Variety (April 1921)

• r . Dutlel and Covey. \ Talk* Songs and Dancing. 12 Mint.; One. 23d Street. Man and woman. Man starts to sing, woman interrupts, preceding Interruption with camp meeting thou* style of song, off stage. Wo- man does comedy, man straight. Talk routine, some of it familiar with good average of bright spots. Woman singles "I'm a Nut." with encore verse in which she gives Impression of chorus girl singing same number with a- mild souse. Nicely handled. ' -Man solos "mother" song ne,v,t, Has excellent voice but should eliminate facial mannerisms while vocalizing. For closing man sings standard ballad in two-four tempo, while woman executes simple but likeable dance routine. Woman wears spangled costume at open- ing, changing to knickerbockers for finish. Small timers with ability and material suitable for No. 2. They pleased In that spot at the 23d Street, passing creditably. Bell. r.i. ^. KELLY and BROWN. Song and Dance. 14 Mine.; One (Special Drop). City. Man and woman. Man is a capa- ble vocalist sporting an rffectlve tenor. Woman is the stepper, in ab- breviated costume, bare knees and all. The patter revolves around their entertaining abilities, the man singing "Old Pal" and the girl stepping to it. "Swanee River" vo- calised, is danced to by the girl for the Dixie number. An Irish song is treated in similar fashion, the man first singing it and then standing by for the girl's dance solo. A "Poppy Blossom" song was dealt with similarly; all in all mo- notonously. Considering the duo's abilities It is rather wasteful of one's talents to drift on hitting the deuce spot on small time shows when a little en- hancement in showmanship and staging could elevate it to some- thing worth while. They have per- sonality, make excellent appear- ances both, are capable in their in- dividual lines and all but please on the routine. GIBSON AND PRICE. Juggling and Comedy. 16 Mine.; Two. Fifth Ave. Dave Gibson and Sylvia Price Im- press as having been out for some time. Gibson juggles while Miss Price first acts as his assistant and then makes sketches In colored crayons. Gibson keeps up a running com- ment throughout the routine which has him juggling balls, hats and the like, with an occasional comedy balancing stunt. One remark about button hole making went for a "lo- cal" at this house, which attracts traveling salesmen at the matinees. He kidded the audience several times, but* always in good humor and generally for a laugh. Once he said in commenting on the way his gags didn't get over that it was just like telling jokes in London. At that, Gibson has "mixed them up" with some old boys plainly recog- nized. The turn amused on No. 3, Gib- son's comedy chatter taking it out of the juggling turn groove. CELIA WESTON and Co. (1). 8ongs. 16 Mins.; One. Greeley Sq. Assisted by a piano player Miss Weston is presenting a singing turn that is abundant with material and "catch" lines, all of which scored, in- cluding the short "pop" selection played by the pianist during a change of costume. Miss Weston offered a quartet of numbers, one of which was in the nature of an encore, all being deliv- ered In dialect. There is room for improvement in this girl's method of "selling" a melody, as at present abe. is deHvej.ing in a listless man- ner void of personality.' She never allows herself to approach the audience except in a chilly manner, the songs getting over simply on the strength of the lyrics. The young lady's voice is of fair enough quality for the type of dit- ties used and with the needed pol- ishing off and touching up should bid fair to go a bit higher than where she Is now situated. George McClelland has produced a new five-people revue, "Peppo- mint," in which Harry Downey, the female impersonator in "Every Sail- or" la featured. Suzzanne Sickle- more and Lester Lee also have prin- cipal parts in the piece, T\hieh was written by Sam Coslow. R1NGL1NG-BARNUM . SHOW AT GARDEN The big top season for 1921 was opened Indoors as usual when Mad- ison Square Garden's annual fix- ture, the combined Ringling Broth- ers and Barnum & Baliey Circus had its premiere last Saturday (March 26). It will remain five full weeks, with the eastern stands fol- lowing, the "kick-off" taking in the Ohio Valley and the show then jumping toward the coast, where the combined shows will have their first appearances. The outfit this season presents mono tit u rtslilljil than at any time since the two big shows were fused. There are two outstanding features In the displays of wild animal ex- hibitions and riderless equine group training, known as "Liberty Horses." They lead the importa- tions of which there are a number, practically all coming from Ger- many. The weakness of the show is the absence of individual perform- ances, principally the missing eques- triennes. There are no star bare- back performers like in other years. May Wirth and Family are in vaudeville and will play the fairs later. The Hannefords are going into the Sells-Floto show. No at- tempt has apparently been made to replace the individual riding acts. The Ringlings have sought mate- rial overseas for the firs^ time since the war. They bought the major part of the Hagenback circus at Hamburg. That included the big animal turns, the trained stallions of Adolph Hess. The program named the smart horses as being Hun- garian. The animal features are virtually the only pictorials used In the billboard stands, around New York and likely will constitute the main lithograph display through- out the tour. The first night crowd that filled every point in the Garden was greeted with a strange sight, the three rings being converted into as many steel arenas. That was nec- essary because of the wild animal exhibitions. Steel tunnels led from the cages to the Garden's north exits, which sent most of the au- dience on a tour of the southern portion of the track to their seats or else back into the arena proper. The animal acts being at the start of the show pushed the elephants down to a late spot. This makes for a peculiar problem in getting equip- ment aboard the trains while on tour. It is necessary for the animal cages to be loaded first, along with the heavy equipment, and the ele- phants are aboard the early train. If the mammoths are down late in the show some switching must be done. It is,one of the questions that probably has called for the deciison to do without street parades this season. Whether the parades will be managed later has been left open. The dismantling of the animal arenas is another nut to crack. The time consumed slowed down the show, and it was responsible for the throwing out of one entire number— that of the seals, exhibited by the Hulings—James, Frank and Mark. Special stands for the seals are on the boards, and if there is any way of reinserting the number they will go back into the show. The cages, too, disintegrated another display of mixed animal training stunts. The three animal cages started the show after the "pageant." Peter Radke took the center arena with four African lions and Christian Shroder was in the third arena with seven polar bears. Both are Ger- man acts from the Hagenback Ham- burg outfit. In the first arena Olga Celeste with five leopards drew plenty of attention, both on ap- pearance and training skill. She has been in vaudeville and the turn ac- tually is part of the Selig zoo. While the nets were pulled up and the two end cages taken apart the freaks paraded to fill the wait. That helped because of the novelties brought from abroad. But the wait was actually lightened by Pallen's hears, two working on either stage. The bears are part of the eliminated mixed animal number. The roller skating and bicycle stunts were given the right spot for once and drew applause. The center cage remained and was taken by seven full-grown tigers. It is the feature turn of the wild animal importations, but the trainer's name was not on the pro- gram. The big striped cats looked dangerous enough to hold strict at- tention throughout their exhibition, and the Bengals, snarled enough to provide a thrill. The* trainer dis>" played a bit of inside skill at the close in forcing the beasts to leap the barrier and rush through the tunnel to their feed in their proper position. A hundred property men ran to the cage to dismantle it, and a group of elephants was brought out for a parade around the ring with football stunts. It was 8.45 when the show proper got started—that is the individual performances. Joe Hoghangi, listed as "Mile. Bpangellti," was In the center ring with horse and suspend- ing rope, lie remained alone for the finale and cleaned up the num- ber, In fact, about copped the com- edy end of the evening. Gymnasts, acrobats and equilibrists formed the balance of the display. They were Stirk and Arena, Rice Trio, H. Ritt- ley, Four Comrades and the Hardigs, virtually a line-up as last year. The "iron Jaw" acts .followed. Three of the five looked like new names, but such turns are made up over night. The display was neat, as always, with the Tybell Sisters, Eugenies, Kinkaids, Latell Sisters and Sea- fords in the air. The first of the two equestrian displays came next. Two doubles were programmed, but John Carreia and Charles Rooney took the end rings and Mme. Bradna was in the center. She was the winner of the display, with her plgnms used for the finale. While the bell curtains were being mounted for the posing exhibitions, Mme. Bradna j circled the ring with her white horses and. dogs, a pretty picture, as always. The posing acts included the "statue" horses as in former sea- sons. Ena Claren took the center, and though of slight build looked the classiest of the women. All rings and stages were used for the posing work, two platforms being added on the ends, to make up for the stages on the road (there will be four, as against two in the Gar- den). The wild west exhibition, usually the next to last number in other seasons, was the eighth display, placing the number in the middle of the show. It looked like the same bunch. The ropers got more atten- tion than usual, with Cy Compton starring. High trapeze and head balancing took the tenth .isplay, the change of pace here being wel- come. De Mario, the CTomwells, Millettes, Hillary Long.-Rooneys and Zerados performed. All have been with the combined show, and they all fared well. Adolph Hess, the European horse trainer, then took the center ring for the third of the animal features from the Hagenbacks, working alone. Hess worked 24 stallions in groups, matched In colors. The first two groups were of six, each being gray and brown, and the concluding group was of 12 coal black stallions. Each animal is numbered. The ex- hibition is one of training, with the stallions taking positions in numer- ical order. The work is pretty and drew general applause. When the final group was shown Lew Graham announced the animals, although then mixed in numbers, would take position in the circling line without direction from Hess. The stunt was well worked, the trainer not employ- ing his whip, though it was apparent that he called them by name, It Is said that all continental shows have horse acts of similar formation dis- play, but the Hess turn is the best of them. Men and whips s.i.round- ed the ring during the display, for the stallions had been leaping over the bank in practice. A mixed display was twelfth. It held five acts that have been In eastern vaudeville during the win- ter. Alf Loyal took the center ring with dogs. "Toque" was not alone featured, "Chiquita," the clown dog, sharing the honors. The Bruno troup (Weisse), Roeders and Jeane troupe were the balancing turns In the display, with the woodchoppers (Jackson and McLaren featured) going into the contest at the finale. Lillian Leitzel. the only single feature this season and the only spotlighted attraction, started the show on Its last section. Mlle% Leitzel mounted the webbiflg and shifted to the rings high up, her work on them calling for a net be- ing spread. She descended for the announcement of her though very sturdily built, displayed much nerve. At 20 minutes to 11 the elephants came on, with nothing particularly new noted in the three-ringed rou- tine. George Denman was In the center ring, with J. B. L. Clarke and George Hennessey on the ends. For the finale the balance of the bulls, mostly used for parades, were brought on. with the entire line-up of 25 rising on hind feet for a "bow." The aerlalists then virtually closed the show. The Clarkonians were in the center. The many- fllered Slegrist-Silbon Troupe was in No. 1 posUion and the Chas. Sie- grist Troupe at the other end. The women fliers in the latter two acts drew the attention for tho first night. The trio of turns held the house with a number of falls to the nets making for interest. The jock- eys, ponies, whippet dogs and char- iots wound up the evening. The show was over at 11.10, which is 20 minutes overtime at least. The way the show Is routined now there are a number of waits to be worked out. The dismantling of the animal arenas cannot be eliminated and the cages must be set up before the show starts. The animal feature is suggestive of the Hagenback-Wal- lace outfit. It Is brand new for the Ringlings, and the show in general is interesting and entertaining be- cause of its considerable change from the past half a dozen seasons. On tour there is another angle to the wild animal displays, for in some communities such exhibitions are banned. For the show in total, the question is whether the animal importations counterbalance the lack of individual talent. For this season at least the signs favor the new Ringling line-up. Lew Graham is again the big figure in the tent, announcing and in charge of the side show. Fred Bradna is again general equestrian director. John Agee is the equestrian director and Merle Evans leads the orchestra The clowns failed to show novel- ties. Buck Baker's auto stunts stood out best. A group of imported German midgets were present but not important. Ibce. PALACE. Easter Monday was not a holiday draw for some reason; at least that goes for the night attendance. The house was slow in filling up, the orchestra floor Anally going clean except for the boxes, which were but partly occupied. That went for the upper part of the house, too. A few standees in, but no sign of an overflow. A many-sided shift In the run- ning order worked to advantage, the frequent high scoring during the evening pointed to the best possible value secured from the bill. Will- lam Rock was the headllner, and Kitty Doner, plus brother and sister, took the bottom line. Rock, with his "1-2-3-4-5-Girls and Two More" revue, was sent in to close Inter- mission instead of opening it as programmed, while the Doner act was switched to No. 7. With Rock in the first portion of the show, four acts were used before intermission and five after. Rock is always working on the personal feature of his revue and he has evolved a nifty finale. He has retained the kidding idea with the "15th letter of the alphabet" still the main idea, but the girls have a come-back now. After the kissing bit they exit one by one, endurance with excuses of having an appoint- test and again was pulled high in ment and the like, each pleasantly the air. She swung to 65 "disloca- , sayihg "Good night, ladies and gen- tions" on the webbing. Petite in tlemen." There is comedy worked form and dainty in dress, Mile. Leitzel is the class of the perform- ers. While her rigging was being stowed, John Agee circled the ring with a "jazz" stepping mare, Hess circling from the opposite side with a high school stepper. The next display, which was to have had Mme. Branda, the Fallen turn, R. Meyers' performing camels and E. Daniels' Shetland ponies, was out, the latter two turns not being in the show at all. The second and finale of the equestrian displays followed. The Davenports were in the center ring, with Orrin Davenport doing the comedy. He was easily the best of the display. The Four Rooneys were In the first ring and the "All- American Team" in the third ring. The latter was really the Clarkes, an English family. Five perch turns got into the go- ing in the 16th display. Four of the acts are Imported. The Silvas, an American turn, took the center. On either end were the Andresen brothers, a Norwegian act, and th De Moll Brothers', from Belgium between the Wise Troupe and the Two Jahns, both German acts, per- formed. All were Interesting, though the De Molls flashed a nov- elty when the top mounter unhinged a little extension from the top of the perch, the extension acting as a support for two gymnastic rings. The tumblers were out and in position to go on, but were held by the attempt of clowns to get a "hootch factory" working. There was a dead wait. Finally Fred Bradna blew his whistle and the athletes got into action. It looked like the storehouse for the clown device. Of the tumblers, the Joe Dekoe Troupe carried the pace fast. But the Pecchianl Troupe was the outstanding turn, with the leverage four high somersault getting the that he was In by a mile.' How ha can strum the "harp"! Few these days can reach him. Ross was on 17 minutes. It was' four minute* later when he escaped, a speecfc taking up most of the extra time He can take almost any spot desired now, and his repeat date here looks certain. The Parkers are an acrobatic turn formerly billed as the Parker Broth. ' ers. The billing now says they are father and* son, and the thin white \ hair of the elder man makes that look true. Their hand-to-hand rou- tine was so successful at the New Amsterdam concert Sunday that they were booked into the Pa'ace bill Monday. Closing with the leap over a piano to a hand-stand was the final triek. It has been used-by <- the act for several years. The re- turns were hearty enough to bring the men back after their bows, and they encored with a leverage trick. The scoring entitled them to a hit. William Deraarest, the man who cannot do a nlp-up, and the raven- haired Estelle Collet te were on third, especially early for them. In that spot they were of splendid value to the show, actually the real scoring. There are few fiddlers with Demarest's comedy ability and fewer still that combine both with comedy acrobatics. The plant com- edy worked out all the way, with Demarest starting something by . saying something about a song "Bimbo on Blackwell's Isle." The act would doubtless have done as well later, but a hit Is a hit in any spot. Marie Nordstrom opened inter- mission with Frances Nordstrom'! little cycle, "Tick Tock." The "Mme Butterfly" number was the most colorful. The offering drew a big measure of appreciation, but it Is doubtful If the routine is as bright as Miss Nordstrom's former chatty „ single. • Glenn and Jenkins brought the show's measure of comedy up to full content, again appearing next to closing, which has been the spot for the colored team in its swing around the Keith houses. This act is said to be after new material, claiming portions of their act have been lifted by others. That hasn't affected it, however, and they should be careful in making replacements unless sure of the material. They wrote the present act themselves and came right up from the three- a-day to the best bookings. Melissa Ten Eyck and Max Weily and Co. offered their effective dancing turn on No. 2 and it was well liked. Miss Ten Eyck scored in her single, part of which is Ori- ental but without a wiggle. , The Fillis Family, 'with high- school horses, closed the show, the . Ibcc. ', , in the stunt, too, one of the young est of the bunch saying she has a son on the police force and has promised to meet him. There was a sailor number that looked new, Rock doing an old tar with two of the girls, the song being "Speaking of the Ship." Hazel Webb, the song soloist of the act, did "Jazzemova," which was the only popular number in a show singularly devoid of pub- lished numbers. In the late spot Miss Doner, with Ted and Rose, went for a real hit. Kitty is certainly the class of male impersonators in American vaude- ville. Perhaps Miss Doner does not class strictly as an Impersonator, but her real effort is in boy's togs. The change of pace to the tough number and then to the gypsy bit at J the close again points and gives : substance to her performance. Rose Doner, the kid of the trio, looks like a comer. A natural dancer, with looks and form, she is rapidly de- veloping as an artist. If it is her first season on the stage, as sister Kitty said in her earned speech, S?1.UH*4 means something. Ted is an •™ asset and looks be.st in trie Bowery bit. There were two first Palace ap- pearances with "Blackface" Eddie Ross and the Parkers. It is a real wonder that Ross has never bren brought to the Palace before. He was on No. 6 for the individual cle,in-up applause of the nl^ht. With his "African harp" (hnnio) tucked under his arm. he started without fluster, confident that he would get over, and he certainly did Mention of the word "drunk" now being an immortal word started the l.i ughter. They yelled when he told of the family of 14 children and may be more, and howled at his cross-eyed sister failing to see a drink that was put down In front of her. When Ross ran his dextrous right hand back and forth over the attention. The girl in the act, banjo It- was a foregone conclusion RIVERSIDE. The experiment of having Will Morri8sey act as master of cere- monies is being tried at the River- side this week.. Judging by Monday evening, it is doubtful If the stunt will enjoy any permanent vogue. It is all very well for Raymond Hitch- cock to do it in the downtown dis- trict and "ho!d forth" on well known men about town, etc., but if the exact routine were gone through by Morrissey at Riverside, It would sound differently—or, at least, would not score as effectively. Morrissey's harangues are not the same as Hitchcock's, resembling those of the more famous comedian only in the ppening where he stands in tha audience and welcomes those who enter. As each act concludes he makes some comment on the next turn, sometimes from the orchestra and at other times from the stage. The arrangement of the bill, as set down in the program, was switched about for tho evening. The opening and closing acts changed places, and Harry Carroll and com- pany closed the first half, exchang- ing with Sallie Fisher and com- pany, who were switched to second position following intermission. Morrissey started off at 8:15 to introduce himself and explain his job for the week. The house was only half seated, so that the later arrivals were not let in on the secret. It was very much like miss- ing the plot of the play and having to guess what it was about. He was followed by Dal # y, Mac and Daley, a trio of skaters* two men and a girl, who go through an alto- gether different routine. One of the men is a splendid tumbler on the rollers, and the other executes interesting steps on the wheels. A very fast and pleasing act. Edwin George, a kidding mono- log-JUggler, starts slowly and grad- ually "gets" his audience with breezy chatter. XitfUM Stephens and Len fciollister have a quite legiti- mate comedy skit, replete with clever dialog and funny bits of busi- ness. It comes under the head of up-to-date vaudeville. At its con- clusion they had a couple of minutes of travesty melodrama with Mor- rissey. Hollister accuses Morrissey of stealing the affections of Moss Stephens, pulls a revolver and threatens to kill. Will suggests they shoot the gun twice and pre- tend both are dead, to see which corpse she will embrace. This done, Miss Stephens enters, sees both stretched out, calls a stage hand whom she embraces and cries out: "Thank heavens, they're both dead." The Harry Carroll act certainly has a bevy of pretty girls, am the act goes as "big" as when first shown. Tho little "chirks," how- \