Variety (October 1914)

WITH THE WOMEN The "Trocadero Burlesquers" at the Columbia this week is a good, enter- taining show, but not supplied with many good-looking women principals. In fact, there is but one with real looks and she is Florence Bennett. But in this show women are not missed, as Frank Finney and Sam Adams hold the stage most of the time. They seem fully equal to carrying the entire per- formance. Why, there isn't even a "table scene" in this burlesque show, and that is going some. Miss Bennett is a tall blonde with a good voice. Her clothes are all pretty and too numer- ous to mention. The chorus is very v/ell dressed, with good lookers (when in long skirts). In fleshings they weren't so happy, for there are not many shapely limbs in the Troc's lines. These same limbs would look a deal better if all fleshings were the one shade. Minnie Burke is a hard-work- ing soubret. She spends her time changing clothes, and nice, attractive clothes they are, too. One dress im- pressed particularly. It was a French ballet dress in black velvet, edged with fur. Olive Johnstone and Leona Noble were to be tough girl characters, and they went the limit. A muffler should be placed on their voices. Per- haps that's the trouble in burlesque. The people think in order to get their lines over they must shout. The Colonial has taken on a homey atmosphere, due, perhaps, to the serv- ing of chocolate during intermission. Many women took advantage of the something-for-nothing. Mrs. Carter DeHaven, there this week, in a new sketch, doesn't overwork in the dress- ing line this season. She wears two simple frocks and looks the better for it. One dress was particularly pretty and only a clever modiste could con- ceive the idea of combining pink and cerise. The dress is pink chiffon em- pired, and has three bands at the bot- tom of the skirt of cerise velvet. The other dress is also empire and of crys- tal net in white. Adele Ritchie is wearing the shade of green so popular this season. Miss Ritchie enters in a well shaped cloak of green velvet and sable. Her gown is the same shade in taffeta, over-draped in silver lace. A black hat (and not a pretty one) tops this costume. I thought Nella Walker was the champion long distance laugh- er in vaudeville but Corinne Sales (Dooley and Sales) is running her a close second. There was a time may- be when an audience might have thought the laughing was spontaneous. but now everyone knows. Why should an audience laugh if the people on the stage to do it for them? Miss Sales is nnc giggle the entire act. It is very tiresome. Mr. Dooley is funny, thanks to Frank Tinney and Harry Fox, but not as funny as Miss Sales would like us to believe he is, evidently. Miss Sales has improved greatly since the last time I saw her, especially in her <!ressing. Her two gowns are well chosen. One is a green chiffon in crystals over white, and a dancing frock in pink accordion plaitings with apron clTcct of lace. Newly imported European modes on exhibition in the establishment of Mme. Dangler in the George M. Cohan Theatre building, disclose charming color schemes and materials of the most exquisite sheerness. Both street and evening costumes partake of the note of daring in design and color. The display is extremely interesting, one section being given over to cloaks and suits, a new department in the establishment. Bessie Wynn (Hammerstein's) might be particular as to diet, to avoid the heavy weight class. Miss Wynn's dresses show careful study for effect. In the first gown Miss Wynn looked like an inserted lily. It was a white chiffon-like affair made in petals and a wide flounce. The waist was entirely of brilliants. A blue taffeta dress was exquisite, excepting the pantalets. Au- remia, on the same bill, wears these pantalets, and if Miss Wynn takes a look at his (Auremia is an imperso- nator), she will probably revise her cos- tume. Auremia, for an opening number, wore a good looking dress in green vel- vet. "The Girl from Atlantic City" "sings songs in her own unique way," according to the program, and dresses the same way. Her one dress was blue and badly put together. Irene Hammond (Gene Hodgkins and Irene Hammond) is a tall, good looking girl who understands dressing. Miss Ham- mond made her entrance in one of the new short coat models of this season. Beneath was an evening gown of crys- tal net. A third change is a dancing frock of white. This opened too far, as the trimmings on the under dress- ing could easily be seen. Mary Mar- ble (Sam Chip and Mary Marble) has grown thin. She was much cuter fat, but Miss Marble has succumbed to fashion and her sisters in art will prob- ably be besieging her for the recipe. A red Dutch dress has taken the place of the blue. Marion Bent (Rooney and Bent) is showing nothing new in ward- robe this season. The current Hippodrome show is the least interesting of those put on there. The dressing is also below the usual standard, but because there is little opportunity for it. The prettiest dressed number is the maypole dance, when half the chorus are as Colonial men in costumes of black and white satin. The other half are Colonial dames. Monday afternoon the Palace was packed. Talk about a death watch. You get /rio applause here unless you earn it. That is, if you don't claque the house, as one single act undoubt- edly did last Monday matinee. The woman of the Gandsmiths wears a dress draped with an Egyptian silver scarf. Mrs. Jimmy Barry never changes her style in dressing. Mrs. Barry's two dresses are pretty, one black and the other white. Ruth Roye is dressing the same as at the Colonial last week. Joan Sawyer was unfortunate in her first gown. It wasn't pretty, neither was it artistic, a combination of black satin, tulle, silver and a few colors. It looked hastily thrown together. Miss Sawyer has lost that chic and girlish look and her dancing isn't what it was. She dressed "The Artist's Dream" pret- tily in Egyptian style. Ann Wardell in Franklin Ardell's suffragette sketch couldn't have chosen a more unbecom- ing shade than the tan of her tie, belt and stockings. Miss Wardell is too blonde for that. Alice Lloyd (Palace) had a week's notice to learn seven songs and get as many frocks together. Frances did do well for her. She turned out in two days two of the prettiest dresses worn so far this season. Miss Lloyd's first was a sea foam green velvet, made in the long waisted effect, with a double skirt, the top skirt being a flounce of exquisite gold lace. Her second dress is a shell pink chiffon velvet made sur- plice over silver lace and has the flounce in silver. The clothes for Alice's char- acter songs are all neatly made and true to the picture. Julia Dean, at the 48th Street theatre ("The Law of the Land'), is the only woman in the cast. It falls to Miss Dean's lot to wear her two gowns dur- ing the four acts. These two gowns are the pink of perfection. The first is a dinner dress of yellow brocade, com- bined with velvet and fur and trimmed in beaded tassels. The second is a house gown of purple satin, the skirt is peg- topped, the waist is kimona, surplice and has a straight panel back. Evelyn Nesbit for her debut on the New York roof chose two very pretty dancing frocks. The first, a black spangled lace dress, was made in two flounce fashion, having a black satin shirred bodice forming the long effect now so popular. The other was in apri- cot charmeuse, combined with lace. A white sailor suit of satin, for a costumw dance, was the other. VAUDEVILLE ORGAN. The Wurlitzer Co., makers of the Hopes-Jones Unit Orchestra, believes it has perfected for the vaudeville thea- tre a substitute for a human orchestra that will give the variety manager the voluminous music that blends so well with a picture exhibition, while at the same time performing all the full duties of a man-orchestra, to trap drums, ef- fects, and so on. The Wurlitzer or- gans, built for picture theatres, run in price from $6,000 to $70,000. Eugene F. Licome, sales manager, with headquarters in New York, says the Wurlitzer Co. is placing the in- strument at $4,500 and figures out where the vaudeville man can effect a saving that practically returns him his invest- ment within a year. The Wurlitzer concern expects to have its new seven-story office build- ing at 122-124 West 41st street com- pleted by Jan. 1. It will be an exten- sion of the present quarters at 113 West 40th street. In the new building, to be occupied also by the Paramount Cor- poration, will be a complete theatre seating 150, that will be let for day ex- hihitions of new films. A SENSATION "When You'r* m Long Way From Home/' LOUISVILLE OPENS. Louisville, Oct. 7. The new B. F. Keith theater here opened Sunday Oct. 4, to capacity au- diences and under the most favorable auspices. Telegrams of congratula- tions came in a stream from all over the country, including messages from the city fathers of Cincinnati, Indian- apolis and other cities on the B. F. Keith circuit. The new theater compares with any establishment under the Keith banner, and the inaugural bill measured up to its surroundings. Lew Dockstader and Mile. Dorees Imperial Opera Co. shared the head- line honors, while John F. Conroy and his Diving Models served as the extra attraction. Following his act Mr. Dockstader made an appropriate dedi- catory address in behalf of the man- agement. ADDITIONAL SAILINGS. (Special Cable to Variety.) London, Oct. 8. Oct. 7, Phyllis Neilson, Terry Betty, Belleaire Bros., Ettie Trexel (Baltic). MELNOTTE TWINS RETURN. Cleveland, Oct. 7. The Melnotte Twins were given a contract last week while at the Miles theatre for a return engagement over the entire Loew Circuit, immediately upon the completion of their present tour on that time. Jos. M. Schenck stopped over here, watched a couple of performances at the Miles, where the Melnottes were featured, and immediately arranged with them for the return visit. Mr. Schenck said that all he heard while in the city was talk, inside and outside the theatre, of the Melnotte Twins and their songs. They scored one of the most substantial hits here that Cleveland has ever seen. BELLING PLAYING. The Prospect, Brooklyn, next week will have Gobert Belling, the foreign animal act that opened at the Palace, New York, last week. Mr. Belling ac- cepted $2,000 from the United Booking Offices in cancellation of his 20-week play or pay contract with the agency at $500 weekly. After this formality was disposed of, Mr. Belling said he thought he had been misplaced to open at the Palace, and requested another engagement on the U. B. O. time. His agents, Rose & Curtis, arranged it. JAILED AS "SLAVER." Syracuse, Oct. 7. John Williams, alias Harry Hall, who did an "escape" act in vaudeville, began this week to serve a year's sen- tence in the Onondaga county peni- tentiary after conviction in Utica as a white slaver. A fine of $500 also imposed, if not paid will net him 500 more days in jail. BIJOU STRIPPED. The Bijou theater stands stripped, down at Broadway and 29th street. Je- rome Rosenberg did the ripping, after the landlord had refused to comply with departmental orders for regula- tions that would have resulted in the condemnation of the g.illery.