Variety (July 1912)

VARIETY 21 HAMMERSTEIN'S ROOF (Estimated Coat of Show, $*,975.) Though acts may live and acts may die on Hammerstein's Roof, the show- going folks still fill the amusement place atop the Victoria at the corner. The early half of the hill got practi- cally nothing. The show ran wearily on until after intermission, when it took on a new lease of life. Although "Don," the talking dog, is in his second week and is proving quite a novelty, it is Houdini who is the real legitimate box-office magnet. This "escape wizard" only did one trick Tuesday, but that was sufficient to hold the crowd breathless until the end. In full view of the audience Hou- dini was packed in a box and lowered into the pool arranged specially for the exhibition. He unhandcuffed and unmanacled himself and came to the surface in sixty seconds. The talking dog held close attention but it was Loney Haskel who held the act safe. Loney is becoming so pro- ficient in slinging the German that the Hammerstein regulars will be speaking Dutch with ease if "Don" remains there very long. Loney said something when he remarked it was a hard thing for talking acts to make good on the Roof let alone a voice- ful dog. Leonard and Alvln (New Acts) opened, with Swan and Bambard next. The latter never had a chance al- though some of the acrobatics drew some attention. Creatore and his band tore loose a few more shingles. They are blowing so hard they are getting the audiences wet. Lane and G'Donnell, with the bigger chap taking some dandy falls, more than earned their applause. After "Don," Isabelle D'Armond and Frank Carter showed. Their talking was lost, but the dancing and travesty "bit" pulled them up strong. Max's burlesque circus closing the first part of the entertainment has comedy quality that comes in handy on the Roof. With the act running faster and all the unnecessary talk and by-play chopped the improvement would be noticeable. The skaters are losing none of their popularity as there was the usual in- termission scramble to get next to the girls in the union suits. The Courtenay Sisters, following the Apollo Trio (New Acts) after intermis- sion, scored one of the hits of the night. Max Hart's Six Steppers worked hard after Houdini, but against odds, while the Azard Brothers, closing, found Harry Tighe and his white socks still doing yeoman duty at the piano. Ufark. HARKOLD COMING HOME. After having been a singing idol of London, or that portion of it which called at Hammerstein's Opera House during the past operatic season over there, Orville Harrold is coming home, to Indianapolis, where he will visit his family. Harrold, who is the tenor discovered by Oscar Hammerstein while one-half of a mere "two-man act" in vaudeville at his son's (Willie) emporium, will remain over here until about October, when he returns abroad. BRIGHTON THEATRE. (Estimated cost of show $2,085.) A very good show, a very cooi breeze, and a very well filled audi- torium, all went towards making up a pleasant evening at the theatre Tuesday. The bill did not read exactly as the one-sheets about the elevated stations did, but the changes were not noticed and the program ran through easily and pleasantly. Clarke and Hamilton closing the first half pulled out one of the even- ing's biggest winners. The general run of the offering Is the same as when the team played here for Wil- liam Morris, but there is sufficient new material and off-hand stuff on tap in the hands of Bert Clarke to keep the act always new. The couple were Interrupted repeatedly in their talk to allow the audience to steady them- selves for another laugh. The Japa- nese finish and the smart dressing of Miss Hamilton came in for considera- tion. Josie Heather and Tempest and Sunshine (New Acts) also figured in the big hit column. Bert Melrose down at the far end of the program (on after 11:15) did something when he held more than three-quarters of the house in for his fool table stuff, to shrieks and yells. Melrose is getting that table thing down to a finer point every day. He figures easily as one of the best com- edy dumb acts of the day. Willie Weston was next to closing and did very well considering. He worked quickly and ran through a routine of dialect and rag songs with- out going beyond the limit. Sydney Drew supported by Doris Rankin played an old-fashioned sketch of bygone days that got no more than it deserved. "A Model Toung Man" is a pretty poor vehicle for up-to-date vaudeville. Bven a Sydney Drew is expecting too much in asking its ac- ceptance. O'Brien-Havel and Co. opened after the interval and supplied an amusing fifteen minutes. O'Brien-Havel and son, Arthur, get a good bit of fun out of the back stage sketch, and they keep things moving at a lively pace. Miss Valeska fills in nicely and makes a good straight for the O'Brien family's comedy. It's good vaudeville entertainment. The Three Lyres were on just a trifle too early. The boys didn't do as well as they would have later, but they help the general running of the show and passed with a good margin. Asaki, the Japanese skater juggler, opened the program, replacing Tom and Edith Almond. The Jap made a good starting point. The house was interested and paid strict attention. Asaki is neat and fast and goes about his work in a businesslike manner. Oath. UNION SQUARE. (Estimated Cost of Show, $2,200.) It was not the heat that affected the Union Square audience Monday night, although a few found the atmos- phere inside the house rather humid, judging from the way they wielded the little palm leaf fans the manage- ment has attached to each seat. Per- haps the lack of a full orchestra may have had something to do with the bill not shooting over large juicy chunks of satisfaction. The show manifested little life, and nearly every act passed in review with light applause following. If 't hadn't been for Nat Wills there Is no telling what would have happened, although Melville and Higglns put over a hit and J. C. Nugent and Co (New Acts) caused intermitten: laughter with some new squibs. Rita Oould and her gowns were on "fifth." She was very much peeved over the way the "short'' orchestra accompanied her. While it visibly af- fected her act, she shrugged her shoulders several times and told the audience "she should worry." There was little sympathy from the latter. If it hadn't been for Rita's gowns and one song, Miss Oould would {have been jumping with all fours on the house Instead of several harmless but well meaning musicians. While Miss Gould's voice may not win anything she makes the devotees of the modish things sit up and look twice. Adonis and dog, with all kinds of plush curtain surroundings, opened the show quietly with the Victoria Four, second. The singers also pass- ed quietly. After Nugent began to thaw out the audience, Melville and Higgins had easy sailing after his exit. Miss Oould fhen halted proceed- ings, but got attention with her dress display, while Burns and Pulton pleased with dancing. They worked hard. Nat Wills started with remarks about the Baltimore convention. He went through his talk and parodies with big laughing results. Wills also kidded the local police and had sev- eral timely puns about the Rosenthal unpleasantness. The Frey Twins closed the show. Even In the heat of summer this act is pleasing to the eye, the brothers being of the true American athletic type, which appeals to all lovers of any kind of manly sport. Their turn is clean and well worked up despite the "hippodromic" wrestling bout at the close. Mark. GOING WITH ROAD SHOW. The Orpheum Road Show for the coming season will have Schichtl's Manikins, the foreign turn over here a couple of years ago. The act will arrive this month, playing a few dates under the Mari- nelli booking before joining the traveling troupe. "FORTUNE HU-NTKR" RIGHTS. Adelaide French has secured the road rights to Cohan & Harris* "The Fortune Hunter" for presentation cast of the Mississippi. She is per sonally supervising the company which commenced rehearsals Tuesday. The show starts on tour Aug. 12. Miss French also will rehearse an- other company to present "Alma, Where Do You Live?" east of the Mississippi. It also got into rehear- sal this week, opening Aug. 22. If present plans run true Miss French will again star in "Madame X," which piece she presented suc- cessfully last season. NEW ACTtt. (Continued from page 18.) Castle Square Stock Company took a plunge into vaudeville for the first time and he took his comedy with him. If Donald Meek and his com- pany of players is any criterion, vaudeville would be greatly benefited with more actors from stock compan- es who are capable of giving a fin- ished production. Ed. F. Payne, a comic artist on a local newspaper furnished the sketch. It is a good one with a touch of melodrama. Dick Crosby (Donald Meek) is an artist in the Latin quarter of Paris, who has fallen from grace. He loves to look upon the wine while it bub- bles. Lord Alfred Carleton, an artist adventurer (John Meehan) and Fifl, an artist's model, invite a wealthy American student, Phyllis Qrey, to attend a real Bohemian student's ball, the style of which is strange to her. She is going to wear a valuable neck- lace of diamonds at the request of the crooked lord and his accomplice, rhey Intend to steal it from her. Crosby, under the partial Influence of liquor, is invited to join in the theft of the necklace, but refuses. With the revolver placed within reach by the adventurer he makes his way from the room and escapes with the young lady. Meek has a peculiar style of humor which he brings out well. The supporting cast is good. All did very well. Florence Shirley as Phyllis Qrey and Anna Cleveland, as Fifl, wore beautiful gowns. They are going on the road for a time and should And no trouble in passing. Gooltz. THE WAIL OF THE HICK By JOHN J. O'CONNOR. (Wynn.) "Say, Cull, I suppose you was won- derin' what happened to us last week," said the Hick, as he deftly applied a vest pocket gasoline torch to his home- made pill. "Well, party, after last week's experience, me and Crlbbage is ready to qualify for the star hatch, 'cause we have certainly been played for a coupla come-ons and to make it feel worse, it was one o' them petty larceny pencil pushers that handed us the needle. If that guy was follerin' the trade he was cut out for he'd be rollin' a hodfull o' bricks up a tall ladder. "You see, we was layin' around Chi gettin' all sunburned when this heel floats along and asks me if we'd like to take a little joy ride up to Canada and amuse the Canucks. I almost went into nolvous prostrations tryin' to make an immediate connection. He peels off an agreement for a six-day gallop and agrees to give us an even hundred bucks for our bit. "After goin' almost fog-eyed lookin' over a railroad map to locate th^ Joint, and flgurin' out to a penny that outa the hundred we would be able to hang on to thirteen dollars above all expenses, I finally bulled Crlbbage into takln' it with me, cause, on the level, bo, it was orful hot in Chi and that Canada trip sure did look al- lurin'. "We pulls outa town Thursday mornin'. It takes three days and a half to get to the place. We hires a tourist's crib to do a once nightly flop on the trip and, believe me, bud-