Variety (February 1921)

20 NEW £TS THIS WEEK Friday, February 18, 1921 * » It really is a jurywomen are one would sus- a Jury box: the "LADIES OF THE JURY" (13). Comedy. 16 Mint. (Special Stt). 5th Ave. A new and novel comedy idea, on the women's rights tiling, this time a full jury of 12 women with but one man, the court attendant. The piece was staged by Frank Fay, with Fay and someone else presenting the act. The skit has laughs all through, null quickly and the staging has aptly done, •flayer. The types, just those pect would occupy fierce feminine, the mild, the pretty, homely, thin, fat, catty, and so on, with here besides one an actress and another with an ambition to meet film actors. The women are in the ante-room for a conference and vote as t > the guilt or innocence of the man just tried for the murder of Irs wife The evidence, as read by th* for© woman, had been: the wife in pre- paring fried eggs for her husband's dinner cooked them on one side only, lie went to the kitchen, seized the bread knife and. reluming to the dining room as his wife was playing to appease his anger a vlctrola rec- ord, stabbed her in the back. The forewoman claimed the man was guilty without a doubt end should be sent to the chair. Sh» asked for expressions of opinion One lovely young brunet said he could not be guilty, he had such beautiful eyes. Another wauled to know why any wife shou'd serve fried eggs for a man's dinner; thai in her house they always had chop* or steak, etc. One of the other wom- en jurors stated that in her opin- ion a woman should know beMer than to fry eggs on one side only. Vet another said that her husband was such a dear she couldn't con- ceive of the situation. A gnahv young woman laughed at all of »he expressions and made puns until a horsey suffragette over in a cor- ner remarked if she didn't ©top gag- ging there would be another trial for murder. In between were different conver- sations, groups talking, and one woman continued" knitting. The actress asked the bunch to rush it through as she had to go to a.re- h en real and then told four or five of the others about a John she had had the night before. The fellow wanted to take her taxi riding, she said, but she lound the next day he had a wife and two children. On* 1 oi her companion! mentioned it m >med impossible a married man would go so far and said her hits- hand was a dear, perfect in every way. and she wanted all the wom- tn to look at his pletur. in her ockwt. As she showed the picture I.)' actress said that was the man i ie had met the evening previous, •bile another stern vlsaged Jury- coman exclaimed he had been the ie?bnd of her three husbands. The i- Ifo Insisted both were wrong. ivhen the actress asked if be did not wear a diamond ring on his little hi •• . whereupon the wife swooned. I'. istent calls for a vote caused Due «f the women to remark there wa • a bargain sale today and if she uid i ot hurry it would be missed. wing an advertisement out of her bag'. The women crowded Mound to read it and they agreed to hurry it up, all voting not guilty excepting the forewoman. They swooped down upon her, asking how khe could stand out against 11, es- p< daily as they all wanted the bar- gains, whereupon the forewoman Have in, making not guilty unan- imous. They called the attendant to inform the court to free the man hs the jury had to leave, when the attendant replied the judge had gone to lunch and they would have to wait until he returned. Some nr- gument followed as to why women Were given right! if they had to Wait around for a man, tiring the attendant, who shouted "There's a tat" as the curtain came down, ahile the women were climbing upon tittles anil chairs It's a certain laughing act and hoks expensive with its 13 people, »u having speaking parts of more iv less importance, it's one of those (lastic scripts that can stand any additions and may be continually built up. For a real laugh get 'J.allies of I he Jury." Mmc. (1). RICHARD KEAN and CO. Protean. 18 Mine.; Full Stage (Special). 23d 8t. The method employed by Richard loan to introduce Impersonations of celebrated actors bears a strong resemblance to that used by """homas B. Shea in a similar type of act. A man seated at a table takes up a photograph of Richard Mansfield at the opening of the Kean act and speaks a few lines, recalling Richard Mansfield's portrayal of "Shylock" in "The Merchant of Venice." Mr. K*an is on following > de. ,u»< as, "Shylock" and delivering a speech from "The Merchant." An Impersonation of John Barry- nore playing the dual characters of "Dr. Jekyll and Mr *Jyde" is next, following the "co" again picking up another photo and montoning Mr. Rarrymore. This is the trans- formation seen a. The "eo" then announce* Mr. Kean will give an original portrayal of "leier the Miser.'* The latter la the btal o* 'he three, although ell of Mr. ktan's are artistically characterised, each scoring. A special eye of blue xatin. with an opening In the middle for Mr. Kean'e entrance l« cairled The turn has value for No k In the big time bills. Bell (2). WM. LE MAIRE end Co "The^rber'e Berber/* 17 Mme.: Three (Special Set) Col'jrr^ : a (Feb 13). William Is a brother of George and Rufus and has been black facing •n vaudeville with more or leys suc- cess for several seasons IV is a tall elongated comic, with a good «'i»»UcL H'« present vehicle may develop tnfo something worth while but it ne»de a lot of fixing The action begins in a Special yet representing a hqrbpr shop with William as the "nlored barber Laugh one is the oM gag of dropping a hot towel onto th» customer'* face with the latter walking a howling exit. A ©raitjr manicurist is present. She ow*i» the shop Some laughs are obteJneal by crnssfiring about bis w» r e «ni! some comedy Lu&mess with e 'c»t«r from bis p\ Some of the diu'og tisUna Familiar. A customer arrives for a shave and \m \fairo uses a prop ice cream soda f or lather followed by s com- edy shave. He blows half of the •"objects' mustache off and chisels off <l»e o'her half, using a chisel and hammer. Another comedy touch h*»re Is *he customer refusing to move his head as he Is watching 'he manicurist's underpinning. l,e Maire solves that by sittinc her en whi<>tiev*f ^ide he is shaving. P"Or a finish Le Malre leaves in response to a phone call for Abe Cohen and the customer starts to vamp Uie manicurist, lie slips her a drugged drink and Is about to frisk the place wher^ lie Maire re- turns, announcing that he has her watch and returned for the cash register. The finish Ik woefully weak, al- most a replica of the old Conray and Le Malre finale in 'The King of Black Wallis " The pr»s*nt act wa* probably Inspired from the bar- ber shop scene done by Lew Fields in a production. Con.* WORSLEY end ROGERS. Talk end Songs. 14 Min., One. H. O. H. Possibly a new combination at present depending upon the soloing of a duo *.f ballads delivered by the "straight."' Both are men. In sack suits the comic, who also whistles, is minus anything to con- centrate upon except the Hebrew dialect employed and with the present material both are incapable of upholding the other. The accent is unnecessary, the conversation needs bolstering for comedy and H minutes is too much time for the act to run—though the two slow melodies are probably responsible for that. However, they were the otily Incidents thai attracted at- tention. Full Stage (Special). TRANK and LEARY. T.ongs. 12 Mins., One. H. O. H. Two ii;.'! - one handling' th* »o- • m lb; ■-. the " : ' • •' uccempu nj ins b . the «• Ko. The singer has a thin tenor Ihat sounds besl with the bal- lad. The musician is capable. They fchould work into ;.n ;.<•<•> ptable 0J fering for the smaller bll's. They oil ni. cly No. J. Con. NIHLA. Posing. 10 Mine 23d St. Regulation posing turn. Nihla, well formed young woman wearing pink silk union suit, stands < n pedestal In front of white screen, while male assistant In balcony focuses series of colored i lidos on her with sfereopticon. Slides elude usual How or, butterflly, winter landscape effects and reproductions of well known paintings, with couple of "Kind applause" patriotic sub- jects f<>r finish. Special set of ar- listic dtapei adds value to poses. Pleasing opening or closing num- ber. Btli. JACK CONWAY and Co. (2). The Cellar" (Farce). 15 Mins.; Three (Special Drop). Jefferson. Jack Conway is out of burlesque. He had played a "tad" in a number of Wheel shows, last season with the "Liberty Girls." There are two players assisting in the farce com- edy now offered, written around booze prohibition and the supposed hiding of "red eye" in cellars. One of the roles is a bit, there being a straight as principal aid. The "tad" character Is employed in "The Cellar'* but Conway is dressed in regulation street clothes. He has come to the cellar of a friend who has stored away liquor in a trunk. Mention of the friend's wife is made and how good a shot she is with a revolver. Wife does come down stairs but Reilly (Con- way) quickly dons a pair of Jumpers, saying he is the new janitor, his friend hiding behind the trunk. One look at tho "gat" which wife first shows gives Reilly cold feet, which he says bed rather have than be cold all over. A bottle of boose is flrally pro- duced, wife saying she is going to visit her mother for the night. There Is reference to leper germs that didn't sound either funny or necessary. While his friend sings Irish ballads Reilly gets drunk. It Is a clever and laugh gettl.i^ bit of business but went too far. Conway In drinking from the bottle allowed the liquid to dribble and squirt from his mouth ard on to his trousers. The house laughed heartily but It is doubtful if the more polite audiences in the big houses will take to it keenly or kindly. Conway Is a good comedian. His act will probably reach the smaller big timers. Ibcc. VAHRAH HANBURY and Co. (2). Songs, Piano and Violin. 15 Min., Full Stags (Special). H. O. H. The appearance will probably as- sist to a great extent. There is nothing lavish. Miss Hanbury, the singer, has for accompanists two girls (Claire Rivers and Enid Alexander), both of pleasant looks, taking their turn at soloing upon a piano and violin. thence combining for singing. In the Intermediate houses the aet should prove acceptable if kept down to the stated running time. Anything beyond that might be tedious. Miss Hanbury does a quartet of songs, one of which Is the 'Soul" lyric from "The Climax" of long ago and another that borders on the pop variety, with the others of the standard style generally associated with concert rendering. Her voice has a nice quality, but she seemed at a disadvantage whCTl moving about, due to a slight awkwardness, and this had best be overcome or a stationary position maintained. The feminine Instrumentalists make one change, while Miss Han- bury doubles that schedule, with all pleasing. Though the white wig. worn by the pianist at the opening. Impressed as unfathomed decora- tion. It failed to add to the stage picture. Friday night the turn did nicely, getting three .or four curtains, with a short encore following. seems to castanets NITI BILBAINITI. Spanish Dances. Full Stage (Curtains). 5th Ave. A Spanish dancer who be more dependent upon than either or all of the three dances she did, with a piano player In the orchestra. The dances did not strike, but the Spanish girl is of pleasant appear- ance and, of course, a brunet. She is reported to have tried out other turns around New York, with no better succcs than this one will likely meet with. Bilbanitl (If that Is the correct spelling) might get awa> with a lot in a production, dressed up and backed ttpt or she could possibly get over much better on a roof, do- ing but one dance there, combining her best into that one and making it short. stme. BOB LA SALLE and CO. (1). Piano', 8ongs, Dances. 11 Mins.; One. H. O. H. Bob La Salle was half of the Krantx and La Salle act, and Is using a male pianist in his "single" offering. The new turn resembles the double, with the pianist singing the Introductory lyrics leading up to La Salle's dancing finish. The finish Is the dancing Imitations, each intro- duced by the pianist in the same lyrics as In the double turn. I.a Salic Is just as strongly equipped as before and can pick up the tempo of any bill lu any spot allotted. It's a corking turn. Con. EUGENE and FINNEY. Bar Act. e Mins.; Full. Columbia (Feb. 13). Red-nosed eccentric corned inn and straight in a corking routine of hori- zontal bar stunts. Straight features a double bade somersault from bar to landing mai with comics' best a Jump from bar to bar on top. The letter's efforts at pantomime comedy don't help the ACt an iota. Athletically they are an Interest- ing opener for the smaller b ton. "SUIT.E 16 M (3), ^ Comedy Sketch. 18 Mins.; Two (Spscisl). 23d St. "Suite 16" ; s a combination bed- room and bathroom farce, played by three, juvenile, ingenue and character man. A set In "two" di- vided into three sections, shows bathroom in the middle and bed- room on either side. Bedroom i n left is occupied by young chap on a tear the night before. Re on right by ingenue. She enters bath in negligee and a second later juve- nile, not knowing bath has occu- pant, also enters. Bath has snap locks, and both doors closing by accident, man and woman find themselves locked In room. Up to this point the story denotes legiti- mate comedy development, but the action from there on deteriorates into farce of the small time variety. The third character, supposed to be the father of the youth, enters the latter's bedroom, and discover- ing it empty, goes into the bath- room. By wrapping screen around the father, the youth, his> son, man- ages to get girl and himself out of the room. A w Id chase in and out of doors, a la French farce, winds up*with the girl in youth'- bed, and youth's father caught In same room. Finish bad youth forcing father to consent to wedding between him- self and giil, boy using compromis- ing position he has maneuvered father Into to force agreement. The three players handle their roles with ability. The sketch holds plenty of laughs derived from the type of situations and hore-play sure on tho small time, for which division it lias apparently been set. Bell. HILL and SANDERS. Bicycle. 12 Mins.; Full Stage. Keeney's, Brooklyn. ^ Arthur Hill, formerly of Hill and Sylvia nay, has framed a cycle turn around the old-time high-wheel bike of 30 years ago. using that style ex- clusively in addition to a wooden cart wheel and unieycle for trick stuff. Miss Sanders assists in the comedy end and does a brief bit of riding toward the finish. One of the tricks has Mr. Hill holding Mis Banders on his shoulders while he rides the unieycle. The feature is the holding aloft of Miss Sanders on the palm of Mr. Hill's hand, he at the same time riding the high bike. This calls for a fine display of strength as well as goor* riding. Inasmuch as the old-fashioned bikes are used, It might be a good Idea to dress the turn, for added novelty, In the costume style of the period in which -the high wheels were popular, with old-time melo- dies for incidental music. As it stands it makes a first-rate opener or closer for the pop houses, with possibilities for the big time. Bell. LORRAINE SISTERS (4). Dances. Full Stage (Curtsint). 5th Ave. The Lorraine Sisters, two young dark-haired girls, have arranged a dancing act; they have alno tried to give an appearance of a produc- tion, without the girls themselves bring able to hold up this sort of turn. They are nice little dancers, one with a g< dc" kick In lor iefi foot] but riot TTanre tu'rti nUTRTers. Their Spanish dam* naturally was com- pared with dances by a Spanish gin just ahead of them and the Lor- raines Buffered, badly, through it. Maybe by tic time th* fir>~t half ended at the 5th Ave. the Lor- raine* were tie owners or & couple of castanets and knew more about Spanish dancing alsc Spanisl cos- tumes. A U ider Is tarried by the, i.or- ralnes, also a pianist who, when covering up ths waits fo? char, nlayt d a xylophone standing next to the concert grand. That Is some- thing row in piano accompanists. Tho Lorralnea ean'i gel any- where with this turn unless thoy ;ire agreeable to small time, If small M f »« inert is enough value l MAY WARD SMITH. (? Resists?) Freak Act. 14 Mins.; Full Stage, Palacs. •'The Girl Nt Man Can Lift,-, says the program, with "the 17- year-old prodigy" also in the billing. The May Ward Smith is displayed, with "?Resista?" bracketed beneath, That may be through two Resistat being around, both doing a similar turn, which is the same as Annie Abbott did for many years and has revived. The Johnny Coulon tb«ng in Paris, resisting against a lift from the floor, brought this trick back to general attention, although there has been a Resista for several years playing in vaudeville. This Resista Is a slight blonde girl, not looking older than pro- claimed. A woman announcer, somewhat stout, is busy and brusque. She first speaks from the stage, then brings forth Resista and follows her Into an orchestra aisle where anyone is invited to attempt to lift her from the floor. A couple unsuccessfully try. The women re- tun, to the stage with the an. nouncer inviting a "committee^ from the orchestra. Four or five men respond. A series of lifts are gone through, none succc ding in taking the girls feet off the floor. Comedy is attempted in this way for laughs, some returned, but also some of it not nice comedy, such as when one of the p!ants in harshly grabbing the girl pulls up her sou- bret skirt displaying the under- dressing. For a finish the girl steps into a steel frame and is raised about eight feet, to the top of the apparatus supporting it. Three of the men are invited to hold her there if they can. The announcer shouts "Resista, 300 pounds." and the girl commences to descend, despite the apparently violent ef- forts of the men, hanging onto the rope, to keep her at tha top. The effort becomes si» violent the men on the rope are pulled from the floor as the girl slowly comes dow/r, and are hanging when she alighifcTTues- day evening this portion robbed the turn of any suggestion of illusion, for as the girl stepped forth from the frame, instead of the men drop, ping with a thud as they ordinarily would, they still hung, which proved that either the apparatus was Hot working properly or they had been badly rehearsed. It is unlikely any- one in the house failed to note it and that turn closed quietly, though it held tlie audience in the closing spot. The act needs plenty of show- manship that the female announcer cannot provide, it also needs plants that if they come from the orchestra should look as though they belonged there. These freak turns are probably well enough for the small towns. They "can talk about it there. In houses like the Palace they may look at it and that's all. Annie Abbott played the Broadway. That's about the grade. Bime. DEVARO and ZEMESTER. Horizontal Bars. 7 Mins., Full Stage (Specisl). H. O. H. Surrounded by a set of tho ser« vants* quarters on a plantation and having sunflowers on the three bars, the two men, la blackfr.ee, go through the usual swings, turns and twists, except there is some talk spaced In before each takes his turn on the cross pieces. The conversation is evidently supposed to make for competition between the two which has one cos- tumed as of the old school of "darky'' with the other modern. The talk sounds extremely weak, with no comedy in it, and simply revolving around the customary ex- pressions allotted to persons of color. It failed to add anything. Probably fair enough for the neighborhood houses. for lot money. Simc, app' 'd\». LEA snd FIT2. Acrobatics. 12 Mins.; 'Two." H. O. H. In gym costume, straight delivers physical culture lecture, announcing he is over 60 y< ars Old, followed by muscular posing and deep breathing ex< nixes, showing unusual develop- no n( for hi. s years. White-face comic In baggy pants Joins him In some contortion stunts and pantomime. Straight features a leap over a table and rhalr from a short standing take-off, also high hi l.8, touching 8 basket at 10 feet and a double kick ;»t sow n. Comic diw-< over four chairs to a hand stand on table, and both pull fast ground tumbling at finish. a little modernising and polish will make this an acceptable turn for the snial'. r bills. Both are good athli i«< ■ w i i ^;.. ed one of the chief Con.