Variety (January 1920)

?:■"- ''" SHOW « - ■ -/■-■;■•, f: 5£X - mm -- I EX'.i, PALACE. The Palace bill offered a striking Il- lustration Monday night of the value of comedy when properly placed in the run- ning order of a modern big time vaude- ville show. Tho big hits were Crock and Leon Errol (second week), topping and bottoming the bill respectively, and each capturing the applause honors with comedy turns although of widely v dlf- fenent natures. The program was practically torn apart after the Monday mat, Joe Brown- ing moving up from next to closing to fourth, George MscFarlane going from fourth to seventh, and Crock changing from the latter spot to next to closing. Another switch brought Page, Hack and Mack up from closing to opening, swap- ping places with Mijares and Co. at the night show. This arrangement gave the show the balance lacking in the after- noon, With all conflicts eliminated. Orock, the French musical clown, who unexpectedly stepped Into the limelight last week at the Riverside, readily duplicated his Initial success. The Palace program says Grock Is French, but hll method and style of comedy are undeniably English, and his speech smacks strongly of a cockney inflection. Several of Crock's biggest laugh get- ters in the way of comedy antics have been done over here for years by downs; musical and otherwise. But it isn't what be- does—It's the way he does It, that makes Grock different and puts him over. An unprogramed male partner, who lends first aid In "feeding," also shines as a violinist, of unusual merit Five bows and a speech Monday night, approximated Grock's success. Leon Errol, holding over from last week and closing the first half, was an unqualified riot with his pantomimic- alcoholic comedy skit "The Guest" They started to grin when Errol entered, when he spoke they laughed and when he got to the crockery breaking stuff likewise woke 'em up with some nifty back somersaulting on the tight wire. The Palace was sold out as per reoent custom Monday night at 7.30. Bell. riversTde. ' The Riverside now occupies the same relative position to metropolitan vaude- ville as did the Alhambra ten years ago. The same "better class" of pros- perous "family audience" attends, but times have changed—war profits you know—and moBt of them have their own autoB. The women are dressed like duchesses and are beautiful to look at until they talk. Monday evening ^one, accompanied by her husband and her mother, wearing a fur coat that repre- sents an ordinary working man's salary for two years, remarked to mamma: "Ain't it nice to come to a crowded house and meet everybody!" But they make a most appreciative assemblage, enjoy every act and have no hesitancy in expressing their approval. They know their favorite artists and never tire of having them repeat their visits, always according them a hearty welcome. Take for Instance, Grock, the musical clown, who opened there week before* last, unprogramed and unheralded. He is back this week, doubling with the Palace. They know him now and gave him a reception > directly his card went up. The more one sees of this artist the more he Is appreciated. He Is always doing the unexpected, which Is the fun- damental principal of clowning. He was on Just before intermission, holding the stage for 30- minutes, and if the audi- ence had their way he'd be there all evening. . . ' . The opening turn is Le Pollu, a man clad In a French soldier's uniform, who Slays a cornet and other curious brass orns. He balances one of them on his lips while leaning backward and not holding on (while playing two cornets at the same time), and for a finish plays the "Star Spangled Banner" compelling - after having Just they yelled, and kept it up to the finish, everyone to stand up _ Errors stage '.'souse" stands as a classic become comfortably seated. Francis for that much abused and overdone char .; acter. Alt James as the precise British 'butler, also gave a. correct interpretation that adds tone to the act as well as serv- ing as a first rate contrast for Errors low comedy. Page, Hack and Mack, opening to the usual sparse audience, pulled down a couple of bows, with their closing trick, a difficult Jump by one of the men, from atop a three-high table arrangement to a hand-cAtch eight feet away by the . understander. To complicate this and make It harder the understander holds the woman of the act twined around his walBt. It's a showy stunt handled with Yates and Gus Reed sing and talk to good effect Yates phrasing finely with a nice tenor voice "was There Ever a Pal Like Your' But they have half a dosen or so "released" jokes that might be de- leted and newer material substituted. The "Vie" Qulnn act suggests a mild protest against some of the acts in vaudeville that "pad" their casts with small time performers merely to make a "b*~ flash." \ Thomas Swift and Mary Kelley got away from the beaten oath with a man and woman singing and talking act in "one." Swift does well with an original line of chatter, and Miss Kelley slmu- real showmanship and deserved all It. lates unsophlsticatedness to a nicety. In got. vocalising she also has a voice of sym- Noxt were Lou and Jean Archer In the pathetic quality. regulation singing and dancing routine of singles and doubles. "Td. Like to See You Alone" as a double for opening, started them off welL The "Peaches?* song might exchange places with the second, "Spanish Dancer from Madrid." The- old Bowery tough waits, which is experiencing quite a revival, made a erood getaway bit, passing the couple nicely. The Spanish Revue, in its second week, pleased, but caused no undue excite- ment. Probably third spot was the an- swer, although the act holds nothing out of the ordinary In the stepping line. The costuming Is colorful and the en- sembles disclose several pretty stage pictures. Bilboa's table dance and the double by Bravo and TruJIllo landed the Individual scores of the turn. Joe Browning, following, was the first , to reach with talk and made the most of it His monotog ran along smoothly flicking up laughs gradually and deliver- ng the big comedy punches Just before he reached his odd little topical ditties and recitations. The final bit of verse with a "snapper" on the end pulled him through for a substantial hand. The hurried placing of Brrol's card, however, prevented Browning from gathering In more than a pair of bends, evidencing that it's sometimes Just as tough a Job to precede as It Is to follow a-favorlte. Sheila Terry, assisted by Gattlson Jones and Harry Peterson, opening the second half, went far better at the Palace than at the Colonial the previous week. All of the numbers scored for full returns, with the bridal song bringing out the big enthusiasm, Just before the close of the routine. At the conclusion " Miss Terry received a couple of floral tokens, but sensibly passed up the "speech" thing. George MacFarlane did six songs and told one story, the latter a sure-fire Irish yarn, delivered In a manner that will easily solve the question if Mac's vibrant baritone ever goes back on him. "Bye Lo," a lullaby, and "Let the Rest of the World Go By" were the pick of the repertoire. It's, a question whether The "Topics of the Day" film with its clever and witty sayings has now be- come an Institution In the vaudeville houses. It would be difficult to find a substitute for it to open the second half of a show. Hugh Herbert Is always en- tertaining, and his present vehicle, "Mind Your Own Business," Is not "the least acceptable of his long series . of one-act comedlea . . Ben Bernle Is entitled to a great deal of credit for having developed a stage personality which" ne developed from what was originally a straight musical turn and which Is capable of unlimited elaboration. He Is now so well known around New York that he doesn't need a plant In the audience. • • • Mosconi Brothers (New Acts). Han- Ion and Clifton- closed the show with their surprise turn, starting off aB a musical act and going into acrobatics. Jolo. colonTal The Colonial show for the current week Is about all that could be asked In the way of a vaudeville entertainment It has comedy, song, dancing, a dash of pathos, an animal novelty and above all speed. - _ Monday's night business was fine ex- cept for a few vacant chatrs'ln the bal- cony where the extra row of boxes has been placed behind those originally there. The lower floor was well filled and the rest of the balcony back of the boxes looked like capacity. The gallery was filled, as far as the front of it went at any rate. Leln Gautlefs "Bricklayers" opened the bill to a more than passing applause return. The dogs worked fast and many of the Individual tricks won a hand. The Otto Brothers with their comedy offering, entitled "In the First En- trance," written by'Frank North, passed nicely in the second spot. The act needs a little speeding at the opening and then It will be in shape to go a little further down on the bill. To a wise vaudeville audience It is certain to be a laugh. The certed applause the Colonial audiences are famous for was their lot Irene Franklin with George Falrman at tho piano closed the flrat part Miss Green has a clever lyric In her opening number, used to introduce her old favor- ites. Then after three of these num- bers she did her saw selections. The first of these did nSt seem to get over very well, but the two that followed were well liked. V But what a wallop there was opening the second half! It was Grace Nelson. If Ziegfeld ever Bets his eyes on that beauty It will be farewell to vaudeville, for she has everything that Is anything. She is a big girl, but what a looker! Red hair, the nice kind; a smile that is as wonderful as that which made Frances Kennedy, and one of the kind that maKes the audience smile with her; a face that Is a little like Gaby's, and then to top It all, a voice. That voice Is a delight and the" numbers that she has selected are right for vaudeville. Miss Nelson has an act that Is a delight to the eye and ear and a vaudeville offering that will please any audience. Claude and Fanny Usher In "The Blde- a-Wee Home" (New Acts) held the audi- ence Just as they wanted them for S9 minutes. This new act of theirs is a corker. After seeing MIbb Usher "work In it it seems appropriate to remark oh the short-sightedness of some Broad, way producers who claim there Is a lack of real material for their casts. Here is a girl surely worthy of the "electrics" If there ever was one. - ■ • ' . „ Next to closing the show George M. Rosener offered his character studies and was a veritable riot His O. A. R. vet was liked so decidedly a speech was necessary. . . _- The Ara Sisters closed the show and held the audience almost to ajnan. The .girls have a suggestion of the 4 m «f-°5 Sisters in the atyre^ ot work and display all of the snap and finish the latter'act has. although their offering Is not quite as dlTersifled. ... FYs*. KEITH'S, BOSTON. Boston, Dec. SO. Good material at the local Keith house this Week. Two acts. In which the play- ers are billed as Southerners and use the drawl, and another pretentious act in which several colored players are featured are bunched on the bill. That was a bit too much 8outh. At the matinee performance yesterday the house was sold out before the. cur- tain went up. Even the upper tier boxes were occupied at that time andI there was a big turnaway. This despite the fact that the biggest claimi to star honors billed in was Marie Cahlll, play- ing this time In an act in which she has been seen - here before this same Koban and Co. were to open but did not appear. Instead were The Brlants, who got over very fair. Walter Weems, No. 3, is billed ua "merry Southern humorist" and while he does get off some very fine gags and hits In his monolog he gives ths im- pression he has much better material if he could only use it He pulled a. couple of gags that were wonders, be- FIFTH AVENUE. MacFarlane's turn wouldn't be Improved boys have a combination of everything ._ •._*.*..,..— ■ .,—. 1 ,. ln the turnr «Ye Song Shop" (New Acts) by substituting semi-classics or concert numbers for the other pop selections offered. Mijares and Co. closing held all through. Mijares swings on the slack wire are real daredevil stuff and they made that blase Palace bunch open their eyes and applaud, as few closing turns have been applauded here in the good night spot. A male partner asslsttng Ing Just about on the line .though, and finished up his <act by a little instru- mental work, using a saxophone to get noa, anmt> oTPpllont "hlllPR." needs more playing to. whip the rough edges off. . Lane and Mpran walked away with the applause honorB in the next to closing Intermission spot The comedian has about all the essentials necessary to make his mark on Broadway. He Is one of the boys that is going to find his wu> Into productions,. At^he finish that, con? over some excellent "blues. Following came J. Rosamond Johnson and his "Jaw 6 Entertainers." Speaking technically his act Is not of the "Jasi" variety. There are a few minutes oi It which are well done, but for the great- er part his act resembles an Impromptu colored minstrel show, minus the Jokes of the ends and Interlocutor. He 1b car- rying with him Earl Bumford, Eddie Ransom. Peter ZabrlBkie, Taylor Gor- don and William Butler. Then came Lloyd and Christie, billed as "Two Southern Gentlemen." They used the old style of act with, new material. Miss Cahlll has changed the songs and conversation. The last time It was confined for the most part to chatter about the war, but now scandal is the theme. She had at the piano a young woman accompanist, whose name does not appear on the program. Miss Cahlll has a rattling good vaudeville act no dull moments, well written and Demarest" and Collette follow, this being the shift in the bill as they were originally billed next to closing. De- marest works hard, ln comedy aero- batics with his musical offerings, she sticking to the straight all the way. Helen Trlx and Sister Josephine have a conventional singing and dancing double, which, while It does not consist of anything especially exciting, has charm. , McKay and Ardlne are the same pair bb of yore. McKay Is one of the few able to kid an audience, the orchestra, hlB partner and everything and every- body else and get away with it He has the knack. As a dancer his ability needs no comment, Miss Ardlne is Just as good' as ever. ' - ,. The show ran late and as a result some of. the audience were obliged to leave without seeing one of the best dancing acts of the season, Guy and Pearl Magley. Full stage is used and Y e iy Pjnkty_J>oener£. _ m , : lAmny. __ The chorus girl shortage may be due to the mixed two-acts ln vaudeville. Enough of the latter pass by at the Fifth Ave., and apparently pass out to leave that opinion. The first half bill was an ordinary show with plenty of good ln It but that couldn't stand out Several two-acts and a couple of "nut" acts were bunched. That hurt the playing, but not as much as "The Love Hunter" (New Acts) that seemed to run forever without doing anything. Joe Laurie. Jr., next to closing, had to follow the ''girl act' and did the best he could, as much as anyone could have done. Laurie got something when bring- ing on his "parents" and they Just saved him. Closing was a comedy acrobatic trio, playing before under another name but now with a new opening from which the three men take their title, "SO Pink Toes." As the drop goes up, their SO toes are faced toward the audience, with two of the meh In bed and one on a soft It brought laughs for about a minute. Their comedy rough 'house acrobatics got some more, but the men make the latter too noisy. The title and the open- ing will carry them through, however, ln a spot The hit of the show easily went to Myers and Hannaford, made up as "boobs," one opening with a "uke," both singing "Down In Arkansaw," with the taller of the two Immediately afterward putting over "The 8hade of the Old Apple Tree," followed by a dance by the other, with both again in on an Instrumental number on a saw's blade, from which considerable comedy is secured. The turn is odd, in the '*nut" class with the characters well carried out It got to the house quickly and looks as though it could hold up almost anywhere, once • they reach the saw business. But if the singer knows any other ballad nearer New Year's he might throw away the "Apple Tree" thing. That he can put it over doesn't make the song anv newer. There were other old songs on the program. Mabel Burke and Sidney Forbes sang them In their "Song Re- vue," with the old and new numbers thrown upon a screen. The act Jus* misses being a copy of Claudius and Scarlet through the audience not being Invited to Join In the singing. It was Srobably suggested by the Claudius and carlet turn, but the way It Is done, In the old and new Bongs, could let It out as too similar to Claudius and Scarlet unless that couple, now at the' Hippo- drome, claim to be the first who ever threw any part of a song on a sheet upon the stage. In the Burke-Forbes act Mr. Forbes' portion Is proclaimed to be Jais in the first slide announcement but he goes right Into two or three num- bers he did very well when with the quartet on the Amsterdam Roof ("Frolic") and Jass happens but twice on his several numbers. Miss Burke looks rather pretty ln a crinoline and sings the screen songs well enough. They finish with the (counter) "Simple Melody" number from "Watch Your Step" but don't do enpugh*with It Miss Burke formerly sang the animated il- lustrated songs at the Fifth Ave. and Is popular down there. The act re- . celved quite some applause and the young woman some flowers Monday eve- ning. - It's musical enough for a big time spot for Mr. Forbes can handle the kind of numbers he Is now mostly doing. Columbia and Victor were No. 8, doing nicely. There is any quantity of pun- ning, caused from the vlctrolas In sight and that is permlssable but there also seems scope for much stronger laughs from much better dialog. Returning to the cabinets after their second dance, the man and .woman (who previously appeared under their own names—be- fore adopting the record titles) secured enough to satisfy them. The other "nut" act was Jack Inglls, who had to follow the "boob" turn. That didn't help him- any and the bill was shifted just a bit there to let the Burke turn separate the two. Inglls got them with his finish, a recitation with hats, Inglish telling a story, using many hats from a table before him to denote the -• persons mentioned by him In a travesty verse of "The Face on the Barroom Floor." The recitation itself was worth while as well and English made it fun- nier with the hats, though he rushed I through the bit . . , Orville Stamm. opening,- and Irving and Whiter No. 2 (New Acts). The Fifth Ave. was full capacity by eight Monday night Bime. AMERICAN ROOF. ' Just an ordinary nine-act bill at the American between the holidays with no one registering the customary hit that falls to artists lucky enough to meet With the approval of the fans ln this section. Julia Edwards followed a Vlta- graph comedy and started things nicely (N^6W Acts)* Howard, Moore and Cooper, a three- man singing combination, were .second and. succeeded in entertaining mildly with published songs. They dress the act in the stereotyped synonomlty seen on the Smaller circu ity andjhe vocal en« - :;* ■'I .•■ ■I •J 1