Variety (July 1923)

..'^;.^ .F^' Xf '- v"I^.' v;*' 1^: M SHOWS THIS WE£K r-> i*>.. Tliursday, July 19, 1920 PALACE A blflf niiu'-ui>t bill at tlio Palace this week i)layc(l smoothly, head- lined classily by Lowell Sherman (New Acts), who Is making his initial bow in vaudeville, uslnff the «econd act of 'Lawful Larceny." Mr. ahernian is from the leRltimaie. but. unlike niiny of the stars of the other firmament, he ha«n't held the two-a-day cheaply He is giving vaudeville value received, both in his choice of act and hi« own ex- cellent acting. Sherman could be of the vaudeville halls, so well does he know U.h technique. Spotted second after intermission, he was one of the hits of the bill. The comedy turns divided the honors of the show with Vincent Lopez and Band. Lopez aeems to produce an entirely new act every few weeks. Th? dark-halrod leader goes In for 'effects" with his music, special lighting and eye-resting drapes and drops. He has dis- carded the "Barney Google" num- ber, which wa« backed by a race track scene that could have been developed. A new effect was a storm scene with a tree shattered by a blast of lightning to the tune of "When Will the Sun Shine for M«T" Lopez received his usual re- turns and announced in a curtain speech he would be at the Palace next week, his third consecutive for the present engagement. The band cl06ed the first part. Fenton and Fields, fourth, and Dooley an I Morton, next to closing. were the other hits. The first pair got an Immediate response with their hoke blackface comedy. The Palace laughed louder at the old gags than any of the other New York audiences have, proving that the Palace is "soft" foe the hoke. Dooley and Morton entered to a reception and closed to plenty of noise. Martha Morton's youth, beauty and clever dancing, foiled by Gordon Dooley'a low comedy and acrobatics, is an audience and spot- proof combination. Martlva was sweetly pretty and girlish in her short-skirted dresses and showed the Morton inheritance in her nim- bleness afoot in her tap dancing and kicking. A bit of ad lib comedy was a slip into the light trench by Martha in her efforta|to retire Gor- don after one of niB nose dives. They crashed heavily on the "in- terruption" bit also. Bert Hughes and Co. (New Acts) started the shoMC «wi£tly at a pace which never slowed. The five bike riders consume most of their run- ning time with a basket bali game awheel, always InterMting. An- other turn is playing around using the same idea, but playing on a darkened siage. Scanlon-Denno Bros, and Scanlon deuced and scored with harmony si.iging and dancing. The unwig- ging of the woman In male attire was new to the Monday night cr^^wd. proving that most of them were transients. The dancing, both double eniiembie and solo, is high class. Bekefl's Theatre Grotesk. third, ecored nicely. Bekefl's personality caught on as the announcer. His solo dance in gob attire stopped the act and put him in such favor his every move following was good for applause. The act is the conven- tional Ilussian Revue, following the lines popularized by the ' Thauve Souris." They liked it Immcneely here. After Intermission and Topics, the White Sisters picked the show riKhl up with their kid double. The thinner sister Is now conflning her clowning and mugging to one num- ber ."Old King Tut," a corking com- edy lyric that Just suits the pair. The other girl is a bundle of per- sonality. . The kids sing and dance like veteran.s and *are neat show- men. Tliey looked cool and capable In their white embroidered kiddie, outfits. Several healthy bows and a fast dance encore rewarded them. The Clreat Leon (billed Leon and Co.) followt'd with magic and illu- sion, mo.st o( the flashes running to cabinet tricks. licon'a best is the glass tank from which the girl ap- pears. A list of illusions printed on the program allowed the audi- ence to pick from any, but this i»or- tion was dispensed with, probably on account of the lateness of llie show. One of the best bills seen at the Palace this season and a comfort- ably filled house. Con. RIVERSIDE The usual lightwalsted Monday night attendance was expected, but this timo some of the Riverside fiins were missing. A subway train ran off the track and paralyzed northbound traffic, Incidentally mak- ing for late arrivals homo for din- ner and conseciuent cancellations of seat reservations for those planning to see the show. The accident hap- pened shortly before six and pas- .aengers caught between stations were being removed from the 96th street exit at curtain time. It took a local train half an hour to move from noth street to Columbus circle. The heat haze was most depressing and those caught In the Jam'further uptown Miffered eeverely. Thosp who missed the perfi^rm- anee sliouid not have been dis- appointed. The bill Is Just what mlcbt he fvpected of a midsummer show la u Uouue of light dra\\. Emma Carus and Tom Burke split the topline and intermiMsion formed the Interval between their appear- ances, pven they could not excite the house to enthusiasm. The scor- ing throughout was under normal and the evening came near being hitless. Tom Burke, who was Willlanf Morris's foreign find, appeared coat- less and with a soft shirt open at the throat. His accompanist an- nounced the tenor liad been in an auto accident Saturday and band- ages prevented him wearing formal dress. The warbler was keenly suf- fering from a dose of sunburn that necessitated a doctor'« services. He laid off last week and on the beach at Atlantic Cify too long. Take it from Tom, he will never do It again. Burke's routine was slightly changed, there being a new Irish, song and a new closing number. He was in splendid voice and dis- tinctly caught on. Another added bit was a piano eolo by Burton Brown, whose classy playing of a classical selection counted. Brown is quite above the run of vaudeville pianists. He was accompanist for Irene Bordoni in her concert work last season. Miss Carus and the athletic J. Walter Leopold at the piano started very quietly. Her bejeweled fingers and glittering white Fatin frot;k did not disguise an increase In pound- age. The ditties warbled were not those programed except "Has Any- bocU' Seen My Cat?", n humoroue lyrR; that beat out the others. Miss Carus's heavyweight dance rang the bell and shaded everything that went before It. That was where Leopold came in most handily. When he deposited her finally upon the stage the house laughed, and It was then Miss Carus got o^ummj'. Billy Wayne and Ruth Warren carried the going in next to closing nicely. Wayne's characterization re- minds one of a West Side hick and Miss Warren convinces as the kind, of a sweetie who can and will give her steady a receipt for everything he pulls. The Paul Gerard Smith ekit, "The Last Car," /Its the couple all the way. There were times, how- ever, when they got too confidential, which does not fit in a^liouse as large as this. Ann Butler and Hal Parker were on fourth with "Don't Make Mc Laugh." It is an act along skit lines and therefore falls in the same classification ao the Wayne ^nd Warren turn. Miss Butler's direct work amused and she put "Second Hand Rose*' across, though with the slowest tempo imaginable. While Mis« Butler changed Parker handled a lyric that soufided entirely melddyless. Harry Miller and . Peggy Fears were spotted third. Nothing coimted up to the dance sections, the tealm going olT to a low score. Florence Brady made a likable nuntil>er two. At the matinee she scored more strongly than in tlie evening and there is no quecJtion about her be- coming a standard single. A per- sonality and Individuality mark the maimer of her poiwilar song work. Miss Brady appeared in a summery frock of pink which looked ever so much better than the dress she used at the Palace early la«t week. Roy Sheldon. Lucille Ballentlnc and Robert Haft closed and held the house with but few- exceptions for their song and dane* routine. Mi.ss Ballentine looked especially fetch- ing in a little red dre.«'s. Her best work was a waltz on her toes, both partners bviiig u«ed. A taxi trip from 59th street after an escape from the subway failed to arrive at the Riverside in time for Bert Ford and Pauline Price, who opened.- Attached to the fables film at intermission was a trailer showing scenes at the Actors' Fund home on Staten loland and the titles Invited membership in the luiid fi'om the public. • l^e. GREELEY SQUARE The Monday night shov/ drew a slim audience on the main floor, al- though the upper section was well filled. The show- was more or less diverting for a summer small time even bill. Synco, mule xylophone mUnipulator, opened with Instru- mental numbers. Gordon and Del- mar, a mixed team, .followed with the rc>;ulation "piano act." The girl handles most of the numbers, while the man dft^s the accompany- ing and harmonizes In several songs. Team has appearance and works well togellier. Lew Hawkins ofl>red his usual mixti^re of comedy and songs and proved up to muster as laugh get- ter from the small-time audience. His songs ran to comedy also. Primrose Semon clowned her way through In rattling good entertain- ment with the assistance of Arlliur Conrad. Miss Semon Is of the viva- cious soubret species. Fraser and Bunce did exception- ally well next to cl(»bing in a com- edy skit with s<»nKs. The boys af- fect a similarity of diebs and hinge their comedy chatter on the fact that one is being continually blamed for the pranks of the other. They have a zippy act. sold with a pleas- urable gusto. The Kirk wood Trio, tvo men and a girl, wound up the vaudeville sec- tion, offering a mixture of songs. Instrumental numbers and lariat n>r.nipulatlng. JEFFERSON Business) neems to be Improving at this house, and the t>rograms offered certainly deserve good patronage. Mulroy. McNeece and Ridge igive the bill a good start with a fast skating act, including some waltz dog and buck dancing on the wheels. KIdge is an added starter In the act and does his share capably in both events. Dorothy Taylor, with a. pianist, was on KACond, but found the spot no handicap. Four songs in a row —three rags and a ballad—without piano solos sandwiched in was her contribution. Insistent applause compelled an encore, and she left them wanting. Brady and Mahoney. who followed, landed a solid hit also. They have a novel Idea of handling a comedy song through the Insertion of com- edy dialog apropos to the song. The act is 100 per cent, entertainment. Barrett and Clayton Co., the com- pany a woman, were in a spot made to order for them, vand registered strongly with their melodramatic sketch, "Fate," the dope scene espe- cially pleasing the Jeffersonians. The Shuffle Along Four and the Miller and Mack Revue (New Acts) both su.staining the pace set. and were followed by Loney Haskel. who kidded the audience along in his usual style, leaving them laui.bing for the dancing act of Adelaide Bell, which concluded the vaudeville. This little lady, whose dance^bre divided with piano solos well played by her own pianist, diti very well In a tough si>ot. She is a versatile dancer, and with another dancer as good, either male or female, the elaboration of the act Would undoubtedly get even better results. Her special setllitg in three is exceptionally attractive and tasteful. "A Man of A<5tlon" closed. - BROADWAY Jaxz seems to Jt>e the-basic founda- tion of every bill bookeil into this hou.'ie. Snap and go predominate regularly each week, and the'fact that they turn out in sizable num- bers best proves the effectiveness of this policy. The hou^e orchestra set a mean pace with its Jazz overture and made the assignment Important. Preceding the trench boys'^election a short reel of the Actors' I'^und Home on Staten Island and its ac- tivities plugged^ Daniel Frohman's pet charity effectively. This ia E. F. Albee's practical idea and contribu- tion for further popularizing the significance of the hoone and what it means to the old-time actors now guest.H at the institution. The reel is a decorous and dignified exhibi- tion and interesting at the same time. Maurice and Girlie opened. Girlie soloed on the piano accordion in "one," and Maurice's efforts In "three" were confined to an equill- brlstlc display. The four tables high with the four chair pyramiding on top was a flashy perch for the balancing. The Wilton" Sisters were spotted much earlier than usual in No» 2 and clicked as ever with the close har- mony, particularly on the unaccom- panied, "blues." "Juggleland" (New Acts). King and Beatty (New Acts). 'Carnival of Venice' is a colorful musical turn, planting the careless abandon' and gaiety of a gala night effectively witli the opening fanfare and general atmosphere. The ensu- ing musical and dance specialties are played up, In keeping with the idea. It's a fiashy turn tliat thould find favor In houses of either grade. Hawthorne and Cooke, emulating simian edibles, probably invented the phrase about "getting away with murder." But the audiences respond uproariously, so what more is neces- sary? Lorner Girls and Co. (New Acts). A CfOldwyn feature, "Itagged Edge." closed. The picture was circused in the front-of-the-house billing as "an Oriental mystery of Chinese In- trigue." which sounded much like the lurid lobbying once so popular on 14th street. J&rl. STATE Monday evening's oppressive heat was none too good for business here. The bill was a summer program, with two former Shubert vaudeville acts relied upon to carry the show. Nonette, the singing violinist, due to a bronchial affliction, announced that she would be unable to function vocally as well as she would like. On in the fourth position, with Har- old Solman at the piano, Nonette did well enough. The La Mont Trio, two women and a man. wire walkers, were delegated to be the pathfinders. Most of the burden fell upon the young girl and man. both of whom executed intri- cate feats on the wire. The other woman did a little vocalization and walking vliile the two were resting. Good showmanship throughout, with the final trick a Jump by the man over a five-foot hurdle. Mi Is and Kimball, a mixed sinking dtio (New Acts) walked away with the show. Following them came Lazar and Dale, two men with a comedy talking and musical act. The routine used by tliis team is one that has served them in good s(ead for more than three years, with the blackface comedian always drawing laughs through his sluttering and mugging. At the conclusion of tlielr talk the men waste time Ih dialog while preparing to begin tlie niusii^al portion. Tightening up here the act may find that Interest In the turn will not be lost and that they will probably go much better at the ooncluslon. Next to closing were Bryant and Stewart, two men, with comedy pat- ter, songs and grotesque dancing. This team seems to be bright and ambitious, as they have 4>een most observant of the good points and ideas of other "nut" comedy acts. They have succeeded In selecting a good line of song patter and comedy gags, patterned along, the linos of successful blg-tlme acts, but fail td get them over with the same finesse of the originators. Their dancing Is patterned along the lines of Doyle and Dixon, with the boys finding it rather difficult to attain the same results as the creators. For the small time they have a sure-fire. Closing the show were Moran and Wiser. Moran at the start was eager to make his comedy felt, so he concentrated rather heavily on the trick dress suit ho wore for comedy results, which he received, after which the pair began their hat toss- ing, which had a telling effect. AMERICAN ROOF Not much luster to the first half sli%w at the American this week. Most of the acts N are unfamiliar names and the entertainment pro- vided is of the crumby, moldy va- rletj'. The usual three-quarters crowd took everything In very mildly, only working up real enthusiasm about Thornton and King, next to closing. Four new acts on the bill were Har- rington Sisters, second: Benson, Melina and Co.. fourth; Hightower and .Tones, replacing the Exposition Jubilee Four, fifth, and Schafer. Wagner and Fowler, sixth. Diaz and Powers opened with a representative wire act. The man is a steady performer, but the girl doesn't Heem sure of herself and keeps the crowd in a state of nerv- ous Kuspenfe while she is on the wire. The dance work is good, and the man's high jump at the finish lifts the act above the ordlaary. Dunlay and Merrill, third, pre- sented their standard comedy turn. The audience hadn't warmed up as yet and the going was none too easy. The man's effective gagging and the woman's feeding and indi- vidual comedy efforts soon brought results. She wears,her hair straight back, with her ears showing, re- sembling to a great extent the stunning Gene Ford (Gordon and Ford). The act is still using the- idiotic opening with the orchestra grinding out discords and the spotlight wan- dering at large around the theatre. Tfiomton and King were the oasis of the bill and they took everything coming to them. The comedian is a first-stringer, and his semi-nanco Hebrew is one of the funniest creations In vaudeville?? The boys have Just started on the Loew time, and their season on it should be highly successful. But the big time is where they belong if they want to climb where they should. The Aronty Brothers closed with a display of balancing and teeth spinning. The pace Is a fast one and the crowd stuck to the finish. "Only 38," an exceptional feature picture for these days. ^ 58TH ST. Small time at Its worst with jin orchestra that could make the best show ever put together look like- 30 cents. That's the first half 58th St. show thie week. Not that that 58th St. orchestra played the show badly. It didn't as far as tempo was concerned. But It sounds so ter- rible. The noises emanating from the orchestra and passing under the name of music fracture all the laws of harmony ever heard of. Tune- less, discordant, insufficient pieces for the instrumentation usually and as wheezy in volume as an old ac- cordion, it racke the ear drums. And 'the show itself. Maybe It w^ because It's the middle of sum- mer. bu>t a silent act, a comedy talk- ing and singing turn and four other acts mainly singing aren't vaude- ville—not even small-time vaude- ville. The opening turn, Le Fleur and Portia, started the show off classily. It's a man and woman combination, the man doing aerial work on the rings and the woman contortion. The man does an iron Jaw whirl in the air at the finish that's a darb. Suspended from the rigging, he spins for upwards of three minutes, or it seem« as long, with changes of pace to add to the thrill. The act W0UI4 increase the values of any bill. Princess Elona and Sister Sierra deuced it. Sister Sierra looks like a different sister since the act played around last. The song«i pleased and a bit of Indian step|)ing made a neat getaway stunt. The Indian costnmlng brightened the .vfage picture nicel.v. Another session of singing directly following in *Xet the Public De- cide" (New .\ctR). and then Dixie Hamilton. Mis« Hamilton did five numbers, four published songs with an opening, or possibly, the opening is a published number too. This single singing comedienne has ad- vanced rapidly In the past season in deli\ery, manner and stage pres- ence. She has a dandy enunciation and that's Important for a singer. .\ piano accompanist and exclusive numbers should be the next stea. Miss Hamilton stopped the show- after her fourth Boog. It shonit have stayed that way, instead 3 her coming back for a fifth. Ash and HalU next to closio*. with a conversational turn and more singing. The team has good talk that seenM to be galted at pres- ent for the pop houses. It would take but little revision, however, to bring it up to big-time standards The double song with old gags \% all Hght, but the gags aren't par- ticularly funny. They did nicely, vm And then, to make it unanlmoW" for the vocalists, "Six Pirates and a Maid" (New Acts) closed with an act of nearly all singing. "The Scarlet Lily** feature picture. Business good for a hot night m» Monday. Bt\l^\ FIFTH AVE. A very good hot weather bill at the Fifth Ave. the first half. The weather didn't keep down the at- tendance much, the lower floor be- ing filled.Tuesday night. Three of the acts were new. Gor- don and Kenney (New Acts) opened; Harry Puck (New Acts) back In vaudeville from musical comedy circles, second, and Ingllss and Win- chester (New Acts) low comics, fourth. In between Lew Seymour and Co., third, scored ^In a girl act draped around his skit, "Are You a Law- yer?" Seymour works with assur- ance and wise cracks; also ad libs copiously. He has a corn-fed tinge to his speaking voice which seems Incongruous when hitched to the character of a giib big city lawyer, but Isn't. They liked Seymour here, alBO his four girls. The girls look well and are individually clever. It's a workable and likeable "flash" for the intermediate houses. 'Dance Creations of 1923" doesn't belie Its title. The people are «^1J clever dancerM, all standing out. The act was put on by Earl Lindt?ay and is one of the best dancing revues seen in vaudeville in seasons. The PClnclpuIs arc F'lnlay and Swift, Walter Booth. Alyce Tyrell. Rhea Irvig. CUarllne Essley. Violet Lar- Tus and Pauline Chambers, the lat- ter H sweet little soubret with pro- duction possibilities. The act took the hit ot the bill next to closing. The Faynes closed In iheir novel tvo-act. The man. is a marvelous contortionist, the woman ;i clever assistant. His bends are Individual applause getters. V walk down a flight of stairs while twisted Into a knot and recovery to an upright position on a table from a back bend witli Ills body two feet below his legs, was good for solid rounda One of the best acts of Its kind. Con. LINCOLN SQ. More than three-quarters of the Loew house was occupied Monday evening, not a bad showing. Jimmy Savo's name split the electrics with Viola Dana's "Fatal Millions," a feature which ran for over 70 min- utes and started the vaudeville por- tion after 9. The bill offered good entertainment for warm weather. Every one of the five acts had at least one vocal selection, this even applying to the opening act, Nadje, a shapely woman who did equlli- bristlsm, 'contortion and Iron-Jaw work for the major portion. NadJe opens with a aong and dance in "one" before going to the punch of her turn. Her talk includes a lot of the old applause requests. This and a few others lines In regard to her figure are unnecessary, as her lines can epeak for themselves. George P. Wilson started his turn In the deuce spot with a song and then monologed It for several min- utes, speaking with what might have been dialect, but sounded more like an accent. Wilson also revived several old wheezes, among them the Senator Murphy gag about "kidding the landlord out of hie rent." Connors and Boyne hit them nicel.v on third, with a skit consist- ing for the most part of special songs, with some talk bits working up to each number. Jimmy Savo and his red-headed magazine cover girl had them tearing down the house. S«vo's falU* and pantomime bits kept them screaming. The closing turn was a colored quartet, billed' as the Silvertone Four, who offered good harmony singing (New Acts). 81STST. A large crowd Tuesday night to .see a rattling good show. The bill was one act short, which gave the other turns a chance to linger at the finish—and linger they did! But outside of 4lte bow grubbing it was all class AI entertainment. Ade- laide and Hughes brought the vaudeville seclion to an end with an applause triumph. Harry Tsuda opened with a bal- ancing turji. The Jap has been In show business for many years and he has his act down to n sci'Mire Cosni»'|"'li'an Trio (New A'ts' were a d. lif;lit with a vocal ofieriiiy worthy of tlie concert fctage. '•Blonde.«."*a Lewis & Gordon comedv sketch, was called upon to sui.fvil/ tbe bulk of tile lauRhs. .iiid It lived up to its task admirably. It follows the formula that all girl^, blonde or briinet, nre klss.<iblt' it they are handed the nfces.sary line of fiattering "bull." Men revel Ii- seeing thi« sort of thing, and the