Variety (February 1918)

— r!W"»?"~-T."" tumbler. Rom Bott h back after a ibM(» In Aosrralte. Sao dwfii »t^raotfvel works hard and ehows *w^»W- Wo 2* *? Wilton (Now Aeta) wore »Howod by ■*• Cloud and Carp. Those boya and tbelr sm-op-musto stopped ttao anew. Bella and Go. registered favorably wttfe a eh wont much bottnr at this bouse tkaj elsewhere aomo weeks ago. Tho oast appoara tbo aamo bnt porbapo tho holiday bad aomotblng to do with It Mloa Barohus, aa tbo houaorttvcy jj 0 * suspected of murder and ^ teappod bytho polioo offloer, mado a delightful obaraotar out of tbo auppoaad Ignorant girt Tbo KUkonny Four moppad «p. ady and tbo afnglng woro vary wall -—-^j- Tba Robert DoMont Trio proved an aoospteble elooar. Aerobatloa woro put otw .nice ly not; wltbatandtng that flddla Montrose had worked In soma aimllar ground routlno at tba opening of tbo abow. Jforh. GRAND OPERA HOUSE. Found, at last, a theatre In Now York that did not havo a sell-cot Oarflald Monday night. Bualnaaa on tho lower floor waa big but tho upper sections were balf empty, although tbo moat nolae name from that part. The Howard Trio, two men and a woman, opened tbo abow nloaly. Tbo straight man Is tbo act, aa all tba barrel tricks and other etunta are dona by him, the oomodlaa and tho girl Juet filling In with noma poor work, ssao- elally tbo danoe by tbo girl, which nerved aa a etage wait. This bit ahouM bo loft out entirely. Qoorge Mack, In tho next spot, would make a good minstrel entertainer. Hie Imperaonatlona of Joleon and Lauder are en bad they are terrible. The eketoh that fol- lowed, entitled 'The Vendetta,*' waa well bandied by the throe people In It. The scone la a mlaeton bouae In Mexico when the Senor takeo an American girl after saving her from a rattlesnake. Dialog explains tho Mexican's and life. The girl la the daughter of ita former eweetbeart. and la about to bo killed by blm when a man who had been hunting htm appoara at tho window and shoots tho bandit. The Idea Is old, but wtth these three working the act. It wit! do for tho hotter ■mall-time bouses. Brogban and Long, fol- lowing the aerial and Pathe News pictures, re- celTed big returns for tbelr good work. Tho Gray Trio, male, doing come warbling, ps s s ed on ths oomedlan'e capers, which will do m id. -1 houses like the Grand. "Melody Land' rles ten girls, all good musicians, and a first- class woman leader. The girls play mostly eTory Instrument A Are-reel feature closed the show. LAST HALF SHOWS. (Jan. 34-27.) HARLEM OPERA HOUSE. Feature nights are regular of late. Buel- neee la big those special evenings. Thursday night Is "country store." and SB p ris es are dletrlbuted. Preceding this on the bill was a oomedy picture. The Taylor Triplets opened to a fast start, but the speed fell off with MoKennons and Ls Ooste. The act hae a special drop, but It would eerre them better to forest In brighter material. The boy at the piano makes a nice appearanoe. and plays a oouplo of fair selec- tions. With a little more work tho turn win make good In an early apot on the three-a-day bills. The ending la ao Jasaed up It sounds like a race between the orchestra and them- aelvoa. The sketch, "Buddy's Christmas," opens In full stage, with a "mammle" In the back ground fixing a Christmas tree, about the only thing to giro It its title except for the men- tion of the holiday onoe or twice by the girl. The act hae a tough "kid" (a little glri In male clothes) adopted by a rich widow. The kid ueee plenty of slang, doea a song and danoe. with dramatic ending, lights, all orer, small time. The comedy picture broke In here followed by Hers and Falrman In "three" before a special plush drop, wtth the girl ringing and doing a Bpanteh danoe. accompanied by a man at the piano. The girl doea three eonga, mak- ing two changes, the man playing during each. Good turn for the popular priced housec Conltn and Olaae In the fifth apot scored on Conlln'n piano playing. The turn laoka the punch and suitable material. Jimmy Biitt next to closing, registered a solid hit. He la doing the came act, and aoor- Ing the aame hit. The closing turn, Qellettl'e Monks, proved to be the biggest laugh-getter of the evening. The barber chop bit was a corker, and cent the act over great A five- reel feature brought the evening to a close at 11:18 P. M. 23RD STREET The last-half bill bad nothing exceptional. Frank Dobson. No. 4, waa the punch. There was nothing before him to arouse any en- thusiasm. Bldora and Co., opened, going through a Juggling act that runs too long. Terry and Sheffield and "Hotel Topsy Turvy" (New Acts). Dobson, who followed, Jazzed 'em up and got away with It. Kennedy and Rooney didn't get under way until in "two," then the man's piano playing put them across. The girl has three or four changes and looked well enough, but the piano remains the one feature. They went nicely after It was all over. Weston and Wheeler had a lengthy bit to offer which might be cut down. Bob Hall, next to clos- ing, had tough going until he called for sub- jects to sing about from the audience. After two or three Impromptu dttttee he was well on bis way and almost rivaled Dobson In ap- plause received. Paul Leran and Dobbo closed In front of a house walking out SHOW REVIEWS cmr. Show laat half gare Immense satisfaction. Muoh oomedy. City audlenoee ewallow the oomedy thing whole. A alloc of fun In almost each turn. While deluged apparently the variance helped. Business good. Bdgar Alloa booked tho show from a sick bed. Bach turn well received with a novelty In tho form of a wrestling bout that held attention. Hip Raymond opened. He la a down who does a Bert lfolrose with the tables, Raymond Is using ths "computation bit" wtth tho Imaginary Idea of figuring eat how the chair may bo elevated to the p of tho four-table stand, proving a big laugh-getter. Surefire for any time. Chabot and Dixon were second. Miss Dixon seemed to havo an off-night Her voloe waa throaty and evidenced a cold. Chabot hae improved In tho past few years and ls making a lot of his piano and violin playing. Good musician. "The Job" baa been working In and around the local bouoaa alnoe laat Sep- tember, with the pop houeea falling heavily for tho alang gusher. Bnjoyed greatly. The Man Delbridge Trio were a large- elsed hit The two men end woman (formerly Roeedale Singers), on their pop house travels, are eschewing a raft of tho classics and operatlo stuff and gaining thereby. Seldom does a straight singing sot garnering as muoh applause as this combination did at the City. Oolemaa'a Mualeal Maanlktna (New Acts) were followed by the Bowman Brothers, and the btaokfeeed entertainers soon bad ths big audlsnco rooting bard. They have changed their turn around considerably, with none of tho former qualities disturbed. The Dolaa and Lonbarr oomedy sketch waa laughingly received. The 14th streetere did not muff a single line. The Dolan Impersona- tion of the burglar who stole a Christmas tree to help out a "sister thief" waa put orer In the Inimitable Dolan way. The "fea- ture" waa tho glgantlo Sulo Heronpaa, wrest- ler, who was one of tho ahlnlng llghta In tho it tournament at tho Lexington O. H. Something like 90 minutes were ooneumed In a bout with another big wrestler. The men snorted and growled. They snapped at each other. Some of tho rough tactics of tho mat were aptly shown, with tho big brulssrs handling each other roughly at times. O. K. for tho neighborhood. Mark. JEFFERSON. Loddy and Leddy opened with oomedy aero- batloa tho last half last week, getting orer nicely. Long and Green (New Acts) soored. Valentine Vox. rentriloqulal, was a hit his two-rolos finish creating a mild furor. He Is using the "tax on the seats" gag for a laugh. Grace Hansen, billed as "Special." did four numbera In good style. Her "Party Line" song with ths hick finish was surefire. "The Star Bout" headlined. It la fairly well played for tbo pop time, with a tendency on the part of the two fighters to overact and the bout Itself was a laugh to the Jefferson aadlence, the punohee were eo palpably pulled. The act might have new paint on tho pano- rama drop used for the Interior of the fight- club scene. The Hearet-Pathe weekly gave the audience a cbanoe to quiet down after It. The latter section carried three acta, Dun- bar and Turner, with the eccentric comedy, singing and dancing offering, a laugh from start to finish, although the enoore dance number waa a little drawn out; Foley and O'Nell. the bit of the bill from an applause standpoint and Burna and Joss, a regulation full-etage society dancing turn which oloeed without dleplaylng anything mualeal. Fred. 5TH AVENUE. The Fifth Avenue bill for the laat balf last week ran a bit strong on rooallsm, but bal- anced rather well. Bdlth Swan'a Musical Girls, now five In number, opened the abow, ualng an Interior set and playing on the piano, oornet, flute, drume and trombone, with aome singing, also. A staid and conventional mualeal turn, noth- ing electrifying. Fraaer, Bunco and Hardy, three boya ap- pearing In a vocal turn In one, have possi- bilities. Arthur Pickens and Co.. with a skit built about the misunderstandings of a wed- ding morning and featuring aome souse com- edy, won considerable laughter. The skit, however, will go no further than the email time. John Dunsmore, a alngle, wsnt slowly with hie songs and stories until be utilised a routine of Scotch tales. Julie Ring, assisted by Jamee Norvall, presented "Divorced." "Clubmatee." a quartet turn In a sketch eettlng, went strongly. This Is a clean-cut looking quartet In evening clothes. Bonlta and Lew Hearn Introduced their old act. Roy and Arthur offered a Juggling specialty. The feat work of those clever exponents of modern dancing, Berk and Broderlck, opened the show at tbe Fifth Avenue Monday. In opalesque bodice and French blue panne velvet skirt trimmed with broad bands of rose velvet, together with her real tltlan hair, Miss Broderlck made a charming, vivid pic- ture. The woman In the Chas. Moratl act Is made up too "doll like," thus taking every whit of character from her face. She was at her best In a white net and opalesque creation. Charlotte Parry revived her splen- did protean act—and looked sweet and girlish In a white dancing frock, for her final bow. That always Immaculately colffured Miss Norman (Tony and Norman) opened In a mustard cloth suit trimmed with seal and closed In a charming frock of delightful material and design. Pink silk brocade with a broad white satin stripe was used for a bustle polonalae over a double flounce skirt of exquisite silver lace. The 7 Klrksmlth Sisters (all blonde but one) made a pretty 8 [ CABARE.TS •A Rsvae off tho TlmcV it the rather superior show at the Winter Garden, Chicago, shedding radiance through the cafe, which is rapidly becoming the Mecca of showfolk, and shedding credit on the booker, producer, com- posers ard entertainers. The chorus, which gravitates between the natty stage and the footlighted runway, is petite and select, eight bouncing; ponies who look like sisters, all daughters of the same good-looking mother, as it were. There is plenty of flash and pep In the brigade, which would not go amiss anywhere, including New York, where the shows are all on the roofs, whereas in Chicago they are all in the basements. The costuming is piquant picture In white silk and not against a pretty roee cretonne drop. AMERICANR00F. The abow on tbo Roof never did get started laat Thursday night John and Bertha Olea- eon and Prod Houlihan ebowed eymptome of gaining aomotblng by receiving come applauae upon their entranoa, but after completing tbelr specialty, that Included the apleadtd piano solo of Houlihan, the trio walked of hardly noticed. Hunter and Godfrey looked as though they might get away bettor, but were elan compelled to depart In tbe prevailing man- ner, after securing a number of well-earned laughe with some money-exchanging blta and a eolo, "Vacant Chair.*' Vernon five (Now Acta). There was really nothing oxooptlonal after Intermission other than tbo Gorman Bros. (New Acts), who got tho applauae hit of tho evening. They wore nsxt-to-ososlng. tho Lar- nod Trio of oomedy cyclists concluding tho entertainment. Clark and Frauds fn "Molly's Frtsud." a man and woman oomedy skit, found favor, al- though the piece seems rather talky. Tabor and Clare (New Acta) passed away lightly. Otleon and DeMott were "No. f* with a conventional bench turn, carrying aomo sort of an Idea that seemed to carry them through the required tune. Tbe oouplo never did cause much of a oommotton. and amasingly chic. There are half a doien changes, all girlish, spick and span, silkly and tantalising. The prin- cipals are efficient and sufficient, led by the big time prima donna, De Lyle Alda, whose graces are conspicuous through her ease and mellifluous methods. She gives cabaret audiences credit* frr not requiring ranting and] screaming, sings charmingly and ogles witchingly, and turns the event into a concert whenever she is on alone, as she was in two semi-classical numbers. She led 'he big turnouts and the splen- did military finale, which brought the house to its feet. Dancing in duo, ensemble, solo and mixed specialties intermingles between vivacious char- acter numbers by Claudia Tracy and Misa Alda's production numbers and solos. The dancing is nowhere dlstln- fuished ..nd the orchestra is too rassy. But in all the revue Is at- tractive and alluring. Al Laughlln has handled -he chorusing with insight and a touch 3f talent, managing to extract novelties out of the crowded conditions of his tiny stage. The two chorus men might easily oe eliminated, as they ought to be in the service or In a Shubert show. "A Revue of the Times" is otherwise entirely worthy of the times. The Bocks—Mr. and Mrs. Edward— are responsible in large part for the revue at the Marigold Gardens. It has got to be good, because the gardens are located miles north of the loop, and it takes more than an hour to reach them from the center of the city. Mr. Beck came to Chicago near- ly two years ago. He was supposed to stay six weeks to stage the revue. FILM REVIEWS THE GUN WOMAN The Tlgreee Texas Oulnan The Boatonlan Bd Brady The Gent Francis MacDonald The Vultures I Oeorge Chase Perkins- clever aa tbe chicken-hearted euerlu*. But It's mslnly Texas Oulnan. She sure looks tbe part. 0. H. Water's photography la clever throughout " ••••••••••• (Thornton Bdwarda The Sheriff Walter Perkins Texas Oulnan ls featured In this Triangle, and deservee that distinction. In "The Oun Woman" ahe appears at her very beat before the camera, for the role of the "Tigress" ls capitally suited to her. Perhapa In the pro- ducing of tbls all around good western feeturo Frank Boraage. the director, la to be allotted full credit. When Mr. Boraage directed and acted In American westerns he attracted at- tention. Therefore he waa quite at homo In handling "Tbe Oun Woman." It'a a good story by Alrln J. Nelta. Ae tbe propiietorosa of "Devil'e Kitchen" the full flelged old time dance hall In La Meea. Miss Oulnan la known as tbe "Tlgreee," hated by many men of tbe resort but respected. She lends a hardness to her facial expressions one expects from a woman In such a station. Here baa been a hard sort of existence and free from the ten- derer things In womankind. A stranger known as the "Gent" enters the town and life be- gins to look different to the Tlgreee. Tbe Gent Is a notorious road agent, called "col- lector" by bis many victims. He not only wins the Tlgreee' love bnt succeeds In getting her to give him the "bank roll" that he might go forth and locate the "little home" she wants now love has oome to her. Bnt the Gent Isn't built that way. He goea to Bravos, which has suddenly developed a new boom, and there establishee himself In a dance ball nnd Rambling resort, paying for It with the money the Tigress had Intrusted to blm. The new gold rush had practically drawn everyone from Le Mesa, but the woman waited for the return of her would-be lover. With her Is a man known as the "Boo- tonlan" because of his clothes and talk. He Is really a Wells Fargo detective out for the "Collector." The Gent turns un but disclaims any ldoa of marrying the Tigress. She la prompted to kill, but Instead gives the man one month to repay the money. At the termi- nation of that time tbe Gent doen not appear po the woman rides to Brnvos, shoots up the rrsort of the Gent and "gota" that Individual. And *hp poes off with th*» Tlostonlan, who had discovered the real Identity of the Gent. "The Gun Woman" will be liked because It seems possible—or mlsrht hnvc been In the gold rush days. There Is Just one bit that might bo rnt out of the picture, the presence of paper money In the gambling scenes. One would euppose coin or dust would be the proper thing. The supporting cast Is all good, M Brady doing tho "Boatonlan," Francis Mao- Donald playing a clever "Gent." and Watts* THE PHANTOM RIDERS Dave Bland Bill Octtfngor "Pebble" Orant Buck Connor wioiiw, ••♦••••••••♦•♦♦♦.♦♦♦«»♦« MOlly Jas4)?09t "Cheyenne" Harry Harry Carey "Ths Unknown" Vector "— Hsrry Csrsy Is tho star of this Universal weetern. the current week et the Broadway, where It wae shown to a mildly enthoelaetlo audience Sunday. Aa a program feature tt Is better than the usual run of pictures releassd by this concern, but when compared to tho higher grade programa It becomea Just an ordinary feature. It le not strong enough to run by Itself and carry tbe show at any first claae house. A feud over oattle grastng landa Is tbs story and tbe hero is one of a num- ber of victims of tbe Phantom Riders, a group of ranchers who try to protect open feeding grounds by force, try to Intimidate When he refuses to do their bidding and move on they run his stock to death and later try to put blm out of the way. In tbe latter they are unsuccessful, for be end bis partner man- age to atand off shout IV) of tbe riders snd win out when tbe Rsngers sppesr on the scene snd effect n reecue. Nsturslty there Is e girl In the picture, and she happens to bo the daughter of one of tbe members of tho secret organisation. He la not in the clan from his own inclination bnt because be baa been forced In. It is this girl who aides with the "stranger" when be arrives with his small herd of steers snd ister sfter tbe death of her father ahe rides across country and brings the rangers to the scene in time to save tbe stranger's life. Tbls entitles her to be In his arms when the story ends. Harry Carey as the hero Is acceptable, although he looks quite old enough to be tbe girl's father Instead of her sweetheart. Molly Malone Is the girl snd Is pretty. The bal- ance of the cast doesn't cut much figure. Tho production must have had a bill for gun powder as Its biggest Item. Tbe greeter part of the scenes are exterior locations and there is considerable footage expended wtth horee riding stuff and several of the usual sfl- houettee popular so long In westerns. The original story of "The Phantom Rldern" as developed by Henry McRse while Oeorge Hlvely adapted It for the screen. Jsck Ford directed and got In an oecastonst touch that counted, the tale waa developed logically enough on the screen and the battle acene waa rather convincing. Tt la a picture that can be played If the usual audience like western stuff, otherwise It Is a feature for a double day program.