Variety (November 1923)

S3 VARIETY NEW SHOWS THIS WEEK Thursday, November 8.182S Dian took lila hat ofT onco he doffed It a dozen times. He also made three 'chanKea" to no purpose. The girl looked fresh and had a litllo «o- prano thrill but no lower roRlster The few gaprg they uttempted were piffle and done as bcfil. Ward and Hohlman followed with a two-man duplicate of It. The old timers niii.st liave eaten it up from the wlnKs, for it was the v.iTlciy material and method for f.iir. The BtralKlit men (oh, so struiKht. tool) and a romlc who looked nliyhtiy Ukv Rilly Keeves talked to no end at all and got Into "Oh, How She I.led' for u Ketaway with cnrore verses, none of them rouRh hut all ailBhtly bluish. Ward and Bohlman got nu- merous lauKhs. Raymond and Schramm. In the psyehoIoBlcal next to spot, clowned and seemed puzzled atiout what, to do next. Thoy are pleasant boy.s who try too hard not to appear us though they were trying. Their how- jockeying at the finish was a crime. Thoy do a good comedy bit on a Jail »ienc, but It takes too lone t'l get the point over, and they don I crack It over the fence when II comes after spending several min- utes getting to It. If they took shorter crosses and planted the gag It would be a big-time episode. They harmonize fairly and in appearance are most presentable. They need direction, mostly. Walter Miller and Co. (New Acts) made quite a fuss over Itself and got It all on the comedy work of W. H. Power, the father-comedian. Mil- ler Is billed as a movie "star," which Is laying It on a bit. I'revost and Goulet were wasted, opening, with one of the best acts In the show The comedian does an excellent silly kid, with a quaint Jumping cap that la funny. He uses a irawaiiaii guitar, piano, whistling, animal imi- tations, the Collins and Hart feather trick and the two do some truly sen- sational .somersaulting and tum- bling for a cracking getaway. A rope-Jumping stunt while lying on his back, though not unique, is a bang. The clo.ser, too, wa-s powerful The Horl Trio, Japs, starting with upright pole balancing, set In the usual .lap flash closing-act produc- tion, led Into double rlsley work with barrel tossing that was ex- tremely Intricate and skillful as well as yielding some solid laughs or fake falls. Bicycle tricks followed The Horls are apparently seasoned International performers, worlhy of circus and carnival featuring. I.ait. JEFFERSON A typical Jefferson show (which means a good one) at this house Monday night and a typical Jeffer- son audience, which means a packed houseful of folks who come to be amused and warmly applaud the acts which please them. They worked for every act on this pro- gram and every act deserved it. The Hal Jung Troupe of Japanese, three men and two girls. Jugglers, magi- cians, plate spinners and 'acrobats. were an unusual hit for an opening act and will be a hit opening any ■how. Capman and McCarty, a two-men dancing team, followed and confined themselves to dancing. Their rou- tines were well applauded and de- servedly so. aa they are both good dancers. "The Song of India" (New Acts) ■was third, followed by Ward and Van In "Oft Key." They are capable musiciant and clever comedians, who do not speak a word yet keep tho audience laugliiiig heartily Their harp and violin duets are musical treats. Snow and Narlne (New Acta) left the audience In good humor for Krnie Uolden and his band, liked so well thoy had to play out their reper- toire, and then (Jolden had to beg off with a neat little speech, (iolden has an act which compares with the best In Its line and his men are developing no little abllitv as come dians. One billed as John Doe Is worthy of special mention and he is quite an asset to Goldcn's aggrega- tion. Pressler and Klalss, a ge-nulne comedy pianist and a singing come- dienne who can really sing and is somewhat of a jazz dancer, put over a laughing hit. This act is real en- tertainment. Green and Almeta. man and wom- an c<.medy acrobats (New Acts) held them in. and the show con- cluded wi'h "Thunder Dawn " pic- ture. RIVERSIDE Even with a Imuse ne.irlv filled Monday night with a receptive audi- ence the Klverslde bill played spotty although on paper it wa.i a kimck- cmt. On the Jtage Howard Kvle and his vehicle, "The House at the Crossroads'* (New Acts), dealt the second half a below the belt imncli from which It never recovered. ICven the recent I^ynne Overman sketch at the Palace, which wa^j certainly bad enough, has been outdone by this new one, authored and produeed bjr Paul Gerard Smith, On' In the provinces It may go, but at the Klverslde they laughed at It. Eric Zardo In the deuce spot didn't g9t over principally because his piano routine was miles over the heads of his audience. Two years ago he stopped the show here, yet Monday he retired without an encore. Marguerite and Gill, clos- ing the show, found the going rough largely bectuse the pianiste In the act jumped to the foro and sang a soprano solo badly. At the finish of tbl« many left, not waiting to see lb" marvelous shawl curtain used In the second half of the act. Hut the rest of the bill was o. k.. with Vin- rent Ijopez an(" his band knocking the audience for a couple of goals. Tliey played nine-1elections, four of them encores, and left the audience begging for more. Three scenic prewentations were employed In the act. The O'Donnell and Blair act had no trouble In cracking out a hit in the trey po.>iiiion. as this house ate up the j)antomimic hoke and the f:ii:s and knocks taken by O'Uonnell. Ills fall from the piano brought a Hock of gasps from the women and, when it was all over, a lot of ap- plause from everybody. Davis and Darnell, eubstituting for the McLaughlin and Evans turn, scored the next hit on fourth. The man's swift conversation took the audience off Its feet and kept them suspended until he got ready to let- down. Kane and Hermann held up the second half all by themselves, hin- dered a« they were by the flop of the Kyle act which preceded them And with the tough time that the closing act had, they were the only things In that section. The Mar- guerite and GUI act should have been spotted sooner, possibly In the O'Donnell and Blair position, for that act would have held the house to the last. As It waw, the dancing of .Marguerite, the attractive set- tings and the singing of a young baritone with the act put It over to the small hand it did get. The Medlnl Trio opened strong, getting undivided attention and go- ing through a routine of difdcult tricks on the unsupported ladder. This act got a big hand at the finish and took several t>owe legitimately. All In all the bill framed fairly well but suffered through a weali second half. pushing around and falls. It hit the bull's-eye In the State. Kmerson and Baldwin, burlesque magicians, did their familiar comedy magic and pulled laughs with It "The Jewel Box Kevue" (New Acts), a flash singing and dancing act with Klleen Schotield and Bobby (Jore and four girls closed. Bell. 5TH AVE. CITY It took election night to draw one of the first real crowds of tho sea- son at the City. Kight o'clock found a restless, surging mob. liarro and Melvin opened with a very fair acrobatic turn and then Weber and Buckley (New Acts) did about as well as any one on the bill. Fargo and KiLharda, third, offered a two-act with a clever basic Idea and several bright lines. The woman has a dry, crisp style in delivery that clicks neatly, but that freak costume should come out. Walter Urower, monologist, began slowly for some reason and never seemed to hit his stride, although many of his gags struck the bulls- eye. He Is telling two or three far more blue than Alice's well known gown. After Flo Neary and company (New Acts) had failed to speed things up again, .Morrlsey and Young accomplished the increase In tempo with their hilarious two-man act. The comedian does some of the funniest and most hazardous falls to be seen and his Apache burlesque specialty Is a masterpiece of vulgar comedy. Grelchen Eastman, next-to-clos- ing. has substituted a girl for one of tho men in ber company and has improved ber turn with the change The act is a neat little affair and holds a good deal of class and nolish. Once again tho feature W an Apache dance, but this time it Is the real thing, and splendidly per- formed. Afte r.all the low comedy, closing was no easy spot for the headllner. Mile. Anne Cody, with Frank Orth. Here's an act that holds no unusual singing, dancing, material or any- thing else and Is the baldest of boke throughout, but they like It and that's all there is to It. STATE A show of distinctly small-time caliber at l<oew's State this week. With election Tuesday and a "natu- ral" for business for a house like the .State, that may have been taken into consideration when framing the bill. Of the five acts, none carried .a name that meant anything of Im- portance as a box-ofhce draw. "Ashes of Vengeance" was the picture. The Three X,a Pearls, aerialists. started It at a lively gait. (New Acts) and Leonard and Kddle were second. This la a te.am of colored boys wiio seem to .have plcke<1 on Kiidie I-eonards name for billing purposes. No reason for that, for they're corking steppers. One does tap stuff like few have done it in vaudeville since the days of Kyan and White, ind the other is jilso a d.andy hoofer. The team could step into a big-time bill re.idily. They were with "Strut .Mi.ss lyizzie" colored show. The hoofing landed 'em .■Hilidly. McCoy and Walton, man and wom.in comoly singing and talking .ind dancing not. next. Typical small-time arrangement. The com- edy, which is on the order of the quarreling biismisM of countless hus- b.-ind and wife skita of that charac- ter, has Some rough-and ready A good show at the Fifth Ave. the first half pulled the usual Monday night capacity. The eight acts all seemed among friends, every one finishing strongly. The "names" were Tvette Uugsl, spotted sixth, and Joe £. Brown, next to shut. Brown In taking the vaudeville plunge has chosen a scene which he did In the "Green- wich Village Follies." Brown does It artistically and well, but it will never get much In vaudeville, for the simple rea.son that the same scene Has been done to death all over the burlesque circuits. It has to do with a tramp's desire to get himself ar- rested on Xm.as day so he can eat. Kverything he tries works with rc- ve.-se Knglish. He rings a fire alarm and is lauded as a hero for saving a woman's life, etc. It's not new Jo vaudeville, no matter what they may have thought of it at $5.50 a squat. Hrowui's eccentric acrobatic dance for an encore was nearer to It. Miss Itugel pleaded a cold after tieing up the show with the beautiful coloratura soprano. Here Is one prima who can unprlm when necei- .sary and sing a .pop song. Her "Dreamy Melody" was a treat. Harry Conley, on Just ahead In "Ulce and Old Shoes," was one of the bill's hits, Conley pulled a cur- tain speech In which he "salves the orchestra," He Is doing it weekly. A couple of new gags In Conley's monolog with howls. Harrlette Townc's Jazz dance also stopped the act. Conley makes them like his singing, which Is showmanship par excello. The .Four Adlonas (New Acts) opened swiftly, followed by Furman and Evans. The man and woman pi.ano and song duettlsts also clicked. The girl has a nasal voice, but can coo a ballad the way they like it. The boy had more repose when at the piano, but has a likeable person- ality and blendful singing voice. Hyman, Mann and Co. (New Acts) in "Ijong Distance Love" were a great third spot bet, and wont strongly. In a curtain speech Hy- man asked the customers to vote for tie amendment which would give the cops and firemen a raise In salary. The Big City Four, In a well-bal- anced routine of popular songs, h.ar- monizcd their way to favor and en- cored twice. The act is a straight singing four constructed for the pop houses and sturdily built. Allen, Taylor and Barber (New Acts) closed In* a routine of piano, songs and'all three dancing. They held them well. Con. BROADWAY An early evening rain and election night Jammed them Into this vaude emporium to the extent It was a Job to find a chair much before 9.30. A rather slow moving show held forth on the boards with at least two of the acts consuming more time than was necessary. That Is to say AI Tucker's band and Bab- cock and Dolly were the worst ofi'enders. The latter Is a mixed team presumably being In their present vehicle because every so often an acrobat will try to do comedy. The musicians did well enough albeit their attempts at comedy were nil and lacked much of that partlcubar quality while be- ing overboard with quantity. Cannon and Lee opened before black hangings and on bicycles. The set shows oft the girls neatly which aids In making this, at le.ast, a good looking starter. Shelton Brooks succeeded offering a trio of songs and some t.alk more or less u.sed by him last season when ap- pe.irlng In a Broadway cabaret. Earl LIndsey's Dance Creations consumed som9 31 minutes before llnisliing to an appropriate quota of loturns. The act continues as pleas- ing to the eye although were the ■sister" singers forced to eliminate some of their current w.arbling It would aid the general impression. Frank Muilane entranced with a ballad, told a few stories, thence another ballad and for an encore introduced his daughter who of- ficiated for a selection at the piano. An additional waltz melody took the family away to solid applau.se. - The Lamys closed. Skia. 58TH ST. Election eve brought to the 5Sth St. one of Uiose overcrowded houses, three d^^fTbehind the orchestra and balcony. The bill, making exception for the deuce spot, was one of the most entertaining of the season and held at least two acts of big-time caliber. It was a unique Show In that It had only one of that type song usually de«lgnated as "pop." The rest were all specials. McCool and Relliy (New Acts) walked off with the applause honors. Two other new acts also scoring heavily were "The Age of Romance." a great flash turn, and Selblnl and GrovinI, opening with a novelty turn. "The Coms Backs," ons of the bettor old-timer acts, closed, dis- closing more pep and vim than most of th« rounger artists on tbs Mil. A woman, also a veteran performer. Is the new Interlocutor. She reads her lines well and although her singing voice has not much quality she Alls In the waits adequately. This type of act Is always gravy for the 68th St. crowd and "The Comebacks" made the most of their m.anlfold opportunities. Marlon Gibney, fourth. In a mono- log credited to Paul Gerard Smith, slid across with little difficulty. The material Is a lo,ng way from Smith at his beet but It holds laughs and is K. O. for the intermediate houses. Miss Gibney sells her stuff with a vengean.^e and an assurance that cannot fab. One song should be enough, however. Sheer forceful- ness and personality put across her first number. The poor old second spot had a couple of boys. Tower and Welch, who took a historic flop. They didn't seem to realize It but kept right on aleallng bows after what little applause there had been had died down to a restless silence. They tried hard but that doesn't excuse the fact that there Isn't an original Idea In the act and they must know it. Everything they do has been done better .by one teiim or another, gags, trick songs, antics, eccentric steps, business bits and the entire act. 81 ST ST. Three-quarters of a house doted on the finishing act Monday night to the extent the finale proved the high point of the night. Incidentally the cause f r the demonstration was the Carnival of Venice offering which consumed some 25 minutes In rolling up the momentum. Just what the turn contains to make it land with the force It revealed might prove something of .% study. Three accordians. a feminine dancer and a female Impersonator accompanied by two other men provide a neat presentation, no doubt, but ordi- narily -hould cause no such outburst .as would continue after the film screen had been dropped. But that's what happened, the house more than gave evidence of Its approval and that should about terminate the discussion. Vera Gordon was spotted at the head of the billing and did nicely with her Ellis Island vehicle, despite a bellowing commissioner who easily ran bo he:frd in the smoking room. What a stony hearted jailer that guy Is. Rome and Dunn were on second, supplying with a qu.artet of melo- dies and an encore amongst which was Included a pops meiudy that hints at soon being a hit dance num- ber around town. Whiteman has been playing it for a few weeks past to satisfactory results. It's bound to be "canned" on the discs besides listening as an entertaining interlude for any singing act of the type. The boys fall to give the piece sufficient volume to make It audible in the rear of the house and the fault should be corrected. Rich Hayes supplied the send- off, closing out to a demanded re- turn, irnusual enough in any house for an opener. Ned Norworth was all over the stage, next to closing, to corking results plus much laughter. It pro- vided the needed lift succeeding the Gordon weep, and gathered returns accordingly. 8kia. KEITH'S BOSTON Boston, Nov. 7. The poster display in the lobby this week make It appear a couple of the big phonograph companies had decided to stage a competition. Leo Rcslman's orchestra and Patrl- cola, headliners, are prominently mentioned In the posters, as they were In the Sunday ads as working for the Columbia and the Victor, the former listed to the Columbia. The programs carry the same an- nouncements and OS the acts are placed together on the bill with Patrlcola having the spot two re- moved from closing there was ample opportunity for the audience to decide which of the two acts was the most valuable to the phono- graph people. The applause Indi- cated Piilrlcola was. It is Interesting for this reporter to watch the progress of Patrlcola. Ilidike Jack Lalt he can't recall, as Jack can with Itae Samuels, the time when Patrlcola was pl.aylng the small time and h.aving it tough .at th.it. But ho can recall back several seasons to the time when Patrlcola did not have the high po- sition on the bill she has now and which she deserved at that time just as much us she does now. She is one of the very few repeat acts at Keith's of which the audience never seems to tire. The show as a whole is a mixture of new acts and old tried and true ones, some working under the dis- guise of new material. Instead of closing the show with an animal act as 1^ generally done, this week's Jilll opens with one. Miss Lindscy with Sultan, a trained horse, being the curtain raiser. The horse goes through the regulation routine without anything particularly sen- sational. The act. however, is well staged even If Miss Liodsey's open- ing speech about how trained ani- mals are not the victims of cruelty did fall rather flat. Larry Mevhan and Gertrude New- man In "Broken Promises" fur- nished a novelty In second position. Meehan, although he has a very much different way of putting on hU stuff than Is generallx adoptsc and Is without artlflcs does a coupU of eccentric dances and some wotk on harmonicas that woke the hoosa right up. The girl has pos8lblutl«g but the material ehs Is using (g»- songs does not bring It all ouj This act can be m<ade ever so muok better, good as It Is now. Howard Smith and Mildred Bar* ker In "Good Medicine" In the nest position run through this farce la exactly the same manner that they have run through It many times la the past. It Is doubtful If a line or a situation has been changed aa Iota. Frank FUher and Eldrle Gllmoi« are another team familiar to Bos* tonlans, followers of vaudeville, as Is also their skit It has survived many seasons. Shura Rulowa and her Russian ballet on next proved to be one ot the hits. The opening gives ths four girls who comprise the ballet plenty ot opportunity for solo work and they come through splendidly. They are entitled to the bare leg privilege they have as artists. Miss Rulowa. In her dances, confines herself to dances that are accepted as being quite the thing for a per- formance such as she gives. Ths house was quick to appreciate the touch that was given one of her dances when, assisted by her mals partner, whose name does not ap- pear on the program, she did a couple of twirls Inside his arms while held aloft, coming to a finish still suspended in Che air. It was a new trick and the audience got It right away. Kate Elinore and her company, with Sam WilllitfiTB^itlaylng a minor role for the first time In late years that the coup'.e have appeared in vaudeville, were not such a hit as thoy might have been. The house was thoroughly familiar with the burlesque, rough tactics of Miss Elinore .and although presented under a new guise with a great deal more fnss and feathers than before. It fooled nobody. It Is stilt Kate Elinore and the construction of the act and the addition of ths two Juveniles were actually super- fluouf. However, credit should be given the pair for trying to Intro- duce something new and this ex- ample might well be followed by several coujiles playing big time vaudeville now. Leo F. Resiman and his orche.'tra (New Acts) next, followed by Pa- trlcola, with Margie Clifton and Partner In classical poses and bal- ancing, winding up tlie afternoon. The house was fairly well popu« lated tor a matinee Monday. THE JOLLT TAUOBS i (Continued from page 20) set In the mountain section of Cau- casus. An operetta's foremost feature Is the score and should be given first consideration. It Is quite tuneful, with sympathetic, melancholy thems strain that could have been built up more for a real punch. As It Is It's sure-fire. The rest of the musio is sprightly and generally fetching. Tho composer, Chernlavsky, took a bow with the cast after the second act. The central theme ot the play re- calls a playlet once seen on ths small time done by Louis Mann If memory serves right. It concerned an Americanized couple ot Jewish extr.action whose over-asslmllatloa made them act boorishly to a dis- tant relative who spoke with a dia- lect and whose outward appearancs was unlmposlng. The distant r. later turned out to be a wealthy power in South America, having purposely donned the shabby ha- biliments as a test. Here the plot concerns an Inherit- ance from a distant uncle, with ths family counting on It strong and omitting the dreamer "fool" mem- ber of the household. The vagrant violinist who first Introduces ths melancholy theme strain Is spurned for his intrusion, the "fool" only ex- tending a kind word and a helping hand. The obvious of the vagrant being other than what he appears to be ensues, but It takes three long acts (starting at 8:35 and letting out at 11:23) to tell it. Considerable pathos and what would ordin.arlly be dismissed as extraneous bathos Is Introduced, but their total effect Is that telling one must conclude they are neces- sary Ingredients to the success ot a 'Vlddl.s'h production. It Is unfair to minimize the story since much of It Is lyrically dis- coursed in over a score of numbers and conver.satinnal duets, most of which didn't get over with the re- viewer because of the Idiom.atic jar- gon. The theme plot itself was fairly well acquired. Bores Thomashef.sky as the va- grant fiddler Is an Imposing figure, reading his lines in stentorian voice that is Impressive. Satz in the "sap" role made much of It, and Miss Zuckorberg speaks for herself ott— the strength of a lusty and highly trained soprano. Tho "inside stuff" on the .show Is that its first reading w.as held Mon- day. It opened Friday of the same week, which Is quick work plus. It still needs some pruning, which is easily accomplished. Cutting Is re- quired In two dreary spots particu- larly. For Yiddish show business this Is probably the Lost word In pnduc- tlons. Abel.