Variety (September 1919)

10 M ,n1 BUY BONDS LEW KELLY SHOW. Low Kelly was in London tor two seasons. Ho wont across to go Into an Albert De Cour- vlllo revue at the Empire, and subseauontly played the halls. Last out hero ho was fea- tured In Jack Singer’s "Hello New York,” which had a summer run at the Columbia. Last season the spot on the wheel was held by the Lon Hascall show, which Is now filled by the now Lew Kelly Show. Mr. Singer has furniahed Kelly with -very high grade support and a clean, colorful pro- duction, but there was no serious attempt to give him new material. There are several exceptions in the new show, hut for the main Kelly is doing bits and lines with which bur- lesque patrons are as inUniate as bo is. As dO per cent, of burlesque patronage are regulars it is a question as to whether some criticism from that quarter will not be niade. It was no test at the Columbia Tuesday night when the crowd slowly filtered In until there was over capacity. They laughed and laughed a lot, in fact appeared to reap as much en- joyment as from anything on the wheel. But the Columbia draws a bigger percentage of floaters than the average burlesque house. At that the Kelly show for the first four- fifths of the way totes a heavy batting aver- age and turnlshes as good entertainment as the average musical attraction, which Is about (bo standard set by the first wheel. The show. 1.0 programed as presented in nine In- nlngs\ After the first,session It loses all plot and sticks to bits and business. Lew enters as the familiar professor dope plus the green spot halo which Is shelved after the entrance, and explains "I’m the f^ibw who thinks he’s mo but he’s not.” He '%ad Just been run over by an auto but wasil’t hurt, because he was under a bridge,” and “Roger” stuck around too. Yet they laughed, liking the familiar bits more for the way they were handled than for what they are. The entire first act ran along excellently, carried along at.'a tempo that was admlmble. Perhaps Vio Casmore has some credit coming for that, he being the stage manager. He also accounted for a French role very cleverly •. carried out and some bits Ipter on. The first “inning” ran tor an even hour, the sec- ond section of the show the balance of the “Innings.” It' was long after the second act started that' Kelly appeared In “one,” straight, lor the first time in burlesque, to talk about things over there and some of his experiences. Lew talked for ten minutes and went over with a bang. £ good deal of bis talk was whole- heartedly patriotic and ended with an ex- pression of our determination to beat the Hun. Lew said that when he reached Lon- don It was In the imdst of an air raid, and ns there were moonlight nights, that sort of thing kept up lor several weeks. Every time he went out he was chased Into a cellar, for if the Hun bombs didn’t get you, anti- aircraft shrapnel might 'He thought be knew every cobweb In London, but lived on in the hope that he might be chased into a wine cellar. That was one of the new bits, and another was a short travesty on the “Thirteenth Chair.” Kelly gave a short synopsis of the plot -of the actual play, 'so that those who hadn’t seen It would know what they were trying to do. Rather a good idea. The bur- '-lesque itself wasn’t so hefty, but does well enough. Chief aid to the Kelly proceedings and the 'Other featured member of "the cast is Lucille Manlon, who last season was with ‘”The Behman Show.” Developing rapidly within the last few seasons. Miss .Manlon Is now to be classed as one of the neatest and nicest appearing women In burlesque. She de- livers numbers with dispatch, and few can equal her in handling lines. Song numbers artrnot the feature of the Kelly show, but Miss Manlon. come through with the first scoring song,' It being “Smiles.” Me, too, bad an inning all alone, doing "Qood for Nothing,” followed by two recitations. One was a parody on “Qonga Dbln,” supposed to have been 'Ivritten by an American ambu- - lance driver and brought back by Kell^ The other was “The World’s Series” In Berlin, by Fred McCloy, the Columbia manager. She also lead the first act finale, “Dixieland In Prance,” the best staged number In the show. Of next Importance are Leona Earl and Bon Mulvey, who largely worked together. They sent over “Wonderful Baby” by Injecting some lusty loving and kissing, the business being funny and cleverly carried out. They also had a dance number, there being very little stopping, by the way. Jack Homnh handled a number of bite, nil being done well. The chorus Is above the average, the toller girls including several very good lookers, and there ate a good singing bunch, too. Mr. Blngor has'provided good looking duds—not perhaps so plentiful as In some shows, but enough, and at all times the chorus Is neat and attractive. There are two full stage sets, the first being well painted and the sec- ond being a natural picture with the Third Avo. “L” overhead, that some New Yorkers away from home will get homesick when they Jamp It. ” TowBrus TO flhlffi ' a 'choTO h Went ' over for a hit, filling a gap fully In a position which can carry more heft. Keliy got back Into his old character for a few additional laughs. One came after Instructions to a waiter to go out and build an airplane out of a lot of paper—fly-paper, hew explained. Earlier ho had a comical bit with Miss Manlon on the breeding of automobiles. At the Intermission the house orchestra caught the house with faithful Impressions of bugle calls, the drummer announcing tho purpose of each. Reveille and pay days calls won laughs. Lq^ Tho Kelly show Is fast, good entertainment, , and there Isn’t a blue line at any time. The At th< familiar bits shouldn’t Interfere, for Kelly fihrni has been away. For next season new ma- terlal will be In line, but for tho current tour sever the Kelly name backed by show and cast should turn' a nice profit. • Jbee. very -—— Dacrt THE MISCHIEF MAKERS. weeki “The Mischief Makers” (American Wheel), enter sponsored by F. W. Gerhardy, at the Olympic o last week, may sound a bk coarse, but for the most part it Is clean. A pretty fair bunch of. Camp chorus girls, With several outshining the servic others. One girl seemed a bear for stepping xaprr- a la buck negro fashion, but the threads at- " tached to the upper part of her bodice were intyr more down than up. This girl alstr kept grab- in-lav bing at the upper part of her stocklngg' and terfiel it doesn’t fit In tbe general ensemble fitness, -i- ^ Another revealed a sweet, sympathetic soprano vauui voice and she was recalled for an encore. Dacrc On dressing Qerhardy’s outfit stacks up the d well, the number of changes not being as ' j / many and varied as with some of tfie other “ ^ * organizations, but sulflciently attractive to re- Lou ceive commendation. The number with the pied girls representing different phases of the In- fp-nni xlustrial Jobs women are doing was well con- celved. throh Scenlcally what sets are employed for the was a two parts answer tho purposes. In "blt^’ the first part sagged, due to the xviols* unnecessary length of several. Jvuss The program says the book, music, lyrics, perfol dances and everything In tbd entire show are ferenl the work of Joe Wilton. Wlltop was with the v. same show last season and to make that cer- tain he announces In a song he wrote the show verse. thATI nlnVA/1 ^'afrolcrh# ** hiif ♦Ka Tm * LOUIE DACRE DIES.. Louie Dacre died Saturday, Sept.. 21, at the Sloane Hospital, New York, of fibrous tumor. She had been suffering severely since Sept. 1, and has been very ill for a year or more. Miss Dacre entered the hospital about three weeks ago to secure relief but without entertaining much hope. Services were held Tuesday in the Campbell Chapel, with Episcopalian services. The funeral arrangements were taken in charge by James Mc- Intyre (McIntyre and Heath), father- in-law of the deceased. Henry Ches- terfield, representing the National Vaudeville Artists, of which Miss Dacre was a^member, paid tribq<-e to the dead woman. Many, professionals and friends attended the services. Louie Dacre for many years occu- pied a position all her own in bur- lesque. She was known and famed throughout the circuits and in her day was a distinct drawing attraction. Of talent and quite some personal charm. Miss Dacre made herself felt in any performance. She contributed at dif- ferent times many writings of her own to Varibtt. Several of these were in and. then played "straight," but making tho sldelyheel comics, Joe Freed and George Hart earn their money. I Wilton does well entugh, having a good stage appearance, but using too much of the' rough attitude toward.all of the other prin- cipals. Freed has improved his comedy efforts. He was with Wilton last' season and now works to better advantage. Hart acquits him- self creditably, but seemed content at times to let Freed handle all tbe comedy. Johnny Crosby Is doing a “wop” character and also a “dope” in the second part. Crosby may know little about "lines,” but when warb- ling a ballad alone be Is there. Of the women, Mable Clark Is back, but keeping herself wUbln bounds. Even In tbe finale of tbq second part when she flashed her ’ "flgger” In full tights, she kept as decorous 'was possible. Mabel Lee Is rather viva- cious and displayed herself In different out- fits of tights of resplendent colors,./ Gerhardy persists In laying partiralar stress on the program as to bis “Paprika Cborus.” As tbe most natural voice was that shown by one of tbe cborus girls, Rene Vivienne, sbe Is entrusted wltb tbe prima donna work and handled her numbers with credltr-Ebo also took time to demonstrate a nifty shape for a woman of Amazonian type. ' Wilton has worked in a "bit” of a serious nature with attention vividly directed on the waK with two principals dressed as a soldier and nurse, respectively. It doesn’t fit In bur- lesque but these are war times. But it stirs up patriotism through the unaffected way that the two characters are Impersonated. It Is not tbe best show on the wheel. Neither Is It tho worst. It strikes a sufficiently happy medium to hold Its own with the'majority, ifarfc. NATIONAL WINTER GARDEN OUT. With the business getting worse each recurring week at the National Winter Garden, the American Bur- lesque Association heads and the Minsky Brothers, operating the Gar- den, mutually agreed to discontinue the American bookings there after ,Qct. 12. Stock will be resumed. None of the American shows has played to profit since the house start- ed burlesque early in August. Another theatre may be added, one adjacent to New York, but for the present the dropping of the Garden will put a week’s layoff on the cir- cuit. LON HASCALL IN ACT. A vaudeville act has been formed by Lon Hascall and Johnny Johnston. Mr. Hascall for several years was a feature in burlesque, leaving it after last season when he headed one of-the Jack Singer shows, CANCELLING CAMP STAND. In private life Miss Dacre was Mrs, William J. McIntyre, Her husband is' now with “Paris by Night” (American burlesque wheel). Following her mar'^ riage Mrs. McIntyre started a suit for alienation of affections against her husband's father, but the case never reached trial. The deceased was around SO years of age. , I BURLESQUE CHANGES. James E. Cooper and Billy Wells af- ter a tour of their shows made a num- ber of changes in the casts. In “The Trail Hitters,” Vic Plant has replaced Johnny Weber and Jack Dempsey is doing Charles Edwards’ work. George Brennan is now in “A Mile a Minute,” replacing Burt Scott. Elmer Tenley’s part in the "Sight Seers” is being played by J. Karney. George Slocum has replaced Meyer Harrie in “Paris By Night” (Ed. F. Rush’s show). In the "Blue Birds” Evelyn Ferriss re- places Sedal Bennett. Marjorie Hilton will join “High Fliers,” replacing Grace Howard. Feiber & Shea's Sunday Film in Ohio. Although other theatrical interests ipay continue the Sunday show plan m Ohio, the Feiber & Shea offices have decided that none of their Ohioan holdings will attempt any perform- ances on the Sabbath, but instead will ofifer straight picture shows. Musical Players at Grand, Columbus. Columbus, O., Sept. 2S. The Musical Players at the Grand are playing their fifth week. They are putting on "Three Twins.” This makes the 17th consecutive week in Colum- bus, as they played 12 weeks at a summer park in the suburbs. LARGEST LOAN SIGN. Syracuse, N. Y., Sept, 2S. The largest painted Liberty Loan sign in the United States is on the north wall of the new Keith Theatre building in S. Salina street. Fifty by 80 feet of wfill space is covered by a reproduction ofthe iLib- erty Loan poster that won the $1,000 prize in the New York Art League contest. Owing to the Spanish influenza epi- demic whiiih has gripped the different army cantonments and camps in the east the American burlesque shows are passing up their regularly sched- uled dates for the Dix Theatre, Wrightstown, N. J,, owing to the quarantine which has been placed on ^^p Dix and adjacent territory . Another vaudeville road show for the camps is proposed by Jack Shea, start- ing Oct. 17 at Camp Dix, N. J., accord- ing to his present plan. / “Loveland” with 14 girls will be in it, also Master George Dewey, the Ad- miral’s grandson, who will head the ttipupe with Sherman and DeForrest. IMPROVEMENTS ORDEMD. As quickly as. possible the Executive heads of the American' Burlesque As- sociation are ordering changes in the shows that on their first eastern ap- pearance have failed to measure up to the standard set by the circuit. One of the first was the T. W. Din- kins’ show, “Innocent Maidens,” with others now instructed to strengthen and.4niprove without delay. Morris ■Wainstock’s “Military Maids” is under censorship, with 'Wainstock instructed to change his entire first part and also make at least two changes in his prill- cipSils* James E. (Bluch) Cooper’s “Trail Hitters," which had the title of “Army and Navy Girls” last season, is also under reorganization, the scenery and costume, however, reported as being good. Several changes have been volun- tarily made .-in Ed. F. Rush's show, “Paris By Night." END JF GRAMLICH STOCKS. Owing to financial troubles and in- ability to l>ay salaries the last of the stock burlesque companies organized by. Charles Gramlich, also credited with having written the pieces and staged them, which have been at the Warburton, Yonkers, now closed, and at the 14th Street, New York, is wind- ing up its unsuccessful organization this week. The withdrawal of Gram- lich from producing does not mean the closmg of the 14th Street, which is under lease to the Feldman Amuse- ment Co. (Nick Feldman, general di- rector). The stock policy will be con- tinued there, with a new company, headed by Leo Stevens next week. The Stevens company, including Gertie DeMilt, May Leavitt^nd others will be under the management of Fdd- man. UNKNOWN CENSOR INSPECTED. The American Burlesque Associa- tion now. has quite a compiled list of show reports on many of its' travel- ing troupes, the “unknown censor” having 'just Completed a tour of the west and northwest, looking over the shows and reporting accordingly. Just who the censor is the American offices will not reveal, but some of tbe producing managers have an idea as to the identity of the man giving their shows the “official close up.” JACK CONWAY IS 49. John Francis Conway, featured with “Liberty Girls,” is in the second draft call, age 40. THE WANDERING ACTOR. By CLEM BEVINS. No, I never cared about taking orders And so I drifted across qur borders, I landed once down In Mexico, ’Twas sure no place for a Yank to go— With Its sagebrush, cactus, heat and sand. They ought to name It “No Man’s Land.” I found the Hun there, be hated a Yank, He taught the Oreaserp -we were rotten, rank, But I didn’t pay much attention. Then later on at Mission Inn, A wonderful^ quaint hotel, sans din,- At Riverside, In that grand old stats Made famous by Its Golden Gate— IT culls Its guests from everywhere, French, English, Russian, Hun were therei When the Hun said we were Just plal i punk I began to think that be was-a skunk, ’Though I didn’t pay much attention. But when I arrived In Edmonton, Way up north near tho midnight sun. And found that instead of Canadian Land owners were Hun and Austrian— Who were getting rich from the Wheat up there. While Canueks were fighting In Franco some- where, I began to think that I’d been a blank For the Hun even there taught hatred of Tank, And I be^ Now I’m back In my own UNITED STATES, And I'm praying that wo can close tbe gates Of the land, the air and the sea to tho swine Who boasts of his Kaiser, his beer and the Rhine. I’m happy, I’m glad, I’m giving thanks 'That my homo’s where It Is, GOD bless my Yanks. If my country needs me now, or next fall. You’ll find me there at that old roll call, .And you bet I’ll pay attention. i