Variety (December 1907)

10 VARIETY NEW ACT S NE XT WEEK Initial Presentation, First Appearance or Reappearance in New York City. NEW AGTS OP THE WEEK Whit Cunliffe, New York. Terley, New York. Nellie Wallace, Colonial. Dorsch and Russell (New Act), Twenty- third Street. McMahon and Chappelle (New Act), Twenty-third Street. Kelly and Massey, Pastor's. Henry and Young, Pastor's. Mr. Hymack, Orpheum. Laddie Cliff. Songs and Dances. 16 Mins.; One. Colonial. Just one simple mistake occurred in the American debut of Laddie Cliff. Some one name<T~the Doy~* ?T Laddie'' instead of "Kiddie." "He's a cute kid" will be the first thing you will say when Laddie Cliff walks on the stage, and it will be the last thing said when he leaves. He is a cute kid, and a performer from his head to his toes. The lad is a "comer" in every sense of the word, and he could have had New York City easily Monday, when he appeared for the first time at the Colonial. Dressed as an Eton youth, Laddie, who can not be over seventeen years old, sang and danced his way right into the Colonial audience. They didn't want to see him leave, but he begged off. His legs are a couple of spindles, and he is a comedian with them; also an eccentric dancer of a high class, without seemingly having had anyone to teach him grotesque steps as his particular style of "loose" dancing has been developed over here. It is the com- edy of the dancing rather than the danc- ing itself which counts, and in this he resembles Chris Richards, that other funny Englishman, on his feet. I^addie could have been a contortionist or an acrobat as well, but he has chosen dancing and sing- ing. In both he is successful. For songs he has "Don't He Look Like Father?" "Samu-u-el" (a sort of English "coon" number), and "That's How He Sat on a Tack," all comic, the last named decidedly go. This "Tack" song was brought over here about a year ago by Daisy Harcourt, but it is not known whether she has sung it on the stage. The boy sings well, and has a flexible face which -he uses for comedy while singing. American vaude- ville holds no one like Laddie Cliff. Laddie will have New York infatuated with him before he leaves; he is a foreign "find" of the season; several seasons, in fact. .Sftme. The Zoyarras. Balancing. xo Mins.; Full Stage. Pastor's. Judging from appearances, the act is evidently foreign. The most noticeable thing is the neat dressing and the good appearance. The woman does very little else but to look good. The man does the familiar routine on the revolving globe, closing with a fairly steep ascent, a short trip across a see-saw arrangement, and a descent of several stairs. The act depends In a good measure on this closing trick, and while it is showy, it is not elaborate enough. Dank. Eugene Jepson and Company (3). "The Mayor and the Manicure" (Comedy). 17 Mins.; Four (Interior). Colonial. Geo. Ade wrote "The Mayor and the Manicure," and Mr. Ade has accomplished what very few vaudeville dramatists, au- thors or playwrights can lay claim to; he has given a complete comedy story, not without a dramatic side, and leaving no wide gaps for the imagination to span. The Honorable Otis Milford (Eugene Jepson) is Mayor of Springfield, but whether in Ohio or Massachusetts Mr. Ade carefully avoids stating. Inasmuch as he brings into the action "Atwood College" a mythi- cal school of learning from his "College Widow," no excuse for the neglect is re- quired.' The Iluiioiable OtSfHLas a son W'allie (George Stuart Christie) who has just graduated from Atwater, and is en- gaged to Ruth Foster (Perdita Hudspeth), a very classy Springfield young woman, who stands aces with the Mayor. While being taught how to wear good clothes and spend money without looking foolish during his college course, Wallie made love by mail and otherwise to one Gene- vieve LeClaire (Elise Dean), the general all-around manicure for the rah rah boys. Wallie said w r hile explaining to his father there were not many girls at Atwater, that Genevieve was popular, so he went the limit, winning out, but further than that, nothing, no matter what the letters said, and if he inferred to the nail clipper he wanted to marry her, Wallie allowed for her age to understand. Everything looked as though the Gods were all work- ing steadily for Genevieve : she knew Wal- lie was engaged; that his father was Mayor, and expected the Gubernatorial nomination, so Gene beat it to Springfield ahead of Wallie. She told father that $10,000 would buy the damaging letters, thereby avoiding a breach of promise suit. Father was a pretty wise Goo. Ade boy, even for Springfield, and he "guessed" the Chief of Police at Atwater might have something on Gene. But Gene hadn't been under Ade's tutelage for nothing, so she cut the telephone wire, shutting the Mayor off from the long distance. And here in the sketch something dreadful happened. Since Will M. Cressy has promised to stop writing short pieces, he is entitled to every consideration (if he doesn't re- nege), and the groundwork of the beHt scene in the Ade sketch has been taken from the "phony phone" in Cressy's "Ticks and Clicks." But it surely must be a co- incident, for Ade—but to go on with the story. The father uses the "dummy" tele- phone, venturing a guess that Gene is married. She "falls," by delivering over the letters to escape arrest as a black- mailer, after admitting she is a grass widow. "The Mayor and the Manicure," which is having its first city showing, is a mighty amusing little playlet, and well acted. Mr. Jepson takes hold of the Mayor, the principal character, and hugs it to the finish, which, by-the-by, is a weak point. No well regulated Mayor would have accepted the adventuress' din- ner invitation in a town the size of S*pringfield, whether Massachusetts or Ohio, and Mr. Ade should know better. Mr. Christie made a pretty fair looking Hardeen. Handcuff Expert. 30 Mins.; Full Stage (Interior). New York. Hardeen is showing his handcuff escape specialty for the first time in a New York vaudeville theatre, although he has played about in this country for several months. He follows the similar act of Harry Hou- dini with fidelity, almost to minute de- tail. Opening with the escape from half a dozen 'cuffs and leg irons, he goes to the trunk and bag tricks, and closes with the feat of releasing himself from a straight-jacket. In his announcements likewise he suggests the other, with just a hint of the same uncertain and halting delivery. There is also a personal re- semblance between the two. Iv. the straight-jacket escape Hardeen works up a good point in an argument over the use of a chair. The assistant objects to the presence of the chair, explaining in a half- audible voice that the jacket is used only for patients confined in padded cells, which are absolutely without furniture, and after some slight discussion, only half under- stood by the audience, the chair is re- moved and Hardeen continues unassisted. The incident brought a burst of applause and helped immensely in establishing the good feeling of the audience toward the artist, an important factor in an act of this sort where the artist is unable to make any direct appeal for sympathy. Rush. The Charron-Moran Company. "An Afternoon Mix-Up" (Comedy). 12 Mins.; Full Stage. Pastor's. "An Afternoon Mix-Up" was written by Mattie Keene and embodies a good idea. With proper handling, it should yield substantial results. Two sisters, "actresses," if you wish to call chorus girls actresses, are up against it. They have but two changes of clothing between them, one an afternoon gown and the other an evening dress. That's about the plot. Some bright linos and a few good laughs are introduced through one of the siste»s being forced to go to luncheon in the low-neck gown because her sister was wearing the only other garment in the establishment. Other talk and business of a similar brand is handed out, and could be made over into real entertain- ment. Jessie Charron and Jessie Moran are the sisters. The "company," a stage hand, did very well; he removed a table and two chairs. One of the Jessies is rather good looking, and the possessor of a voice above the average. Her playing, however, is amateurish, and she will need plenty of rehearsing before becoming a regular. The other Jessie has no voice, but plays with more animation and as- surance. Dash. college boy, without any wild traditions hovering about him, and Miss Hudspeth was a nice little country girl. Elise Dean was the manicure, and looked about just right for Atwater. Mr. Jepson ought to secure all the time he wants with the piece; it will be a laugh-maker wherever it is presented. Rime. Horace Goldin, Jeanne Fransioli and Com- pany (4). Illusions and Magic. 24 Mins.; Full Stage (Special Setting). Colonial. Away from New York for nearly two vears, Horace Goldin has returned with trunks full of new illusions and tricks. What Mr. Goldin showed on his last ap- pearance have become pretty well known throughout the land. Goldin has many imitators, but no equal. His fresh supply will stand him in stead for some time. An entrance is now had with Jeanne Fran- sioli, as well dressed and as handsome as ever, if not more so, being drawn on the stage seated in a sedan chair. Jt is rested on the floor by th£ four bearers, and Miss Fransioli, after drawing the curtains, steps out. The curtains are raised, and Goldin bows to the audience from within. The chair has no unusual depth, and it is a striking illusion for the start. Gol- din's exit is made in a similar manner, the chair being brought on again by the attendants, Goldin seating himself in it. After the curtains are raised, it is empty. Miss Fransioli steps in, and is carried off while the curtain drops, both appearing simultaneously to acknowledge the ap- plause. Another new illusion and the star of the present act as given on Monday evening is the "bed-chamber." A large cab- inet is placed in the center of the stage. It is near no "drops" or wings, and enlranee unobserved is impossible by the ordinary method. Soft curtains are rolled up on each side. The cabinet floor is at least one foot and a half from the stage. The curtains are rolled down, and at a shot from Goldin's pistol, the front two are thrown apart, revealing Miss Fransioli re- clining in a bedstead. Over her is drawn a quilt or comforter, and the full equip- ment of a lady's boudoir is on view. Gol- din steps in, removing small articles from different tables and dressers, evidencing they are not fastened, and incidentally he is showing a new trick in this by striking a match against a match box thrown to him from afar by one of the men. From this cabinet Miss Fransioli dresses herself in a pretty soubrette costume, and pro- ceeds to the "Salvation Army" disappear- ance. The "bed-chamber" was attempted over here by Carl Herts, but there is no comparison between his work and the execution bv Goldin, who does this clean as a whistle, without exposing a suspicion of how it is accomplished, while Herts'ex- plained itself. Mr. Goldin now catches his gold fish in an ordinary landing net instead of at the end of a fishing pole, and also has an extended "flag" finish for the "drum" at the opening. He is giving a brief exhibition of "Diabolo," showing his dexterity with the spool, and about the onlv flaw in the act, which concludes with I the "cannon" and "trunk" illusion, is an impersonation of composers with a substi- tution at the end, hardly worth the time and trouble given to it. The cabinet in this is exceedingly intricate, and might be devoted to a better purpose. There are so many minor bits of newness in Mr. Goldin's act it is impossible to recount them from memory. He is working more rapidly than ever; not a word is spoken during the act, and one regrets to see him close his performance. An entire even- ing's entertainment would be just as en- joyable when given by Horace Goldin, the ideal necromancer. Sime.