Variety (November 1915)

VARIETY CABARETS That the free revue offers possibili- ties to the side-street hotels, where cabaret business has been effected by the Broadway restaurant productions, was evidenced at the Van Cortland Hotel last week when Manager Jack Dochney introduced a two-part "show- let" with Jimmie Connors and Florence Gear, supported by a chorus of singers and dancers. For the limited capacity of the Van Cortland the revue worked wonders and while it lacked all signs of pretentiousness, it shows a decided improvement over the preceeding pro- gram and should do business for the house. The piece has been unofficially christened "Ship Ahoy." It consists of a succession of numbers and dances, all led by Mr. Connors and Miss Gear, made attractive through the wardrobe and light effects, the latter an innova- tion for the Van Cortland. Of the repertoire of numbers "Daughter of Mother Machree" stood out as the strongest contender for encores, dressed appropriately and well handled by Connors. A nautical number at the finale was also well liked by the capa- city crowd. Dancing between numbers makes the affair well worth while. Jack Canavan has been added to the Van Cortland staff as floor manager, while the theatrical portion of the establish- ment is under the supervision of Jimmie Connors. Paula Loomia, the beauty blonde at Shanley's, is thinking of opening up a restaurant-cabaret of her own. The New York Subway company supplied Paula with the backing. About a year ago, while homeward bound one night after the performance, Miss Loomis stubbed her foot walking down the subway stairs. The next day she got a doctor, then a smart lawyer, and the finish was a $1,500 check in settlement Paula thinks she made a mistake by not stubbing her two feet at the time, and is trying to figure out what it would be worth if she allowed a sub- way train to bump her gently. Too much kissing on the ballroom floors. It's growing very common late at night or early in the morning. A souse is never blamed if he slips a kiss now and then when dancing with a girl, but when it's made unanimous, the kissing thing doesn't look so pretty. Cabaret proprietors should instruct the floor managers to look after this. It will be the first thing picked by the dailies if starting a crusade against the late dancing. The other evening at a Broadway place an A. K. got a teeth- hold on the neck of a blonde, and it looked by the way he hung on that he hadn't eaten for a week. The Cabaret Mondain of Chez Fy- sher has A. Neilson Fysher, Maurice Farkoa, Irene Bordoni and Suzanne Fiendel, with Dan Casler and his or- chestra. It opened last Friday night at 121 West 45th street, and for restau- rants is a different sort of ent rtain- ment. Miss Feindel is making her first appearance in New York there. Mr. Fysher has given the city a duplicate of his similarly named and well-known place in Paris. Through the artists the evening takes on more the aspect of a musicalc than a hard and noisy cabaret show. Early this week business was reported as exceedingly light at this place. It seems as though only a few in the chosen circle are aware of its existence. The New York Roof will open in December. It is undergoing extens- ive repairs, with the exact scheme in mind unfathomable in the present chaotic state the place is in, but it looks as though a Roman Court will be evolved. A plan to reduce the appa- rent bigness of the Roof has also been found. There doesn't appear to be much doubt from the improvement the Hoof will be an attraction for the cab- aret fiends. Tom Healy will run the restaurant and, with a "Club" license, the Roof could give Healy's uptown place an awful rub for late business. Healy's has the crowd again, the late morning bunch that never wants to go home. Among those dancing cabarets that remain open as a Club after 2 a. m., Healy's (66th St.) has bounded out beyond the rest where business is con- cerned. People "go up to Healy's" as late as four in the morning, that place catching a drift trade from other cabarets which may close earlier. Rec- tor's shuts down about 3.30 or 4. The Domino Room, at Bustonaby's, is light- ed up pretty late, but it hasn't much of a capacity and the dancing floor is an awkward one. A "neck hold" while dancing is the latest in the careless cabarets. It's used mostly by the young women, who clasp their partners about the collar of the coat, while floating around the room. Sometimes the man takes hold rather high up. In either instance it's not becoming, and looks as though the couple were prepared to go into bat- tle at a second's notice. But the rum- mies are using the hold, so it must be all right. 4 The two Bustanoby places (39th and 60th streets) are to have an inter- changeable revue, to be put on under the direction of Frederic McKay. The Bustanobys signed a contract this week with the manager to get a double set of principals and one chorus for the two establishments. An extra large chorus will be used because of this. They will be transferred from place to place by a special bus service. Joan Sawyer and Jack Jarrott were billed to headline the program at the Colonial this week, but late last week the cabaret stepper developed an attack of temperament or something and in- formed the management her physician forbade her dancing twice a day. She was present at the opening of Fysch- er's Friday night of last week and was very much in evidence at Healy's Sun- day night. New additions to the Broadway cab- arets this week were: Rector's, Ernest Evan's Revue (doubling from the Pal- ace); Manning Twins returning to Churchill's, and June Roberts at the same place; Bustanoby's (60th street), Three American Dancers; Reisenweb- er's, Newkirlc and Evans Sisters; Shanley's, Hazel Shelley. All were placed by Billy .Curtis. An example of how far a "rummie" will go nowadays in a restaurant in his relations with women was plainly ob- served one night last week, when a real "rum," after dancing all evening with a Harlem woman, who was known to a few people in the place, accepted a $50 bill from her when the check came around, paid it, and pocketed the dif- ference. Wiley and Ten Eyck are doing a very pretty dancing turn at Rector's. Mr. Wiley and Miss Ten Eyck are dressed in white and while the dance resembles to some extent the one Wiley did with Annette Kellermann at the Winter Garden, he is handling Miss Ten Eyck so well it looks altogether new. Each of the dancers is attractively formed, and this, of course, helps the picture. Frederic Santley went into Flo Zieg- feld's "Midnight Frolic" on the Am- sterdam Roof Monday night. Mr. Santley led the bathing number and the finale. He looked well to the man- agement, and additional songs will be saddled upon him during the first part. The Saxophone Six are also in the show. The Strand Roof will have a dancing contest Sunday afternoon, Dec. 5, for which a cash prize of $20 will be given. It will be a one-step contest. The judges will be Harry Halbert, Harry Whitaker and Ralph Black. Clifford C. Fischer has taken over the two cabaret floors in the Winter Garden building. He will open them about New Year's with a style of enter- tainment he claims will be totally dif- ferent for Broadway restaurants. Prince Napoleon, who recently fin- ished a tour of the western vaudeville time, is to appear in cabarets in New York. He is a midget, weighing 33 pounds. Cross and Josephine have been ap- pearing in the grill at the Knicker- bocker for the past week. Adelaide and Hughes may be an attraction at the same hotel shortly. Clara Lee is in her second month at the Sunset Inn, Broadway and 178th street. The Sunset has a cabaret of about 10 numbers. Chicago, Nov. 24. Determined steps are being taken to stop five of Chicago's well-known dance halls and others will come under the ban if not more rigidly supervised in the management. The morals com- mission recommended to the Chicago city council Monday the Cent i\ Hall (2159 Wabash avenue), Palace Hall (443 North Clark), East End Hall (645 North Clark), Mozart Hall (1502 Cly- bourn avenue) and Best Hall (2170 Clybourn avenue) have their licenses revoked, while Wicker Palace Hall (2040 North avenue) and Schonehof- en's Hall (1224 Milwaukee avenue) were reported for better dance super- vision. The report sizzled with scenes of disorder in some of the halls and young men and women were accused of "flagrant intoxication" and "vile dancing." The Mayor has been urged to act at once. Show managers be- lieve that sooner or later that stage dancing will have some sort of "rec- ommendations" tossed at it. Cabaret managers are also worried. Boston, Nov. 24. Cabaret booking agents may well keep their eye on this city during the next month or two. The Licensing Board, which has kept the lid on Bos- ton for years is apparently waking up to the fact that the city has been a joke to the traveling public because it goes to bed at 11 p. m. t except for a few devvuls who stay up until mid- night. Dancing has already been per- mitted in establishments where liquor is sold, and the two indoor sports can be indulged in simultaneously. Hither- to, dancing and a highball were re- moved by many thick walls and flights of stairs. The cabaret seems to be the nex*t logical step and New Year's Eve will probably see the letting down of the bars. The present "limit" is a "she singer" wandering a few feet away from the piano whenever it is felt there is no purist or police plain clothes dick in the vicinity. The Georgian and the Woodcock will probably be the active factors in the attempt to pry the lid open a trifle wider. Chicago, Nov. 24. Will the rigid enforcement of the saloon closings effectually kill the fox- trotting and one-stepping after one o'clock in the Hotels Sherman and Mor- rison? That is the question upper- most in the minds of those who night- ly have been frequenting these dance places. During the week-end just fin- ished the Morrison dancery has been crowded and people have been turned away. On the club plan, drinks have been sold after hours. Cincinnati, Nov. 24. A local cabaret boom has started here with the Havlin and Sinton hotels competing for the high-class patronage. Hyla Allen, Billy Turner and Co., have been engaged for the Sinton. At the Gibson the attractions are Joe Schenck and a local violinist of prominence. The Havlin is featuring on its program the Hawaiians, who originally appear- ed with "The Bird of Paradise."