Variety (April 1921)

. Friday. April 1, 1921 SHOW REVIEWS ^ 81 ±3 1 r- r ■hould be taught to dress their fciV- wigs properly for the Louis IfTnu^nber. With the exception «J» the prima donna, none of them hid the wigs properly adjusted, nurlng intermission Morriasey dis- tributed water and kept up intimate conversation with J* 0 " ■«**«* downstairs. Just before the per- formance was resumed he brought M&a Marsh and Martha Mansfield, Sm stare, down to the footlights and introduced them. During the showing of "Topics of the Day" he made but one comment and seemed, to overlook several opportunities for laughs That concluded, he ap- peared on the stage with a violin, played a few bar*, fumbled, stopped and announced Kae Eleanor Ball and Brother, turning the fiddle over to her. Miss Ball and her brother provide a legitimate musical turn, the man being a good showman, with the knack of looking soulful while playing his 'cello. Morrissey appeared once more with a very brief bit of Felix Adler's burlesque ventriloquial stunt, crediting Adler with the idea. Sallie Fisher's presentation of Clare Rummer's "Choir Rehearsal" pleased as usual. Morrissey ap- peared on the stage once more to talk of the benefit theatre party present. He was interrupted by Johnny ILnes, the picture comedian, who came down the aisles and pre- sented Will with a bunch of flowers —a little crossfire, a funny fall by Hines and off to make way for Avery and O'Neil, b'ackfaced com- edians, who have a few now "coon" expressions and a lot cf excellent loose-limbed steps. They were probably the biggest applause hit of the evening. At the conclusion of the act ;i drop was. raised disclosing Morrissey. O'Neil and the organist of the Sallie Fisher act tented on chairs discussing the show. They proceeded to pan everybody on the bill, later joined by Avey. who up- braided them for it, and then went on to do a bit of panning on his own. Nellie and Josephine Jordan, a pair of plump, pleasant-looking and ale#t young women, closed the show with a very fa3t routine of singing, dancing, somersaults and tight wire walking. With a special set and showy costumes they held the au- dience seated and entertained. Jolo. JEFFERSON. Although the Van and Corbett turn was the only "name" draw Monday night, business wan rather good considering the twilight down- pour and the sudden change of weather. It looked at first as if the weather man would put a crimp in the gate receipts, but by the time the second act was under way, they were all seated and attentive. Kinograras, switched from the usual after intermission exhibition, started the program. Ollie Young and April opened with their "Bub- bleland" offering, consisting of trick bubble blowing. It's a good sight act for the small big time bills al- though not quite strong enough for the really high grade houses. Shelton Brooks pianologued in the deuce spot, assisted by a portly vocalizing partner who is not even accorded "and Co." billing honors either on program or annunciator, although worthy of monlca delinea- tion. Brooks sings a usual medley of pop songs of which he is author and steps a little for an exit. Paul Decker and Co. proved a comedy hit with their one-act play- let, " and Son," by Edwin Burke. Not startlingly original either In plot or development, the cast indi- vidually and collectively enhances the lines with sufficiently contrasted pathos and humor, as befits the sit- uations, to exact he most possible from the piece. Decker has a pen- chant for strutting just a trifle too much and interpolating broad laughs into farce and travesty. To come within the limitations of the billing, as "a one-act comedy," some of the business should be dealt with more conservatively. Whether in the act or not, Decker for his solo bend for a final curtain caught the hand of the exiting woman and made her bow off with him. Pinto and Boyle, assisted by an unbilled audience plant, offered a musical turn in which Jack Boyle announces his regret for his part- ner's absence, but is interrupted by Pinto entering with a note to the •ffect he might substitute accept- ably for the evening. He goes into his steel guitar work, the audience Plant out in the middle of the audi- torium acting as interpreter be- * w *:h Boyle, and h?a"wop" partner. Juf a finish the plant, is brought jnto the stage for a piece of busi- ness with a "mvsterlnus trunk" 'thus billed) which he agitates pro- m! n * a »°und akin to a bass viol. The Max Ford Revue closed the nrst half and proved itself a well- jaaged terpischorean offering. Ford ^ rew a resounding applause bar- ***« with his long distance hard ■noe solo in which he showed half •aozen tricky steps that won him '•cognition. *n J i ed Doo, °y followed intermission ■tl #» provod an other hit, mixing his ■lurr with some telling patter which «e\eioped into a continuous round or laughs. ^jy Dillon and Bcttv Parker »howHl their "Nic Nacs of Now" °-act in cute style and proved "Mammy" won them considerable and for a finish they do bits from the various recent musical comedy successes including "Irene," "What's In a Name," Ziegfeld "Follies" and "Mary." In each case the impres- ario and the title of the show is an- nounced. The act also carries a pianist and a "maid" character who performs a solo on the violin in the music box number from "What's In a Name." Billy B. Van and James J. Cor- bett showed their spirited travesty on the Eighteenth Amendment, with Van insisting on telling the red card joke which he alleges is very Frenchy, spicy, delectable and with- al mirth-provoking. Corbett stren- uousry objects aha '-bum's rushes"' his already quasi-inebriated partner off the stage. Miss Robbie Gordone closed with her familiar posing turn and despite a rather late hour held their atten- tion to the end. COLONIAL. Monday business was good here, this house having an edge on some others. Attendance Tuesday even- ing was even better, there being a little less than a capacity crowd in. The name attraction of Francis X. Bushman and Beverly Bayne is credited with a goodly portion of the draw. But an entertaining bill that stood up nicely all the way helped a lot. In addition to novelties, there were two acts with first appear- ances in the house, and for that matter New York major time. They were Jean Granese, who had the important spot of opening inter- mission, and Jack Joyce, a fair- haired, smiling, one-legged single. The Bushman-Bayne playlet. "The Poor Uich Man." was seventh. Lewis and Gordon have given Kd- win Burke's idea a corking setting —about the richest when properly lighted of any sketch this season. The hangings and the long window effect backstage aid in snpplying the illusion of the hero's great wealth. The house found the act interesting, with perhaps a little thrill at the entrance of the crank. Mr. Bushman was there with a neat speech at the close, mentioning the pleasure of the stage's personal contact with the audience as op- posed to their former work as pic- ture artists. Harry Breen may sing to the air of "The Wearing of the Green ' that they are "Hanging the agents for booking Harry Breen." but he won the comedy honors of the evening next to closing. He had little oppo- sition in the laugh-getting line, and that made the going fine. For once he did not use the extemporaneous song bit. The orchestra played the melody when he exited, but Breen was wisely content with bows, for it was late and he had been on for over 20 minutes. Toward the close he was serious—more so, it ap- peared, than usual. He said there was a philosophy in his kind of work, and that if he brought the smiles and laughter to any, he was well repaid, and he spoke on the level. There seemed as much gig- gling and merriment from the femi- nine part of the house as ever. Harry takes them back to the days of stick candy and legal short skirts, and in all it is very true. He affirmed his idea of being "off his nut, and I'm going to stay off until I get enough money to get off the nut." At the start he got a come- back from the leader, whom he told not to worry, which brought the re- joinder, "I won't." Breen then said he was going to fix the number so that nobody would ever sing it again. Jean Granese, an honor graduate from the three-a-day time around Philadelphia, had a very successful 12 minutes, with the assistance of two "wop" boys who started a funny argument in the aisles. Miss Granese has been out for a year or so and only arrived from the slow burg a few weeks ago, with the Colonial her first fling at Broadway. She started with a pretty melody, "No Wonder I'm Blue." When one of the boys reached the stage the other suggested he sing Italian opera, naming "Eli, Eli," or else an Amer- ican song, "Japanese Ashcan," both lines finding a mark. Miss Granese constant amusement and surprise. Starting with the dancing Chinese it was all good and all expertly manipulated. The old lady who suddenly was transformed into an auto full of children and the old man who turned into an aeroplane, with a number of other trick de- vices, were shown without a fumble. Ida May Chad wick and her **Ad were a strong fourth. Miss Chad- wlck being a favorite with her "krazy cat" and rural antics. She is doing less of hard-shoe dancing and more of soft-shoe eccentric work. That is designed for comedy, arid works out to full effect. Jack Joyce, "the boy with a smile," went over with a bang on number two. If he lost his leg in the war he must be credited with having mastered one-legged dancing with and with- out his crutch in a remarkably short period, for he has been on for more than a year. Heavy applause brought him on for a speech, and he spoke of the pleasantness of smiling. Balph IiOhse and Edna Sterling opened. The show is really on any time they are in the spot. Miss Sterling is the classiest woman do- ing gymnastics, and she goes through a lightning routine without mussing her hair. She is perhaps the only woman in acrobatics who wears high-heel slippers on the stage. The Clinton Sisters closed. Their dance turn is now billed "Car- tooning in Danceland." Between changes there is a film of cartoon style depicting their attendance at a school of aesthetic dancing, the -journey to Egypt in a flying ma- chine and the return in a sub. That lends more novelty to the act. I bee. thr,r« , * ««n- Hiyie anu proven ™rn.sH\,. H valuable additions to nn novi V i Koo<! ,av -°" f - The couple's ve ' double number version 01 ish of an operatic number, led by the good voice of her supporting singer, and the returns were heavy. She left them wanting more and was brought out to bow after the piano had been trundled off. Yvette, assisted by Eddie Cook and Kino Clark, closed intermission classily. The bobbed Titian head I of the animated violinist*. $a*Jbed about a stage richly decorated with hangings of silken flowers and splendidly lighted. Yvette's frocks, too, are a smart feature of her smart act, which is new throughout. In Clark she has a clever saxo- phonist. His one touch of straight playing sounded like more, and he should offer more, for it is a wel- come change of pace from the jazz. The finale barnyard bit, done in one, was not quite the spot for it. but it held the house. In the position it would h^ safer not to drop the cur- tain. Schiehtl's marionettes are rightly hilled ,, \voncrettes." It was »he nov- elty of the show, as it would be on any bill. Perhaps there is much of the routine that |S new. for this is Hchlchtt's iir*t season on this sid. in five year*. He was caughl over- seas at the start of the war. The numerous transformations were BROADWAY. The nearly extinct art of booking and laying out a vaudeville show has been revived at the Broadway this week. The house holds the best entertainment from a var'ety stand- point that it has housed all season, and there isn't a "name" among the eight acts. Togo (New Acts) a sensational noveltv turn, started things in high with never a let down. This turn was spotted exactly right, and gave the bill a rousing start. Ryan and Ryan in their dancing novelty found the going to their lik- ing in the deuce hole. This mixed combination of dancers have a strong comedy finish with their "skee" dance in Scotch costume^, deriving laughs from the toe work on the elongated brogans. The dance is similar to Toto's "Pav- lowa" imitation, and was good for big applause. Davis and Darnell breezed through to a whale of a hit in the third spot. The placing of this turn was also nlce|y adjusted. The light comedian had them laughing every time he wiggled a finger. The girl reminds of Sadie Burt, and is just such a clever little person. It's one of the really worth while man and woman talking acts left to vaude- ville. Just how long the varieties can hold a light comic of Davis' ability depends entirely on the legit- imate and musical comedy scouts. He's another T. Roy Barnes. "Haunted Violin" (New Acts) next. Clara Howard (New Acts), back with new songs and gowns, had the going all to herself, being the only single woman on the bill following. Miss Howard has developed and ripened with experience. Her mug- ging and nuttisms, coupled with the wardrobe flash, insured her for here without any trouble. She closed to loud noise from all over the house. Pressler and Klaiss, fifth, also landed heavily. The comedian pan- tomimed his way to laughs with the piano stool business, aided mate- rially by his eccentric blonde hair, blacked out front teeth and extreme thinness. The girl slipped her num- bers across smoothly with assured delivery, while he accompanied on the piano. They scored strongly. Lew Wilson, following in a versa- tile single offering, started quietly but built up to a strong finish with his encores on the piano accordion and steel guitar. Wilson should cut down on the monologing, for his specialty contains enough meat in the other departments to eliminate ally well with their conv> vmthL n and the former's kidding from a front box providing the first bit of excitement that came along. Richard Kean, doing three char- acteriiations, followed, being re- peatedly called back at the finish for curtains and again after the lights had been dimmed. Mr. Kean is giving an exceptional perform- ance all the way. He uses good judgment in not permitting any of his studies to run beyond the limit. He is less in need of restraint In this respect, however, than most specialty performers. Whiting and Burt, topping the bill, held the next-to-closuig posi- tion and lived up to the reputation flashed by the lights out front. Miss Burt looked particularly well in all her costumes, besides scoring with especial emphasis when sing- ing a number. Whiting continues to be up among the leaders as a deliverer of lyrics. The pair have one of the best mixed singing, acts now in the twice-daily houses. Max's* Circus opened to a house that was walking in. It could scarcely hope for substantial re- sults under the circumstances. A. C. Astor succeeded and did well enough with his ventriloquism. His de- parture brought forth enough ap- plause to term his efforts successful, but the return for a somewhat lengthy encore was ill advised. Princess Radjah closed before a special Egyptian "set," with two dances sending a gasp through the house, due to a big snake, which kept moving from one side of the stage to the other until the Princess caught it by the tall and started the maneuver in the opposite direction. One more bit followed, which took the dancer away very well. much of the talk, which is his weak- did excellently, duetting at the fin-1 est contribution. He can sin,? a popular or jasz number, yodle, play instruments, dances acceptably, and handles imitations of different kinds as locomotive, auto horn, etc., in bang-up style. Wilson's lone fault is in attempting to be too versatile. The last half of the turn contained enough strength to insure him, and he was forced to two encores on the instruments mentioned, EvaBhirh y, with Fid Gordon's Jafcz Band, sang and danced their way to sure fire results in the closing spot. It is one of the few surviving jasz turns that still holds plenty of en- tertainment. Miss Shirley held up the vocal end with her splendid soprano, with the musicians and a specialty dancer plugging up the interims with instrumental numbers and dancing. Most of the house remained for the feature picture, which topped off ;im exellent vaudeville bill. Con. 81 ST ST. About the average total of at- tendance was on hand Monday night. The sextette of acts played rather slowly, though the e'enter trio of turns made it Interesting enough to keep the show above the line. Morris and Campbell did exception- FIFTH AVENUE. - Devoid of the customary number of acts appearing to "show," the first-half bill at the Fifth Avenue, made up of recognized turns, ran through in good shape Monday evening to a house that was com- fortably filled from the start. Scampi and Scamp, a male team on the triple bar, opened with a comedy routine that brought forth many laughs, although the business is not of the newest. Libonatl, perform- ing on the xylophone, rattled off a list Of numbers, mostly of the pub- lished variety, that seemed to please, A single encore should have sufficed Tor this chap, but a second was forth coining with but little en- couragement. Burke, Walsh and Nana, a mes- senger boy team with a girl, ap- peared at their best while stepping. The boys appear well schooled in the hard shoe work, and should limit their dialog in favor of danc- ing. The turn could stand cutting with dancing injected irt place of the gags, as there is little chance of the act being placed in the com- edy division, whereas It stands a chance with dancing combinations. Newhoff and Phelps, displaying a special drop of attractiveness, gave the show its first flash. This couple have selected several of the most popular published numbers and knitted them together into a satisfactory offering. The<r double version of "Mammy," used as an encore, is well handled. They get all that is possible out of the num- ber which Is considerable. Keene and Williams easily scored the com- edy hit of the bill. The young wom- an of the act does an amusing rube girl, getting laughs from the outset. With fresh material added the act should stand an easy chance for the bigger bills. In its present shape it should prove a comedy riot in the three-a-day. Pearl Kegay and Band provided the big flash. Miss Begay has f amed a fast moving routine which carries her along nicely from cur- tain to curtain. The numbers while not speeding the act up add mate- rially to the general makeup, and blend nicely with the dancing which, as done by this young wom- an, is always sure fire. Just prior to Miss Begay's act a speaker re- quested that the regular patrons of the house secure their seats for Friday, April 8, on which date the proceeds of the house will be turned over to the N. V. A. Harry Jolson, employing a girl and a man singer in the audience down next to closing, rattled off 22 minutes mostly devoted to published numbers before calling a halt. The Jolson turn proves a pretty strong boost for one of the music publish- ers who manages to cram a good many numbers into this single act Jolson can nut over a number, and is hot""dependent' upon' a piugger assistant. The comedy derived is remunerative. Dave Winnie, a neat appearing chap on the rings, closed the show in snappy style. AMERICAN ROOF. The lirst half show on the Koof just jogged along in a lackadaisical manner Tuesday night, with an oc- casional flash brightening up mo- mentarily the generally slow moving character of the entertainment, after which the show would drift back again into its sluggish pice. Bollinger and Reynolds, a comedy wire turn, got things started brisk- ly. The man of the duo held atten- tion with his bounding work on the tight rope, and extracted several laughs with his clowning, the art going bettei ttian the average open- ing turn, notwithstanding the disad. vantage of breaking the ice. Mellor and Brown (New Actn> were second and Coffman and Car- roll third, with a likeable mixture of conversational chatter, singing and dancing. A special drop of a railroad depot gives atmosphere to the gab, although Savannah, C.a.. is make to look pretty rural, accord- ing to the surrounding landscape by the depot. The man does a black- face coon porter character quite naturally as to dialect and manner- isms, but the long middle western. "R" inflection which slips into his otherwise acid proof southern ac- cent occasionally tends to lessen the effect of his characterization for thos* (amiliar with the type r«prc»- sented. The American Boof, however, is a good many miles from Dixieland and not inclined to be overparticular in the matter of such trivial discrep- ancies. A pleasing get-away with the man soft shoe stepping and the woman warbling tunefully topped off the patter of the Coffman and Carroll act, which should have gathered in far more applause than it did. Tommy Gordon, a youthful mon- ologist, fourth, rambled along with hits and misses marking his rem- iniscences of a birthday party. Mr. Gordon has a good singing voice, personality and a first-rate appear- ance, shaping up as a smart juve- nile, but the art of monology is a science of which he possesses only a partial knowledge. The repetition of "You know what I mean" weak- ens his delivery and should be elim- inated forthwith. He had a cold Tuesday night, but put his songs over capably. Gordon lacks the ease that comes with experience when talking. Time and playing will probably alter that. During the act he mentioned that he was going to do a double. That's exactly what he should do. With a partner with equal qualifications, he should be able to frame a two act that would have big time possibilities. The Cabaret De Luxe, a jasz band of five men, two girl vocalists and a male dancer, appearing at the finish, closed the first half. The band plays in an average way, al- though its members seem individu- ally talented, the cornetlst frequent- ly interpolating triple tongue vari- ations and the others displaying capabilities that suggested a thor- ough knowledge of their respective instruments. Somehow, the ensem- ble' effect lacked the sort of har- mony that might be expected, due apparently to a lack of team work. The girls, brunet and blonde, de- liver numbers in cabaret fashion ac- ceptably. The turn pleased moder- ately. Bessie Leonard of Leonard and Porray, a singing and piano mixed team', unreeled a couple of numbers preceding a male impersonation by MisH Leonard in A. E. F. soldier costume. She does this splendidly and was accordingly rewarded. It was one of the high spots in the show. Miss Leonard might go In for more of the male costuming thing with profit to her turn. Harold Selman and Co. in "The Bank Messenger," a mystery play- let, was the sketch offering the first half. Mr. Selman plays the Juvenile role legitimately, and his supporting company (middle-aged man and a girl) both handle their respective parts intelligently. The sketch is a bit vague in spots, leaving several things unexplained at the finish, but the mystery ele- ment is nicely sustained, and, through capable playing, tbo inter- est of the audience is held through- out. The exchange of envelopes-is a pretty threadbare expedient for the climax, the generally legitimate atmosphere preceding It calling for something of a more original na- ture. It went over safely. Harry West and Chums (New Acts) were next to closing, and the Serras, a hand balancing man and woman duo, closed. The woman i* the understander. That seems to be the rule with mixed hand and head balancing teams this season. It's a first class turn of its type and can render a good account o* itself In any kind of company, whether in the pop houses or the big timers. Attendance was considerably below capacity Tuesday night. ffrjl 23D STREET. A nicely varied seven-act bill the first half. George M. Hosener, head - lining and next to closing, and Wil- son and Kelly (New Acts) captured the blue ribbon applause honors. Rosener's tough kid and old army man types registered their usual comedy results and the preceding o/arhaafe character studies held-'cut to rapt attention. Way Dalton and Jane Craig gave the show a strong boost in the fifth spot with a likable blend of singing, dancing and travesty. Mr. Dalton. a tall leading man appearing chap, scored individually with a varied dancing routine. The act is hand- somely mounted and notable for the diversity of specialties presented. Hazel Moran, lariat manipulator, opened. In addition to skill with the rope. Miss Moran owns a per- sonal presence and a good sense <>f Vaudeville comedy values, her pat - ter catching all the laughs in sight, despite the handieap of Opening. The closing trick, which has Miss Moran spinning an 83-foot rope, is a corking feature stunt. It landed for deserved appreciation. Mabel Paige and Co. in N Arbl« (Continued on p.ige 1 \ > i