Variety (May 1923)

• «1 28 NEW SHOWS THIS WEEK Thursday, May 10, 1923 3C big time Fay Rash Trio (New Acta) followed. Lloyd and Goods, two men In blackface, have an act almost ver- batim tho same as that of Harris and Holly, two colored boys seen at this house a short time ago. There is the comedy crap game (done bet- ter by the colored team) and the misused - long - word explanation, ■with slight variations. Either may be working under license. The act got plenty of laughs. Stanley and 121 na, a drunk on a slack wire with a neat woman as- sistant (who also did a soft shoe dance in an interval), after a short pantomime hit, did some clever stunts on the wire, stripping to tights tor his finish. STATE "The Four Horsemen" picture re- vival did business for the State Tuesday. The five-act show the first half was a pleasing arrange- ment playing smoothly enough and building nicely as It rolled along. The Kerville Family. opening, added a touch of novelty to that usually conventional spot. It's a turh that hasn't been around so often In the last three or four years. The manipulation of the pool balls Is remarkable. An interesting exWbitlon that is as entertaining as It Is scientific. Moscow Singers, male quartet, No. 2 (New Acts). "Stranded," comedy sketch, held the house from start to finish. NeWhofC and Phelps were next to closing with a splendidly routined singing turn that radiated class. The couple do double songs of the conversational type and sell them perfectly. Clear enunciation made every syllable distinct in the big State auditorium. The house couldn't get enough of the conver- sational ditties. A standard act of Its type. It registered heavily here. Walter Manthey and company closed with a flash dancing turn. The turn has a shapely girl toe dancer who stands out. The song done by the pianiste should be eliminated. The vocalist is a good •pianiste and a "looker," but her voice lacks tunefulness. Manthey Is a good dancer with whirling and pirouetting his forte. Turn aver- ages with pop house flash turns In the way of entertainment. Bell. BROADWAY Singer's Midgets. Making good No. 6 with a turn of this sort is the acid test. It goes to prove the an- cient contention that real humor must hold in it Some quality of truth. Clifford* ancient "rube" does that. It is the character to the life, as faithful a picture as the late Joe Welch's melancholy Hebrew, which was one of the funniest and truest things on the specialty stage. Wilkins and Hughes closed. This young pair have a neat arrange- ment of dancing numbers, but they make one serious error in their lay- out for the finale of a bill. That is the interpolation of a long solo by their piano accompanist. This fol- lows their spirited stepping num- bers and precedes the finish, a novel manikin dance in Chinese cos- tume. The dance Itself is well worth waiting for, but the break of tho solo gave the crowd a hint to start for the exits and most of them missed the finish, which is the best thing, for picturesquenss and- nov- elty, in the layout. The arrange- ment as it stands is all right for an earlier position, but when they are called on to close a bill it might be worth experimenting with a re- arrangement to get the Chinese: dance before the full audience. Hush. At the scale the Broadway enter- tainment can't be beaten in New York. It is easy to understand how the clientele has been built up on these offerings. The bill has the atmosphere of wise picking for a particular sort of patronage, part drop in and part neighborhood char- acter. The offerings get away from Times square competition, both of the high and of the small tlmo va- riety. The frameup has plenty of comedy and a bit of* "flash," but both are distinctive. The comedy is vigorous but not of the loud low comedy type that the run of small timers like, and the flash is there in a subdued way. It is hard to express the distinction, but it is there. The house was close to capacity Monday at 8:15, plainly an accustomed condition. Margaret Taylor, eingle woman wire act with singing and dancing Incidentals, opened handily. Mc- Grath and Dees, two men singers and comedians, broke the evening's ice with a vengeance No. 2, and set the bill for the rest cf the evening. This pair have a routine quite their own. There is a small, plump comedian with a kind of falsetto tenor and a knockabout style of clowning working In contrast to a quiet straight man who is as tall as his partner Is short, and who has a bass voice that is most agreeable to listen to on its merits. The comic gets most of his tun out of playing "sissy" and there re times when he overdoes it a little, but it is up- roariously funny in a "nut" way, such as the business of impersonat- ing a nagging wife and bullying and coddling the straight man. It's rough fun but It "got" the Broad- way crowd and the pair stopped the show in no unmistakable way. .Ray Raymond and Dorothy Mackaye have a manner and ve- hicle that are rather more legiti- mate, but also effective in a milder way. Raymond works in a way to suggest the late Clifton Crawford, doing an inebriated man-about - town smoothly and with a good sense of comedy. Miss Mackaye is a piquant sort of young person use- ful in the feeding department. A third person, a young man, makes up the company. The sketch is merely a loose excuse for wise cross-talk and the dialog could stand strengthening. It is lacking in oomedy business, as Is usually the case of Rketches that take the place of specialty. Leigh and Jones (New Acts). The Manhattan So- ciety Orchestra (New Acts) didn't promise much on the billing, but proved the second show stoppers by virtue of a clean-cut cycle of rag music. Jack ("Rube") Clifford In his countryman characterization held the next-to-closing position. It may have been something of an experi- ment to put him in that spot, for it calls for a good deal for a single comedian with Clifford's peculiar qutet and dry style of comedy. Ho held down the spot with a score would have done credit to 23rd STREET This downtown Proctor house dis- carded the professional try-outs Monday for the first time In several weeks. Their absence failed to make any radical difference in the show, with the regular vaudeville t>i 11 coming up to the usual good standard. It was apparent, in taking the financial outlay for the first half into consideration, that the greater portion of the amount was given over to the vaudeville portion with a moderate priced feature having the picture assignment. Sherwin Kelly. singing and dancing in conjunction with cycle work, opened. Miss Kelly met with returns as she went along. Farr-jll and Hatch, two-man colored team, whanged over several telling num- bers, specializing in southern selec- tions. The boys lengthened the spot to 16 minutes and entertained throughout. Their comedy was sure-fire and more numbers of that order could be introduced to ad- vantage earlier in the routine. This combination gave the deuce spot more action than it has had at this house in some time. Kovaes and Goldner (New Acts) also used a piano No. 3. Le Hoen and Dupreece. with their full stage comedy and snapshoot- ing, were placed in tho body of the bill. The shooting was effective, with the comedy coming in for fair returns. Jimmy Lucas and Co., fol- lowing, took the comedy honors of the evening. Lucas played to the audience with ease, piling up laugh after laugh with his nut work. His young woman partner appeared to advantage in several flashy cos- tumes and proved a good foil for the kidding. Lucas delivered the necessary comedy punch. Mme. Doree's Operalogue closed the show. The operatic organization, employ- ing several standard selections, held up strongly. The members are all vocally proficient, giving the turn considerable merit for three-a-day bills. Hart. bookers and should develop Into a standard single, If she cares to. Kerr and Weston followed and mopped up with their dancing. Kerr is a marvelous dancer of his style. M:ss Weston, besides looking like a million berries at all times, Is one of the best kickers and smoothest opposites In vaudeville. The cake- eater and flapper finale double of acrobatic and flat footed stepping was a panic. This was good for a speech by Kerr in "one." Tom Patricola, assisted by Har- riet ta Towne, followed and they were another sensation. Patricola and the turn ahead of him work as hard as day laborers, but the results were commensurate. Miss Towne. a cute brunette flapper, was rough-housed for comedy by Patricola, also scor- ing individually with her blues song and dance. Patricola nutted his way to safety and a beg off with his eccentric clowning. The mandolin playing and dance that accompanied it went bigger than anything in the turn. The act was one of the sea- son's hits at this usually undemon- strative house. Ernie Golden's Band closed. A special effect of a race track is used to accompany the song "Barney Google," which the musicians sing. The band spotted at the end of this show couldn't fail and when the three favorites walked on for their ad libbing, it was in the bag. A jammed'house attended. Con. Co., In- w. and FIFTH AVE. A sweet show at the Fifth Ave. this week, the line-up of seven acts being one short of the usual to allow for clowning "in the Ernie Golden Band, which closed the show and scored twice. The band banged over with their own specialty, which In- cludes a couple of new "effects," then accompanied the clowning of Tom Patricola. Donald Kerr and Irene Ricardo and an unprogrammed male who did an operatic travesty attired In "dame" regalia. The clowning strung the turn out about 20 minutes and was hot stuff. The trio ad libbed like a flock of parlor entertainers, seemingly enjoying the stuff as much as the house. The bill was a perfect blend, with every act getting over from start to finkdi. The Australian Delsos (New Act), an aerial pa4r, opened thrill- ingly, followed by Frank Ward and Dolls* Ward did well second, cutting his finger dancing dolls portion down to the meat. His dance with the big doll is a real novelty. With a little more variety added Ward will be set for an early spot on the big bills. Faber and McGowan. a corking blonde straight ingenue and a smooth glib wise-cracking straight with oceans of snappy material, thirded and landed. The cracks are new and up to the minute. The turn is one of those "flirtation" ideas, but as handled, novel and entertaining. This act can make the grade in an early spot on the big time. Irene Ricardo, singling, due to the illness of her partner, Max Cooper, has the basis of a big time turn. MisR Ricardo can use one more comedy song. Her policewoman He- brew character "Whoa Pagliacci" song is a good opener with comedy lyrics and the burlesque vocalizing next is blamed on a fitting lyric. The travestied flute obbligato and pop song In this number all fitted and were well delivered. She did but two numbers with patter preceding the opening song. Another comedy punch Is needed when Miss Ricardo will attract the attention of the INCORPORATIONS Texas Charters North Houston Amusement Fort Worth. Capital. $25,000. corporators, E. G. Wallace. H Greenway, O. H. Atkinson others, all of Fort Worth. Ingersoll Co., Galveston. Capital, 175,000. Incorporators, A. Ingeraoll. Mrs. Katherine Ingersoll and G. P. Prendergast. Purposes playground amusements. American Releasing Corporation of Dallas. Capital, $5,000. Incor- porators, J. C. Shannon, J. C. Fran- cis and J. F. Willingham, all of Dal- las. Filming the History of Texas As- sociation. No capital stock. In- corporators. C. B. Shumway. G. W. Shumway and J. P. Desmond. Mount Pleasant Athletic Associa- tion, Mount Pleasant. Capital, $5,000. Incorporators, T. Guice, R. F. Llndsey and E. M. Llde, all of Mount Pleasant. Conn. Charters Community Theatre, Inc.,- Fair- field; capital, $30,000; incorporators, Joseph Saperstein, Isador J. Gold- man, Benjamin B. Stelber. Pleasure Beach Park Co., Bridge- port; capital, $100,000; incorpora- tors. F. W. Pearce, of Detroit, Mich.; S. N. gchnee, of Bridgeport, and William E. Nevard, of Strat- ford. Oklahoma Charters Tulsa Music Shop, Tulsa. Capital $25,000. Incorporators, H. P. Downs. R. A. Irvin and P. R. Chapman, all of Tulsa. Vimta Amusement Co., Vinita. Capital $1,000. Incorporators, Karl H. Lee, Ernest Pitchlunn and I. C. McCoy. New Hampshire Charters Theatre Realty Corporation, Man- chester. Capital $350,000. Will buy, lease and operate places of amuse- ment. W. Vs. Charters Via-Ken Amusement Co., Hunt- ington; capital, $15,000; Incorpora- tors, H. O. Via, H. B. Kennedy. M. Kennedy, Claude Davis, J. L. Van Verth, all of Huntington. Maine Charters Astir Co., Lewiston, theatres; cap- ital. $10,000; president and treasurer, William P. Gray; clerk, Dennis A. O'Brien. BEDSIDE CHATS By NELLIE REVELL w • » - ■ Dehclou sly-prepared squab, nice fresh strawberries, brought by a friend, and a Congressman tucking the napkin under one's obin and doing the carving and serving doesn't sound much like a hospital story, but it hap* pened in my room last Sunday. It was after Election Day, too, so X know that the august legislator wasn't Just after my vote. The head- waiter at this gastronomic function was Congressman Sol Bloom, and he was assisted in his duties by Mrs. Bloom and then* daughter Vera. After the repast Sol and I burst into song, more or less sweet and low, and whatever the neighbors may have thought, our enjoyment was com- plete. Our repertoire consisted entirely of songs of long ago—25 years ago. Mrs. Bloom, when the performance was ended, advised us that our voices might be a trifle rusty, but there was no dust on our memories* If you were given the privilege of choosing as the keystone of a meal any delicacy you could possibly think of. any sort of fish, fowl, meat, anything in the vegetable or animal kingdom, what would you select? That was the nature of the question put to me recently by a friend who has a wonderful French chef and who as a hostess is famous for her dinners. No -matter what you guess to my reply, from truffles to capon, from wine sauces to the most delicious endive salad, you will probably be wrong. For. Just to show what a contrary individual I am, I told my caller that I wanted some calves' liver and bacon, prepared by herself. I fancy I can hear Trixle Friganxa say, "Now, isn't that JUst like fier!" Capital Increase Goldwyn Pictures Corp., New York, 1,000,000 shares without nomi- nal or par value, or from $100,000,000 to $150,000,000 for taxation purposes. Archie Comedies, Manhattan, 500 shares preferred stock, $100 each; 1,000 common, no par value. JUDGMENTS Loch Sheldrake Amusement Co., Inc.; Philip Berman, Morris Saper- stein, Hyman Green, Abraham Minkoff and Elsworth Baker; J. Berman; $3,173.80. Lionel Barrymore; P. Blass; $80.60. Florence Tempest; Pawl Arling- ton, Inc.; $140.22. Seymour Felix; F. Cilmoie, as treasurer; $2,339.73. Hamilton Fiim Corp'n; a. Jasons: $8,444.75. Satisfied Judgments Gustav Gennert; A. Samuels; $r.5S.56; Dec. 20. 1919. Wladek Zbyszko; a. E G. Parage Inc.: $90; Jan. 10, 1923. The Hebrew Actors' Union, No. 1, moved Into its new clubhouse, 31 Kast 7th street, May 1. The officers are Reuben Guskin, Abe Sincoff, Charles Welnblot and Jean Green- field. There are about 300 members. A house warming Is to be held in the near future. A caller last week, In referring to the grouch column I ran several weeks ago, inquired if the hospital authorities ever saw the occasional printed kicks I registered. I told him most emphatically that they did and that if I thought they did not I would stop writing them. Whatever my fai:lts—and I have enough of them—saying things behind people's back isn't among them. Variety is popular at Twelfth street and Seventh ovenue and everyone reads it ft*ere. An Interne told me that his attention had been called to my column of blues by a nun. I hope that after this ' no one will think that I am any freer with my complaints in my column than in my hospital. One of my pet nurses, Katherine Crowe—the one whom I wrote about when she left last January—has returned from her three months' training period at the Lying-in Hospital, and tho other afternoon we spent a delightful half hour "just visiting." Both of us are interested in knowl- edge, just for knowledge's sake, and whenever together we are roaming hither and yon through the fields of literature, history, art, science, poli- tics and baseball. On this occasion we happened to pick on Socrates and there I had Miss Crowe. She had forgotten how it was that he had passed on. "I know," she paid after much cogitation, "they made him drink win- throp." "Zero," I told her. "Winthrop was a blue-law governor of the Massa- chusetts colony. Blue-iaws killed a lot of people In those days, but Socrates wasn't among them." Just at that moment Miss Counihan, another of my favorites, poked her head in the door. "Quick, Cour.ie," said I, "what did Socrates die of?." "What ward was he in? 1 ' asked Miss Counihan. Some weeks ago I wrote in McColhim of the snapshot of me that went around the world and my wish that I had thought to make the backdrop a trifle more artistic That photo can be retired from circulation, for I have had a new picture made. The artist who made the sketch is Leo Kober, a recen'; arrival in this country, and his advent was very oppor- tune. The committee in charge of the N. V. A. benefit had asked me for a picture for use in the forthcoming benefit program, and the only one I had available was taken in the days when ratted hak*. the feather boa and the leg o* mutton sleeve were nothing else than fashionable. A cut had already been prepared from the ancient photograph when Mr. Kober a drawing was made, but due to Mark Luescher's kindness and customary efficiency, it became possible to make the substitution. So the picture in the program will be that by Mr. Kober. Apart from the fact that one doesn't like to appear before one's friends dressed right up to the fashion of 15 years ago, I am glad that it has all turned out eo well, for an artist can be so much more stingy as to chins, and other touchy points than can the camera. During the course of the sitting Mr. Kober let fall the remark that after, finishing my picture he was going to Washington to paint President Harding. I didn't know how much to feel flattered, though, for he didn't tell me whether he was complimenting me by giving me precedence over Mr. Harding or whether he was just getting his hand on me for the job of painting the Chief Executive of these more or less United States. The town of St. Petersburg, Fla„ Is improving. When they first started In their campaign against the girls appearing on the streets In their one-piece bathing suits they would just arrest them, take them befors Judge Lane and he would fine them. But I see now that he is holding them for further examination. I wonder If that's why Will Cressy built a home down there! ARBUCKLE IN CABARET (Continued from page 1) of late. He is reported flat broke, through his trials in the Virginia Rappe matter, costing hinl every dollar he owned or could borrow. The former film funnmker also has been much secluded since his screen return was voted down. He Is in- frequently seen upon the streets anJ seldom, if at all, at a place oi gathering or In the hotels. The Arbuckle come-back at the restaurant will determine if he shall return to the screen, regardless of any expression of opinion by re- formers. Arbuckle will motor to Chicago from here. He Is to receive $2,500 weekly, guaranteed, against a per- centage of the gate. All over $500 weekly Fatty earns he will have to turn over to the government on account of a back due Income tax liability for $30,000. Perry Kelly will personally man- age and represent Arbuckle. Chicago. May 9. "Fatty" Arbuckle will appear al the Marigold Garden for four weeks starting June 4. It is said Mari- gold Garden has lost quite a bit of money recently and that Ernie Young is risking all on a possible favorable fling of fortune with the reinstatement in the amusement world of Arbuckle. The course of Chicago newspapers in the matter cannot be foreseen. The rumor of the engagement se- cured first page space in the "Tri- bune," but It Is speculation how the press will view the proposition in the face of complaints from civie clubs and women reform organiza- tions of vrious sorts. Chicago is a hotbed of such clubs. Not a manager of a picture the- atre in Chicago attempted to show an Arbuckle picture following the scandal in which his name was prominent. KELLERD AND EQUITY (Continued from page 1) the road with Shakespearean reper< toire. Until this last season he held the record in New York for hav- ing presented a consecutive num- ber of performances of "Hamlet." He also held the record for the lowest receipts ever obtained for "Hamlet" in New York when on a Saturday evening at the Garden theatre the gross was less than $11. Last season he made a tour of the Pacific Coast with his organization and failed to make the grade, the tour bringing a loss. Fred Hubner has temporarily given up the management of Keeney's Brooklyn, to spend the summer on his farm in Nyack, N. Y. Johnny Jacques, his assistant, will handle the house during his absence.