Variety (February 1914)

VARIITY 19 Joan Sawyer and Jack Jarrott. Ballroom Dancing. 14 Mint.; Pull SUge (Palace). Palace. The professional dancers, one after the other, when acquirinig a following or receiving credit for having one, are being snared by vaudeville. It's the money, of course, but professional dancers enjoy their work, for it's not work to thehi. When the New York cabarets were closing at one, the pro- fessionals in them, after dancing pro- fessionally all evening, would go to an upper Broadway place that remained open all night, continuing to dance there, either from enjoyment, insomnia or vanity. The society dancing team at the Palace this week contains two of the earliest trotters of New York. Miss Sawyer really started professional dancing about when first going on the New York Roof, excepting Maurice and Walton, who antedated her. She was the leader then, and with all due respect to the other girls who think they are, Miss Sawyer has never lost that position among professional dancers. She has looks, style and grace, and has never danced as well as with Mr. Jarrott, although Wallace Mc- Cutcheon and Carlos Sebastian were excellent partners for her in the past. Mr. Jarrott first showed in New York at the old defunct Folies Bergere, where he did a "Tommy" or "Turkey bear," at that time the prevailing craze. Known then as "The Alabama Kid," Jarrott cculd not attract attention to himself as a trotter, although it was conceded by those who had seen them all that Jarrott was then the best rag dancer in New York. Coupling with Miss Sawyer has been of help to him, as it has been to her. They dance well together, although of the same height. And their routine is not the usual one. Jarrott has put in his own dance, call- ing it "The Congo Tango" or "Negro Drag." It's a slow rag, with Miss Saw- yer doing a high school step while Mr. Jarrott does a little buck and wing stuff while they are moving together. It's neat and different. They used it to close with and the audience waxed enthusiastic, as they did over the other dances, the opening one, "Aeroplane Waltz," getting as much as any. This waltz Miss Sawyer first did with Mr. McCutchcon. It's very pretty, they gliding back and forth, slowly rising and dropping in graceful moves with a full stop, getting a wave effect from the front with it. "Three in One" was the title of the second dance that car- ried three styles of ragging, with a change in time by the colored orches- tra of eight pieces on the stage that had been brought to the Palace from the Persian Room at the Palais de Danse, where Miss Sawyer and Mr. Jarrott are restaurant-dancing. A "Maxixe" was equally well liked. It may be said that of all the society dancers, with the same exception of Maurice and Walton, Sawyer and Jar- rott have scored the best stage suc- cess. Miss Sawyer wore a handsome black gown, probably of satin, with a jet bodice that made her a yery at- tractive picture. JSime. If yon don't sdvertlse la VARIETY don't ndvertlM at all. James Kennedy and Co. (4). ''Jack Swifr (Comedy). 19 Mini.; Pour (Interior). 23rd Street* James Kennedy has played many roles in stock and in his present vaude- ville offering entitled "Jack Swift," he's wearing the red tie and red vest which made him a familiar figure in the west for years. Jim is one of those breezy type of comedians who can ad lib whenever he cares to and not jar the running of his little com- edy. It looks as though Kennedy had retained some of his former stock as- sociates as he carries four people be- sides himself, two men and two women. One of the former does only a "bit" but he does it in such a way it fits in with results that could not be obtained by pressing a stage hand into service. One man plays Wylie, the detective, who is after a young forger. Said forger is brother of Miss Lin- dale, who is beloved by both Jack Swift (James Kennedy) and Wylie. One of the women does a "rough kid" character who bobs in and out at times to create new atmosphere. The other role is a messenger boy with one short scene. At the 23rd Street the act, thanks to Kennedy's witty and slangy talk, was well received. It's a big company for the pop time, but that's where the act belongs. Mark. Louise Alexander and Clive Logan. Society Dancing. 16 Mins.; Full Suge. Fifth Avenue. Louise Alexander and Clive Logan, who have attained a certain vogue through ballroom dancing in restau- rants, have taken the inevitable vaude- ville plunge and are offering three of the prevailing dances, accompanied by their own colored orchestra of five, placed on the stage. They open with the Argentine tango, followed by a waltz hesitation and finish with the maxixe. It is noticeable this pair lift their feet a trifle higher than the gen- eral run of "society" terpsichoreanists, but they scored as do all the others of that ilk at present. A neat, classy- looking couple. Jolo, Five Melody Boys. Instrumental and Comedy. 16 Mins.; Interior (5); One (11). Fifth Avenue. Four straight instrumentalists and one blackfac^d comedian. They play brass, then a little crossfire talk, the sextet from "Lucia" in ragtime (one playing the piano), saxophone solo in which all later join, a little more comedy and pop melodies. They qualify as instrumentalists, but there isn't sufficient comedy. Jolo. Gibaon and Rann«y. Talk and Song. 13 Mina.; One (Special Drop). Bronx O. H. (Feb. IS). Man in dress suit, woman in evening gown sheathed to the knee on left side, with no underskirt. Drop shows front of Luna Park. Both enter masked (it is supposed to be-Mardi Gras). They flirt and agree to unmask. Horrors! They are man and wife. Spoil it all by using "well off before married but didn't know it." Most of the Ulk is good and such lines reduce the general effect. Woman might alter the regu- lation routine of walking up to the man each time she emits a "come- back" and then walk away; it grows monotonous. Finish with a duet Good for the big small houses. Jolo. McCree and LaPort Comedy Trapesiata. 8 Mina.; Pull Stage. 23rd Street McCree and LaPort in exaggerated Scottish dress go through a neat lit- tle double routine on the trapeze with some comedy thrown in through the usual aerial channel The act hits them hard with its burlesque strong arm windup worked up along new lines. The men, dressed a la Japanese for the finish, offer a balancing ladder stunt with the topmounter and the ladder suspended by wires. Bound to create laughter anywhere on its ab- surdity, (jood comedy for pop houses. Mark, Anita. Singing, Instrumental, Stepping. 13 Mins.; Full Stage (7); One (6). Bronx O. H. (Feb. IS). Rather tall, slender girl. Opens with a song, flashing hand-mirror to audi- ence; pianolog; violin in Turkish hloomers, prancing about; "Trau- merei" on fiddle; then singing to ac- companiment of violin and doing pirouette whirling while fiddling. Big small timer, capable of development. Jolo. Bogga and Adama. Songa and Talk. 14 Mine.; One. Hamilton. Splendidly suited for the pop houses. Man and woman of good looks, equipped with suiTicient personality to make a good impression, and withal a turn that pleased them at the Ham- ilton the last half of last week. Pop managers could use this team to good advantage. Mturk. Joe Kettler and Co. (2). Comedy-Dramatic 16 Mina.; Poll Stage. (Special Set) Bronx O. H. (Fab. IS). Bucolic comedy-dramatic playlet. Two old men in love with a "widder." More correctly speaking the old skin- flint villain has some coin, has had three wives and is postmaster. In that capacity, he has held back the "wid- der's" pension until he can propose marriage to her. The other bumpkin is honest and hence poor. Skinflint holds mortgage on widow's houses; threatens to foreclose. Everything ends happily as usual for the poor peo- ple. Both men good "types," with the widow rather mechanical in her work. Good small time sketch. Jolo. Shall and Cole. Singing, Dancing. 10 Mine.; One. 125th Street Man and woman. Man does differ- ent "walks" while stepping (popular in small time). She sings a comic and a ballad. Conclude with double eccen- tric stepping. Good big small timers. Jolo. Wellington and Qlaaa. Songa and Talk. 16 Mina.; One (Special Drop; Exterior). Grand (Feb. IS). Another straight-Hebrew comedian frameup with usual exchange of pat- ter with latter asking and receiving the usual explanations. Act suffered through following a talking turn with Jewish comedy. For the finish the straight sings several old songs with the other man taking same tunes and rendering parodies. Team's sphere is small time, where they should get re- turns commensurate with their act Mark. Williams and Walea. Songs. 11 Mine.; One. Bronx O. H. (Feb. IS). Two girls, evening gowns, boudoir caps, braids down backs, small voices, doing counter-harmony stunt Voices are "fresh"—not "tired." An indefin- able "class" and refinement about the girls in spite of the incongruity of dressing. Not good enough for big time and not to be classified as small timers; more of a lyceum turn. Jolo. Brinkley and Enhom. Society Dancing. 8 Mina.; Foil SUge. Bronx O. H. (Feb. IS). Usual routine of "walks," Argentine and Tango stuff. Man dances with his top hat on. Both awkward and "un< yielding." No class, which is the main essential for such a turn. Jolo. The Darlinga. Equilibrlim, Trapeze. 8 Mins.; Pull Stage. Bronx O. H. (Feb. 15). Man in clown make-up, balances on unsupported ladder, "walking" with it across stage, in probably better routine than any yet shown; woman in tights does ordinary trapeze work. Man also uses single stilt for walking (hopping) up and down a flight of steps. Good big small time act. Jolo. Bantley BalL Singing. 12 Mine.; One. Bronx O. H. (Feb. 15). Man announces a series of national songs, the heralding in each instance delivered in verse. For each song he changes costume and wig. "My Own United States" is a sure-fire finbh. Sunday afternoon he tripped in his lines and some of his wardrobe could not be located (made his changes on stage). Act has a good basic idea for an acceptable three-a-day turn. Jolo. Empire Sute Trio. Rathskeller Act 19 Mins.; One. Bronx O. H. (Feb. 15). Pianist, Hebrew comedian, and ten- or. Pianist announces an imitation of Mike Bernard playing ragtime, which is about as much like it as is the average "imitation" of George M. Cohan. He- brew pulls "How's de mama" and sings parodies on such original subjects as ripped trousers. Tenor warbles a bal- lad at a pace calculated to lull one into blissful somnolency. Three-a-day- ers. Jolo. (