Variety (February 1914)

20 VARIETY HELP WANTED. The opinions of the critics were wide apart on "Help Wanted," the play by Jack Lait, opening in New York at the Elliott Feb. 11. No two newspaper men seemed to agree on the merits of the performance. Good, bad, indifferent, fair, silly, bright and several other adjectives for it were given in type. The show was first puduced in Los Angeles, by Oliver Morosco, in stock. He thought well enough of the Lait play to send it to Chicago, where it scored and is still running at the Cort. The second company made up for New York is headed by Charles Richman and Lois Meredith. Whatever the re- viewers may have decided about the piece itself, they were unanimous on Mr. Richman saying he was bad in this role. The opening night audi- ence reached the same verdict. Not only did Mr. Richman lumber through the part of a wealthy business man, with a penchant for squab stenogra- phers, but he made up to resemble the "French roues" the stage so often presents. A sub-title of "The Trials of a Poor Working Girl" could be given "Help Wanted." It's about Miss Meredith as Gertrude Meyer at 17, just graduated from a business college, securing a position as private secretary to Jerold R. Scott (Mr. Richman). The first day there Scott took the girl to lunch, and in the second act, after the lapse of a month, he hadn't even kissed her, though trying the day before. Slow worker was this Scott, too much so for Mr. Lait to have made that lapse a month, as during the piece the au- thor easily proved he knew many things that sometimes happens be- tween employer and employe. While the old man was making a play for the girl, his foster-son fell in love with her, and they were wed in the second half of the third act, or at least it looked as though they would be. In the first half of the same section, the Kirl returned to her washwoman mother's home. She was an elderly lady, was this mother, German in looks and speech, but she knew something, for when the daughter told her mother she had lost her |10-a-week job be- cause she wouldn't let the boss kiss her, mother went right up to the ceil- inK and remained there until certain her daughter and his son would be- come man and wife. This character is really a creation by Mr. Lait, aad as played by Jessie Ralph, lapped every- one else in the CMt Miss Meredith gave the usual "inno- cent girl," Charles A. Abbe presented a good bit of character as a crabbed bookkeeper, Desmond Kelly overdid her knowing stenographer just a bit (author's fault), while John Miltern as an attorney commanded attention. Next to Miss Ralph's work, Charles Ruggles as the son, a young fellow, full of sincerity, came second on the honor roll. To a Broadway crowd "Help Want- ed" may not appeal. They think they know it all in advance and perhaps they do, but the piece certainly holds SOCIAL MAIDS. While Leon Berg's libretto of "The Social Maids" burlesque show will not drive Harry B. Smith, C. M. S. McLel- lan and other authors into seclusion, it is nevertheless a sufficiently service- able vehicle upon which to hang the specialties of the members of the Joe Hurtig organization. There is an un- ostentatious scenic production, the sartorial display not garish and the entire presentment savors of good taste. The chorus girls are not well matched in the matter of uniformity of girth or pedal revealment, nor do they evince any untoward "ginger" in their work. On the contrary, they are, on the whole, listless. This is some- what accentuated by the presence in their midst of an attenuated, dark- haired damsel who prances about kick- ing half again as high as the others each time that sort of thing is de- manded of them. The stars of the company are stars in reality as well as in name. George Stone and Etta Pillard's names precede the title of the show in the billing, and justifiably so. Stone as an eccentric, low-comedy, singing and dancing com- edian, and Miss Pillard, as a slender, youthful-looking, dainty soubret, would not be snowed under in any musical comedy playing to two-dollar audi- ences. Stone has an able "side-kick" in Billy Baker. Together they could probably follow Montgomery and Stone in a "No. 2" "Lady of the Slip- per" or any of the other previous pieces in which the famous eccentric dancing comedians employed in years past There is Billy Foster, a stage "Dutchman" minus a chin-piece, but with a funny manner of shoving his head forward to secure laughs. Marty Seamon is a good straight, with a pleasing singing voice that is well pitched somewhere between a high baritone and a tenor. Jack Pillard is a clean-cut juvenile with a slight in- clination toward indistinctness of enunciation. And then.there are the Haley Sisters—Jessie and Grace—a neat "sister" team, comely of features, with small but pleasant singing voices. After listening to the singing voices of the chorus and their attempts at harmonizing Tuesday evening, one is strongly reminded of the Metropolitan opera house chorus of twelve women heard at the Fifth Avenue Monday night in "Cavalleria Rusticana." A stronger vocal contrast would be hard to find. Nevertheless, "The Social Maids" is a corking burlesque show; its prin- cipals make it so. Jolo. elements of success. Its comedy brings laughs, there are many glittering lines (one or two from vaudeville) and this comedy drama, with its attempted se- duction story may draw even in the metropolis. But the next time Mr. Lait writes a show, why not pick a cloak model? They are saying nowadays cloak models are putting it all over the show girls and typewriters for getting away with stuff. Bim€. HONEY GIRLS. "The Honey Girls," Bernard & Zieiler's Progressive Wheel show, is said to have played a return date at the Gotham last week. If so, the business up there Thursday night (Lincoln's Birthday) seemed to say it wasn't drawing, for the house was light, although a holiday, but it was the coldest evening New York had gone through so far this winter. Even for a "repeat" "The Honey Girls" is not a bad entertainment of the customary old line kind. With the other Progressive attractions, it should stand very well. The comedians get their matter over, the principal wo- men look well, and the chorus girls in the aggregate are much beyond the a\erage of both Wheels' line-ups. "The Honey Girls'" choristers are intelli- gent. There's not too much intellect hidden under wigs in the ranks. But these women, perhaps through intelli- gent direction, work nicely and attest that they are there, mentally and vo- cally, during a "chorus number" that gives several an opportunity for "char- acters." It was in that number also that Flos- sie McCloud displayed she had a hold on the audience. It may have been friends present, but the house appear- ed to take to Flossie nevertheless, in- cluding the noisy gold locket and chain she wore in the second part. It looked big enough to hold a wild steer. As a performer Miss McCloud is middling. She's a tall, thin girl, decidedly blondy, as is May Belle, prominently present at all times. Miss Belle seemed des- tined as first favorite, but somehow that evening Floss distanced her. Marie Revere was a principal for a moment, elevated from the chorus for a "table scene," also leading a number that has a very dirty title to those that get it. The male contingent is heavy with Barretts (Patsy and Tom) besides Chas. Dunn. There is no Hebrew comedian in this show. There was no Hebrew comedian with "The Broad- way Girls" at the Columbia last week. Not panning Hebrew comedians in burlesque at all, but since these two were quite fair performances without them, does the Hebrew comedian spoil a show? Patsy Barrett with grotesque make- up as an Irishman does very nicely with the principal comedy, Mr. Dunn works well opposite him. He seems a more natural "straight" than built for comedy, while the other Mr. Barrett is a wild westerner with a gun. An olio splits the two parts of "The Honey Girls," with Flossie doing a single, opening it, followed by Barrett (Tom) and Belle (May) with rather good Suffragette talk, also songs, they doing as well here as in the piece, the vaudeville closing with Loradoe's Mod- els, a somewhat different posing turn of four people, the women prettily form- ed and the pictures out of the usual. With an adequate mounting this act could make the big time. You can sit all through "The Honey Girls" show without growing weary. That's something for any burlesque show. Few thus far the current sea- son could be endured that long. Bime. If yon don't advertlM in VABnTT, don't AdTcrtlie at alL COLONIAL. Perhaps the headline position fell to several acts at the Colonial this week, but no matter whose names occupied the stellar positions out in front it remained for two young men to stop the show and carry away the biggest applause of the evening. The boys were Hines and Fox. Originally card- ed for "No. 2" they were assigned the first spot after the intermission, with Hussey and Lee shifted t« the vacated position. Among the topnotchers were Hyams and Mclntyre, Jesse Lasky's "The Beauties" (New Acts) and Kathleen Clifford. Speaking of topliners one must not forget two names from the legitimate, Mrs. Louis James and Min- nie Dupree. In fact, it came close to being an "all women's bill." Hyams and Mclntyre offered their Quakeress skit next to closing, and tlie patter between the two pleased. Miss Clifford appeared in her former "single," using the transparent curtain for her changes. She was well received, but her voice was affected by a cold which forced her to sing at a disadvan- tage. The Jordan Girls opened the show and got applause on their closing wire tricks. Hussey and Lee were sec- ond and did little. Hussey has dis- carded much of his old style of work- ing. He no longer affects any particu- lar style of dress and omits all that "I should be walking by" (Frank Tin- ney) stuff. The more subdued manner doesn't befit him, and to get the right returns he will probably have to resume the old style. Mrs. Louis James and Co. were third. It takes the sketch some time to hit a responsive chord. There are some good actors in Mrs. James' support, but they do not seem to get it just right for vaudeville. One man works rather mechanically and goes through the part as though he were doing a small bit in a Shakes- pearean production. The act has an ef- fective ending. Miss Dupree has her "Man in Front" sketch working splen- didly, and it was one of the best things of the evening. The Four Bards closed. Business was off Monday night with the snow furnishing the chief alibi. Mark. HAMILTON. The heavy snow of last Friday night did not deter the Hamilton theatre clientele from turning out In round numbers to see the show and pictures. The Hamilton lobby was all decked out In Chinese colors, with Chink flags and streamers everywhere. One smelled punk on entering, Chinese punk, that made him feel as though he was out for some sort of an Oriental tea, but Just the samey the management was wising the folks up to the coming of the Chlng Ling Foo troupe for this week. The show did not give the satisfaction of some previous bills, and the Mary Plckford "Hearts Adrift" picture was a disappointment through its uncanny theme and ungodly end- ing. And speaking of this picture Tom all- ien, the monologlst, who followed the reel, can bear testimony that It's close to stage suicide to follow such a film. It almost took the heart right out of Tom, but he stuck and finally had 'em coming his way. Ellen Richards (New Acts) opened. Boggs and Adams (New Acts) did nicely in "No. 2." The Fielding Players, with one bad actor who almost spoiled the impressioD the little skit made through its patriotic appeal in their sketch, started out like a "Littlest Rebel" affair but ended tamely. After Mr. Qillen the Edmund Stanley 0>. Tocallied. This trio, one man and two women, could frame up a singing turn in "one" that would not necessitate extra hauling, cartage and fussing around with the setting that is carried. After Cain and Newcomb had offered their blackfaced turn, with fairly good returns. Rose and Moon closed the show and scored the hit of the night. These tango-trotters have several steps not in the repertoire of the others, and they bit things up nicely. A splendid act of its kind for the pop houses. Mark.