Variety (December 1914)

20 VARIETY Evelyn Netbit and Jack Clifford. Songt and Dances. 9 Mins.; One; (5). Full Stage; (4). (Special Velvet Drops). Royal. If every audience seeing Evelyn Nesbit at the present time had seen her when opening in her first vaude- ville venture at the London Hippo- drome last year they could not but appreciate what really hard work she must have done since then. At her first appearance at the London Hip, Miss Nesbit meant nothing but a "name act" and was very close to stage-fright during the run of the dancing turn she then did with Jack Clifford. Monday night at the Royal in singing two songs alone Miss Nes- bit displayed the confidence of a head line "single" who has been succcessful. Also in her dancing the improvement is remarkable. Before a velvet drop in "one" Miss Nesbit first sings an Italian scng with a patter chorus out of which she gets enough to return and sing another. "Tipperary Mary" with the Shapiro sextet assisting. (This week they are wearing evening dress instead oi the garb of Tommy Atkins). After her song efforts Miss Nesbit and Mr. Clifford do five minutes of whirlwind rag dancing that received almost an ovation. In fact the two were forced to do an encore, which consisted of a new fangled whirl round. It is pretty safe to say that with the assistance of Clif- ford Miss Nesbit is established as a regular vaudeville attraction besides being "some" draw, for the Royal Monday night was packed, and it sure- ly is a big house. Robert Kelly and Co. (6). Comedy Sketch. 20 Mins.; Full Stage (Exterior). Grand O. H. (Dee*. 6). A corking good idea goes with this sketch dealing with the taking of a dramatic moving picture. When the players become more familiar with the characters, they will get no end of big laughs. A producer, two male actors, three women characters and a camera man are the principals. In- stead of running 20 minutes the sketch should be speeded up, with about four minutes out of the present playing time. Leon's Models De Luxe. 9 Mins.; Full Stage (Usual Set). Hammerstein's. Before Leon's Models were half through their first pose at Hammer- stein's Monday night anyone who thought about the bill at all wondered why they were given the "No. 2" po- sition. The act should have been open- ing the second part. In bas reliefs the posers are excellent, in pose and figure. The two women in th.> turn are most pleasing to look at, with only the whit- ing for dressing, and the reproductions have been selected with good judgment. This turn holds a pose as long as Mar- cel's models did, "breaking" in the same way and instantly returning to position. As a pretty artistic number that might be embellished with another setting surrounding the box, Leon's Models will go in anywhere. As an undraped posing number, without any extraor- dinary feature, it is desirable. Sime. "Trial by Jury" (34). Dramatic. 20 Mins.; Two Special Sets; Four Scenes. Loew's Empress, San Francisco (Week Dec. 1). San Francisco, Dec. 9. "Trial by Jury" is just that. The first scene shows an Italian on trial for his life. He killed a contractor for not paying him wages justly earned. After an Irish and Swedish witness testify the Italian is placed on the stand. He supposedly gives such a realistic de- scription of the circumstances leading up to the murder the jury is impressed. That is the impression the audience gets. When the Italian begins the nar- rative the lights go out. You see the street with the contractor plotting with an employment agency proprietor to beat the Italian out of his wages and turn him out of his home. The next scene shows the Italian's home, with his wife and child starving. Scene three shows the street again and the starving foreigner meets the con- tractor. He demands his money; a fight ensues. The Italian follows the contractor down the street, and when off stage two shots are fired. Last scene shows court room and the jury is returning with the verdict which re- sults in the Italian's discharge. The idea is based upon the recen^ murder of a contractor for deliquency\ in pay- ing wages. At present the papers are full of it. The sketch is pulling good business as a result of being produced at the right time to reap the benefit of the publicity the murder has received. It abounds with good comedy and is capably acted. On the whole it proved to be very acceptable. William J. Kelly. Monologist 17 Mins.; One. American Roof. William J. Kelly is a stock star. He has in his time played many parts and thrilled many a fair maiden's heart with stage heroics. But ever and again Mr. Kelly decides he would like to have a shot at vaudeville and just as often does he present a "single" which usually consists of a monolog. He is a little different from other monolog- ists inasmuch as he does not have the usual fanfare at his entrance to the stage. This of course makes it a little harder for him to get started than it is for the others of his craft. He opens with a few Irish stories that get a laugh as he tells them and follows this by reciting a dramatic poem and closes with a talking song. On the Roof Monday night he was a favorite with an audience largely composed of womenr Cappell and Morrison. Songs. 10 Mins.; One. Grand O. H. (Dec. 6). Two boys wear evening dress and sing songs, singly and together. One does an imitation of Harry Lauder, while the other sings a number in a very affected bass voice. For some small timers the pair would prove use- ful. "Mysterious Mr. Russell." (4). Comedy Sketch. 15 Mins.; Full Stage. Bushwick. A sketch but recently graduated from the small time. It does not size up as big time material. The setting is of the office of an asylum. The na- ture of the place is not disclosed until the finish. Four men in the act. Each wants to rob the safe, in which there is $3,000. Each man brings some tools ir. and begins work on the strong box, only to have one of the others inter- rupt him. One little chap finally rounds the other three up, placing each in a separate room. He then tries to open the safe. In maneuvering he makes a noise and the other men rush out, one turning out the lights. This "nut farm" sketch is amusing in a number of places and it is a bit odd. The present cast is good enough, and for an occasional big time showing but not as a steady thing, the comedy work will do. Carl Statzer and Co. Comedy Sketch. 19 Mins.; Full Stage (Office). Columbia (Dec. 6). Carl Statzer is probably the blackface comedian, he having the principal and only comedy role. It is that of an ap- plicant for an office boy job securing the position in a detective agency, mis- taking the boss' wife for a female bur- glar, securing her jewels, and later handing them over to a thief who had slipped through the window. The piece starts off nicely, with the negro character well played, but takes a de- cided slump toward the finale, when becoming illogical, and sounds badly written, as though the author had gone so far, then told the players to fix the remainder themselves'. Through the poor finish the piece will have to remain on small time. Sime. O'Rourke and Atkinson. Songs and Talk. 10 Mins.; One. Columbia (Dec. 6). "Leaving all joking aside," says the man of the mixed team, as the couple go in for a song cue. But they hadn't been joking, and that's seems the mat- ter with the act. The talk in the turn sounds as though taken from a 10- cent book on how to become a mono- logist. The girl, a plump young wom- an, does nicely enough with numbers, though not adopting a becoming style of dress. The man is all wrong, from his evening dress in the afternoon, to harmonizing, and "harmonizing" is quite strongly tried for. Their songs are good, but the talk will have to be changed or taken out before they can get very far outside of the smaller small time. The man, big and not unlike Bob Fitzsimmons in appearance, needs the most improvement. Sime. Thompson and Thompson. Dancing. 5 Mins.; Full Stage. Grand O. H. (Dec. 6). A man and a very young girl fail in an attempt to show modern dancing. It is said the pair reside near the theatre where they showed the act. Arthur Barat Equilibrist 10 Mins.; Full Stage. Bushwick. Arthur Barat is direct from the Lon- don halls, according to the program. This young man takes up more space than is generally allotted to an open- ing act for the anouncement. Barat uses bottles, chairs and glasses to show his balancing on. His best tricks are on two high ladders that meet at the top, on which is a platform. Barat does balancing on the two hind legs of a chair and at one time balanced on bottles and then again on glass saucers. The balancing at this height is what should prove big time material for this chap, as there are any number of equilibrists who do balancing on the two legs of a chair. Arthur Barat takes his work calmly and goes through his routine smoothly, The young woman who assists is dressed nicely and helps. Barat will do for an opener on the big time bills. Lona Hogyi Clay Modeler. 11 Mins.; One. Hammerstein's. Lona Hogyi is a foreigner, speaking English with a slight accent. She uses her voice to announce the subjects of her modeling in clay. There are three of these, the final one a German waiter, as he is, how he looks when "tipped" and his disgust at a non-tip. Of course the only thing that could attract atten- tion in a clay modeling turn is the individual. In this instance, a woman modeling may be the extenuating cir- cumstance. Miss Hogyi is pleasant ap- pearing, and wears a gown that is high- ly slit in the proper place. The model- ing itself is ordinary, and apparently derived from the German idea of seeing things. Sime. Zena Keefe. Songs. 10 Mins.; One. Broadway. Zena Keefe is doing a "new single." She retains the boy impersonation from the other turn but makes it an important number in her present rou- tine. Miss Keefe makes a dandy-look- irg boy. She does an Italian number in native costume and follows it with "Tip Top Tipperary Mary" which put her in bigger favor. Miss Keefe was dressed becomingly in Ireland's noted colors. For the closing she sang and danced to "Rag Picker," attired in a pretty evening frock. Miss Keefe is growing and improving at the same time. She's an attractive miss and handles herself well, a splendid im- pression on her Broadway showing. Charles and Ada Latham. Comedy Dramatic Sketch. 19 Mins.; Full Stage (Parlor). Fifth Ave. Miss Latham is again a waif in this act though a grown up one. Her tough comedy efforts provide many laughs but pathos shows up the action quite considerably. The story is a worn one but the comedy should carry for a few trips over the small time.