Variety (September 1913)

VARIETY 23 tion, which did only fairly, but will be more successful before a regular audi- ence. Burton and Lerner, with excellent singing, and comedy no less e£Fective i/i a rough way, were the laughing hit in next to closing place. They hold closely to the old Bixley and Lerner routine, which Ed Bixley claims be- longs to him. During the act of the Waters Girls one of the sisters dressed for a change behind the drop in "one." Someone had so placed a light behind her that her figure was plainly silhouetted on the drop, an effect that may have been unintentional. Ruah. nFTH AVENUE. (Estimated Coat of Show, $2,400.) The Fifth Avenue got a good show cheap this week. It didn't get started for some time, but once under way ran to a fast finish, if Gus Edwards' "Bingville Cabaret" (New Acts) may be excepted. It closed the show, forc- ing Basse's Terriers into the opening spot. The dog act is nice in a small way. There isn't much to it, but some of the training is excellent and the work has considerable comedy. The hit of the bill was Edwin Ste- vens (New Acts), while the big laugh- ing honors went to Bert Melrose, who for once got a good position. Melrose as a clown comedy acrobat is entitled to a lot for doing things of his own that are different. He does them and does them well. His imitators may come aiid go. None gets the laughs Melrose does with his high table fall. He has some new funny bits. If you don't see Melrose do it you don't see it at all. Another turn that brought laughs was that of James F. Kelly and Emma Pol- lock in the former Kelly and Kent turn. Mr. Kelly has the act as good as it ever was, with Miss Pollock opposite him. The prize fight finish, with the tough dance preceding and the entire turn worked in "one" brought a plenty next to closing. Watching Kelly now it may be noted that several little bits of business, gestures and even dialog used by him for years have been borrowed lately by others around. Miss Pollock sang "Maggie Murphy's Home," which she created in "Reilly and the 400." It is announced. Given a hard position to hold up in this program Monday evening, Kelly and Pollock shouldered their burden and ran away with it. The Juggling Burkes were "No. 3," moved down there' from the opening place. Two boys juggle clubs in "one," trying in a way it seems to do a Lynch and Zeller act, but if so, they are fall- ing way short of that turn. Several misses were made Monday night, and the talk indulged in brought nothing. One thing that will quickly improve the Burkes as jugglers is a change in music. It's incomprehensible why so many "dumb acts" or acts that should be dumb, will use such ill-advised music. The Burkes have an orchestra- tion in vogue 20 years ago for their line of labor. If they wish to help the illusion of fast club juggling, why not use fast music or any popular strains that will be liked? Haydn and Bertin (New Acts) did nothing in the "No. 2" position. After Lynn Overman and Co. (New Acta), Jeanne d'Esta (New Acts) showed up the show with four sad songs. Follow- ing the Stevens turn, Bigelow, Camp- bell and Rayden (New Acts) kept up the pace started. Melrose dropped in at "H," followed by the Kelly-Pollock act. Fair house Monday evening. This show should commence to draw busi- ness at the Fifth Avenue before the week ends. It's final half leaves a pleasant impression that brings for- getfulness of the first section. Sime. COLONIAL (Eatimated Cost of Show, $3,400.) Aside from an inexcusable conflict and an unnecessary stage wait, there is nothing at all the matter with the Colonial bill this week. It's an enter- taining layout. The conflict lies between the clos- ing act, "Neptune's Garden," and Mau- rice and Walton, and, to make it more difficult for "Neptune's Garden," the stage wait preceded it, although Belle Baker's time seemed sufficient to set the platform for the Hippodrome show. Casetta and Lestora in the so-called "La Danse Dementia" looked all wrong with their modified "Apache," after Maurice and Walton had checked up a number of graceful tangoes and waltz- es. The conflict gave the former pair a bad start, and the continued stalling throughout the act made things worse. While a pretty spectacle and preten- tiously staged, it runs too slowly to satisfy, when the balance of the show looked like a speed wizard in compari- son. Maurice and Florence Walton, shar- ing the topline with Belle Baker, were an unmistakable hit. Neighborhood popularity may be responsible for the two weeks' stay here, but neighborhood popularity had nothing to do with Monday's impression. They won on points. Miss Baker likewise registered her usual mark, going through her com- plete repertoire and being forced to a dead number for a final encore. Nev- ertheless, her conception of the song resuscitated it for the time being. To choose the hit of the evening one need not look beyond her section of the program. The Alexander Brothers opened with a novelty juggling turn, in which ball- bouncing is featured. It's away from the stereotyped juggling acts and nat- urally won its way. William Weston and Franklyn Mae, supported by four others, offered "At- torneys," a sort of hidden musical act, in which pretty clothes and a classy set seem to be the sole supports. The musical repertoire doesn't embrace any- thing beyond the very ordinary, and what the act gained was on appear- ance alone. It filled the second gap. Canfield and Ashley have a good line of talk, and while the parodylog fdea goes as well as formerly it would be improved could Canfield sing. His "straightening" is excellent; his de- livery and appearance fine, but his voice short. Ashley is as Ashley was, with- out the crepe hair. Cooper and Robinson opened the second half to plenty applause, and Bowers, Walters and Crooker, and Dinehart and Heritage came in for their share. Wynn. 23RD STREET A full three-hour show, including the pictures, was given at the 23d Street Tuesday evening to a capacity audi- ence. The vaudeville end of the enter- tainment was not up to "scratch," due in the main to the failure of the "big act," Rube Welch and Co. (New Acts) to score. It fell down hard and had a depressing effect upon the remainder of the show. Zeno and Mandell, Faust and Williams, New Acts. Phil Bernard, a Germon monologist, proved to be a poor imitation of the late Cliff Gordon, with talk so old as to include a routine on Dr. Cook. His parodies were similarly aged. Bernard is apparently without any natural tal- ent as a monologist and even German tangle-talk fails to get him over. Arthur Forbes and Co. two people in a comedy skit "A Slight Mistake." Hubby comes home slightly intoxi- cated. Prior to that Wifey has had quite a neat little conve^ation with herself and leaves the stitge. He enters and indulges himself similarly. Wifey overhears and there occurs the usual old-fashioned, utterly impossible series of misunderstandings in which each suspects the other of infidelity. Kaiser's Dogs, a canine comedy turn with some good stunts. Most of the films were of the fea- ture variety. The principal one was a three-reel Kinemacolor "In the Days of Robin Hood" and was greeted with healthy applause at the close. The funeral of Mayor Gaynor also proved interesting. There was also a two-reel Thanhouser feature in which was shown an American Indian sporting a cute little moustache. Jolo. AMERICAN The Daleys started the bill humming with their dancing of the trot, tommy and tango, with the woman showing a costume that made one look twice. Page and Newton (New Acts) slowed things up so that Williams and War- ner were unable to do much with the audience with their music. Mab and Weiss got along fairly well, but the midgets didn't enthuse much them- selves. The roof is different from down stairs. The big feature was Frances Clare and Co. Miss Clare and girls worked like beavers to thaw out the icy bunch out front and succeeded to a great ex- tent. It's a dandy act for the Roof and would have gone much better had the surrounding acts and house condi- tions been more satisfying. The intermission gave the frozen ones a chance to exercise and get the blood in circulation. Gertie De Milt pleased with her personality and dis- play of physical charms. Robert Henry Hodge and Co. (New Acts) stirred up some laughter, while Nat Carr, with some amusing new material, did what he could to rouse the lethargic auditors. He succeeded fairly well. His oldest parodies were the best re- ceived. Barrow and Milo closed. Mark. WINANT IN BETWEEN. Two Broadway producing firms claim the services of Forrest Win- ant, who has been playing the juve- nile role in Owen Davrs' "The Family Cupboard" since it opened. William A. Brady laid first claim to Winant while Wagenhals & Kemper announced he would be in their premiere of "After Five." Last week it looked like Brady. Monday Winant reported for rehear- sal at the Berkeley Lyceum of the DeMille play, saying that he had had no contract with Brady then went back to the Brady playhouse. "After Five," which is expected to come into New York soon, will have its first performance either Oct. 13 oi 16. James Bradbury, the veteran actor, is with the piece. Winant is still playing with "The Family Cupboard," He and Franklyn Ardell will remain with the company. Alice Brady, W. A.'s daughter, leaves in two weeks to join "The Red Canary." STRIKE STIIiL ON. Waterloo, la., Sept. 24. The union stage hands at the Water- loo theatre are still out. A. J. Busby, the manager, says he will not sign the scale asked for, 115 to 120 weekly, with the men to do the bill posting. Busby claims he has only one attrac- tion a week so far booked owing to the scarcity and he cannot afford an entire season at that scale. So far he has used non-union men. Fifth Vice-President Calvin of St. Louis was here for a week, but did nothing. The union men are getting hand bills telling there is a strike on at this the- atre. UNION SUSPENDS MEMBER. Trenton, Sept. 24. Charles Hibbs, stage manager of the Taylor Opera House, has been tempo- rarily suspended from membershi]y in the I. A. T. S. E. on the charge that he cut the union scale to hold his job. The local voted the suspension but agreed that he would be reinstated if he would take a job with a road com- pany. Hibbs went to Newark to seek such a position. Manager M. Moses of the Opera House, it is said, offered the job to John Whalen and John Clinton, both road men, with the stipulation that they cut the union scale below $25 a week. They reported to the local union heads and Hibbs was summoned. TOO MUCH NOISE. Chicago, Sept. 24. There may be a general house clean- ing in the Ft. Dearborn Building the home of several agents and the Ham- burger booking office within the next few weeks. The owners of the build- ing do not care for the noise and muss which the small time agency has brought and so have decreed all things theatrical be swept from the confines of'the building. NEW BUILDINGS. The new Virginia theatre, seating 1,000, at Suffolk, Va., has been com- pleted. Edward Tlsne ban Joined the OeorKS H. Bummera' atock company, which left New York Moodar for Vancouver, H. C, to play a win- ter encasfloaent Summers had the summor atock organlaation at Hamilton, O., thin sum- mer If joa don't advertlae In VARIBTY, doa^