Variety (December 1922)

Friday, December 1, 1922 NEW SHOWS THIS WEEK 19 l.t 1 T PRANK and JOHN DUMAS Lift Act , t Mln«.| Four (Parlor) t3d St. Two men opening In golflng sutU that look very new, and in a parlor. ■•t. There is a severe storm going on, according to the effects, but after the meh look out of the window, ■without saying anything to the audi- ence or each other, the storm sub- aides. Then they do a couple of lift tricks, and after those they remove their coats. And after that they do some more lift tricks, one or two new twists among the familiars. And then for the finish they do the Begal and Moore Jumping up som- ersault with the bearer catching the flier by the heels. It was a good trick when Regal and Moore first did it and it Ftill is a good trick for whoever can do it. The only oddity here is that the understandor of the lift work be- comes the flier of the aerial trick, and the top mounter for the lifts Is the bearer, 'suapending himself from a trapeze concealed in lamp shade high up on the stage. Will go along on the small time through the linUshing trick, but need to pad out their turn to make It long enough to be in demai.' for small time, v.hore they m<»asure by the yard In.stead of by ability. • ^ - ... 8lme. SHELDON, BAl LENTINE and HEFT Piano, Songs and Dances 16 Mins.; Full Stage (Special Sat) Broadway Two men and a woman, In full stage within a special eye. A piano is utilized to adv.intaRe, one of the male members opening with a song at the instrument, followed by the other couple dancing. The male dancer does a corking Kiissian acrobatic routine that calls for In- dividual comment, while the girl's toe dancing and general leg work are of the very best. She is pretty, graceful, splendidly built and ex- ceptionally agile. The pianist has a novel solo to (ill in the change; a sort of alibi lyric, continually apologizing for his activity. It's one of the oddities of the season. Team and solo work are completed by the trio dancing the Anale. The turn has been cleverly routined and the girl adds some Taluable heft by her splendid work. This combination measures up to big time expectations and should make the connection Immediately Da their Broadway results. Wynn. TOM KELLY 6toH«« and Songs 16 MlM.1 One llroatfway Kally is back east with a ltln« of stories, all of Celtic few having preceded him, t>Bt , 9^ the whole all welcome, faultlessly delivered and productive of Individual "wows" each and every one. And Kelly, despite the years, still retains his Beau Brummel appear- ance, showing little physical or facial change since the days of Kelly and Violette of "Fashion Plate" fame during the days of Pastor's. Mr. Kelly open.s with an Irish ditty and proceeds right through his repertoire of stories, closing with "Lucky Jim" and exhibiting an un- usually strong and musical voice. Qood stories are always sure-fire In vaudeville when properly told. Kelly knows the art and has all the accompanying essentials that go with the delivery. He had them roaring at the Broadway, his mugging heli)ing immeasurably. He can't mis.s here or anywhere. Wynn. KELSO and DeMONDE Talk and Songs ) 14 Mine.; One (Special Drop) Classy singing and talking act, the talking predominating in quantity and build around an Interesting little story that allows plenty of scope for good pointed dialog. Kelso Is a seasoned vaudevilllan, one wise to all the intricate tricks permissible before the apron and he passes no single opportunity In this skit. Miss DeMonde Is a strik- ing brunet, who exhibits unusual sense in dre.'^aing. A cloth drop depicts the exterior of a bungalow. Kelso Is an attorney calling to foreclose a mortgage. The girl goes through the conventional flirtation business and the talk un- folds a series of continuous laughs. The catch line has to do with "fathers secretary" and Is utilized for the finish, where, after prac- • cally winnni? the girl he learns "father's secie'ary" is her hu.sband. This is preceded by a fast dance, the young woman showing unusual agllHy, an attractive form and a flash of real big time speed. It's away above the average dou- ble act of its kind and should gain big time attention. They scored an unquestionable hit at the 5th Ave- nue. Wynn. MIDNITE REVELS Henry P. Dixon's Shube«rt vaudeville unit. Music and lyrlca by Vnughn da I<eath and Harold here. At the Central, New York. Nov. 27. Dan I>ody credited with revua dance starlns. Vaudeville acta: Billy Pur- rella and Kvelyn Kamaay, Three Chuma. Bayonna Whipple and Walter Iluaton. Claire l»ovln»'. aiM*u»i»'(l by lOiliot Jiiolii; «!torKe Mayo, Ralph lUggn and Katharine WItchie, with Mack Ponch, vlolinitit. Adriitlonal principala In the revue: Packey Callahan, Rthel Roiie, Juse Carter, Buck I.eo, PUU Doian, Tom Morriaon. Tubby Uarroo. COLONIAL LILLIAN HERNE and CO. (3) Sketch 20 Mint.; Full (Special) Comedy playlet, around the tri- angle pre.«?ented by a company of four, equally divided as to sex. The skit is surrounded by a parlor set in drapes with a special drop of similar material fronting. At times the sketch script calls' for what practically amounts to a monolog by Miss Heme. It Is on the subject of how the boys will chase the girls whether tied up or not. It's in a comedy vein and while gaining more or less laughter, is nevertheless somewhat tedious. The cast boasts of nothing above JudglniT from previous reports Shubert vaudeville has been more or less of a bust generally. Keith's Palace, New York, directly opposite the Central, has not been given much cause for worry through com- petition, yet it will be interesting to compare this week's takings at both houses. "Midnlte Revels" is good eiinTUJinmem, and wjie'.iier the av- erage patron would rather pay $1.65 for an orcliestra chair at the I'alace or $2.20 at the Central Is open to conjecture. As a matter of fact, however, "Midnite Kevels" more nearly approaches musical comedy extravaganza in some respects, and the comparison as concerns this unit is somewhat inconsistent, particu- larly as concerns the afterpiece. Whipple and Huston's "Time Will Tell," which has played Keith and Orpheum vaudeville, has been in- geniously strung out as the theme of the revue section, carrying the action through a number of scenes, concluding with a "while slave in Chinatown," set in the dungeon of Low Down Ciuy, with Claire Devine as the beautiful white slave captive. Walter Huston as Sherlock Holmes conducts the captive's sister (Bay- onne Whipple) to the dungeon.' Watson, liolmes explains, is the father of the Watson Sisters (last week at this house in "Stolen Sweets"). The revue section is In nine Hcenes, in two of which George Mayo doubles in "one," with Claire Devine and Kvelyn Kamsay In turn. Sam Morris is credited with the author- pii.p of boUi turns -which depend cons Verabiy on Mn^ o's Hebrew low comedy work to click. The olio section Is pretty smooth vaudeville considering the lack of "names." Billy Purcella and Evelyn Ramsay start what develops to be a dnnce marathon, with some cork- ing buck-and-wing stepping. Dance, the average, though the role of the brother was made to predominate ^^a"';^^/^*"^^ Is the word thereafter K,. *u^* «„..fi^..i„.. ««^i.,-^..«i until the final curtain, 11:20. While by that particular Individual. »»..,. „^ i„ „„ ,.., ..i..- .'# tu^ » ^ «« by that partlcula The act did nicely at an afternoon showing and should fulfill its mis- sion of amusing throughout the there is an overplus of tlie terps in sum total it has i>een skillfully a:- ranged and does not bore. The Three Chums handled their vocal offerings smaller houses. Especially so if the nicely in their clubby atmosphere, running time, 20 minutes, were to i'^'h«,. ^V'hipple-Hu.ston ''l^nJon Bur be abbreviated. Bkig. BARR, MAYO and RENN B'mglng and Talking 12 Mins.! One Two men and woman, straight maa. comic and soubret. Talking bit With bu.sinc.ss remindful of bur- iMquc The old badger game with ft tomewhat different twist starts the act. F«)llowlnK, the three get down to liusines.s for the meat and put over some of the pleasanteat close harmony luard around in a long time. Each of the three has a real singing voice, and blend per- fectly. The straight has appoaranre and handles talk above th<' average. Comlo does a sort of modified boot type and gets laughs without forc- ing them. Woman is a looker and handles talk and business very well. Ths comedy preceding the .«in«ing could be grently Iniprovud and padded out with i)ett( r niateri;tl. An excoii,.Mt turn as It stands for the nelghborht.od houses, with tal- ent that would send them ahead with a rush, with th«« comedy im- provement mentioned. , . Bel, ROMA DUO Dancing 12 Mins.; Full Stags Man and woman, apparently re- cruits from a Russian dajpcing turn, in a series of doubles and singles usually associated with the Russ acts. Double for opening with both in wintery skating costumes. This introduces some skating steps. Double Russ folk dance next. Man singles with whirls and pirouettes, while woman changes costume. Woman In Russ hock stepping tof single, followed by man In some leg Over leg stuff and more hock step- ping. Change of costume by man for latter single. Double for finish, man pirouet- ting on one foot and woman doing familiar foot and leg gymnastics. Fair dancing turn of the ultra con- ventional sort. Acceptable as small time openers. BeTl, ATWELL and DRYDEN Songs and Talk 18 Mins.; one Golden Gate San Francisco, Nov. 29. Dryden enters to make some In- troductory talk concerning his goat- gland baby followed by Atwell who appears on a toy tricycle attired as the infant. Following some more Introductory conversation Atwell goes Into a goat-gland song that offends as much as it entertains. The next entrance has Atwell In a wheelchair with Dryden as the attendant. The former offers talk to some appreciative laughter, thence suceeded by his famous bug song with verses galore. Too many. In fact. The act failed to get over and the characters assumed by Atwell seemed to detract more than any- thing elne. Wlih their present ma- terial the couple would do better if working straight. SUTHERLAND SEXTET 12 Mint. Full Stage Mixed ^;(^\let of niUMirlana opening \yilh 8axt)plior.e nieilley of popular .song.H. One in blackface goes after ) glar" skit was a comedy high-light which fitted In nicely. The twist at the finish, with the burglar's victim In the dentist chair and her nitrous oxide dream-burglar metamorphosed as the dentist performing the molar extraction was a surprise twist. Claire Devine bill.s herseK jis t*"^ "statuesque comedienne." She Is all of the former, a great big, iH-auuiui blonde girl. The comedienne end Is somewhat discounted by her reten- tion of the "Rex Beach summer resort" crack, although her bon mot anent "Schubert's Serenade" is for- givable wherein she brags she knows the two boys who wrote it quite well, Jake and Lee. "My Man" takes lisr off in full dramatic climax, the best ("hing of her routine. El- liot Jacob! piano accompanies in- telligently and does straight in some of the gagging effectively. George Mayo's low comedy "fun- o-logue" Is effective In its ingrati- ating shifting from point to point for interest sustaining. He flits from one comedy vein to another, now versifying, now gagging, next singing, then clowning, never pro- longing any one Idea unduly. Ralph RIggs and Katherlne Witchle closed the olio with as top- py a dance act as has ever graced any stage, vaudeville or production. The team has made Its mark too often in musical comedy to neces- sitate mention of its adaptability in that direction. In execution, evo- lution and presentation Riggs and WItchie have no dance peers. The afterpiece discloses a rather flat looking chorus which could be shown to better advantage with the nice costuming and mounting. Their slightness suffers by contrast to the several Amazonian show- girls. General tallness was proba- bly aimed for, with little considera- tion for t^ymmetry. This is the first Shubert unit reviewed by the under.signed, but. judging fr{>m intensive study of Variety's national reviews as they have come into the New York olllcc, this probably more nearly ap- proarhr.s the Shubert unit Ideal than anything yet noticed. The dreailcd and adver.sely burlefl«iue coinpai i.^'on. doubtlessly an odious parallel to the unit produrrrs, is attsent here, al- though the bit and number ide.i in rare spot.^ rcmlni.scrs of biirlesquc. The olio Is honest vaudeville in its fullest sense and the revue lean.'; ratbor more to the musical romedy extra\aganza side than burle.sque. Abfl The first week of the Colonial under the booking direction of Johnny Collins augurs well for the house. A nine-act vaudeville bill laid out like a fairway on a golf course Is as smooth as pre-war Scotch. The show built up like a pyramid with a leaning toward comedy. It was a perfect blend of vaudeville entertainment that pleased the three-quarter capacity crowd Monday. A slight rearrangement after the matinee moved Harry Burns and Co. up from after Intermission to No. 8. replacing Stephens and Hollister, who were billed but not present. Swift and Kelly moved up one notch Into the vacancy. The rearrangement proved o. k. Burns stopped the show In the early spot with his familiar, "wop" and musical turn. The act is a mixture of hoke and sure-fire musical in- strument playing, topped off with a Gallagher and Shean song imitation. The show started well, with the De Marios (New Acts), a corking trapeze and contortion pair, shoving off. Rule and O'Brien, second, tore off three popular songs, then landed them with "That's How You Can Tell They Are Irish" before a sym- pathetic audience. Another encore ^-as demanded, the boys doing a fast 13 minutes and leaving them yelping. After Burns came "Janet of France." The French girl got to them early with her dialectic liber- ties with American slang. Tommy Tucker, at the piano, also straighted and sang. Neither was in good voice, which may be blamed on the weather. The crossfire and Intense love making of the girl were good for laughs and landed them safely. Gordon Dooley and Martha Mor- ton (New Acts) were fifth and scored one of the hits of the seaHon. Bobby McLean and Co., the cham- pion ice skater, closed the first half. McLean's act is preceded by a pic- ture showing his championship match in Norway. At the end of the picture Gordon Dooley staggered out with a pair of skates strapped on him. He addres.sed the house, re- marking that he was going to prac- tise a few epileptic strokes. Mc- Lean followed with his chair Jump- ing specialty and speed demonstra- tion. Between them Burke and Blue did some fancy skating that caught on. It's an interesting novelty and was spotted just right here. After intermission and topics a real novelty for vaudeville was pre- sented, though unprogramed. It was '"Motlon-Muslc," a mechanical piano, playing a record by Rudolph Ganz. A picture of the musician playing perfectly synchronized with the record so that the fingering technique could be followed much better than during a physical con- cert, was one of the interesting fea- tures. The house sat spellbound, following every move of the photo while a spot light was trained on the piano off to one side. The novelty holds extraordinary possibilities for vaudeville. Swift and Kelly followed In "Gum Drops" and copped. The artistic little crossfire idea followed all of the blatant rough comedy and scored strongly. Miss Kelly's sweet personality and Tom Swift's clean- cut facetious comedy made an ap- pealing combinajtlon. The double song at the finish and Miss Kelly's solo were high lights. They ran to a speech. The Four Mortons, next to clos- ing, got on about 10.28 and did 29 minutes. Clara iClorton replaces Martha, and did her singing and musical specialty, topped off by a buck dance to her own piano ac- companiment. An old-time song and dance at the finish In silk coats and bowlers looked new. Gordon Dooley and Martha walked In on the act for some clowning and kidding about the recent nuptials. The Mor- tons were their usual panic. To make the walking In complete, the Castlllians, a posing act, closed with Sam Morton posing In the center of the bronze figures for the first pose. It has laugh and helped the poseurs to avert the walk. The Colonial has been a weak sister In the Keith family for the past two seasons. Judging by the opening bill Doctor Collins has the right prescription. He sent them home talking, and word of mouth advertising is all this neighborhood house needs. A sign thrown on the picture hheet announced the Colonial will .show the best in vaudeville. It pulled applause in the middle of the evening. C'on. tlon there waa also a Mutt and Jeft comedy and a news weekly. Following the Pickford picture the overture the orchestra played was composed of the hits of 1910, also 12 years ago, and the audience heartily applauded such old favorites as "Alexander's Ragtime Band," "V\'altln' ftn- the Robert E. Lee," "Shade of the Old Apple Tree" and others. Opening the vaudeville section, Pickard's Seals (New Acta) got some applause and a few laughs. Jerome and France (New Acts), a mixed singing and piano team, got awRy to f.ilr returns. Cameron and 0'C#«nor had their old routine, almost as old as the Pickford picture. The house woke up with the ad- vent of "The Creole Cocktail." the all-colored mixed jazz and singing and dancing combination. That act was entirely to their fiklng. Kddle Foyer, who followed, had to wait for the applause to die out before ap- pearing. He suffered from a cold and was slow In getting started, but when he got to his routine of res- taurant gags he got the house, and the recitations held them to the fin- ish. Foyer Is at the house for the full week, headlined, as was Tan- guay for the entire seven days. Closing the show Eleanor Pierca and her two dancing boys pleased. Sight acts always do at this house, but Miss Pierce has two corking dancing boys with her, and although it is hard to get them In the prolog bit they make up for it when step« ping. Fred. RUTH and CLIFFORD iome.iy in a Tttann. r reminiscent of ff"^ and Dance this type of a<-t .1 decade ago. '''* '^'"» ' °"» 125th St. f Nit<^. ai>pe,ir!ng ml.xrij colored tr-.'im in a fast sotig and d.ince rou- ] Popular en.senibles brokm up l-y a cornet and trombone nolo by the ("ome<lian with the finish a .fpecia! arrangen-.tnt lirii\;;.s l.iuphs through I tine. Mi.^s Ktjfli luolcs nir<' in ah the "musical cro-'^.^^lirc" aimed at the | brevlated costtime and Clin'onrs j comedian. tux dre-^e.-j the turn up .'rn.trtiy. ' The .irt will d> nliv-ly for i,he Iq-lTh.^ dt"> ^''fr** sp(»tted .No. 2 ^it the. termediaie houses*. Con. IToih "Si. and aeon d. Abel LOEWS STATE The vaudeville section the first half got off second best, as far as entertainment was concerned. The picture Kortlon seemingly was more to their liking. Judging from the lit- {I<^ T(^turn that they gave the act.s on their efforts. MviiUay night the storm hent in a tulr'.y good-sized house by 7, and by 8.80 the entirg lower fioor was almost fiiled. The usual --iK acts, with ' Thelma," the feature picture, starring .lane XoN.ak. The r.ufsf.iTltUtig film feature. Iu)we\«'r, WAS the rj-yrr»r-i)M L'ni- vers.ai i'n whic h Mary I'ickforTI Kup- porte.l King ItaKKot. This was a howl to th« .S(ate audienre, they laughing their hf-ads off at the titllpg, which "kidded the piciure. Jn add)- CAPITOL, UNION HILL The Capitol Amusement Co. and Bill McCaffery held an opening across the river Monday night, on the occasion when the doors wer« thrown open within the new Twin Theatre building of Union Hill. The house Is unique In that the lobby serves Its purpose for both a vaude- ville and picture auditorium. That portion of the structure to be de- voted to screen offerings and named the State will not have Its premiere until Christmas day, but the blg« time half was formally launched on Its career Monday, a week beyond six months after the cornerstone had been laid. The tearing down of the old school building, which originally held the site and the erection of the present three-story ofilce and double theatre establishment consumed Just 10 months. Which may or may not be a record, but is, nevertheless, speed. The same might bo said of the speakers at the premiere, one being Governor Edwards, who, in dedicating the house displaced just 25 minutes before allowing the-pro- gram to get under way. Pretty fair, when it Is considered that there were half a dozen of them. The combined seating capacity of the Twins Is reported as 4,800, with the picture section holding 1,800 and the vaudeville 2,600. Done In old gold. Ivory and white, with a tre- mendous downstairs and a spacious balcony, the front of the house can hold its own with any New York twice-daily theatre as to appear- ance. The stage has a depth of 2S feet, with a 48-foot opening and a 14-plece orchestra Is installed In the pit. Frank O. Hall; who has already sponsored a few theatres In Jersey, Is credited with having put this twin theatre project across. The money was raised by subscription, having a heralded list of 1,000 local sub- scribers, for which they will enter- tain the life-long privilege of enter- ing cither of the theatres free. It Is claimed this amusement establish- ment will draw from a more or less neighborhood population of 100,000, and to that effect will Inaugurate a nine-act split-week policy. The State. Jer.«<ey City, is the other half, outside of the initial bill, which re- mains for the full week. The price list runs 25-S5-50 at the matinees and 60-75-11 evening, while the shows are to be booked from the Keith oflrtces, McCaffery oflfloiating. Fred W. Schroeder Is resident man- ager. As proverbial, the opening was life In getting started, due to an entirely Invited audience. The exact time was 9:30, when Lucas and Inez m.'tde their appearance. The enforced de- lay caused the elimination of liitHp- mission and forced much switch; tig of the running order. As originally lined up the show would have played with I..ucas and Inez. Dooley nnd Storey. (Jeorge Le Maire. Wells, Vir- ginia anti West, and Lopez's Orches- tral in the first h.ilf, with Davis .md Darnell, Yvette Rugel, Tom Patri- cola and Jo.sefsson's Icelanders in the latter portion. At that the show ran belter than would ordinarily be conceded und^r the existing circum->fances, h.iving Lopez gaining the api>lauf«e hit of the evening Davis and Darn'dl and Tom Patricola were the wor.««t suf- ferers, due to the la t o n osn of the hour, though both came through to hold and do nicely with the specta- tors, who had been seated ."ince around 8 o'clock. TUc 9h'..iv iuiiloybtedly straiiirht- cncd out TueJjil.i/ iuJy a corking vaudeville entert.iirimcrif .in.T 8lv>uld give the house a sple?idid gctav\ay, nn r.incornv the .Ter"=<ey|fe5i. C^'rt 'c.- ly the iheitrc lt.«c;f will do a'v.'iy with the old ml )n Hill kuk. and th«^ only tiling to worry about now i< Just how much that nine-act,fi»:u- w<fk iH.I. V is noinK U>, intfvfv ^j With ^icCarTery's g^»f game. Sita.