Variety (September 1922)

VARIETY Friday, September 15, 1922 ' SHUBERT UNIT REVIEWS £j (Continued from page 6) Merle The nearest to new ma *■ terial was the old liquor drops, here made into compressed tablets that begot a souse by those using them. The novelty was the prohibition suggestion and that only, but neither jwas this well worked for laughs. y. The first or vaudeville part was excellent in construction, but ran (without comedy. Even Cooper in his Empire Quartet turh held down the comedy too far, keeping away from the slapstick fof some reason, •what the act should have had. That Is one of the bits which may be de- veloped, however. Other than that possibility the vaudeville held little comedy, in turns or material, but maintained an attractive setting through being placed on a roof gar- den with the entire company grouped for the opening, while the Blondell Sextet, six boys as a musi- cal combination, played here and there until driven off the platform by Cooper for a bit that meant far less than the absence of the band. The acts playing in this section ■were the five Melody Charmers, a turn in vaudeville some time ago and maybe another revival. . Bert Shadow and Lillian McNeill' and Leigh ton. Petite and Baby Joseph- ine. Miss McNeill became the prin- cipal woman without opposition and Baby Josephine became the hit of the entire performance. The baby Is a mite of six years, well and carefully coached, but performing with a freedom that removes all traces of coaching. She £d her bit in the three-act and agtrTn in the candy store scene, where she earned laughs through trying several fla- vors of ice cream, finally deciding she did not want any ice cream. In production there is not a fault to And. The show is well dressed and mounted, expensively in both. Its chorus girls are above the aver- age, in looks especially, and work exceedingly well. Had the revue atoned for rather a mild first vaudeville half there would have been a balance, but now the whole performance is out of, kilter, requiring rearrangement and *\ new matter, also perhaps new peo- ple in the revue, if new scenes are placed there, who can get the value out of them. This is excepting the quite likely chance the show will build itself up as it progresses, through playing and rehearsals. But on the surface and as it looks "The Ritz Girls" needs mu-h fixing, and .oh, how it does need Lew Fields! George Sofrnnsky, the former vaudeville agent, is the show's manager. Him father did mostf if not all. of the booking for the show, Including acts and people. Hxtnt. 1 SPICE OF LIFE "Daddy" was a song number pre- sented by Irene Delroy and Ray Greene, assisted by 12 girls. "The Everlasting Triangle" was a good comedy travesty, with Julia Kelety, Jack Boyle, Dan Walker, Sylvia Cjiark and Frank Gaby. Kd and Tom Htckey did their vaudeville mind-reading act, "Sell- ing a Gold Brick," with some new gags, It went for a hit, as it is full of good comedy. "Cameo" was a very beautiful number presented by Rita Bell. The Misses Wainwright follow with a song. "Happy Harmonies," that was well received. Frank Gaby, assisted by Kramer, does a burlesque on ventriloquism, and got a lob of laughs. —Food for Fun" if the closing of Jhe revue, and in this all the stars appear, but the hit of this part is the .big dance, of the London Tlvoll Girls- They are clever dancers, full of pep and "well trained. .They only appeared twice ^and were well re- ceived both times. . Mr. Green has gorgeously dressed •the girls and shown excellent taste in his staging. The revue can stand a much bet? ter ending—it should have some big song number as the finale with the Tivoli Girls doing a bit.. This would be much Itronger. The present finale Is too mild and tame. The book, lyrics and music are by Bert Kalmer and Harry Ruby, with Elmer Floyd responsible .for the staging. • ' ■ ' . . MULLIGAN'S FOLLIES Indianapolis, Sept. 12. Aside from technical merit of this week's bill chief local interest in af- fair* of the Shubert-Park centered In whether the second offering would add to the foundation the Shuberts seek to bulRl here or tear down the splendid cornerstone laid last week with "Laughs and Ladles." That's hard to tell, but this early In the week it looked like George W. Gallagher's outfit was going to help the Park. Just one or two little things might work against such re- sults, but maybe they were not im- portant enough to count la the -long run llmtnary engagement Monday for three days at the Central Jersey City, It proved one of the season's Surprises. The show as it stands, without a single cast change, could move into any Broadway house and do business at musical comedy prices! It is a kaleidoscopic array of scenery, pretty girls, beautiful cos- tumes and entertaining specialties. The 16 girls are slandered when described as choristers, for each one is a specialist and a looker. -This Is accounted for by the presence of Gertie Hoffhian and her. entire vaudeville cast, all of whom are principals but who wsrk in the line. There are so many strong periods in the revue it almost discourages description. The Lander Bros., from burlesque, are all over this- portion, registering consistently with com- edy. Harry Lander in tramp char- acter will probably never again get away from the legitimate producers. His work is flawless. He secures his laughs in a quiet manner, in decided contrast to the blatant methods employed by most comics of this type. His brother, working opposite with red nose and trick mustache, feeds intelligently and helps. Miss Hoffman has never worked harder, or appeared to better ad- vantage. She and her company close the vaudeville seotion, doing 'a full hour. Miss Hoffman is -also present In the revue, accounting for an "Apache" dance with Willie Lander in Montmartre attire. The specialty is backed by a special drop, "In Front of London Bridge." The billing should be changed. Miss Hoffman in red wig sings "My Man," which Fannie Brice popu- larized over here, and followed with a dramatic Apache dance in which she kills her lover, then stabs her- self to fall prostrate across his form. This is one of the few Hoffman spe- cialties that can be spared. She also led in "Hawaii." with the girls In bare-legged hula cos- tumes ^or a squirmy dance and en- semble. In the Hoffman vaudeville act, many interpolations appeared. One was Miss Hoffman again doing "impressions." Her Harry Lauder and Petrova In "Shulamlte," a dra- matic bit well rendered despite se- vere hoarseness, were faithfuL ▲ Bessie McCoy working the drums and traps also landed. The rest of the dancing specialties several years. It had the burlesque crowd. Now there Is no burlesque in town. The Park has got to build its figure from the regular blg-*lme vaudeville crowd in Indianapolis and such of other factions as can be educated. With De"Haven and Nice and Joe Towle as the headline!** and not a real weak spot.in the show, "Mul- ligan's Follies" certainly gave the top. notch variety lovers their money's worth. But—there come these^ one .or two lUtle buts—bare legs Tvere bare just a bit too high Detroit. Mich., Sept. 13. and material just a little bit broad One of the hottest days of the in spots. With an established vaude- The Park until this season had been the best burlesque house for banged over as usual with solos toy Summer did not serve to hold back Detroiters who wanted to see "The Spice of Life." tlgf first Shubert unit to play the Snubert, Detroit, this season. Oapacity houses greeted A. L. Jones' production, and their en- thusiasm indicated that they heart- ily approved it. There are no big names in the show, and yet if it is a sample of what may be expected, the Shubert units are certain to en- Joy big business locally. Already David Nederlander reports that the number of season reservations far exceed last year's. The matinee was very late In let- ting out—close to 6 o'clock—which means there will be considerable trimming to do during the next 10 days, by the elimination of some of the patter, dances and encores. It doesn't mean that the show did not run smoothly. Morris Green Is the managing director, and he can b n proud of what he has accomplished. The entertainment is big value for $1 and $1.50. . The first p;irt opens by Intro- ducing the vaufleviUians, and in this section the 11 Tivoli Girls do a dance number that immediately stamped them as a hit. They are followed by the Three Misses Wain- Wright, who are very clever young entertainers. Julia Kelety sings three numbers, which t he puts over very nicely. Tom and Ed Hickey do a lot of comedy dancing that also put them in the "hit" class. Sylvia Clark presented a number of char- acter songs, her best number being "Russian,'' that got a lot of ap- plause. Dave Kramer and Jack Boyle stopped the show with their comedy. Frank Gaby has a novel ventriloquist act. In this part, there are specialties by Rita Hell, a dan< e by Irene Delroy. a strut number by Sylvia Clark, assisted by the Misses Wainwright, Dan Walker and the fctrut Girls. Part two is the revue. The first travesty wis "The Forest of Fate," with Rita Hell and Ray Greene a- the Itswlyweds: Frank Gaby as the Spirit of Evil; Irene Delroy as Love; Maxine. Clare as Frivolity; l'ntriria Koxse'ter as Jealousy; Ruth Hamilton as Nicotine; Winifred jB-end as Gintbling. and Andellc Alcohol and Passion. I'm I "Both Members of This Club." Eresented by Gaby, Kramer and oyle and Sylvia Clark, Is very ame and tends to slow up thjngsi t could easily be eliminated; In fact, the : irr.v won id m«W ' ! ville clientele it wouldn't matter, but here in Indianapolis in all friendli- nesa it looked like risking it. But they weren't til: ing about it when they walked out Tuesday afternoon. They were prahdng the show. The show is In two parts, with a comfortable Intc:rr.iselon. and It ran two hours and 3 5 minutes. Five sparkling atts constitute the first half and "Mulligan's Follies" proper the last. The Follies" end of it is in fcix^s* encs. D'Arville Suiters in a song and dance, banjo and saxophone mix- ture, and Lorrie Allen with her rope skipping dominated applause in "The Flapper's Jubilee," an opening number that Started the show on high. Arthur Brown's comedy about his pants and if V. lV.s d'idn t get over, but hi . ■ .i-,s with Margaret Merle in "Caught in the Rain" did. "Cas- tle of Dreams" in this number was one of the musical hits. "Climbing the Stairway of Love" in the finale was the other, I>e li iven and Nice really warmed the folks up for the lirst time in The Backyard Entertainers." The best hit in the whole two and a quarter hours is their business with the huge, slow bouncing toy balloon in a "What Ho, Varlet," dance. Then Joe Towle in single worked the lethargic mob up again. From then on they were fairly easy to please, the tumbling act into which the song and dance opening, "En- tertaining the Sheik," developed, going big. The last half Is principally mus- ical. Very well done, too, with a burfesque acrobatic turn by De Haven. Nice and Towle and a nov- alty rear view of the boys hanging over a bar in "A Glimpse of Ha- vana" thrown in. The final.' copied the Winter Gar- den stairway scene with success. Fred Nice conceived and produced the show and James Stanley Royce wrote the special lyries and music. Fowler. HELLO EVERYBODY Lyrics My McKlfeort Moor?. Music by J Fred Coots, (.'diiip.Iv 8<-rn«'« Uy Kerry Lan- der. - Russian l>illi»t by l'oklno. Ottit-r i hi -f ity i itvc Bennett <!i*Ttrurf»* Hoffmnti :*mi l>on HiHw. Ru\h Z.ickey, Forr.il Dew*ra, Florence. Kolinsky, Harry J.inl-T. Willie .1 ..wider, Fnmk M.irr, Frel R.innon, Hilly ItboJps, Carlos ('onto. Harriet l<*»ml<nv !,r»ui*«» Il.imui. M*ry ittn- •roTt, i;mitn Kli«i;>\ Aim* N i*h, Kd«(h |fffjile/t t'laue de Flftaeiere Emma Kligge and the "Mirror Dance" of Harriet Fowlst\ * eon* tortionlng masterpiece. Among other new touches was the fencing scene. This portion opens with six girls in tabloid down stage on a dais, all in fencing costumes with swords at "guard." . A fencing drill follows that does credit to Dave Bennett. The girls drill flawlessly, ringing the blades in perfect beat with the music. It will stop the show 14 times weekly and did here. A ballet in this act by Fokine was another gem. Leon Barte led it, surrounded by the girls in beautiful white ballet costumes. The tabloids and toe work were the essence of grace, the girls flitting about the stage as lightly as thistledown and as gracefully as young fawns. A Russian peasant scene also credited to Fokine elo&ed the act. A special set with the girls as peasants In prettily colored costumes had them ail on in Russian folk dances led by Hoffman, Bar.te and Charles Conte. Other novelties in the vaudeville section were a picture scene which opened in "one" before a special showing eight life-size fence pos- ters, two high, of movie stars. Harry Lander as Will Hays inter- rogates the different stars in cross- fire comedy dialog. The personages are given a life-like appearance by the substitution of a human head. The scene goes to full stage where the 13 principals in costume re- plicas of the posters entrance for specialties. The finale of the scene, a wow. was an ensemble dance with the flashing lights giving the motion picture effect. It was a real novelty as handled. The talk in "one" lost some of its strength through ama- teurish line reading from the pos- ters. This could be shortened. The Landers in "A Greek Res- taurant" did their burlesque "table bit" before i magnificent silver set. Leon Barte had a *ong and dance specialty here, the latter part of Which registered. The only light department in the production, in- cidentally, was the vocal one. Billy Rhodes, possessing (he voice of th? production, also I? ids several hum- bers in clever fash.on. Another comedy wham was "At fhe Circus.' with the Landers as the "Corsiean Twins." The three- legged business Is also from the Jack Singer show of 1 ist season and was Interpolated by Lander, who is program-credited with the staging of all the comedy. The Fisherman" was another pip. with the comics fishing for women. using fruit for bait, but switching to "lough" with better i i. A t-uecia' set accom- panied this bi( i! > The ."-how has i finite that sent them out bussing It la Libelled "Green and \\h. •.' The »."■•* is a poem in green irtd white coloring blending, the stage tt>-ina enveloped ,ii i while cycler. una. 1 Mlly' Rhodes leads "I Want fa ritep." with the gals In pretty green minstrel cos- tumes led by Miss I to (To li n .itusruf- lled hniekcr and .rufi rj> itforf) for'a whirlwind finale w i'l U tn«»* entire company strung across tt»e stago in single file -rr * (Continued from page S) 'The Sign on the Door" and three with "Bulldog Drummond." The management boasts it can fill in its companies'45 weeks In a year, and the names of the directorate prob- ably explain why. Those ars J. B. Mulholland, of the Kings, Hammer- smith and elsewhere; Tom B. Davis, one of the best known of West End IN LONDON ' managers; Phillip Rodney, of t h «--»on, Cyril Raymond. Margaret Hal, Prince of Wales'. Birmingham, and stan Murle i Alexander. Olga Lindo. Frank B. O'Neil, and violet Penule. Moscovitch Is The story of "Cinderella" will form the basis of this year's Hippo- drome pantomime. "Tons of Money" opens at the Aldwych Oct 9. In the> brief space intervening between the farce's fin- ishing at the Shaftesbury and re- opening at the new theatre Donald Calthrop will produce a new com- edy. "Double or Quit." This is the work of Theophilus Charlton, the author of several provincial melo- dramas. Arthur Lewis, now playing the King of Algarve in "Decameron Nights" at Drury Lane, celebrated his 76th birthday Aug. 19, and at the same time the 50th anniversary of his connection with the theatre. Bruce Smith, the leading scenic artist, also registered 50 years at the theatre on the same day. J. H. Benrimo has taken a lease of the Ambassadors in conjunction with Archibald Nettleford and will there revive a series of popular plays. Their»flrst production will be a revival of W. G. Wllls's, historical play, "Charles I," on or about Sept. 18. tn this Russell Thorndyke will play the leading part. This play was originally produced at the Ly- ceum in 1872. *Owing to the non-arrival of the scenery, the "hus.tle" production of "Lawful Larceny,'' at the Savoy, has been postponed until Aug. 20. There has also been a change in the cast, Morgan Wallace being substituted for Lowell Sherman, who is pre- vented from appearing through do- mestic affairs. Violet Vanbrugh la to Join the Coliseum bill in a neSv playlet by Matthew Boulton. entitled "The Dif- ference." She will receive her prin- cipal support from Ben Webster. It is suggested that a new wing be added to '/Brinsworth." the Va- riety Artists Benevolent Fund home for aged performers, in memory of the late Tames W. Tate l''That"), who did valuable work as president of the fund. The organization of the committee whose duty it will be to raise the required money, about 2,000 pounds, is In the hands of Julian Wylie. ' ■ Already forecast, it Is how offi- cially announced that an Anglicized version of Willmetz and Christine's "Dede" will be Andre Chariot's next production, r.- - i When Sir Charles Hawtrey pro- duces the as yet unnamed piece by George Birmingham he will again play the part of "Dr. Lucius O'Grady," the humorous hero of "General John Regan," a play which was 0lt\ enormous success in London and provinces, but created not a few disturbances in Ireland. Boat"; the other the play, "The Passing of the Third Floor BaolO which made a fortune for Sir John* son Forbes-Robertson. - ■ ' The full cast of "The Torch,* which' Alexander Aaronsohn will produce at the Apollo in conjunction with Maurice Moscovitch. is Maurice Moscovitch, Leslie Banks, Nat MadU* working a press publicity stunt in which he says that a woman, % spiritualist but a complete stranger to him. has seen him in all his successes and has always noticed the spirit of a child hovering over his head as- though guarding the actor from failure. This, says Mos- covitch, must be ttro" spirit of hie little- sister who died many years ago. ■ Poppy Wyndham. who made a brief appearance in. the theatrical and film world some time ago and • who is the daughter of Lord Inch- cape, has Just taken out her certifi- cate as an air pilot. She married an actor, Dennis Wyndham.,after nura~ ing him during the war..but subse- quently divorced him. Lady Diana Cooper, better known as Lady Diana Manners, is also said to be taking up aviation seriously. "Fan Tan," which has Just been produced in Birmingham by the. local Repertory Company, has three acts, six characters, two murders,, and a suicide. William J. Rear, Who' created the part of Abraham Lincoln in the Drinkwater play, is the lead- ing man. > ■ Sir Charles Santley. a famous con- cert baritone, who has been seri- ously ill following an operation for appendicitis, is reported to have made considerable progress toward recovery. He is 88. "Jane Clegg" finishes at the New Sept. 16. Lady Wyndham (Mary Moore) and Sybil Thorndyke pro- duce Henri Bataille's "La Scandale" Sept. 18. H. R^f. Princess Henry of Rus- sia (her mother was a dsSter of the late Czarina) is designing the costumes for the forthcoming pro- duction of "The Cabaret Girl- slated ' to succeed "Sally" at - the Winter Garden here. The piece is being 'produced by Jack HaskelU who is also rehearsing-"The Mid- night Revel," which wOI be pro- duced at Queens Hall, Sept. 7.. Nothing definite has been settled about -the cast of "The Cabaret Glrl, ,r which follows TSally* at the Winter Garden. The principals al- ready engaged, however. Includet Dorothy Diokson, Heather Thatch- er, Molly Ramsden, Gregory Stroud, George Grossmlth and Leslie Hen- son. -.. "Double or Quits/' tried out at the Golders Green Hippodrome before coming into the West End at the Aldwych, has Robert Horton, Don- ald Calthrop, Arthur fildred, Frank Cellier. Erie Lester, Pamela Cooper, Glna Graves, Ruth Maltland. Wini- fred Izzard, Agnes Imlay, and C. W. Somerset. Donald Oakhrop pro- duced. "Belinda" finishes at the Olobe Sept. 2. Gladys Cooper'a next production at the Playhouse will be and adapta- tion of "L'Ecole des Cocottes," by Paul Armont and Marcel Garbldon. Maurice Moscovitch has secured a new play by Jerome K. Jerome entitled "The Soul of Nicholas Snl- ders." Jerome is, of course, one of our best known authors but has the singular reputation of having only written two very successful works. The one a novel, "Three Men in a i'l' 'iint Will m ike. history for • ^n^nlng a pre- The v-.iudeville secti''* t l'i« opened -,'•*' — T'lirr- ~irr I li II liiir—Mi i l«l|MBWI> by Ron nor and Mario, wire walkers; Carey. Bannon find Marr, a three- man harmony singing turn, who landed, and McCoy and Walton, who goaled them with their nut comedy and artistic hoke. The Landers bowed out of fhe olio to allow the Hoffman let to run complete and save this section from toyooming top Jtioavy. - ^Arthur Kd$b* can be- proud of fhi« unit', which will take i lot of beat- ing before ftnlshmg bacw of any show on the Shubert Circuit. It's a miracle at the prices. Con. The chairman, Albert. Voyce, and the organizer, Mente Bailey, of the Variety Artists Federat*ou._wlH at- tend the Trades Union which opens Sept. 4, Their prin- cipal object is to get the suf_ of the Unionists for the Regtstratic of Theatrical Employers, which presented in the House of Commons) April 10. j^ This bin ts for the registration; of every person who for private) j gain employs any person in anjrj theatre, musle hall, concert haJXt] circus and In-the making of a pic- ture. Although pledged to support the V. A. F. in this movement, the Aotors' Association is not being represented at the Congress. The A. A. appears to be backing the V. A, F. very half-heartedly and has la fact been negotiating with the Association Of Touring Managers with tne object of promoting an- other bill for the registration of theatrical managers only. t H Alice Delysla has evidently re- covered from the illness which was said to have compelled her retire- ment from the cast of the last Cochran revue at the New Oxford, "Mayfair to Montmartre." She v is to do a series of "flying matinees" for Moss' Empires. Teddie Gerrard Is due back. She Is almost certain to return to Andre Chariot's "A to Z," at the Prince of Wales, but a Marconlgram was sent to the Aquitaniar on which she sailed, offering her big money fog the Victoria Palace and also twat weeks at the Queens Hall cabaret* Bert Levy Is returning to America^ He sailed on the Aqultania Sept. %t He should have worked in Germanyf for four weeks on an old pre-watf contract, but discovered his salaryf of £ 125 was payable to him in Gor? man marks. So he has called th<r dates off and is settling the com-' mission also in German marks. Martin Henry, in conjunction with Arthur Cfibbons, will produce an American comedy, "Peggy, Behave," at Brighton Sept. 25. The star Is a well-known Australian actress* Eifeen Robinson. Meergie AlbanesJ, Basil RathbonsV Charles V. France and Malcolm, 1 Keen are among the cast of the^ Grossmith-Malone production of Somerse| Maugham's ' Kast of Suez"' at His Majesty's. The production! is getting a good deal of publicity^ from the fact that the management is employing GO "Chinks" for .supers. Considering the amount of hopeless unemployment, the. Chinese might have been k»ft. to the'f' own triys terious avocations and the "supers" recruited from the few Ihousunl players t ^ho- ..tie ..walking about London. SBSSSSeSSBBSBBMSSSS***?