Variety (October 1907)

VARIETY 19 GUS EDWARDS SAYS: That he knows He ia ab«ad of the Times "Bldg." Because since be took the entire 2nd floor at 1512 Broadway—the same old stand—giv- ing him a fine Broadway frontage, crowds of curious (and Interested) theatregoers, etc., hate obstructed the thoroughfare during the evening, gating at the particularly attractive signs announcing the special feature publica- tions such as "HIP! HIP! HOORAY!" "SCHOOL DAYS," etc.. etc. When you're up our way, look It over! Yours musically, GUS EDWARDS. P. S. -My aew Act. dus Edwards' "RUBE KIDS." will be one of the big features at Elisabeth the week of Oct. 14th. The novelty song, "SEE SAW," la certainly "IT." MORE P. S.—About next Monday our en- larged headquarters, as above mentioned, will be ready for the ••pening." They'll all be there—are you coming? fled bill, composed of Billy Jackson and Company, The Aldeans, Marie LeClalr, Contineau and Law- ronce, Annie Cook, Jerome St. Clair. McVICKER'S (Sol Litt. mgr.).—Lew Dockstsder snd his minstrels opened a week'a engagement. In addition to the first part there are a number of sketches and specialties, foremost a skit by Mr. Dockstsder, entitled "A Dull Day at the White House." Neil McNeil Is with the company. EMPIRE (William Singer, mgr.).—The "Orien- tal Cosy Corner fjlrls" make a rather pretentious showing In "The Honeymoon Trip," the first part, with an appropriate and effective setting dis- closing the deck of a ship. The comedy and atructural parts are credited to Wm. B. Watson, who provided the company with ample material of the conventional sort, with two principal boys, an Irishman, "Sissy," Pirate and other characters burlesque sudlences have become Intimate with. The elementa are Inclined to be slow and talky at times, probably on account of the stretched portions of the dialogue, which will possibly be modifltd eventually. "The Sculptor's Dream" is given the same nautical setting, on sccount of the prohibitive use of movable scenery. The piece has served well in burlesque. The costuming and equipment a're complete and the chorus Is one of the most active and animated seen this season. The girls arc a happy, Jocose lot. They seem to enjoy the spirited msnoeuvers ss well as the au- dience. Even the three extraordinary short and plumb maidens who look like "Brownies" in their tight fitting garments kept up the lively pace, strenuous as It appeared. There is plenty of dash and snap. The singing is one of the features. The voices are strong. The company is a capable one. Honan and Kearney have amiable parts and offer a humorous string of brisk talk in the olio. Frank Riley is quite amusing In an eccen- tric Irish character. Belle Travers, a good- looking brunette with an exquisite figure and much charm, had the prima donna role as "principal boy." She has a soprano voice of quality and knows how to use it. Clara Dagneau and Lena Bruce, "sister" act, are a departure in that line. They wore elaborate dresses of most unique de- sign, and the songs are different from the "sister" adhesive kind. Miss Dogneau looked charming in a white decollete dress. Lafferty and Wurd danced energetically, and Van Cleve, Denton and Pete, the latter a kicking donkey, afforded considerable comedy. It is an act creative of laughter. Young Sandow and Otis Lambert Introduced cqullibristic feats and physical culture posing. They are mus- cular and gave the olio the requisite diversity. The show Is clean and complete compared with the output seen this season. While the comedy is not as commendable as In Watson's other show at the Folly, this week, the "Cozy Corner Girls" has the udvantage of a larger olio, more comedians, talented female principals, and a good singing bucb of girls. tow t Hayle The World's Greatest Triple Toe Roll Dancer. OPEN TIME AFTER DEC., '07. Permanent Address, care YARIETY. THE IRISH LADY. EVA THATCHER Height S ft. 7. Weight 106. MARTHA WEIS Height S ft. 0. Weight 68. This ia a real act. Look it over. Address CHRIS. O. BROWN, I 1858 B'way. New York. SAIN PRftlNGISGO By W. ALFRED WILSON, « VARIETY'S San Francisco Office. 1115 Van NesS Ave. (Room 112). THE PRINCESS (Sam Loverlch. mgr.).—Week 30. The bill was the most satisfying the house has offered since Its opening, due in great part to a very enjoyable musical farce produced un- der the direction of Sam Sldman and bearing the title "The Two Jail Birds." Sldman assumed his well known eccentric German role and found In Francis Young an excellent foil. The chorus was well matched and the musical numbers for which Botbwell Browne stood sponsor were of the best, with the costuming a feature. Many old familiar friends from Jokcland popped up during the production. George Del mas, aerial artist, was the opening number of the olio and received a round of applause. Lock wood and Breyson are but average in the portion. They offered rather an overdose of singing. Their closing "Heinle" song submitted In character stood them in good stead and won for them a well deserved demand for more. The Una Clayton Company's sketch was Iscking in msny respects. The plot has done service msny times before and in striv- ing for laughs the sketch degenerates at times to mere horse, play. The work of both women of the cast was below par and the man stood out as the star. The Four Claytons gsve a musical- act of the class A grade and the audience showed an emphatic liking for their selection on the brasses. Davis and Walker worked in a clear cut number fashioned far away from the usual routine of colored teams. Bothwell Browne's "Gibson Girl" act was a rather frosty affair. The act relied for Its main strength upon the reproduc- tion of the familiar conceptions of Gibson and this Mr. Browne attempted with the assistance of E. Frauds Young, but the task proved beyond him. ORPHEUM (Martin Beck, mgr.).—Week 20: The major portion of the show waa new with Minnie Sellgman and William Bramwell offering "A Dakota Widow" as the headliners. Owing to the late arrival of the wardrobe trunks, this act was obliged to play the opening engagement In street clothes, of which fact Stage Manager Orndorf made announcement. The Vassar Girls proved a "girl" act of merit, with scenic 'effect of the highest grade. Lucy and Lucler kept them laughing with their eccentric comedy. Christina Nielson, a re- cruit from the comic opera field, made a favorable impression in her vocal seelctions. Bartholdl's Cockatoo* completed the list of newcomers. The holdovers were. the Bellclaire Brothers and Berry and Berry. ■ NATIONAL (Sid Grauman, mgr.).—Week 30: "That" Quartet and the Three Rutins, held over for an additional week, fitted well with the incom- ing Sulllvan-Consldine combination, which was strong in comedy. The Eddy Family, a crack slack wire act, was also added—bringing to the bill a balance that would be hard to excel. They were in closing position and regis- tered strongly. A complete back sonierrault on the wire, accomplished by the youngster of the troupe, was awarded an outburst of applause. Flexible Fredericks was another dumb act that scored. Working In outing costume, he offered a well-arranged routine of clever contortions, con- taining a vein of pantomimic comedy; Murphy and Wlllard's sketch, "The Phrenologist," was studded in parts with antiquities, but answered its purpose well as a laugh-gainer, both of the team displaying adaptability. Al Jolson on his re-appearance proved that he has lost none of the qualities that established his popularity upon the occasion of his previous visit and several re- calls were required before the house subsided. Fitzgerald and GUday offered a conversational act in one that was well thought of, closing with a burlesque on the drama that was Irresistibly funny. Mortlock and Chamberaln in a domestic sketch completed the program. WIGWAM (Sam Harris, mgr.).—Week 30: The addition of Barton and Ashley to the bill at the last moment, gave to the program Its sole comedy offering. Playing a return date after the lapse of only a week the team offered a changed sketch, still retaining their original characters and scoring their usual hit. Mr. and Mrs. Es- monde 'follow an unbeaten path with their play- let "The Soldier of Propvllle." and were well received. The Elliotts, harp soloists and vocal- ists, proved an entertaining number. Marcona, an electrical experimentalist, and the Jessie Keller's Cycling Troupe, divided honors as the novelty features. Clinton IMontgomory, illus- trated songs, and Delia Stacey, soubrette, com- pleted the program. EMPIRE (Hal Curtis, mgr.).—Week 30: Frank Hall, the lion tamer, bidding defiance to Wallace, long a feature of the Chutes Zoo. was a heavily billed attractions. The king of beasts was In no kindly mood, and the iron nerve of the tamer in entering the cage brought forth an ovation. The Du Bell Trio re-appeared, displaying the same marked, cleverness which is in most part wasted upon a very unadaptable conglomeration that -stasis from nowhere and ends in the same place. The elder's characterisation of a "drunk" stamps him as a comedian of rank. The De Rock Brothers, a trio of clever acrobats, and Ophelia Hill, an accomplished musician, completed the program. NOTES.—After fulfilling his Sulllvan-Consldine contract, which he will do in three weeks' time. Al Jolson. the blackface monologls't, will put in two weeks' time at the Wigwam, a Western States house, A weekly salary of $250 Is the in- ducement that caused him to decline Immediate additional SVC. time. Jolson wss married at Oakland. Cal.. Sep. 19, to Henrietta Keller.— Fitzgerald and Gllday will dissolve partnership by mutual consent after finishing the Sulllvan- Consldine time at Los Angeles the first week In November. BOSTON By ERNEST L. WAITT. VARIETY Office, 278A Tremont St. Good shows mean good business. At least It has been found to be so In local vaudeville uou cs. whether "advanced" or "progressive." The shows here this week are very good, and as a i consequence business baa picked up materially. There are hosts of minors about town regarding future plans for the Trelnont, to the effect that It is to abandon vaudeville and go back to the legitimate, and that it is going to do half a dozen things, but Manager Scboeffel Is authority for the statement that uo change ia to be made; he is perfectly aatlsfled and so are K. A M. So long as K. A E. send good shows to the Tre- mont, they can rely upon good business. But one thing is certain, the powers that be in New York have not yet learned Just what the Boston public like. The bills they have sent over for the past three weeks have been unusually good in one or two numbers, fair in perhaps two more and very "punky" in the balance. Two dull, tiresome acts in a bill made up of eight or nine numbers is too big a proportion and has a deter- rent effect upon future attendance. The Trc- mont's bills, too, bsve lacked snap. The stage waits are too long, and so are many of the acts. TREMONT (Jno. B. Scboeffel, mgr.).—Bar- nold's Dog and Monkey Pantomime, headlined this week, is the best animal act ever seen here. It was a scream and even the musician* Decs me in- terested and "rubbered" over the footlights. It holds over' next week. "The Governor's Son," with Bobby Barry as lead, is revived and goes well. It takes well. W. C. Fields, with some new Juggling stunts, drew some warm hands, and Hysms and Mclntyre, In "Two Hundred Wives," do some snappy work that could have been lengthened a few minutes In "one," avoid- ing a long stsge wait for the following act. Joe Welch has the same old stories that do not please the ladies In the least, and Collins and Brown, German comedians, are without a spark of magnetism or humor In their act. They need new stuff badly. The Three Keatons were heav- ily featured here, but somehow the act stems to have gone stale. It is unusually draggy this season. The Golts Trio do a novel wire act that makes a good opener, and the Heras famllv of acrobats close the bill with some really good work. ORPHEUM (A. J. Duffy, Mgr.)—"The Trans- cript" this week says of the show here: "You can drop in at ten o'clock and get yonr money'4 worth, or begin at eight and get more than that." Three unusually strong bills have been given here in as many weeks and they have atracted ex- cellent business. Featured are Dewltt, Burns and Torrance In their acrobatic "Awakening of Toys," one of the funniest and prettiest acta In vaudeville. The audiences like It immensely. Grade Emmett is back with her "second hus- band" act, that gets the crowd In a laughing good humor. Carroll Johnson, with a new com- pany in "In Louisiana," has a lot of his old material in it, beside plenty of dancing steps that are new. The men work well together. Topical songs by the Murray Sisters take well with the audiences. Zeno, Jordan and Zeno are wonders on the trapeze. Grant and Hoag make good with a nonsensical act. Another feature is "The Red Hslred Girl from Houghton A Hut- ton's" (New Acts). KEITH'S (H. D. Dupee, mgr.).—Peter F. Datley is headllner In "Nearly a War Corre- spondent." As the original musical comedy has been seen here twice before under different names, it seemed like "Old Home Week" to see Dailey and hla "Dolorea." He has a good group of girls, has Peter. Stella Mayhew is back again, but with a new lot of material and a bad cold. She made good, however, despite the latter. Lew Bloom has hardly changed a line of his monologue since be was last here, but Charles P. Semon has, snd materially benefited his act. Clara Kallerlni does an unusually good trapeze act. Anderson and Gloines, colored, singers and comedians, seem to improve each year. Paulton and Dooley have an old time bicycle act, and Salerno, Juggler, is retained another week. Zelda Rotall, a Boston girl, who abandoned grand opera for vaudeville, makes a good addition to the list of troupers. She pleases her audiences, both in stage presence and In singing ability. HOWARD (Jay Hunt, mgr.).—Pat White and his "Gaiety Girls" are here, in "Casey at the Rat" ami "Down and Out Drug Store." Zelma Homers is a good addition to the cast, and has the bald heads clapping her in good shape. "The Four Terrors." Lewis and Green, the Malvern Troupe and Will Jennings snd Mabel Webb com- prise the show's olio. The bill provided by the Howard includes Jot; Keno and Estelle D'Arvllle, two former Howard players, who do a good acro- batic stunt; The Frey Brothers, acrobats; Tho Valvenos, head balancers; St. Elmo, German musi- cian; Cramer and Beverly, dancers; Edwards and Kernell. talkers; Sartella, and Fred Bowman, blackface comedian. Business very good and Improving steadily. LYCEUM (G. II. Bachellor, mgr.).—Ben Jan- scn and Mike Kelley head the "Bowery Bur- lcsquers" here this week, and do their Hebrew and Hibernian act In the olio. It Is a very good show, with more in it to interest a crowd of men than Is in most. Ia the olio aro the Two Rackets in "Fritz in Full Dross"; Arthur and Ethel Mil- ler, whirlwind dancers; Carmellta D'Elcedere, the animated Venus, as shapely as ever, if not more so; Harry Kohler; Harry Hills; Neely and Llm- bach. and Clara Douglass. PALACE (Charles Waldron. mgr.).—Weber A Rush's "Bon Tons," with a fairly good show, in- cluding "Pousse Cafe" and "The Girl from Mars." Guy Rawson, Harry Woods, Ren Pierce and Harvey Greet] have good roles and Frances (Mare does' the leading feminine business. Miss Clare is a very clever girl, and If she would only take singing lessons she would be much more satisfactory. This Is especially noticeable in the sketch "Just Kids." with Mr. Rawson. In the Palace's own show are The Evans Trio In a com- edy act; Cunningham and D'lievy, sketchlsts; Frank Phlpps. comedian: Juggling Nelson; La- Porte snd Normiin, aerial artists, with emphasis on the final word. COLUMBIA (H. N- Farren. mgr). Rack again are "The Avenue Girls." The show has not beorr changed since a few weeks ago at the Howard. IH'B.— William II. Graves of New York Ins been added to the singing force and with Mat White. Maria Camilla and Master Willie Daly put up a good list of 111. songs. JOLLIETTE. -"The Highwayman" Is leading film, with "An Indian Idyll'.' a close second. "The Maniac Juggler" and "An Interrupted Out- A Sensation at Keith's, Phlla. ELIZABETH MURRAY SINGING THE JEROME & SCHWARTZ HITS. MY IRISH ROSIE MISS KILLARNEY AND HERMAN FMISIS, MY t MIRTH PUBLISHERS IS W. 30th ST., NEW TOM lug" are good fun makers. Frances Rteadman makes her first appearance here this week aa a singer, and she makes good. c AUSTIN A STONE'S MU8BUM (Stone A Shaw, props.).—"In Bcollay Square" la the title of the show In the curio hall. The Tlpica Mexlcana or- chestra; John F. Breckinridge, cowboy poet; Sam Johnson, who literally amazes everybody by the enormous quantity of water he drlnka and then expels; Oftura. magician; Alfonso, glaaa eater. comprise the list. In the theatre "The Minstrel Maids" are on their last week, having played three solid yeara. The girls will aeparate and join other shows. An unusually good trio haa been secured In Tom Meadows, Vera Jielaaco and Tom Hateman. They are exceptionally clever, particularly Miss Belasco. Tbej are really good enough for the best vauderlile stage. The olio, in addition, includes the Wbalena, hoop rollers; Derlne and Shorts, who should talk less and "acrobat" more, and Boulder and Qulnn, very good musical act. PREMIER.—'A Race for a Million" and "An Indian Idyll" are the most popular films here this week, with "The Stilt Race" and "The Stolen l'lg" furnishing the comedy element. Grace Merrlman Is singing "Fanella" with good COMIQUE.—"The Enchanted Glasses" and the "Highwayman" are headlined, with "The Maniac Juggler" and "The Little Pig" for the fun ele- ment. Lulu Cooper sings "I'll See You Later, Dearie." NOTE.—The new moving picture house on Tre- mont Row, to be called The Star, la being rapidly pushed to completion. It will be ready for an opening In about three weeks. It will be run as an Independent house by Samuel K oxen burg, a local real estate man. PHILADELPHIA By GEORGE M. YOUNG. KEITH'S (H. T. Jordan, mgr.).—The local management had another bill this week which needed careful manipulation to secure results, but after the first show it rounded into a pretty evenly balanced bill, and Monday night's audi- ence, which almost filled the theatre, was pleased. The beadliner was Burr Mcintosh, with bis i BE A SPORT. All that you have "greased" about Madi- son's Budget may lie wrong. Say to your- self: "That fellow Madison has been adver- tising In leading theatrical publications for nigh ten years to my certain knowledge. His Budget has grown from a four page sheet to a hundred page book. There must he something to his claims else he wouldn't have lasted the way he has. It's up to me to get a copy and v i»ee for myself." MADISON'S f^TE new BUDGET No. 11 World's greatest book of stsge comedy. Price nominal, hut contents superb. Madi- son's Budget No. 11 contains u great mono- logues. 2H sure-hit parodies. 12 original sketches for two males, and 3 for male and female. 2 screamingly funny farce com- edies, besides hundreds of original gaga and stories, sidewalk patter, comic poema and toasts; also a very clever sister act. Price, fl per copy (or for fl extra I will include a copy of Madison's Budget Ho. 10 —same sixe as No. 11, but contents entirely different). Send orders to JAMES MADISON. 1404 Third Averue, New York. (Oept. 20). 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