Variety (January 1920)

SHOW REVIEWS « j .- .■ •;• C ■/■ ■'' ' play. She might have taken another en- core If she so desired. "The Girlie's Club," ''tab," with Bobby Bernard featuref, proved qolte preten- tious. The cast appeared well trained and capable and about a dozen chorus girls figured. If there had been any real pep In the audience It sbould have come to the surface at that time, but only a lukewarm reception was given this turn. Ed. E. Ford, an Australian, who Is billed as "The Paradoxical Physiognom- ist," got over very well. He depends greatly on his personality for* much of the success of bis act, and doesn't ask for much in the way of a setup, either from the orchestra or on the stage. How- ever, he does his work remarkably well, v has the knack of telling good clean '? stories in an interesting fashion, and was recalled three times. • Jean Adair, with her sketch, "Ella Comes to Town,"- showed the folks some- thing new la the way of a dramatic. Full stage is used and a special set and she has a small but very Intelligent and capable supporting company. At no time did this sketch prove a bit tiresome and . ' that is something most complimentary to It here. * When Margaret Youngs act is anal- yzed It Is discovered that she knowns now to sing songs with the punch. All df her songs are lively, written In the "Jazz" vein but the "blues * are carefully avoided. She paid -Strict attention to, business, worked hard, got away to a' flying start and held her house all the time. She stopped the show, actually, and on top of trying a new song, which went big, she got an opportunity to make a little curtain speech. | - ' The' show is closed 9y Delmore and Lee in their gymnastic novelty. As the , show ran late this act suffered lsomewhat as a result. ' • •>" lAbby. 81ST STREET. Casslus' description of the atmosphere on the day when the Immortal Caesar took a plunge for the sheer deviltry of it Into the Tiber fitting the description by articulating '"Twas a raw and gusty day," was perhaps the equivalent of Monday night's atmosphere. Phewl 'Twas raw and gusty as the crowd filed / Into the 81st Street, and the first greet- ing the ' gentle folk of upper Manhat- tan's residents got from the dusky car- riage opener was "No smoking In the lobby!" The Import of this warning dawned upon the folks that it came from no one else but Dr. Royal S. CopelanoV and would-be violators were as scarce as Hennessy's 3-star. Despite the weather a fair sized house was had, with the boxes also holding capacity, while from K-l the once over with a craned neck denoted gap after gap to the last row of the capacious auditorium. It was after all a safe bet that the "flu'* had put a dent in the attendance. The sick list got The Magleys, pro- Sramed to open the show, replaced by artin and Fabrlni. Their use of a full stage and with two more acta to follow, also using the entirety of the platform, made for a slight switch In the billing, Nonette.preceding Fallon and Brown. A second visit to the 81st Street would convince anyone it's no cinch house, for the audience is a peculiar one, and whed an -act is recalled after the lights are dimmed to make time for the next, then that is perhaps the best certificate of efficiency for an artist. This is precisely what happened to Nonette. Presenting as personable and (etching an appearance as any violinist on the concert platform - would care to have, she fiddled her way Into the receptive audiences, carrying the applause honors by far. Her- violin playing from a sheer musical standpoint reminds one of the bravura tone much desired by fiddlers with long training, and the injected syncopated note almost the equivalent of a sob or a dash of jazi in tune, makes her practically 'one of the best of vaud-vlollnlsta. It is only when she tries to make her upper register com- pare to the rage of the tone she is tble to produce from the instrument that there Is obvious discord. Her high C Beeras forced, and the manner in which she attacks the note is singularly lacking - In sweetness as a result. When, how- ever, her voice Is modulated to singing with ease, then it approaches melt- fluency. "* In last place preceding the "Puppy Love," with Dorothy Van and Frank Ellis, seemed to Justify the Incandescents flashing Nonette and this act rs hcad- liners. The act seems always a trifle slow In getting In to the comedy vein, but finishes strong with the antics of Miss Van and Mr.. Ellis In the love scene on the centre bench, while Jack Ed- wards In some clever soft dancing and tumbles puts needed pep in this "comedy youth." Hugh Herbert, In third place, had them giggling and chuckling over his dialect stuff "In Mind Tour Business,'' while Jimmy Fallon and Buss Brown went well, the riut stuff of Fallon's getting a big hand. When he felt he had the con- i fidence of his audience by exclaiming: "Well, I guess we're the best here to- night.*' Dunbar's Old Time Darkles, In second place, warmed the audience up by some good harmonics of old-fashioned darky songB and additonal syncopated melodies. The Literary Digest topics got laughs with their amalgamated newspaper wittclsms. Kinograms opened the show at 8 sharp, and the feature picture, "Vic- tory," closed. ■-. / step; AMERICAN ROOF. The American showed the flu effect the , first half and the Roof may have been - pit a little harder than downstairs, for ' the Health* Department smoking order prominently posted must have kept some irom going upstairs. The Mrs. Goerge Primrose minstrel turn (New Acts) was the featured turn, closing the first section. It did well' enough and the name, though Its owner has passed away, looks strong enough to continue a biaokface act under it on ' the small time. The most applause of the first section was secured by Mary Haynes, in songs, character work (rube) and an Imitation of the various singers one might hear at Bcrme cabaret Miss Haynes may know of even if no one else does, still that was the big kick of her turn. A young woman was at the piano meantime. She did as a solo "Dardanella" (instrument- al), the same piece having been used for an accompaniment to the opening turn, for acrooatlcs. Miss Haynes will find it easy on the small time. Her posl- • tion helped her on the roof. Paul Brady opened the show. After telling some stories, he did acrobatic dancing and after.that, plain acrobatics. The house liked the young man. . He appeared in "one," as did Doherty and * , Saivatore (New - Acts) who followed him. The Bimbos were No. 3. with'the man making his most out ox a high, table fall. The other Bimbo Is a young woman and the man referred to her, saying tnere must be a reason why she was travelling around with a bald-headed man. He mentioned himself aud^se previously when stating to toe audience he would show tnem now an - old man could do wnat young .men did, he accompnsning - as proof three surprisingly good somer- saults in rapid succession. • The second part (not caught) held Tony, John R. Gordon and Co., Dan Simmons, Mack and Fulton. Sim*. stout by drinking water "on the side," reminding the audience of other days. His anti-prohibition jokes seemed to please albeit long catalogued, while his songs scored heaviest. Libby's attempt to dance la really funny and ti.e beat part of' It is that he knows it fend wins his audience by telling more truth, per- haps, about himself, than another might dare. James Grady and Co. in the "Toll Bridge" sketch Is one of those old fabli- loned pieces with enough sentiment to please. Taber and McGowan smacked more of the big time than other acts present They're a verf Immaculate couple and the chatter they handed out had them giggling. They wind up with a dance number that! might be pro- longed. If they care to make time they might shorten the) conversational part of the act and add more of the dancing end, for the audience were willing, enough for an en corse, but they bowed themselves off; . v Corlnne Til ton worked like, a Trojan to get the first part of her act over, but not until she reached'the "drunk" busi- ness did she ingratiate herself with the audience, which then began to under- stand what it was all about. The spe- cial curtain with the two birds and the three separate entrances addrd an - Im- pression of novelty. The entire, act la not for this kind of an audience, but needs one that Is a little bit more sophis- ticated. Wilkens and Wilkens,'next to closing, had them actually roaring with tho grotesques of the man In <t suit of clothes* a ■ couple of yards too wide around-the waist line. The change later to a dress suit and the bit of business where the woman Instructs him in tho tango scored with the house • ptill un- checked In Its hilarity. But It would be well to cut out -the part of the. busi- ness where the woman clumsily attempts to draw part of the shirt of the m«tn while they are almost in a clinch. Tne Three,Nlloa closed the vaudeville part, of the show In some clever tumbling. "The Daughter of Two Worlds': con- cluded'the performance. Sttp. 23D STREET. At 7.50 Tuesday night they were stand- ing on the lower no or. Joe Wood's "bongs and Smiles" was topping the bill and unouid have closed the snow, tor the act ran 4s minutes. Tne leature picture closes and it usually holds everyone so tne Wood act wouldn't have iiau any walkouts to contena with, it was fourth. -De, Hale and Kttwards, an ordinary dancing team, opened quietly. It is a man'and woman combination, tne girl seemingly without mucn experience and appearing awkward in all her worn. Two ordinary doubles and an Apache failed to get them anything. Chuck Maas (New Acts) did nicely following with his talk and ropes and -iiciianua and McNulty (New Acts) kept up the good woik in the trey spot. After "Songs and bmiles' had passed Ketchum and Cheaium, a good small time comedy trio,.heid interest irom tne open- ing, it is a two man and woman ar- rangement with the comic planted in an upper box irom wnich be interupis the opening douoie by applause, -in croasore he explains that Harry V on Tuzer auked him to go to tne Urand opera house and plug one of his songs, but he got twisted and got tne wrong act and nouse. The act lets down alter he ascends tne stage but picks up near the finish and a clever cane dance takes him away strongly. The girl, looks nice and shows a uasn of clever stepping in a double. The other man 1b a capaole straight. Dixon, bowers and uixon closed the vaudeville portion and showed tne Same act that they have been dowig for years. • The three rubes are as active as ever and the acrobatics at tne finish went big. The baseball pantomime was another strong piece of business and the act seemed as entertaining as ever despite the changes in the vaudeville palate. 58TH STREET. Apparently the precautionary measure issued by every health specialist warn- ing persons against getting cold feet did not in the least perturb the crowd that usually patronises the 68th Street. Upper and lower floors were capacity Tuesday night, the audience seemingly being one happy family. The show was a satisfactory one, with the chief honors going to Tabcr and Mc- Gown and Wilkens and Wilkens. The feature picture with Norma Talmadge showing in her latest release, "A Daugh- ter of Two Worlds," must have also been some medium of extricating hard- earned coin from what looked like a laboring element. The show opened with Kinograms. Next and the first act, Wilbur and Dyke, got some strong applause through the man using the wire spring board. Tne woman's two songs are not strong enough to get the first part of their business over but with both doing tum- bles and somersaults they seemecT to go well for an opening act. J. Aldrlch Llbby, in second spot, had them laughing by poking fun at his corpulent personality, his reference to an inclination to drinking JEFFERSON./- With "Pretty Baby," a 20-people girl act, headlining the entire week, only seven acts are being shown In addition to the film. Juliette Bush opened lb a trapeze routine and was favorably re- ceived. Monte and Parti, a two-men musical turn (New Acts), followed, tf rice and Eddie Parks, despite their evident lack of enthusiasm Monday evening, scored. Judging from past perform- ances, the couple Should hold down a No. 2 spot In the bigger houses quite capably. Charles RelTly (New Acts) pulled down the hit of the bill in the fourth spot with' talk anent prohibition. Nat S. Jerome and Co. had easy sailing with a neat little sketch wherein, an Irish wife and her Jewish husband have bad a falling out with a separation agreed upon. Mr. Jerome as father Of tne young man, and. an Irish character woman. as the mother of the young woman, effect a reconciliation. The character woman Is inclined to be stilted in reading her lines and mechanical in the bits of business entailed 1 as Is the young man, but on the whole the piece went big. I The Four Pals (New Acts), a quartet, were next to closing. The "Pretty Baoy*? - turn closed. It la of the average lab calibre. The company will present a new vehicle the latter half of the week. ORPHEUM, NEW ORLEANS. New Orleans, Jan. 28. % Breezy Bill at the-Orpheum this week With a predominance of race track peo- ple and visitors present Monday evening. The house was sold solid. Le Rue and Dupre appeared initially in sand paint- ings, acceptable enough to hold interest. The duo should work faster .if better -results are to be achieved. But and, RoBedale were hot and cold Intermittently with the act holding some kinks that could be ironed out. The final moments which are much the best secured the most approval. ^Sweeties" scored distinctly, the charm- , ing naive of the girl and*virile manner of her four suitors serving to elicit un- stinted organization. Ted Doner tried hard to secure esteem and finally suc- ceeded through his dancing. Punch ma- terial Is needed for the first few minutes. Stella Mayhew leaped into favor at once. Her "souse" remains a bubbling bit and Immured as before the dry days. Miss Mayhew relied on "Left My Door Wide Open" for her main negro ditty, but it is not in her vein. Her encore clowning created an uproar and forced Blllie Tay- . lor and the comedienne back for several addtilonal bows. The wise crowd held Julius Tannen In their lap as they might a favorite child, chuckling at his witticisms and with • their fast thinking mentalities .beating him to his ponits with resounding laugh- ter. His 20 minutes passed all too ' quickly. Royal Gascolgnes Impeded their re- ception some by the male juggler lead- ing the crowd to expect too much. The turn is good closing-material If the ver- ' bal lntroductories were eliminated. Samuel. PALACE. NEW ORLEANS. New Orleans, Jan. 28. Fair show at the Palace the first part, lacking the usual flash and the custom- ary small time class. - , The Braminos began proceedings run- ning through the French musical clown idea to neat returns and augumentlng the finish with a duet from "Cavallerla" ' that disclosed originality and cleverness. Beatrice Doane found them lukewarm : for the major part of her interlude be- cause of employing heavy operatic num- bers, but got something at the end when she stripped to tights and slipped over a popular ditty. "The New Teacher" does not look like the same act, but the laughs were there -just the same. The present Interpreters ar email time. . Sylvester and Vance were retarded through Sylvester suffering from cold. They pleased, however, through the/at- tractiveness and charming manner of Miss Vance. Three Weber Girls concluding were awarded plaudits. The act la the same but It bad little competition. The open- ing in "one" does not hold much and cculd be dispensed with. Samuel. CRESCENT, NEW ORLEANS. / ''.'■- New Orleans, Jan, tt. . The Crescent's first program held no high lights, speaking small-time wise, but the Sunday auditor! approved 't, . ; ■ The Renellaa were first with an acro- batic offering supposed to show two athletes rehearsing on the stage of a vaudeville theatre before the afternoon performance. The ideal could be de- veloped. It Is just small time now and pleased. Davis and McCoy are running much too long. They should clip, about 13 minutes. "Salvation Molly" was the piece de le- slstance. A sort of sketch as sketch can in which heap smoke, the wily Chinese, is thwarted by Stick Up Steve the Secret - Service sleuth, assisted by a blue-bon- neted sin smasher. Proletarian Nectar, and It knocked 'em for a goal. ~. - • Burke and Durkln, with Miss Durkln sporting the dandiest dimple around la. months, were an unquestioned success. Closing were Simmons and Bradley with colorful skating that held the oye rapt. The bizarre hat worn by the man \. could be omitted. SavuuU } LAST HAlFsHOWS. (Jan. 22-26) AMERICAN ROOF. Perhaps the most Interesting matter , of the American Roof'a last naif bill. happened In the closing; turn. Col. Dia- mond and Granddaughter. Col. Dia- mond and the young woman first did a waltz. Whether for breathing purpose— and that would be an excellent reason— the elderly gentleman, said to be a vet- eran of the Civil War. advanced to the footlights and spoke about the best way to preserve,one's health, taking his own case as the • illustration. The Colonel said he was 82, had never been 111 a day ; In his life (knock wood) and had not even been bothered during his four- score with a headache. That remark- able record was ascribed by the speaker to his dally routine of living, during which be has never failed to drink two quarts of water, exclusive of water taken -at meals, When the Colonel grows tired of dancing he should be grabbed off by one of the spring water concerns as an advertisement. How the prohibitionists ever missed him is marvelous, although the prohks. got it over, anyway; but what a world of money the Coionot could have saved those behind the dry thing. The Colonel then did a fox-trot with . the girl and spoke once more, closing with - a hesitation waltz. Col. Diamond has been dancing in public since the days of the New York Roof under William Morris. As he says, he Is old In years old, and it truly should; be said of him that he Is a wonderful 8 guy. When you think of Jolo all in at 42 or thereabouts,./bee Just skidding along Bel] still gasping, although along Broadway since It was a lane, and the writer hlmself admitting he Is an A K. (because everyone knows It), what a great old fellow the Colonel mut bo. And an attraction for anything in show business. He ha* no equal and cannot be duplicated. Somehow Jake Lubln always frames up the (ast half bill for better working results than the flrat half, or at least In the majority of times. The last halt last week played unusually well. Maybe there Is a reason. Somehow the email time showa play faster than the big timers. If that Is always true, It la also helpful, because no act on the American program ran over 20 minutes, with most under 17 minutes. That may be the reason, and a good reason. It can ex- plain why small time is popular all by Itself and still holds the people, notwith- standing: the "prosperity" which other* wise has sent one dollar patrons of leclt shows to aee 82 attractlona. Speaking of Jake Lubln, how Cunning- ham and Bennett (New Acta) plugged Jake along. If Jake doesn't give the team a return date he will be foolish, for publicity of that sort does no on* harm, especially any one In the show any (Continued on page 26)