Variety (April 1912)

VARIETY 19 Austin Dare and Go. (1). "His Wedding D*j" (Dramatic). 14 Mlns.; Two (Interior). American. Dare put one over on Marcus Loew the first half of the week. Everybody knows that there are no programs on the Roof. Dare had a slide flashed on the curtain, calling attention to his act and of the characters to be portrayed by E. J. Simms (his company) and himself. Dare speaks with an English accent, and his act smacks of the Lon- don stage variety. The curtain rises on Austin in bed on the very day that he is to be married. He has been ter- ribly soused the night before, and Is trying to sleep off the after-effects when his best man (Simms) enters and puts in several busy minutes get- ting the duke out of bed. Finally Dare makes a quick change from pajamas to full street regalia, but gets word the wedding is postponed, and he goes back to bed. Light comedy which will likely flourish in the "pop" houses. Mark. Maude Kramer. Songs and Music. 10 Mlns.; One. One must admit Miss Kramer is versatile. She does many things. Wearing a tlghtfltting red sweater and a short skirt with her hair done up in "Sis Hopkins" style Miss Kramer screws her face up Elfle Fay fashion when she isn't singing, dancing or playing musical instruments. She sings several topical songs. Her dance at the piano and the "banjo bit" were well received. Miss Kramer is an attractive looking miss and does not need any eccentric makeup to put over her talent. She is qualified to go beyond the "pop" time by putting her "bits" together in more compact fcrm. Mark. Master Willie Smith. Songs. 11 Mlns.; One. Boy about 16, tall and lanky. In dress suit, siDgs "coon" songs, a bal- lad and yodels. He "/rhapsodizes" sufficiently with the "coon" numbers to command the favorable applause of a big small time audience and hence may be classed in that division. Jolo. Ilrianza Trio. Italian Serenaflers. 11 Mlns.; One. Two men and a woman. All sing, the men doing the accompanying on guitars parts of the time. The regu- lation routine. Neat, clean-cut ap- pearance. Men, fair voices; woman, good lyric soprano. Voices blend harmoniously. Good small timers. Jolo. ♦The Mayor's Husband." Comedy. Sketch. 90 Mlns.; Interior. ▲ militant suffragette resides with her brother, a minister. A candidate for mayoress, she has just been elect- ed by one vote. But she neglected to find out by an amendment to the city's charter had been passed a woman is not eligible for office un- less married. There remains but twelve fninutea to secure a husband. In walks her opponent, a weasened little clap, to gloat over her tough luck. She insists he marry her, points a revolver at him, and compelB the brother to marry them forthwith, de- spite the groom's attempted protesta- tions. At the finish the newly mar- ried man declares he has been trying to tell the suffragette he already has a wife and three children. By all the rules of playwriting, the woman is too good looking to marry ithe weazened man. She should have been one of those severe, old-maid char- acters. Properly worked out and with a "name" heading the cast, the vehicle U a worthy one for the "big time." Jolo. Fujiyama" (0). Comic Operetta. 84 Mlns.; One (5) Full Stage (20) Special Settings. Produced last season with a larger cast and featuring Clem Bevlns, un- der the title of "A Japanese Honey- moon," the piece has been entirely rewritten and recast. It now has the same scenery* six chorus girls, one prima donna, one tenor and one low comedian. The plot is more disjoint- ed than before and the comedy worse, if anything. The prima donna is good, the tenor bad, the comedian fair. Fit only for the small big time as a "flash" act, but rather an ex- pensive one to maintain profitably in that field. Jolo. White Brothers and Sister. Dancing. 18 Mlns.; One. Two boys and a girl in a regulation wooden-shoe routine of dancing, with a little singing. Straight and eccentric dressing. Good for all kinds of small time. Jolo. Martell and Eldrldge. Farcical Sketch. * 11 Mlns.; Interior. Man and wife get themselves into highly improbable farcical complica- tions, resorting to a series of solilo- quies and "asides" for the develop- ment of the plot. Acting of both is amateurish. Small timers. Jolo. -\ Bellfore Trio. Slack Wire and Trapeze. 10 Mlns.; Full Stage. Two men and a woman open with a slack wire routine which differs from the conventional. Finishing on the trapeze, they do a little of every- thing. They lack showmanship, de- spite the excellence of their work. Good small timers. Jolo. liCRoy and Romm. Hongs and Dances. 8 Mlns.; One. Stock in trade is dancing as neither of the men has any voice to speak of. One, the shorter, works in eccentric attire. They should receive proper attention in the "pop" houses. Mark. Temple and Don. Juggling. 15 Mlns.; One. A good juggling act. The men, particularly the straight, works neat- ly and effectively. The act will hold its own on the small time. Mark. Musical Dixon. 10 Mlns.; Two (Exterior). Musical Dixon could work jusi as well in "one." In some of the "pop" houses it is necessary to work in "two." He appears in eccentric at- tire, but much of the comedy efforts would not be missed if absent. Dixon is too good a musician to be wasting time with "bits" that have long ago outlived their usefulness. He plays divers instruments, but gets the big- gest results out of the concertina. His best comedy bit is with a "skele- ton xylophone," working its arms and legs through a foot attachment. Dixon also uses prop articles of food for blowing a tune. In the "pop" houses Dixon is getting over big. Mark* Leach, LsvQuinlan Trio. Slack Wire. 8 Mlns.; Fall Stage. Two women in tights, holding slack wire around their necks and by their teeth while man does a good slack wire turn. A good, fast, "sensational" act for closing position on the big small time. Jolo. WESTERN "SMAL TIME" (Continued from Page 13.) in a half-hearted way before without success. Out this way there is a lot of oppo- sition to consider and mighty little available material. This point is proven when one realizes that man- agers turned to tabloid musical come- dies for attractions, through dearth of material. And now comes the an- nouncement that Walter Meakin of the A. E. Meyers office is going east for suitable goods. The lack of good acts is evidently being felt, although Chicago has been repeatedly visited this summer by New York agents who brought west everything they had. It seems reasonable to suppose that in the event of a "blacklist," it will go for all kinds of opposition. It doesn't sound sane that managers in towns where the Sullivan-Considine people have opposition will stand by those particular managers affected by Keefe's energy unless they, in turn, will receive some kind of protection Then again J. C. Matthews is a factor in the fight, not to mention the E. J. Cox office, the Frank Q. Doyle agency and others, including Charles Hodkins who occasionally does a few things down in the Interstate Circuit's terri- tory. Perhaps Karl Hoblitzell (In- terstate) will insist on barring every- thing that plays below the Mason and Dixie line from tho "Association" of- fices. He would be justified in taking such a stand, were he asked not to play an act in Texas, because it had appeared for the "opposition" to the W. V. A. somewhere up in Canada. If a "blacklist" is going to be de- clared it will have to take in every- thing that opposes the W. V. M. A. From the top of the fence this looks impossible. However, something may happen upon Bray's return. Until then the "blacklist" thing sounds like a "bugaboo," and will have to be i cepted with the proverbial g- . i o( salt. MANAGERESS' EASY CANCELLER. Mrs. Laura M. Rogers, who owns, manages and now books the Dilliken theatre, Ithaca, N. Y., through certain cancellations of acts sent her by New York agents, has aroused their ire to such an extent steps will be taken to prevent her from cancelling trims as she sees fit. The Prudential Exchange sent Wil- liams and Williams to the Billiken. Upon arriving they were told by Mrs. Rogers there wasn't anything doing, another act having been secured else- where. Sam Meyers has been booking the showB of late, but he too found that Mrs. Rogers was some little booker herself. Saturday last at 6 p. m. Meyers was notified three acts (Carroll and Foster, Mardio Ramont, and Kelly and Judge), signed to play the Billiken the first half of this week, were cancelled, no apparent reason being given at the eleventh hour for Mrs. Rogers' action. The next thing that Mrs. R. did was to board a train and go to Buffalo to secure acts for her show this week. Mr. Meyers will probably ask the courts to decree that the Ithaca man- ageress-bookeress must fork over com- missions. OBITUARY Boston, April 3. Ma Mabel Butler died at Franklin last Friday. She was the soprano with "The Bostonians" for many years. For a number of seasons she sang the role of Annabelle in "Robin Hood." She had been ill for some time from a ner- vous breakdown. Her parents and five brothers survive. E. F. Cosgrove, a well-known actor, died last week at Lowell, Mass. Cos- grove was last with the Augusta Perry stock company. His home was in Low- ell. F. M. Challoupe, who has been with various road attractions, died at his home in Philadelphia. Frederick Williams, father of Bert Williams, died Sunday night at the Presbyterian Hospital, aged 61. His son arrived in town Sunday night. Max Freeman, known as "the god- father of comic opera" and one of the leadiig stage directors and actors of comedy character roles for the past twenty.-five years, committed suicide March 27 by taking laudanum and then hanging himself from the win- dow of his room at the Hotel Grenoble, New York. Financial reverses caused tnrouph investment in a dramatic school which failed to pan out as he expected and failure to gut work are ascribed as the cause of hit sui cide. The funeral was held List Satur- day afternoon, tlii remains being •ic mat«'d pursuan' to his wishes in tiie matter, bei'm-.- !.e died. -I lie- pit i i IVlrie ('hairnet's, «<liior and i of the v.. : '.: !'ii-i i:r»- World, \- .•■:•• a«-i !(!<■.!'::; <li ■: • 11 ■ ,-i i Dayton, ().. < ! ' i .'Mini niinii )■, -ivi. throughout the ci'iiniry, was buried March M.