the rapid sketch line. He works upon a small glass plate, the pictures being thrown upon a screen by means of a reflecting light. Every line is easily discernible. Besides the black and white effects the artist works in colors, lending a variety lacking in other acts of this character. The Indian head is th best thing shown and was liberally ap plauded. The Misses Delmore have made so many changes that they are showing almost a new act. The numbers and dressing have been changed throughout, and two special drops are now used. Both in the open- ing are good, but a more suitable song should be secured. The rest follows much the same as formerly, excepting songs and the two pretty costume changes. Dixon and Anger are also showing what is practically a new offering hereabouts, only one or two weeks having been played with it late last season. Mr. Anger is a genuinely funny Dutchman, and the "straight" end is ably handled by Mr. Dixon. There is a quantity of good busi- ness and amusing talk and with a few more weeks' work the pair will develop a sure-fire hit. They spread the patriotic thing on rather thick in "The Human Flags," but the holiday crowd grew very enthusiastic over the parading of the flag, a Roosevelt impersonation, and "Spirit of '76." The act proper is Well laid out, costumed nice- ly and the girls are exceptionally well drilled. The act gave the bill a big hur- rah finish. A pood clean Irish makeup and a pleas- ing, good-natured style passed Arthur Whitelaw through easily. There were bits of new and bits of the old talk, but both went equally well. He kept the audience good humored for the better part of fif- teen minutes. Frank Richards opened the show in a single turn modeled closely after the act formerly given by Reno and Richards. Burr Mcintosh and company featured the program (New Arts). The Three Sisters Trma, llanvarr and Lee, Botello and Virginia, The Marconis and Marstro and Oretta are foreign acts booked for this side. .lulius Tannen, the monologist. received an olTer from Charles Frohman this week of a part in a production shortly to be presented. Mathews and Ashley are on the Ham merstein bill next week. PASTOR'S. The early acts had no cause to com- plain for lack of attendance Monday night. The house was filled to overflow- ing at 6:30, with an audience that had come to be pleased, and left thoroughly satisfied. Madge Fox is not quite as strenuous, having done away almost entirely with her flip flops. She wore pretty frocks, changing for each of her three songs. The "coon" number was the best liked, probably because it did not require a voice. The sec- ond, a medley of popular airs, is a corker, but suffers through the shortcomings of Miss Fox's voice. W. E. Whittle is showing here for t' • first time after his tour in England. His routine for the most part remains about the same as when last seen, althougl is no longer using a woman in the act, and has injected an amount of speed which helps greatly. The audience seemed to be taken back at Whittle's resem- blance to President Roosevelt and greeted the ventriloquist enthusiastically. Dill and Ward are giving the same r' ing and dancing specialty. Dancing is n soft spot with the Pastor audience, an' the pair found themselves right at hor Miss Ward's glittering dress still stands out prominently. The Kiltie Trio are regulars at the down town house. The boy's playing improving, and this seems to buoy up the music of the trio. His popular selec- tions on the saxophone are heartily ap- plauded, and this should be the cue for the elder Kiltie to drop the high sounding selection on the piccolo, trying some*' more popular. The singing is still the worst feature. Murphy and Dunn have too good a con- versational act to hold down a "three-a- day" position. The pair are a big laugh, and score as heavily as any act on the bill. The stuff is not all new, in fact, most of it has been heard before, but the men handle it well and make it go. They make a good old-fashioned sidewalk con- versation team, altogether too scarce now- adays. The Evans Trio is another act finding* little difficulty in pulling themselves out of the "three-a-day.' 1 Perhaps the one thing more than anything else to keep them there is the "cocky" manner displayed by the boy. Some good "rag time" piano playing and dancing go unrewarded be- cause no audience cares to be informed the artist is doing a favor by playing before them. The girl in the act is a cute "kid," and the comedian passes. Bessie Nitram, after she stopped sing- ing and commenced dancing, had no diffi- culty in pleasing. Allen and Keeley opened the show and are the best opening act the house has had in many weeks. With proper material they should easily better themselves. Mr. Allen is a first rate Irish comedian with a good delivery and an idea of what real humor is. Miss Keeley looks well and makes a good "feeder." I)e Chantal Sisters dress neatly, and that's the one best bet. Leonzo juggled early on the bill, and the Three Jaeksons closed. Jeanett*' Dupree and The Two> Macks are under New Acts.