Variety (March 1915)

NEW ACTS THIS WEEK 15 BB mm Elliott and Mullen. Singing, Talk and Dancing. 16 Mini.; One. Alhambra. Elliott and Mullen (man and wom- an) are presenting a rather nifty black- face act, consisting of some sing- ing, a bit of dancing, and some patter, up at the Alhambra this week. The act has been working around town. The girl with a light tan makeup is of pleasing appearance. The man under heavy black cork does the most work of the act The two open with "I Can't Stop Loving You Now," after which the girl offers "Honolulu Gal," which is a lyric set to a hula-hula mel- ody. With it she offers a slight touch of a dance that suggests the "naughty little wiggle" she sings about. The man next has "Ragging the Baby to Sleep," which, although an old num- ber, offers exceptional opportunity for him to display a yodle effect which his voice is capable of. There is a bit of talk following this which could be brushed up. For a closing number one of the "going away" songs is used with the man in the aisles. The act got over very nicely in the early spot with the Harlem audience. Fred. Mile. Doria. "In the Maid's Absence" (Canine Tab- loid). 10 Mina.; Three (Interior; Special). Hammerstein's. Mile Doria is a Frenchwoman who has hit upon a brand new way of in- troducing four dogs to vaudeville. Lady Doria appears in typical French raiment, tightly laced, with dress trim- ming, head > adornment and shoes of decided French pattern, on tiny feet. The interior of Lady Doria's boudoir is shown. The maid is out when the lady returns and three of the dogs, one a fox terrier, take turns in bringing her different toilet articles, then returning them to the dresser. There's comedy when the dogs hide when a pounding at the door is heard, two poking their heads through a supposed painting of dogs and the terrier doing a "pose" ala pedestal upon a chiffonier. The dogs on a second return to the "poses" reverse positions, the white dog's head being shown in the opening where the black's should have been to conform with the painted black body on the canvas and vice versa. The terrier puts one foot upon the pedestal and turns his heac' the other way. There are also some laughs when the dogs say their prayers and crawl under the bed coverlit. Lady Doria retires for the night. One dog pulls down the window shade, another ttrns the clock hands around to the right time while a bulldog, which has been in the wings, routs a burglar after he has almost throttled Lady Dona. The idea of showing the dog? this way is new and novel and helps hold an audience. What few tricks the dogs perform are done well. Doria "explains" as the act runs along, speaking English with a Frc accent. The novelty of the turn pleases. Afark. James Fenimore Lee was engaged Monrlay by B. S. Moss to manage his Jefferson Theatre (14th street). Mabel Riegelman. Soprano. 18 Mina.; Two. Milwaukee. Milwaukee, March 17. Mabel Riegelman, prima donna of the late Chicago Grand Opera company, is following Carolina White, of the same organization, into the two-a-day. While her debut Monday was not made under the best circumstances, due to a per- sistent attack of laryngitis and an ad- mitted nervousness that did not appear visible, she went over in good style, although not with the success of Miss White the preceding week. For one thing, shejs not as well known as Miss White, and, as billed, is diminutive, while her sister of the operatic forces is a large woman, Miss Riegelman has not, or has not used, any set or hang- ings of her own, and the background for her first vaudeville appearance did not lend anything to the occasion. Her repertoire, comprising numbers in French, Italian and English, is well suited for voice display, but might be revised to advantage for vaudeville. She uses only an accompanist through- out her program. Miss Riegelman should make good in topping any bill after a bit of vaudeville experience. Morgan. Livingston and Coon. Songa and Dance*. 16 Mine.; One, Three and One. 23rd Street Young folks. Open with song and dance. Boy does soft shoe solo dance. In "three," girl in an Irene Franklin girlish makeup but with natural coal- black hair, sang "Red Head." Didn't get much on it and no wonder. She followed this up by singing a song about "Say you're glad you found me" to several of the people down front. Then the couple offered a combination of tango-maxixe steps to maxixe music. They did this fairly well and long enough to get out of breath. The pair then returned in "one" to do a "bench number." Routine all wrong and badly shaped. Couple should open with the last number, the boy dancing next and the girl doing one song better suited to her style, closing with the fancy danc- ing, with a fox trot to liven it up. The girl should pay more attention to her dress and make up, using whiting for her arms and hands. Mark. Tankway Troupe. Chinese. 14 Mins.; Full Stage. Harlem Opera House. If the tricks presented by this sextet of Chinese performers were shown with the same showmanship that marks the efforts of Ching Ling Foo or that is displayed in Long Tack Sam's turn or "The Pekin Mysteries," there is no reason why this troupe should not find room on the big time; but as the act is played at present it lacks all of the finer touches necessary to sell the turn successfully for its full value to an audience. In the troupe are three men, two women and a kiddie. Fred. Harrington Cleveland has been en- gaged for "The Up To Date Girl" by Catherine Cameron. ■OBBBBaBSBB^BSfiaES^ The Annapolis Boys (5). Songs. 18 Mins.; Full Stage (Special Set). Bush wick. The Annapolis Boys are five young men, all dolled out in spic and span middy suits. The act is made up of singing, with no dialog at any time. Tuesday night at the Bushwick they did all together too much, probably forced to do so oh account of the set not ready for the next turn. The songs have been written and arranged by George Botsford. Credit is due him, for while the men are singing his songs, there is no question but that the act is a hit. The opening number deals with a trip to Panama, with parts very tuneful. "The Soul of the Raging Sea," by the bass, is another that holds. After the quintet finish with what Mr. Botsford has written, they go in for published numbers, using the new ones first and the older ones for encores. The bass, who leads the boys out to take the bows, is too anxious and tries to steal as many as possible. Some- thing in the way of dancing is intro- duced now and then. The solo singing rests on the bass and man in the role of a lieutenant commander. The bass is easily the best singer. The others do all right in the ensemble work, and that is all that is asked of them. These five boys have a singing act that is pleasing and will go very nicely when only 15 minutes is taken up. Arthur Bourchier and Violet Van Brugh. "Divorce While You Waif (Comedy). 30 Mins.; Interior. (Special Set). Coliseum, London. It is hard to imagine a modern theatregoer displaying any favorable interest in "Divorce While You Wait," a silly, trivial, old-fashioned skit, re- sorting to the expedients of soliloquies and "asides." A middle-aged solicitor had years before been a suitor for the hand of a woman who is now the wife of a good, painstaking, honest, but un- romantic, man—a friend of the lawyer. Wife enters the lawyer's sanctum and it develops that she had employed him to secure evidence for divorce. To cure her of this whim, the solicitor locks the door and makes violent love to the wife of his friend, whereupon she threatens to tell her hubby, to which the lawyer replies that he was only cur- ing her of her silly idea of insisting upon a divorce. Wifey goes home and lawyer keeps her kerchief as a senti- mental souvenir to indicate that he still loves her. Finale. Jolo. "DAY MILLIONAIRE" WORKING. Boston, March 17. "Butch" McDevitt, the famous "mil- lionaire for a day," who occasionally breaks through the first pages of the metropolitan dailies in the east, had the Boston papers falling for his antics last week with a staff of special writers and camera men continually on his trail. Finally "Butch" accepted a single week's booking at the National, where he is turning them away. He is under- stood by the fickle public to be in search of a wife to assist him in dis- pensing with his "fortune." Marathon Comedy Four. Songa and Comedy. 13 Mins.; One. American Roof. On the small time as well as in bur- lesque, when a comedy quartet can ding, its comedy is bad, and when the comedy is good, the singing is poor. In the Marathon tribe the singing is good, which leaves the comedy bad. But still the singing isn't so extraor- dinary that the members dare attempt solos by themselves. There is but one of these. The remainder of the vocal- izing is ensemble so no one may be too much blamed. There are three come- dians in the quartet. If a burlesque troupe had them, they would be princi- pal comedians, though the show might not pass the censors. Three come- dians in one quartet makes the comedy worse. More correctly, however, there are three boys in comedy characters, "Dutch," "cissy" and "heavy legit." Each of the funny fellows was prob- ably in the beginning expected to be funny, but each appears to have left it to the other. They build quartets with comedy on the small time because the small time likes slapstick. In fact, nearly everyone likes slapstick when it's good, but the Marathons are only doing what they have seen other slap- stick quartets do much better. So they might try a straight singing act In the hope of getting more salary and better than the "No. 2" spot Ai a theatrical trade secret, if three comedians who could commede would be gathered in one quartet, the act would be worth considerable, but it wouldn't hold to- gether. The bookers of small time bills, if they wish to preserve rough comedy acts that makes them laugh, might not believe every singing turn presenting itself with "comedy" in its title, is funny, for too much comedy of the same sort becomes laughable only by comparison. JBtme. CALVE CONTINUING. Mme. Calve will continue her vaude- ville engagements by appearing next week at Keith's, Washington, and the following week at the Orpheum, Brook- lyn, according to the present Intention. While Calve has had no fixed route or time set for her in vaudeville, It will not be a difficult matter for the man- ners to find a place open in the big t'me houses at her salary, $3,000 weekly, as often as the singer announces her voice will stand the strain. Last week, her final nnd second at the Palace, New York, the business did not reach the mark of the first week of Calve's engagement, but the totals were not so very far apart Jim Sheedy Dismissed. When the charge of assault pre- ferred against Jim Sheedy by Jules Larvett came up in the 54th street court last Thursday morning the jus- tire dismissed it. Marion Bradbury, formerly with "Everywoman," will play the lead in "Prisoners of War," Robert T. Shan- non's new play on the European strug- gle, which will have its premiere at the Grand, Kansas City, March 28.