Variety (December 1922)

9t NEW SHOWS THIS WEEK f --.■ Friday, December 15, 1922 workinfir for 15 minutea solid to laughs all the way. It was a Krcat laugh halt of a bill, but that the earlier section was shy on laughs one of the three later A turns would have fitted better in the opening seHsion. Closing, the Four Phillips with a combination of juggling, balancing and risley work managed to hold the audience in rather well. Fred. 23rd STREET A bright little show the first half at this Proctor house further en- hanced by the elimination try-outs of an "opportunity contest." The successful heat winners will be In- cluded in a 'Greenwich Village Revue" at this house all next week. The Gordon Stewart Sisters, a dance team, assisted by Eddie Gold at the piano, were, started off fast. Hal and Hazel Langton (New Acts) were followed by John KUiott and Girls, the topliners. It's a fast dance revue^that requires but little to travel In^ faster company. The four girls are all specialty dancers and look well collectively. Another asset is the lyric diction which makes the introductory verses mean something to the audience. Elliott ', himself is a hard worker and is J^ probably responsible for the traln- ' Jng of his support. The idea is that of a "jazz dance studio." Elliott in- structing the girls. This cues for Imitations. Foster and Ray, the second act, with the flirtation opening devel- oped beyond that conventional start along new lines of repartee and crospflre. The woman does not capitulate so easily, the chatter re- volving on her continuous rebuffs against the man's advances. Her retorts to his fly wise-cracking makes for some delicious laugh re- turns. " McGrath and Deeds, with a double song routine, do more than the aver- age two-man combination. It lies In Joe McGrath's downing and com- edy work. Deeds doing straight but more humanly than the usually arti- ficial debonair affectation. The boys build up with the stuff with char- acter interludes of which a man and wife number stands out. Mulroy, McNeece and Ridge, two men and a woman, did nicely in the shut position with a zippy roller skating routine. The buck and winging off the mat, while on *9kates. In solo and ensemble forma- tion adds a little novelty. Good ' closing turn. Aheh AMERICAN Nine acts without one solitary bit of spontaneous fun is a record. There is a fair sprinkling of near- comedy jind several acts of good tipecialty layout, but there is not a full-throated haw-haw from 8:30 to 11:20, Including one of the poorest film features of the season. The high spot of the frame-up is a straight dancing turn by two colored boys, doing the polite in monocles find Tuxedos and placed opening ntermission. They were good be- cause they were crackerjack dancers and stuck to dancing, venturing into talk only momentarily and when they needed the breathing space. Everybody else either tried to cloak the elu/«ive giggle with Indifferent talk and gagging or played for the guffaw with falls and neck spins. The talk from first to last was dull level monotony, but they all did it. The bill sets a new mark for wise- cracking puj^s and nifty comebacks between man and woman or man and man or man and audience, but returns were light. One of these, a Napoleon of the small-time, is going to appear and take the booking situ- ation by the throat by setting up the ukase that specialists must special- ize and a nine-act bill must not have more than seven talking acts. Swain's Animals are cats and rats. They don't talk, but they have been routined in a lazy, slovenly turn. The cats have to be urged to do their simplest tricks and the rats do the same tight-rope, walking four times, each time almost identically. The finale, with two cats in a boxing bout, is a splendid bit. It saved the act from a flop and made it a first- rate starter. But why shouldn't the rest of the turn be made brisk? Lowe and Stella have dropped the second girl. The pair have a series of conversational numbers that probably have been written for them especially. The girl is a great looker and dresses beautifully, besicles han- dling several graceful bits. But their talk is wasted effort. The Wiese Trio are frank knockabout <lowns, varying their routine with a bit of perch work, some risley material and some clean ground tumbling. Char- acteristically an opener or closer, they were spotted No. 3. a difficult place for the sort of turn. They were on and gone in seven minutes, ' delivering a brisk routine of various material in that space _ Dan Downing and "Buddy" came nearest to a hit out of the whole assortment. His Chappy Aveling routine Is smoothly delivered and he has just the casual knack for getting the. quiet stuff over, but he missed an opportunity with his new part- ner, a straight violinist who plays numbers demanded fiom the audi- ence. The American crowd were enthusiastic suggesters, but Instead of working the audience calls for comedy points, Downing got out of paliencc hecauce they wa/ited to,kid. liistead of helping the youn^r violin- ist display his talent. The young- ster is a capital musician, and his solo at the finish got a real hand, but Downing could have worked the audience fur a wealth of good stuff if he had played it that way. William Rand and Co. rNew Acts) wasted a lot of time with a straight talking sketch. Then came inter- mission. Jim and Jack were the col- ored pair that lifted the show fol- lowing the wait, but It sagged again in "Rolling On." another talking comedy skit, with a song and dance finish as an after thought (New Acts). Came next to closing, where If ever there must be a knockout If the day was to be saved. It wasn't. Case and Mayne.are tall, skinny young knorhabout comedian and buxom girl feeder. Their introduc- tory talk was against them from the view point of ^n audience already talked to death, and when the plump girl opened up with a sentimental ballad at 10:25 all hope was lost. The couple are not gaited for that position, and with this combination never will be. The young man has a trick for amusing knockabout and can dance more than a little. But the best way to capitalize these twin and valuable talents is by no man- ner of means the peddling of bum puns and crude repartee. There ought to be some natural humor In the combination of a plump, moon- faced and very prcttv girl and a string bean partner, bul they make not one mention of the circumstance. Roy Mack and Peggy Bentley were refreshing as the closing turn with a clean cut, sightly and grace- ful routine of lively roller skating. Nice looking young people, attrac- tively dressed and se»^ming to enjoy their contribution to the program. Hush. 5TH AVE. Busincs;^ was capacity upstairs and down Tuesday night. And the bill, without a "name," warranted it. The old place hummed with up- standing vaudeville of the old and new schools, and the show was a joy. ^ J. C. Mack, that delightful scena comic identified with Mother Goose and the Old Woman in the Shoe, showed a somewhat changed turn^ since he Introduced his present vehicle. The veteran artist, with his quaint coughs and asides and his Inimitable gait, has long been one of the delights of vaudeville. His production is considerable, and he now uses a shadowgraph finish with a trick effect that makes It seem all the "children" are runing right into the audience and Mother Goose is chasing them with the broom. The act runs 25 minutes, maybe just a little long. The whole bit with the census-taker might be elided. But there aren't a dozen entertainers in the whole vaudeville realm who could hold for the tirfle as Mack does. He Is using four girls In the chorus now and the "Simon" gets his stuff over. Crafts and Haley should have been spotted next to closing, as Nor- wood and Hall, cinch team that they are, proved too quiet for the loca- tion. But Crafts and Iln.ley took it on the run and were over. The comedian of this combination would^ be a pickup for a revue or musical show. He has a remarkably en- gaging face, and his smile is easy and taking. The straight man sings and suppoits capably. "But the nut is a scream and a bang. With his voice, appearance and ap- proach, and the somehow classy personality that challenges his low material and broad delivery, he is a ready asset. This turn Is ripe for any position on any bill. Even the opener went for a whoop. Herberta Beeson, an athletic looking gfrl who did flying splits and bang- up stepping on the tight wire, pulled off a wig and turned out to be a boy —much excitemenf. Kennedy and Mason (New Acts) deuced it off fairly well. Norwood and Hall, the quietly working pair, never reached the customary speed, some of the nifties going out through the air- shaft. It wasn't just their sort of audience. In the uptown houses they goal 'cm. Here they were on pretty late and followed too much knockabout stuff to register with their neat, subtle method and stuff. Snow, Columbus and Hoctor car- ried on largely through the cute lines and snappy work of little Miss Hoctoc t Harriet), a bobbed-haired imj> who can do every sort of toe and modern stepping, who has a cunning form and face, and who dominated the act despite being consigned to the support of the two men. They work with zip and abil- ity as well, but their singing should come out right away, even If It causes dead stage wait.^. They for- merly worked with a well-Known big-time soubret and apparently have branched out for themselves on the strength of their experience and confldence. They have an accept- able act. but modesty wouM suggest that the lady's name go at least in the mtddtc—the audience will bet that she is ".Snow ' where no' pro- grams are issurd. The on I can tour the best time an.v time. Binns and Grill clo.sctl. Barring their unne<cs.'?ary "entrni e," the removal of coats (very criide) and working m vests antl fliirt -sleeves, they mak«' a rMu> showing of hand- to-hand gymnafjlics. They should work in bloii.'<es cr tights, and '-an do it in "one." Their levo:-.ige lifts arc uncanny, and u hod jino done with Lhe understander lying fac3 downward was a wallop. A straight- up closed it with a snapper. Harry Kahne had the Fifth Ave- nue gang so tied up with wonder- ment and BO goggle-eyed with his six-ln-one mental pyrotechnics that even the kidders didn't break loose when he asked for come-backs. Kahne gets more fluent and surer every day. The poem he recited as an encore was all out of place and should not be repeated. But the body of his work was so brilliant, so clean-cut, so gaspingly incredible that What In other hands might be a boresome demonstration became a thrilling entertainment. Lait. WHIRL OF NEW YORK "The Whirl of New York," at the Central this week. Is one of the Shuberts* own units. Frances White, who recently closed with "The Hotel Mouse," is added for the week. Monday night the Central was about three-quarters fllled on the lower floor with the two-for-johe patrons and paper customers, be- sides cut-raters, present in con- siderable numbers, judging from the appearance and presentations at the box-office window. The show as a whole is a good average entertainment, judged by Its predecessors. Miss White gave the vaudeville portion a touch of cla.ss It badly needed, adding punch to that portion In the before inter- mission spot. Opening in a black knee length <fress, she sang "Gee, But I'm Glad I'm Small." followed by a neat dance. Her patent leather hair dressing was on view in het next number, when she discarded her hat. A piano solo by her un- programed accompanist plugged a gap, while she wore Chinese pa- jamas for Pigtail," a "cute" lyric for her. In rompers Jiiss White sang "I'd Like to Be a Monkev In the Zoo" and "Ohio." the latter her strongest and best. A change to burnt orange and velvet ankle- length evening gown for a few re- marks lauding the Shuberts for "keeping me working 40 weeks without a lay-off," wifh "Missis- sippi" concluding. She scored strongly, taking one of the hits of the evening. After the prolog, In which all of the principals appeared In street at- tire, Ann Todding and Colleens deuced. Introducing the chorus. Florence Schubert planologed with a popular song medley, then stepped Into "one" for a semi-classical bal- lad. The prima donna sang clearly, getting nice returns. The Purcella Bros, followed in song and dance with a touch of novelty. Roy Cummlngs and Jack Keller butted Into the act for solo and double dances that helped. A "leg Iron" double In manacles was a clever bit of duo stepping. A com- edy touch was the lowering of a rope from the flies, then the usual acrobatic preliminaries, instantly followed by a double song. Keno and Green in their vaude- ville routine of "hick" dialog and song and dances followed. Keno was entertaining and funny as the "postman." Miss Green straighted glibly and danced neatly. Insuring the pair solid applause at the finish. Kyra, the classical Oriental dancer, followed. The danseuse was as- sisted by eight chorus girls In bare- legged array and hfer male dance partner, Raffae.lll. She Is a supple, graceful exponent of the classical dance. Her sinuous snake dance was a revelation of "dislocations" of the upper part of the body. It is one of the best of this type of danc- ing act. Roy Cummlngs next, assisted by pretty Irene Shaw, got the first comedy jelt out of them with his knockabout comedy and falls. Miss Shaw in bare legs dressed the stage. making an Ideal foil for Cummings* rough comedy and hat breaking. The Cummings turn put them In excellent humor for Miss White's specialty. The revue after intermission was In two full-stage sets. It is said to be a condensed version of "The Belle of New York" and "The Whirl of New York," two former Shubert musical comedies. Some kind of plot was apparent In spots, but the second half of the revue was strictly burlesque in its bit and number ar- rangement. Cummings was all over both scenes with tumbling. His "nance nut" and "insane" bits were funny. This chap has developed into a real strong comicy His wa.j the principal burden ann he shoul- dered it manfully. Keno and Green had an interesting "hick" routine in "one" between scenes that pulled laughs, also a tough dance conclud- ing. In "The Belle of New York ' number the choristers were in .Sal- vation Army costumes with Miss .Shaw singi: :; the song made famous by Edna May. The set was a Chlnatov.n scene, opening with a corking "adagio" by Kyra and Raffaelli. "Mandalay." snns by Jack Kelhr, the juvenile, was illustrated by a special strip drop and a parade of chori.stcrH in Orh'ntal attire. Ann Todding.s, a cute bobbed- haired soubret, accounted for sev- eral numbers pleasingly, and Miss Schubert was splendidly anaycd and in excellent voloe in hor prima donna allotments. The firft half of tiie revue, bar- ring Cummings* comedy moinonts. wa5i as rcnventional as a two-,a.Ion hat. The Chinatown s-tj-.. out- colored and ovjtvlistani:ed it by leaguM. CO'i. ,'V INSIDE STUFF OH VAUDEVILLE > • (Continued from page 11) ' Mr. Ardell spoke of his road house on Long Island and invited Felix to It; Mr. Hanlon told what he thought of Felix and related the skeleton of a play he had outlined for Adler; Mr. Rice with a Yiddish accent re« cited his latest timely poem; Mr. Kai^fman told how he and Steven Rear* don had again become friendly, but no one said anything nice about Mr. Adler, It seemed, although Mr. Buzzell started out to do It. then switched and ai>ologized. Tommy Gray sent a wire In three chapters from Chi- cago, tilling the boy. t help Adler put out the "The Cuckoo". Mr. Adler himself when finally speaking, conceded he had been elected a member of the Friars' Board "f Governors and said he never Intended to attend a meeting, but as that made no imoression- on his listeners, Adler threatened to tell the plot o^ "'he ~uckoo". At this th eat Mr. Ardell hit Mr. Adler over the head with his stuffed club, and Mr. Buztell grabbed the speaker by the legs, both ca-rylng him from the room, ending the evening with a big laugh. , > J* A Shubert unit show late'y closing, was shut by the manager, he says, because one of the acts, also financially interested In the company, "held up" the show on two successive nights, to secure back salary due. The first night the act got $500 and the second night, $250. Calculating the same act and others might continue the procesr, the manager decided to end the tour, after sufferijng a heavy loss himself. The Loew Circuit has met with much success with Its' local "Frolics'* playing around the circuit In New York, with the act recruited from ama. teurs In the noighborlrt)Of\ About 10 days are comsumed in prepara- tion. Several stagers have been used. For the Ave. B. the act would be called "Ave B Frolics" and at the Victcria, It will be named "Harlem Frolics". At first called "Follies", that was changed at request of Flo Ziegfiold, and "Frolics" Instead employed. , It Is said the limited capacity of the Shubert unit theatre In Buffalo, N. Y., does not allow any unit production to exceed $7,500 gross, with the terms 60/40. A unit show lately played there. One of Its featured mem- bers related the experience when returning to New York. "We packed them in," he said, "all week. Had them hanging on the celling, standing In the aisles and sitting on the stage, besides turning them away. Never saw such business. And when counting up Saturday aight we had only lost $400." , Herman Phillips, manager of Keith's Alhambra, New York, has finally evolved a method to beat the gyp specs as far as his Harlem theatre ^a concerned. It Is simply a method whereby no tickets for any performance are sold in advance. Instead, the patron receives an order for the ducats from the boxofflce man on paying. The seats are laid away anTl the patron's address taken. This order passes the patron through the door on the day of his performance. Ttie seats are obtained within the audi- torium in a special box office. The home address of the purchaser which was previously taken at the time of purchase in sufficient identification. During the rehearsal hours in a New York small time vaudeville and picture theatre recently, the martager suggested from his seat In the orchestra that a male single, then on the stage, speed-up his rehearsal as he was holding back others on the bill. The single had been then re- hearsing for over 45 minutes. The man from the stage asked who could make hinf speed up if he didn't feel like it. and the manager said he would. The single replied by daring the manager to come on the stage and repeat It. The manager did with" the result a fist fight, and the manager reported the victor. The single played his engagement at the theatre The new musical production, "Sun Showers" (title subject to change) row rehearsing with HaVry Delf and Lew Cantor producing, *had a young woman, Margaret Zenda, under contract. As the piece was about to go into rehearsal. Miss Zenda was recalled hy George W. Lederer for his new show, "The Strawberry Blonde," also about to start preparations, "Sun Showers" claimed a contract and Lederer claimed a prior one, with the girl admitting the Lederer engagement but stated as It had^been prolonged, she believed herself released from it. She Is with the Lederer company. One of the Shubert unit shows recently closing is said to have owed the entire tompany considerable back salary, though bringing most of them into New York after the closure. The chorus girls claim they have $135 each, due to them. Some of the principals were Reported during the rehearsals of the unit in the late summer to have been virtually forced into taking an Interest in the production through the producer informing them the show could not go ou^If more money were not obtained. One of the principals is said to have mortgaged his home to secure enough to make an investment, while the producer himself Is reported to have lost his home through having mortgaged it to finance the unit show. The show Is said to have lost over $40,000, including cost of produotion. E. C. Mills of the Music Publishers' Protective Association is in receipt of a communication from a layman of the type which supports the music industry, explaining just why music does not sell as It should. The ap- peal is not there, the layman contends. lialf of the stuff is dance music with Intricate tricks and breaks that only an expert pianist can play. That accounts why .ecords and rolls are purchased more instead of the sheet music. There are some disks on the market now that retail at from 29 to 44 cents. Each has two songs on it. Purchased in sheet musig form the songs would cost 50 or 60 cents for the two. The agitation by some of the chain stores for a lowered price in sheet music is disposed of by the layman who states that he would buy music at 3a cents if the quality was good enough. As It is, the bigse^t whistle hits today cannot be purchased for home use because of their difllculty in construction, he claim.s. The contract between Nan Halperin and the Shuberts has been can- celed by consent. Miss Halperin had been seeking a release for some time, due to the delay by the Shuberts in havljig a production ready for her, in which she would have starred according to the understanding. Miss Halperin is now reported as expecting to return to vaudeville; via the Orphcum Circuit. Indications are the Shubert vaudeville circuit has some intention of I educing its chain to about the size of last season, with the consequent expectation that shortly after New Year's it may not exceed 20 weeks. Of those perhaps six will be played by units and the remainder straight vaudeville. Only the units which have proven themselves certain box ofllce cards will be retained, with the lilielihood that even those now breaking even will have to go on the theory that'the weaker shows hurt the stronger ones. The unit circuit has ajscovered now what the bur- lesque wheels learned long ago—that a weak show kills the opening of the show behind it on a Jotating system of booking, while two bad shows in a row take as many weeks to be overcome by succeeding better enter- tainment.s. Three of the best unit draws on the circuit are now bunched, followin;.ir one another, with the busincis reported increasing corre- spoJidingly. ^ With the r lri ' ult do v.n-ftr ^ weeks or thereabouts, with the mRjevky- slraight vauileville, it looks likely to bring up a question of authority of operation. At present the operation ia divitkd, with the .Shub'^rt agency booking the vaudeville bills, while the Affiliated circuit rHerk) liandles ;he units, aI.«o ihc dire-iion of tl)e theatres, other than the l^jliuberts' own houses. Tn St. Paul Ijst wefk it was announced that a Gus Edwards Orchestra would apprnr for a wf»U in a local theatre. The orijrinal (Jus entered a proicst. The b'adrr of the orchestra, although claiming the name war rightfully his own, agreed to drop the Gus, leaving it only Edwardb' Or- I f /