Variety (February 1917)

SHOW ITEVTE VTS BON TONS. "The Bon Tons" 'came Into the Columbia this week without Bert Baker. Baker la In vaudeville. - Although the performance given by "The Bon Tons' Is tip top, the absence of Baker is felt. Babe La Tour, who for years worked with him, is now the feature and easily con- firms any statement she is one of the best leading women in burlesque. A large portion rests upon Miss La Tour, and she never al- lows a lagging minute to take up the time while on the stage. This season's version of "The Bon Tons*' is the same as last year's, In book, with Leo Uoyt playing the former Baker role and Les- ter Allen as his partner. Allen Is easily the hardest worked in the aggregation. He Is given a free rein and takes the comedy honors. Hoyt, playing Dutch, gets fair returns. George F. Reynolds is the straight and a likeable one. He Is lost for long lapses, but when Been always appears to advantage. Other minor roles in the male division are handled by John Walker and Ed Simmons. Among the women Miss La Tour Is first choice, although the show has one of the strongest female divisions of any on the cir- cuit. June Le Veay is a nice appearing num- ber leader. Martha Horton has several oppor- tunities which she copes with satisfactorily. Qladys Parker figures conspicuously in a specialty between scenes in the first act, offer- ing three popular numbers. The production end is about the same as in former years. The first act Is in three sections, with the opening a store scene, with the others a tough Joint and a flash interior used for the finale. The second act is in one exterior that is attractive. The chorus selected by the Theatrical Oper- ating Co. for this show is about up to the usual standard in numbers and class. The majority of the girls have had burlesque ex- perience in former years, with but one or two new faces. The dressing is below several other Columbia shows, many of the costumes appearing old, although the lateness of the season may bo accountable. John O. Jermon Is credited with staging the show, with dances by Dan Dody, music by Ruby Cowan, and lyrics, Jack Strauss. PALACE. A peculiar quality about the Palace bill this week that does not lend itself readily to definition. It was one of those programs while a good show still has something lack- ing, one of those cases where the big punch fails to appear. Yet there were a number of corking acts on the- bill and the hits were about equally distributed between the first and second half of the show. The house was not capacity, due undoubtedly to the weather. After the matinee Monday the show was switched about considerably from the pro- 0 gramed running order. Bert and Betty Wheeler were out of the bill and Marshall Montgomery replaced them, following the Asahi Troupe, which opened the »how. The third turn was that of Emily Ann Wellman and her company in Edward Eisner's flash drama, "The Young Mrs. Stanford," itb sec- v ond week. This was the first solid hit of the bill, although the act was marred by people constantly walking in on it. Willie Weston immediately afterward did a single that was a laugh from start to finish, the show being stopped with applause before Mile. Dazie in "The Garden of Punchinello" (New Acts) was permitted to go on. The second half comprise but two acts and the fourth episode of "Patrla." Jack Nor- worth started things off with his "My Boy" number, winning healthy applause. His Irish number brought the same return and two of his "book" numbers that followed were strong favorites. The patriotic verses in one especially won favor. The comedy bit, with the aid of an audience plant, used for an encore bit, was one of the funniest touches . of the evening. Bert Clark, assisted by another Miss Ham- ilton, closed the bill, switched from closing the first part, evidently because of the con- flict with the Dazle act, because this Miss Hamilton does a bit of toe dancing. The early comedy in the turn was enjoyed and the closing with "Poor Butterfly" was sure fire. The "Patria" picture closing, found many walk-outs during it. Fred. ALHAMBRA. . The bill has a wealth of class with the fine-strung wit of Wilbur Mack and Nella Walker and the amazingly fast 1'0-minute farce of Wilfred Clark In the first half of the running, and the clever entertaining of Melville Ellis and Irene Bordonl supplying a flno flash of looks for the feature position be- sides drawing the Harlem vaudeville fans. When Monday night's capacity audience was gathered, they found plenty of skillful en- tertainers there to keep them amused. Herbert's Dors made a pretty opening number. The Throe Stelndel Rrothern did mighty well with their enjoyable program of classical and popular numbers. They had the first chance at the audience In a bill that was perhaps overweighted with music, but the placing In the enrly portion made their se- lections (which run a little to heaviness for ordlnnry vaudeville usage) "rentable Th^n c-M'»; tlw Wilfred Clark miniature farce «vli.<1< V-*'"' ov ' r a *^ ,d l»*?tf every two seconds. H is not going too far to say that for quick shooting of dialog this sketch has a little on anything the vaudeville cir- cuits have to offer in the line of polite play- ing. Mr. Clark makes every point the author has provided count for Its full value In as- tonishing succession. Leon Kimberly and Rena Arnold Mfco former being the one-time member of Kimberly and Moore and Miss Arnold being the ex-partner of James Dono- . van) took up the speed where Mr. Clark's or- ganization left it and carried the show along at the height of the going. It was a high test for a two-person combination, but, thanks to their swift exchange of wit, tome of It of the paprika variety, they handled the situ- ation In first rate shape. At this point the show, at least as to its comedy values, was going more than a mile a minute and it would have taken nobody less than the pair who had been selected for the spot (closing the first half) to sustain Its rapidity. A first rate booker must have picked Mack and Walker for the Job and they Justified the choice. The sketch, "A Pair of Tickets," puts over the exchange of dialog, as a baseball writer would say, "waist high and right across the middle" at the rate of ten a minute. Intermission came In at this point and pro- vided the audience breathing time. Frankle Rice (New Acts) did well following the In- terval, while Mr Ellis and his little partner, who is unusually well dressed even for her, kept the proceedings going on for the next half hour or so. Jack Inglls and Mary Reading had "nut" comedy, but nobody walked out on them, and If they were 6omewhat below the general level of the bill for "clasa,' r (hey held up the spot. COLONIAL Business was off at the Colonial Monday night mainly due to the cold weather and a show that did not look* especially strong on paper, but worked out to a fair degree of satisfaction. Nolan and Nolan (New Acts) opened after the news weekly to good returns, when Kerr and Weston scored with dancing. This couple should eliminate the singing as much as pos- sible. The boy has little In the way of a voice, with his partner doing better with the vocalizing. The whirlwind finish with the neck-swing appeared much to the liking of the audience. Lydell and Hlgglns were moved from the second half to the No. 3 spot, replacing Mar- shall and Montgomery, who was placed In the second position. The Lydell-Hlgglns offering brought forth some laughs. Hamil- ton and Barnes, with more talk, took down a fair hit, although placed at a disadvantage, following another talking act Their returns were satisfactory notwithstanding this diffi- culty. Valerie Bergere and Co. In "Little Cherry Blossom" closed the first half. Mme. Doree's Celebrities, operatic, opened after Intermission. There are some capable singers and the act took down the applause hit of the evening. Montgomery, assisted by Edna Courtney, next, scored easily. Mont- gomery was suffering from a cold Monday. Miss Courtney Is becoming an accomplished handler of the dummy and rounds out the ventriloquist offering In the best of style. Montgomery closed In "one" with a few stories and a poem. This was necessary owing to the time required for the change to the Joe Howard-Ethelyn Clark turn, which Allowed. Howard and Clark put over an easy hit w4th songs and dancing, with Miss Clark's gowns In her favor. "Patrla" closed to a well seated house. AMERICAN ROOF. There was not much class or merit to the American Roof bill the first half. It seemed to have beton placed together with the knowl- edge that the Chaplin release, closing the show, would hold It up. On this theory, there could be left no complaint, for this Chaplin happens to be a good one, and would atone for much to an audience looking for laughs. The program ran along In uneven style, with almost everything small time wants on it. The bill opened with Eller's Novelty Cir- cus that had some trained goats to recommend it, with monkeys riding the goats. It looked odd and should become a regular small-time turn. There Is a special set, with some other animals and birds about. It's a clean-looking act that Is not unattractive at all, except- ing the trainer would greatly Improve It by discarding his present uniform for seme bet- ter-looking manner of dressing himself. In the "No. 2" spot were Sinclair and Dixon (New Acts), a rather noisy talking and singing turn that finally pleased, and the third act was Lee's Hawaiian Duo, man and woman, who sing and play Hawaiian music, with the woman letting the act down badly at the finish with a poor attempt at a Hula dance. If the couple stopped singing al- together and Just played their musical in- struments (one a uke), they would do better, but how much better is problematical. The Hawaiian thing has gone so far it would have to be two exceptional "Hawallans" now- adays who could keep In line with It by them- selves. Next was E. J. Moore, a talking magician, who has framed an act that recalls a Key- stone comedy, for its mussy matter. That is the spilling* of water all over the com- edian-assistant, and that same boy after breaking an egg In his hip pocket, delicately draws out the remnants of it with his hand and drops It in the footlights. In pictures It wonidp t Jo©"*" mo Imnlv. but any day the Kt»/ j stutie comedies may have riveted many a cast- Iron stomach that can enjoy this sort of stuff in small-time houses. Otherwise Moore does rather well, using the "lemon trick" by sub- stituting oranges for it. and getting some laughs with hit ohatter. He calls himself "The Gabby Trickster." The first half was closed by "The Paris Fashion Shop" (New Acta), and the second part was opened by Down** an<< Gomes, with songs, their operatic airs toward the finish winning out for them* After t**t the show commenced with Mtlloy, Keough and Co. (Mew Acts), in a sketch, followed by Welch, Mealy and Montrose, ond the Valdare Troupe ending the vaudeville. 8ime. JEFFERSON. Musical conductors are proverbially wise, which suggests the old aaw about "a word to the wise." It waa mentioned In last week's Variety that the orchestra at the Jefferson was not in time to the various acts upon the rostrum. Tuesday evening of the current week they worked In unison and played their or- chestrations very acceptably. After a patrlotlo overture, which suggested the English variety houaes at the opening of the present Buropean conflict, the vaudeville program commenced with LaBelle Carmen Trio, wire walkers snd boomerang throwers. They do some excellent work of that kind and work neatly, making an enjoyable opening turn for any high class small time show. It Isn't so long ago when an act of Chat calibre was employed to dose a big time bill. Harry Coleman, ventriloquist, with his special drop In "one," offered some weak comedy with the "dummy," the only novelty being the rigging up of his "dummy" to "walk" at .the con- clusion of the turn. Burke, Tuohey and Co., five people, offered their familiar Irish comedy sketch, In whloh Tuobey and the remainder of the troupe feed Charles Burke's "Tad" characterisation. The act Is built along old-fashioned lines, with "asides," and recalls the former "Silver Moon" sketch. Tuohey's bagpipe playing to Burkes singing of "Kilkenny" le- still as effective as ever. Burke and Tuohey should easily be able to secue a two-act for themselves and thereby avoid the carrying of the other three, who are unnecessary. They are good enough artists to try once more for the big time. The Charlie Chaplin current release broke Into the cen- tre of the bill and earned a large number of boisterous laughs. The Chinese Entertainers, three men, went through m fast routine of instrumental work, opening with two playing' banjos, the other a large slther, three playing saxophones, one a violin solo, with fiddle held between knees and finishing strongly with xylophones. Flske and Fallon (New Acts). New York Comedy Four, usual small time quartet of males, the "cissy," straight, "wop" and unahaved legit with long hair. Usual barber shops and finished very strongly with some yodllng, earning a healthily demanded encore. A very much appreciated three-a-day turn. Such acts always are sure fire In that grsde of houses. Stelner Trio on the horlsontal bars closed the vaudeville portion with a neat routine, augmented by what Is now obsolete comedy. They could probably secure better results^ by working straight. The first, of the McClure "Seven Deadly Sins" picture serial concluded the entertain- ment. Conventional bill, with .no single women— In fact the female contingent of entertainers was In the minority. /of* CITY. The principal attraction at the City the first half was the new Chaplin. One act waa drop- ped from the usual show. Seven turns, the Chaplin and a five-reel Pathe made up the bill. The show got under way at 8.10 and finished at 11.17. The house waa capacity when the first act went on. Lohse and Sterling opened, doing 10 minutes of a rattling fast routine on the rings and bar, finishing with their fsst whirl to gene- rous applause. Belle and Mayo, boy and girl, singing, held down the second spot nicely with a little good comedy In the act. John R. Cordon and Co. In "Day and Knight," comedy, running a little short, got laughs through the In and out of doors farci- cal situations, the poker game finish getting over strongly. The Three Roaellas, mixed musical trio, scored on the work of the come- dian. The Chaplin comedy split the bill, running a little over 20 minutes. The hit of the show followed. It was the flashing of slides of Washington, Lincoln and Wilson, the orches- tra playing a medley of patriotic airs and fin- ishing with "The Star Spangled Banner" with the audience standing. "The New Producer" started the seoond half. The turn has been cut down to 10 people, Including the musical director and the ballet dancer, where It formerly totaled 15 persons. The cut was In the chorus, but as the act Is evidently going over the smaller time now, this Is sbout right. Musically the act Is the same as In the past and but little of the vocal volume seems to be lacking. It wan a solid hit. Margaret Youngblood (New Acts) was the applause bit of the bill with five popular num- bers. The Ferris Wheel Olrls (New Acts), a com- bination musical and acrobatic turn, was the closer. Fred. 17 weak Hearst-Pathe weekly to open.^oesldea Mabel Burke's HI. song. The new Chaplin Is a regular comedy with plenty of slam bang, but no messy slapstick. The house had several real good laughs out of it, whloh wore enough, -alasy tttreet" is the tough alley of a city and Chaplin Is Im- pressed Into police duty to patrol it. He subdues the bully of the street and trans- forms It Into a peaoe loving neighborhood. The leading vaudeville number was Ray and Gordon Doolsy, next to closing. These Doolsys, and there are many of them In vaudeville, all seem to be performers. Ray and Gordon loo": familiar from a mixed en- semble act of some time ago, In which Ray did the bed bounding bit she Is now dosing the turn with. Ray gradually works Into the most prominence, although her brother Is prominent enough, also quite funny at times, at other times too mechanical In his falls. He has the Philadelphia Doolsy fall. The couplo are young and this helps them along. Besides they are likable and with their work In addition got the applause hit of a lightly approved show, for a Fifth Avenue audience. Another two-act was ahead of the Dooleys. They were Crawford and Broderick, boy and girl, with the girl getting the most out of the cross lire points, some of which may have been their own and many of which were not The smoke, swear and gamble; home In a taxi and klsa her and the Geo. Cohan-Jewish theatre gags were among their borrowed ones. Two songs were sung, "Married Life" as a double and the boy singing that father wanted him to study law. The boy appears to have lingering about him yet reminders of his Im- personation days If he ever did that, and he acts as though he did, while the girl first appears before the landscape drop In evening dress, afterward changing her clothes with- out changing the drop. That's two-act stuff, though, and one act has nothing on the other for doing those things, any more than they have for taking what they think are the surest fire gags they have heard or heard about. The girl aeema very capable. She has a neat manner of delivery, looks well and the couple were much liked. With an act altogether their own they might qualify for big time. Closing the show were Rose and Bills, with the man a barrel Jumper and hla partner In clown make-up, a girl who did quite well at it, although the disclosure comes, rather late In the turn, as her speaking voice must bsve aroused the susplolon long before. The Jumper does some extraordinarily good work In their own set, with a 'neat looking turn all around. To those liking barrel Jumping only, this act will do to open on big tune. Van Clsve and "Pete 1 ' opened, the act catching laughs, and Shorty^ DeWItt, doing a single turn (New Acts) was second. "Har- ried by Wireless" (New Aots), that held lit- tle, came next and It might do during the war excitement After Mies Burke and the 3rat two-act were the Three Vagrants, banged It aeema in personnel from when last seen, with the accordion player appear- ing to be new, although the act Is no longer In the big time class but will do for the other divisions. FIFTH AVENUE. rivt'.KTh wtr*-the fvaturea ©f tbe Fifth Avenue program 'the'first baT'f. Ciifcflie'Chap- lin In "Easy Street" and the third ep of "Patrla" were the closing Items of a bill that carried no great weight and was running one act short because of the film, and had a very COLUMBIA. Last Sunday's concert, carrying nine acta, developed into one of the best vaudeville en- tertainments shown there this season, with practically every specialty corralling /a safe hit the only one to even falter being 8am Llebert and Co. Llebert held a central spot following some good vaudeville material, and while hla sketch registered nicely In sections, the house seemed inclined to look lightly on his dramatic efforts. When Llebert began to leap Into pathos, the gallery mistook his tone for comedy and promptly booted the climax. But at that, for small time, Llebert la pass- able. At present the sketch holds things up. Simmons and Bradley opened with a roller skating turn, the girl carrying the combina- tion over with her dance. Nothing partlou-* larly sensational Is attempted but the routine Is well arranged* and the picture commands applause. Loewy and the Laoey Sisters held third •pot with the conventional trio offering, the girls showing a rather surprising personality. One of the Laoeys brought home a duet hit with the man when she doubled as a boy. It was the best section of an otherwise good turn snd at their final exit they had chalked up a reasonably safe hit. The surprise came with Nolan and Nolan, man and woman, with the former doing the bulk of the work. Nolan Is in eccentric make-up and went through a hat and ball routine that In Itself guaranteed his safety. He works fast, has a good sense of comedy and does no stalling. It's a big time turn. Howard and Ssdler followed the Nolans and their success was never In doubt. These two girls remind one of the Courtney Sisters In appearance, but do not attempt any Impres- sion of the other couple. They harmonise nicely, have a good selection of numbers and look as well as one oould expect. After Llebert and Co. came the Three Rosel- lon with their comedy musical act. The turn In well divided between comedy and music with the lstter predominating Just a trifle, as It should. The harp and violin duet was good enough In Itself to bring them through to a safe hit. McWaters and Tynon followed with their tivn'.Ma*- sl^Klnr. *VAt, flndlog Jt ,ossy 4/» mtk* - ttw lrtt.- fonrimlonh, -anti then "'Laa-rfc and Hronnon with their splendid little double rou- tine came along to sew up the show and bag the hit of the day. The Appollo Trio, posing In bronze, closed the program. Wynn.