Variety (November 1923)

so VARIETY NEW SHOWS THIS WEEK Thursday, November 15, if|| STATE (Continued from page 27) Is a novelty und brieliUy arruiiKed. Tiio "canned" renflltlon of a "cry baby" 8onK Incldoiit.illy diacloaes how distinct (!ic .soiiK»trr-«M' pronun- ciation is, so iiiucli no that the diuli record Vfr.siq^ iilnioHt sounded clearer than the Konpstress in per- son. l''ranl< Silver and orchestra (Now ActBj wore the sub-fl.iMh. Kimberly und Pnso, the third biR turn of tlie bill, fhowed a compact little act that LcIouks in the best houses. Miss I'ase in ample comedy relief to Ijoon Klmhcrly'n staid op- posite, the romhination being one of those smontli. iilraiuint little affairs that may not evoke boisterous ap- plause on conclusion via the medium of a schooled and primed getaway but harmoniously clicking as It pro- gresses. Shaw's I^capinK Hounds opened with the usual routine of hurdliup the graduated barriers. Howard and Brown, colored, were a snappy No. t. He is a dapper stepper and Miss Brown, a comely high brown with a pair of f;Dod reasons that are not camouflaged by long skirts, sold themselves interestingly. Marty Ward and John Bohlman were first noticed in Variety as a (New Act) July 8, 1921. with the reviewer remarking, among other things, that their routine will pass muster for summer flil-in purposes, Ward being a burlesque recruit. SoeraiDgly, the turn has made vaudeville permanent but the routine has been given little atten- tion. It lacks substance. Ward sug- gests he could do much with good material but currently the routine is minus although it got something on a concluding pop song with a repeti- tion of comedy verse*. This was overdone after a while. Thomas Meighan in "Woman Proof," the feature. Abel. Mr. Norwood Is more M fault) will lift their voices Just a trifle thojr will And much better laughing returns will come from It. Opening were the Areana Bros., acrobat.i with a bull dog and some ocmedy. 8ime. 5TH AVE. BROADWAY A rather nice variety layout pleased a capacity house at the Broadway Monday night. "Common Law" was in for the picture end. In the vaudeville the leader was the Rose and Moon dancing act. in work, looks and applause. Here's a fast dancing turn made choppy in its running form that helps, and with four chorus girls so good by themselves as dancers It follows the principals must be fully confident of themselves to have engaged tour such corking girls. The costuming also Is distinctive and attractive, prettily designed In several sets and you look more than once at each set. The Ilotie and Moon act will have to follow a lot of dancing productions but they cnn do it, for here you will see step dancing. «altz clog.-, toe work lij principals and choristers with a snappy style of working that doesn't drag anythitif; out. The act stopped the show, and deserved to, at the Broadway. About the only Jar in the program was a comedy sketch called 'The Wrecker." ,i story o£ an intnirlinc mother-in-law and a rare horse. It started off with an idea, lost that and there was notlilnR; left, leaving it Just about nt for the smafl time where the present company of three should fit in tor playlet, playing and money. I'Yances Kennedy livened them up with her stories and also a kidding .song she quietly kidded until the house got it. Miss Kennedy can tell a story niul, to prevent the audience losing any points. Iient.s them to it with the laugh herself. One of her numbers develops into Just straight slory tellinK. when she shines. An- other of her ."ongs. tlioiigh topical doesn't .seem worth the time or effort, since both could bring better results Willi more stories, But good stories are hard to get too. How- ever, Mifs Ketincd.v whammed them .-is usual for the good nature of this woman goes far over the footlights A Bliiglng duo, two men, King and Beatty. have a real sliowmanly idea of a piano act that isn't a piano act at all. Just roKular vaudeville enter- tainment of the kind vaudeville needs more of. The.sc two boys don't try to show oft their voices or figures; no posing, no lg'15 monke.v business at the piano that your grandfathers walked out on: it's straightaway songs, nil comedy, with accompani- ments, in solos and ducts, winding up with a cli.iracter recitation that is also good for n. laugh. Another show stopper nnd no wonder in a house often expected to laugh at rented plush drapes. Hughle Cl.iik was there with a hand of nine pieces that started off well in "two" as a Dutch back yard hunch of lir.iss blowers, but that blew up quickly, as after the second noise it was col.l. Claik had found this out or framed .-lecordiiigly for I he turn went mto the full stage, with a raharet hand that wan not however as goii.l on its miisiral end .•IS Clark w.i.>i sinking t>hie.s. Th.at blues thing by lliiKhie put over mi- other cle.iii s( ore on the evening. Next to closing Xorwond and Hall In a quiet fun niakjng way made a strong impression but they are carrying repiession to the extent that much of the house la missing the low dialog. It is partially duo to the talkeia also addressing their croM fire to each other, always ooniincHdabl« when voices are prop- erly pitched. While the turn calls for (te Aubdued tOu*^ tf b«U Uud .Veat and with dispatch might be the idiom for around i8th street the first half, with the bill also providing somewhat stimulating entertain- ment. Headed by the Seymour- Santrev combination, that supplied r>'.) minutes of the programed action, the layout worked up to a sweet tinale that left a goodly gathering very much satisfied, to say the least. Anna Seymour never looked better In her life than Monday night, and especially does this go for an open- ing costume worn when entrancing accompanied by brother Harry. One more change totaled the .amount of wearing apparel and plenty easy to gaze at, this girl, besides working advantageously enough to make them talk abeut her In the audience both while she was on and after the show. Santrey did about as he pleased for his donation, not side- stepping anything but routining nor- mally, and there was no doubt con- cerning their liking it. The after- piece, accompanied by his wife, aim chalked up a third mark. Not for- getting Harry, who also neatly con- iribuled and was generally recog- nixwl. I'laced in a not too advantageous position, succeeding the family af- fair, came Sheldon. Kair and Heft. The central name is probably a new addition to the two boys, who are reported to have previously had Lu- cille Ballantyne as a member of their presentation. The act began under a handicap, and further enhanced it by an opening number of not too much quality, but the dancing of the girl. Miss Fair, soon placed matters on the right side of the ledger. Miss Ballantyne is heralded to be some- what emphatic in the art of terp- slehore herself, and this young lady, following her In. probably was up against more or less of a situation, hut to say she met the issue satis- factorily U to put it mildly. For thl,i< girl has, will or can kick, split and bond herself right into a production. Besides which she possesses an ap- pearance of note. The act finished accordingly. The Choy Ling Foo troupe opened neatly, thence coming Nell McKln- ley, who kidded and songpluggod, thrice, with an assistant in an upper box, for fair to middiin' returns. Placed third were the Griinn Twins, apparently two youngsters, who pro- vide nothing startling within their dancing" technique, but routine so coherently nnd with such an unas- suming manner.that the house v/aa theirs after the first number. Milt Collins was ahead of the in- itial Santrey-Stymour episode, and monologed his way to many a snicker, scattered interval applause and a finish that was substantial enough. Hkia. 58TH ST. The RrM half bill was a d.irb. SfUlom does a neighborhood house get such a finely blended and in- telligently spotted nhow as the six acts drawn by I'roctor'a middle east side temple of thespis Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday. When they get one like this it wouldn't he a had Idea to hold it over for a week. Two of the six acts went «o well they delivered speeches, and a third could have It he wanted to. And they weren't forced gab-fests either. Hobby Uke Henshaw, back from Kngland recently wit'i a trick mustache and a versatile collection of imitations of auto horns, clari- nets, piccolos, steel guitars, parrots and other animals, was next to closing and he knocked the cus- tomers silly. Mr. Henshaw Is aa- sLsted by a eweet-looking girl cor- netlst who has a complete mastery of the wind instrument. She clicked for a sepai..te wow with some com- plicated triple tongue playing and later displayed a line of muted Jazz that showed she understands the standard and modern trick schools thoroughly. Henshaw is still claim- ing it's ditficult to play the Stars and Stripes on the uke and he makea 'em believe it. A corking uker at that and a whale of a yod- eler to boot. The act stopped the show for one o£ the oratorical out- bursts. Arthur Alexander and Co. was another of the act^ getting in on the vocal "thank yous." The Alex- ander Is of the old Alexander and Scott combination. The act shows the contrast between ante-bellum negro typca and pre.sent-day colored folk. All of the nine people are white, but the negro Illusion is sug- gested much better than In the average blackface turn in vaude- ville. Alexander does a female Im- personation throughout in mulatto make-up and the others are in various shades of color running from Alexander's high yaller to cork black for the flvo-plece band. That five-piece band incidentally is one of the bc«t playing combos in or out of vaudeville for its size. They employ cornet, trombon*; banjo, piano and drum.s, and the sax and violin are not missed because of the excellent solo work of the cornellst. For one thing It's the only Jazi combinatioo heard ■inc* the craze started \/lth a real b.injo (live strings), Besldea Alexander thw'» « •ia(«r w«rkiac •ppoalvt who handle* pop stuff expertly and a couple of gooihoofer*. When It comes to onteruHament the turn classes with any of its competitors and out.iirtances most of 'em. Chas. IX Keating was third and he hung up another wham. He did one ballad without orchestral ac- companiment and it registered as an innovation as well aa a wlmle of a hit. The experts who are howU Ing for comedy in vaudeville Ahould take a look at Heating's act and note how the mob fell for his sob- bing ballad. Something about mother, and Keating actually cries It, and the 68th St. tore down the house when Keating had finished warbling. A sweet tenor voice of the lyric variety and perfectly con- trolled is a real asset for Keating. He went for a bang and a bunch of curtain calls that could have b«en translated Into a speech as easily as the mother ballad rocked the regulars. Quinn Brothers and Smith No. 2 and unfolded an act that Is real variety. The two men are cracker- Jack aoft-shoe dancers, one is a finished g.-ound tumbler and the other owns a pleasing singing voice. The girr hoofs It with hard shoes like a champ and does a cartwheel with the grace and precision that many a premiere danscuse of an opera ballet might be glad to poi- sess. With comedy combining with the trio's talents It makes for a turn that can walk Into an early spot In the big time and ring the bell. For houses like the S8th St. they're In before they start. Burns and Wilson fourth with a doctor and nurse skit that looked at first as If It was going to Include the "Doctor Shop." but didn't, found the laughing combination as soon as they entered and they kept the comedy returns up to fever heat all the way while the talk wjis current. The act needd a better finish than the song now used. The orchestra drowned out the voices so effectively Tuesday night the team might as well have been doing pantomime. PhylUss' horses opened (New Acts) and one of the animals dis- closed a wi);gle that suggested he must have been t.aklng a look at Mile. Fifi down at the Olympic. "The Drlvin' Fool" picture. Ca- pacity business "ICucsday night. neiu Kano and Jay Herman In a nut act that topped off a perfect evening for that particular house. They worked fast and didn't come back after 10.30, although It must have been a tempta- tion with such a responsive house. They have also been made members of the "We Doonk Our Doughnuts in Coffee" Oog Association, which has been pulled four weeko In suc- cession 'now. But, still, on a bill where there are three references to "No bananas," what is another "doonk"? Libbeu- KEITH'S BOSTON Boston, Nov. 14. This Rddle Leonard thing has ceased to be a fad. It's a mania. They started buying last week, and Monday night you couldn't buy. If Kddie had been rolled out in a wheel chair playing a barrel-organ they would have given him an ovation. Kven after his fourth curtain call (real) when he was plugging hlr number "Kain" so raw he worked with the orchestra leader in a bit that showed what the song-.-hie; cover looked like, they loved him nnd clamored for more. They ai>- jilauded the embryonic I.eo»ard.-i in the banjo pang of ten and the resi of the family when she showed in Itl. I'Mdic oiled them and they wont crazy. It was the wildest night thl.'< sen- .son at the staid old Keith house. There was everj;* symptom of it last season xyhen Leonard mopped up the town, but what a Job he dlil when he came back! There was showmanship in the way he handled his dancers. The remainder of the bill was an upstairs sort, shaping up like .a pop hou.se anniversary splash. It was a good-natured mob, ready to ap- plaud anything and everything, which Is exactly what they were given to applaud. The show closed with the Boston University <;irls' Mandolin Club fiankcd by a chorus of thirty more of 'cm. equally unex- citing. Keith gave it houseroom as part of the college campaign to raise funds, and the legitimate applau.xe apart from the college sympathizers apparently came from those who had expected to see a collection taken and were displaying their gratitude that such was not the case. The professional bill was a bit weird, opening with an nmbldex- trons French lady named Thea Alba and showing a dumb athlete act (Mang and Snyder) in fourth spot a la Rath Brothers. Mang and Sny- der have n sweet act, nearly crabbed, however, by one group on the floor who thought one of them was a comedian mugging when in reality he was only forcing a smile under stress. The Alba act was novel onlv In her unique (for big time) Idea of nodding her chord cues to the pit and then virtually lending her own applauscWike a college cheer leader. The Keller Sisters and Frank Lynch In second spot opened rather damp, but when they hit their uni- son blues and wound up with some dancing that had real character thev went over with a crash. Stella Tracy and Carl Mc'Bride had the balcony In howls and the second balcony in hysterics in jilioiit live minutes, and to their credit it should be added that they had the front of the floor with them before they finished. "Wee" r.eorgle Wood was another art that should always be hooked In for a lyeonard house, as wherever they turn out for the'minstrel they will go strong for the'EnglLsh dl- nilnutlvs. CHAirOES IN F. P.-L. (Continued from page 18) pointed branch nianafer at Lo^ Angeles, succeeding Mr. Traggardh R. K. Heffner, formerly salesman at Oklahoma City, has been appointed branch manager, succeeding Mr. Pe.acock. A. W. Nicolls, formerly branch manager at Des Moines, has heen appointed district manager of district No. 11. with headquarters at Minneapolis, succeeding Philip Relsman. R. F. Crawford, for- merly talesman at Des Moines, has been appointed branch manager, succeeding Mr. Nicolls. M. W. Davis, formerly saleitman at New Orleans, has l>een appointed branch manager at the new Mem- phis exchange. I'hilip Reisman, formerly district mr.nagcr. with headquarters nt Minneapolis, has t>een appointed general man.iger of Famous-Lasky film service of Canada, succeeding f!. E. Akers. resigned. C. F. Rose has been ap- pointed branch manager at Calgary, Alta., succeeding Edward Zorn. resigned. During the pa.'t few months the entire country has be^ redistrlcted the territorial Jurisdiction of the respective divisional sales mana- gers being as follows: Division No. 1 —It. G. nallaiice. divisional lales manager; District No. 1—Boston. New Haven. Maine (Portland I. District No. i—New J^ork. New Jer8e.v. Albany. Dis- trict No. 3-.-Philade!phla. Washing- ton. Wilkes-Barre. District No. 7- Atlanta. Ne^v Orleans. Char!olte. Jacksonville. Division No. Z —Oeorge W. Weeks, divisional Kiles manager: District No. 4—Detroit. Buffalo, Pittsburgh. Cleveland. District No. G—Chicago. Milwaukee, Peoria. District'No. 10 —Cincinnati. Indlanaimlis. (iolum- hus. Canadian- exchanges—Torontr>. Montreal, St. John. Winnipeg. Cal- gary, Vancouver. Divlnlon No. 3—John D. Clark. divislon.ll sales manager; District No. 6—Kansas City. .St. Louis. Dis- trict No. 8—Salt Lake City, Denver, BtJtte. District No. 9—San Fran- cisco, Los Angieles, Seattle, Port- land. Ore. Di.striot No. 11—Minne- apolis; Des Moines. Omaha, Sioux Kails. District No. 1 J—Dallas. Okla- homa City, Memphis. TRIFTS DEATH MYSTERY- Canadian Exhibitor Murder«d\Mkt in Car r?f St. John, N. B. Nor.^^« The police'have been unable toeaai with the mystery of the murdtPT* Fred Tlfta, picture exhlbltoe.S Eastern Canada, found dead In ki| sedan in one of the principal strtaSt of this city. The assistance o( t|»: Motion Picture Theatre Owners «f America Is being solicited t* fliii cover the perpetrator of tb« criajii. The local detective iorce, c3L posed of a woodsman, a tMmL saloon keeper, a teamster a»Z!^ longshoreman, have made no ress at all. Trifts was a man of quiet- meanor and well liked. It waaj parenf he was attacked from rear by one or more persons Inp metal weapons. Trifts is survived by six chih ranging In age from three to 31.) operated picture houses in this and in Halifax, N. S. OMAHA TEST BRINGS Paramount'* First Try and but Fair NeBfJt Omaha. Nov. 14. "'.s The first of the Paramount Mat run pictures. Pola Negri In "Tho- Spanish Dancer." was way off heiv.' It grossed around $5,500 on the wceIC at the Rlalto. The house has a c»^ paclty of 2.'.:o«. but because of poor* arrangements ot the theatre about 600 of the seats, are unsalaWew Night top is 50 cents. ■:* No special exploitation was al*' tempted altlimigh (he town vr:tff fairly well iHlled and good cowr used in the newspapers. Negr^ however, is not popular here nine*, "Bella Donna" arid |<ruhably $S.Ut> is about all that could l>e expecteA' Paramount Is to use the Ktr.-tndJ' which la under flie same manage^' ment as the Klnlto in its next uit run here with "His Children's Cft^ dren." The Strand seats about ifHi,.. PUDGIE ROSS INJURED Crushtd in Auto Collision—Now in « Hospital Pudgie Ross. New York chorus girl, is in the New York Hospital in a seriou.f condition, as a result of an nuto crash. The taxicab in which she was riding was crushed between two trucks. Pudgie was riding down Sixth avenue Wednesday morning last week. At 15th street two trucks, one from each side, started across the avenue and the rear of the cab was crushed between them. The chauffeur escaped uninjured, but Miss Ross was removed to the hos- pital In an unconscious condition. MI.SS Ross is now encased from neck to knee in a. plaster cast. The extent of her Injuries are not known but her conditions Is criti- cal. The truck drivers were placed un- der arrest, claiming the policeman had signalled them to go ahead. The otTlcer denied this. *I1.'-B Ross left the "Passing Show" In Chicago three weeks ago, and w.as occupying an apartment in 112lh street with Marie Hampton, .the begged Miss Hampton not to notify hor folks In Denver of the accident, as her mother is very old. FI6HT FICTURE ABREST Trenton. Nov. 11. Charles Stemmerman, a film sales- man, of New York, was arrested here by Department of Justice agents and held for the Grand Jury under 15,000 bail, and the piclureh ot the Dempsey-Firpo fight seiz' 1. The government agents charge tli.re was a plot to transport and exhibit the fight pictures. A warrant has also been is.'ued for Walter Reade. owner of.the the- atre In which the pictures were ex- hibited. »\>llowlac LMWtrd cam* Eddie irenUl a record (or a svz-day Film Pays $4,500 for Chestnut St. Philadelphia, Nov. 14. "The White .Sister" film is in at tie Cho.stns4 on. a t4,StO weekly UINOB CHASOE DISMISSED ,,, Philip Mallon. 315 West HIW street, an* usher in the Royal. Mr 10th avenue. New York, was exonc<- rated of a charge of admitting ui accompanied minors Into the t atre by Magistrate Smith In t West Side Court. Policeman Stark, • of the W( 47th street station. arreste<^ Mai .ifter he had seen Evelyn Lillian Paterson. ot 617 West 4«tlt: street, enter the theatre unaccooiVi ponied. M.allon said he did not knoa^ how the children gained .admittanosit town CENSOB "CHUDBEN" Altoona. Pa., Nov. It. ' "His Children's Children," i Paramount production, displeased- Pennsylvanlans and the local cen. isors wielded the official scissors, Of" dering 5,000 feet removed from a total 8,000 footage. The cut breaks the schedule of the local CapKoi where It was listed for a showlnf. The Paramount people are trjrliif to effect a compromise, to allow tfe*; film's projection in the state, iKit*', until one is effected there will *♦". no exhibition of the film. ' ~ ' ..^i ENGAGEHENTS Edward Fielding, George Parro* "Queen Victoria." Lavlna Shannon, "The Whol«, Town's Talking." Helen Shlpman, "Temptations oC' 19*3" ("Courtesan"). Doris Kenyon. Raymond BloomctV Patricia O'Connor. Alice ParkKt David Clark, Jane Kean, "The Oift'^ Mildred Truce, dancer, "VanitlMs Of 192.t" M Brooks and Barrows, "Say ItH With .Tazz," vaude revue. fl McDonald and Johns, dancers, "M Small Town GaJ," vaude tabloid. S;. B»rtha Braddock, "Pepper Botf'V Re\-ue." S Trlxl* Kling. "Over the WalW— vaude. ';: For "Kid Boots" (complete). ElddJ* j Cantor, Mary Eaton, lOthelind Tefrf, ■ Jobyna Howland, Beth Berl, Marl* : Callahan, Harry Fender, Harlan* Dixon and Paul Everett. Bernard Granville, Robinson Ne#» ■ bold. Wanda Lyons. Mary McCortt "Moonlight." For "Isn't It So?" (complete). Nancy Byers, Claire Mesereau, W d-n. .. lie Hut lor, Constance Be.aumar. Richard Abhott, Lester Paul ao* William H. Congdon. "The Cup" (complete), Tom MoOl*. O. P. Heggie. Ite.i Martin, Roslla Minima. Alfred KIg.ili. John Irwl*. Carlos Cald^. l.rf)u;se Groody. Oscar Shnw. J** llazzard, Ada L<-wls, John PtM loriCd. "One Kiss." Fay Balnter. Henry Hull. OT* Shtinnon, Carlotta Monterey. Ernaw Stallard. Andrew J. Lawlor. Jr., Maude Sinclair, "The Other Kose CllfTotd Brooke, director. "TM Gift." «■ .;.•..