Variety (April 1920)

■■■> • .r:.l: --t .'32 NEW ACTS -THIS WEEK'.' '^ ■■; •:--:' ^^^■•' ■ '-Sf ?! linly B> Van and Jamea J. Corbett. ■^ha 18lh Amendment" (Talk). 20 Mina.; Ona. Colonial. The cpmblnatlon ^aranteed the act, with Billy, n; "Van dolngr the cemedjr "while .Tames J. Corbett does the ntralKht. The turn is aomewhat the eame lines Mr. Van did with another straight man when appearing: tor benefits or club efTalrB. Van Is In a very loose fitting ault, while Corbett is natty. Van says Corbctt's scheme of dress is had aa It means touches when he enters the' club. What club Van didn't say, but there were about 150 Prlars present Monday evening to watch their pals on the stage. Van's Idea of clothes, said he. sent the members to the other side of the room^whcn he entered. Corbett re- plied* Van was wrong, had no busl- nesa system, and they had better get down to cases, for the vaudo- villa act they intended to do. Van said he was all prepared, all thoy needed were about 60 nrew Jokes. Corbett wanted to know where they could get 50 new Jokes. Van answered that he would show his partner where his busli^ess system wasn't so bad; that he had the Jokes In his pocket^all assorted Previously Corbett, complaining, about Van's poor business Judgnient, said he (Corbett) would collect the vaude- ville salary and hold on to it, giving Tan a little when he asked for It, sav- ing up the remainder so Van wouldn't spend his earnings from three season's with "The Rainbow Girl" lolling about during the sum- mer. "That may be all right. Jim," said Van, "but I gucis you got that Idea from working with TInney." Of course that meant nothing to the lay people present, but what a riot It was with the Friars. Taking from his pocket several colored cards. Van said he Jotted down all Jokes as they came to him. Through questioning by Corbett the white card Jokes were perfectly clean, the ftther colors, excepting the red, a llttl© so BO, but the red! That's the one Van said he could kill 'em with. He started to tell It to Corbett. When Jim heard the.opening line about an Irlsliman taking a boat for Paris, he said ha knew the Joke, protested It could not be told before an audience'and after much wrangl- ing with Van trying to tell It, Cor- belt dragged him off the stage. As Corbett stepped to the footlights and started a speech there came a heavy gale of laughter from the wines, and Van returned, carrying the. red card In his hand. It's a great gag, well worked up and enough in Itself to carry along 4he turn. Van acquired a,souse throuph slyly drinking from a hip pocket flask and although he had Insisted when speaking of the act that tlfere should be no boxing In It, after two or three drinks he Btarted In to beat up Corbett Quieted down with some further business Van stepped to the foot- lights, said he would tell the red card Joke In French, commenced, and after a few words, Corbett •dragged Van's coat over his head pulling him off the stage for the finish. Despite that It's a crack two-man comedy act. that Ita ma- terial Is all new to vaudeville and full of inughs, with more Van than Corbett, the combination would have guaranteed It Both have "names." both have personality and both hare an act ^,^^^ Low Dockstader. "An Ear Full" (Monolog). 18 Mini.; Ona^ Palace. "^ Lew Sockstader blossoma out about once a year with a new rou- tine. He sticks to the political com- ment Idea, which Is about the best fttted for him. In "An Ear Full," for which no writer Is credited on the program, Mr. Dock6tader an- nounces himself as a candidate for the Presidency, and the chatter therefore is logical in that eyery candidate who has been' fhentioned in the forthcoming campaign Is mentioned, tlielr weak points being contrasted to his (Lew's) merito- rious ones. He started out by ad- dressing the house as "Ladies, voters and repeaters." He denied he had spent oodles of money in Philadelphia to buy candidates, un- less such came in pint bottles. Then he declared that Nicky Arn- steln was his campaign manager. Bryan came In for kidding; In fact, the silver-tongued one was sort of featured. Lew said that Bryan would always stand out with the great Presidents' names, for he had started out from Lincoln.and tried to reach Washington. However, Dockstader missed the laugh com- pletely by reversing the cltlea aad made no attempt to correct the er- ror. Hiram Johnson's name drew applause. Lew saying that If all the Johnsons voted for that candidate it was a cinch for the Californian. McAdoo was kidded about his ex- cursion into the realm of pictures. Lew said that when McAdoo ran the railroad administration the gov- ernment lost JSOO.OOO.OOO, and that If he was equally successful in pic- tures he wduld have Mary Pickford In the poorhouse and Do'ug Fair- banks in the breadline. The name of Governor Edwards of New Jer- sey brought forth plaudits, lind Edwards' name permitted another fling at Brj'an as a grape Juice ad- vocate. In summing Up, he said, with Hoover we'd starve, with Bryan everybody would continue to be thirsty, but with Lew In the chair every one could ryn wild. Lew explained that ho had tried several things since July 1 last, one being the request for Jokes in va- rious towns. . He credited several cities with gaga he then read from letter paper. Two drew laughter, but one was an old boy—that of a sign In a cemetery reading, "Wake Up, America-Needs You." This Joke stunt is complained about by Stan Stanley, who claims, originality for It. Dockstader is amusing, and ho keeps his talk on an entertaining plane throughout by keeping It up to data. ne*. Helen Fraderiek, Aaaisted by Aliea Patti. Songa and Piano. 1« Mini.; Ona (special drop). 23d Street. This may be Helena Frederick, out In vaudeville some years ago. Miss PattI, who accompanies her on the piano, was recently with an- other songstress and was mistaken for the singer because of her Illus- trious name. Miss Frederick offers » straight routine, with the ballad typo of numbers used throughout. She opened with "Kiss Me Again." followlnfir with "Chinese Rosebud," which had a lyric note perfected at one point. Miss Frederick did best with "We Must Have a Song to Remember." which brought in a number of old melodies. Mfss PattI offered a rhapsody as her specially. On results It was all right In spite of her Jumping whole bars at a tlmo. "Rose of Washington Square" was used by Miss Frederick for the final number. The act should do for the tbree-a-day shows. Pagans. Violin iste. ^ 12 Mins.; Ona. , 58th Street. This girl Is a fairly good Instm- , mentatlat. She la the type of act that will please on small time out- ; iildo of New York. Her playing earned her fair ap)>Iause Tuesday ihlelit ( fred. Two California Giria Harmony Singers. 11 Mins.; Three. .'■' '< ' 12Sth 8t (ApriM6). Behind a papier maehe flower pot, both girls are dressed in green flow- ery costumes, the bodices represent- ing rose petals which unfold, and they open with "Virginia Rose." The lyrics should he altered to carry out tho billing Idea. An easel which Is absolutely unreadable. Is used to Introduce tho various numbers which consist of "Your Eyes Have Told Me So," "Buddha" doubled, a gypsy song solo with cOstumo In character, a Colonial number with one at the piano in Crinoline and other In Period male attire..etc. The double harmonizing Is fair and the solo work passable. Tho act carries some ambitious wardrobe' and makes considerable sight appoaL It Just misses being big time. "^ Otm, "My TuHii OliT (12). Musical Cemady. 31 Mins.; Pull Stag* (Spaelat Sat). Colonial. ' Nothlncr on tha Colonial program this week to Indicate ownership or authorship of "My Tulip Olrl." Not any of the cast Is mentioned. It la called "A Springtime Revue." There Is nothing Iri this production act other than tho set that displays evidence of any experienced vaude- ville hand in the making or staging. The turn has four principals and eight chorus girls. Three of the principals hold up the act for what holding up may bo given-it In Us present conatruellon. There is something of a story, but It is dragged out through the length taken, 31 minutes, many minutes too long. There are some songs but only one counts. "My Tulip Girl," sung by two of the younger prin- cipals, boy and girl, said by the i**!!- blrds to be DeLeon and Davis, a former vaudeville team. A comedy character of a Biirgromaster is well taken care of by ah unknown player. The other principal Is the Burgo- master'a housekeeper. Mr. DeLeon Is the son of the Burgomaster and Miss Davis Is the housekeeper's daughter. The younger ones are in love. They are opposed by the Irascible gout-burdened Burgo- master, and the son through a ruse, enters Into a speed Ice skating race, winning, with a pj^rse of gold for the first prize. In expressing how he won wheia- returning home, the hoy breaks a vase supposed to con- tain a sweet departed sjftrlt and the spirit enters the soul of the Burgo- master, rehabillating his disposi- tion. Mr. DeLeon Is excellent as the boy and Miss Davis presents a like- able Dutch girl. The Holland cos- tuming seems cumbersome on the choristers, but as a matter of fact, the eight girls are superfluous. They do nothing but look pretty, and for looks they are as extraordinary tor a vaudeville as it is extraordinary how eight girls could have been placed In this turn for the sole pur- pose apparently of making a "Rash" for it They don't oven do that, held back by the costuming, which, If Dutch, Is but middling In appear- ance all the time. One novelty stag- ing bit of a prop big dress from which the girls step out In lingerie got little because the rest amounted to less. Some seasons ago an operatic Dutch playlet was produced that had some merit In the verse-telling Idea with the plot not dissimilar to this sketch. If Is as a sketch that "My Tulip Girl" would seem to have a better chance and in 20 minutes at the most Now It either needs several weeks of hard work to fix it up before the big time'should be tried or an expert director to im- mediately whip it Into slse and shapa, BitM, Qolran and Marsuarltati _^ Danca Ravu*. 14'Mins.; Full 8t«8o (8p*c!«l HanO' inga)., Palace. . John Oulrah was formerly with Newell and La Petite Marguerite, formerly as a danoe team, with Vin- cent Shea at the piano some time ago. They have been out over the Orpheum time, and reports all along the line have contained consider- able praise for this clever couple Monday night, in the thlAl spot at. the Palace, they substantiated the advance comment. As a toe dancef Marguerite is a revelation In her graceful movements. • Vaudeville hasa't seen an artiste more light on her feet. With Guiran, a skilled partner to effect the various poses and some new ones In topping off each toe stunt the girl had the first number to herself and showed some beautiful spins. In leaping to poses she displayed absolute confi- dence in Gulrai^ and the latter was always sure of his catches. Gitlran followed with the first of two.sin- gles, Marguerite also doing a toe number. Gurian's second number held his acrobatic and Russian steps and the result was solid applause. For a finish they gave their own conception of the Parlsinn Apache dance, a neat number, neatly car- ried out The turn went 'for a hit, deserved, for It ranks with the best of the dancing acts. ne*. '..•,>v- •■'.(;.■.' Dancing Solly. .„ Dancing and Piano 12 Mina.; One. ' - '.'.;' 12Sth St. (April 16). Dancing Solly la an abbreviated colored person who opens with an eccentric waltz clog, longly drawn out- Then to the piano for some fair raff playing of the sawdust variety. Another long winded soft- shoe buck with some bieathlng space copped by Inverting a chair and doing some taps on the chair seat lying down. Finally a piano buck playing and hoofing simultane- ously. Solly has an untidy appear- ance and his chief claim to fame in an abnormal pair of lungs. Con. Lizzotte. Rag Pictures. 12 Mins.; Full Stage (Spec Cye.). 125th St (April 16). In an interior depicting an artist's studio Lizzette utilizes fabrics and rags for the making of pictures on a large easel situated down stage. An easel signboard precedes, each pic- ture which are "Napolean at St. Helena," "Bull Durham," and "The Angelus." which la the best of the trio. It's modoratMr entertaining. Ootk Denny Bray. Character Comadlaiii ' i' 10 Mina.t Three (B). Om (Q 125th St (April 16). Denny Bray Is either Bsgllab or Irish for he mixes up both dialects, He opens in "three" at an Ironing board and affects an English dame of exaggerated character type with large untidy wl^;, et& Followa a monolog about "her" sweetheart who Is In the army. Bray loses con- trol of his accent at this point and does a combination of Johnny Rus- sell and Daisy Horcourt Next he promises to show ns his soldier sweetheart and backs up for a change to mala attlro while the stage is momentarily blacked out. His costume here Is distinctly Eu- ropean and he displays a trained full-toned baritone in a splendid ballad, "Wonderful Mother." A bit of stepping Is Included. Bray's monolog got him very little and his act will have to be Americanized be- fore ho can expect to pass on this Major Rhoadc. ''"•■.■.'. Vioitn and Songs. i t ,i> 10 Mina.; One. ■ ■ ^■' Alhambra. I The Major appellation Is very mis- leading for the owner is a youth of not moro than 18. He enters in ragged street urchin attire and docs some operatic excerpts on the violin. In a boyish, soprano the boy then sings "When No One Loves You," a poorly written and weakly con- structed lyric which slows him up to a waUc He partially recovers with some clever viollning which In- clude exercises and some' clever picking. The youngster Is "an ac- complished musician, but his act needs the attention of an experi- enced producer. The street urchin thing is pass6 and his vocal cpn- trlbution sounds homemade. He did fairly well in the deuce spot before an unusually friendly gathering. Cofk side of the Atlantlo. Con. Dr. Vardeek. ■,■■'•:,'."" Hypnotist. ',•.'■' 13 Mins.; Full Stags. ' ' Harlem O. H. (April 19). Although billed outside and on the proscenium signs as "DoVardy," the hypnotist announces to the audience his name is "Dr. Vardeek," and It may reasonably be presumed ho knows. In a speech In broken English ha gives every Indication, ho Is a man of education, that he Is a graduate of the University of Paris and will offer a few experi- ments in hypnotism. He then calls for a committee and the upual bunch of "sleepers" go upon tho stage for demonstrations of "catalepsy" and "muscular rigidity," mostly Illus- trated in a comedy way. There Is absolutely nothing new in the offer- ing and the hypnotist Is not a show- man—the main asset to this stylo of act At best It Is behind the times thepe days and the best h<v can hope for la throe-a-day bookings. foh.\ Brown, Gardner and Barnett Songs and Dances. 12 Mins.; Full Stags (special aet). Fifth Ayanue. Two men and a girl with one of the men at the piano. The couple dance, not attracting attention with It until they reach the "Apache." They do, about the best dance of that sort seen around, the girl, a good looking blonde, taking some severe and fljing falls. At the opening the men have a two-act with the piano In It the pianist playing an accompaniment for the other man's song. During changes the pianist sings. One of his songs, "Hard Boiled Egg," was not bad at all, but the Fifth Avenue crowd did not seem to know the slang ex- pression. He did something new at the piano and should receive rec- ognition for It in these days when all comedy piano players appear to have studied In the same book. The pianist said he t^ad gone to an Ora- torio and right after It met a friend who said he wanted to borrow a saw from Jimmy Law. The pian- ist explained that that was a di- rect way to ask: "Jimmy Law, lend me your saw," and he would de- scribe on the piano how anyone at the Oratorio would have alsked the same question. He then .pealed and cadenzoed the sentence In the oper- atic and lyceum style, backing up and down the piano on the strdln with the sentence fitted In parts ^o It until finally finished. It's » very good example of Its kind. That sort of work went over the heads also, as the turn closed the per- formance. Retaining the piano player and his material, also the "Apache" dance, then filling In for the remainder and the act may have something. Now for three people there Isn't enough for big time, but It will fit other time. Sine. Peggy Bremen and Brother. Ladder Balancers. 12 Mina.; Full (Special Sot) 12eth St. (April 16). A cute looking girl In white pan- tics assisted by a' male attli:!d as Mcphisto In red devil outfit. An in- teresting routine of ladder stunts and balancing with the feature trick a "breakaway," the girl ascending to the top rung of a ladder which falls apart, following which she does a hop across the stage, using a single polo as means of locomotion. It's a good small time opener. A special set represents "Inferno," Com Jaok McAuliff*. Talk and PIcturMu 18 Mirta.; On«i Fifth Avanuai. Rather intet^atlng is tha pre^ •BJsoX otnos joj oinaopnoA m b3 10U H«q OH •«.o»Iinvore 5io»f ,o ' Billed as 'Tho Only Undef, World's Champion," that's billing and should attract the atS^ tlon of alt boys and men IriimeaiaS! ly. Another line says he is the aS^ vivor of tho three famous pugUiaS^ Jacks, John L. Sullivan, Jack D^^ sey and himself. Jack McAuUtte^l champions of their day and cUtt Mr, McAulirfe mentions "the orlJilnS Jack Dempsey" in his talk, andft came back almost as a shock tiat the first and famous Jack DempjeW of the prize ring now has a heavev^ weight champion of the world name^ sake in the present Jack Dcmpaor k who is said to be a Hebrew. TbI original Jack Dempsey was born4»i Ireland and likely that■ waivhto^ family name. Mr. McAuliffe did fiot mention the present champloa fl* might Include this observation In his remarks, however, for it is psri tinent and apparently unknowiii about the present Dempsey. Ifsen the authority of Jack Lait Mr. McAuliffe appears in the Scrrics uniform of the K. of C. He wa(% secretary of that organization in war times. Making a wholesome appearance and talking v/lth eai^ Mr. McAuliffe delves rig^.v Into tlie old days of pria» fighting, statfiit heavy gloves were then unknown and apeclflcally recalling his famed fight with Jem Carney in England for the lightweight championship ot the world which vent for five houn^ going to 73 rounds when the waiting crowd burqt Into t\}e ring with tht referee calling tho bout a draw. In those days, said Mr. McAuliffe who was America's lightweight cham- pion until he retired, a boor did not walk down the main street the next day with his girl. He kept under cover to recover. Now, he said, m boer, referring to* the short bouts* of eight rounds or less, is sore i( Us hair is mussed. With a picttiie sheet dropping down, McAuliff* calls attention to a moving picture made In London Introducing nianr, flstic celebrities known in the past, some passed away, and also shoW' Ing a film reproduction of a fer ■rounds of the McAuliffe-Carnejf; battle, reproduced for the camen. said Mr. McAuliffe, when he was last over there, with Carney and himself doing the fight as best (her could, afte^ 30 years. The 73rd round la ^ Included, showing tha crowd breaking up the fight Ifc- Aulifte stated It is 23 years since ha left the ring. He ends his turn with a.brief address, advocating boxiog for every youtli. McAuliffe la a fighting nania to old-tlmera and those of the younger crowd who foN lows the fights known of him as welL In these days when bozloK at last has been recognized as an art and Instructive for defense it notluj ing else. Jack McAuliffe and ba vaudeville act will be Instructlra^o all men watching It. It n.ot anteri talnlng altogether for the women, they will at least like the pictures and the speaker refers to women-in a Jocular Ynanner. He has sevenl laughs In the turn through remarkJ, mostly aimed against himself. One of the best laughs was when hci spoke of Carpcntler as champion of all Europe^ "which takes la Ire-* land," he added. WbUe the tttta may not be strictly big time, it Isliill right for anything else, taking In tba best three-a-day.and the small two^ a-dayers. Bime. ., — ■.' Sid Gibson and Law Pollack. ''; Piano Act. ^ 15 Mina.; On*. ' ~ American Roof. Another song writers' eombina'^ tlon. Sid Gibson vocalizes and Lew Pollack presides at the grand- Tha turn opens in hoke fashion, travesty ing an opera singer. Mr. Pollack piano soloes hla* "Buddha" compos!-* tlon and the rest is more hokum on Mr. Gibson's part Mr. Gibson Is strictly a hoke artist and was very effective In what he did. But the entire routine suggests greater pos^ sibillties. While all specUilly vrlU ten, it has not that "punch" to make It worthy of the efforts of this com^ binatlon. It is good pop house m%^ tcrtil as It stands. ' Lester and Vincent. Talk and Dance. 13 Mins.; One (Special). Jefferson. Colored couple working before a drop representing an ;Employmenl Bureau station ,of tho War CaroB Community Service, parkie enters seeking position, and Is put througt series of questions by tho woman It charge. Crossfire mild but effective Several old boys as 'Wore you bpn and why?" etc. A neat dance finW tops off the routine acceptably.