Variety (October 1914)

20 VARIETY Four Rube*. Talk and Songs. 16 Mins.; Two (Special Drop). Columbia (Oct 25). Two views could be taken of the Four Rubes, a comedy quartet. It would depend where they were seen and in a way, exemplify the difference between big time and the smaller small time. The views might run like these: Small Time. The Four Rubes could be called The Rube Min- strels, as it is a minstrel idea, fash- i o n e d somehow after the Crane Brothers and Bel- mont turn. Each of the men is in ec- centric rural dress and make-up, go- ing in somewhat for rough comedy, having plenty o f jokes, and singing during the turn, which concludes with one of t h e men yodeling that gets over very big, earning an easy en- core. The comedy talk and the char- acters will please in certain of t h e smaller houses. Big Time. The Four Rubes g o t an idea and then ran away from it It's a rube quartet with "gags," some of the oldest and the poorest that could be gotten for noth- ing. When the act thins down at any time and a laugh is needed, slapstick is indulged in by one o f t h e farmerish men jumping a t another's throat. All are grotesque- ly made up, have little natural hu- mor, sing badly in the barber - shop way, and the finish, a yodel, sounds like a weak imita- t i o n of a steam caliope. For b i g time the turn never had a chance. There is a big time act known as The Three Rubes. Sime. Fred B. Hall. Imitations. 11 Mins.; One. Union Square (Oct. 25). Imitations are best listed in Fred B. Hall's inventory. Good whistler. He is in serio-comic makeup, with a de- cidedly German accent. A lot of fol de rol which foreign music hall "sin- gles" revel in. For small time this monkeyshine making will hit, but Hall in trying to get higher had best con- tinue his attention to a whistling-imi- tation single. Some of his imitations were off color and some very good. Francis and Rose. Dancers, 9 Mins.; One. Hammerstein's. Two boys, one taller than the other, both dressed in black cutaway suits, wearing silk hats and black gloves. They try eccentric dancing, something after the style of many better-known dancers. The opening is different and odd, but not well worked out. Position was against them. Aerial La Vails. Bars and Rings. 10 Mins.; Four (Exterior; Special). Rigging and setting brand new. Man and slender legged boy. Admit- tedly circusy, but good act for the pop houses. Man wcrks for comedy that will be effective on the small time. Closing trick flashy. "The Law and the Man" Co. (5). Dramatic. 14 Mins.; Three (Interior). Union Square (Oct 25). Strong play for melodramatic thrill. Miner escapes from prison where he was doing a life term for murder. He gets with Bud, a friend, who tells him to beat it to the Mexican border. Jim from Death Valley says "No." He wants a song, a smile from a woman's lips and a moment's dream of what a life might have been. Jim gets it and with it the sheriff's hand shackles. But Jim puts one over and makes the officer captive. As he starts with him tor the border, General Creighton, whose daughter loves Jim (none other than Harry Wayne who killed one Trenton, crazed with drink, who threatened a woman's life and reputa- tion), says the Gov of California is an old friend of his and that Jim should write the General to get the boy a par- don. There's a vaudeville thriller for you.. Fine pickings for the novel- reading kids. The Mirth Makers (10). Tabloid Musical Comedy. 24 Mint,; Full Stage (Exterior). Bronx Opera House (Oct 25). The Mirth Makers are presenting a tebloid musical comedy with four prin- cipals, three men and one woman and .1 chorus of six girls. There is a thread of a story that is constantly shoved into the background to permit the in- troduction of numbers and comedy. The act will be a big flash for the small time providing it can get along on a small time salary. There are a pair of comedians in the cast that are fair for small time and the chorus is the next best thing in the act. Popu- lar numbers get the act over. Dorothy Hunter and Jack McEnness. Dances. 12 Mine.; Three (Interior). Union Square (Oct. 25). If this pair had displayed their dancing wares a year ago they might have started something. It looks now as though the pardon came too late. The Fox Trot was the closer and the best of the lot. The team let loose here and the woman actually smiled, thereby relieving the mechanical ani- mation of the preceding numbers. The dancers work very well together. Ramsey and Hartla. Modern Dances. 6 Mins.; Full Stage. Bronx O. H. (Oct 25). One of the usual modern dancing turns, although in this case the girl is a much better dancer than the custom- ary run of steppers in acts of this type on the small time. Max Rossi. Songs and Talk. 13 Mins.; One. Bronx O. H. (Oct 25). Ordinary single for small time is Max Rossi. He opens with a fast t.umber and then goes into talk that seems to have all of the "old boys" in show business. He also has a song for his closing number, on a par with his opening bit. Nan Halperin. Songs. 16 Min.; One. Prospect Nan Halperin is different and at the Prospect she was very well liked. With- out music Miss Halperin walks on the stage and tells the leader that she does not know a soul in the house. She also informs the audience she has a fair amount of personality and with that will try to please them. .The girl shows in two numbers that she has entire act of her own without imitat- thing has been done to death and there is enough to Nan Halperin to give an entire act of her own without imitat- ing soubrets and prima donnas. Miss Halperin has personality and a way of putting over her songs that is also pleasing. Geo. Hibbard and Lila Lucile. "The Girl, the Boy and the Piano." 15 Mins.; One. Majestic, Milwaukee. Milwaukee, Oct. 28. Brother and sister (Lila Hibbard), who have been entertaining Milwaukee since they were youngsters, with nat- ural talent. Both have stage presence and personality, particularly the young woman. She is vivacious and attrac- tive. Both are of good voice, using original songs. In next to closing, after Lina Abarbanell and other strong acts, they made good outside of native element consideration. Considered by management as easily qualified for big time. "The Wrong Bird." Tab. Musical Comedy. Full Stage (Special Set). Salt Lake, Oct. 26. Margaret Whitney is listed as au- thor of this musical bit in which are featured Morse Moon and Mignon Heywood, supported by a chorus of eight pretty girls. The scene is laid in a taxidermist's shop. The affair has attractive mounting, costuming and tuneful music and the comedy gets over nicely. It scored at Pantages last week. She, He and the Piano. Piano Act 11 Mine.; One. Bronx O. H. (Oct 25). She and He are doing a mighty inter- esting little turn that will answer for an early spot on any small time show with the present material. The man has a fair voice and both he and the woman are nifty steppers. The num- bers the team are using at present seem to have been written by one or perhaps both members of the act. They are not of the quality that will make it go forward. With a couple of teal songs the turn might double in value. The woman has a pleasing personality and her comedy number is very well put over. Debello. Operatic. 12 Mins.; One. Bronx O. H. (Oct. 25). A soprano, tenor and baritone make a combination that will do nicely on the small time. Act is costumed nice- ly and was a hit with the Bronx audi- ence. Jack Ellis and Co. (2). Dramatic Sketch. 19 Mins.; Full Stage (Interior). Bronx O. H. (Oct 25). The sketch offered by Jack Ellis and Co. cannot be designated as either fish or fowl. It isn't dramatic nor is it burlesque nor a dramatic sketch. It just between and not enough of either. Its theme seems to have been taken from "The Man of the Hour." There is the young and honest mayor who is beset by the Boss who wants him to sign a bill behind which there is un- limited opportunity for graft. The young man playing the mayor passes by nicely, but the boss is as fine a burlesque character as ever seen. The third character, the boss' daughter, in love with the mayor, is poorly played. Mr. Ellis will have to make up his mind one way or the other regarding the offering. It must either be played straight, without trying after comedy, cr burlesque throughout. It seems as though there would he room for the sketch on the small time as a straight dramatic, with another woman in the role of the daughter. Hallen and Hunter. Comedy and Music. 11 Mins.; One. Columbia (Oct 25). A young girl and man, the former playing the violin, also acting as straight for her partner's foolishness. That consists of a James J. Morton- Frank Tinney-Harry Fox routine that shows a nice discrimination by this budding comedian. The "copy stuff" seemed to do at the Columbia Sunday afternoon. The girl plays fairly, but looks really well. No visible reason why she should use the violin at all in this act, excepting it sends the young copyist off the stage now and then to permit her to do so. The point of merit about the turn for consideration is that it has new jokes, or at least not any heard on the stage to date. That is something, really a great deal, and it might induce the man of the team to evidence originality as well in other directions. 8im€. Sawyer and Tanner. Novelty Sketching. 13 Mins.; Curtained Easel. Union Square (Oct 25). The man does the painting. The woman, wearing wigs to correspond with type of nationality drawn, inserts her head in opening in frame. Each figure head offered is preceded by an announcement by artist. At the fin- ish, the woman comes down front and sings while a man's head appears in the easel opening, a comedy picture being the result. Proved a novelty at the Union Square Sunday. Newsky Troupe (7). Russian Dancers. 8 Mins.; Full Stage. Columbia (Oct 25). Three women and four men, all Russian dancers, open in the usual pic- turesque costume, playing string in- struments while bunched together for a "sight." Later they dance, with one of the men featured for this portion. The girls dance also, to the customary fast closing routine. N<- ♦. a bad act of its sort. Sime.