Variety (February 1922)

n NEW SHOWS THIS WEEK Friday, February 10, ig^o PALACE Holdovers, returns, "names" -with little but past performances to back ihem up, and one or two good and healthy old-style flops, combine to i- ' mako this weelt's show one of the Bort that makes a "regular" appre- ciate a rocking chj^ir near the radi- ator, his own wife, and a thrilling trade paper or a snappy seed cata- A log. It surely doesn't encourage .; vaudeville patronage. Wilton Lackaye In a medieval French panto complicated by mod- ern motion picture methods qualified as the "tone" of the bill. "The Greater Love" Is far from brilliant. It l8 credited to Henry Ridgeau, who Is still unheard of. It Is an unsubtle, Bilent skit, with letters and pictures flashed on a screen upstage to point the progress of a story such as a sophomore might deem dramatic and emphatic—the tragedy of a man past middle age about to marry, who flnds a letter from his fiancee to his young chum saying she loves the younger man, but will marry the old one because he can support her; the bridegroom-not-to-be makes prep- arations to have it appear an acci- dental shot, then plunks himself in the ribs and leaves a ^25,000 insur- ance policy to the girl, so, presum- a>-'y, she can marry the buddy. This little panto was originally written for Mme. Rejane, the classic French actress, with the woman's role the single acted one; she re- jected It with the sophisticated ob- servation that turning a man over to one's roommate and furnishing the capital besides would not be popular with Frenchwomen. With men it's different They wouldn't do It, but they don't so much mind seeing an- other man do it. especially a famed Romeo like Bill Lackaye. They liked him in It. Of course, he executed it with Lackaye finesse, dressed it to Immaculate perfection, graced It with his distinctive punctuations. He made a little address in "one" to follow, stating that he did so to refute a rumor that he had gone Into pantomime because he had lost his voice—"a fond hope of my friends and a vain dream of my enemies," as he put it. Beyond that there was nothing Important except Nancy Welford's dimpled knees. Miss Welford Is one of William Rock's accessories. The child works like Frances White and is as stage-smart as Maude Fulton. Pjck keeps picking them. Some- body will be buzzing a bee Into Miss Welford'j off ear very shortly. She Is scarcely for a vaudeville act long. She has the niftiest little figure that has rippled before the glad eyes of a tired bunch of Broadwayites In r .oons, her voice Is clear, she has a broad and cute sense of comedy, she dances, the knows how to demurely flirt with a whole audience, and she Is "over." Helen Eby, Rock's other staff, has the best trained hair on earth and Is a valuable straight support as well as a young woman who com- mands distinction. Rock Is as young as he has been In years, and will probably go on until he can play his A-K parts without a makeup. He stages everything smartly and has keen theatre sense as well as cun- ning Judgment. The act Is a Palace holdover and did well. Charles Withers, now billing ex- clusively himself on the attraction card, did not do so powerfully with "For Pity's Sake" In an early spot. The laughs were Irregular and t' o applause was weak for thi.«! many- retum turn. Miller and Capman. eecond, got nothing for their first two numbers. Including the dance so similar to Stanley and Byrnes' drunk double, and got going only on the taller man's superlative ankle eccentricities; two bow^ The Stanleys did a good melange of hamlstandlng and balancing, but stalled too much for "clas.s," which is not regarded as essential In alf opening act and which they can safely let go by the boards; they murder their finish by putting on ^ hats and coats and strolling off, ^k whereas they ought to work blff- B bang, as nature and tradition In- K tended them to; do their stunts and ^ drop the drop. What they do of their tricks is great—the parlor stuff is dragged In and looks It; doesn't get over and slows up the parade. Alleen Stanley, with a poor pick in songs and too many of them, did not wow the Palace bunch, as It has been reported ehe has done else- where of late and of yore. She has a sympathetic note in her throat and a thoroughly acceptable personality, but It Is all singing, number after number, without a thrill, and, Tues- day night, without a laugh except twice on blue gags. Miss Stanley is billed as a phonograph artist, and ehe sings about herself as such. The phonograph companies, though, probably don't let her pick .• 11 her own songs. She needs a director who can animate her performance and a song chooser who knows when old ones are through and when new ones will never begin. She has her- self, which Is a great nucleus for a fine act; now she needs someone to capitalize her with a few highlights and a lot of material. Florence Nash and her company in *'A Breath of Fresh Air" mis.scd cre- ating the Impression that an arti.st of Miss Nash's caliber might have been expected to make. Last week this reviewer blamed the Colonial audience for not rising to this act; this week the neighbors from up ^that way must have flocked to ihe Palace to see her again, because again it was a milk-and-water af- fair, a laugh or two, a scant four curtains and this scribe still Insists Mis.s Nash is a baby bear and "A liroath of Fresh Air" is a good com- edy—but he doesn't know wliat's the matter. Maybe it's her support, which Is terrible enough. Harry Watson, Jr., re-repeated his oft-rcpcated repeaters, the pug bit and the 'phone bit. Nothing hap- pene . to him that hadn't happened before and won't again. It's like the .•<mall town reporter who came back to his oflloe after most of the town had burned up, and when his fran- tic editor asked him why he didn't tear off some "copy," he answered: "Aw, what's the use? Everybody saw the fire." What's the use of reviewing Watson again? Almost as much goes for Roscoe Ails and Kate Pullman—they're here again. If botli those turns weren't good they wouldn't be booked back and back and back. But how can a guy find new words to discuss them every timj when they boomerang in so often? Canslno Brothers and Marion Wil- kins, the gifted younger boys of the noted tamale dancing family, and a siiaited girl, closed. Lait. WINTER GARDEN Half the attendance Monday night was made up of late arrival.", who strolled in up to 9 o'clock. Dressing by box ofl!lce ticket s^ing could not make the house looknoigger than it was. Whole rows in the side sec- tions downstairs were untenanted. The dollar or back^half of the floor looked filled. Balcony patronage was satisfactory but not big. Bessie McCoy Davis makes her first Winter Garden appearances this week, she never having been in any of the Garden revues, while her first Shubert vaudeville appearance was at the 44th Street (now playing le- gitimate attractions). A mistress of grace. Miss McCoy has mounted her turn cla.sslly. The combination of her dancing, the richness of her costumes and the excellence of the music lifts the act to a plane where it cannot miss. If Carl C. Gray, the special leader, made the orchestral arrangements, he figures prominent- ly in the success of "Castles in the Air." At the opening, during a high- kicking number, elastic bandages were glimpsed at Miss Davis' knees. She was billed fifth, ' but was switched to the after-intermission section. Jack Barrett and E:mmett Merrill, her dancing aides, did very well. One was made up pinkly, the other not at all. Ray Miller's Band and Cliff Ed- wards occupied closing intermission instead and mopped up the show's honors. Miller's corking musicians will probably hold unto their caba- ret assigrnment near by, but the act is one that should be given other houses. The act is a holdover. To show bow much bigger It went this week, the running time Monday night was eight minutes longer than the act's time last week. The house Just didn't wa..t to let the Miller bunch go, four encores being called for, the final one an announced rendition of "The Sheik." "Ukelele Ike" Edwards figured In the smash for the early half of the act. His number landed strongly, first with his little tinkling uke and then with the Miller musicians. There are two exceptional saxo- phonists In the band, working as a team most'y. One did Edward.s' stuff during a blues encore, this chap mouthing a jazzy tune similarly to Edwards' style. For the last two encores Edwards had nothing to do, so he clowned, first eating a pickle in front of the cornetist, then an- noying others in the band. That didn't seem to fit, and Ike would do better to vamp off when the band legitimately wins repeats, as It did Monday night. Rich In muted brasses, the Miller band is one of the very best, both for dancing and really pretty music. The nine-act bill held at least two misplaced acts. It was far too early for Clayton and Lennie, on second, while the Ziegler Twins have a rou- tine that is next to fatal for the closing position. Clayton and Len- nie were No. 4 at the 44th Street three weeks ago, and went over for hit in the spot. They got some laughs here, the hat business being sure of that. But they "died" at the close. Last season the Ziegler Twins, a quite youthful team, flared forth with a jazz band of seven. They retain a drummer, he working in the pit and proving his worth. He used the drummer's new style of "pig slide" whistle during one of the cos- tume change waits and then sur- prised with a violin solo for the next. A dancing youth is used by the twins, one of whom gives a flash of double-jointed skill. The Scotch dance of the sisters is about the prettiest. Two standard comedy turns were present, and both made good. Clark and Verdi, on fourth, and Brendel and Bert, next to closing, both used the acts offered by them in past seasons. The opening bit of the lat- ter turn is somewhat changed. BrendeJ, with one end of a string tied to his aching tooth and the other to a brick, is enough to break down a determined grouch. His wood-smelling story, too, is Infec- tiously funny. The breakaway suit section, announced by Miss Bert as an old-f.ashioned minuet, developed into a series of howls when Brendel appeared from the •'breakaway bends," with screen, bathrobe, bar- rel and umbrella. Clark and Verdi dug up the "Boots" routine. The dialects are as rich as ever and most of the ma- terial as amusing. The song non- sense sent the couple over, with the aid of the "booting' and scrap. The comics were the first turn to get real returns. Marie Stoddard "kidded the ac- tons" for opening Intermission. It was not until her "double-voiced" number, supposed to be descriptive of a vaudeville annoyer doing a semi-classic, that she won out. A bouquet from a lady in a stage box fluttered down in appreciation. Miss Stoddard described a vaudeville vio- linist as having long hair and a short bankroll. Ernest Evans and Girls, with "Wedding Bells ' were third. There may be one or two new members in the line-up. One was a vloliniste who offered a specialty, but with little success and with no reason. The main support In the act is the singing of Emilie Clarke. Gene- vieve McCormack is Evans' dancing support, the other being Ruby Ward. Fern Sanders, Dorothy Nilova, Ethel Maeder and Marie O'Donnell. Torino opened. He started with rattling good work with a temnis racket and balls, but missed several tricks. An Injured left hand, shown by plaster, may have been the rea- son. The coin and parasol manipu- lation, however, was accomplished without a slip. /#fe. COLONIAL A fast and varied show with abundance of splendid dancing numbers furnishes the nearest thing to genuine vaudeville enter- tainment that has come to notice In several weeks. The bill ran as programmed, with the single switch of the ends. White Brothers, com- edy gymnasts (New Acts), going from closing to opening, exchang- ing with Althca Lucas and Co. This rearrangement was an improve- nr. .'nt without prejudice to either act. Miss Lucas has a quiet rou- tine On the rings which served nicely as a "sight" turn at the end, while the White pair do a first-rate comedy specialty that started things oft with the desirable laugh. The show has a good flavoring W production turns with sightly set- tings, but the stage embellishment is Incidental. Pretty settings fur- nish an appropriate background for amusing entertainers instead of the stage trappings monopolizing attention. This makes all the dif- ference In tho world. Vaudeville Is overburdened with "productions" that overshadow the cast. The values here are nicely graded. The show starts quietly and smoothly and progresses with ascending values of comedy and -speed to Its climax next to closing. From King and Rhodes closing the first half to Frank and Teddy Sablnl next to final the procession was a series of riots of varying In- tensity. The audience was typical In Its demonstrations, which were loud and sometimes none too order- ly, but this time there was no ill feeling in the noise. This crowd knows vaudeville as few assem- blages In New York, and any bill that pleases the clientele has stood the acid test. Monday night busi- ness was only fair. The downstairs portion was skillfully dressed so that the vacancies were distributed, and it took a painstaking survey to disclose that the crowd was prob- ably three-quarters capacity. White Brothers did nicely as a starter. Al Markell and Nell Gay, No. 2, have a cold opening, but when they get down to their step- ping they are sure of themselves and the audience. Miss Gay's fast, clear tapping, after their opening number, started the house in their favor, and Markell's acrobatic stuff clinched them. There was a let- down In next spot, Kay Laurell and Co. In a new sketch by Fred Jack- son (New Acts), a polite talking comedy. A domestic farcelet has to be a mighty expert sample of writing and playing to hold the pace of a clean-cut specialty bill. Wilson Brothers were nicely fitted to the Job of overcoming the inertia of 23 minutes of preceding talking act. Their low comedy is mere buffoonery, but Its very horse- play was just what was called for in the circumstances. The yodel is sure-fire, and so Is the flirtation business with the girl plant in the balcony box. For a finish the girl bursts Into song with a fine, clear soprano, a ballad that earned a legitimate encore. Old stuff If you like, but it does the business. Charles King and Lila Rhodes have another vehicle, "Toot Your Horn,'' by Andy Rice, a neat bit of breezy comedy handled in a fine spirit of fun. It put a dandy cli- max on the first half. After the Interval of Intermission and the Screen Topics (uncommonly dull they are this week), Thelma and Marjorio White, two lovable tots, apparently very young, took the house by storm. They attempt nothing particularly ambitious, just a few songs and dances. But the charm of it all is that they do the familiar parlor tricks of young- sters of their ago with unconscious, bubbling delight. There Is never a suggestion of smart, precocious children. Thev're just natural, likable youngsters. The smaller has some funny poslngs and mug- gins ADd puts over a whale of a Russian dance. The genuineness of the children caught the audience ins'^ntly, and they wouldn't let the shjw go on until the little ones had made a speech and clowned through an encore. The Moseonl Brothers and Sister Verna and Brother Willie were gaited for that Colonial crowd. They know a real specialty dancer when they see him in the old Wil- liams house, and the acrobatic stepping of the especially gifted brother was tho goods. They did 14 minutes of tho fastest kind of acrobatic stepping with tho sensa- tional tumbling as its climax and after that held a combined recep- tion and parade back and forth across tho stage. Brother Willie promises to rival the older member of the family in the execution of tho.se sensational tumbling splits, while Sister Verna is a distinctly sightly miss and t|Uite abreast of the rest of the family. After an interval of straight spe- cialty, more robust comedy was in order, and Frank and Teddy Sabini came throtigh with the goods. The old turn is retained in its general frame-up, 'out a woman, Teddy Sabini, is now introduced to start the ball rolling and (o lead up to the quarrel In the orchestra pit. From there on the turn proceeds as before, except that Teddy Sabini delivers two or three blues in a way to wake the echoes and the plaudits. Her recitative number about the darky lover that never came around until he was broke was a pippin. The quarrel between tho musician wop on the stage and his excitable brother in the pit Is the same sure-fire. The show was held up again while they encored with the guitar and faked ukelele bit. Althea Lucas closed with a quiet athletic routine on the rings. It was 11 o'clock, and the slow opening, after the flash of the pretty set, started them out. Rush. RIVERSIDE Tl.e eight-act bill topped by Belle Baker drew business at the River- side Tuesday evening. The popular single proved a sure draw for the uptown house, the early week busi- ness taking a jump over the past ] jnth. Tuesday evening Miss Baker used seven numbers, the majority popular. A minute did not slip by but what she held the audience, the numbers going over like clockwork. But one character number necessi- tating a change of costume is used at the present time. It is of the Ital- ian order, with a comedy "hootch" lyric. It proved sure fire and blended in nicely with the remainder of the foutine, which Included a kidding number with Julius Lenzberg, the orchestra leader. In theatres with orchestra leadfrs which are consid- ered part of the institution, such as Lenzberg is at the Riverside, this number cannot fail to get more than ordinary results. The single appeared second after intermission, with Earl Hampton and Dorothy Blake preceding In the opening after intermission position. Following the short reel pictures used during the Intermission is a difllcult position for a talking act, with this couple getting to the audi- ence early with the chatter hitting them at the right angle. Miss Blake is no longer working from a box, but uses a chair at the entrance for the preliminary work. Hampton and Rlake worked up a steady stream of laughs and topped it off with a cork- In.T restricted number. The Luster Brothers (not seen) opened the show, with Williams and Taylor, a colored dancing team, holding down the deuce position. The ebony-hued boys displayed their stepping to a^antago, getting away easily In the early spot. Walter Newman and Co. in a comedy sketch entitled "Profiteering" gathered laughs In the No. 3 position. The Newman vehicle displays no mate- rial of value, but can be relied upon for comedy returns in some houses. Newman is well supported by Char- lotte Irwin as a fresh stenographer and Marguerite De Von as a film vamp. Following the sketch, Jack Oster- man made his chatter stand up In comparison to his numbers. The boy's talk never mi*^sed, with the vo- cal efforts not getting the returns expected. Closing the : t half had John Hyams and I eila Mclntyre in "Honeysuckle," a neatly arranged offering in which they are supported by Leila Hyams and Patty Patter- son. The act provided one of the Hashes of the bill, going alo.. > at an fcven pace and giving .satisfaction all of the while. Ted liOrraine, Jack Oagwin and Emilie Fitzgerald closed the show with a dance offering which smacks of class. Lorraine and Miss Fitz- gerald handle the greater part of tho dancing, with Gagwin used for vocal and piano work. The act Is w<^ll gro<»m('d and has the necessary ingredients to give satisfaction and held the house to a man Tuosday evening. uart. ALHAMBRA A midwinter carnival bill of n acts failed to fill the Alhambra lo capacity Monday night. The show looked strong enough on paper and seemed a bargain for vaudeville fans at the prices, yet they failed to shop in their usual numbers. The low*.r floor showed vacant patches on «Ither flank with th^ upper boxes also off. "• The show ran until about ii 9k The first half held six acts and wl. lengthened out by Burke and Dur kin in fourth spot. The hou.se loow a fancy to Burke's delivery of H^np. and held up D. D. H. for several minutes, while Burke encored with six or seven extra choruses of a Don number. Burke Is a Harlemite »■ was attested by tho reception'th« pair received upon their, entrance D. D. H. was the laughing hit of th6 first half, with his euphonious chatter upon topical subjects Th« initialed monologist has a unique delivery that seems to regi.ster with all classes of patrons. Tho Alham- bra isn't rated the brightest audi- ence on the circuit, yet thoy literally ate up his stuff as -fast as it waa relayed. Faber and McOowan. a man and woman talking and singing pair with a novelty op«Miing. passed nicely. The girl ha.s looks and per- sonality and proves an excellent foil. Ilor quiet refined methods made the crossfire passages stand out. Faber is a neat looking "wise rracker" and "kidder." It's an ex- cellent vehicle, although .some por- .tlons of the dialog have been heard around. Lou Lockett and Ann Linn closed the first half strongly with their singing and dancing novelty. Lockelt spreadoagled the field with his solo eccentric dance. He has a neat willing partner in Miss Linn and a smooLh idea for introducing her various dancing specialties. Costumed as a barker at a oharity bazaar, Lockett has bits with toy dolls that are reproduced in cos- tume by the appearances of Miss Linn from a . cabinet. The pair clicked loudly. Mechan's Canines opened after intermi.s.sion and took advantage of tho spot. The acrobatics of the poodles and the leaping of the gray hounds held the attention and in- terest of everyorte. The spot waa just right also. Rae Eleanor Ball and Brother added a touch of class, following. The man's cello playing, seated in the orchestra, registered. The punch was a duet with Miss Ball doing a violin echo of his cello and v'histling obligato. Doyle and Cavanaugh in one of" the neatest and classiest act.s of its kind in vaudeville registered 100 per cent, on appearance. The act has been given lavish production and is away above the usual man- and-woman flirtation Idea. Mies Cavanaugh Is a blonde beauty with a sweet personality. She can dance with any and reads her lines on a par with the rest of her accom- plishments. Doyle Is formerly of Doyle and Dixon. He has been established for seasons as a dancer but brings back to vaudeville a flair for light comedy that should put this pair in demand for legiti- mate offers. Al Herman was his usual riotous self at this house. Herman has fallen for the song plugging idea and is flnishing with a ballad sung by a boy plugger who Is dragged on the stage for an extra chorus and a bow. Herman kidded the customers and took liberties that another comic would be Icary of. A reference to the American flags draped about the house and the election of the new Pope was tak- ing chances. The Herman monolog as usual consists of the best and funniest gags heard around and has been carefully chosen. The "Didn't I tell you to get off at 96th street?" story Is almost a veteran. Herman dragged Jimmy Burke out for a bow and put himself away as a fel- low Harlem ite. Herman was one of the hits of the bill In the late spot. Jim Felix, the horizontal bar comedian, never had a chance to get started. The drive for the exits started as soon as the rising drop disclosed the Felix paraphernalia. Felix subbed for "Marvel," the dancer, who was off the bill. Bolger Bros. (New Acts) opened the show. Con. BROADWAY Business not so good Monday night and the show ditto, shaping up only as a fair better small time bill. The program ran late through the added attraction of a Harold Lloyd comedy, which was in the na- ture of a revival. Lloyd has long since been compared to Chaplin as a favorite screen funster, but this Idea of reissuing his old comedies Is best proof of his popularity. The first act came on well after 8.30. Tho Vandcrbilts, a two-man acro- batic combination, have discarded their eccentric "nance" comedy by- play and are doing straight lifts and hand-to-hand stuff. The Vandcrbilts look much like a team formerly known as the El Bart Brothers. Dave Ferguson monologe<l about his family troubles, bragging of hi* escape from the clutches of his wlf*. when tho latter interrupts from th« audience. The routine next takes on tho form of a quarreling dlalogi Fergu.Mon cracking what few nifties and ne.ir-n'.M there were in the act, tho "wife" doing a noble straight. She fed him sterlinglv, winding up with a "kiss and mako up" seenc that was soon nursed up again, with the result Ferguson had to pursue her down the audienr'e iiih\> in an endeavor to assuage hrr ori<<> more. The ghl meant bupiiuss tlii'^ ^hne and returned with a cop ^^ho 'Conrinu'd on j^-'g'^ -•>)