Variety (December 1923)

^'P^' 80 VARIETY NEW SHOWS THIS WEEK UlIi'.I "FIL"*'. Hiil^li»inpi»ii Thursday, December 6,1983 V i KlalH.i. who were a comedy Imwi. tnado BO hy I'riRslor's linpoy imnlo •tulT. TIieii'N ii hit Willi llie piuiiii by I'roMslpr Hint has him sp^itnl on the otool scvi'ial feet from tin- piaivi The e.v|K>rt<>il thiiiR l.s for I'losslur to to|-' tlH' ni:ino over to thf stoul^ but li>- iloisiit. DodRini? till' iiniipiit bit is ornjiiKh to tuvl I'rt'ssItT m tlie vaudeville h.ill of fame alone. They liked the c'.ovvninB and M ss Klaiss' ■ongs Immensely at the Xiverslde and brought the team back for their comedy "speech" after the lights were doused. Mabel McKinley (New Acts) was third and ( Uokcd neatly. Thompson and Covan, a pair of colored stej)- pers. deuced it with a session of clean cut hi otlng that Included ex- cellent examples of buck and wlns- InB, eccentric soft shue, waltz cIok and the always effective essence, but closing to appreciation that was lighter than their efforts called for. Openinc was a fine sisht turn called "The Shiek." A snow-white horse with an uncanny talent for poelng. The absence of a trainer gives the act a distinction seldom attalneil by animal turns, and the black hackBroiind sets the turn off classtly In a producing way. Joe Browning introduced a lot of bright patter anent relations toward the end of his monoloK that had the custoinei-s rolling oft their seats, and the earlier part of the act also scored effectively. Browning doesn't nce<l the white face make-up he has been using now for several seasons. He'd be just as funny without it (and that Isn't Intended as a wise-crack at Mr. Browning's physiognomy). A natural monologist, whose materi.il and comedy methods need no aid from eccentric facial makeup. Is probably a better way of pufting it Befekis Theatre Grotesk foll^vved and gave the bill a spla.sh of (\lor and speed that held up the second part in great shape. (New Acts.) Closing were llert Yorke and Ed. Lord, a couple of nut comics who held the house Intact for the;r final musical bit and incidentally kept them laughing continuously before that from their entrance. Bell. STATE No "name" at the State this week but a capacity crowd Monday night, which Implies the feature "Spanish Dancer" wa.s the draw. The audi- ence was the Irritating sort which ■rings along with the numbers the* know, and chatters, gifrgles and ndget« during the less familiar one.5. Interest was centered in the top- tiner, 'In Music Land" (Nrw Acts), which closed the show to tremenious returns. The rest of the bill wus Just about typical, with standard acts supplying the fuel, J.ick C'onwny and Co. we e third, with the familiar "In the Cellar " one of the funniest of the post-prolilbi- tlon sklls. Conway's souse is a gem and that he has eliminated sorre of the more disgustingly rea'.istic bits of the finish in no way detracted from It. Hurt Ftyan is ,i lik.aMe straiuhl. and there should be more opportiin- ily for Ktjme straight vocalising on his part< Nexi-to-rlosing spot was capably filled b.r .lack (Joldle. The former opening number h.as been re|)laceil by a new one equally as bad if not worse, and things are at p-etty low ebb when it is concluded. ISut fjnldie gets going quickly with some brl«hl taU< and then strengthens his hold with some much better vocal selec- tions. Finally the whistling panli-; 'frr. hccau.se at that line of endeavor Coldie has few equals. De Kiiih Trio opened with a smart eqiiiiilii islic turn to splendid results The balancing feat with a dog perchei.l on the head (tf the und*r- Rtander and in turn sui^portinf< the top-mounter Is a show-sioiqier They were followed by Corlez and Ryan, who struggled hanl but be- c.'iuse of misfit and meiliocre ni;ite- rlal set nothing at all on fire The woman featuri's imitations of War- field, r.ert Williams, Cohan and I'.or- doni. which ('particularly the last two) are about as unnatural as can be imiigiiied. The act is practically the same as It was two years aso, and except for the man's harp pay- ing I.H badly lacking in distill, tion and class. 5TH AVE. Anni\eriar\ week and a semi- rentenii.al oe'i-bration is ciuinied to have piillixl the largei»t Monday gross in the history nf the house The sl.rti ment Is believable for every extra chair that could be recrnllcd by the binise staff w.is occ-upicrl, be- sides sliind'Cs many rows deep on the orchi'.sira floor and .again lineil up at the rear of the first bal.nnv for two or three lines across. The Jam was on as early a.-: (lylit o'clock, with the gathering continu- ally growinij for another hour. Tiler. were a pooilly number on their feet .jH the conclu..flon of the vaudeville portion. The a..<.semlil,ige seemed bubbling over with enthu.siasm for the occa ■ Ion. but there was little within the schedule to bring it out. In fad, there has been many a iKtter run- ning bill at this house on ordinary weeks. Jack Wi'lson headed Hie iisr for the first half, and he may be held over. Closing the show the veteran comedian walked through to solid Appreciation and followed It up by an .ifiiiplece wlilch called back the personnel of the "h'avoriles of the Past" cITe.intt for an additlon.il in- troiluctlon. It made for u "hurruli" llnale. The Hliow itself never reached be- yond a fair c'as.«illcation, due to no oulslatuliiig p<w>'iiiiilit\ or act suHl- cient to capitalize the gdod-^ill spirit manifested, besides reve.mng a tendency to similarity with some of the act.s. It"8 positive there was no big wallop to the night which would and shoul^d have botltted the event. Harry Holman and his skit; Benny Kubin who looks promising as a comedian but Is at present in a ve- hicle that means little or nothing, and Wilson topped for the night. Next to closing was placed the Rus- sian Imperial lialalalka Orchestra which did nicely enough, but failed to contain the needed punch, Steele and Winslow (New Acts), on roller skates, opened, followed by Van and Tyson, who danced, with- out talking or sing.ng. for five min- utes to appreciative app'ause. Irv- ing Fisher (.New .\cts) was sp.Ttted No. 4, succeeded by the "Favorites of the Past. " According to the Monday night in- dications they expect to break the hou.se record this week, and if such is the cafe the major portion of the credit should certainly t)e allotted to the advance work, besides lobby dis- play and decorations. i$A-i0. AMERICAN ROOF The Uoof .Monda>' night reminde<1 of Hie Colonial at its rowdiest. Some of the Colonia' s "strong arm" tac- tics could well be applied on the roughs that pay their way In seem- ingly to dis!url» the peace. "Smiling" Rilly M.iscn. from pic- ture with a fema'e partner, lopped miUHy (New Art"), Ma!»«n. like many another sereen lupiinary, runs true to form in proving; a disappoint- ment. Other .New Acts included Mack and CJera'd, Lillian Watson and Co. in a new vehicle and "'Game of Hearts." Lan.g Hiul V'ot*ik look the applause, comedy and all other honois of the bWl, generously encouraged hy the insistent galleryltea. although after an encore the m:iJoriiy would have been content in letting the following .let have Us ."ession had the boister- ous minority also acquiesced. The team have forceful voices that han- dle the pops effectively. The come- dian .ilso Ha.ohes a pair of falling breeches and a trick tenor, either or both of which were utilized in turn to caiitivate attention. ■i'ates and C.ir.-^on, a neat mixed team, precedeil Hilly Mii.son. who was in the ace po.^ition. Rose. Kills and Rose, acroljatie barrel Jumpers, closed. IJob. Bobble and Bob, two men and a dog. juggled. That goes for all three, since the <an!iie also figured on the receiving end of a do'I-jug- •-'iing bit. For tlie rest, the two Hobs, one featii.ing a putty nose and the other a st.ige I'lcnehy. showed their stutT iiilerestingly. in the bit where . ne spears the balls thrown from the aiKlleii.'e. one ganer.\' giMl almo.^l erowrii d the orchestra leader Doug F.iirliinks. .Ir.. in "Steiihen Steps Out. " film feature. .4fccl. 81 ST ST. The six-u.t bill and "The Virgin- ian." a pictui ization of the Dustin Farnuni staito suices.'^, playe.l to c.a- pa, ity .\Iond.iy n Lrht and revealed one of the be.it balanced bills here this .reason. Paul Sjierht and his Al.imac or- elieslra. accredited hea.liiners closed the vaude section. iipe:itinK the «uc- e. ss that has been theirs all along the line. Sjiecht has a nifty group if b.iy wli.. lo.ik well and play bet- ter. .N^it unlike his .-ontemporaries. Spe<ht makes most or symphonic .irranKcnients and ■.;i\ej to the sev- eral pop numbers nf his repertoire an es.sence of indi\*Iduallty that e\'en their tunesniiths would scarcely rec- o»:ni7.e. Perh.'ips the oiitstinding feature.*! of the seven number program were a sjnco ai iange«ii'-iit of Tosti's "Goodbye" and 'An Impression of a .Miniature Symphony " The Specht outfit docs not go ill for scenic em- liellislimeiii, for their numbers, de- pending solely upon music alone to get each one across. It may well be ^aid they do this succi safiilly. K.ine and Herman, spotted fifth all but tie.l up the sliow with their nil'ty hokiiniaiie il conicly and songs. Kane Is ,> coiiie.ll.in nf the I"' W;, nn t\pe an.I .1 natural clown. He never miilTs a chance to fire af rf«s a nifty regardlea, of whether his partner ; feeding or warbling. The seem- ingly Inipr.iniptu stnfT bad the mob here KOing, Win ii the b.iys dep irled the iii.ii, br.iusbt the„i iiacu "ain ind ,igiln, A comedv speech by Kane gave them the desired out. "rhe Hteppliii; division w.i.s nlily repre.Jented by Lorraine and Ritz, two nifty male dancers working in high brown, who punctuated their iegm.inia contributions with Impres- sions of several stage t.ivorites, one t. iking the dancers and the other the melody men for their Impressions. A fast double with the boys ..-how. ing some clever .i-rob.ttic stufT sent them otr to a loud hand. Wilfred Clarke and company. In a delightful comedietta. "What Next?"" w.i« another valu.ible ally to the comedy section, and was sent across v.'lth a gusto that kept the audience entertalne.l to a hi«h iilteh through- out. Clarl.e was capital as a flirta- tious wag whose latest flame tracks him to his household and furnished the pivot itpon which th« comedo- angle revolves. Phyllis Jackaon was llkeatde as the phllanderer"fl wife. Dorothy Revere made an attractive fhterloper and Russell Swan handled the Juvenile role fairly well. Laurel Nemlth, formerly of '"Blos- som Time,"" did well bi the deuce spot with a regulation song offering aided by her own accompanist. Her repertoire favored standards and classics. For an encore she obMged with "Song of Love" from "Blossom Time." Miss Llndaey and "^uKan." the latter a trained pony, proved a live- ly opener, with Miss LIndsey put- ting the pony through the usual paces of counting and other mathe- matical problems. 23D ST. Give them a few hearty lauehs and a generous sprinkling of hoUe at the Z3d Street and they'll walk home chuckling. This week's first half held plenty, and consequentty will go down In the minds of the patrons as one of the best of the season. Two good acta on the bill, while the rest vary from so-so to not so bad. The best Is Bronson and Hop? (New Acts), a new combination seen In a variation of the act formerly done by Bronson and Baldwin, The other outstanding hit was Howard's Spectacle, an animal act of unmis- takable merit, Johnnie Singer and Doll Sisters opened with their f.^mlllar dancing routine, closing to sound applause after the acrobatic stepping at th? finish. The girls are making a bet- ter appearance than ever, and more than live up to their names. Fol- lowing them were Carlton and Tut- (New Acts). Vernon, veteran ventriloquist third, started slowly, but soon had them howling at the antics of the seven dummies used. Credit Is due Vernon for the plucky manner in which he refuses to cash in on his misfortune and play for aymijathy. It Is doubtful If more than a hand- ful of the audience realized the lAugb-creatlng ventrttoqulst Is en- tirely sightless. Fourth and heading the billing outside were Charlie and Addle Wilkens, who have been scouring the thrce-a-day and almost every- thing else In show business for many a year. Their act as It stands now Is far from Justifying the billing a< headllnera. There are laughs In the ta'14<, but they are too long In com- ing. The bit In which Charlie at- tempts to learn the tang still clicks, but even as low comedy its value is negligible. The woman wears ii;;l; costumes that servo to emphasize rather than disguise her consider- able girth. The cre.im of tlie turn Is the mans dancing, and more of It would help. "D.aring years" proved a good bet as the feature picture, hoidin;; everyone to the finish. KEITH'S, BOSTON Boston. Dee. 5. Possibly part of the surprisingly heavy Monday night draw came from curiosity. Certainly few who paid knew anything concerning Jo- seph E. Howard and Ethelyn Clark except that the subway billing had them featured in type so large that the general public asked each other rather apologetically "What do they do?" The act proved to be a pretentious splash for vaudeville, carrying eight girl.s. thrcfe female musicians. James J. Morton and Tillis and La Rue. It was a set-up for Morton, who in- troduced the lieadliners and then gapjied the five scenes With his child-comic drool. The audience loved it and he goaled them, getting the biggest hand of all on the cur- tain parade. Judging from the lobby-chatter, the house grasped the fact that Howard has written some old pop- ular songs and is sponsoring a whale of a scenic act. with one or two of the most spectacular sets that vaudeville has seen in a long, long time. Howard is falling down badly on one point, and tliat point con- cerns his own history. Either the program or Morton should do a better Job in putting him across, as the house wanted to treat h!m as an old-tlr'.-,-r but apparently didn't know whether It was Just the proper thing to do. Toto. the clown. In fourth spot, carried the only other billing of the week, and through some new stuff, went across strung. His murionetle or bjack magic dancing doll fantasy was a real novelty and left the house guessing as to how It was done, m.ainly through the h.ands|iring of the freak doll that e.nded the-.^spec- lalty. Toto as he is now jilaying is real entertainment The other bright spot was Jack Princeton and Jeanne Vernon in "Brownderb.vville" despite Princeton seemed to be in had voice and work- ing under dlttlcultlc?. For a mottnrn line of .Hlang .and hnke patter, the act is there and even erudite Bos- tone ate It up. The MedIni Trio. Italian ladder and head balancers, two men and a clever but chunky woman opened Russell and I'lerce in the deuce spot opened as though it was amateur night but hoofed their way Into a real hit. These two boys have the makings and will do well to get hold of a real showman to lay out their act and either can their chatter or give them some stufr. Their wrestling travesty U still In Us in- fancy and could be built up to a point where they would find a higher spot on even stronger bills. Hartley and Patterson ran their novel version of a sidewalk sketch set in a burglar parlor setting smoothly and while hitting no Ugh spots, got awray nicely. Marino and Martin in their wop sidewalk stuff were next to closing and goaled the balconies and Brekere's Bears closed to a heavy walk-out that missed a neat bicycle riding cinnamon bear that should have shown at curtain. Professionals are beginning to watch for Keith's flrst-nlghters with the Irresistible guffaw, as the word has been passed around the circuit. Two acts on this week's bill spotted him and asked him to come again Tuesday night through the fact that his bellows of laughter, well-timed anil of only a few second's duration, touched off the spark of restraint and virtually put the act over the toil of the hill. lAbbeu- ,, NOTES Expect tome day to hear about George M. Cohan and tenant trouble. Last week he staked Jim Hawkes. former waiter and floor manager of the o'd Metropole on 42d street, to 13,600 to go into the rooming-house business. Dr. Jamss P. Hunt has reti.rned from Ko\ ernmcnt service at Wash- Ingiun and reopened offices at 67 West 52d street. New York. Frank Walter was electa prcsi- d"nt of the local musical union at Albiiny. N. Y.. this week. He Is the leader of the orchestra at the Capi- tol, that city. The Lieonse Commissioner of .Vow York Is on the trail of vaude- ville houses whose managers have been puttin.g on public dances with- out obt.aining dance hall r:censos. The dances have been used to boost business, assuming their theatrical Uccnst covered this form of amuse- ment. They have been informed they must take out special licenses at l.'iO and observe all daiue hall regulations <ir discontinue the dances. ^ George P. Schneider, TO. for many .\'ears proprietor of file IS-rtha. a theatrical apartment house at 3i':l West 43rd street. .New York, and well known to the profession, died suddenly at his home Nov. 27. Heloise Titoomb-Wills (La Belle Titcemb). third wife of the late Nat C. Will.*, stands to lose $11,000 left Ifl her by her mother's sister as the result of a contest filed in the Sur- rogates' Court against probating of the will of Mrs. Caroline A. Barry. .Mrs. Barry died April 27 and left an estate of approximately $25,000, all but $15 of which was In personalty. La Belle TItcomb and Fred Lem- mon. of Washington, nephew of the decedent, are equal sharers In the estate. A nephew and niece who were bequeathed $1 each are con- testing the will. Honry B. Herts, architect of the Brooklyn (N. Y.)) Academy of Music and for many years architect to the Frohmana and Shuberts, this week withdrew the contest he had filed to the will of his mother, who died late last June. Mrs. Herts left an es- tate valued at $25,000. She left $1,000 to Herts and his brother FM- win and one-third of the residue to their sister. Mrs. florine Gruntal. of Hartsdale, N, Y. The brothers' parts of the residue were left In the triiKleeship of their sister during their lives, after which it reverts to h^r. John J. Murray, minager of the W.irien. O.. opera house, and of nearly 40 .ears' experience In every branch of the show bu Iness, has sold his theatrical Interests and will retire. The Pspk. CarroPtrin, O. newly completed theatre, is open with three nets and a picture. The house sc.'its TTiO, I*ark >*entt.v Is owner and manager. LEGIT ITEMS Anhur Gordoni will Join Hie-r- tcld's "Follies" Dec. 10 at t'..c Am- .steriiiad. New York, He is an ex- husband of Nora Bayes. Arthur i.McHugh, who was In ad- vance of the No. 2 "Wildflower." has returned to New York. John Glen- non has surceceded him. 923 j 42 FICTUBES 1 (Continued from page 1|) and not a single picture house tuuti yet been touched. ; In the event Paramount can ar«i range to keep it away from the pio«^ ture houses for another theatrical'' ■eason in the legitimate there seems to be aopther fl.tfiO.OOO waiting (or them there, but the chances are that the first run exhibitors whose con* tracts were shelved for the time be- ing to permit of one season's run in the legitimate houses won't atanl for It. These exhibitors all figured themselves that the $2 picture waa dead and thought that after a month or two after the road tours were started and flopped as they pre> . dieted they would be able to buy the picture at bargain prices. The success of "The Coveredl Wagon" has led Paramount to put * a terrific campalgp behind their New York opening of "Ten Com- mandments.'' John C. Fllnn who la going to direct the cumpaisn Is go- ing to put on advertising appropri* ation of $160,000 behind It. At pres-^ ent there arc five trucks and 19 men " already working on a bin posting- campaign in which there is In.'-luded a lot of sniping. The electric sign " that the picture is to have acroasj the front of the Putnam Building.' from 43rd to 44tli street on Broads, way is to be the largest ever used. for a theatrical enterprise and thim together with a 90-foot sign which;, Is to be In front of the theatre will cost In the neighborhood of $20,000. The newspapers are also to get a heavy share of the appropriation. This is without doubt the biggest advertising appropriation tliat has ever been put behind a theatrical attraction In any single locality. But the Paramount executives ezcept| that In the 36 weeks that they have; rented the Cohan theatre for they will do a gross business of about! $600,000. The theatre rental will figure an average of about $2,8&0 weekly for the period. And an average business of $17,!<00 Is looked j for. In the event that "Ten Com-1 mandm.^nts" Is successful In dolngl this It will top all receipts for a^ run for a motion plcture'on Broad-j way. 1 On a S.'-weeks' run "The Covered Wagon" with an average of $10,500 weekly will get $546,000. The rec- ord, however, held by D. W. Grif- fith's 'Way Down East" Is for 48 weeks at the 44th Street the.itre where the picture did a gross of $570,803, Its biggest week being $21,-' 373.2; and the lowest week. Its final" one, $4,777.50. On a road tour the picture turned In a net profit of $1,- 350,000 in a season playing 1o a. $1.50 and $2 top, matinee and night I respectively, as against "The Gov-! ered Wagon" this year playing at $1 a.'id $1.50 top. The next big run In pictures was that of "The Birth of a Nation" which ran'at the L!b«S erty, New York, from March 3, 1918, • to Jan. 1. 19<6, ard played to a gross Of $397 b3:t also at $2 top, that was In 44 weeks and the average^ week's business was $9,035.65. '' A peculiar circumstance relative to the three pictures that have pi\)vcn to be the record breaking production from the box office standpoint, la that all three were each representative of a - distinct phase of the national life of the United States. The first was a pic-j ture of the reconstruction of thel South period following the Civil War; the second was of the rugged home life of New England and the third was just as representative of our national history as it marked the epoch of the opening of the great West. South, East and West, which seemingly leaves noWiing open ex- cept the North, unless someone comes along possibly with as unique a picturization of the man who held both North and South together, that will on the screen be as revolution- ary as was Drinkwater's stage play of his life, "Abraham Lincoln." Another circumst.ance Is the fact that all three of the pictures were handled on their road tours by J. J. McCarthy and Theodore Mitchell, who undoubtedly will have the rout- ing and booking of the road com- panies of "Ten Commendments" which will be sent on lour about three months after the New York run or the picture starts. The .Metro people have booked.^ -lifu^rumoiuUa'- 4u tUe .4i'aiaoulka Players theatres in Florida for the latter part of this month on a I peicertage b.-isls and two sliows a day policy with the scale to be at $1,G5 lop. but the terms that they are getting are not the same Sifi those that "The Covered Wagon'"'; gets in the same territory. The pic- ture will play Jacksonville. Miami, Tampa and St. Petersburg. ':