Variety (December 1922)

I* jor Friday. December 22, 1922 NEW SHOWS THIS WEEK 19 f>layln8r thp be t much more than ithey do. Priiufion'a method of fiandliiiK slung koepH the turn at a lOO-miles-an-hour gait all tho way. jtad each time ^ound there is al- 'ways a new nirly or two in the routine. Greenwich Village Min- strels closed. Four tryout turns, 'wlth^the six regular acts, made a len-act bill. "Brothers lender the Skin" was the feature picture. Bet. 58TH ST. Only moderate attcntlancr in Mon- day night, and tlie first-half show then registered but fairly. The gate may have been the usual opening night house, but all the near-by ehops were open throughout the pre- Christmas week, including Bloom- fngdale's, the upp*»r East Side's main department storo. Master Gabriel was on for a first New York showing in his Jack Lait written "Captain KIddo" (New Acts), the little chap being in the middle of the «ix-jict bill and .sup- plying a dash of novelty. Olive Briscoe and AI Raugh were given the topline'lionors, and apiieared fourth. For some reason there was a minute wait, though tho turn opens in "one," *■ With no lengthy preparation needed for the dentist bit In "two." Miss Briscoe and her poarly teeth would be an ad. for any dentist. She chatted brightly and had several Bongs, of which "Daddy" stood out. The team could not rouse the gath- ering to more than the de.suitory applause. Perhaps the routine isn't Well suited for audiences cf the kind. It took McGrath and Deeds, next to closing, somo time to get any- thing like liberal returns. Here is a two-man act that should before long be made a name. Both men can sing, but they seem to be devoting more attention to comedy efforts than warbling. They form a bass lind tenor combination which can pro- duce excellent harmony results, as proved in the "Sweet Adeline" bit, even though that is mostly kidding. McGrath is a little chap with tenor pipes quite apart from the ordinary. That was indicated despite the ab- sence of no straight vocal elTort. Deeds, described as "the pride of Yandis Court." aired a very good bass. It was a good Idea, perhaps, to interrupt his specialty with Mc- Grath's aside kidding, and at its conclusion the boys earned enough for an encore. Instead a kid. said to be a stagehand, went through an endurance dance which was nothing more than a collection of clumsy stepping, the "steps" constantly re- peated. The spot was right for Mc- Grath and Deeds to display a straight harmony number, but they didn't. Ross and Foss, on second with y. their musical routine, were well suited for the spot. The man dis- played his ability on half a dozen Instruments. His solo with a bass horn was the best playing, a tiny lamp on the horn lighting his face and making It different. Zeno, Moll and Carl (New Acts) closed the show. Gillette and Co. opened with illusions, more or less standard in dimension, but a magi- cal flash for pop. Jbee. BROADWAY , This is K. K. K. week at the Broadway, but the show is no cfluck. Ths Keith Komedy Karnival should do considerable business for the house all week, for it is the toppicst laugh show ^een in many a moon and a Korking Klown Konvention that guarantees a consistent draw for any house. - Will Mahoney scintillated as the Kleagle Klomlc. nutting and clown- ins all over the place. His three extra encores with the Harry Stod- dard band were too smooth to.be ad lib. or hastily rehearsed, and is explained by the fact both acts played together at tWb Hamilton a week preceding. The laugh returns would warrant joint booking. Ma- honey evidently was "framed* by the band for one of the encores. He is up front torturing his diminutive tUde trombone when the boys sneak off in pairs. Mahoney's discovery of the desertion was no feigned sham. The comedian also figured in every act ensuing, the sum total of which made for comedy plus. A brace of three twin-reel come- dies constitutes the film section— Chaplin. Keaton and Semon reissues —a departure in itself. A clever animated Aesop topped off, preced- ing the overture of "Mister Galla- gher and Mister Shean" (announced). A baby spot hung from the right stage box was focused on the or- cliestra. the cornet player in a fez and the trombonist as "Gallagher" standing up for the instrumental duet. Foris and West opened with an interesting hand-to-hand routine, with comedy spicinff via a mutual cigar which the men alternate in smoking. Smooth but not spectacu- lar, the tricks command attention, although more or l«\sa conventional. The distinction lies in their noncha- lant perform.iiK'■ and the Immacu- late dressing of tlio performers. Thev look Knullsh. which accounts for their wimiIulj the dude clothes unlike most dumb act.«. Donovan .md T.ce twircd with tlieir w. k, HilK'ini;in routine. Holland and Jlay < Now Acts). Mahoney is ;« nut c<<nnMlian of a familiar schixd. but with material undeniably fresh. He h.ia the .id- vantage also of IteinK a "new fare" locally, being iinUnown in the me- tropolis until a year ago, when he came east. Harry Stoddard and Orchestra (the boys formerly at Shanley's) would have been a sensation at the fore instead of the vanguard of the band craze. As is. vaudeville has a niche for them. Stoddard is a judi- cious showman who knows how to mix the violinist's legitimate instru- mentallzation with the comedy jazz- ing, although the "Sidewalks of New York" really is the act. Following a rendition of the number, lights out and a Pell street sign Is disclosed on a prop lamppost. That cues for an Oriental number in chink dressing. Lights out and Mulberry street for wop song; 136th street discovers the boys a^rned with blackface masks throwing a natural on the "blues"; Tenth avenue vamps off with the burglar.s' pizzicato, the boys in ap- propriate Hell's Kitchen trappings. The Broadway number has a neat idea with the saxophonist doing stew and the copper feeding for a "Don't Blame It All on Broadway" vocal solo. The act tied it up after that with a flock^ of «ncore«, Mahoney doing one of "John McCormnck in his latest success. 'Wild About Harry' from 'Shuffle Along,'" (col- ored ishow). Stoddard was at this house three weeks jigo and will be held over next week again, accord- ing to the house manager. Jimmy Lucas was the second nut comic on the layput, he getting in a corking bit with a "fairy" rose. Ma- honey took one whiff and he became a 'Nancy." Holland dittoed and he wanted to kiss his sisters. Even the orchestra leader succumbed and waved his handkerchief flirtatiously. The Dancing McDonalds closed with a fusi ballroom dance routme. . . ' Abel. neat. Miss Dean fiddles, he lifts her up until she balances on her back on the upraised palm of his hand, she continues fiddling, he accom- panies her at the piano with his left—and the hou.^e goes off its nut. Telaak comes back with some straight ballad fiddling and ragtime dancing fiddling for a closer— snappy and bull's-eye act this. Claire Carroll, a very blonde single woman with a Sophie Tucker rou- tine of semi-blue songs, caught the gang and got away warmly. Wheeler and Dixon deuced. This spot at the American is usually a horror. While thip man and girl are scarcely ready to take the world by storm, they still deliver a smooth and pleasant little mlx-up of song and stepping and get by. Willa and Harry Browne, rag artists, opened and got applause on every picture, not forgetting the President Hard- ing finish, of course. Lait. AMERICAN About as good a bill as any this reporter has seen in a Loew house in month.s lined up at the American the first half. There were no show- stoppers and no sensations, but the whole program buzzed along to al- most uninterruptedly snappy enter- tainment. Business, for the pre- holiday week, was good. Several of the turns could have moved into the best houses as they stood and gotten away with it. Others were of intermediate calibre but sturdy stuff for the prices and the quantity. The roof is a comfortable, chummy place to spend two hours, and the acts look about as good there as they do anywhere on the time. The smoking and the spirit of tolerant good nature seem to lend it the music hall atmosphere that was originally designed for it, despite the homespun classes that now frequent it and the comparatively unpretentious amusement offered them. One may stretch a pair of legs in a side box, see the show, puff a fag, watch the performers take it ea:^ and the gang take it heartily. Nothing is "over the heads" of the roof patrons, who are wise crackers and shrewd pickers. They know silk from balbriggan and they know quality from fourflush. Some of the comments are nifties, and if the professionals wno think they can cheat because they're a whole block off Broadway could hear a few, it might make .their heads spin. However, there wasn't any sol- diering in this show, and the above is Just by way of unpointed com- ment. Everybody hustled and the bill didn't have a real flop in it, with several pronounced hits on the other side to overbalance in case of an argument. "Poor Old Jim," a sane and sens- ible comedy sketch, extraordinarily well acted by two men and a woman and written by someone who knew vaudeville and laugh-stuff of the best, yet the most spontaneous sort, held the house between yells and gasps. Leon and Mitzi, closing, scored. This is a man and woman turn, both strong and lithe yet slender and not athletic looking, who did a series of miraculous hand-balances on perches and fln- ished with the man hopping on one hand to five perches while balanc- ing himself upon the single hand. Al Raymond, with his Cliff Gor- don style of routine, made them scream until a couple of women went into hysterics and he had to hold while they recovered their wind. The Gordon reference does not mean that lie has taken the material or imitated tl.e delivery of that great comedian sacred to mem- ory—but there is no better or briefer way to classify a monolog of that character. Raymond works with re- markable straightforwardness, ham- mering away to punch after punch. Whoever writes his stuff can give Aaron Hoffman a run—if, indeed, Hoffman himself isn't guilty. Four Queens and a Joker (re- vival of the title of an old* act in vaudeville, but not the same act) went for a musical, hokum and girl- act knockout. The four girls were contrasting types and every one a performer, especially the Ingenue and the vamp, l>oth striking looker.s and players. Tl»e <MMiu'dian. how- ever, was the main (ause of th(^ hit. He is the next thing to Jack Donahue (without Donalnn-'s genius for ad lib material) that this <om- mentator has seen lately. The turn is fleet and the stuff in harml<'8s and frothy—perfect for ihe l..oew houses and fit for any. Telaak and Dean knocked in a w inner. Telaak is a big, v\ holesome low comedian who takes wild fills and is neither too grotes»iue nor loo STATE Probably because of the "Boys of Long Ago" act on the first half bill, that tedious overture, a medley of "Songs from the Old Folks." was in- cluded. It started off mildly. The Plckford.s accelerated the pace con- siderably. The mixed team has a juggling-equilibristic novelty in whi'.li the man bears the brunt of the vnork, the woman assisting with tliH props. The male Pickford has some legitimately difficult tricks that are fully as hard to accomplish as they appear to be. and accordiirgly were acknowledged sincere appre- ciation. A first-rate first or last act for anybody's theatre. McCormack and Regay, song and dance couple, were spotty in their sales arguments. McCortna'ik's "Where Do the Skeeters Go in the W'ntertime?" got about as much as any British-made alleged, comedy song usually does before a native audience. It doesn't belong. The Bowery flapper by the gal was the highlight of a wealc routine. Miss Regay seems to have inherited some of the acrobatic dance proclivities of Sister Pearl, but they are by no means taken advantage of to their fullest. The retention of such mil- dewed quips as "I never wash," "Oh, you dirty thing" and puns as "Rudy Vaselino" and "She's one of the F'our Horsemen" do not help things any. Robey und Gould, straight and Dutch comic, passed muster with an antiquatiHl gag routine. The team's personal ability la respon- sible for the response they were ac- corded. The material should be re- juvenated If the ambition to grad- uate from the minor leagues is present. (jordon and Healy. just married bride and groom, enter In wedding veil and other props vowing nevi*)' to quarrel and immediately enter into the chorus of the great battle hymn of the republic, Thtit makes for some laughs, Gordon's affecting a wise-cracking style. That bon mot about "<»o west, but keep away from Hollywood by Evelyn Nesbit," is unkind coming from a showman, and does nobody any good. Milo was the ace of the show. He Is topping all week as the "name" aftractlon and scored his usual wow with his falsetto pipes, whistling and imitations. "The Boys of Long Ago," an old-timers' quintet, closed. The act also includes a young wom- an, announced as one of the old boy's daughter. The ages range from 61 to 70. The step work, as always, surprises on its /igility and tabasco. Another highlight was Happy Allen's bones specialty in barbering a customer and was a real novelty to the present-day fans. Dave Marion and James Mad- ison are programed as sponsors of the act. Previously Fred Mack was credited as being interested. "Outcast" feature film. Ahel. SAY IT WITH LAUGHS "Say It with I^Aughs" is a disap- pointment considering the possibili- ties of the cast. Roger Imhoff is the featured comedian. Imhoff's vaudevHle act, "The Pest House," closes the vaudeville portion, con- sisting of flve acts. In the revue section Imhoff doesn't help the com- edy end. appearing in but one scene, although programed for two. Bob- bie Barry from burlesque, assisted by Dick Lancaster, carries the piin- cipal comedy burden and saves the second part from flatness, Barry and Lancaster do a corking vaude- ville talking turn that isn't in evi- dence anywhere in the show and which cotild be utilized in the olio position, a comed.v blank down to "The Pest House." The Hayatake Brothers started this section speedily with their sure-fire opener, followed hy White and Beck, who did well enough with song doubles. This pair work hard for laughs—too hard, in fact—and qualify as a prood small-time team. The Barr Twins in graceful dance doubles, with Billy Crifflth at the piano, held the No. ^ position. The girls have costumed their <lance8, presenting pretty pictures in eat h chajige. IL is a .'smooth, classy, pleasing offering. Bob Ni'lrion. a young f le.an-cut chap with an over-assuranee of manner that isn't necessary, fol-, |ov\«-d in a cycle of popular numbers mostly running to come<ly. with "blue" imnch lines, llfirbert Hew- son at the piano was the accom- |)anlsl. Tliey liked Nelson and the songs, dragging him back for two encores. Imhorr. Marcelle C'oreene and Jer- ry Herzello followed IH "The Pest House," getting their usual safe re- turns with Imhoff's Sterling Irish characterization. They yelled all through the sketch. After intermission the revue "Say It with Laughs" oi)ened with a full stage set, "At the I'ier." The cho- rus, 14 in number, were a nice-look- ing bunch in sailor and appropriate costumes. Their ensemble singing would require proficiency in the art of lip reading, but they danced ac- ceptably and often, Imhoff and Barry had a few com- edy moments as two smugglers who are appointed custom inspectors and told to seiUvh all passengers, includ- ing the \\omen. The dialog con- tained mostly familiar junk that has seen service in burlesque for sea- sons. Mae Meyers, a vivacious blonde soubret. led an Irish number, the girls looking cute in green' panties and jackets. A jazzing song fol- lowed, led by Mae Meyers and* Daisy Harris, a good-looking brunet. Both principals and chorus were in kid- die attire backed by a special drop with a practical blackboard on it. Tho board has probably seen some (omedy business in the early day of the unit, but a few writings of girls names was its only excuse for be- ing i^resent. "Spooks." a full stage comedy scene, with a double deck set show- ing the living room of a "medium" and a cellar beneath, followed. It was a wild hodge podge of "ghost comedy." witii Barry as the recip- ient of most of it in the role of an assistant to the "spiritualist." Billy Griffith as a plumber was splendid. A pair of breakaway stairs and a trick furnace which tuitapults a de- ceased husband up through the floor to his astonished wife during a seance are some of the props. It was far fetched, extremely farcical, but funny through Barry's handling. Margaret Merle, a "find" of a prima donna, was next. This girl possesses a voice of powerful range. Coupled with her sweet personality and appeaiance it should take her far in legitimate productions. They were himgry when she departed. The other comedy scenes were a restaurant set with a table bit be- tween Barry as a comedy waiter and Lancaster and Coreene as'diners. All of the old boys were worked in, but the Ijancaster-Barry combo milked it for all it was worth. The other was a bit in "one." Barry leaves one of tlie Barr Twins to pro- cure a marriage license. He returns to find the other Twin In the arms of Lancaster. The ensuing compli- cations gleaned a few laughs. The girls and liarry then staged a show stopping song and dance. Barry stepped into a "Yoddle" number of Mae Meyers and hoofed the thing over to encore proportions. An Oriental number with the cho- rus girls in costume and a fa.shlon parade of th» girls were the high lights. The show as a whole is as conventional as a Sunday on Main Street. It needs a book and new comedy bits before it can compare with the several burlesque shows from which the principal comedy scenes have been picked. Con, DISC REVflEWS AMERICAN GIRLS (Continued from page 7) light in this particular. Rose Hem- ley was rather polite in long skirts as the Ingenue, but an agreeable person and a pleasing singer. Jean- ette Buckley never let it be known she could dance until near the fln- ish, when she did a bit of slow step that suggested she could go if she tried. She also was inclined to do the heavy polite. Alma Bauer is tlie prima donna— a big jolly woman with a knack for delivering mild comic songs in a quiet manner. Ail the women dressed attractively. The choris- ters are an especially good-looking lot and all young and active, and this gives the whole show a lik- able front. Nothing does so much for a wheel outflt as a dozen and a half of animated damsels. The show has no especially memorable high lights unless a three-round boxing exhibition, nicely played up for comedy and with a special scene to Itself, the boxers being set down as "the Logan sisters." who swing the mitts with more abandon than skill. Miss Buckley decooated the stage in this scene in a one-piece bathing stilt that got a gasp from the admiring Columbians. The evening has a capital start in a well-staged number done ratlier quietly at the rise of the curtain, and the two main sets are uncom- monly sightly, one being a draw- ing-room and the other the lawn of the country club. A clever stage manager has attended to the stag- ing of numbers. Several of the chorus evolutions get away fiom the cut-and-dried arrangements, one in partieular being the forma- tions for the "Jabberwocky" num- ber l)y the icaderless chorus. Hush. THE YOUNG RAJAH (Fox Trot)— Kaplan's Melodists COCK-A-DOODLE-DOO — Harry Raderman's Orchestra—Edison No. 51064 "The Young Rajah" (Aubrey Stauffer) is an oriental fox trot in- spired by the Valentino picture of the same name, but, unliko most picture songs, is a surprisingly in- trlKuiUK dance number. It is on the straight oriental fox rhythm with some snappy banjo and sax duet work. The "Cock-a-doodle- doo" (Friend-Conrad) composition naturally permits for tho farmyard interludes in the arrangement, with a "Turkey In the Straw" chorus for good measure, " THE TALE OF FAN (Fox Trol)— Hagay Natzy Orchestra TEMPTING—S«m»—Patha Disk ,-. The "Fan " (R. H. Eurnslde-Kay- mond Hubbell) song is the out- standing number of this year's Hip- podrome score and has "Poor But- terfly " possibilities if properly ex- ploited. It Is a majestic dance tune, as Natzy's orchestra does it under the direction of Jack Oreen. > "Tempting" (Monaco - Oarable) vamps off with a suggestion of the "Sextette" from "Lucia di Lam- mermooa-."" ajid gives the sax a chance to shine. The brasses are intriguingly arranged In an echo ef- fect. THE OKEH LAUGHING RECORD THE GYPSY BARON—Okeh No. 4678 This Okeh laughing record is a big seller. It is a laugh marathon by two people at the efforts of a cernetlst in rendering a solo. The Instrumentalist, like the listeners, cannot resist the infectious laugh- ter and is moved to guffaws. The reverse side has a legitimate cornet solo, which sort of balances the ridiculous with a serious effort. HOMESICK (Fox Trot)—Carl Fen- ton's Orchestra JI-JI-BOO —Same—Brunswick No. 2325 Fenton's bunch does the popular and almost overly familiar "Home- sick" (Irving Berlin) with distinc* tlon in orchestra effects that makes it sound fetchlngly nascent. "Jl-Jl- Boo" (Meyer) Is a popular blues that cannot miss for dance pur- poses. - '■ TWO LITTLE RUBY RINGS (Fox Trot)—Ray Miller and Orchss- trs I CAME, I SAW, I FELL—Sams-* Columbia No. 3710 Both selections have a charm- ingly fresh musical comedy snap and swing. They are a relief for dance purposes from the overly familiar pop tunes. "Ruby Rings" Introduces "I'M Build a Bungalow"* from "Daffy Dill." The other num- ber is from the Passing Show. I CAROLINA IN THE MORNING Fox Trot)—Msjsitic Danes Or- chsstra WHERE THE BAMBOO BABIES GROW—Ssms—Paths No. 3710 The bass sax has been novelljr featured in the arrangements of these two popular dance tunes, Ths croaking of the reed instrument contrasts snapplly with the falsetto piping of the dulcet instruments. The Majestic orchestra sounds liks a new combination and doof fairly well In accepted fashion. ?^ 7. TOMORROW- (Fox Trot) — Arnold Johnson's Orchestra I WISH I KNEW—Sams—Bruns. wick No. 2326 Arnold Johnson at one time was under Paul Whitman's direction with his Vernon County Club Or- chestra at one of the Broadway cabarets a year or two back. Since then he has been playing In Miami. Detroit and elsewhere and In that wiae gathered an idea of the popu- lar dance tastes. It is excc'lcntly demonntrated with this dancj c(Aip'- let. The instrument swit'lilng for novelty effects speaks for iliclf. Incidentally "Tomorrow," Jocally familiar. Is happily contrasted with "I Wish I Knew^" a Ciiifor.Ka prod- uct which grows on one with rept- lition. -ENGAGEMENTS Doyle and Cavanaugh. for llajn- mersleln's "SVildllower." Sagur Midgely in v;iud<Vi]le, in •Hello Wife." Hunter. Cole and Hunter, with Sam Howe's bui |es>i(ie .show for three years. I WISH I COULD SHIMMY LIKE MY SISTER KATE (Fox Trot) ^Okeh Syncopators THE BROADWAY STRUT—Ssms —Okeh No. 4694 • —Hnme syneopator*.—fH^^ie— Ok e h' jazz boys! They extract consider- .iMe frfim file "Kate' (A. .F. Piroii blue.s. a .New Orleans indigo L.-od- ucf. The clarinet gets In sont** wicked work in the ntimber, "The I'.rofidway Strut" (K(»binaon-Turk> Ih th«> hit of the Boardwalk (New Vork c*(»l>aret ievn<'>. It has a "Wild About Hurry" dash in the ehnius thai \h i>iol»a1>iy us^^d by pern»is>ion.