Variety (January 1914)

18 VARIETY NEW ACTS NEXT WEEK Initial P re— n tadon. Pint Apponmnco or Reappearance In or Around Now York Neil Kenyon, Colonial. ' Clownland," Colonial. Parry Lauder, Casino. Lona Garrick, Casino. Irene Berceseny, Casino. Erno Rapec, Casino. Ethel Bourne, Casino. Madge Perry, Alhambra. "Woman Proposes/' Alhambra. Billy A Edith Adams, Alhambra. Jack Taylor, Alhambra. "Wrong from the Start," Bronx. •The Porch Party," Fifth Ave. Mme. Mary's Greatest Show, Fifth Ave. Mr. and Mrs. Pasquale Mario, Fifth Ave. Vina Bailey and Fred Fischer. Songs and Talk. 17 Mine.; Two. Union Square. Vina Bailey is described as "the prima donna comedienne." A list of Fred Fischer's songs is printed to iden- tify him. The pair offer an amusing arrangement of talk and songs, with Mr. Fischer seated at the piano and engaging in repartee from time to time with Miss Bailey. Fischer does most of his talking with a tangled German accent, although he does not assume a character. Their songs appear to have been especially written for the present act. For a wonder there is no "song plugging," with the exception of Miss Bailey's announcement that "Mande- lay" is Mr. Fischer's "latest success." The song writer has an effective comic recitation, "My Fiiend Levy," to oc- cupy time while his partner makes a trifling change. A suffragette song with incidental talk won attention and the couple closed with an exchange of talk set to music. Ru$k Hoir and Boggs. Talk and Songs. 14 Mins.; Two (Lunch Room Drop). Bronx O. H. (Dec. 28). "Fly talk" in a lunch room between a slangy waitress and a pert young actor with only a nickel in his jeans. Much of the patter is new, bright and crisp. Y. M. kids about the food displayed on the counter and S. W. kids right back. Y. M. finally gives an eating exhibition without interrup- tion of patter which carried the team along at the Bronx O. H. showing. Hoir and Boggs can't sing, although they have two numbers to vary the talk. It is a capital act for the pop houses. The dialog is bound to cause genuine laughter. Mark. Arthur La Vine and Co. (8). 4 Girl Act" 29 Mins.; Full Stage. Grand O. H. (Dec 28). The offering has a fairly good idea, but its working out is crude. Con- tinued playing may knit the sketch to- gether, which seems to be the first requisite. At the showing Sunday it was an extremely loose arrangement. There were disastrous stage waits and it was evident the dialog had never be- fore been tried out. The "trial show- ing" was unsatisfactory, as is not un- commonly the case. The act is made up of six girls and three comedians. It opens with promise, with one of the comedians leading a "number" called "Back to Bridgeport." The number is an entirely satisfactory introduction. Then comes a distracting wait, to be followed by the entrance of a German comedian with inconsequential talk which halts things and fails to hold up interest. The German takes up at least five minutes of time without giving anything in return, except preliminary talk to introduce an "aeroplane num- ber." This develops in time, taking its only value from the six snappy girls. Two comedians are presently (after an inexcusable stage wait) introduced as the occupants of an aeroplane (Fields and Wolly did something like this once) in a duolog, the matter of which has to do with the places they are sup- posed to be passing over. The talk has little value. An incident to this division of the act is a rather novel number, delivered by a girl who comes into view in a "parachute" which swings into sight. The aeroplanists then come to the ground and introduce a small comedy bit involving a stalled taxicab. For the finish the taxi explodes with a breakaway arrangement, letting loose a suckling pig which rushes to a nursing bottle in the hands of one of the comedians. This makes the "laugh- ing finish." What the turn needs above all is a general speeding up. The transition from number to talk and back to number is bad. The main ap- peal of the turn Sunday, in an unfin- ished state, was the enthusiasm and ap- pearance of its half dozen girls. The comedy failed to score. Hush. Nelson and Lamar. Dancers. 15 Mins.; Full Stage. Bronx O. H. (Dec. 28). Nelson and Lamar are of the usual man-woman combinations doing the tango and turkey trot. This team dance well, but need more class to give them any kind of vaudeville dis- tinction. Still they can play pop houses and that should suffice. Look as though they had had cabaret floor practice. Afark. Woods Duo. Singing and Dancing. 14 Mins.; One. Grand O. H. (Dec. 28). Combination of straight man and girl, the latter a plump, round-faced "kid," who sustains that role both as to appearance and deportment. She is the strength of the offering—a rather light arrangment of trifling talk, with sevcial neat numbers. They open with g«ve and take of conversation, from which the man goes into a topical song. More talk and the girl does another song. Together for quick exchange of patter, during which a good idea is suggested, but not developed. This is the girl's offer to show how her grown sister entertains her beaux. The sub- ject promises much of comic develop- ment, but they let it go almost as soon as they start. They finish with a bit of a dar.ee, disclosing the fact that the "kid" is a graceful stepper. The Sun-o day afternoon audience liked the pair. Pop audiences generally will do like- wise. Mush. Ross and Tinsman, Comedy Acrobats. 14 Mina.; Full Stage (Wooda). Grand O. H. (Dec 28). Two men featuring the "swaying table pyramid" after Bert Melrose and others. The pair use the "singing bird" bit that has been accredited to Mel- rose. They also employ for comedy purposes a bit that brings to mind the Keatons. This is the exchange of broom-and-fist blows between the comedians timed to the strains of "The Anvil Chorus." Ross and Tinsman have besides a splendid series of novel acrobatic falls, catches and bits of ground tumbling that appear to be of their own devising. The pair work up this most effectively and encroach on the specialties made familiar by others only at intervals. This is especially apparent at the finish when the light tumbler works the slow fall from the four-high tables. Even this is done in ?;i effective manner. Jtu*h. Deland and Carr and Co. "The Fire Escape" (Comedy). 13 Mina.; Full Stage (Interior). American- Scene is a hotel bedroom, with fire escape visible through the window. It is disclosed in conversation between fresh bellboy and man occupant of the room that egress in case of fire is through the room for everybody on that floor. Man sends his clothes out to be pressed, and cavorts about the stage, a pretty figure in B. V. D.'s. Of course there's a fire, and Miss Carr appears, attired in a pink silk nightie. Picture 1 This is made the basis of much tearing around and loud talk. It appears that the girl and man are engaged but have just had a lover's quarrel. Their predicament brings about a reconciliation, when the man wraps himself up in the rubber sheet from the shower bath. The American audience laughed until it was weak. The sketch should be a comedy "knockout" on the pop circuits. It is the piece played on the big time by Harry Woodruff or some other well known legitimate actor. Rush. Irving Livingston and Co. "The American Idea." 2C Mins., Full Stage (Interior). National, Boston. With the exception of "Toplitzki," there have been few comedy playlets based on Jewish life that have proved to be of real merit with real characters that are true to life and without offense. But Lily Carthew, author of "The Foibles of 1913," presented a year ago at the Shubert, under the auspices of the Business Women's Club, has put across a winner which was given its try-out at the National this week. Liv- ingston and Rosetta Rose carry the leading roles of the Jewish father and mother, Jules Levan, J. Madison and Esther Rose completing the company. The story concerns the daughter who elopes with a man named John Kelley despite the frenzied protests of the parents. The climax comes when she returns with the bridegroom who turns out to have been born Kellikovitch and who had his name changed to Kelley. The company is capable, and in a couple of weeks should be giving a capital performance. Gooltz. NEW SHOWS NEXT WEEK Initial P res e ntation of Legitimate Attractions In Now York "The Legend of Leonora" (Maude Ad- ams), Empire, Jan. 5. "Young Wisdom," Criterion, Jan. 5. "Kitty McKay/' Comedy, Jan. 5. "A Thousand Years Ago/' Shubert, Jan. 6. "The Yellow Ticket/' Eltinge, Jan. 6. "A Little Water on the Side," Hudson, Jan. 6. "Eliza Cornea to Stay/' Garrick, Jan. 7. "The Whirl of the World," Wintergar- den, Jan. 7. Lionel ^aris. Mo nolo gist. 14 Mins.; One. Bronx O. H. (Dec 28). Lionel Paris is one of those pop house "singles" who does the walking in and out stunt on his opening song with the orchestra leader "breaking" in with the word "certainly." Paris also sings "Just Break the News to Mother" with "bits" interrupting the number at the end of each line. He also "monologs" and then winds up with a long song which none of the other fellows are using. Paris hasn't much in trade to help him reach the big time but as his act is best ar- ranged for pop house audiences he shouldn't worry as long as the "three and four-a-day" Come his way. Mark. Monie Mine. Songs. 13 Mina.; One. Columbia (Dec. 28). Monie Mine sang three songs at the Columbia Sunday afternoon in 13 min- utes. Each called for a change of wearing apparel, but even so, the length of time tells that the numbers were slow, three verses and choruses each deprived Miss Mine, who is an English girl, of any chance on that particular afternoon. "I Don't Think It Matters, Kind Sir" was her first, "You Say You Like Your Job" the second, and "Mister Man" her third. Miss Mine has played over here before, af a single, but should she wish to do that again the numbers used at the Columbia will have to be changed— all of them. Sime. Arthur and Grace Terry. Lariat Throwing. 10 Mins.; Full Stage. Columbia (Dec. 28). The biggest mark against this new turn to the east is the intent of the man in it to copy Will Rogers in the latter's manner of talking during his tricks with the rope. Though Mr. Terry speaks and handles himself nat- urally on the stage, it is nevertheless an imitation of Rogers. A pretty girl, who doesn't seem to understand make up, works with him. She brings the turn to a strong finish through ma- nipulating what her partner says is a 70-ft. rope. Mr. Terry has several new bits of individual work in connection with the rope throwing, such as doing a "drunk" while keeping it whirling, and the couple do rag steps inside the lariat. Sime.