Variety (August 1917)

►"-- SHOW R W r 19 HELLO, AMERICA! This new Hurtlg ft Bcamon production la bound to develop Into a good show, for it oar- rlea all the ingredients, but beyond ttala pro- diction ono oould hardly writs a comprehen- sive rev law on lta maiden porformanco, for tbe affair ran beyond three and a half hovre, with much of the superfluous time oharged to the musical director, who persisted In forcing encores, thus doubling the task of the stage censor, who will probably have to do some tall guessing when It comes around the cutting time. The show Is heavy on song and a trifle light on comedy, but the latter can easily be added, for every angle Is there but the bits, and burlesque bits nsver sold at a premium. Joe Hurtlg baa given particular attention to the production end, going in for a spectacular dlsplsy of costumes and scenery and manipu- lating his expenditure and experience in such a way as to get the greatest possible ad- vantages at the moat moderate rate. The first set carries five eoenlo changes with a patriotic ensemble picture ussd for a grand finale. The first la beat, ahowlng a North River pier view. The effect given at the Initial curtain la likewise good and calla for an appreciative hand. The second half Is worked In one scene, showing the Capitol grounds at Washington. Through ths mlnstrsl arrangement, which takea up the greater por- tion of the afterpiece, the absence of addi- tional scenery Is cleverly covered, while the results can be favorably compsrisoned with the preceding section. The show features three principals In Sam Lewis, Ssm Dody and Primrose Semon, the letter assuming sngenue duties. Lewis and Dody are faithful workers, good character men and capable cornice, and while they dis- played s roughness on ths opsnlng night (last Saturday, on 125th street) they will eventuelly work Into their respective parts, and should combine to make things hum. Miss 8emon csn be listed among the best of burleeque soubrete, full of "pep" and par- ticularly capable In handling a speaking part. She gets much out of hsr numbers, and as the Interlocutor In the minstrel section man- aged to keep the affair nicely balanced. Frank Wakefield and Arthur Conrad comprise the balance of the male support, with Kitty Glaaco snd Grace Hsywsrd filling ths east of principals. Wakefield stands out exceptionally well. Conrad handlee a light, straight role, getting In eome good licks In the musical end. Kitty Glasco Is not ovsrburdened with responslbllltlee and handlee her ssslanmenta In good ohspe. Grace Haywa'-" Is ths con- ventions! prima donna, hsr general appearsnoe overahadowtne her rsther sharp voice. Mies Hayward leane toward a characterlete la ths opener, working opposite Wsksfleld, who Is bound to monopolise any scans In which hs flguree. The chorus msy be classified along the average from a atandpotnt of facial beauty, but should compete with very beet In a contest of vocal strength. This Is eaally ap- parent In the ensemble numbers where their united volume and harmony scores a point for the producer of his selection. And the girls dlsplsy s liveliness that gives an added strength to numbers. The book Is devoted to the opener and credited to Wakefield, Dody and Lewis, deal- ing with the extravsgansa troupe which ar- rives from abroad mlnua Its principal come- dians. Lewis snd Dody, easavlng their re- spective characters, are plucked from the steerage and the ensuing action revolves around their experiences with the organisa- tion. The eecond half la almoet entirely taken up with the minstrel arrangements, offering the proper oportunlty for the Introduction of specialties. Of the lot Conrad and Bemon get the best results, with the comics running s close second. A musical turn also adds a little variation to the routine, and acored a healthy hit. With the neceaaary cutting this show should run along smoothly an! give satisfaction aplenty under any circumstances. It lscks nothing but speed and some additional comedy, neither of which ahould be difficult to pro- cure. TFynev. ossne sight at all timee, And can bo safely orsdttsd with top honors In ths female dlvi- BOWERT BURLESQUERS. The current season's edition of Hurtlg is fieamon's "Bowery Burlesqusrs" looks like s sure winner, principally becauae of the abundance of good comedy contained, and In this respect the show should stand up with any brand of competition on the circuit. And behind the comedy the producera have placed a reasonably good production, although thsrs Is no aim at pretentiousness. And their judgment looks sound, for the Columbia audi- ence seemed to thoroughly enjoy the per- formance, apparently preferring the "bits" to the numbers, although In the vocal divi- sion thore Is a half rfn7*»n sons hits, everyone gathering eeveral legitimate encorea. The book Is divided In two sections with a few specialties Interrupting the action, the arrangement breaking up thlnga nicely and eliminating the olio Idea, which aeems to hsve gone by with the old-fashioned burleeque pro- ductions. The principals Include: Frank Har- court, Billy Foster, Edna Green Pauline Paull, Libby Hart and Grace Anderson, the latter prima donna. Haroourt and Foster, two eccentric comics, make a great working combination, sharing the lighter side of the book equally and both reaping wonderful re- sults. They have been equipped with genu- inely good material and without a single ex- ception managed to carry every Individual ecene over to a rousing hit. A comedy "bit" handled by Orace Anderson and Foater was particularly good. Miss Anderson has a reasonably good voles, and her ability to han- dle a scene le especially noticeable. Endowed with an attractive personality, she was a wsl- Ethel Oresa is llvsly, Isada her num< hers well and Injects plenty of "pep" into ths outfit. Paulino Pnull In an sngenue role scored beat with ths specialty in which a trio of popular numbers earned her individual honors. Eddls Akin and Herman Gibson, two Juve- niles, are also listed among ths principals. Akin hss s voice that carries possibilities, likewise a dialect that could be developed. The boys nssd soms Instruction on stsgs de- portment, for they seemed continually 111 at ease, particularly Akin. And ths sams pair might have thslr clothes reconstructed to fit properly. They look like 'good material for development, and the season's experience with this show should mature them for better things. +*" The chorus has been sslscted for speed and voice, with the termer qualification eclipsing ths latter In this Instance. Ths Frances White type of chorister seems to be the style this season. This show hss one. Ths oos- tumss are pretty with sufficient changes jo kssp the Women auditors Interested, but as aforesaid, the comedy overshadows all othsr angles of the affair. Road mansgsrs can look ahead for ths "Bowsry Burleequers" with anticipation of a good week, for It's ons of those shows that will draw on its msrlts, sftd them the title has soms pulling power as WOM. vyjfSMS. gaietTgirls. "Pet Whits and His Gaiety Girls" Is the full title of this American wheel ehow. It waa at the Olymplo last week. The show Is old- fashioned In Its make-up and style, very much old-fsshloned. It seemed even more so at the Olympic, where they allow the candy hoy to ply hla trade while the ehow la going Pat Whits Is the principal comedian. If the cast holda another comedian he waa over- looked, although an hour of the performance waa plenty. If It were any better before or after that hour, the average would still re- main the eame. It's not a matter of material ao much aa the people, .nor do the people mat- tor any more than the material, nor la It anything In particular that goee toward the result—It'e Just the show, such as It la. There are 16 "glrla" In the chorua. Some look aa though they may have forgotten when they were girls. Othera are fat. Othere are thin. All go with the show. They fit It And their clothee go with the rest. In ons number where the girls were dreesed aa Jockeys and called by name In the lyrics of the aong Introducing them, they wore the sams style Jockey suit. There was one chance an Inexpensive production mlaaed to liven up the dreeelng ocheme. Beeldee Mr. White ere several men, who do various thlnga—on the program and very much leaa on the stage. Perhaps they could do more. It'e doubtful. Mr. White te the well-known Irish comedian of burlesque. Hla make-up Is bis trade mark, after hla name. There'e nothing else. Among the women prtnclpsls. of whom there ere three, Gene True, the prima donna, aeems s bit out of her element. The othere are Anna Gray and Sidney Hamilton. The men In the ehow by name are J. W. Clifford, Marty Pudlg, Walter Brown, Harry Ryan, Jack Thomaa, Tom James. There ere eeveral musical numbers, led by one or another. Thomas and Ryan did a song and dance act, then came some "Living Pic- tures" for the olio. It divided the two pieces "Cssey at the Derby" and "The Hurly Burly Hotel." The former had three scenes. Col. Blake's Home, Entrance to the Race Track, The Rsee Track. Pat White wrote the book and lyrics, according to the program, and William Stanley composed the music. Toward the close of the first part, after someone had described a couple of races snd there had been Imaginary business, two girls wrestled, then two more boxed, followed by White and another In another boxlne bout. Theirs was a burlesque bout so Intended. It must have b^n quite a tsaV to gather so little talent In such a large company. Bimc. PALACE. For a big time nine-act bill, the Palace show Monday was shy on comedy. Business seemed eepecially good for a warm night. What comedy showed seemed short but sweet, with the Imitation of lovemaking birds by the Arnauts copping the most laughter. This has been seen before at the Palace. So has the Grapewln-Cbance "Poughkeepsle" sketch, yet both these sections were the biggest laugh- getters. Dancing had its share, with the Horelik Ensemble, In the opening spot, hitting up a fast Russian legmania well received; Tommy Hyde reeling off a graceful, well-arranged soft- shoe routine in Seven Honey Boys (New Acts) ; Arnaut Brothers, and the Dolly Sisters, in their third week, topping the bill, with their » pleasing repertoire of graceful foot-and-leg gyrations. With plenty of songs and Instru- mental numbers, one can readily surmise why the comedy was missing. Fritz Brucb and Sister are musicians, using the string Instruments only. The Druches for a hot night should have switched their rou- tine And offered a lighter repertoire. Riaho interest was placid in the Palace debut of L. Wolfe Gilbert and Anatol Krled- land and the verdict was in their favor. The new aongs and the old drew down Instant popularity. Gilbert has gone In for the enun- ciation thing and It's an asset that helpa each number Immeasurably. Gilbert docs all the singing and Frledland the piano playing. It's a good vaudeville pair to draw on any bill. Winston's water lions and diving nymphs (eecond week, closed. B-erybedy stay sd for the finish. It waa worth wafting to a ss. T hs act haa made progress snd shows showman- ship. There Is no question that It delivers thj goods In large-sized packages. Mark. RIVERSIDE. Business at the Rlverelde aeeme to have taken an unexpected alump during the sum- mer months, the Monday night performance carrying but a half-filled orchestra, whlls ths upper portion of the houee waa equally ahy on attendance. Thla handicapped thlnge In general, the enthualasm running at low ebb, all aiming toward a monotonoua performance. Another noticeable defect was ths lack of worthy comedy, the honors In this division going to Clark and Vsrdl down In next to closing spot. With the lsughs asperated by a wide apace of time the gathering grew notice- ably reatleaa and the final curtain brought a sigh of relief. The ehow carried dancing sets at both ends, the opening spot falling to Hooper and Mar- bury with a combination of aongs and stops, tbe letter deftly covering up the shortcom- ings of the former. The turn has been neatly dressed with eome special scenery and ths affair la excellently staged, but the lack of vocal strentth Is spparsnt. The couple might eliminate eome of the song snd and pay more attention. If noaslhle. to the denclne. Thla work carries thsm through, for they both sarn excellent results In this division. Ths Three Avoloe with their familiar xylo- phone specialty were eecond, the sols novelty of t*e turn being the nresence of s eient haee Instrument. Xykpbonss and "Poet and Peas- ant" seem Issparalls. The Avolos should discard this time-worn composition. The cur- rent music market carries sn abundanoe of accentable eelectlona and a medley of tboea would be more fitting. They ecored on their musical ability, hut becauae of their repertoire thev cannot be claaelfled beyond the conven- tional musical turn. Thomas Swift and Co., In "Me and Mary." landed one of the few big hits of the evening, the general conetructlon of the Heht comedy skit calling for commendstlon. Tt le thor- oughly natural and naturally good with the respective parts well plsyed, yet not o*er- plavAd. The laugha are of the subtle kind, excellently Interwoven and of renulnelv rood materia]. Swift, credited with the authorship, has successfully aimed at a somewhst different theme with sn entirely different finale and the eudlence waa quick to express its apprecia- tion. Charles Kenna kept the houee in good hn»nr throughout his stsv with the "Street Fakir" monolog, the novel proportions of the specialty practically tnaurlng his success. Kenna Is a good showman and reused his au- dience to the fractional eecond on delivery sod time. His routine hss *»een greatly Ira- proved since his last metropolitan appearance, end with the well known lack of rood comedy "sfnrles" Kenna ahould find little or no trouble In landing continual work bereebouto. Louis Msnn end Co.. headlined In "The O'vh! For Nothing." the product of Samuel Shlnmsn snd Clara Llnman. ' The sketch d°»ls evte««1veiv In human nature and hss been considerably Improved with continual plnvlng and Mann hss cleverlv arranged the various points to bring out their rreetoat possible dramatic and comedy etrength. The sketch went over with lots to snare Monday nle-ht snd at the conclusion the etar waa forced to his n«nal sneeeh. Dshl snd Olllen entertslned nlcelv with s soeoic slhglne enedaltv. while C1«rk snd Verdi and Llnne's Dancera completed the show. W'jsjMt. ROYAL. With two sets out of five In the first half of the nrormm eetnslly stooping the show, snd s big Mt stsndlng out In ths sec- ond hslf. the hill at the Roval thla week proves to be to the distinct liking of the audi- ence that viewed It on Tuesday nleht. In the hslronv It wss a ahlrt-sleeve audience, for the men strlnped off their ooata, and the girt* came to the theatre hatlese. The Heer-t.-Pet.he started off the proeeed- Inrs at S:1R, the first act. Alberto Ronret and smlstent. maklne: Its snnearsnee at S*2fl. Ro<i*et's first hslanelnr trleVs brourM little snn1*o«e. snd hla finish, which usually is a big balanHn* winner, was nractleallv spoiled h^omp the frnnt H«*»rd»r hM h'm from t>is eudlence seated tineralra. B"t those on the lower floor eenrht the fall and -rewarded him. The first solid hit of the hill waa the eec- ond act of the ahow, Joyce, Weet and Moran. The trio simply stopped the ehow with their dancing at the finish of the turn. The girl In the ect la a corking looker and a neat stepi>er. tut It Is the dancing hoy In the act thst carrlea off the honore. He la dapper In appearance and handlee hie feet In a remark- able manner. Moran at the piano wuu out with bis medley about midway In the act. Robert Everest's "Novelty Circus" brought some laugha. Herbert Ashley and Jack Allman held the stage for 25 minutes with their offering, put- ting in two extra numbers, and then the audi- ence clamored for more. Allman'a voice In two Irish ballads showed wonderfully well, and those !p front couldn't seem to get enough of the singing. Ashley bad an additional comedy number which also ecored. The act tied up the bill at this point. Louis Simon and Co. In "Our New Chauffeur" (New Acts) closed the first half of the bill. The after-lntermlaalon section held but two acts, Hcrt Levy, and Dooley and Salea, and the Keystone comedy. Levy achieved hla usual, while Dooley end Balao ecored the laughing hit of the evening. frrt. AMERICAN ROOF. if It hadn't been for ths fast that there a go* d two-man comedy turn next to eloelng and a farlly good sketch, though badly acted, on the Amerloan Roof bill the first hslf of ths week the show prccsntod there would have been a decidedly sorry affair. The first part mads it slow going for ths first hour. Ths credit for pulling the ehow out of the rut will have to go to Wheeler and Moran. There was a good slssd bouse Monday night and ths lemonade kid had a busy time during the Intermission, Incidentally ths kid Is work- ing that "no ohange" gag on those who slip him a quarter for the piivllegs of dallying with a glass with a straw, so hs cops a jit for himself, making the bev 16 a smash. That kiddle may be a booking agent when he gets older. The pepleee first part consisted of Ryan and Juliette (New Acts), a little singing and dancing team, whioh opened, ths Two Ooloe Sisters, ths larger of whom seems to havs the unhappy faculty of singing off ksy frequently, ths not getting some spplauae on ths clos- ing number. Cunningham and Marlon pullsd down ths only thing that looked like s laugh In this section with an aorobatlo talking turn. Ths tambourine kicking bit at the fin- lab Is sura lire and w w n out for thsm. , Harry "Dutch" Ward and Miss Pryor, with a combination of bits that havs sssn service In burlesque, with Ward playing up the "Hot Dog" Idea, got a ripple of laughter here and there la the next te eloelng spot of the early section. Mini rryor ecored with a couple of numbers whlls the comedian handled the !?.!?• «■■**»» to the satisfaction of the audience. Oeorge and Msy Le Pevre (New Acta) dosed the first part with dawlnga fSfafSS? ,lfht ■" Kt not "^ «w The Bcmsoy Trio (Now Acts), three girl Instrumentalists, opened tbe eecond ■sctkaa 5JSS ?!?"*§ •PPtauso rssultaT°"Do Ton! BIT (Now lets), a sketch Used on the food problem ox ths present day, proved oadly SoteS J Wt * W ' IUn, • ^^Hocy Wheeler and Moran wars ths bright spot. Thslr comedy was ths first legitimate reason ths audience had for toughing out lou^end thslr singing also scored. Ons gag, ths hte- terlo ons about ths Bunksr HIltfneMsaL ni this Urns, when ws are allied with Egland ** £1 7,°™,™. would be better left unsaid. Ths Heonloge, with tbs Juggling, closed the ehow with a comedy film Mowing. JEFFERSON. •iff****. 5°* t rip-snorting, smash-bans* llokety brlndle ehow by a long shot. ysiTor a night that still had the best In the notch! to affect business far greater than any one can Imagine, the show mSosd tntfvlugtheoe •nte^Snto 7 D,glt ** ~"*BBl ™,!2 *■* OjwItF. nnd the novelty of the J5S* JJ* k*/ # S? U# *W*" *• worn tights and had the majority guessing until &1* 1 *. *** dofftd »' *■» «■«•* On* of tie beet enjoyed turns of ths svsnlng was a man- woman singing oombtnstloo that drew so much applauaTthnt oven ths ushsrs were MarUed from their lethargic stations. "■■*»•■ La Palarta and partner, dancers, opened and thslr routine, especially ttYdaVelngTtk the Castanet and the Russian rootloe at tie finish, wsre wsll received. A sard le fleshed that the man holda ths endurance resortI on the Russian leg movement, nnd at the Jeter- eon helped a lot In bringing forth moroan- wrong with this black-faced ooraedlee, as ho seemed to skid nil around the place with hla monolog. The war material fell fiat. In other words, It wssn't there. Phillips 5.3 d .". t° br *>* «P In more ways than ono. i h,ll,p i.*°**_ ■?■• • boui# •*»* tn former days, but Tussdsy night hs never seemed te , ^JI Ur «f d - -K* nD «• Ooff.to reconstruct. "Ths Nxsr" has a vein they seemed to like along the 14th bywav. Aa tbe principal work fell on Walter Nealand's shoulders. It was well, as ths supporting oast, with ono exception, was almost Impossible. About ono word In ten spoken by the office boy coild he heard ten rows sway. One bed to guess at the opening dlalogus. Lottls Oruper was a hit. Most of hsr numbers wsrs nsw, and aa Lottie le youthful and apparently ambi- tious ber "single" was appreciated. Why the blue light on the "San Domingo Land" num- ber T It made tbe little lady look gboatly and ghastly. Morris and Parks worksd bard to please. They got away slowly, but soon thswsd out with their brand of comedy. Severs I saga need were of nn ancient vintage. Hendricks snd Paula registered solidly. Good voices. The close harmony effect struck a happy medium. Mart el le had a tough snot following a good singing turn, as be depends both on bis vocal numbers snd chsnges. Sports a nice ward- robe end fooled moat of them with hla femi- nine Imitation. The Three Pa ret tee cloeed tbe ehow with their acrobatic turn. Aside from perceptible stalling and a feeble attempt for comedy, tbe trio did very well. The double eomerssult from ths underetenders proved a feature. Jforh.