Variety (January 1910)

VARIETY 25 • "Keep Your Eye on Jack McGreevy, for hell be. or ought to be, a headliner hereafter."—0. L. HALL in CHICAGO "JOURNAL." MOST REMARKABLE SUCCESS IN THE HISTORY OF CHICAGO VAUDEVILLE! FIRST TIME IN THE HISTORY OF THE MAJESTIC THEATRE THAT AN ACT HAS BEEN HELD OVER FOR A SECOND WEEK WHEN ORIGINAL CONTRACTS READ FOR A SINGLE WEEK. MRS. JACK McGREEVY i »> On week of Dec. 20, at 2:0.1 and 8:01, O. L Hall, of tbe Chicago "Journal." of Dec. 21, waa "hep." He said: "Vaudeville that approaches perfection 1 Ih tbe Chriatmaa treat provided at the Majestic. A boat of notable* of the variety stage offer thla week one pf tbe most costly, moat finely varied and most admirably balanced bills ever given at tbe beautiful Monroe Street theater. . . . The program la ornamented by several names famous In vaudeville and by at least ONB OTHER THAT THREATENS TO BECOME FAMOU8. Cresay and Dayne, Eddie Leonard, Edna Aug, Fred Om ttmmd^w mM *7, /<■ tmmth omhtm f • f If* pft til* xttm Walton, Mildred Morris and the Russell Brothers are the better known p erfor mers, but keep your eye on Jack McUreevy, for be'11 be, or ought to be, a HEADLINER HEREAFTER. . . . McGreevy. making bis bow as a gabby old country fiddler, made tbe most decided Individual bit with tbe audience made by anyone on tbe bill yesterday afternoon. He fiddled and danced and talked a lot of nonsense sprinkled with wisdom. His Impersonation was fairly true to life. He wasn't s stage bayaeed; he was a worn but wise old man from tbe farm. Mrs. McOreevy, playing aa a country girl, aided in tbe act." i j f tn mm B. Olovmr W. J. Tlmlnons, who has been managing the Pantages Theatre In Denver since last August, passed through this city lsst week on his way north to resume tbe management of the Tacoma Pantages house. Nina Neater, wrist sprained; Lawrence Deaa, hand cut; Ella Deaa, arm wrenched; Harry Reed, leg Injured, were the casualties sustained by members of last week's Pantages' bill. Traveling on train No. 8 and stalled at Winona, near Flag- staff. Arts., the "Limited" following, collided with the rear end of No. 8. PniL.ADBL.PIHA BT OXOBOB M. TOUBO. KEITH'S (H. T. Jordan, mgr.; agent, U. B. O.).—Well balanced and entertaining from atart to finish wss this week's bill with several acts seen here for the first time adding novelty. Chevalier, held over, changed hla repertoire and won additional honors. The big laughing hit was scored by the Fsrrel-Taylor Trio In tbelr minstrel sketch. A lot of the talk la fresh since tbe last visit, snd tbey have coined one or two gems for laugh-getters, while tbe cos- tumes worn by Miss Davenport caused many to gaap. Tbe trio put over one of tbe biggest hits registered here In some time. Michael E. Fits- gerald and "Eight English Club Jugglers" won plenty of favor for tbe novelty of the act. The eight girls make a very neat appearance In the white suits and handle the simple routine of tricks cleverly. With development which should come later this act should go big any place. An- other new act for here was offered by Maud and Gladys Finney, "The Mermaids." The girls are doing tbe act shown previously by a sister and father, and It is one of the prettiest natatorial offerings ever given to vaudeville. The reserve nnd daintiness of the two girl swimmers, who are beautifully formed, adds a lot to the act. Leo Carlllo was not placed to advantage, but he did finely with his nicely told stories and mimicry. Carlllo has the advantage of being away from other monologlsts, and he knows how to entertain a classy audience. Countess Rossi and I'aulo met with fair success In their •ringing numlier. The man Is missing a lot In working from a Iwu by overdoing the thing- Cooper and Robinson, colored, put over their us- ual well-liked singing and dancing. It was rather difficult for Robinson to follow Tom Carter of the Farrell-Taylor Trio, both doing a lot of "eeph- Ing." but Robinson manuged to get his share. The show was well taken care of at both ends, Hastings and Wilson giving It a fine start with their ncrobatlrs nnd corking loose dancing, while the Flying BanvHrds with one of the most at- tractive bar nets In vaudeville added a fine finish. The women In this act are pretty heavy, espe- cially the "flyer." but the act Is nicely framed up. and the bit of clowning helps It considerably. WILLIAM I'ENN (George Metsel, mgr.; agent. I. B. A.).—The Sterlings. Harry Botter and Co., Pour Sullivan Brothers, Max York's Dogs. War- ren and Goodwin. Eccentric Four, Four Sanders. Pictures. VICTORIA (Jay Mastbaum. mgr.; agent. M. P. C O. A.).—Meltityre and Franklin Twins, Pa ero Trio. Frederick Trio; I^Rue and Mazatte, arry Bloom. Imperial Female Minstrels, Lem- ■sJs and Lemuels. One act out, delayed by rm. Pictures. PALACE (I. Schwartz, mgr.; agent, M. P. C- <). A.).—Heltman. Lane and Boyer, Herbert Boyer. McAvoy nnd Brooks, Reese Brothers. Charles Dayton. Clarlntcx Co. (12), Copeland and Phillips. Will Oraccy. Rosaley Sisters. Pictures. PARK (Fred G. Nixnn-Nlrdllnger. mgr.; agent, I. B. A.).—Wormwood's Bears, Dunbar's Goats. Belle Gordon and A. II. Barber, Maxwell and Dudley, Ixiln mid Laird, Hood and Johnson. Pictures. PEOPLE'S (Fred G. Nixon Nlrdllngcr. mgr.; agent. I. B. A J.—Powers' Elephants. Erlau Wil- cox and Co., Marlon Gllmore, W. B. Burt and Co., Caroline Pullman. Hart and Manning. Plc- LIBERTY (M. W. Taylor, mgr.: agent. Taylor * Kaufman).—White's Mule Circus. Electropose. The Brahams, Ranzetta and La Rue. Margaret Arnold. Pictures. PLAZA (Frank Mlgone. mgr.; agent. Taylor & Kanfman).—Regal Trio, Harman Trio. Rusch- llngs. De Blaker's Animals, Fisher and Fisher. Pictures. FOREPACGH'S (Miller & Kaufman, nigra.; agent, Taylor & Kaufman).—Bosanquet. Sugl- moto Japs (0). Henever and Clark, Irtnlnle Stu- art. Pictures. COLONIAL (Frank Wolf, mgr.; agent. Taylor * Kaufman).—Momo's Arabs, Murray and Burns, Haslam, Lillian Herbert. Pictures. MANHE1M (Fubxman Broe., mgrs.; agent, Taylor & Kaufman).—Adair and Donn, Col ton and Darrow, White and Sanford, Billy and Maude Keller. Pictures. EMPIRE (Bandford & Western, mgrs.; agent, Taylor 6 Kaufman).—De Eapa Troupe, Allen and Baker, White and Sandford, Lila and A. Bhaape. Pictures. BIJOU (O. M. Ballauf. mgr.).—A good laughing, snappy ahow was given by the "Moulin Rooge Burlesquers." The laughs ran pretty well through with a plentiful aupply of mualcal numbers nod sn olio above tbe average which formed a earn- blnstion placing thla ahow well up In the ranks of the best seen here tils season. Most of the comedy Is supplied by Joe Emerson, who adopta the atyle of tramp given to burlesque several yeara ago by Harry Watson of Blckel and Watson. Emerson la a comedian who knows how and does get results snd when this Is credited to him It Is hard to understand why he resorts to the roughest sort of methods to further his comedy. Several blta of business in wblch he Indulged, two with one of the women in the show, were pretty near the limit. Emerson makes s mistake in going thla far. Murray J. Simons la Emerson's best support in furnishing comedy, the pair keeping the pace up to the finish. Simons exaggerates the Hebrew character in tbe first part but playa quiet)*/ and in better form in the burlesque, when the results are more satisfactory. Frank Dobson adda hla best In the burlesque. Harry A. Henshaw does well enough with the straight In tbe opening snd plays a small bit In tbe burlesque. Arthur Put- man, Joe Brown, Frank Prevost snd Oscar Kauf- man all have bits, giving tbem aa good treatment as tbey deserve. The show is well supplied with principal women who get to tbe front at intervale without causing any particular notice until Julia Sinclair stands out rather prominently in tights In tbe burlesque. Julia has been caught doing pretty nearly everything In tbe Btxenuous line from diving Into the orchestra drum to allowing herself to be bitten by a nearly wild snake, but in this show Julia is cheating because of circumstances. She has fallen for the "Apache" thing, though shes calls it "Dramatlque." It holds a story of a girl from the under world wbo reforms, returns to look over her old haunts, meets an old lover mill Is finally rescued by her husband. During tbe action Julia pulls a dance, not tbe kind she is used to, and of course does not get very far with It. Probably where It is allowed she does s "cooch." and this ought to do a lot for the sketch, for Julia has a reputation as a "coocher." Prior to her sketch Julia steals a number with a few steps with Emerson and later In tbe show gets close to a wiggle, but never does. It must be hard for her to work under a ban, and It was Just a bit dlsapjKiliitlng to the crowded house. Marie Fisher Is given the mowt to do. among the other women, and she works earnestly leading several numbers In good style. Miss Fisher has a too vigorous way of waving her arms while delivering lines and might lose one of them some day. Cherry Bonner Is also a principal, but aside from Indulg- ing in a bit of bad business with Emerson does nothing that will cause talk. Rose Bender and Victoria Sawtelle aro the other two, and they, with the first three mentioned, form a quintet whose chief weakness Is that they form a voiceless quintet, so far as singing goe*». "A Night at the Moulin Rouge" and "O'Fellow and Desdemona" are first part and burlesque. Nothing particularly new Is shown In either, though the latter might be drilled Into a much better piece. During the action the burlesque tioxlng bout lifted invllly from "The Follies" Is used and so well handled that It registered a riot, though more unclean comedy methods were resorted to. Aside from cleaning up the comedy, the same might I* done with the costuming. There Is plenty of variety In them, but nothing Is worn that will win much for the management on Its outfit. It Is difficult to distinguish ihe principal men from those who appear as waiters In the first part, for the former wear white ties ami vests with their Tuxedo coats. Tbey did not wear opera hats. Frank Dobson opened the olio In fair style with some singing, talking and a lilt of loose stepping. Kaufman and Sawtelle registered strongly with a musical sketch. Marie Fisher. Cherry Banner and Murray Simons mixed up a lot of slngl'ig and dancing and were well received. Then Prevost and Brown put a good finish with some corking acrobatics, the stalling In "one" hurting It some. "The Moulin Rouge Burlesquers" is a funny show that ought to please any audlenc* . Many laughs came with the rough work, but without It the show would still be funny. A crowded house Tuesday found plenty to please from start to finish. ST. LOUIS BT FRAJTX X. AJTFKVQXR. COLUMBIA (Frank Tate, mgr.; agent, Orpheum Circuit).— Wheelock and Hay, Joe Carroll, Hayes snd Johnson, Emily Erlckson, Greene and Co., Olllvottl Troubadours, "Country Club," Warren and Blanchard, Seven Bonhalra. GRAND (Charlea Wallace, mgr.; agent, Orpheum Circuit). —Eddie Leonard and Co.. Frederick Miller, Mur- ray Bennett; Middleton, Spellmeyer and Co., Com Simpson, The Rackstts, Ferrel Brothers.—— STANDARD (Leo Retcbenhack, mgr.).—Pat White and Hla "Gaiety Girls." testing capacity. P at to funnier and more popular than ever.——-GAIETY (O. T. Crawford, mgr.).—Reeves' Beauty Show and two big houses. ("Give the home town boy credit.") NOTES.—James Jeffries was not al- lowed to put the gloves on snd spar with Sam Berger at tbe Coliseum Christmas night, the police confining tbe ahow to a physical culture exhibi- tion.—Leora Spellmeyer. of Middleton, Spellmeyer and Co., at the Grand tbla week, la a well-known St. Loulaan and a favorite here.—William Hodge, by Invitation, spoke from the pulpit of a local church Sunday, defending the stage, attacked by several ministers here. A dosen sermons, all scor- ing the theatre, will be delivered almultaneoualy at as many churches Jsn. 16.—Msdellne Louise, leading woman in "The Man from Home," la a St. Loulsan.—Of course "Tbe Girl from Rector'a" prospered last week after tbe Poat-Dlspatch In a column on the first page said It "reeked of the Tenderloin."— The Oarrlck celebrated lta fifth an- niversary Sunday night. FRANK B. ANFBNGBR. A very Happy New Tear to my friends. a All the pantomimes will be In Melbourne tbla year. There are no Sydney houses svsllsble. Sydney will see two companlee over at Baater. Larry Moulton, borlaontal bsr performer, died in Brisbane last week from pothlsls. He waa one of the moat graceful acrobats In the profession, and had worked In America for many yeara (with Barnnm 6 Bailey). A big coal atrlke at present. Very poor outlook far Xmas. Hassan, a young Indian conjurer, la making a notes st Sydney Tlvoll. Hassan la only 25, and with a little polish may frame up an offering equal to some of tbe best. Msny of his tricks were never seen here before. The conjurer may try for American bookloga early In 1910. A conference of several manager a will be held thla evening In order to secure an all-round sup- port for the Australian Vaudeville Bureau In form ing a circuit for playing the acta. There Is every probability of tbe circuit being In good running order by March. Tbe features for Williamson's pantomime at Christmas will be Morris and Wilson, Price and Revost (one of tbe many coplea), and Hassan, the donkey man. Walter Stanton, tbe "giant rooa ter," will finish bis engagement with the firm thla month, and will reat in Sydney for a while. AUSTRALIA By MARTIN C. BRENNAN. Sydney. Nov. 21. TIVOLI (Sydney).— Madam De IMo, Parisian dancer, Instantaneous success with effects. All others holdovers. NATIONAL AMPHITHEATRE.—Very strong bill, but new faces are sadly needed. Deaves* Mannlklns will reappear next Saturday. This American act has been playing Australia for six mouths and doing well. OPERA HOUSE (Melbourne).—Jennie Athmore drey. "Salome" dancer; Blake and Oranhy, Win- ston's Seals, Franco riper, and holdovers. Tbe English contingent for the William Andsr son panto arc on tbelr way across. Tbey comprise Foreman and Fannan, big favorltea bere some years ago; Lily lea, and Nat Clifford. The latter will probably settle in Australia. John Fuller was in town during the week book Ing acts for the circuit wblch opena tbla month. The firm are doing, big with the picture house, but are going to give vaudeville another trial. I.ex McLean, a Scot "strong man." will prob ably leave for the States within the next month or so. I>ex adds a physical culture lecture In braw Scot, ye ken, as well as a mystery or two to tbe act. NOTICE TO ADVERTISERS To be certain of changes in standing advertisements as ordered, all cor- rections should be in the New York office of VARIETY by WEDNESDAY at noon. Standing advertisements are subject to change in whole or in part weekly. GAIETY (MelUmrne).—Nothing of Importance. Big change Is expected for Christmas. Nov. 8. TIVOl.I. Trapnell Sisters. topllners. Fred Outrun, quaint parodist, reappeared after a three years' absence, to big applause. Dolly Harmer, cheerful personality, also a newcomer. Bertha Stuart. Scottish character vocalist, not meeting with much enthusiasm. Her brief Melbourne sea- son was very successful. One of the features of last week's 1*111 was a burlesque on the "Salome" dance. In It Comedian Fred Bluett made an em- phatic hit. This Is the second time only for sev- eral years that burlesque has lieen put on, and this success will urge Bluett to further efforts. Also on the bill are Two Bells. Irving Sayles, Clarence Tlsdale. Guest and Newlyn and several more. NATIONAL—Willis, ventriloquist, newcomer, also the Cnrlyons, dancers; Jack Kearns, Harry Lawson, American club swinger; Dalavalc and Gilbert, flue comedians; Deno and Campbell, Denis Carney. Jo" Box ami George Dean. STANDARD.—Harry Leston. old-time actor and dramatic tutor, featured. Performance, though possessing much unrlt. Is above the audience. Others me Martin Sisters, Brattle McDonald, Jim Marlon. Arthur Tauchert. Corrle and Jones and Clara Kent Ing. OFF. It A HOFSF r Mellsini ne■».—Captain Win- ston's Seals and Franco I'lper. baujolst, I lie run wtellat ions. Both nets goliiL' Immense. Gwcnnic llasto is another r> freshing < in umstance. OAII'TY ( Mi-Hummel.--- Dc:t\.-s' Mannlklns (re- appearance) the large Item. Also Drlscoll Hoys, Two Rosebud*. Con Moreni. drey Foster and the ItangjT Glrl«. At Brisbane and Newcastle big hii»lnesM re- port ed. Many thanks to those many corres|>ondents who notified of Dun Malumley's whereabouts. Com mimical Ion Is now being established with his friends. MellKinrne A. V. A. are evidently determined lo make things sultry for their Sydney brethren. The Southern branch Is anxious to control Sydney, and for this reason passed a drastic resolution that all Sydney members were debarred from using tbe Melbourne rooms unless they paid their entrance fee (practically meant forcing them to Join the branch). As the Sydney members assisted in tbe sup|Mirt of these rooms, by the contributions to tbe billiard tables, etc.. the resolution appears to be a poor move There Is every possibility of this new rule being .■nii.iiMed. as It was not passed p|o|HTly. Y<»l V I: <» i Solium i \ i l>\ . ■■.••■■' I!- iiii-ra Id; b:iU'L'M'j'' ' ATLANTIC CITY. N. J. . ;s I'll;!! i I'.en Harris Show; agent. I". M.il.i : Mite and Mike Dunlin. Amelia lb-. Richards and Montrose, Arthur Rig |. - Joe Cook and Co., Grey and Peters, i NOTFS.— The storm delayed the .1 all shows. Young's I'ler did not open M ■ l;i\ a ft ■Tie HI. but opened ut night. BALTIMORE. MARYLAND (Fre*l. Schannhcrger, mgr.; agent. I it. o.i Dazlc, wonderful dancer, big reception; Ta-maulaii-Ynndcliiinn Troupe, acrobats, very good; I n'l-lir Cliff, exce'lent; Sully Familv. amused; Ma In! Wayne, songstress, scored; Imro Fox, comedy magician, amused. Mclntyre and Groves, good talk Ing skit; Ioleen Slaters, markswomen and wire walkers, well liked. WILSON (Joe Dllon, mi;r.;