Variety (December 1912)

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30 VARIITY The Walter Hast Attractions ■ Peggie Lennie and Co., Orpheum Tour Owen McGiveney Next week (Dec. 9) Orpheum, Kansas City "The Concealed Bed" Next week (Dec. 9) Shea's, Toronto "Scrape Of the Pen" Next week(Dec. 9)Grand Opera House.N.Y. "BlindneSS Of Virtue" Studehaker, Chicago Selbit's "House off Mystery," "Little Miss Llewellyn" (The Welsh Bunty) "The Lunatic at Large" New play, by Cosmo Hamilton and Graham Moffat All Communications to Care FLOYD STOKER PUTNAM BUILDING, NEW YORK For the finish of the first part there is the usual Dinkins stunt with Old (ilory in the foreground. Portraits of several ex-Presi- dents of the United States are carried by the Kirls, appropriate lines going with Bryan, Taft, Rooeevelt and Wilson. Between the two burlesque bits is a first-rate olio which boosts the average of the show considerably. Jacx Pox and Joe Evans start it with a neat •lancing number. Then Young and Rice got away with a nice hit by the way they put their songs over. Young does well with his "straight" parts in the burlesques and takes good care of his part of the act with Miss Rice. They use a couple of gage which have been accepted as original with Sam Morton. Lew Williams and Joe Mills have a Hebrew singing and talking act away from others. The talk is only fair, but parodies help them out. Baptiste and Franconi with their clever acrobatics scored and Mile. Emery won warm favor on trapeze and rings. The last two acts were not programmed, the acrobats being added and Mile. Emery replacing Dainty Ma- rie, who is absent through illneas. Mile. Emery Is an excellent substitute. The open- ing number of the burlesque, led by Miss Keely, got some extra encores through the de- sire on the part of some of the front row occupants to see how many trips It would take to completely disrobe the upper portion of a brunette on the end of the line. After four encores, which the song never earned, the brunette took a hitch In her suspenders and crabbed the number. T. W. is good to his chorus girls. Several of them built up "Melo Melody" for Miss Rice, working in the audience and on the stage while Miss Rice "clowns." She did au "Eddie Foy" bit that brought a big round of applause. The use of the chorus girls in this act and the "Texas Tommy" number will probably pro- duce a couple of "sister acts" next year and if T. W. can sign them up they will help his show. Either Mable Gibson or Thelma Frank could be used this season to lead a number or two. The chorus Is a big part of the "Yankee Doodle Girls" and a little drilling will get real merit out of their work so that the gl-ls will hold up their end. It will need a couple of very good comedians to get real comedy out of the material at hand and this Is where the "Yankee Doodle Olrls" show falls down. LIBERTY (M. W. Taylor, mgr. ; agent. M- W. Taylor Agency).—With rain coming down in torrents Monday night, business received a jolt but them were enough inside before the end of the first show to fill the house to tho back row downstairs. There was little speed to the show until George Armstrong anneared next to closing. Armstrong did only a little talking, but got them strong on his songs which had more snap to them than is usually heard in the better grade of vaude- ville housos. Armstrong made a nam* for him- self handling this s'uff in burlesque and tb** Liberty patrons aopeared to like the suggest- ive songs, but It was noted that only one woman in the first ten of fifteen rows joined in the apMause. There was no question about Armstrong's scoring and it just raises the question of how much latitude may be al- lowed In the "pop" houses without offending. Manager Taylor stated that Armstrong hung up a record at toe Keystone last week. He'll probably cause some talk on Columbia Ave- nue and also some business. Emmett Welch, with his troupe of colored singers and danc- ers, closed the bill. Welch has some new settings ami new songs for his act, working In some pretty stage effects and wearing natty clothes. The dancing of all but one of the troupe Is poor. Welch carries the singing end to a likable point and the act went over In good style. It's a big number for the big small time houses as a "singing picture" act. After several moments of weak comedy busi- ness, the sketch called "Nerve" works into a laughing skit for three or four minutes and then falls away to nothing again. Through energetic playing by three principals, the skit runs Into the class of ordinary "pop" time sketches. A stronger finish and a little touching up in the first two minutes of stall- ing for comedy, would help It considerably. Snowie May Bell offered "kid" stories which won her some favor and then finished with a song which let her down lightly. If she wrote it herself as she announces, she should consult another author. Clouse and Hoffman in a singing and talking act of the old "Weber-Fields" type never started anything. They dwell too long on the word juggling, pulling everything but "Watt Street and Weigher." It is fit only for the real small time. Ethel Clifford and Girls did well enough as an opener. BOSTON. ■Y J. GOOaTTE. 80 Summer Street. KEITH'S (Harry E. Guetln, mgr.; sgwl, U. B. O.). —"The Little ParUlenne," good. Mathews & Alshayne, clever. Fan ton's "Awakening Athletes," best of Its kind seen. Hufford A Chain, funny. Henshaw & Avery, good. Newton Newklrk, pleased. Scott A Keane, dragged. DeHaven A Leonard, pleased. Howard & Louie, opened well. COLONIAL (Charles J. Rich, res. mgr.; K. & E.).—"Exceeding the Speed Limit," with Carter De Haven. Started good. Business has dropped in all theatres. Usual falling off before holidays. PARK (Charles J. Rich, res. mgr.; K. A E.) —"Mag*le Pepper." with Rose Stahl. week. Business pleasing. PLYMOUTH (Fred Wright, mgr.; lers).—"Disraeli.'• with George Arllss. well. MOLLIS (Charles J. Rich. mgr. ; K. A E,).— Paaeorw-by," with Charles Cherry, IRisine** good. 14th Lleb- Dolng MAJESTIC (E. D. Smith, mgr.; Shubert).— "The Master of the House," closing two weeks' engagement. William Faversham with all star cast in "Julius Caesar" coming. SHUBERT (E. D. Smith, mgr.; Shubert). - "The Passing Show of 1012" ends run this ween. Business has been good. The Qaby Deslys and the Al Jolson show, Monday for tWO W6CsC8. TRBMONT (John B. Schoefel, mgr.; K. A E.).—"The Rainbow," with Henry Miller. ST. JAMES.—M. H. GuleBian, mgr.).— Stock, "The Spendthrift. CASTLE SQUARE (John Craig, mgr.).— Stock, "Seven Sisters." GRAND OPERA HOUSE (C. Lathrop, mgr.). —Burlesque, "Jardin de Paris Burlesquers." GAIETY (George T. Bachellor, mgr.).— Burlesque, "Columbia Burlesquers." CASINO (Charles Waldron, mgr.).—Bur- lesque, "Knickerbocker Burlesquers." HOWARD (Al Somerby, mgr.).—Burlesque, "Bohemian Burlesquers," and Red Sox Quar- tette, as added attraction. BOSTON OPERA HOUSE (Henry Russell, mgr.. director.).—Grand Opera. At last the local police landed the youth that cleaned out scores of dressing room* In local theatres. His name Is Abraham Hoffman and he lives In the South End of the city. Inspectors from headquarters arrested him. He was held In $2,000 for the grand jury, by Judge Sullivan, of the municipal court. He admitted four dressing room breaks and told the police In his confession where he had disposed of the stolen goods. He was one of the slickest-looking prisoners ever brought into headquarters, dressing In the height of fashion. His method was to enter the theatre by the stage door. He Invariably carried a bar or suit case. Without speak- ing to anyone he brushed by the door tender and while the professionals were rehearsing he would enter the rooms and help himself to their belongings. Aug. 24 he entered a room at the Park theatre, where he stole a gold matoh box valued at $00 <nu a silver watch worth $15 from Paul Dlncker, who we* playing with May Robson's company. Two weeks ago he entered a room at the Or- pheum and stole property valued at $30 from George Sombrero. Myrtle Vlctorlne and Irene Zola lost some of their belongings at the National last week. The Olympla theatre and the local Y. M C. A. building were also robbed by him. The police w»y t:*n cases against this chap. Lotta Crabtree has established four sta- tions In Boston's principal streets, where chain shoes for horses, burlap and jute mats will be available for horses that fmi on slippery pavements. If the recommendations made by the Fi- nance CommtastoB of Boston are carried ou> by the building commissioners, «very theatre in Boston that was built before 1007 would have to close. The Finance Commission in its report states that the protection afforded the theatres at present is adequate, but that the law relating to theatres is inadequate. The Inspection of theatres is satisfactory, ac- cording to the commissions report, but cer- tain defects in the buildings are beyond the control of the Building Commissioners de- partment. These are the recommendations of the Finance Commission that are to be taken up, either by the department, or by a new legis- lative act and will Include every building of public assembly converted Into a theatre, since Aur. 1 1007: "In every such place built in a block, not on a corner, there should be two open courts, or passageways, extending from the prosceni- um line to the line of the street. "The entrance should not be more than one step above the level of the sidewalk of the main street, and the stage not more than five feet above the said level. "Every theatre and place of public assem- bly having a stage with scenery or other combustible material thereon, should have a fireproof proscenium wall. "AM aisles should be of the width prescribed by section 88 of the act. "Inclines In level of floors should be of the grade prescribed. "The aggregate capacity of the foyers, lob- Nothing Better FOR XMAS Than a Year's Subscription to VARIETY Send Four Dollars And it will be attended to When atmoering a dv mtUt m mtt MnOly mention VAlLUrY.