Variety (January 1914)

8 VARIETY All FOR THE LADIES About Women—Mostly By PLAIN MARY (Vesta Powell) Trixic Friganza (Colonial) is a striking picture in a wrap of yellow brocade silk with collar and cuffs of white fox, a head dress is a bird of paradise. Miss Friganza af- terwards changed to a white silk affair with a drapery of gold cloth. It was dif- ficult to tell whether it was a straight or comedy make-up (I decided it was the latter). Miss Friganza also wears a burlesque ballet dress of white net that is a scream. In this she bur- lesques the "Spring Dance," assisted by a young man who takes several hard tumbles and appears to be lame when the dance is over, through hand- ling the plump Trixie. Mile. Stantone La Pianiste de Mystere, (assistant to the great Mercedes) is a tall, stately blonde, who appears to good advan- tage in a long trained gown of glitter- ing gold spangled net. The act is clever and mysterious, to say the least of it, and the woman must have a wonderful memory to play all the music the audi- ence called for. "The Darling of Paris" is howling for new costumes (at least it looks that way). The gowns worn by the show girls are in frightful condition. Even cleaning would not help matters much, as some of the dresses are frayed and torn be- yond repair. The act calls for elab- orate clothes. The Flying Martins, two male trapeze performers, are neat in white union suits and they are wearing the prettiest rhinestone belts, arm bands and head dresses imagin- able. I do admire glittering jewels on men. Grace Doyle (American last week) was well dressed in a white charmeuse afternoon gown. The young woman of the Harry Holman Co. was stylish in a nicely fitting suit of black cloth with collar and cuffs of velvet and a small black velvet hat. Mrs. Sig Franz wears a yellow sweater and cap, while riding a wheel in the Franz ironpe. It could be replaced by any one of the costumes to be had that would be more becoming. The Academy of Music stock com- pany played "The Yoke" last week. Priscilla Knowles handled the fem- inine lead, that of Angelica. She did some impressive acting, but was not altogether suited to the character in appearance. Hooper D. Atchlcy played opposite as Maurice and did extremely well. Other roles were well taken by the excellent company. Bernard Thornton is a young chap and did a eollege student. He appeared to be slow and dull at first, but afterwards developed into the wildest cut-up im- aginable, and held up the comedy end, becoming a strong favorite. Miss Knowles wore some attractive clothes. Among them was an evening gown of black satin. In it she looked her best. Maude Morrison was a suffragette, but failed to look it, appearing much too womanish. She was lovely in a purple cloth gown trimmed with skunk fur, and later looked well in a white satin and black lace evening gown. Genevieve Warner (Fifth Avenue) looks beautiful in an Egyptian cos- tume of white silk, heavily jeweled, and afterwards in an evening gown of cream satin with tunic of chiffon. An "Irish Colleen" costume is also in her wardrobe. Another girl who sings in the act, has a gown of purple with tunic of silver lace. The dress is pret- ty, but the Egyptian clothes set her eff much better. There is also a girl violinist who wears a green satin gown that is several inches too short, giving her a rather lean, scrawney look. Flor D'Aliza (Torcat and D' Aliza) wears a pretty and dainty sou- bret dress of white and blue chiffon. The girl assistant with The Great Harrah is attractive in a pink satin costume. It is a straight piece of satin reaching to the knees, slipped off one shoulder, worn over pink stockings and panta- lets of satin crossed with black vel- \et. There is not much to the costume but what there is of it is "nifty." All gowns worn by the other fair ones on the bill have been mentioned before. "Absinthe," a four-reel Universal feature, written and produced by Her- bert Brenon, is now being shown. The picture was made in and around Paris. It has some pretty scenery, and the photography is excellent. King Bag- got plays the "Absinthe Fiend"; his work is good. Leah Baird is the unfaithful wife of the ab- sinthe drinker and does some fine acting. Miss Baird is one of the beautiful movie actresses, and appears to good advantage in this film. CABARETS LEAH BAIRD Loading Lady with the Imp Company. Do people go to dancing cabarets to dance? Most of those who patronize the places apparently like to trot and go there for that purpose, but the man- agement don't always believe it. In some of the dancing places a cabaret entertainment is given, with little time for the public to indulge in stepping. Last week one dancing cabaret had a show on the stage that cost almost $2,500 for the week. Between the acts and the professional dancers engaged, there was little time left for the pub- lic to dance from 11 until 1. Another dancing cabaret nearby has a horde of dancers who are always on the floor k seems, dancing as an act, which takes up the time which might better be given over to those who want to dance. As a matter of fact, the danc- ing cabaret in New York which has led all others in business since Sep- tember is the only one which has not had a professional entertainer or dancer on its pay roll during that time. The theory of the management often is that when patrons are dancing they are not drinking, and the bars suffer accordingly. But if the people may dance as often as they liked they will remain longer and dance when they feel like it instead of sitting on their chairs, carrying a grouch that could never mean a cent for the bar and vowing inwardly the next time to find a dancing floor where dancing is allowed. The Folies Marigny announces a series of balls for this season, with no dates given. An "Arabian N'ght," hop takes place Feb. 19. Following the Lopoukowa engage- ment on the New York Roof, the white band will be replaced by a col- ored organization of musicians once mue. Healy's, at 66th street and Broadway, had a "Parisienne Carnival" Wednes- day night as this week's feature. A tango contest was included in it. While a report has been spreading about of late that the cabaret business, restaurant and dancing, is showing a decline, there doesn't seem to be any real grounds for the rumor, at least in the better grade of places. Monday night, at the New York Roof, the at- tendance was as large as yet noted there any evening early in the week, while other dancing cabarets are pull- ing large crowds, especially with the relax of police stricture on the closing hour. It looks as though Mayor Mit- chel, who is a dancing devotee him- self, has concluded not to be too strin- gent, and may issue several all night licenses. One thing that hurts dancing cabarets around New York is the venti- lation. The people unconsciously seek those resorts where they are the most comfortable after dancing, and the places that they become heated in quickly are avoided, giving the well ventilated cabarets the best play. Joan Sawyer, who has been dancing with Lew Quinn lately, at the dancing cabarets (her last place of professional abode being the Folies Marigny on the top of the 44th Street theatre), is branching out for herself, having obtained, by lease, the Persian Room of the Palais de Danse (Winter Gar- den). This is the cabaret recently turned over to Gus Edwards to manage on the artistic side. Miss Sawyer has a large personal following among the nice sets of New York addicted to the trot craze, and should make the person- ally conducted venture a profitable one. The "contest" thing for dancing- cabarets is the genuine article now. This week the New York Roof com- menced a daily contest, starting Mon- day with a Waltz affair; Tuesday, Tur- key Trot; Wednesday, Tango; Thurs- day, Waltz; Friday, Turkey Trot; Saturday, Prize Winners' Contests. These are for amateurs only. Besides the afternoon contests at Healy's, the place is having a regular Wednesday Night affair, this Wednesday terming it "Star Carnival Contest." Whether these argue that the dancing craze is fading a bit is problematical, but it displays a keen desire to hold up busi- ness in the afternoons, and Healy's, one of the best-patronized dancing floors in town, is drawing big business with its special Wednesday night event. Baldwin Sloane and Grace Field, the dancers at Reisenweber's, are to appear in vaudeville, for a week commencing Feb. 2, at Hammerstein's. The Alamo is the name of the raths- keller-dancing-cabaret under the Hur- tig & Seamon new burlesque house on West 125th street. Mike Secreson, for- merly at the College Inn, is running the place, one of the best laid out in New York, with a dancing floor that is very inviting. The floor takes up one-half the space, running alongside the tables. It is entitled to do business. The en- tertainers there are Jo Jo and Delaney, Irving Dash, Sidney Falk and The Alamo Orchestra. San Francisco, Jan. 28. Edward F. Bryant, the new tax col- lector, evidently is of the opinion all cabarets and cafes where tango danc- ing is a feature, should pay the city a license for the privilege of dancing in public. A well known local attorney is of the opinion that any place which does not charge an admission fee to see the tango danced, is immune from taxation. Cincinnati, Jan. 28. The btory about his dancing with Ev- elyn Thaw at the Sinton Hotel a.ul other places was great advertising for Harry Messinger. He and Lucille Storer arc making a small fortune teaching Cincinnati society the tango, the one-step and the hesitation. The couple is getting $25 an hour for giv- ing exhibitions in the Sinton dining room. They have also established sev-' e.a! «t*4dios.