Variety (May 1921)

80 VAUDEVILLE REVIEWS Friday, May 20, 1921 I JACK LAITS REVIEWS (Continued from page 16) Herald. Reynolds' facial expres- sions are worthy of better stuff, for his features have mobility and their applications have intelligence. He looks "classy" and has a warm, ra- diant, readily-liked personality. His whimsies got laughs—they always did. He went powerfully, and with- out an effort took heme the laugh cream of the show; but as long as he retains his present admixture of bromides and warmed-over wise cracks he will continue to grow De- loved on the small time as a reg- ular and recurrent manifestation. Two girls, sitting In the slanting logs next to the reviewer, exploded the crackers on half his witticisms before he did. That may make steady work in vaudeville, but it spells rut. Joe Mack closed the first siesta. Mack, also, seemed anticipated. Two men who sat in an upper box ap- plauded vociferously at inopportune moments, if they were his agents, they need have no tremors about him—he can work with this act on the Loew time forever, for it is a healthy hoakum pot pourri gleaned from burlesque shows of yesteryears and has Mack's agile limbs to dance it to success. Mack is of the Tom Dingle dancers and of the Hal Skelly comics, doffing his Disney to neither. His four girls will never drive Maude Adams back in the show business to defend her title, but each does a bit that gets by, and the combination makes for amidships laughs. The act was out down from a pretentious girl act and could be cut down some more; three of the girls might be farmed out to the bush league for nine or ten years; Ziegfeld and Shuberts could easily be induced to sign waivers. The one who does the high kicking bit could give Mack all the support he need* and still leave him a headliner o.i the time. Koler and Irwin, the comedian using a nondescript dialect mon- greled up between Dutch and Yid- dish, kicked a comedy hole through the smoky air, but it took work. Both dressed painfully "nea\" they gave themselves a shade the worst of it. for the comedian would find it much easier if he canned the tailor- made Shepherd plaid for a charac- ter outfit. He is a low comedian of the old-fashioned type; he is a Loew comedian of the comedy-and- straight-man formula. The talk lumps 'from one topic to the other with such baffling elisions as "Oh, by the way," etc., though in spots it is brisk and bright. It smacks of curbstone humor, most of it with lineage that would be labyrinthian to trace through its tortuous de- scent by way of many generations of talking entertainers. It seemed attuned to the audience and made the sailors on shore leave and the tired workingman roar, but did not rock the building at the end. Bergman, Murray and Nickolay were cast third. The man has a snappy appearance and not much besides; the girls have pep and shake a wicked shimmy, harmoniz- ing there better than in their mel- ody efforts. One plays the piano and does a solo there which is saved in the nick of time by be- coming a duet, and then is saved only from death itself, not restored to robust health. The youth does a couple of songs with vim and eager earnestness, apparent but not electrifying, and he seems to react negatively despite his good looks and debonair attire. One of the girls looks like Theda Bara. The other Is blonde and well put up. These assets let the three out. La Hose and Lane, man and girl, worked cleverly, second to bat. The souse and sex talk is punchy and both can get by anywhere on looks MICHON BROTHERS (2). Acrobatics. 6 Mins ; Three. Lincoln Square. The Mictions are two in number only and not a trio as formerly. They do very little, but what they do do, is "there." Dressed in al- paca Tuxedos they present a very neat appearance jointly. Following a half minute warming up in "one" with a two-hand high stunt, they go to "three" for a hand to hand leap stuff from a special prop eleva- tion. It's a thriller. So is the springboard leap—even more so. The ba r k t o hnek spinning Is also a spontaneous af/pl&ure starter- and makes for a sweet exit. The boys are just that—boys; natural gym- nasts who do it for the Joy of it; As far as vaudeville is concerned, they can open any shows with the best of 'em. anf dress. Charles Reader opened, not seen in the confusion of de- scending- the balcony Alps into the logs. Lait. PALACE. CUSHING and WEST. Comedy Skit. 16 M,ni.; Full Stage. Albemarle, Brooklyn. Two men, one black-face com'o and the other doing straight in white face, in one 0l ihe nnmb< r- less versions of the old "nigger act" classic, "The Do.tor Shop." Both are experienced vets, playing with a smoothness denoting a thorough schooling in low « omedy methods. The act holds a good average of lattghl and will fit n in the pop bills as a comed> 'urn. One of the best vaudeville shows of the season at the Palace, the cur- rent bill holding 10 acts, with the house sold out solidly Monday night. Dancing predominated in most of the *urns, but the comedy and ar- tistic elements were not slighted, three of the former and two "names" In Adele Rowland (New Acts) doing a reappearance from a long musical comedy engagement, and Josephine Victor In the Lewis & Gordon sketch, "Juliet and Romeo," among the entries. Miss Victor closed the first half In about the classiest skit that has hit vaudeville in some seasons. She is a legitimate actress of reputation and histrionic ability, and is sur- rounded by a strong cast. The way the act went at the Palace will go a long way towards exploding the booking fallacy that a sketch does not make for good vaudeville, as it slows up the show. The spot was perfect and the act toned up the opening section of the bill like a spring tonic. The finish seems to be an anti-climax after the dressing room scene, and could probably be dropped entirely with the authors help. Just ahead of Miss Vietor, the Weaver Brothers, originators of the hand-saw playing and other freak musical instruments, walked off with the first-part comedy honors. Garbed in the official regalia of the Arkansaw "yokels" they so truth- fully depict, the men got a big laugh on appearance and mannerisms alone. The instruments einched it, with the speech at the finish adding just the proper closing touch. It's a standard comedy turn for vaudeville and welcome on any bill. Anatol Friedland in his revue held the third position. The support is capable, the girls all good looking and Friedland a good showman, one or two obvious "plugs" for some of the Friedjander songs were notice- able, but did not interfere. All of the girls can dance, with the cos- tuming up to the high standard that vaudeville has set for itself with this type of entertainment this sea- son. After intermission Joe Jackson, who has been at the Hippodrome for several seasons, opened, with the same act that he first showed to vaudeville ages ago. The panto- mimed "pinching" of the comedy bicycle got almost as much as when first seen. The edge has been taken off the comedy business with the floppy cuff that always gets in his hand and the dilapidated auto horn that he steps on while trying to mount, but none do it quite like Jackson. The business of picking up the quarter has been changed, and, coupled with a new encore bit of the house darkening just as the clown pantomimes the beginning of a speech, are the only new touches. He went strongly. Miss Rowland followed and pulled down unusual returns in her song cycle, being presented with flowers at the conclusion. Miss Rowland flipped a few remarks to a box on the left of the house where Joe Lynch, the bantam champion, was entertaining a bunch of admirers of Miller and Mack, who were down next to closing. One of the Lynch party was so enthusiastic in his enjoyment of the Rowland turn that the artist thought she was being kidded. Pearl Regay walked off with the hit of the bill following. This girl has developed into one of vaude- ville's marvels. Her contort inning is so cleverly blended into her danc- ing she amazes at times. Add the personal charm and the gra^e of a gazelle and a slight mental picture Is constructed. Her work is as fric- tlonless as the running of Man of War, the body bending and dancing riveting attention at each appear- pea ranee. A sinninpr voice of good quality completes the cycle of tal- ents. The jazz band and production helped the general impression, hut could he dispensed with if necessary. Miss Regay holds plenty. The house applauded until arm weary at the conclusion of her last jazz dance with the body pin-wheel finish. Miller and Mack got on at 10:40 and checked the receding dribble with their first number. The hoys went at them'fast and furious, doing exactly 11 minutes and goaling them as_usuaj_jpith their low comedy and dancing.. A little higher they would have mopped up. but It I* wfiihfful if anything ahead could have held them at that late hour. Mme. Rialto and Co., programed to open, closed the show. The dancing turn was sacrificed aff¥r the Reeav act and had a steady walk- out to contend with all the way. The Gellis, one of the best acrobatic turns of its kind, opened, with Rus- sel and Devltt following. Con. grown-ups It fa difficult for them to sustain any Interest in a pair of youngsters doing imitations and travesty at 10:40 P. M., following professional talent. The opening turn was not Inter- fered with—Herbert and T>are, a pair of smart looking athletes who went through a brief routine of hand-to-hand lifts and kindred stunts slowly and concealing the ef- fort exerted. As a consequence they were well applauded. Frank and Milt Britton, instrumentalists, wound up to big applause. They played the piano. s^ide trombone, xylophone and cornet. So vibrani was the sound from the xylophone that the balcony swayed perceptibly. They are good musicians, but their showmanship could stand a lot of improvement. WiHiam B. Fried- land's "Dummies" (New Acts). Billy Glason had the audience roaring with his monolog and fol- lowed up the good work with a reci- tation that was also applauded. An encore was demanded, and he went off to even bigger applause. He was compelled to make a "speech," in which he said it was a greater pleasure for him to entertain the audience than for them to listen. Mr. Glason might analyse that statement before using it for a set speech. Charles and Mollie King enter- tained pleasantly with songs, dances and Miss King's imitations. It is always cute to hear and see a pretty woman impersonate male artists. Of course, none is a bit like the original, but it's cute anyway. Their stage setting from ground cloth to cyclorama is mr\t artistic, but the color scheme so carefully planned was ruined by permitting "props" to dress the stage with a pair of white flower baskets containing red roses which had been used to deco- rate the platform for the opening turn. After the Interval "Topics of the Day'' No. 107; then Vernon Stiles, a tenor of vast range and volume, with a remarkable facility for enun- ciation, even when reaching his highest notes. It is a legitimate concert turn, and as such should not be prolonged beyond a certain point. Mistaking the appreciative applause, Mr. Stiles sang just one number too many. His voice seemed a bit "tired," or maybe he had a slight cold Monday evening. Following Kennedy and Berle were Gordon and Ford, who entertained in approved vaudeville style with a female feeder for class and dis- tinction working up the Yiddish "nut" stuff of the man. who Is funny, along the lines of Willie Howard. McDonald Trio (New Acts). On the whole, an unsatisfactory entertainment. Jolo. COLONIAL. A rearrangement of the program at the Colonial Monday evening n - suited in destroying to a consider- able degree its value as entertain- ment. When the first half was concluded the show was practically concluded. The switching resulted in Kennedy and Berle, a couple of children, being moved from No S to second from closing. Perhaps they seored very strongly at the matinee. They might with the audience mactejip of minors, but for BROADWAY With the Jackie Coogan picture, "Feck's Bad Boy," as the feature film, the Broadway stood them up Tuesday evening. The eight-act bill consisted mainly of single and double turns, with but one act, which closed the show, having three people. Although the bill was lim- ited in the number of people ap- pearing the acts provided a variety of entertainment that gained speed from the start and kept it up con- tinuously until the feature picture was flashed. De Voe and Statzer. a two-man acrobatic team, opened the show first, doing banjo playing which proved somewhat out of the ordin- ary for an act of this type. The men have a flash trick for the fin- ish that sets them off handily. Lucille and Cockie, a standard bird turn, No. 2, had little trouble, it hitting a responsive chord and cre- ated laughs throughout the turn. Tim and Kitty O'Meara with their names in the lights, provided a dancing sensation. The O'Mearas are a dancing couple who have kept abreast of the times, outliving many dancing acts that flourished in the early days of the present ballroom dancing. Barrett and Cunncen, formerly known as Pat and Nora Barrett, with a talk offering framed around tho hick characterization by the man, figured in the comedy honors of the evening. The wise dame character played by the young wo- man works in well opposite the rural comedy of her partner, she allowing him to handle the meat of the turn. A strong finish placed this couple well in the hit division. Elsie Pilcer and Dudley Douglass provided the flash turn, based on the strength of Miss Filcrr's dressing. Tnfs gitl ha^- never test this futttia* mentals of flash dressing taught her by her brother Harry, while he was appearing in this country with the late Gaby. Douglass is improving with his song delivery, the turn resting largely on his shoulders most of the time. His handling of numbers while his part- ner makes changes brings the proper response in every instance. A par- ody with a prohibition punch caught on for many laughs for this chap, with his remaining numbers nicely blended. Willie Solar sang his way into the applause hit of the « vening, top- ping it off with the head spin. It was somewhat difficult for Willie to whirl on his head Tuesday even- ing, slipping over on both occasion* when trying the stunt. The Robin- son Crusoe number provided a wealth of laughs for Solar, the com- edy value of each of his numbers being brought to the front. Morgan and Gatea, a two-man combination, clowned their way Into a comedy hit, although placed rather late in the bill for an offering of this order. The travesty bit with the double dance at the finish rounded out * turn that gathered many laughs. Art Studies, a posing turn, smack- ing of class, closed the show. This act shows the non-necessity of posing turns in the nude. Each of the pictures done by the three girls is productive, and in each the girls are clothed—something out of the ordinary for a posing number. JEFFERSON. The summer split week policy at the 14th street house got off to a good start with an eight act'bill, a feature picture and . the news weekly. The show was good enter- tainment at the prices and seemed to please the natives, with the hit of the bill going to Jack Rose, who broke straw hats all over the neigh- borhood and "nutted" his way into the good graces without trouble. Rose arrived late and worked in his pearl gray trousers and "complaint" coat, that he has been exhibiting in Timec Square for the past week. The closing piece of business where the "nut" borrows a girl's hat and convulses the audience each time he pantomimes the breakage, could be elaborated by using a plant's hat and finally breaking it for keeps. The Rose traffic whistle was good fpr laughs each time used. He was on ninth, though programmed for the seventh spot. The show ran straight through to the*picture without an intermission, Dallas Walker in a new western idea opening nicely. Miss Walker Is a personable miss with consid- erable production used to introduce her lariat spinning and dancing. She has a novelty in the presenta- tion and should develop into a big time entry. Miller and Capman, a two-man dancing team, picked the tempo up next .with a good routine of solo and double soft shoe, buck and wing and ecCentric stepping. The ankle stuff got them most. "Flirtation," which has been around the metropolitan houses for a period, found the Jefferson going just to its liking and mopped up quite a hit in the third spot. Most of the dialog is frayed through use, but the act Is held up by the two featured people. Dorothy Van and Frank Ellis. They liked the act immensely. Dody and Berman were fourth, moved up one notch, and also found the house friendly to their wop and straight characterizations. The fin- ish with Berman on Dody's knee in the ventriloquial bit goaled them. Ford and Cunningham followed, subbing for Morris and Campbell, who were prograihmed but off the bill. The team retain about the same routine as witnessed around, but have smoothed up considerably in the work. The man retains the comedy song which sounds small time and detracts from the rest. They scored solidly, nevertheles's. "Tango Snoes" found a home next. The house rocked and roared at the hoke and comedy types used for the dancing contest. The fat girl, as usual, scored a personal triumph with her solo dance and agility. The turn is about played out locally, but they acted as if they had never seen it before at the Jeff. The Clinton Sisters, also dancing, followed in their neat act, but found the going rough all through, after the comedy riot that preced- ed them. The girls have a neat idea in the cartoons on the picture sheet instead of a musical stop gap between changes. The act is cos- tumed prettily and produced lav- ishly. The spot handicapped them heavily, their being just about enough for one healthy bow at the finish. Jack Rose was next with the fea- ture picture closing. Business was heavy on the lower floor with the balcony and upper boxes half filled. Con. AUDUBON. Ben Turpin In a five-reel comedy (film) was the main attraction first half of current week. It followed the conclusion of the vaudeville and managed to obtain more laughs and provide more amusement than any of the respective turns. Wright and Wilson, billed on the one-sheet programs as physical cul- ture exponents, can easily insert the Word comedy lit tftelr blttftfff, for they have enough of the latter to make things enjoyable. Their acro- batic routine, founded on table and barrel manoeuvers, combined with frequent touches of comedy actions, land them successfully. Green and Myra, man and woman combination, have an elegant chance for promotion, and If not the latter will surely find constant work around the smaller circuits with the present turn. Although strong enough at present to hold attentiqn. with admiration extended toward the man with the violin, the- ne«>d coaching before being considered a finished two-net. The woman has personality and stage routine, but lacks in vocal power and distin- guishable enunciation, while on the other hand the man has excellent ability but negleets footllght atti- tude. Jack Strouse, in blackface, was formerly of the Century Roof, and according to report expects to re- turn there in about three weeks with another show, consequently la vaudeville for a short period. His vaudeville presentation is founded on comedy songs and talk, presum- ably of the exclusive type. He ere* ates a favorable Impression but fre- quently forgets he is in blackface and occasionally neglects the dia- lect. With a little more attention paid to this. Strouse should com- mand attention as a single. Pinney Jarrett and Co. in a com- edy domestic skif, "The Dentist,* with a quartet of Juveniles, regis- tered with satisfaction. The entire action is in the home of the dentist, who also plays the father. Scene opens with a young girl acting as the maid, answering a telephone call and Immediately afterward making her exit, conveying the im- pression she is in another room as* sisting the dentist. The dentist's children are playing around when in walks a kid patient, pulled along by his kid sister. Waiting for the dentist appears to be too long, therefore the son of the der.tlst, as- sisted by his sister, seats the pa- tient in an armchair to look over the job. Hearing more or less about taking impressions, he fills the mouth of the patient with plaster, and in clearing the mouth of the latter he makes the proper extrac- tion, for which he receives one dol- lar. Father appears, and after look- ing over the job bawls out the kid and at the same time takes the dol- lar away. Act closes with the pa- tient receiving the dollar he paid as a donation for the trouble he went through. Very good for the smaller houses. . Bobby Heath and Adele Sterling were next to closing in comedy talk and songs, he attired in regular civilian clothes while she wears a two-piece costume of the abbre- viated style. At present Heath car- ries the whole turn, with the comedy points coming from a third mem- ber in a box. The box member not only is icsponsible for some comedy, but also renders several ballad num- bers that hit the mark. Eadie and Ramsden went over fine. This couple kept them pleased at all times, especially the actions of the man. who goes about his work # quietly and effectively. Notwith- standing that this combination have been before the public for quite some time with the same offering, they can still hold attention and are worthy of the credit bestowed. GREELEY SQ. Taking into consideration the class of audience at the Greeley Square, which draws from the tene- ment district west of Sixth avenue, below Thirty-fourth street, a clien- tele presumably not very "wise" in entertainment, but having its own standards, the first half bill was splendidly framed. The one fault was perhaps Its lack of more vig- orous comedy as a counterbalance for 'Too Wise Wives," a film feat- ure, with its humor rather finely drawn and its story values rather subtle. However, the screen com- edy, a "Torchy" story called "The Hayseed," went some way to bal- ance this. The six-act specialty bill was ex- cellent light entertainment. It started briskly enough with a neat acrobatic number, dropped slightly for a few moments, then rose to a laughing "wow" when a blackface monologist held forth, and finished with a first-rate musical and danc- ing number by Clark's Hawalians. The Flying Russells began pro- ceedings. The man and woman workers on the flying traps have a first rate routine and an altogether sightly arrangement. At the open- ing the nice looking girl Is swinging In a flowered trapeze down center. The decorative apparatus is removed at the appearance of the man part- ner, who goes through a simple routine on a lofty swinging bar while the woman does a bit of dance. She is an especially attractive, shapely person, and her dressing is a model of bright neatness that might serve as an example for this sort of offering. The man goes into a series of wide swings out over the audience, dropping into an ankle hold, a feat which has its thrill. The woman changes from her pink frock to one of blue and does more step- ping. For the finish she brings on a square board with strings like min- iature guy ropes Trom the corners. From a foothold the man holds the board suspended in his teeth while the girl hangs head down from the board and does a final bit of "up- side down" dancing. A gocd ap-_ plause finish. Lillian De Vere sang three songs and told half a dozen kid stories to fair returns. She has rather a diffi- dent style of delivery, but that goes rather gracefully with the typo of children's stories. For the finals she does a number to display a fair coloraturo soprano, getting a good enough exit on a high note. Stanley and Coffrey (New Acts) got a fair return in laughs for their odd clowning, followed by the sketch "A Chaste Diana." an uncertain af- fair with queer ideas of drama, but which got over, thanks to its brevity and a rather amusing characterisa- tion by the man. The story deals with a lawyer who is trying to "make" his stenographer, who re- sists his advances, in spite of prodi- gal promises of autos, diamonds and clothes. He does his courting in cave man style, and out of his gruffness the comedy is supposed to arise- (Continued on page 32.)