Variety (July 1923)

Thunday, July 19, IMS VARIETY •%• *THE HUMORBT' '*,''-■■ »» Scores Triumph of His Career as Co-Star of ''Vanities of 1923'* at Earl Carroll Theatre, New York ARTHUR POLLOCK m THE BROOMLTN BAOLB 8ATB: Th« presence of Jo« Cook raliea It a notch or two »bov* Oeorco Whlt«'« "acandal*" »nd 'The Passlnir Show." Tb«re 1* nothing In "Scand«l«r»^ or "'The P&Minc Show" so amusinc aa Cook's famoua explanatioo of why he will not imitate four Hawaiian* playing the uke- lele And hie explanation ie but a email fraction of the fun for which he la re- oDonelble. There la nobody on the stage Tut tltce him. Fired Stone and Kd Wjnn oMi Tcry nearljr eqanl him >■ ▼ereatlBtT. They are funny, too. But their humor la cuileleaa by comparison with his and wltboai point. His jokes are commen- taries. FR^INK VRKBLAND The person to whom we thlak the greatest credit should go <m tha program Is Joe Cook. He displayed an amaalng and almost nosuspected ▼eraatlllty which nuikes him seem Uke IVed SUma'a Uttle brother. Above everything else was his OTsr- wbelmlng Idiotic sense of hamor, and to be absurd like that Is a real achievement. It Is on a par with the nonsense of Kd Wynn; and Cook last nisht had that past master of lunacy rolling In his seat. OKORQE 8. KAUFUAN In the matter of personnel Mr. Car- roll's faatared players are Peggy Hopkins Joyce and Joe Cook. As for Mr. Cook, every one should know by this time that there la no one any funnier. KVOKNB KBLCKT ALLEIT WOMKM'8 WHAR Peggy Hopkins Joyce adds "class" and Joe Cook fun to the ahow. The leading funmak«r Is Joe Cook, the "One Man Vaudeville Show," long a favorite cf the "two-a-day." He scored heavily with the audience. ARTHUR POLJ.OCK HROOKLTN EAQLS Re to the genloa of the occasion. Barl Carroll has lifted Joe Cook out of Taadevllleb thereby doing the musical comedy atage a great favor. He Is a brilliant comle, deft In everything he does—and he can do anything at all— and possessed of a rare sense of humor. PERCY HAMMOND TRIBUME Of course one does not know what there might be In another and better world, but this one holds nothing funnier than Joe Cook and Peggy Joyce In a one-aot play, and that Is what "Vanity" pos* sesses. CHARLES PIKE BVEMUfO POST Chief among tha headllnera to Joa Cook, the "one-maa vaudeTlll* show.** who performs all of his tricks at ana time or another during the evening doea them extremely well. JOHN BROOKWAT BROOK LYM 8TAMBARD UIOON Joe Coek. whose treraatlltty anmo aa surprise to those who have iMver him In vawdevlll^'deNghted tJto aadlaoeo. He was the chief eomedlan. STEPHEN RATHBUM SUM No one has % Nghtar touch at a versatile Cook. Una o( trtaka thaa kag J«« ;: All matter in CORRESPONDENCE refers to current week uniegg otherwise indicated. VARiETY'S CHICAGO OFFICE 8Ute< Lake Theatre BIdg. If enthuBlasm on the part of the audience in rewarding the various acts with applause makes a good show the Palace bilL for this week is up to the standard, but if a lack of out-and-out comedy ki a sufll- clent detriment to a bill to fail to be offset by such evidenced appre- ciation, then the combination of eight act3 seen this week is not Ideal. The rainy weather Sunday morning may have contributed to the big business at the matinee as compared to recent Sundays. At any event, the house was ^lled, and It waa the second week cT Fannie Brlce as headliner and the second time that she has been at that the- atre In the last four months. There are two comediennes -t t^ie bill, two song-writers, two dancing acts with piano solos to hold attention while changes are nade, two acta opening in one, which are full stage acts in their natural classification, and four or five acts with unexpected musical Interpolation. There Is only one real comedy act on the bill, and It Is one of the two acts which open in one as a novelty from full stage ofTerings—Al Espe and Charlee Dutton. The "next to closing" act is Harry Carroll, composer, and Grace Fisher, prima donna of light opera. Carroll Is the second fea- ture of the bill and a sufflcient at- traction to stand up as headliner; consequently he fills thia position nicely and makes up for the ab- sence of the usual hit comedy offer- ing late in the bill. There Is a direct conflict In Mary Haynes, on third, and Miss Brlce, who has fifth position on the 1)111. Miss Haynee, who was formerly well known in the mid-west as May Curtis, was not recognized, by the Sunday matinee audience and was permitted to open as an outsider who was pushing herself into a bill which had Mise Brice as its feature. Her first number was a song of the chorus girl type, which pQeased. Her second, a "trusting wife" num- ber, registered big. Her third, a girl of the five-and-ten-cent store, went still bigger. She has the as- sistance of a male pianist, who never has the spotlight on him and makes a change of costume for the "EU," the Jeweler TO THE PROFESSION Special Discount to Performers ^HEN IN CHICAGO ^ State-Lake Theatre BIdg.* H Ground Floor satire poem. Her success was so phenomenal ACiss Haynes could not refrain from etating that she was a Chicagoan in a little speech, in which she frankly stated that she had not been recognized In her homo town, but felt gratified to have made good on {ler merits. She did this, too, exceptionally good. One of the Fifer Brothers and Miss Ruth open with a song and dance hardly fast enough to start off a show. Then comee an Indian number by Miss Ruth with the same brother at the piano and the other playing drum on the stage. The brother and sister then offer an In- instrumental and vocal music, and finally permitting the five naen to form a jazz band with a drummer executing some especially Interest- ing stick Juggling, score a big suc- cess, and eoemed at a loss for an encore, when been finally present- ing a bit not up to the standard of the act. Johnson's rendition of "Under the Bamboo Tree," offered as an old song, and some of his newer ones went big. Negro spirit- uals also caught on. Harry Carrol and Grace Fisher (New Acts) had "next to closing" position, and Captain Betts' Seals, billed as "A Happy Family,'' having CORRESPONDENCE The cities under Correspondence in this issue •! Variety are as follows, and on pageai • ^ ■ BALTIAT.ORE 40 BOSTON 42 BUFFALO 38 CHICAGO ^ 37 CLEVELAND 42 DETROIT ..» 38 LOS ANGELES 47 KANSAS CITY 89 MONTREAL 40 OKLAHOMA CITY ^ 89 ST. LOUIS 87 JVRACUSE 36 'WASHINGTON 37 tcrostlng routine of solo and com- bination dances, and there is sur- prise when the pianiet brings out a saxophone and starts to play it. He is Joined soon by the other brother and later by Miss Ruth with banjo, turning what has started as a song and dance num- ber and developed into a full stage dancing revue Into a mueical act at the finish. Al Espe and Dutton present an offering similar to the extent that they open in one with song and comedy, then appear In two as an acrobatic number, and close In one playing musical instruments—violin and harmonica. Espe does some stunts with cannon balls which won big applause, and Button's comedy throughout Is enjoyable. There Is hand balancing in one which is neatly done and which Introduces the two in Roman costume, with Espe making a striking appearance. Mary Haynes comes third. J. Rosamond Johnson, formerly I of Cole and Johnson, with Elolso Bennett, singer and dancer; Peggy Holland, Eddie Ransom, L. C. Lang- Bter and Leon Abbey filling In with FUR COATS Charted, Glazed and Relinfid Attention SCENIC ARTISTS Will Rent or Exchange for Work Modem Scenery Paint Frame See Mnnaurr Ollckaiaa'ii Palace Th««tre Blae Island At«., nt fUMwevelt KomI CIIICACO We also Remodel Furs into the Latest Style—Work called for Free Storage to the Performer BhimenfieM's For Shop 204 State- Lake BIdg. CHICAGO PIion« Dearborn IZST" >^ ALL WORK GUARANTEED EUGENE COX SCENERY 1734 Ogden Avenue CHICAGO Phone 8«el«y 8«01 - . AMk:— II0BIIYJA«;MH0N_ •■■? RAIMBO QARDENS MILLION DOLLAR OUTDOOR GARDENS CLARK ST., at LAWRENCE AVENUE, CHICAGO FRED MANN Presents ^^..^^.^^ EDWARD BECK'S NEW SUMMER PRODUCTION "RAINBO BLOSSOMS" With an All-Star Cast and the Rainbo Beauty Chorus ^^ FRANK WESTPHAL and HIS RAINBO ORCHESTRA two monkeys and a small game rooster to Justify this billing, closed. Thie is one of the best vaudeville acts that has boon shown with seals as the main feature, and there Is value In the fact in that it is not all straight performance of the one kind of animal. Loop. The Avon Comedy Four headlined at the State-Lake this week after being at the Palace for two weeks just recently, and was even a bigger laughing hit there Sunday at the first show than when seen at the opening Sunday matinees at the Palace. The hokum comedy of the act found great favor, but the laughing for this act did not equal that ac- corded "Parlor, Bedroom and Bath," which la a one-act condensation of the farce which was formerly a strong drawing card In legitimate theatres. There was a disposition to award considerable applause to every act on tho part of an audience which filled the main auditorium of the theatre before the first show had got along very far. Wade Booth, next to closing on this show, scored the artistic hit. His fine singing was fully appreci- ated and caught on the more in contrast to the hokum of the bill. He was In splendid voice, and the reception accorded him Indicated that admirers from his recent en- gagement at Marigold Garden were represented In the audience. Curtis' Animals opened thp show. The act has many meritorious points. Dave Harris followed, and while his versatility is a point in his favor his attempts at comedy detract from the general good lmpre.«<slon until it takes a cornet player from the wings in the make-up of a stagehand to put the act over. Robert RelUy, Irish singing comedian, has a com- pany consisting of Molly Kennedy and Little Larry. It Is the usual Irish act, nicely presented. It In- cludes everything seen in an evening show of thJa kind—singing, dancing, comedy, sentiment, costumes, scen- ery. Rfilly makes very guod. al- though he does not equal some of the Irl«h comedians In voice. Wade Booth, with Tx)ulBe Best at the piano, made a departure from the UHual in giving little talks about each number. It Is not a bad idea. He said he would continue to sing "My Buddy" bccauRe there was some genuine sense to the words aa weVI as being a song of good music. His philoeopohicai observationa regard- ing songs !• Interesting and hia sing- ing highly pleasing. The Avon Com- edy Four was "next to closing," fin- ishing in one and making way for Husk O'Hare's Tent Orchestra, an organization well known in Chicago, which did fairly well, although by no means equal fo some that have preceded It. Bnida Morris and Qreen and Bur- nett were not seen at this show. The latter team filled In for one show at the State-Lake not long ago and did very well. Anna Stack, auditor of the Chi- cago Keith office, and Frances Gal- lagher, secretary to Warren A. Jones, one of the bookers, are making a three weeks' visit to New York by way of a vacation. It ki their first visit east. tures, seems to have caught their eye. If this deal goes through "The Covered Wagon" will ba first, early in £!eptember. "A Charming Conscience,** comedy in three acts, which Margaret Anglhi has accepted for lounedlata rehearsal and production In Baa ]«*ranolsco, Is by Orrick Johns of this city. His father, Qeorga Johns. Is editor of ths fit. Lioulc Post-Dis- patch. • Boris Petroff, who directed and danced ballets at McVIcker's until a few weeks ago, has Just finished a stay In California, and is once more on the job at McVIcker's, conceiving and producing dance nambers. Ple- tro Cavallo, assistant conducter of McVIcker's Symphony Orchestra. Is directing the huge orchestra at the American Historical Review and Motion Picture Industrial Ehiposltlon being held at Los Angeles^ Cal. J. D. Murphy, one of the directors of Jones, LInIck & Schaefcr, and who has financed several loop thea- tres, suffered a stroke on the golf course and Is dangerously III at the Presbyterian Hospital. ST. LOUIS By JOHN ROSS Manager E. J. Sullivan, Orpheum. has returned after vacationing In the eaet, and has charge of the Grand during the vacation of Man- ager Al. Glllis. Mrs. Wallace Reid, In person, at the Kings week of July 28, in con- junction with "Human Wreckage." while around the corner at the Lyric iHham Jones and orchestra will try to offset the personal appearance. It Is reported that J5rlanger-Shu- bert Interests are trying to land the Odeon to convert It Into first-run picture houee. At first It was said they considered building In the vicinity of Grand and Washington, but the Odeon. which Is two blocks north of the considered location, and whose management is ambi- tious to convert the house to pic- Andreas DIppot was iB Bt Lottls recently in order to add this elty to a chTQuIt which bs Is forming to present grand opera at Intsrvals of about three weeks on a subscription basis similar to ths syifiphony con- certs. PInckelman & Corey, owners of a string of houses In Quiney; 111., plan erection of anotber theatre to be known as the Washington Square. The structure wiU eost about $300,000 aad Is to be ready *j Dec. 2S. WASHINGTON, D, C By HARDIE MEAKIN Tom Moore, who, by the way, now has a son and heir, is creating In- terest through bringing Alfred Lunt to his Rialto to appear In person In conjunction with the showing of the film, "Backbone." To guarantee payments to his wife of 1126 monthly alimony the Hippo- drome theatre, a neighborhood pic- ture house situated at 803 K street northwest, In this city, has been held in the hands of a receiver. Chief Justice McCoy, however, released the receiver Saturday, and now the wife, Mrs. Mary B. M. Stens. and her son Norman are to operate the theatre. The attorneys appointed by the court to operate the theatre and account for the receipts have been instructed to close their books and file their accounts. Alvln 1m New- myer was appointed sequestrator, having had contdderable experience in the legal end of the theatres here In Washington. ;".>'■. Harry Wardman, one of Washing- ton's largest builders and who built and operates the Wardman Park Inn. is to have a semi-private theatre erected close to the hotel, which Is situated In Washington's society suburb. Chevy Chase. The theatre is to seat 600. STAGE and SCREEN STARS in MIDNIGHT WATER CARNIVAL FOR THE BENEFIT OF New York Theatrical Hospital TUESDAY NIGHT, JULY 31,1923, 11:45 MADISON SQUARE"GARDEN SWIMMING POOL Admittion $1.00—Box SeaU $3.00 Ticketi on Sale Everywhere