Variety (September 1908)

14 VARIETY NEW ACTS NEXT WEEK Initial Presentation, First Appearance or Reappearance in or Around New York City. ( NEW AGTS OP THE WEEK ) "La Petite Review," Colonial. Anna Blancke and Company, Colonial. Fred Lindsay, Colonial. EHia-Nowlin Company (New Act), Co- lonial. Barry Lnpino, Lincoln Square. Hiblo's Birds, Fifth Avenue. "In the Latin Quarter," 125th Street. Dorothy Morton, Keeney's, Brooklyn. Yamamotoa, The Fulton, Brooklyn. Ward Brothers and Company (New Act), Hudson, Union Hill. Maude and Sydney Wood, Blaney's, Yonkers. Blanche Baird, Blaney's, Yonkers. Keen, Blaney's, Yonkers. James Brockman, Bijou, Orange. Chaa. Draw and Company, Bijou, New Brunswick. Alice Davenport and Company, Bijou, Bayonne. Barbeau Family, Bijou, Perth Amboy. DeVine and Van Cott, Bijou, Perth Am- boy. Edward J. Whitehall, Bijou, Perth Am- boy. McDowell and Trescott (New Act). Bijou, Orange. Daisy (Lloyd) Wood. "The Last of the Lloyds." Songs. at Mina.; One or Two. Lincoln Square. It will be "Daisy Lloyd" ere long in all probability. This sister of the Lloyds can uphold the family distinction over here. There is no further necessity to smuggle the "Lloyd" in between brackets. "Lloyd" is potent on a show bill in America. Just how much value the name has will never be known.now, since the only one with an oportunity to test it, Daisy, did not do so. Had she appeared as "Daisy Wood" this week and "Daisy Lloyd" next, the change might have afforded a clue. Still, this sister of the Lloyds is doing very well on her first American appearance, singing five songs Monday evening be- sides dancing very prettily. "Whistle, and I'll Wait for You," an American number, proved the star. It is the catchiest kind of an audience song. Everyone who can pucker up just can't help joining in the invitation-to-whistle chorus. Miss Daisy's next best is "Paddling," and would be a more attractive number were the singer to costume it at least as a "kid." Mon- day she work an ankle-length gown. Even the novelty of removing her shoes and stockings on the stage did not improve the looks of the overlong dress. Daisy was also undepressed along her legs with light-colored hosiery for the next song. Since "Salome" New Yorkers want theirs bare, so Daisy had better get down to the pelf. The three other songs, "Stop the Flip-Flap" (very English and slow), "Au- tomobiling" (not English, perhaps, but slower), and "Hop It" (more English) will not start anything. "Hop It" is the best of the trio, "Automobiling" the worst— for Miss Wood. In "Hop It" Daisy is most becomingly dressed in green. A George Fuller Golden, Monologue. 37 Mina.; One. Lincoln Square. George Fuller Golden reappeared in vaudeville unexpectedly on Monday at the Lincoln Square as recited in the news col- umns. Mr. Golden hasn't forgotten how to monologue. Walking upon the stage in his "Saranac" costume, George ex- plained how he lived in the woods, and in the most natural way in the world just simply carried his audience along in his talk with considerable new material, probably a great deal of momentary im- provisation. He had the audience scream* ing. Some very toughened "regulars" who has heard them all pulled down many a hearty laugh from Mr. Golden's scintillating points. And Mr. Golden can make his points. He is a natural humor- ist. Never did it become more evident than in the encore where, from a semi- philosophic chat, he exited upon the edge of an abrupt point, leaving a wide howl- ing gale of laughter rolling over the audi- torium. You who realise George Fuller Golden know, and you who don't should have "caught" him this week. Sime. Esra Kendall. Monologue. 17 Mins.; One. Fifth Avenue. Esra Kendall is the smooth, unctuous story teller as of old, but his present equipment of material falls far short of the mark. About the only thing that won anything like a hearty response was the old patter, dealing with the Pullman dressing room where evrybody washed everybody else's face. Several jingling songs went rather better, but he was by no means equal to the demands of the posi- tion he held, next to closing. Rush. Barrett and Belle. "Dooley's Tavern" (Comedy). 13 Mins.; Three (Exterior). "New Century Girls." Tom Barrett and May Belle have a new piece this season in "Dooley's Tav- ern." In it both make two changes, Bar- rett entering in a goat-cart, with a live "kid" drawing him, afterwards changing to a grotesque costume in which he brings an immense howl of laughter at the finale in an eccentric dance. Miss Belle is a handsome woman, dressing prettily in the two characters, and the number is a big laughing and applause- hit of the "New Century Girls" olio. Sime. change goes with each song, and after a few performances the young English- woman will make them somewhat more quickly, perhaps. She ought to. Daisy Wood does not look like any of the other Lloyds on the stage. If resembling any, it is Alice for her pretty girlishness. She is magnetic and did finely at the Square. The record of the Lloyds to date in point of merit and public appreciation now stands Alice, Marie, Daisy and Rosie. Sime. "The Van Dyck." 19 Mina.; Full Stage (Special Interior Set). Colonial. This is the sketch first shown on this side by Arnold Daly during his short career as actor-manager at the Berkeley Lyceum last season. From its reception at the Colonial this week its adaptability to vaudeville is established. In the early passages the Cblonial audience was rather inclined to be bored by the long speeches, but when the action approached its cli- max they awoke to the melodramatic pos- sibilities of the situation, and finally laughed at the deft sleight-of-hand that suddenly turned impending tragedy to farce-comedy. Some of its humor is deep and elusive. The story is something like this: John Peters, who occupies a lux- urious bachelor apartment, imagines him- self a musical genius. He composes a little and plays upon piano and violin to the great discomfiture of his neighbors. To his rooms there comes an imposing gen- tleman, announcing himself as an adjoin- ing tenant, who has enjoyed his musical efforts intensely. Also the visitor claims fellowship with the near-musician and art connoisseur, having himself, as he explains, the "artistic temperament." Peters falls a ready victim to the visitor's praise of his musical accomplishments, and readily con- sents to become his confidant. The visitor thereupon pours forth a blood-curdling tale of murder and horror and discloses that he is a madman. With his life threatened the easy Peters calls for help. Enter a professional-looking person ac- companied by three husky assistants. "I am Doctor Powers," he announces quietly. "Your visitor is a madman who has escaped from my sanitarium. If you will retire we will remove him." The attendants seize the visitor and a struggle ensues during which Peters goes into an adjoining room. The key is turned in the door and the insane visitor calmly shakes off his cap- tors and stands forth with surprising sud- denness as a "Rattles." "Get to work, boys," he directs the doctor and his at- tendants, and under his superintendence the gang of robbers (as they turn out to be) strips the apartment. The exposure of the supposed insane man's motive comes as an almost stunning surprise, for he had worked up a really intense dra- matic situation. Therein lies the value of the sketch, for the element of surprise is the thing that gives it life. The early part fairly bristles with humorous points, but there is a question whether the big mass of vaudeville audiences will appreci- ate the finer points of unobtrusive char- acter drawing. Certainly the Colonial audience gave no visible or audible evi- dence of finding any point in the sketch until it reached its denouement. Then they laughed as much in amusement at themselves for being hoodwinked as at the humor of the playlet. The sketch is bound to cause talk, and that is enough to make its success certain. Harrison Hunter, as the "insane" visitor played the part with the utmost reserve, but managed to give It force and distinction. Altogether, the introduction of the piece is an interesting experiment. Rush. John T. Kelly and Company. -One Boat Bat* (Comedy Melodrama). aa Mina.; Fill Stage. Keeney's. "One Beat Bet* John T. Kelly's latest vaudeville offering, is one of those things that juat hangs on the edge. It ia al- most but not quite. The sketch has a melodramatic turn but in the main has been designed for the funnimenta of Mr. Kelly. The designer's name ia not given, but whoever it was haa not been success- ful in his designs. There is only one opportunity for comedy of the Kelly brand. This is an incident with a cook stove which the comedian makes very funny. Otherwise it is talk and not of a particularly bright brand. Daniel OTtouke (John T. Kelly), a bookmaker, has been married but a week to a former chorus girl (Paulina Palmer). The wife receives a letter from a former sweet- heart, Ben Barker (Harry English), who has become a race-track tout and general all-around crook, stating he haa heard of her marriage and will be in to see her that evening. He arrives in due time and forces the wife to tell CRouke that he is her erring brother. Later CRouke finds the letter and believing his wife to be in the plot, calls all marriage tiea off. He lies in wait for the "brother," who returns in the night with another crook (Nelson O'Brien) to rob the house. CRouke overhears enough of the burglars' conversation to acquit his wife of all blame. He puts the robbers to flight and a reconciliation follows. The "crook" character is too severely drawn to do the playlet any good. Mr. English did aa well aa could be expected with the role. Miss Palmer looked well and played evenly until she waa forced to something weightier than "feeding" CRouke. Then she became unconvincing. The sketch will probably pass as it stands but judicious repairing would improve it. Dash, Early and Late. 1 Songs and Talk. 1 xx Mins.; One. "New Century Girls." "Well, forevermore!" That is the new catch expression Early and Late are in- troducing to New York. After each joke or "gag" one says "Well, forevermore t" The members of the team are called John W. Early and Pearl M. Late. They make no comicalities over their title. As a mat- ter of fact, in their songs and talk they are both early and late. Some of the talk is remindful of Filson and Erroll in the days when that dandy sketch team had family quarrels on the stage. Con- siderable of the dialogue is new, and all of the songs are. One, a composite on different mixed drinks, is away from everything of its kind, while Miss Late in a "drunk" number is delicious. The pair win out easily with the "New Century Girls," and they do so strictly upon their merits. Both have good singing voices. It is understood this is their first appear- ance East. It seems funny they haven't been around in vaudeville before. "Well, forevermore I '' Sime. Vesta Til ley will not play over here this season. Percy G. Williams held first call on the male impersonator's services in America, but her foreign engagements could not be postponed.