Variety (June 1921)

^yJHay, June 3, 1021 NEW ACTS THIS WEEK 19 acs room occupant intruder in her corridor. Man exit.s, returns PHYLLIS GILMORE und CO. (t^ •Blackmail." It Mint-; On%, Full Stag* and On*. Alb«marl«, Brooklyn. "Blackmail" played by Phyllis Ollmore and a cast of two, man and •ooian. furnishes decidedly pleas- ^t entertainment. It's a mixture of'melodrama and comedy, well conatructed, away from the conven- tional in theme, and featured with gifl^lse twisto th&t take it o'Jt of the regulation "sketch" classillca- tjon and establish it as a noveUy. Miss Gilmore, a personable blonde, with nn enunciation so unusually ^ear that the slight tendency to staginess in her reading of lines is s«adily forgiven, steps out in "one" preceding the playlet proper and delivers a rhymed prolog. To full stage next. A hotrl room is discloaed. Dark- ened ^tuge. Man in room. Man ■witches on lights. Two shots heard. Woman rushes into room in neglig«^. carrying revolver. Seeks protect ion from agcliist »iipposed room, tlown the grabs levolver, quickl.v. announcing' he has in- spected woman's room and found no Intnulrr. AVoman shows no disposi- tion to leave, makes htrself com- fortable a«ks for cigarette, still in giHtinp intruder wan in lu r room and mu: t liave made a gelu'.vaj*. Womnti suddenly changes attitude of on" yo<'Uing protection, accu! es ftian of iiaving fHtted with her in hotel chvator that afternoon. Man denies lie ever saw wonnan before, urgentI.\ requests her to b-nve room as his wife is expected home any minute. Phone rings--it's female book a^fnt who has b» e trying to sell m;in "Life of Napoleon." Woman in room grabs ifvolver. says fho is going to f-ame man, announe«^^ she will remain in room until mnn's wife arrives and tell wife nuin tried to "make" her. un- le«.<? ht^ Kives her (the blurkmaller) $5,000. :Mun refuses to be "taken." Misv; CUmore enters at ibis point of badu* r Rame. Audience is led to beli('Vt> she is man's wife. Woman att»'nii)lins shake-down informs supposed wife man dragged her from li<f own room into his at point of revolver. Supposed wife sides against husband, decides she will divorce him. So informs black- mailer. Blackmailer puts $5,000 proposition up to supposed wife, wife luvighs at threat of expose, tells blackmailer to go as far as she likes, as she (wife) desires pub- licit.v of husband's perfidy. "Wife" suddenly makes change of front, pretends to di.scover all is not "on up and up," charges b'ackmailer with being imposter, finally order- ing her from room, with blackmailer apparently glad tc make getaway without being pinched. Up to here there is nothing to show "wife" is other than audience supposes her to be, the apparent relation of man to woman, who has saved him from shake-dawn, being taken for granted, through convinc- ing playing and construction. "Wife" was in room next door, it seems, .and hearing badger business, decided to Interfere. Subsequent dialog reveals supposed wife as book agent who has been pestering man to buy* set of Napoleon's Life. She makes the sale. Curtain. Following finish of playlet. Miss Gilmore steps into "one" again and speaks an epilog In rhyme, in the nature of a curtain speech. The parts are all well handled. With a bit of i)laying the turn should make a likenble novelty for No. .*} in the BOBBY CONNOLLY. Atsistod by Baby Barbara Sabin and Co. (4). **Man and Wifo* (Skotoh). 16 Mins.; Ono and Thro* (Special). Jeffsrson. Bobby Connolly is billed as "the boy iiero of one hundred photo- playa" He is recognizable as a kid actor in Vitagraph productions. Little Miss Sabin Is the chief sup- port. Two other women do small bftft and probably arc the chliaren'a guardians or parents. The act carries quite some pro- duction. In "one" before the exte- rior of the Star theatre where the "Icy Heart" flUum is holding forth, the duo discover they're a nickel shy, considering this is the last nickelodeon to tilt its scale an ex- tra jitney. They beg the extra amount from the two passing women and go into the theatre. In this session the kids effect unnat- ural and story-book slang which the little girl reads in an unintel- ligible shrill falt^etto. Both are dro«se<l in motley street urchin get- up and act very unnaturnl. The scene inside tho theatre has llK'm facing Into tbe right wing be- hind the tormentors where tbe pseudo screen is supposed to bo An attempt at comedy is niade wiib the otlier two patrons of I ho pic- ture hou.'.e. Bobby falls af'leep on thf back of his chair and a pro]» irl.M fade-out disclo.'-es, after th ' fade-in. the enactment of a melo- dram.atic scene. The /^irl is dres.«:t?d in tn> pumps and formal decollete and JJobby sports a Tuxedo. It i.M gruesome mell(»r they enact, of tbe ten-tv <«nt-thirt school, the comedy depending on such lines. "yo\i talk like ;i child"; "make a fool of a man like me"; "your chiblren will laugh at you'': *1 want to nee life like r.ther women'; *a\vny, base woman." etc. BeinK ehihlr<'n. tlnsr st>pliisl ieat- ed quips go for l.tu.Mh:;. wbicli onl.v proves how lightly tin- audience ac- cepts tho vebiele. Vru(\ it is meant only as a farce, but the at- traction with all kid .»< tors lies in Interpreting roles srriou-ly despite the handicap of their youth. The iris fades out l>:u'k to the picture tlieatre scene and he dis- covers it was all a dream. It would lave been belter also to hav§ it appear this previous scene was an enactment of the "Icy Heart" lilm they were viewing. On her exit it is observed that little Miss Sabin is still wearing her high heeled shoes. When she first came on she wore low ones and tbe change back to the former is so ob- vious a necessity it is inexcusable. They walked off to an applause barrage, as with all kid acts, but from a child of Bobby's experience something more professional would be becoming. MAJOR JACK ALLEN. Bio Qamo Monolog and Pictures. 16 Mins.; Ono. 58th Bir—i. Major Allen has ngured in the capture of ma'ny wild animals alive and it was he who was on the busi- ness end of the captures that re- sulted in a number of special big game pictures in the past few years. He shows a reel of film picturing the actual captures of a bear, a Canadian lynx and a mountain lion, which he explains took many months to secure. Always in aid are his pack of hounds, which he stated he loved next to his wife. The captures were accomplished in Montana, the opening of the pic- ture showing the construction of a "Siwash camp." Major Allen in khaki and a rope, similar to that used in tleing up the animals after capture, slung across .his shoulder, spoke throughout the showing of the, picture and he made it so in- teresting that bis running time seemed but half spent. Major Allen opened the show, re- ceiving hearty response. He makes his talk and picture interesting atui can be used to advantage for either small or big time bills. Ibrr Jla\rs bright (i^n,, but it SLACK ar.d HAYS. "Futuristic Jail Birds." 11 Mins.; Two (Special). 58th Street. ' Dai-e SlaeU and Willie have a novelty si'tling and a idea for the basis of an act, is not well developed. The drop in "one" shows two huge bird cages. Tlic center cage is a cutout and through a transparency, laced with Jron burs, is seer a luxurious a!»art- ment occupied by a convict de luxe in prison stripes, and done up ii* bla( kface. At the oiieiiinp: he is tendln;; u phonograph. I«iter he calls up "the warden" and makes arrangemetil to ha\e his motor ready at 4:3.> and to have Mnry (Jartlen to dine with him in the e\-ening. The corned;, portei- anti bellboy (also blackface ► entc>rH to receive more '^laborai and absurd instructions n talk th;i' might have been more amusing. The jailbird later walks throng i his cell door and does several song, and danc(rs in "one." For the fini: h both men, one of them dressed as u dame in burlesqu*' style, do a rough and tumble dance, although the stei)ping ^itself is wortli while. The knockabout inci<lental to the dance got them the good will of the aiuli- enco. At>out the middle of the tiu'ii there was some business ■v/ilh the phonograph, but the machine re- fused to work and the team had » cover up a gap. Perhaps this mis- hap put tliem out of (ountenanee and spoiled the effort. It did no more than jusl at)OUt pass. The I idea, properly developed, ought lo FI8KE and LLOYD. "What the Ship Brought In." 22 Mins.; One. (Special Drops.) ^th Street. Myrtle Fiske and George Lloyd have a' rather mixed vehicle, be- ginning with what promises to be a sketch structure and then going off into detached specialty material and ending with straight singing. At the opening there is a "honk honk" off stage and Lloyd enters before a Rteamship whf^rf drop nt> a taxi driver soliciting patrons. He has come to the wrong pier for a crowd, he explains in a soliloquy. Miss Fiske thereupon appears through a cut door as the Dutch maiden, flaxen haired, white capped and wearing wooden shoes. There is the usual give and take of repar- tee between them,such as: Hhe: ' Xow I come by America." He: 'Well. that's unusual, to buy America. Most of tho foreigners who come over expect us to give it to them." Much along that line—brighi and new and holding plenty of laughs. .Miss Fiske exits and Lloyd goes tlirectly into a comic song, afterward telling a group of dialect stories ititerspersed with snatches of dia- :eet numbers. Ho has a capital iinack of dialect. Irish, Italian and ?''rench, and his tales scored. The r.teamshlp drop is replaced by a (heorative affair of sateen, and upon Miss Fi.ske's return in n pretty s(»ubret frock they have a straight At the r>8th Street Monday aftertioon they would not let them LH. and for encore the pair did ■ Home Again r.lues" and 'Mammy." Miss Lloyd has a splendid female h:.iitone voice for coon shouting .intl "blues" numbers, and this de- tail of the offering should not be left for an ciu-ore. Their ragtime numbers are sure fire and have a <U finite place in the ix)i"tine. The turn divided honors with the feature .Moiidav matinee. Small timers will ARTHUR DEVOY and CO. (S). ♦•The Peacemaker" (Playlet). 20 Mins.; Full Stage (Speoat Hangings). 58th Street, Arthur Devoy's new act is a pli;. - let written by his brother iCmmctt Devoy. A special eye is bent t«» form the contour of a livin^i room within which a middle aged couple speak of celebrating their 2r.th wedding anniversary. The covPl? comment on how hai»- py has been their married life a:ui express the hope it will be the same for their son Paul, who has been wed Just a year. The sudden en- trance of the youth, who angrily exclaims it is all off between him and Madeline, gives papa an as- signment. It is the smooth work of father In verbally patting Paul on the back, taking his side of the quanel which arose over nothing, and using the same tactics with Madeline who. too, soon arrives, that furnishes the meat of the turn. There are a num- ber of aphorisms such as ".No woman wants a master; she wants a lover," and "A woman always be- lieves the thing she wants to hear," A twist to the proceedings comes when Madeline turns on papa, tells mother she has stood for the old boy's "bull' long enough. This starts mother after father, there is a rumpus and that really brings the young couple together. It after- ward turns out that the scrap was Just a trick on mother's part. How- ever, It looked serious enough when father threatened to shoot himself, "so help me Ood." "The Peacemaker" is a bit too long, but it has enough stuff for heading the three-a-day bills and It may secure the better bookings. Jt*V€. Iii;e it ev<ryw he?c. 7f//^;i. better houses. Brll opening a dance HARRISON and VAN. Juggling. 10 Mins.: Full Stage. Keeney's, Brooklyn. Two boys neatly dress«'tl with a number followed l»y by one member, after which jug- glini; liats. balls and clubs follows.* ,r>;-SOn<» 4'j*up • ie-vudlos Aau5i.(,n y»i;!i Jugylin^ for comedy whih- standing upon the piano in tin- pit. The turn's most detrimental feature is lis laek of speed. The comedy is • protiiieiive and not overdone. The turn <()ntains snfTleient vaiiety to make ii u Hatisfactory pen i- for the a\» rage small time I ii!. JEANETTE and 8EAMONS. < v. Songs, Talk and Dances. 10 Min.: One. M:tn and woman ((i)lor<<1i with the uoman wearir.g male attire throKyhout. They go through the regulrtiKin cross-lire t:ilk with the Usuul s.itig and da»u«' inlerhides. The Woman has a good ballad Noii-e *hd 11,e m.an is a fast stejiper. using bis speed to advantage at the lin- J>l»<h. It, t|,t> X(>. 2 position on the ^'^W' •• lis the act will i»riss all rl|?hf . G. 8. GORDON and CO. **p1i with the Old Love" Comedy Sketch* 15 Mint.; Full Stage. Lincoln Square. Weird is a mild term for this affair. The Lincoln Square audi- ence is not made up of discriminat- ing theatregoers, but they laughed at the "drama" and declined to smile at the comt.'.y. The setting is the living room of a gay bacheter. A woman comes to visit him. It appears that they have been con- cerned In a liaison, but the bachelor agrees that they will be married. She goes into another bachelor's Inebriated trudes. In conversation with the souse it Is revealed that bachelor is about to leave town to marry a country maid in his home town. Woman rushes out to upbraid him, while drunken friend interposes irrelevant remarks meant to be funny. If the sketch was bad, the acting was worse, and it was a 100 per eriit. flivver all around. Ifnuh tlo infinitely better. irttsh. room when friend in- ADOLPHO. ; Piano AccordioriiHt. . .,.;....C.\.;:,,.....;.^^ 11 Mins.; One. r ' ■ . American Roof. Man in summer ati fe open-- on pianc) aetordion with popular mrlo die.«?. followed by a ballad played and snng. N<>xt an organ imiiation with tremulo effects. A re<pi( st to th»' aiidienee as to tluir desire for music or song w.is greeted b.\ silen»e and doesnt belong. The musician follows with a popular balla<l well delivered. A patriotic; nimiber with a fife and j drum corps imitation on the in- strument blends into in(Mlle\ ol pub- lished numbers He whistles an .'k*- e«fnipanin>'n». to ilt' .oeonlion for the tinisii. A(lolph»» is a g«»od entertainer but isnt i.;«Hing the re-lllts possil.le through the at rancremeni. Ife will pass <'asily on th«' t!H'ee-;i-da>' bills ;in(l should ad\anee t>p<'"ing on the Ko«^»r. be m;olf < »l.stinet :rn- i»ressio!>. . >'.'•;■■• r*'-. BERNARD and FERRIS. Talk and Songs. 13 Mins.; One. H. O. H. Talk figures Incidentally. The a< t is essentially a sirtging one anfl un- less the talk can be improved there is no reason for it. The comedian, the comedy intent is there, is a short, fat, puffying sort of a person who gets what comedy there is from his appearance. He enters first in the outfit of a chef singing to a voice off stage, the idea being to give the impression the falsetto heard from the wings belongs to a woman. The boy with the falsetto is dressed as a waiter and this gives the opportunity for calling the or- ders to the kitchen. Not at all fun- ny and not at all well done. The boys have voices that will get them over in small time. They are loud and the hurrah sort of voi«'e«j that pop audiences seem to want. Tho falsetto is another a|»- plause gatherer that .seldom fails. One or two of the selections sIiuumI he changed. Tlje boys took several j l>ows jit this pcrfcumance an<l h<l<l i V ir..o\v.:j..iu .tUv y<^WV'4py., MAXIE. Colored Entertainer. 13 Mins ; One. Jefferson. Maxie is another "Dotson" to liken him In another well krtown (<.lored entertainer in big time \aiidevllle. .ludging from Maxie's icecpllon he can *deuce it in any- iKidy's theatre. Maxie looks a re- < ruit from Kl.'ith street, but lu' has a likable personality, sounds intel- ligent. Jo8hingl\ kids his own two- ilollar voeabuliiiy and then goes .jhead and pe<i»lles Iuh stuff for all Its worth—antl that proved consid- erable if the a.p|>hiuse l>otnhard- ir.<'nt is any crilerit)n. He opens with a blues song to which he jazz steps. (Jagging: ru»me more daneing; some more p.iiler and (Iwmi n tarcvvel! eccentric sftlo that sent liim off a hit. His hoofing solos are introduced v(»cally by an announcement re an original lienehes" step and atiotber be tcims ."twisted and tangled." The why fore for the first is only sur- utisable, but the latter appellation was made plain on the conclusion of his getaway solo. STEPPERS. tSpect.ll Hang TWO WHITE Dances. 9 Mins.; Two ings). Greeley 8q. .M.in ami \^orn.tll with a d.tnei lontinr. with the v.innan sfrindine. ont .IS the better stepper of the pair. 'I'ttey <»pened with a douiiltlap niJir»hei. th' gii I loUo'.vir.g wilii :i sinu'e nntnht I With a change i<. uhite satin <'hine.>(' roslume, the man retuined to- a spei'i.ility which wa« ha inli •<! |iped by the costiiriie 'Ihe iQny lObe fhiitoi.d and ma«Je the daiK'ifii; looK slraiige An cceio - iii'- tap (lance li.\ the girl wa«^ Iil.i il It was f(j!Iowiil by her partner a- a driin; major -twil the rnani)»iii.'i lioii of tile bato'i .V <]oub'e ti irnlie- eonelnded. Th' n ' oiioi.efi tiie slio.v .• r»t i».|'»etoriiVj ^. Ihrr FRANCES MINK and Eight Palace Boys (10). Song and Dance. Four (Special Hangings). Regent. Miss Mink's male octet consists of a vocal qtjartet and a stepping four. A special orchestra leader Is 'carried. The octet all wear tuxedo.«i although their collective appearance cannot very well be described as very neat or extremely Juvenile. However, they suffice considering their undoubted abilities In their res-pectlve lines. The songs are musical comedy liit selections wbi<h at least saves the turn monotonous familiarity. It is all necessarily ensemble work. the hoofers in one period doing a eonihinatlon j>u< k .and wing .solo that told, interspersed with Indl- viiluil solo hit-^ in the course of the foijnih»*r »?i « >>i il iti«* la.>ii. st<^ip«ir { «lislinguislu d himself by somo cork- I ing eontortion an<l twist work'. The j singers ofl'ered a song medley of ; pop and eiassies As fwr Mis.^' .Min';. j site filled iii the jncturc prettily and «Mpably (hough i»osing In all num- ; hers as the c-entre of tbe vo<-ifer- ' ously and mnsieally adoring eight -Mitors. Witli two she did some if> front. Which brings I. "Why this large eorn- piinv" when that trio, for inslatiee, • ••uM <lo an act well erioouh. .'ind the Various other combinations dit- io It is doubtful whether tills larue cast f cnild interest the b<»oUeis iill'iciiMit ly (*:\ ine saiat v en.i to trieel tCU M t of its On its III!*' in ess III ip work n ' : he finest ion peo|»le s d<'niaTi<K fi»'' .'im kind, merits VIOLET CARLSON. Songs. 11 Mins.; One. Fifth Ave. Imitations of grand opera stars, as IJalli Curci, Caruao and Ger- aldine Farrar b> vaudeville artists is asking the audience to stretch the imagination some. That is what Violet Carlson is doing. Maybe it Is the regular thing to do now, when a falsetto voice shows. It's just the vaudeville bunk and can only be gotten a ay with in certain localities. There is no particular reason for Mi.HS Carlson to do It. She could sing a number in the falsetto and *r< f just as much out of it, if she didn't insist upon singing three or four. Almost any falsetto gets a bit tiling after a short time. At the opening she sings two com dy sotigs and does a little dance. Although they are not the best songs, they show that the could get away with something if this description if she had the proi)er material. She is small and In tbe puntlets looks cute and can dance well enough to get away ftom just singing. A .«iinglc that would be acceptable to the better ho\jses could be framed : id it should not be a serious mat- ter to frame. There seems to comedy vein in hiding also might be developed. be a that f ••' lire if di^'ooo! m;' t \\- inejdeo'als. • ft jq u "oti. flash for the hflte.- l|.|»-e JOE and CLARA NATHAN. Talk, Songs, Cartoons. 17 Mins.; One. American Roof. The moment this pair began to cross-fire it was plain they had a specialty somewh're, for they luui to put on roller skates, bring forth In8trument.s. flash a cartoon board —or at least yodel. The man is a fair comic. The girl in a goo< ly sized, good-looking plefure. bnt amateurish In her stage talk; to heighten her shortcomings ^hw fights her line."? and swin^^H wild. ovcr-cmi>lias|/ing everything. After «he exits the man does a senile comedy song; to his credit lie keejis it clean—that is its only merit. An encore choru.n. volun- teered In which he puts on nose- «fas^*efl and >.<vkl9 tds hidn^•:'^ t^«.- impersonate an aged chaser, i.-* woeftil. On came the crayon-easel, .and Ihe Hiinpfii.su waM over. The test had been p.iddlng. The cartooiiititr took four minutes and was fast ami as good as nny. For tin* Idilsh Miss Nathan offers a well-known face drawn Uy her |»artner from any number called; 7 was c.ille<l and he drew Mutt, and T, was evo- Intionized info Roosevelt for a f;e| - . ' away. Miss Nathan lure looUiny chairning in black bloomers arnl a l»Iae|< tarn, to register "artist.' '\'\\\ of the cirtoons were to»-sed ifjt«» th'' .I'lUienee. giving tiie turn an i<ii- ' ' iieeessaM touch ot ten cent taettes. -.' It should I iin the fojir ininnlf.* . iiiili/.e«l in the cartr»oninf?. ;i!id that ' . h<' an .■•ee.plaUl*' \o ", ■ ; "■•-../' . ■■■■-• f.'i*' ■' '[... uav woo'd offer Mit». \1 Uf< > Iff'' I » -5tf».r