Variety (November 1911)

VARIETY at THE QUAKER GIRL "The Quaker Girl" is doing busi- dom at the Park theatre, formerly the Majestic. The house is located at the 69th street Circle, just about eleven blocks too far uptown for Henry B. Harris' newest show to pull the cap- acity attendance nightly the notices given it by the New York critics en- title the attraction to. And then alBo the old Majestic must be forgotten as the home of cheap vaudeville and cheaper moving pictures, (also a stopping-off place for colored shows) before the Park can stand straight up as a regular theatre once more. Frank McKee and William Harris came into possession of the house Oct. 1. Mr. Harris brought his show there Oct. 23. By the time "The Quaker Girl" leaves, all the memories in connection with the theatre under other managements will have faded. For "The Quaker Girl" is in for a run. While not a great show, as a musi- cal comedy, it's a clean cut perform- ance, handsomely set, well dressed, melodious, with pretty dancing and good comedy. That's enough to make it "great," but the players and the play Just miss that term. Whether it is because of the players or the piece, personal opinion must decide. The show is English, with book by James T. Tanner, music by Lionel Monckton; lyrics, Adrian Ross, and staged by J. A. E. Malone. In addition to that quintet of play- makers,'due credit should go to Clif- ton Crawford, who is the principal man among the men. Mr. Crawford has Interpolated dialog and "busi- ness" as well as a couple of songs. In one of the latter, "Something to Tell," Mr. Crawford pulls up but little short of his former vaudeville mono- log. Speaking of vaudeville, there are others in the cast with an experience in the twice daily. There is Ina Claire, who debuted upon the stage two and one half years ago, as a "single" in vaudeville. The New York reviewers raved ov- er Miss Claire as the Quaker girl. They compared her with Edna May, mentioned she made the part as prob- ably no one else would have, and otherwise spilled comment that might well upset a young woman of but nineteen, who is suddenly lifted to prominence in theatredom. Let it be hoped that Miss Claire in her raptures of Joy and bewilder- ment upon reading the reviews al- lowed a wish to come forth that some of those middle-western vaudeville managers who canceled her as a "single" might also read. But with Ina Claire, those managers came an awful cropper, not alone in the middle-west either. In "The Quaker Girl," as the Quaker girl, with her songs, dances, acting, and looks, Miss Claire puts it all over that Other graduate from the imitation class, Elsie Janis. In "A Dancing Lesson," one of the numbers, Mr. Crawford and Miss Claire score the hit of the piece. Other catchy songs were "Come to the Ball," sung by Lawrence Res, "Barbizon" (by a quintet from the chorus) and "Tony, From America," a solo for Miss Claire in the final scene. The out and out comedian of the show is Percival Knight, playing a Quaker boy who strayed from the path of ' Quakerish righteousness through his mother, only, having been of the persuasion, and the hereditary traits of his father always securing the upper hand when ever a skirt or a drink hove in sight. For this the Quaker boy was banished from the quaint and extremely well staged little English village seen in the first act. With him went the Quaker girl, who was caught by the other Quakers in the act of tasting liquor with the foreign group of visitors. They all passed on to Paris, where the story takes hold in a dramatic way at a dressmaker's establishment, and then on to a ball at the Pre Cata- lan, (In the Parisian suburbs) the same evening. Mr. Knight did very well, in a role that called for "straight" comedy pretty nearly all the time; Miss Vokes was her usual "slavey," with a song and dance, and Mr. Rea, nearly the villian, sang nicely the "Ball" song, which is a popular possibility among the ballads of this year. Among the others were Nellie Mc Henry, Daphne Glenn as the Princess with a couple of songs, Masie Gay, the Paris dressmaker (and quite a comedienne herself, one well worth keeping track of) besides Arthur Klein, who as the Police Chief was not always gaited the same, but still hung onto a ferocious glare. Then there was Olga Petrova, the villianess, a French actress on the program, who looked real Suratty in her gowns, but was so woe- fully serious she did not even secure a chance to give her English-made- famous impersonation of Mme. Jane Ha-ding. Otherwise Petrova has a role that doesn't start until about 9:40, which isn't so bad. There are many choristers, male and female, about twenty or more of each sex. They have been well hand- led, and taught how to wear clothes, either in this production or some other. In the entire cast however a girl playing a minor part, Viola Clark (as the dressmaker's assistant) seems to own the most personality. Miss Clark Is very likable, and could easily un- derstudy the title role. Neither Mr. Crawford nor Miss Claire is showing anything they have not evidenced themselves as capable of doing by past performances, ex- cepting Miss Claire seems to take her first serious session at acting as though she had been long rehearsed for it even before doing "15 mins. in " 'one' " those short two years ago. In the English production Gertie Millar was "The Quaker Girl." Miss Millar's husband, Mr. Monckton, wrote the music likely for his wife. When M'ss Claire gets all her bear- ings, she will stand comparison with Miss Millar, or any other musical comedy leader. Sitne. FIFTH AVENUE. A peculiar change was made in the program after the matinee Monday at the Fifth avenue. James Leonard and Co. (New Acts) were moved from "No. 3" to the closing position, while Lane and O'Donnell, the logical turn on the bill for that spot (as they had been assigned) were brought up to the vacated number. The shift did not hurt the show, which ran very well, even with the travesty sketch to leave a smile as the near-capacity audi- ence said good-by. There were two big hits, Frosini, ("No. 6") with his accordeon, and Willie and Eugene Howard (Howard and Howard) ("No. 8") with their songs, and Willie's comedy. Speak- ing of comedy or good performers, don't overlook this kid, Willie How- ard. He's some comedian and also some singer. If there's a better He- brew comedian on the stage than he is, he hasn't played «. New York in years. Frosini has a nicely laid out routine for his piano-accordeon, and plays It well, commencing with "The Glow Worm" and closing a riot with "Mys- terious Rag." In between he gave other "rags," doing it all in fifteen minutes, and leaving 'em howling for more. James H. Cullen was no little hit himself, singing six songs, which is quite some for a male single, who only sings (although Mr. Cullen be- lieved the audience until he stretched the turn too long, nearly spoiling it ali by closing with some "epitaphs" and other spoken things). Most of his songs were new, and got home right, together with Mr. Cullen's In- terpolated remarks between numbers. He did nineteen minutes. With the first four songs alone sung by him, he can put it over on any Metropolitan bill. Mr. Cullen has an agreeable de- livery which commences to get to the house, and particularly as each song improves in lyrics. Mr. Cullen had a good spot, "No. 4" and made the most of it. Lane and O'Donnell were a very big laughing hit. Dave Lane as a lanky tumbling clown can class with the best, and some of his falls are the best. The act Is receiving a big finish now through employing the Bert Mel- rose high chair fall from the tables, only in this case it is a step ladder. Sansone and Delilah opened the show. It is a "strong" act, Sansone doing mostly chin balancing, with his partner, Miss Delilah seated above him. The turn did nicely, though the best trick (bicycle balance) Is not reserved for the finale, as it should be. Somewhere in the bill Ruth St. Den- nis put over her bunk dance, with a few half-naked negroes disgustingly scattered over the stage. How the gal- lery kept away from "going after" this "classic" |2,000-a-week "act," with its meagre stage settings inclusive of an old and dirty green ground cloth, is something only a gallery can know. Emma Francis, in the "No. 2" place, and Dlgby Bell and Co. ("No. 6"), New Acts. Sitne. GREENFOINT. A half-house assembled Monday evening to witness a rather good show. They were listless in bestowing applause upon the early numbers. The Three Dooleys, comedy cyclists, did not receive anything near the ap- preciation deserved for their excellent turn. Smythe and Hartman suffered a similar fate until their finish. Marion Garson Co. (New Acts) got away nicely, and Stuart Barnes started slowly, finishing "strong." Barnes has a couple of new songs and talk, which, with his effective method of delivery, won him a big send-off be- fore he got through. He is one of the monologists who can always be counted on to offer something new. Edgar Atchison Ely and company in "Billy's Tombstones," one of the best comedies in vaudeville, was handi- capped by an apparent cold with which the star suffered. Jack Lorimer began the second part of the entertainment and did not arouse much enthusiasm until after his third song, when a dance won him out handsomely. After his fifth song he was compelled to do another dance for an encore. In the first three num- bers Lorimer seemed to lose his au- dience through bad exits. Jones and Deeley, with their "Hotel St. Reckless" skit were by far the ap- plause hit of the show. Ben Deeley was compelled to sing fully ten verses of "I May Look Foolish." They had to sing three songs in "one" at the close of the act, all of which were applauded with an Impetuosity bor- dering on a "riot." "Held For Ran- some," a melodramatic playlet, closed, (New Acts). /olo. TWENTY-THIRD STREET Seven acts and pictures made up the bill the first half of the current week. All of the acts got over. Most were genuine hits in the big small time house. Of the seven turns, six are under New Acts. They are O. C. Legal and Co., Noble and Von Muller, Jere Mc- Auliff and Co., Ted and Corlnne Bre- ton, Mermalda, and Harrison and Fern Sisters. The seventh was the Eight Imperial Musicians, closing the show. It con- sists of young men aud women who play many musical instruments, fin- ishing with a musical description of a farmer's life, at home and in the city. This is worked up with a series of ef- fects by two of the girls In full view of the audience, while the other play different instruments. The people in the act are crude and lack stage pres- ence. It is respectfully suggested to the management that the cards announc- ing the acts he stripped of their color- ed embellishments and that the names of the acts be painted in larger type. At present they are scarcely legible, even from the boxes. The electric fans directing currents of air toward the strips of prismatic glass covering the incandescent globes might be turned off while the acts are on, or the prisms remove'!, as they create a con- stant "singing" sound that detracts from the stage presentment. Jolo.