Variety (August 1915)

12 NEW ACTS THIS WEEK ■a NEW ACTS NEXT WEEK Initial Premutation, Firtt Appaarance •r Reappearance in or Around New York Weber and Fields, Palace. Mme. Donalda, Palace. Helen and Bmilon, Brighton. Billy West and Co. (3). "Is He Charlie Chaplin?" (Panto Com- edy Skit). 16 Mins.; Full Stage. National. In the midst of the many hundreds of Chaplin impersonators, Chaplin con- tests, etc., comes Billy West (from the middle-west) with a pantomimic skit fashioned after the original Chaplin film scenario "A Night in the^ark," West impersonating the screen star with two others, a man and woman in support. The feature is naturally West's ability to mug Chaplin. Of the aforesaid hun- dreds of impersonators, it must be ad- mitted West outshines them all, for he carries all the essential mannerisms; the proper make-up, the walk, hop and glide in addition to some pantomimic ability that stamps him as a semi-fin- ished performer of that quality. There is little to the skit beyond the usual Chaplin comic capers, the best bit being some business over an egg. The falls are well handled, although West is not excellently supported in this specialty, and one might suggest a better finish for the turn, for when the routine of bits is finally completed there is noth- ing left but a chase, which, while well executed, leaves the turn rather flat. A lobsterscope finale with some speed added to the run would help things considerably. As a vaudeville vehicle, this chap with his individual work con- sidered alone, makes an excellent addi- tion to any bill. He is easily the best Chaplin impersonator extant and could qualify nicely for production work where a Chaplin character exists. At the National before a capacity house (driven there by the rain) West and his specialty took away the evening's hon- . ors, the audience gathering as much en- joyment from his work as one would expect from the original on the screen. IVynn. Irene Cameron and Fowler Boys. Songs and Acrobatics. 10 Mins.; One. Harlem O. H. After a little opening talk which is impossible to hear, Miss Cameron leaves the stage and the boys go through a few tumbles. Then the boys depart, allowing Miss Cameron to sing a solo, and return again when she walks off. This is continued throughout the turn, slowing it up considerably. Miss Cam- eron should not sing; in fact, these two boys might do with a straight acrobatic turn, but if not, still they would at least do much better than the way they were going at present. It I. tru. that VAN HOVEN mufe • hit la London He admits it. Lydia Lopokova. Ballet Dances. 15 Mins.; Full Stage (Woodland). Palace. Lopokova in vaudeville apparently settles the mooted question whether vaudeville wants classical dancing by the single person, when done in the purely classical way, with naught but a male assistant and a setting. The answer of the Monday night audience at the Palace seemed to say nay, gauged by the enthusiasm from an overheated middling crowd. The an- swer was not returned as against Lopo- kova, it was against the classic dance, singly, in "contrast with the fast dances of the popular and modern style va- riety has been almost surfeited with but it would appear not yet satiated to the extent it can appreciate the old and classic art as ably interpreted by Lopokova. For this young girl from abroad is a classic dancer from the Continental ballet school of no mean ability. She has all the attainments such dancers should have and more than many, the more including good looks, youth and captivating grace. But these are not for vaudeville in these times, it seems, although of course it must be conceded that there is a Pav- lowa, and it must also be admitted that since the advent of that wonderful dancer on the American stage, ballet or toe dancers have had to follow a name that cannot be denied until it is equaled. Genee held her sway until Pavlowa came. Who will be the next? It may be Lopokova, but it is not Lopokova now, at least in vaudeville, v,here "names" count muchly. She's young enough to gain the fame con- tinued hard application will give her, and her's is an act that might be pushed i.pon vaudeville audiences, for Lopo- kova and her dances are well worth looking at, barring a long but neces- sary wait Monday evening that must b(. remedied in one way or another. If ballet dancing on the vaudeville stage is naturally slow from the very art itself, and vaudeville insists upon speed, a wait is a dangerous item, no matter what the excuse. Edmund Makaliff is assisting the premiere in her dancing, of which there were three numbers by her, one in two sections causing the wait. Makalif had a dance solo. He is her assistant, well enough in that capacity, but meaning nothing beyond it. It might be cruelty to suggest that Lopokova sit through the opening act of the Palace bill this week and watch Helen McMahon do her "scarecrow work." But still, it would give Lopo- kova the idea of vaudeville, and after that she would be entitled to her own opinion of it. Regardless of what that opinion might be, vaudeville will not change, not at least for some years to come, not perhaps until Morris Gest loses another $100,000 vainly trying to educate the American public to the European ballet. tftme. George Fairman and Lew Archer. Singing and Dancing. 13 Mins.; One. Harlem O. H. Although this team has the appear- ance and derives the best results from its routine, it will take work and time to reach the bigger houses. At pres- ent there is not much to the turn that needs especial mention, but for the dancing of Lew Archer, who not only works hard with it, but knows how to dance. Some of his loose eccentric steps are new and this will help. It's the singing by Archer that holds the turn back, although a patriotic song was good for an encore and scored the biggest hit of the turn. George Fair- man, who is at the piano throughout, might replace some of Archer's songs with piano solos, for the one Fairman did received full returns and braced the turn quite some. After these boys are together a little while they may be able to work much better. Just now any number of spots need bolstering up. The Faynes. Acrobatic and Singing. 10 Mins.; Full Stage (Special Set). Royal. The Faynes, man and woman, do acrobatics and singing. The man's ac- robatics are the best. Opening before a special set representing the interior of a ball room, the woman puts over "Old Fashion Melody" in capable style, though Monday evening she seemed un- able to reach the high notes. The man follows with some excellent distorting of his limbs, and is an ideal performer along these lines. On the strength of the man's contortion the turn will do for the big small time. Julia Velva and Co. (3). Wire Walkers. 9 Mins.; Full Stage. Harlem O. H. This wire act, even down to the appa- ratus, reminds one of the Leon Sisters. After the girls start working, one who has seen both would believe the Velva Co. were the Leons. The only differ- ence is that Julia Velva, after each feat upon the wire, runs off stage and from the other side a twin sister or some one closely resembling her enters. This is not disclosed, but it might be. Some of the tricks are new and hard, but most of the routine leads one to be- lieve it is nothing more than a copy of the Leon Sisters. EMMA'S REDUCING SCHEME. Emma Cams is going to show Broad- way how to reduce its weight at so much a reduction. Miss Carus left New York about five months ago for a trip ever the Orpheum Circuit. Returning t( the Main Stem there wasn't a friend who recognized her, for Miss Carus had dropped 50 odd pounds in that time. Since she has been back so many people have asked her just how she did it Miss Carus has finally decided she is going to open an office to pre- scribe for a limited number of patients ai so much per. NEW SHOWS NEXT WEEK "The Girl Who Smilea," Lyric (Aug. 9). "The Boomerang/* Belasco (Aug. 10). "Search Me," Gaiety (Aug. 11). "Some Baby/' Fulton (Aug. 11). Eugenie Le Blanc. Singing and Dancing. 10 Mine.; One. Harlem O. H. Eugenie Le Blanc is youthful looking and displays a bit of sprightfulness. Opening with "Ypsilanti" (about the best singing number she does), she changes without leaving the stage, stripping to a costume under her open- ing one. Following this Miss Le Blanc does hard shoe dancing on a special mat and has a variety of steps. She con- tinued dancing during the remainder of the turn, after each number, but it is her dancing that easily is her best. The "Dutch" number might have been better. Hardly a word of the lyrics was distinguishable. Miss LeBlanc should not find any trouble securing bookings for the better small time houses and might also be able to hold down an early spot on some of the smaller big time bills. "No. 2" she scored one of the hits of the evening. RATS 9 SCAMPER PROGRAM. The program for the big White Rats' All-Star Scamper at the Manhattan opera house next Tuesday evening, Aug. 10, has been laid out. It in- cludes a Scotch minstrel first part with everybody in kilts, and a large cabaret scene that will be utilized to introduce the individual specialties. As another diversion the Herman Lieb sketch, "Dope," will be played by a specially selected cast, while the comedy bit as done by Conroy and Le Maire and known as "The Knockers' Club" will also be on the bill. In the kilted portion will be Charles J. Ross and James J. Corbett as inter- locutors, with Frank Fogarty, Fred Niblo, Tom Lewis and Fred Stone among the end men. Women will be there in kilts also, with Norah Bayes, Stella Mayhew, Trixie- Friganza and Olive Briscoe mentioned. In the Lieb sketch will appear in character Mr. Niblo, Frank Sheridan, Lew Kelly, Junie McCree, Dorothy Jardon and Miss Briscoe in support of the star. The "Knockers" skit has Tom Lewis, Jack English and Gus Cohan for principals. Alice Lloyd, Grace La Rue and Louise Dresser are promised for songs. Among the cabaret items as an- nounced will be George M. Cohan, Joe Weber, Walter C. Kelly, Eddie Foy, Fred Niblo, Bert Levy, Frank Keenan, Will Rogers, Sam Morton, Frank North, Billy B. Van, Andrew Mack, Hap Ward, Harry Kelly, Paul Dickey, James J. Corbett, Doyle and Dixon, Tom Lewis, Frank Fogarty, Clifton Crawford, Fred Stone, Dave Mont- gomery, ' Nat Wills, Herman Lieb, Conroy and LeMaire, Charles J. Ross, Tom McNaughton, Junie McCree, George W. Monroe, Gregg Patti, Sam Sidman, Robert Emmett Keane. The cabaret will also have a singing and dancing contest for a silver cup.