Variety (February 1914)

VARIBTY 17 Porter and Sullivan. Talk, Songs and Dancaa. 17 Mina.; One. Colonibia (Fab. 22). Another one of those many mixed two-acti that are wasting their own and someone else's time by trying to get over something that was never there to get over in the first place. Last week a similar act was seen where the couple became engaged to each other on the stage, without either hav- ing asked the other his or her name. In this "turn/' the girl invites the young man to call upon her, and she leaves, to return in another dress, sing and dance, and for a final encore he asks her what is her last name. If Porter and Sullivan don't get a new act the name for both of them will be "Through" as far as any fair grade of vaudeville is concerned. They can stumble along on the very small cir- cuits as they are, but the sort of mate- rial they are now using and their man- ner of handling it will only keep them back. The girl shows promise. She is of good appearance, that making her blondness likable, and seems able to dance rather well under proper con- ditions. The fellow shows nothing at all. If a couple are content to waddle about in vaudeville with this kind of an act, it may be all right, no matter what the reason, whether they arc or have bettered themselves in position, or money, or broke into the business in this way; but if they have the in- telligence to ever advance themselves they should at least reach a conclusion about their "act," and in this instance it seems to have been home-made and very poorly. If they paid anyone for it, Porter and Sullivan should sue the "author" to recover. The act starts wrong by both taking a fall. There's no comedy in that; but it saves them the trouble of being bothered with a "bench in 'one'." The final song is about "taking Papa's advice." One of the lines reads, "Papa said, 'don't do this*." Of course Papa is but a myth in lyrics, but he's a wise myth, f^lme. Hope Gage and Co. (3). Comedy-Dramatic. 21 Mina.; Pull Stage (Special Set). Miner's Bronx (Feb. 22). Pretty well worked-out cortiedy-dra- matic sketch. By "worked-out" is meant consistently constructed. The plot, however, is also worked-out, but in this instance it refers to the repeated use of the idea in various forms. An actor administers a whipping to the son of a town official in Montgomery, Ala., for cruelty to a horse. He is arrested and is sentenced to work in convict uniform on a rock pile. Girl native has witnessed the thrashing and her heart goes out to the brave de- fender of the brute. Actor makes a get-away and hides in her shack. Her negro mammy turns out to be his for- mer nurse. They aid him to make his escape by fooling the keeper who comes in armed with a shotgun. All of the roles competently played, with the negro mammy standing out through its comedy and its importance in the development of the plot. Excellent big small time turn. Join. If roa don't adT«rtlM In VARIBTT. don't ndTcrtlao •« nil. Maaon and DuTiel. Muaic and Songsw 13 Mina.; One. American Roof. Ethel Mason and Frank DuTiel have thrown together an act that will keep them working on small time, and maybe that is all that has been antici- pated. Opening as a two-act before their own dull colored plush curtain, the turn becomes a piano-accordion one, the girl playing the instrument, somewhat falteringly on the rags, with the man singing the choruses of the songs. They were all through after the first ten minutes but managed to drag the turn out three minutes longer, through their system of tak- ing bows, once considered au fait on the big time. If there is any novelty in a woman playing an accordion, then Mason and DuTiel may lay claim to it, otherwise they will class as quite ordi- nary. 8im9. Belle Oliver. Songs. 7 Mins.; One. American Roof. Perhaps Belle Oliver suffered from tco much rag singing ahead of her on the American Roof bill Tuesday even- ing, and if she keeps on singing the songs of one publishing house this young woman proclaimed as a "new star from the west" will suffer from that as well. She's a "coon shouter" by strength of voice, of the Sophie Tucker type, physically also, and in at- tempting to adapt her voice and methods to present day style of han- dling syncopated tunes, Miss Oliver doesn't seem over successful. It could be the question of songs, of course, but she had three good rags at the Amer- ican, singing them in seven minutes, with the audience satisfied to let her leave. Among the many "singing sin- gles" on the small time. Belle Oliver is just another, but with her voice and build, should go beyond that. 8ime., The Havilans. Wire Walkera. 15 Mins.; Pull SUge. American Music Hall (Chfcago). Chicago, Feb. 25. Man and woman act. Both dress in pure white and all the paraphernalia used the same. Begins quietly but grows stronger as it proceeds. Man does some balancing on chairs and later carries the woman across in numerous unusual postures, which forms one of the best features of the bill. Seen with the Eva Tanguay show the act displayed finish and gentility in opening spot. Reed. James Rejmolds. Songs and Talk. 17 Mins.; One. Miner's Bronx (Feb. 22). James Reynolds is a clean-cut, dap- per young man, who sings a song well and knows how to tell stories. But before he can hope to shine as a mono- logist on the big time he will have to employ someone to write him an act and prevent him from resorting to the old-fashioned manner of preceding each qtiip with "Listen." "Say. listen." or "Have yoii notired." Reynolds might also refrain from displayins? so keen an appreciation of his own humor. Join. Saharct Dancing. 11 Mins.: Full Stage. Palace. Saharet has lost none of her charm, nor indeed her stage looks. From the front she is apparently as young as ever and certainly as pleasant to gaze upon. Her dancing partner, Senor J. Florido, is a lithe, slender, virile Span- ish youth. His dancing indicates that. Saharet alone does her first number, programed as a Minuette. It consists^ of pirouettes and posing of the old- style ballet school. It is a trifle dis- appointing and gives one the impres- sion of a passe terpsichorean offering. Florido follows with a solo dance, "The Sabaje," which is strident and of Tore- ador inception. It consists of some twists and a series of rapid stamping and taps, all on the heels. Third is a Spanish castanet dance by both, with Carmen and Toreador entrance, well done but on old style lines. Nothing sensational until the fourth and final number, "Tango Argentine." Follow- ing Joan Sawyer and Jack Jarrott on the same bill, one is astounded at their temerity in attempting a dance of sim- ilar design. But it isn't, only in name. Saharet and Florido's is the genuine South American, sensuous thing, not the sort offered by our modern "ball- room" steppers. It is a violent, living, palpitant affair that earns for them the applause it richly deserves. lolo. Three Du-For Bosra. Dancers. 13*Mins.; One. Palace. The Three Du-For Boys might right- ly be billed as the "Hoofer Trio " They work on a dancing mat and, with a little singing to break up the strenu- ous stepping, go through a fast routine of simultaneous and individual dancing that brings them a lot of applause in early position. Their steps are of the strenuous sort. Jolo. Horan and Wright Singing and Dancing. 9 Mins.; One. Hammerstein's. An old style turn by a mixed couple, consisting of ancient song and dance to open, man gives "imitation" of George Primrose's soft shoe step- ping, she a ballad, he wooden shoe clogging and for a finish she sings a patriotic medley while he steps. Jnlo. Van Bergen and Hickey. Songs and Piano. 15 Mins.; One. Academy, Chicago. Chicago, Feb. 25. Man and woman; woman at piano and man in evening dress. Opens with popular songs on the ballad order, fol- lowed by a ragtime number, in which the woman takes part. Man has ex- cellent voice, well trained and under good control. Is best in songs in which intensity of feeling is concerned and where volume is necessary. At tlic Arnrlnny the act pot over very well. With a few slight changes it oupht to he pood for tlic hip time. Reed. Jane Connolly and Co. Comedy Sketch. Full SUge (Special or Garden Sat). Columbia (Feb. 22). Jane Connelly and Co. (or Mr. and Mrs. Connelly, however the act is known) had something of a neat thing in a new comedy sketch they put on at the Columbia Sunday. It carries three good players for assistance, which is a great deal. The two young people do better than the man taking the father role. Many of the laughs are gained through play on words or sen- tences, but the dialog is brightly writ- ten in a smooth vein, and the youthful- ness of the theme, with the setting placed out of doors, give a little charm to the playlet that will gain the good will of almost any audience. About the worst item is the finish, where the father after giving his blessing to the newly engaged says, "And may the Devil take anyone who goes between you," immediately walking between them. That w"t "Released" years ago. It fits in here, xhough, and if the pa- trons will stand to hold up the finale with it the company need not bother about another ending. The story is the father wants his son to marry hit ward. In suggesting to the girl she should marry the boy the girl secures the impression or pretends she does that the father himself has proposed. The boy, who didn't want to marry when it was first proposed to him by Dad, is pleased at the outcome. Through this complication there is con- siderable fly talk about marriage, usual- ly good for laughs. The act drags in a couple of spots. When taken faster aiiJ given not over 14 minutes the sketch of the Connellys should be in demand for a "No. 3" spot on the big time and any position in the other bills. SitM. Minnie Victorson and Co. (1). Dramatic. 15 Mina.; Interior. Miner'a Bronx (Feb. 22). Here's melodrama with a vengeance. Grafting pohtician prosecuted by dis- trict attorney. Grafter comes to at- torney's home while his wife is there alone. Says it's his liberty or death for the district attorney. Pulls a gun on wife. Has her phone her husband all is well, offers her $20,000 to have her husband let up. She pretends to faint and he goes for a glass of water. She quickly covers him with gun, gets him to talk, which is taken down by what she declared to be a "dictaphone" and it is at once reproduced by phono- graph. She gives him back his cash and bids him go, after he has men- tioned name of the "man higher up." He turns suddenly to strike her down; she covers him once more, bids him sit in a certain chair and through a me- chanical device he is pinioned there, awaiting the return of the husband prosecutor. Good suspensive interest for the big small time. Jolo. Weston and Clare. Singing and Dancing. 10 Mins.; One. Miner's Bronx (Feb. 22). Man nrirl wntnaii. sinpinp and danc- lii", iii;iKiiitr a frnttire of fast eccentric sfcppiiip. r,or»rl thrc('-a-dayers. Jolo.