Variety (January 1917)

IS NEW ACTS THIS WEEK NEW ACTS NEXT WEEK Initial Presentation, First Appearance* or Reappearance in or Aroend Naw York Eva Tanguay (Reappearance), Palace Emily Ann Wcllman and Co., Palace . Evelyn Neibit and Jack Clifford. Songs and Dances. 17 Mins.; One and Full Stage. Riverside. In their new act Evelyn Ncsbit and Jack Clifford have made a successful aim at something that will enhance their vaudeville reputations, jumping away from the freak classification and taking advantage of their previous stage experience to move right into the vaudeville class. Heretofore, the cou- ple were content merely to hold tne stage for several minutes, but in this turn they are doing something con- tinually during their stage stay and the entire act spells novelty and class. Ac- companied by some of the neatest creations and a series of scenic sets that stand out with the best in vaude- ville they have special songs, every one properly delivered and each apparently selected for its individual value. The opening is in "one" before a vari- colored drop with Miss Nesbit sing- ing a flower song, throwing bouquets to the audience during the chorus. The improvement is noticeable right here for Miss Nesbit has developed a voice. It earned an encore, but the routine forbid that. A move to full stage fol- lows, with Clifford dressed as a mon- key, mounted in a cocoanut tree. Miss Nesbit has a solo here with Clifford pantomiming. Then a double song and finally the novelty dance, short, but full of action and surrounded bv an- other startling set. At the conclusion the house, packed to the doors, insisted on a speech and Miss Nesbit responded with a short but appropriate address. The Nesbit-Clifford combination can now be listed as legitimate headliners. They earned the hit of the Riverside bill Monday night and deserved it. Wynn, "Jackie" and "Billie." Cockatoos. 10 Mins.; One. 125th Street. An attractive woman in evening gown, speaking good English, works with two trained cockatoos, one at a time. The first is "Billie," in a routine of stunts more or less familiar, but pleasingly presented. Then "Jackie" is brought forth, a smaller bird. It "talks" so distinctly one is almost tempted to suspect the lady is resort- ing to ventriloquism. "Jackie" says: "Hello," "I want a drink," "Come in," imitates a cat and dog, sneezes, waltzes and fox-trots, does a trapeze stunt on the lady's finger, a comedy boxing match with its trainer and when whipped yells, "Shake hands"; crows like a rooster, says "Good-bye" to the audience when finished, etc. Act all right on any program. Jolo. Chase and La Tour. Songs and Talk. 10 Min; One. American Roof. Chase and La Tour have a neat two- act, excepting a bit too much talk by the man. The songs are nicely rend- ered with the couple having an agree- able appearance. For the small time Chase and La Tour have a satisfactory gait. Boyle and Brown. Piano Act. 13 Mins.; One. Jefferson. These two boys, formerly in cabaret and more lately with a bigger act, have a nice little sinking offering for the s.r.j-a!l tu-r.e. The material »s -mostly comedy with the exception of two num- bers. Boyle has a way of putting the comedy numbers over effectively, and his partner can play and harmonize where needed. Fred. "Peacock Alley" (9). Comedy Drama. 31 Mins.; Foil Stage (Special Set). Colonial. ■♦Peacock Alley" for a vaudeville title sounds like a "girl act," but this it is not. A comedy drama instead, with the pedal down on the comedy and the drama coming under the heading of dramatic license. The plSylet is by Lewis Allen (program) and the author seemed to believe he must have a complete story, so he resorted to a type or so and a situation which were dragged or pushed in, but they rounded off the affair, though leaving a far- fetched impression to the entire play- let. The running time would have been shortened by the absence of these un- necessary people and bits and the play- let would have been just as well liked. The Colonial crowd Tuesday evening voted it "immense." It will strike all vaudeville audiences that way, whether the vaudeville sharps care as much for it or not. Vivian Blackburn and El- wood Bostwick are featured. Mr. Bost- wick runs away with the playing hon- ors through taking a slightly "soused" clubman role. To assist a country friend of his named Nelson, to reclaim the latter's wife, he eventually becomes engaged to another Mrs. Nelson, a widow. That supplies the main theme, mistaken identity, but handled differ- ently and agreeably in this playlet A couple of laughable lisping characters are inserted. One, Billy Nelson, taken by Louis Nelson, would have given Mr. Bostwick a hard run for the first prize if his opportunities had been larger and of longer duration. Misj Black- burn as the widow sails through in an Regan and Bender. "Drop Us a Line" (Talk and Acro- batics). 8 Mins.; Que. . Colonial. Two acrobatic tricks at the conclu- sion of this talking-acrobatic turn put it over at the Colonial Tuesday evening in the "No. 4" position and will do the same for the act on any bill wherever it is placed, but as a talking act in "one" it can't close a program for two rea- sons, some other turn might be used to better advantage there and an audience might not want to wait long enough during the talk to see the finish. They enter in sack suits and talk. Like all acrobats who try to talk, this team tells there is something wrong some- where before going very far. When they start to do the first trick, that ex- plains everything, and the only hope left is that they won't sing. In the cross-fire conversation is a gag about a train being a he because it's a mail train, and another, somewhat newer, that if the U. S. goes ta war, actors and convicts will be placed in one regi- ment so the stars and stripes will be together. The nicety'of this remark for actors to utter is within their own discretion, no doubt. But as it's the only laughing line of their talk, some- body probably ought to try to get them to take it out; After what seemed an awful lot of talk and very few tricks the two boys got down to the act, which is the finish*: Two ropes with loops are let down from the flies, mak- ing it look harder than if they were the conventional rings. The bearer hangs by .his feet for the first trick, which is PROTECTED MATERIAL VARIETY'S Protected Material Department will receive and file all lctten addressed to it. The envelopes are to be sealed upon the back in * manner to prevent opening with* out detection, unless bj permission of the owner of the letter. __., It is suggested all letters be registered, addressed to Protected Material, VARIETY, New York, and receipt requested. VARIETY will acknowledge each letter received. Full particulars of the "Protected Material Department" were published on Page S in VARIETY of Feb. 4, 1916. The following circuits, managements and agencies have signified a willingness to adopt such means as may be within their power to eliminate "lifted material" from their theatres, when informed of the result of an investigation conducted by VARIETY: MARCUS LOEW CIRCUIT BERT LEVEY CIRCUIT PANTAGES CIRCUIT (Bert Levey) (Walter F. Keefe) shea cntcurr b. s. moss circuit (Harry A. Shea) (B. S. Moss)' FEIBER-SHEA CIRCUIT GUS SUN CfitCUIT (Richard Kearney) (Gu» Sun) ALOZ CIRCUIT MICH. VAUDEVILLE CIRCUIT U. H. AIM) (W. S. Butterfield) (Jos. M. Schenck) FOX CIRCUIT (Edgar Allen) MILES CIRCUIT (Walter F. Keefe) FINN HEIMAN CIRCUIT (Sam Kahl) RICKARDS CIRCUIT (Australia) (Chris. O. Brown) U. S. V. M. A. JWalte^jJJimmer^ easy style that while it doesn't gain her any undue admiration for acting, polishes off for the others. The set is supposed to be the Peacock Alley of the Waldorf-Astoria. Into it comes the drama, a farmer and his wife looking for their wandering son who falls at their feet in a faint from hunger after declining aid from a rather loud young woman of a class that might be found in the Alley, but wouldn't make as much noise there about it as she did. The "50-50" remark over people living together might be shunned in wise neighborhoods and the Colonial's is one of them. Where it isn't caught it won't be known, so it could go out altogether. In Brooklyn they would think it was a new street car scale. "Peacock Al- ley" coming in quietly and a regular production from setting to people is a first class vaudeville act in every sense, and it's beyond that, it's a headline, for it has the quality to universally please. No producer is named. It was excellently staged by Mr. Bostwick. Sime. the flier doing a half somersault from the stage, catching the other's feet with his hands. The house liked this and vigorously applauded, but when the boy below, after one above had re- versed his position, caught the bearer's feet with his feet, through the same half somersault, the house just about went wild for a minute. Both tricks have been done in aerial work, but not before from a stand on the stage. They are very good and came as a big sur- prise to those who may have previously wondered what it was all about and why this act was looking for big time. There's generally a reason though and the two last tricks are it in this case. They will do for Harry Regal and David Bender in any big time house. -,, Sime. Demarest and DolL Songs and Piano. 12 Mins.; One. City. Demarest and Doll are Carl Dema- rest. who formerly did a single, and a young woman partner. The two-act rests lAnjjfcly- nfi'arV. DesrarWtV. ability, as a pianist, the girl doing a bit of singing and dancing in neither of which she excels. Demarest does not appear to have secured the most advantageous partner to do a double with. O'Rourke and Killion. Songs and Talk. 21 Mins.; One. A tenor in this turn carries it along. His is a very good voice and he sings with perfect ease that greatly lends to the ettect. "I Hear You Calling Me" was done even better than the audience's rapturous applause indicated. The act opens with a "drunk" meeting an Irish policeman. The act is new around here, but it doesn't sound new when one of the two men in it sings a parody on "In My Harem." The turn is ,tpo much. one-sHied at present but the possibilities appear to be large for the tenor, since he can do so much practically alone. He also has appear- ance, even in the cop's uniform. Sime. NEW SHOWS NEXT WEEK far 'The Wanderer" (postponed) Manhat- tan, Jan. 29. "Fascination". Dancing. 20 Mins.; Full Stage. Harlem O. H. Something is undoubtedly wrong with the present frame up of this color- ful dancing turn. It has three extreme- ly good looking, youthful principals, a brilliant and costly arrly of costumes and is a stunner for its "sight" features. But the Harlem opera house audience, not a particularly exacting lot, let it pass with only a perfunctory patter of applause. If an ambitious effort such as this cannot get over in a small time house, the dancing vogue must indeed be over. The stage is hung in a series of thin net drops all the wav back. When they are closed one after the other figures seem to fade into a misty distance. The three young people do half a dozen different bare-legged dances, Indian, butterfly, Hindu temple and the like, changing from one glit- tering costume to another. The young man is a first rate dancer of the style made familiar by the Russian ballet, but the two girls, both surpassingly lovely, are conspicuously lacking in the lithe grace essential ta this style of act. From time to time a bass voice of splendid quality is heard off stage- but the singer is not disclosed. The lighting is elaborate and at all times effective. It is difficult to pick the fault but there is a fatal defect some- where. Burke and Burke. . Comedy. 22 Mins.; Full Stage. Jefferson. This act walked away with the com- edy honors Tuesday night, even though the idea at the bottom of the skit is old fashioned and the dialog is nothing but cross-fire talk. The set is a par- lor, with the woman of the house and a messenger boy, The gags and talk in their entirety were in the vernacular of 14th street and Third avenue and down to the general level of the audience, therefore the laughing hit. There are three or four repeats in dialog in the routine and this makes the offering rather lengthy, but once these are chopped the act will go along on the small time in certain sections. The girl is a good looker and the boy -is a good rough comedy type. Fred, Hill and Rogers. Siiuring, Dancing and Acrobatic. 12 Mins.; One. Jefferson. Two boys who look and act like raw new comers to vaudeville. The taller displays some personality and a possi- ble comedy streak. No voices to speak of discovered in the opening number. The dancing is fair. The comic does a Lauder imitation, with the kilts and the hot water bottle as a spuran, his awkwardness getting laughs. There is a little touch of rough stuff here and there in his work, which while bringing laughs might be cut. For a finish, there is the high table rock a Ja Bert Mel- rose, with the straight standing in the first entrance manipulating the wire, and a chair fall to the stage. Small time at present. Fred. Parlor Car Trio. Colored Comedy Act. 20 Mins.; One (Special Set). Jefferson. Three colored boys, one as a Pullman car porter, another a station porter and the th.i «>"!;■• a div/fitx -tar- chj.f, with, com- edy talk, dancing and some singing, the latter of the old fashioned harmonizing sort. There are a few laughs. Turn just about right in the No. 2 spot in small houses. Fred.