Variety (October 1922)

«Sfff*'' Friday, October 6, 1922 NEW ACTS THIS WEEK •^;;jjr»^«V,!i; t^UfK^r*-. »;a-;-.'7n-. ^ i^. j- • I r 19 MIHLINGER and DONALDSON 6ong« «nd P'*"* 0 Minr; On« f Utbuih Xrtle Mehlinger was last teamed tolth George W. Meyer. Before that he was with other combinations, first coming Into notice about 16 years ago when as a member of the rathskeller trio, Stepp, Mehlinger and King. Mehlinger popularized the immortal "Casey Jones," singing it with an artistry that none (equalled then, or since. His latest partner, Walter Don- fildson, is a song writer and a good one, with fur more than the usua^ number of song hits to his credit than a number of song makers who have invaded vaudeville since Harry Von Tllzor proved the public were interested—more or less—In song writers on the stage some 16 years ago. Donaldson Incidentally has three songs to his credit at the pres- ent time that easily class as hits, with a background covering some eight or nine years, that discloses a substantial number of other suc- cesses. Mehlinger is on first with lyrical verso, in which he informs audience he's wild about song writers, to tune of "Wild About Harry," men- tioning former partner, G. W. Meyer, and introducing Donaldson. Donald.'^on plajs Mehlinger's piano accomfpaiiiments from there on, con- flnitig him.self to that with Meh- llnget- attending solely to the vocal department. This introduction is particularly well constructed verse, set to jingly music of the modern type, .nnd holds several laughs. A comedy number basod on the hen-pecked husband theme, but worked uy in an entlrclj' new way, with lyric.** that are a laugh from practically tlie first to the last line by Ilehlinger next,, with a ballad well !.«:»Id by Mehlinfier following. This i.s a southern ballad announced as written by Donaldson. Medley of Donladson's rong liits, past and prcs-er.l. AVhile Donaldson's songs are frequently mentioned and frank- ly so, there is no ol>vious Intent at song plugging. Whatever there is— and there's considerable—it is all cleverlj camouflaged in the lilt and humor of the lyrics. With Mehlinger's song delivery— and thcres noAe better when it comcK to )\andling pop songs—and Donaldson's song writing fame, the act holds a great deal more than just a piano and slnginR combina- tion. There's talent, and lots of it, and real entertainment in the turn. It can liold a spot anywhere in the best bills. Bell. OLIVE BAYES (2) Piano 12 Mins.; On* 5th Ave. The woman enters at the baby grand, conmiences a pop ballad and la interrupted by her partner. He Is a "straight," excepting for a com- edy cap and a Hebrew accent. The crossfire is more strenuous than Witty and gets what it does on the strength of that. Then, too, that title, a variation announcement of *'In the autumn when the leaves be- gin to fall" is far from good taste and certainly not becoming of a character comedian of his type. He has a corking sympathetic tenor that is the prime reason for the frame-up, Miss Bayes really piano accompanying after the open- ing. He gets some laughs from twistin/j "jaw-breakers," although he is not averse to pulling old ones like "Galli-Curcl Is a sister of Hootchy-kootchy." A 'Mammy" double took them off strong for an encore. The man Is recognizable as Jack Smith, formerly of the Broadway Music Co. professional staff. He Is no longer with the muf^lc house and It is not#a "plug!' act. ymith has a voice that is valuable for vaude- ville. l»ut finer discrimination In gagging should be exercised. Abel. JEAN and JACQUES Contortionists 8 Mins.; Full Stage (Spocial Drop) 58th St. Man and womifti, the f(»rmer es- saying a comedy type at opening. Tho .vciMie is a boarh with fixed dros.v;iiii; i(«nts. A pantomimic flir- tation 'bit" at the opening brings them to llie charge to bathing cos- tumes. They then proceed through a raih'T good routine of bends and twists, dolug same simultaneously. Solo work follows, the finale show- ing til.' ;jirl supporting an appar- 4mil>- Xu^vy upjwiratuii atup of which the niau runs tlimuMh a series of cont.irtion stunts on rings. The girl Is plunip and unusually large for the work slie does. It's ;« good opener for the inter- me«li;tt<> time and should find plenty of woik. Wvnn. NED jWAYBURN'S. DANCINQ DOZEN (12) \ Minttrel Dane* Act 14 Mint.; Full (SpaciaO Palace Ned Wayburn Is back again In the ranks of the vaudeville pro- ducers. There was a time when Ned Wayburn was the "daddy" of the bigger vaudeville acts with his "Minstrel Maids" and turns of that calibre. This time he Is showing at the Palace a combination dancing minstrel act that is certain to fit in vaudeville. It was one of the scenes used in the Will Rogers' "Midnight Frolic" on tour last season. There are seven boys and four girls in the ensemble with Sibylla Bowhan as a solo dancer with the aggregation. Here is a distinct find. This girl Is youthful and In style a combination of Dorothy Dickson and Irene Castle. As a dancer she is a second Pearl Regay, doing the work that Miss Regay does with a distinct style and finish all her own. She does two solo numbers In the act and leads the ensemble for the finale. Other than that, there is all en- semble work by the others with the usual plantation minstrel costumes. The boys are in black face while the girls are white. A high yaller make-up for the girls would seem- ingly lend,an added touch and pre- veVit any feeling on account of mix- ing those blacks and wliites In ap- pearance. The act is a fast moving novelty with Wayburn having staged some corking routines of stepping and it will fit anywhere that they want a real vaudeville novelty. Fred. NEWPORT. 8TIRK and PARKER Comedy, Singing and Dancing 14 Mins.; One 58th St. . .,..: A trio comprising two mi n and a girl. The men furnish the com- edy, with . the girl delivering a couple of numbers and dancing. At the opening the girl appears with one of the men and starts a num- ber, then the second of the men comes on handling one of the house wings, the two getting a good bit of comedy business out of this, A flir- tation bit that is r.*\ther old. the idea of instructing the boob how to make a jane, is pulled next, and then the men indulge in a bit of acrobatic stepping. They both try for comedy, with one puling ft***' aftrr fall for laughs. At the finish there is a fast dan- cing bit, with the girl making her appearance in a blacic .soubret cos- tume and doing some neat stepping. A double souse dance for an en- core is offered by the men following this. It Is, a small-time offering that will got by nicely. Fred. AJ^ZZ JUBILEE (6) Cc'iored Revue and Jazz Band ':5 Mins.; Full Stage American Roof Male colored jax7 band of five pieces with two additional specialty people. They are a woman singer sticking to "blues" and jazz eongs. and a r\jale dancer who Is a bear of a stepper. The turn opens with a pop medley by the musicians, followed by the girls' song "I've Got What It Takes." a peppy lyric. A jazas eccentric, well "faked" by the man, follows. The girl, after a costume change, solos to band's accompaniment. A pop selection by the musicians fol- low In which "Ciallagher and Shean" duet similar to the one created by Vincent Lopez is Interpolated. The girl, after a third change to white dress for "Harry," isr joined by the dancer, who isolos a cake walk and strut that whams them. The turn is a flash for the threc- a-day houses. The band's short- comings are effectually disguised. On the Roof they toolc one of the evening's hits. Con, SERVAIS LE ROY and CO. (5) ''Subduing a Woman with Bayonets" 13 Mint.; Full (Sptcial) 68th St. "Subduing a Woman with Bay- onets" Is a new idea in subduing them, to say the least. In the main it is an act that evidently Is an aftermath to last year's craze of "Sawing a Woman In Half," but it does not seem to have the flash that the act of many lawsuits had. Servais Le Roy, a foreign-appear- ing illusionist, is presenting the act. He has it framed with five assist- ants. There Is the subject, two women clad as nurses, and two men appearing In operating aprons' There la also considerable appa- ratus on the satge. In addition to about a dozen gleaming French bayonets. Le Roy makes a fairly Interesting opening for the act, and then the subject is brought on and hypno- tized. She Is then carried to a table and left to lie there until there is a committee secured from the audience and a number of the bayonets are duly inspected. A large semi-cyllndrlcal case is then Intro- duced and plaoed In position be- low a guillotine-like arrangement, which acts as the holder for the bayonet blades, which, descending. Is supposed to drive the blades through the hypnotized subject. The woman, after a test Is made, is placed in the cylltider and it Is again snapped into position witli th^ blades descending and osten- sibly piercing her, for when the blades are withdrawn separately they are wiped off with cloths, this being an effort on the part of the presenter to impress the audience that blood was being removed. Up to this point the act holds In- terest. Then the subject la brought out of the case uninjured and snapped out of the hypnotic state and that finishes the act. It is the fini.eh that is weak. A short speech of semi-explanation or a few words, anent the theories as to how the illusion was accomplished by Le Roy might make for a better end- ing. As it stands with a stronger finish "the act will do in the small- time houses, but with working out of a few additional idca.«< it might be developed Into a mystery feature turn that will do for the big-time houses in the smaller towns or the neigliborhood houses in the large cities. ' . - . Fred. ARTHUR ASTILL Novelty Imitations 12 Mine; Full (Special) 68th St. Arthur Astill is evidently an Englishman. His entire act be- speaks that, and the accent of both himself and the lady assistant could not be mistaken. His offering is a fairly clever small-time novelty as it stands at present. It Is a com- bination of whistling. Imitations of barnyard fowl and animals, and then Astill discloses that he is also a ventriloquist, working without the aid of any dummy. That Is about the best of the novelty part of the act. The special set is a farmyard with Astill as^ farmhand. The woman in the act la the housemaid, and there Is a touch of flirtation at the opening, with the bird Imitations following. The ventriloquial work is cleverly introduced through the maid bringing on a supposed baby for Ihe man. to watch while ahe goes down the road. At the finish another bit of whis- tling is offered. Trying for laughs in 8pot.s Astill fails to get them over, but the straight act will carry the pair around the small-time houses nicely. Fred. GARDINETTI BROS. Comedy Acrobats 9 Mines.; Full Stage 23d St. As an acrobatic display tlfe two men haven't much to offer. They do several leaps and twisters into two-lugh via pedestal to trempolin. Then they introduce a light bounc- ing brill about as big as a medicine ball. They bounce It back and forth for a moment and then a bull ter- rier bumps it into the audience. A small riot down front ensues anil the play of keeping the audi- ence slapping the ball back and forth goes on for four minutes Tossing and catrhlng conical hats, cirrus down style, takes up a min- ute or. two and for the finale one Of the men goes into tlie gallery and throws the hats to the other's head on the flage. Nothing now or startling, but the house took it up as a novelty. Good opener to get em in the mood. JlHfih, FIELDS and FINK Comedy Talk, Songs and Dance 18 Mins.; One American Roof A Hebrew comedian and girl who does straight. She also has a strong arm opposite who geta laughs by some realistic face slapping. The comic has been around with a male partner. The girl looks well in a smart costume. The material is familiar, biit well handled for small time consumption. The low comedy and rough handling followed by a catch line ejaculated by the comic was made funny thro\igh rei»etltion. In addition the girl possesses a fair singing voire. His comedy re^l- tation "Face on the LJar Room Floor" was also done formerly. The finish orrijrs when she re- ceive."? a letter from the mann^^^r "canning her." It Is followed by another for him after he has gloated over her failure. It has been done before and is no novelty. It's .1 .satisfactory spot holdei- for the Intermcdi.'ite bills. Con. WILLIE 8CHENCK CO. (3) Acrobatic Novelty 12 Mine; Full (Special) Palaca Willie Schenck formerly worked with a "brother." Hla present act has two girls assisting him. One Is a marvel In acrobatic feats of strength and the work that she does as top-mounter will make more than 50 per cent of the men top- mounters step to keep up with her. The other girl just helps to fill the picture and acts as a maid. The set is unusual for an act of this type, for instead of an over- dressed Uvinpr room a man's study is shown. It is a tastefully ar- ranged act. Schenck opena with a slow en- trance and the act is held at that tempo throughout, giving the work of himself and the girl the sugges- tion that everything is done with a matter of fact ease that lands with the audience. The routine varies between hand- to-hand and head-to-hcad stuff, with the act containing at least six tricks that haven't been seen before In just the way that this team Is doing them. The single arm work aloft that the girl does Is sure fire anywhere in the world in vaude- ville and the Palace audience Mon- day night was quick 'to catch the fact that here was the unusual in an act of this type and each of the new and more difUcult tricks were well applauded. Fred. HELENE "SMILES' DAVIS and Co. (1) 17 Mins.; One and Two (Spacial Drop) Comedy Songs, Talk, Dancaa American Roof Miss Davis, who formerly did a single, now has a male partner. The turn carries a special drop through which the man. In tuxedo "boob" outfit, enters for a comedy prolog, which is weak us regarjds his de- livery. Miss Davis In evening dress fol- lows for an "interruption"' bit and crossfire consisting of kidding him. The material gets little. She solos "t;ive Me, a Smile or Two." follow- ing up with her chorus girl traves- ties. He Is worked In as a chorus man In striped coat and cap and joined by her for a song and dance. The act goes to "two," a box dressing-room set, allowing Miss Davis to change In view and mono- log about the burlesque chorister of long ago. The imitation follows. The man is in eccentric costume as .the "King of Siam" for a song and dance travesty in which he handles her roughly. Another "view" change by her to the Zlegfeld Follies girl of today In knickers and headdress. Ho joins her In tux for a double song which she interrupts intermittently with a comedy remark. A double dance concludes. The act contains an Idea that, can be developed. As It Is the opening is light with the turn building up to fair returns for a small time vehicle, which It Is distinctly. Both people have limitations and should stick to specialties. The man's ef- forts at satire are but fairly satis- factory. On the roof, where Miss Davis Is familiar, they liked the act. Before similar turnouts It should pass. w Con. KAPLAIN and BELL Song and Talk 15 Mins.; One (Special) 23d St. A picturesque Spanish exterior backs up the act. The lights are soft to plant the Spanish- atmos- phere. Miss Bell in elaborate man- tilla costume is listening to the "love song" serenade off-stage. Kaplan In cork enters In picturesque Span- ish costume. The rest Is a series of specially written double numbers with yodel variations by Kaplain. The yodeling la the lattcr's forte and the act's featOre. (Kaplain h.a8 also made yodel recordings for the piionograph disks.) A bright No. 2 act for the In- termediaries. Similarly spotted here. Abel. JACK MARTIN and BAND (8) Song, Danca, Jazz Band 17 Mint.; Three (Special) 23d St. • Jack Martin, the monopode dancer, haa "productioned'' his offering through the addition of a six pie"o jazz band and pretty blue drapt-s. He always had tv.o girls assisting him. The act opens with the jaT.z band In full blast and the girls dressing the stage. The songstress handles a waltz number vocally, tlie jazzers again soloing. It consists of piano, violin, sax, drums, cornet and trombone. Martin then enters for a fast double dance with his partner. It Is a whirlwind number and one does not distinguish the crutch right off. The band jazzes again, a girl solos a ballad and again the musicians have an Inning. The sextet Is a capable aggregation, but they overdo their stuff. A cakewalk by Martin with the two girls takes them off big. Martin presents a neat, smiling front, discounts the sympathy angle altogether and Impresses the more accordingly. The act closed the show at the 23d St. and waa a de- cided hit. However, It can stand three or four mlnutea of the axe. Abel. HEGEDU8 SISTERS (2) Violinistes 19 Mins.; Ona Palaca A high class offering rather to be expected on the concert stage than in vaudeville, but In vaudeville it la a distinct asset, for to say the least it Is different. There is one thing about an act of this nature and that is that it must be aold to the aver- age vaudeville audience. Placing the offering in the No. 2 spot of a bill won't do that and it is an In- juatlce to the act and to the public as well. If the act waa bought at a number two acfa salary then those* who managed to get it should bo showmen enough to realize on Its possibilities and sHI it as though It coat the salary of a headliner. or at least a feature turn, for that is the value that there Is In thJ.«* offering. There are two Hegedus Sisters, both play the violin and both play extremely well. They have an accompanist at the piano who Is so much ^ part of the act that he is worthy of billing In the combination. Hla name la Juan Reyes and In a solo number, which was played by him Immediately after their first number, he scored terrifically and really started the act on Its^way to a hit. The girls have but three numbers programed, but this three are pre- faced by two others. There is a little that could be cut from the act reducing Ita running time from 19 to about 15 minutes. At the open- ing the glrla offer a double number, followed by the pianist's "Blue Dan*, ube" solo, after which each of the girls haa an Inning and then flrally another double number. Monday night they virtually stopped the show and It waa legitimate for thoy did not Indulge In excessive bov, ing. r 7 Fred. 4^ STRASSEL'S WONDER SEAL 8 Mins.; Full 23d St. Tlie seal Is a truly clever animai and a corking sight act for any- body's theatre. It balances things on his nose, does the usual comedy antics and tops it off with blowing "America" on a series of pitched horns. There are a flock of laughs in that bit, either through design or accident, when the animal blows <*ff-kcy and then corrects itself. The personable young man wlio ,'>uts the seal through its paces Is .a modest worker and only annotincs the musical bit for the getaway The aft entertained immensoly opening. Abtl. BOBBIE LEHMAN V Female Impersonations 12 Min.; One and Two • Pantagea, Kansas City Kansas City, Oct. 4. Bobbie Lehman. ..a clever younx- ster who bills himself as The l>i- minutive Flapper," was in the s-.t- ond spot at the Pantagos last we: k and during his 12 minutes made four changes of costume, introduced a neat little dance and a song witii each and captured the femaU- por- tion of the audiences with his clever impersonations. This kid, for he is not over 12. will probably not stay on the small time long. Opening in "one." drensed in Colonial costume, modernized. h« used "Olden Days." After his first number he waa in "two," set as a lady's boudoir, and made hi.** changes In view of the audience, as- sisted by hla mother aa a maid. His second number, "Cute Littlo Way," a pleasing selection given very Frenchy, was followed by i^ bathing suit bit which gave him an opportunity to display a stunning plnlc costume. The fourth ciiunflro was to a blue creation and his selec* tion a jazz number, was i>ut over with much pep. The name "Bobbie" on the pro- grams did not mean anything to th'» audience, most of whom were igno- rant as to his gender, and the re- moval of the blonde curls wa' a i f al surr)ri'i*'. ^_______„^__„ Tills \ oiKiuslcr is a cohier, ann v.hile his voiec is nothing t<. : .'ilK)iit. his per.<^onallty and thf .,i, with wiiif'h he prfscnts li^; ^Miff should g* I him into fast com