Variety (April 1912)

VARIETY 15 Wish Wynne. Songs. 20 Minn.; One. Three, One. Colonial. Wish Wynne was brought over here two years ago when the Morris Circuit was gambling in foreign ma- terial. At the time it was conceded Morris had picked a winner in this girl, who brought something entirely new to American vaudeville. While not a whirlwind success, Miss Wynne was none the less a substantial hit of proportions to warrant her being re-engaged a feature attraction. She does not sing her songs. Wish might have been stylishly termed a few seasons back a "dlseuse," but her billing carries no such fanciful phras- ing. She is simply a character com- edienne. Four songs were all the English girl contributed Monday night at the Colonial. Two were in her repertoire when she appeared be- fore; the others seemed to be new. "The Wind Blew Another Applo Down" and a servant girl number were the new ones, while the F^hool girl" and "I Were Afraid" wer the holdovers. Wish Wynne is purely a downstairs act. The hearty round of applause which greeted her every ef- fort came almost entirely from the orchestra floor, in direct contrast to a slap-stick arrangement in the first half to much noise, without a single hand coming from the high-priced seats. There are times when ap- plause really makes very little dif- ference in sizing up the desires of an audience. ' Wish Wynne is a very clever girl, with a charm of manner most infectious. Her English accents are pronounced and attractive to the American ear, as are also the various dialects which are unfamiliar to those who have not spent some little time in England. Eyes must not be over- looked in speaking of Miss Wynne, for whoever sees her will not forget her expressive optics. American audi- ences should welcome the return of Wish Wynne with wide open arms— she is so esentlally the artist and so restful after the many boisterous "singles." Dash. Moon and Morris. Step Dancing. 3 Mins.; Full Stage. Winter Garden. Two men, one a full head taller than the other, attired in black satin knee pants and white satin full dre6s coats. Most of the stepping is done with the taller of the pair planted as closely as possible to the back of the smaller one, both with hands in pock- ets and going through a routine of eccentric team work that aroused some laughter through its grotes- querie. It is just a little bit different from others seen before and for the three minutes allotted for the turn is a bit diverting. Perhaps the pair haven't yet had an opportunity to demonstrate fully the extent of their capabilities. Moon and Morris came to New York direct from a revue In Paris, where they did quite well. Join. "Texas Tommy Dancers" (8). 7 Mlns.; Full Stage. Winter Garden. According to the most authoritative information at hand, at last here are the genuine, "honest to goodness" "Texas Tommy Dancers," direct from the Barbary Coast, the ones we have always heard about and been told (never expecting them to be brought here) that when it was given us the ecstatic Joy of witnessing the orig- inals we could rest content that noth- ing else remained to be enjoyed. Poor little Barbary Coast natives. They might have been quite sensational in New York a few years ago, but un- fortunately almost everything they can do in the terpsichorean line has preceded them by many moons. At- tired in cowboy and cowgirl costumes and with drums and brass instruments working overtime they cavort and prance about the stage as rapidly and strenuously as possible in a manner suspiciously similar to the numerous "Apache" dances with which New York has been regaled for the past five or 6ix seasons. Stage door gossip is to the effect these people gave a private performance before they opened for the delectation of the Winter Garden management, at which they "went the limit." But all that is of no avail for public presentation. Our Barbary visitors are too late for the races, even though they were tho rage for a while in the vaudeville houses of the Far West, where, at one time not so long ago, as many as ten troupes of "Tommy Dancers" were appearing in various theatres. Join. Gertrude Vanderbilt and Clay Smith. Singing and Dancing. 16 Mlns.; Full Stage (5); One (11). Palace, Chicago. A well dressed dancing act. Both principals are exceptionally clever dancers and possess a certain amount of captivating personality, but the skit has been poorly arranged. In its pres- ent form it doesn't bring out the capa- bilities of the pair as well as it might. Miss Vanderbilt wears three nifty gowns, the first being the prettiest of all, a sort of armless affair with an array of fuzzy wuzzy spangles. Smith wears evening clothes and looks good. A series of solos and doubles make up the offering, the pair generally danc- ing through the second chorus of each song. This is sure to bring them over. Miss Vanderbilt rendered a number that might have for its title "Johnnie, Get Your Drum," but she raced through the song and finished very much out of breath, thereby killing whatever chances it had. This couple might construct a regular skit. Re- arrangement of the numbers would mean an Improvement. As it is, they get over easily enough, but are pass- ing up opportunities that should be taken advantage of. The Palace en- gagement was a bad one to properly judge. The orchestra was out of gear, and the stage was handled in amateur fashion. However, despite these difficulties, the audience seem- ed to like them. Gertrude Vander- bilt and Clay Smith should jump to the front. Just now they are hover- ing half way. Wijun. Eugene O'Rourke and Co. (2). "A Woman of the Streets" (Dram- atic). 16 Mlns.; Three (Interior; Speciul). Hainmersteln's. "A Woman of the Streets" is pro- gramed as a Parislon court episode, adaptation by Fred. F. Schrader. This dramatic offering by Eugene O'Rourke and Company explodes no bombshell in vaudeville. It's a long, talky way to the finale with a heap of explana- tions thrown in. In the American adaptation Antoinette Prussicr (Nellie Elting) is under court surveillance with her lover, who is wounded in a stabbing affray. She is haled before Briard (O'Rourke), a magistrate, by Ciamet (James J. Gillespie), a police officer, the chief complainant. An- toinette is a French woman of the underworld who has become world- wise, cunning and craftily suspicious of those who uphold the laws because at one time a certain minion of the law betrayed her mother. Her moth- er's engagement ring is on Antoi- nette's finger. Revelation is made that the gray-haired magistrate is none other than her father. Then comes a terrible tonguelashing, with the girl making her daddy almost bat his eyelids off his forehead. The father stands on his dignity. He of- fers to buy the ring, pay her well for her silence, but Antoinette seeks re- venge. A scuffle follows in which the man tears the ring from her finger. Her cries bring Ciamet, who bursts open the door. The magistrate frames his own story and Antoinette leaves in a paroxysm of grief and rage, her heart torn by emotion. The magis- trate then kisses the little gold band and dismisses the case against An- toinette and her lover. It's a sketch that every American vaudeville au- dience will not relish. Monday night the Hammerstein crowd accepted it in silence until the end, when it ap- plauded quite heartily. Mark. Cabaret Trio. "Piano-Act." 15 Mlns.; One. American. With a blind pianist and a couple of boys who sing "rags" very well, this new Cabaret Trio had to add one num- ber to their repertoire Tuesday even- ing on the American Roof. The audi- ence refused to allow the show to pro- ceed until they did this. It's a nice rathskeller turn, without any particu- lar feature that makes it distinctive. The two singers, however, dress nice- ly and look very well. They have a late "rag" in "You'll Never Know the Good Fellow I've Been," and put it over effectively. One of the young men sings a "souse" song as a solo, doing well with it. The pianist has the stage to himself for a straight se- lection, following with a "rag" that kept, the applause going. An an- nouncement told he was sightless. The player is Arthur Stone, and the singers, Billy Devero-Arthur Herman. The act looks good enough to get over In any company, especially as Mi«y so- cured the big encore after u«ing a pop- ular number that was supposed to have about outlived its vogue Polzln Brothers. Acrobats. 12 Mlns.; Full Stage. Palace, Chicago. There is something different about this offering that allows It to stand out in some way, but the reason is hard to explain. A routine of ground and lofty tumbling with a little com- edy thrown in is shown, but the tricks are put over in a unique way. The best work is on a springboard from which the topmounter leaps lightly and nimbly to the shoulders and head of the understander. The ground work is ordinary, but there is a cer- tain gracefulness about it that ap- peals. Nothing sensational was at- tempted, but the head and shoulder work was greeted with enthusiastic applause, principally because It was fast and put over neatly. The broth- ers make a good opener for a big time bill. It's a question whether they are strong enough to close. Wynn. Boynton and Meyers. Musical. 12 Mine.; One. Majestic, Chicago. The feature of Boynton and Meyers' efTort lies in the sex. Two good look- ing, neatly dressed girls who distri- bute harmony and smiles, intermin* gled with a little subdued "ragging," are bound to win any audience. This pair did and won them easily. A med- ley of popular song choruses by the pianist gave them a flying start, fol- lowed by a few violin solos and a lit- tle "ragging" by the ivory artiste safely brought them over a big hit. The couple could hold second or third position on any big time bill and make good. Wynn. New Ads in "Pop" Houses Ijoretta Flynn. Sengs. 8 Mlns.; One. ritjr. Loretta Flynn is of the "coon shouting" type, who works in good facial expressions. At the City she made quite a hit with three songs, all of the raggedy order popular in the variety halls. Miss Flynn also does some eccentric dance steps and sash- aying, which adds zest to her work. Miss Flynn has all the earmarks of a good single entertainer. Mark. Kdith Kelmer. Songs. 12 Mlns.; One. Appears to be a former chorus girl equipped with nice gowns. She's very pretty and titian-haired. Probably taught her numbers by a conventional pianist at one of the music publisher's training quarters. Hut Edith appears to he satisfied with herself and her confidence may send her ahead. .Ihl'l. The Nihniis (2) \t fin I. 7 Mill*..; Full Stiige. .M;im suspeii'U h i i • i >>• ■! t IwjmI down on the trap*/•• wliiN- u«»man Koe:-« through ;i s«w:Vs <>t .■■•inpli- • n Ks al- read> 1 niilinr »o f, i. small time nw'.'ro- politnn audPmres. .lolo. (Continued on page 22.)