Variety (January 1910)

30 vAftltitV REPRESENTATIVE ARTISTS REPRESENTATIVE ARTISTS 1909-10 WE5TERN SEASON DIRECTIONX^cQ^ PAT CASEY THE OAKLAND "TRIBUNE." "There certainly is magic In the name of Alice Lloyd, for the little English moeic hail queen again drew reoord-amaahiag crowds to the Oakland box office yesterday and It was perfectly eatty to see that Misa Lloyd was the magnet. « "Ever since she opened at the big theatre on Twelfth street the town baa fairly bussed with gossip and talk of her per- formance. "8even days passed by and then it was proved that Oakland is very ranch more than a one-night stand, for the people con* tinned to flock to Alioe Lloyd'a headquarten at the Orpheum and to buy seats so fax in advance that the coming week ia ex GREATEST VAUDEVILLE HIT li pected to be quite as remarkable view as was last week." V YEARS; VIDE from a box office point of JAM. 31, ORPHEUM, LOS ANGELES BAM FRANCI8CO "CHRONICLE." CROWDS FLOCK TO HEAR ALIOS LLOYD. "Oakland, January 10.—There certainly must be magic In the name of Alice Lloyd, judging by the way In which the crowds flock to the Orpheum day after day sad might after night, Just to Aear the little music hall favorite. Many reasons are given for Miss Lloyd's popularity. "Not the leant of her attractions la that she Is a decidedly pretty woman, with a gift for chic dressing. Today, for in- BILLS, FRISCO stance, she aang seven new songs, each of whioh required an entire change of costume. The songs and costumes proved quite as popular as those of last week, and the little comedienne's popularity remained unabated." OAKLAND "ENQUIRER." "Alice Lloyd, from dear old Lunnon, la at the Orpheum again this week, and the little lady continues to please immensely, There are a number of new acts Introduced, but Alioe does not have to take second place to asy of the newcomers. Mist* Lloyd pings seven new songs, each one decidedly olever, and she managf s to And use for as many dresses during the forty minutes she is on the stage." TRAVEl-fEB. **, SALT LAKE OITY DIDN'T KNOCK THEM OFF THE SEATS AT THE AMERICAN BUT OH, YOU i WEEK JAN. 31, FULTON, BROOKLYN rs/i Moore, of the Irving F. Moor* Amusement Co., is general manager for the syndicate. The acts for the syndicate's houses will naturally be booked through* Mr. Moore's offices. The syndi- cate has leased s site for a theatre on the south- west corner of Dartmouth street and Columbus avenue. South end. The present building will be remodeled st sn outlay of $60,000, giving * theatre to seat 2;000 people with main entrance on the south side of Dartmouth street and exits on all four sides. Plans are being drswn for the remodelling now end the new house should be open by April. It is planned to make this theatre quite pretentious. PmUADELrPHIA By GEOmOE M. TOT/MO. KEITH'S (H. T. Jordan, mgr.; agent, TJ. B. O.).—Tempered in treatment and shorn of much of its glare in many places, "The Belle of the Boulevards," with Valesks Suratt featured, In no wise shocked the moral sensibilities of tbe staid clientele which patronises vaudeville In Chestnut Street, but tbe Frencby sketch which Psul M. Potter has furnished Miss Sarstt gave the latter every opportunity. Iu her new offering Miss 8uratt makes s stage picture In several rich and unique gowns which muat certainly have Its effect upon those Is front. Surrounding the hesdllner were several good nambers which brought the entire show up to s high average. Jease Lasky'a Imperial Musicians offered a nicely dressed mu- sical act with some fairly pleasing Instrumental bits. Tbe opening is poor, though the man who sings has a pleasing voice. From the appearance of the musicians the act tskes up speed snd re- tains It, with a descriptive piece which wins all the honors. The finish In "one" is also In need of improvement. Paul Le Croix took down a big share of the laurels with his Juggling. He baa worked up some "new stuff" wltb the hnts Just as big a bit for blm as the "bounding hst" trick. Raymond and Caverly have also framed up some new material, getting It stsrted In rather odd Style snd holding up the latter end with some parodies. Their act was very well liked. Henri French did nicely early and Harry Breen carried tbe pace at a faster clip, after the audience finally tumbled to what he wbb trying to do. Tbe ex- temporaneous matter for tbe finish took him through a-flying. Mr. nnd Mrs. Mark Murphy won Jnst as many laughs as they ever did. "Clancy's Ohoat" la new here and it made n very firm 1m- preaslon. the little bit of slnglnjr and stepping putting a good finish to It. The Dixie Serenaders started off In good shape with some singing snd dsnclng and then faded awsy with their minstrel stuff. Hersog's stsUlooa fitted In the closing posi- tion Jnst right snd the set held the bouse sested right up to the finish—s hard task here with s Monday audience. The horse set Is well up in the highest clsss. VICTORIA (Jsy Msstbsum, mgr.; sgent, M. P. C. O. A.).—No set stood out strongly for chief honors this week, though the entire bill reached n pleasing average. The hsnd-bslsnctng act of the Krretto Brothers gained considerable spplsuse. Barnetl with a black art musical act was well liked. Ward and Lynch put over some laughs with their cross-fire talk. Lillian Wright and the Young Brothers won favor wltb a dancing number which featured Al. White's handiwork. It follows too closely other acts of lta kind and tbe singing Is poor. Maud De Lora offered a nest looking con- tortion act of light merit. She needs to work out something novel to get far with her ability. Young and West did fairly well with dancing and talking. Sam Golden did nicely with hla char- acter work, and tbe Merry Michaels, added on Tuesday, filled out tbe bill. Pictures. PALACE (W. Barrltt. mgr.; agent, M. P. C. O. A.).—Felton; J. Yarrlck; Henry Brothers; Stewart Sisters; Moran and Tingley; Tbe Bel- monta; Bell and Richards; Braddock and Leigh- ton. Pictures. BIJOU (O. M. Ballauf, mgr.).—If Billy B. Watson can dodge tbe government beef trust In- spection which started this week, he will very likely finish the season with a record for carry- ing the biggest burlesque show touring the coun- try. Watson and his "Beef Trust" Burlesquera made their Initial showing of the season here, and started things. It looked like a riot st the Bijou on Monday afternoon. Prices were boosted for several rows of orchestra seats, but this did not stop tbe rush to see the free exhibition of tbe biggest collection of burlesquers In captivity. There are women and women, tons of them, Just how many. Watson himself does not care to say. except that he Is breaking all records for site and escaping excels baggage charges. And maybe Billy doea not know bow to show off his display. The show must have been framed np specially for this result, and lands a hit .at both ends. The bunch of women is the first thing that greets tbe eye wben the curtain goes up, snd the last that Is seen while the orchestra la playing the exit number. If any producer can figure out a better way to show off a collection of women thnn Watson ban In standing them In a double row, the biggest of them having the top line, dressed In a showy costume, wltb tbe pink tights trade mark featured, it la yet to be seen along this wsy. The featuring of big women has been psssed up long sgo by other burlesque managers and producers, but it la atlll Watson's trade mark, and be has never staged s better looking chorus of women then be bss with him this yesr. Tbe wonder is that Billy does not keep them on view longer, for they are esrnlng their money easier this season than ever before. This prob- ably accounts for the spreading of two or three In tbe line who are remembered from last see- boo, wben tbey were not so rotund. No one will ever recommend tbe Watson troupe for lta ga- selle-llke -prancing or tbe sylphlike shapeliness of Its chorus, but the Watson heavywelgbta have a whole lot on a lot of other choruses, and, and it goes many ways. There are other fea- tures with the show beside the women. There Is Watson himself. There Is no need to lay atresa on tbe "original" line which seems to be used ss a means of Identity. There la no other come- dian In or out of burlesque Just like Billy B. Watson. Take the material Watson Is using this season. It has been done over and over again, and It embodies comedy methods which range from the quietest sort of crossfire dialog to al- most tbe extreme of slapstick and double-mean- ing talk and business. Tet In Watson's banda It is funny. In another's It would not be. Wat- son can get more out of tbla sort of work with less effort than any comedian in the business. Tbe contrast is shown In his own show, where Lew Reynolds works twice as hard, reaches Just as far with hla rough work as does Watson, and there are no results. Watson has bad better shows than the one he Is giving this season, but he never secured more laughs. Tbe flrat part, "Miss (Mover," Is kept moving at a lively pace by the Interpolation of musical numbers and only drags at one point, where too much time Is given to a burlesque poker game. A cut of several minute* would not hurt it, would quicken the action and the same results could be gained. George L. Dorsey. the "straight" acts, with the others In feeding Watson, the latter taking care of the comedy at all times, except when be gives Reynolds a chance. The show Is well sup- plied with women principals in Alice Gilbert, Ida Walling. Llsette Howe and May Wentwortb. Miss Gilbert Is looking better than ever, and though she Is In the background wltb the others much of the rime on account of the prominence of the men, she adds something each time she is on. Miss Howe Is also doing unusually well, though handicapped by a, severe cold. She car- ries Watson along in first rate style In the second part of the show. Miss Walling and Miss Went- wortb add a liberal share st Intervals, the latter putting over one of tbe beat liked numbers, which she sings well. Frankle Weston secures some at- tention in both pieces In "kid" psrts. tsklng s long chance in the opener with a diaplay of bare shins. One or two of tbe others get a chance to stand out In front and there Is the "Allover Sextet," which almost stsmpeded tbe house when tbey led s number. There sre seversl ensembles which hsve been put on nicely, snd the stsge full of women, well, though not elaborately dressed, does the rest. There Is only one spe- cialty, thst by the Bijou Comedy Four, and It serves well enough In tbe spot allotted. There la a long space devoted to dialog In # the bur- lesque, which might be shortened, for the show ran over two snd one-half hours. Some of this time might be given over to a number or per- haps two, but Watson probably figured on playing up to that one big display at tbe finish. And it Is almost worth It. There are two features that will hold up Watson's show—Billy himself and his famous "Beef Trust" display. It's a great combination. WILLIAM PBNN (Geo. Metsel, mgr.; agentr direct).—Sevengala, headlined. Others: Juggling Marvos, Bertie Fowler, Yalto Dno, Hallen and Hayes, Havlland's "Merry Youngsters." Pictures. LIBERTY (M. W. Taylor, mgr.; agent, Taylor A Kaufman).—Ader Trio, Fields and Hanson, Ar- nold and Felix, M. and L. Davis, Lady Carmen. Pictures. PARK (F. G. Nlxon-Nlrdllnger, mgr.; agent direct).—Three Wallaces, George Barren, the Watsons, Gertrude Griffith and Co., II. V. Fits- gerald. Pictures. PEOPLE'S (F. G. Nlxon-Nlrdllnger, mgr.; agent direct).—Corl>ett and Forrester, ..Thatcher and Adams, Dennette Sisters. E. and L. Williams, Emanuel Turner and Co. Pictures. PLAZA (Frank Migone, mgr.; agent, Taylor aV Kaufman).—Dunbar's Goats, Herald 8quare Quar- tet, Daly Brothers, Hevener and Clark. Louis Granat. Pictures. COLONIAL (Taylor A Kaufman, agents).—Four Gardners, De Homan Troupe, Til ton and Lewis, Gussle Flamme, Verity. Pictures. FOREPAI'GII'S (Miller A Kaufman, mgrs.: agent, Taylor A Kaufman).—Wlllard's Temple of Mnslc, Robinson Trio, Keeley and Parks, Helen Stuart. Pictures. FRANKLIN (Welnstein A La bell, nigra,; agent. Taylor A Kaufman).—The Malcolms. Rodway and 1 Bartell. Al and Llla Sharpe, Ida Jewel. Pictures. EMPIRE (Sandford A Western, mgrs.; agent. Taylor A Kaufman).—Adgl's Lions. Davis' Im- perial Trio. Levis and Lloyd, Kit Carson. Pictures. When answering advertisements Icindly mention Variety.