Variety (July 1912)

VARIETY International Burlesque THE FUNNIEST ACT EVER OFFERED IN VAUDEVILLE This Week (July 15) and Next Week (July 22) HAMMERSTEIN'S Direction, LOUIS SPEILMAN "The Grocer and the Shoemaker" is report- ed to be the title that Playwright Frank Rtammera proposes to give his musical vehi- cle that is being written for the new Morosco stars, Kolb and Dill. The part vacated last week by Bessie Bar- Iscale In "On the Quiet" at the Belasco has been assigned to Mrs, Jack Barrymore. who was advanced from a role of lesser Im- portance. Everett Backett has been succeeded In his "front of the house" position at the Belasco by Edwin H. Nelll, brother of Stage Director James Nelll. Charles R. Baker, well known In Chicago and the tnlddlewest as an Impresario and at one time press representative of the Fore- paugh and Sells circus, arrived here this week from San Francisco In advance of the Lam- bard 1 Grand Opera Company, which organ- isation is due at the Auditorium Oct. 17 for a season of grand opera, W. H. Longstaflf, a Los Angeles contractor and builder, has been awarded the contract for the construction of the proposed new opera house In San Bernardino, Cal. James K. Hackett In "The Grain of Dust* is expected to be the attraction at the Mason Opera House when the regular season opens late in August. Following the engagement of "Louisiana Lou" July 21 for one week, the theatre will again be darkened for about a month. The Princess in First street, the old home of the original Fischer Folies Company, is another theatre that has been having its troubles to get along Of late. An Impresario by the name of Roberts gives up and will be relieved of the managerial cares by Elmer Workman, who has a financial Interest In the Adolphus on Main street. A reorgani- sation has been effected and the curtain goes up on a new company In which Dorothy. Dale, In private life the wife of Will Arm- strong, Is to play soubrette roles. "Pop" musical-comedy will remain the policy. Florence Roberts celebrated her second week at the Orpheum by presenting on July 11 for the first time, her new dramatic sketch "The Woman Intervenes," which she Just recently purchased here from J. Hartley Manners. The offering is reviewed elsewhere under "new acts." P HILADELPHIA By GEORGE M. YOUNG. KEITH'S (H. T. Jordan, mgr.; agent, U. B. O.).—For a summer show this week's bill had plenty of snap and speed to It and managed to start a little life among those In front despite the fact that the heat was giving the artists an awful race for the honors. The house was about half filled Mon- day afternoon and the fan brigade was work- ing for further orders. Maybe some of those in front felt sorry for those behind the foot- lights and gave a few extra hands as a re- ward for their efforts to make the audience forget the heat. Several of the acts were seen here for the first time, so there Is no kick coming at Manager Jordan's efforts to secure fresh material during the summer. We had our first bunch of "Texas Tommy" trotters. They are billed here as the Cal- ifornia Four and are a quartet who had their being "Texas Tommy** dancers and not And they are some steppers, too. The fact of their being "Texas Tommy'' trotters and not billed that way sprung a sort of sqaprlse, but the Keith patrons took to them quickly and the two girls and boys were given a nice round of applause for each number. Clark and Hamilton, from abroad, are billed as England's greatest vaudeville stars. It must not be very difficult to gain distinction as a great star in vaudeville on the other side If Clark and Hamilton are "England's great- est." nut Clark and Hamilton are not bad. Clark has an easy style of working which Is funny and his word twisting Is well enough done. He has good help from Miss Hamil- ton, hut the routine In use now is surely not showing them to their best advantage. Monday, after their conversational bit was over, thi'y were all through, and even this was a bit too long. They seem to have picked up some Americanized gags and quips, or some of their material has beaten them to this side. Several mix-ups in handling props and scene changes handicapped the pair, but they did nicely during the first half of the act, after which they finished quietly. The Three Lyres put over one of the big hits with tbelr musical act. They have the kind LADIES AND GENTLEMEN ENGAGED FOR BOB MANCHESTER'S FAMOUS "CRACKER-JACKS" Kindly Report for Rehearsals Monday, Aug. 5th, at 10 A. M. Webster Hall, 11th Street Between 3rd and 4th Avenues, NEW YORK Kindly answer Call by Letter to BOB MANCHESTER, Painesville, Ohio, until Aug. 1st, then Hotel Churchill, Broadway and 14th Street, New York City. BOB MANCHESTER Sole Proprietor "CRACKER-JACKS" CO. CALL Dave Marion's "Bi| Dreamland Burlesquers" The ladies and gentlemen engaged with the above company will kindly report for rehearsal MONDAY, JULY 29, 10 A. M. at the GAYETY THEATRE, NEWARK, N. J. Presenting the greatest musical play ever produced in burlesque entitled "POUSSE CAFE" Season opens at Columbia Theatre, New York City Please answer this call at once DAVE MAM ON, Gayety Theatre, Newark. N. J. itfc.j CALL The Chorus Signed with "Gay Masqueraders" Co. (Eastern-Wheel) Will Kindly Report for Rehearsals at 10 a. m M Monday, Aug. 5th. Principals at 12 noon, Aug. 12th, at Eldorado Hall, 52d Street and 7th Avenue, New York. WANTED A Few More Girls. All wardrobe furnished free Show Produced Under Direction of NEW WAYBURN, MOE MESSING, Manager Care Ted Snyder Music Co. 112 West 38th Street, New York CALL—"THE GIRLS FROM RENO" All ladles and gentlemen engaged for the above show will plea*? report for rehearsal at WASHINGTON HALL, 781 8TH AVE., NEW YORK, MONDAY, JULY 20, at 10 A. M. Sharp Can place a few more good chorus girls; fares paid to opening point; season closes In New York. Acknowledge this call either In person or by letter to COLLINS & MADISON, 1402 Broadway. N. Y., Room 032. of an act that Just about suits the ordinary run of hot weather audiences and the boys sailed right along at a lively pace, getting a good early start and finishing strong. The 'Old Homestead Octet" sank itself Into favor without doing very big. There are only two of the old members of the famous ' 1!< me- ntead" choir and they Bins mostly up-to-date songs with "rag" standing out strong in the pickings. The meif have good voices and Ring well in harmony. Felix Adler got his share of what there was going In the way Of laughs god applause and Kelly got an- other chance to act, playing the part of Adler's "dummy" in the ventrtloquial bit. Kelly can get laughs by himself now so that he Is getting to be a real valuable man to any act. After Claude M. Roode did nicely in the opening spot with his wire act a couple of acts who were on Fred Irwin's payroll at the same time showed In the running order. Roy Cummlngs and Helen Gladylngs made good with their singing and dancing skit. It Is Just one of the ordin- ary class, but It Is well done and the pair are getting right to the front, Improving a lot since last seen and now having a neat- looking act for an early position on the big time bills. Next came Walsh. Lynch A Co. in "Huckins' Run," and they scored solidly The Four Readings made a dandy appearance and looked nice and cool even if their acro- batics seems like hard work In hot weather. They closed the bill and did very well. BIJOU (Joseph Dougherty, mgr.; agent. U. B. O.).—A summer season record was hung up on Monday, the house being filled with some standers in the afternoon and this with the thermometer hitting close to the high water mark. There Is no accounting for this ex- cept that all the opposition in the vicinity was removed with the closing of Forepaugh's Saturday night. A couple of acts did a lot to pull the show up to a fair average. Whirl's Four Harmonists headlined for the third time In a few months. Whenever an act is needed to pull things up In the Bijou the big four get a contract and always walk away with the show. They did It again this week and might Just as well be signed as a permanent at- traction. The other act was the Dandltllms. a shooting act that makes a very good num- ber for the small time. Two girls and a young boy make up the trio, the boy doing nearly all the shooting. The girls hold small balloons in their fingers and mouths, the boy snuffing them in various styles and using several objects fitted as rifles, which add* novelty to the act. The boy Is a landy shot and the act is nicely dressed and staged Blair and Crystal offered a talking act which Included some "kid" stuff and an announced Imitation of Joe Howard and Mable Barrlson doing a "bit." As there were few If any In the audience who knew who Howard and Barrlson are, the Imitation as considered good. but It really was not. Adams Brothers did some talking, dancing and comedy roller skat- ing without causing any one to stop fanning. Edith Welch offered a "song review" singing a couple of numbers and finishing with a sheet with choruses and an invitation to Me rudi- ence to Join In. but several of the slides were badly blurred and those In front didn't know the songs, so this part of her act didn't do so well. Miss Welch is a pleasing looking young girl with a fairly good voice and prob- ably little stage experience. She may be a sister to Emmet Welch, who also has a "song" act In vaudeville, as she sang two songs he is featuring. Bob Stanley had the open- ing spot with his wire act and did nicely. NIXON (F. G. Nixon-Nlrdllnger. mgr.; agent, Nlxon-Nlrdllnger Agency).—The "Tex- as Tommy" dancing craze appears to he tak- ing a firm hold in town. The troupe of eight heading the bill here cleaned up in unmis- takable fashion. The four boys and four girls do some lively "trotting, working in pairs Introduced by a fellow dressed up like a bridegroom who announces that a silver cup will he given to the couple gaining the most applause. The house held a big crowd v Monday night considering the warm weather and the audience entered Into the contest idea with liberal spirit. The "Texas" dancers are a good card for the "pop" houses if they can all do as well as this hunch. Maurice Samuels 6 Co. scored nicely with "A Day at ElUs Island," due mainly to the clever character work by Samuels, who gets a lot of comedy out of the "Wop" role. Ned Dandy got by in good shape with some talk and his idea of singing. The Frank Sisters won some favor with their talk, nearly all of which they brought with them from bur- lesque. Some of It Is strong matter for a first-class audience. The dog helped put a good finish to the act. Stutsman and May did only fairly well with their talking skit- Mile. Paula and her trapese tunta. filled the opening spot acceptably. VICTORIA (Jay Mastbaum, mgr.; agent. Jules E. Aronson).—The all-pictures policy did not hold up and vaudeville was added again this week, four acts filling out the card. It Is likely the house will go 'back to Its former policy of seven acts and pictures in a week or so. The four acts readied a fair average. Trlxle Fields did a single singing turn, suffering only through using a weak opening number and an old one for her second song. With better songs she will have a fairly good single turn for the small time. Harry Batchelor was liked for his comedy musical turn. Moore and Young pleased with their familiar "sister" act. the good stepping and snappy work of the girls hitting the mark of favor. Attaway and Oreen met with fair success In a talking act. The comedy can stand a lot of Improvement. OLYMPIA (Oeorge Both well. mgr.; agent, M. Rudy Heller).—The new athletic and dox- Ing arena has been leased to a syndicate head- ed by Frank Brunell. who has an Interest In the athletic club. Vaudeville and pictures will be given five nights each week, two shows nightly, with an admission scale of 10 and 20. The big arena seats 4,500, having seats on all four sides, with a big balcony running all around. Only about half the house can be used for the vaudeville and picture ahow. Monday nlgbt there wag a, crowd of mora Whm ontwring QdwrtUemcntt kindly mention YARIMTJ,