Variety (February 1924)

22 VARIETY NEW ACTS THIS WEEK Thursday. February 81, 1324 NED WAYBURN'S -HONEYMOON CRUISE" Singing and Dancing G'H Revus 62 M-ns.; One and Full Stage. (Six Special Settings; Paiace In .si>ite of its length Ned Way- l i '. ; ewest Rni;- piece is :i demon f-.-.r speed and action. U haa more (i I'.. ■■..: ■; ;> and more production background than Wayburn lias over i ..re attempted, dome of hla irrai getuenl arc pa t it utarly luve, c-. en for I bei t of dance I»i -.... i . Theie is a ronfuston of material, «-> many items of sun ptuous pro- duction tint it is difficult lo select the particular feature that stands out, although perhaps t!.e Hawaiian ti u ee 1..-H' the finish is at auda- c.oiib .'!•- anything vaudeville lifts g'imp»od in.a lon« w Kile. There are times when a good deal t>' responsibility rests upon thin dress strings, but always the girls I. ok tilm, atid it is probably because v.'.ivi.'ii ii has picked this Blender I .. • that his costume effects, even t ie most ii iriii; never stem bo, but rithet suggest a pretty setting for a trim young girl. On heavier girls ; ••.. . uukl scream. The start shows the deck of a yacht with a gangwav running down ;-.•■> ) he middle nisle Most of the Principals make their entrance from the back of the hou&e, climbii ■-. over the footlights \ i:i gangway. The theme number is sung during the first number. It is a first-rate love Si-tig. with just the right alluring i lelody, All the music is credit .1 to Carey Morgan, counting tip to 11. T 1 e hook and lyrics are by Arthur Swanstrom, who also plays juvenile at>d sings most of the numbers. As the yacht is about to stai i all ! mils cry the fog is coming down,, »ad n capital eff>ct is secured by having halC a doifn of the girls do a sort of "nature dance," With t ■ ■'..;. handling of lights and mist effects, with Liberty and the Col- Kate sign on the Jersey side drift- ing by, half disclosed. A sidewalk cafe scei " in Paris :- ' , • in about "two," with! two m i a.*nl two French girl* engaged In t iti; and working into an ensemble dii ■ One of the incidents of. tins •. mil" r is a remarkable demonstra- • ii nf iegmanla by t'eon Vanmar, \ tli i series of high kicks H. it go '. >\ /• t ti-i n str n4'.' up TI e da lice .■ I - ■: .tii a fcpli' A Kussi ii. i ■■' i ■: ■' on r ■ ■..; ■■ divei situ d Stepp 11 : iell ■ P itiish Helen -: i; i i t e l RU88IAN ROMANTIC THEATRE BALLET (30) 60 Mins.; Full Stags (Special) Coliseum, London. Lor. Ion, ran. SO. Tho litest newcomers to tho West rind ot London are the Corps de Ballet of the Russian Romantic Theatre, who scored a decided hit on their opening, t iking five or six genulno calls Their opening pro- gram was "Harlequinade,'' a ballet- pantomlne by Marius I'epita, with music by R Drlgo The whols act wan a blase of beautiful. It some- what blsarre coloring In the crude si-tting modern 'high art" demands. The opening scenes are strong!) reminiscent of 'Tho Merchant of Venice" with Shy lock as Pantaloon, called In '..Ms ballet K issander, and Jessica as Columbine. Tin.- effect is heightened by the crowd of r< vel- lers. Throughout the ballet both tho dancing and the miming In con- sistently good, although it gets a 1 ittlo monotonous toward the mid- dle, only to brighten up with the Introduction of some fire specialty dancis by EIs.t, ivreiiger. Shnirnova, Claudia Pavlova Boris Romanoff and Ana to] Oboui hoff, The c irps work and grouping i-> < ■. dli I .'. and the whole thing goes a tl a tight- hearted gaiety n i l Ii Is ••■•'.•■in seen hei •• The dancers in • leir work and also appear to be unaware of the presence of the audience-. Tho music is goo I, simple ind tune- ful The .story is the usual harls- quinado of Pierrot's (Boris lloman- off> love for Columbine (Elena Smirova), her prefi-rence for his wealthy rival Harlequin (Ar.itol Obouchoff) and th<> avui-e of P.er father (I) Aural I. Amid the revels of carnival time Harlequin steals her heart, and she elopes with htm. t'nabli to get ' r back, Pierrot dies of a broken heart. Tie effect of the dramatic and will-worked-up dra- matic finale at the opening show was somewhat marred owing to Pierrot misjudging the depth of 'he stage-apron a:. I dying outside the "tabs." I 'rem firs' • las: the ■■• dole id wi nt wlih a swing, and was abso- lutely devoid of any hitch ir wait. but i' requires cutting and a slice could he i asily I iken out o* the middle without injuring its beatit> or dramatic power. Oi opening it ran tor an hour, which Is far too long for i popular house catering LEE KOHLMAR and CO. (I) "The Man Who Bought an Automobile" (Comedy) 24 Mins; 7 Scenes, Full Stags (Special Drapes; Broadway Labeled a-3 a satlrs by Edwin Burke, produced by Lewis i (ior- dun. It Isn't up to the Burke stand- ard. Although his idea is there, it is one that has been used before— that of a man who bought an au- tomobile and who was eaten by its expenses until bo became a beggar, and then met the man who sold it to him, pulled a pistol and shot him —and got a laugh wlfen he laid an undertaker's card on his breast. This act uses Lee Kohlmar in his German dialect role, with an elderly character unman as his wife, the opening talk working quickly into an automobile store. The ear is bought; the first lesson; picking up girl and meeting the wife; caught in traffic, arrested! lawyer's fees; jail; rele ■ -• and. finally, the mur- der scenes are played in rapid suc- cession A real car is used ■:. the ,. t. Thei '"a a « ill bel •■ een each one and announcement cards are used on the »ides. this taking away much of the pep. The support given Kohlmar is good and lie does cred- itable work. The act got some laughs here, for there are some sure-fire lines in it, all hokum gags; but It runs too long ar.d is dlv ded into too man;, scenes. LESLIE CURKS and CO. (2- Songs; Talk: Dance 22 Mins: One and Full (Special' 23d St. Leslie Curies is an English char- tetor singer and artist of the old school. His attempt to produce an act that resembles the typical An ■: • lean revues misses widely. MR. and MRS. NORMAN PHILLIPS "A Lesson For Wives," Comedy 27 Mins.; One, Two and Full Stage (Special Drapes) Fifth Avenue Hockey and Green present and 3. Jay Kaufm in wrote "A Lesson for Wives." It's an episodical skit with before hnd after marriage" as the foundation. Norman Phillips U the husband, Mr* Norman Phillips the wife, and Norman Phillips, Jr., a precocious youngster apparently ibout six or seven years old, com- mentator and explainer of the plot. The kid appears between the changes of scene with a delivery of bright talk and sophisticated wis- dom, . Unlike most -.'age kids the boy Isn't Stagy or fresh," the childlike naivette with which he reads Ins lines being the outstanding one of lus man. assets. Mr. Kaufman has provided young Phillips with a fund of crisp persiflage that's actor-proof —decidedly more interesting and protifii Of comedy than the episodes ot' the skit Itself. A moving picture tee', prefaces the beginning of the skit, making way for a love scene in one, in which Mr and Mrs. Phillips are.seen In the throes of courtship. The next scene lias them married at the breakfast t »ble, with a conventional quarrel bit, This h is been done to i frazzle in vaudeville in its esser- tl lis. Another character, the husband's sister Informs the wife of a picture she has seen in win '» a wife re- v. on her husband's love by making him jealous. That isn't exactly sctntllating with originality either. The picture Is flashed on the screen, with the wife and sister-in-law fol- lowing it up with a duplicate frame- ii|. to accomtlish a like result. The husband fails to fall for the The 'urn opens in "one" before a spi -i il drop of "The Old Kent Road" | frame, ignoring the cigar butts that In London. A young couple are! were supposed to have been smoked seated on a bench. The curtain as- [by a home-wrecker, but which were cends as they duet Dr.ir Kid I*itl.'' | p"anted by the two women. lie for .1! by fit here »11 i . i -■ ' ■ ■ s of 11 • he h< st r.'i :•...-■ n i ■■ public. It !■ <u' show seen i ii . ■•! i's idim ix in i I irnber by Mildred ''• •■ 1 ••■id.in contributed ■ A-i.iche number | AL FIELDS and FRANK I m Angling for Vou" brought tl •■ ; GRIFFITH «.!".- on • to o-. i■-dre ,.-• d ■' that i Comedy Sketch down into the aisles with fishing I-2S Mir.s.; One acd T.'.j l.nes and poles. It was On! !.•■<', 23.-d St. f;". rage dancing number that j iVi Field vete u new par11 so II .* f, > ■ ■*. h hi ought tlie gasp. It was entitled '.Somewhere in Africa." n it Ii Marion Ie ipei doing a dance of the style o-signated as Hawaiian, :i splendid b.t for speed and grace and a darb f >r undress. The finish was a transparency and a p^ticularlv ►, 1 poi-lng effect, with flie model l fleshings si Hiding in a startling!}' e'Tective fire (done by lights and s rips of red and ye'low silk blown nr> from below). Then the finish on board the yacht homeward bound, n'. 1 . singing "As Long as It's Our Home, Sweet lioue-" There is a smashing water t't'ect, apparently worked by picture machine, while the girls group about ti ■ deck of the yacht under a blue 1. ;!■' the water effect being green. The whole revue is rich in srtis- I . efl eet. ! peed n nil youth. It W is ti.st hilled t,. , <,-..■ the 111 -•' half, but transferred to closing at night I ■ 1 ..■; i I" P.- used in th it pd- i in . i •••; .■! i »ould make i e ,. ain ii .in j oil I i tough Vt ■: Ic Ul itllth. r.rfl ie nl of hi • fireviaus bartender- mofiolog 1-. t'.Mi j an old cabby's line of talk, with some crude com- edy worked into a scene In "two" ni' ll a dll ip d Itcd C ib > r d :. prop hoi se i he u-': il !i or.t ■ l d re u -end : comedy. tlrltTlth plays the fare] nil i wants a taxi and gets the cab icd draws some good comedy ob- servations out Of Fields, who U a shrewd comediai in tier, he deliv- ers his stuff with an idea to get- ting the laughs in the right places. It's old fashioned In i'-i way and so me flannel petticoats but they have their uses For a final bit a stage ' il i ll brought on and framed (.. act dumb in order to H'-t S une comedy mit of i song depending upon the alliter- ation for laughs. This g...< fairly well, bt|rf i-i overworked. Tie o ■ n '. , st.iiid- is good pop house si ui'i , depei liable :'•:■.■- om- dj i 1, i !• lib IRWIN ANO 8ESSER CTneiiy Tjlk a"d Son>jJ 13 Mms.; O"0 -,-ferson I '■ " I • • ■ lo i . ; I lid . • ! "i,i Tl pi. -.-■■ I li t.ghl geey wlfl ll ■ :■ . ■ la a ves \ 1 ii comph i i .. i ij out I nl ma'■ rial i • 'n■■ flong the ib ■ ■ display) ;bo it th I '■ Tl 6*.iai lit I lei'tual ■ ■•■.-,■ ■ • . - P Itis.d diT'lcult to rid to if in ■■■ ; '.■ • ;.-. ' ■ ■' ■ d oi ly oi co do r ■ ., ;ht ie I.- ,. re'tei ■ '■■ idy fi •:. 1 " Thci •■! ii .. , • , '..■. , ,, , i ■• ■ i i|ff ai , (he r ii.:'. tr.wi.ie; o f ij.,-. nai.ee !•■■ OLGA MOftSELLI Violmiste 12 Mins.; On« Laoder Roail 3 ■ ■> ■■■ I 'ie I Mill I • i o ir r . i m 111 • I lii ■ pri • . I.i II ' Opposite Curks, in old man char- i !• reminisces about Ills dear old e.u! following -iieai' Old Dutch" r 'ailing Chevalier In delivery and i osl '.inc. The girl exp! ilns t ■ her partner that "Old l'.iU" was i famous beau in lus day. Tbi-i seems to be the en■■ for ' i: isc "f l'n u'lly" which the young man sings In a sympathetic tenor, but in reality cues the next scene whi It i- <>M Bill stepping ou! IS l.e del 'J' ••■ Its ago. The act goes to full stage ■• 1 ti • metamorphosed Bill In evening it- tlre ■ ntvi's for some persiflage with • • girl now a French waitress. She dances. Bill invites her tO imbibe but she exits on the arm of the . liter, now her husband. This do ••-ft. feaze Bill for he steps into one' tor a recitation about "Laska" who It appears was killed in Tetcas fleeing from a -'..impede. The act finally wanders back Into ■one- r,, r "My Old Gang" by the youngsters with the patter recita- tion version handled by Bill In a rich Knglish accent which makes "We Smashed the Gettysburg Line" incongruous to say the least. The presence of the Americans in "Old Kent Road" is also left to the con- jecture of the audience. The act is a series of music cues with nothing resembling continuity in the dialog. The girl has possi- bilities. She i3 pretty, a fair dancer with a pleasing singing voice. The younger man tenors acceptably but n e i t he r read lines convincingly. It seems hopeless for anywhere with- out Immediate at ention of an au- thor. Coir. THREE ODD CHAPS Dancing 19 Mi p.; One Aniorican Roo e Toi-i'' are s ■ ma Rood . ■. i ode; ill- .. in hat featui i i nfliti ir; ■ pi" ; n d nothing I t ie wuj of I ilenl ■• ■ . lei- c ii hard- . . . ■ i- ■ I "o| . •r • ii ■ ■ m ■ ■ i . • ,. Tl ■■ • i .: • .' ■! c ii d pa litighs A - • c, o • ' V fiai by tie perl ■■ She WVai s." W.i«i ' ' dre* 'i u*.i i •! < fin-1 . ,o bel Tl ■■ ' ' •■ Suited ,r •, . .' . • | , .' I I nl nw. Kl ,1. the deMi I- efl urn i ■ n i i iioplr,'- ' No i oi : M'llltl'S • V' '. !! I ■ ' '!■■ ir ' >id Pal" : ' Mr-1 .Moi ■ . « ..; i. etui ..■'.■■■ can man.-ig i nl 11 ra1 g 111 a cut. :il:l,o'ic|. a tip. Th pro- ' L.V, -' hot tl.r s: •■ npei - ivltli follow -u lij ■ . .. i • :; ■ ■ ■' I .. H.W, ■ tnpression. i >dd rh ip i, ;. .: e'u'.n ly All i- fair the wr..\ ■ an 1 Slic it, ... '.a '.■■■ darl- -'. •■ won hi : • ■ Hung i • i. • the better gr.nl ho lie'd have In i.mo run i .. :(•.'• Mon'l it d fa- .'or mole .. ■ i • i;,, .. ; ,.,. I • i ■ ■• • • . SI.. ly :n 1. ■ mtie! This is true n 1 leu' .';.. as ■ :■■• . adept at ;• ^olll 'I.I dancers ho we - . . -.• . 1 • i" starduig otit VVh; ; ; . ■ Mit," ■. Used Is :• ■■ . - • hero m nothing Id, . it" M'l" or • v •!! plall ! ill ' '. ibotll ll!" n. Tw 0 of t ii • in":; at tempi 1 doiibl • il in •■ but .: f ills to win ei i' ■:• 1 .u.:!: - or appi eci ition < »ne lis,, ti ie 1 i'. av> bass so: > ■ hat perish id, The men are dre •- -d in 1 oti; eci ion ii tuxes, le th in .' e p.- of then' suits 11 d ol her - ir- toiiai details, there i-. t cr. '"j ; _• -1 for neatness and »tj !e 1 »r. the roof 1 he ,1. • did 1 . onsis- flop in ' ■ " de ■ spi : 1 -,•_ few minutes, rhen 1 ■• ••■ui! Inn si of s| 1 o: the p u I of all hre*. ■ ' led Ink -w u n ipplnuse ,\S , ■• •.'1 ■■- 1! •• 11. 1 : ; • ■ I . .'. I • bawls out the wife for buying him cigars instead of cigarettes, and 1 •- fuses to rise to the bait. Restaurant scene next with a fourth, "haracter, the wife's old sweetie lured to a tete-a-tete with 1 ..■ ■ iroe objei tivi—to m ike the old man jealous, Husband [.asses up this situ ition cold, greeting the wifi unwilling companion cordially, after which he rushes off i keep a bu uness appointment. • M ike him believe-you're ;'.'.," Jtig- g.'sts t'... sister-in-law and that'll ^et him. But it doesn't, n 1 sub- .- e,|!i.'tit scene shows, when i.usband arrives in supposed sick roomr and proposes to scud wife to hospital f.ir couple of weeks. By thi;, time th.0 gbviously con- trive.! farce has slowed down to a wall;, with a fin 1! scene giving the impression the wife luis accom- plished l.er purpose 1-y presenting husband with an hole. The pro- gression of cut \nd dried scenes gets tedious after the breakfast table quarrel. The little boy is the saving grace of the act. Without him it would be a waste of time. Mr. and Mrs. Phillips and tho two people In sup- port handle their stenciled roles ably and the skit has been classlly staged with "rtistlc lighting and carefully thought out detail. It Is about seven minutes too l?ns- wlnded in its present shape. The Fifth avenue audience laughed at the familiars as they always do when matrimonial .squabbles are de- picted. It was No. 3, a spot that It filled acceptably, the kid working up the encores for repeats. Properly set with a medium the kl should make the top-rung of the vaudeville ladder in jig tuns. Kven with the present act the boy .! • !.-.•■ 'em '.ike it anywhere. ERICH PHILLIP ANO CO, (3) Juggling and Acrobatics 11 Min.; Pud Stage 'Special Hang- ings ' Jefferso:- Two men ind 1 » •:•> in assist Phil iii In hi 1 work, the outstand- ,- feature of It lieing h;i lupporl i f two people on a ladder perch. Tin ■•• times this perch work Is it- " i'e -i and each time with sue- : I of Indian clubs with three of tho act working at once ia used between times and Phillip also 6 pports a barrel with the n 11 .in or, r w Hi his feet whlle they both balance, The boy In it I s - i s * ,-i CZECHO SLOVAKIAN NATIONAL ORCHESTRA (40> 13 Min.; Full Stage Hippodrome One of the nswest of Europe's nations as the result of the Worbi War H CsechO-Slavakla and con- siderable Interesting rows has cams jut of the republic though for th» Average American layman it seems a strange land. A national band, bind as orchestra, arrived in Amer- ica about three weeks ago aid th* Hip accepted the organisation as a feature. There is no doubt that tin band will draw- citizens born in that land though, perhaps there are not a great number In this city. The musicians entranced partly as a marching band, the others be- ing mixed up with the Hip choris- ters with tho general idea of nativs color aimed for and partially at- tained. Some of the gnu were a bit muddled un to Just what was expected of them, but that was ex- pected bcrryujie of bri■•'.' rehearsals. Before the foreigners got Inl ■ ac- tion. Thelma Votypka -r.g 1 1 itive nurabor, then retired. The band, led by iv ire! Se'ry. let- tled down •'• numbers ol r, it...- com- position, several being well known as semi-classics Th. 1 •• were It u - tered Bride" and "llusalha," besides "Slavic Donees." Humoresk" was programed but :. >' pi ■vd. Of tli- many Instrument sev ;ai reeds wer«» noticed, nearly .ill th* others being brasses. Th" music, h.owever, was well mo.iul ltd if njit xclttng or In- spiring. Apparently one of tha chief musicians Is the man with the cymbal s. The hid was always in action and often crashed the big pans together, the sound co' ertng all else. Dressed in natlvi stume the Czc-clio-Slov iia u:s are picturesque, the rigs i.-ing topped off with funny little striped caps of whit" .uni brown. It is assumed the visitors appearance on this side is in th-> nature of propaganda for tho new nation. For general vaudeville use- age the band may be Interesting and perhaps novel. It cannot com- pete with our own bands and or- chostras and doubtless la : ' .-.- tended I", •' A VENETIAN ROMANCE" i Musical and Singing 20 Min.; Full (Special Loew's State Mll.gs 6ft "le •'.• juggling bit Hi movirp • ' ige and does n : vll ti I lie W unari In the opening spot hers ! f went over nicely, but needs revision of routll o to '• off out |i« full e(Yo,.f ■' 1 ! ■ • ' •', • '. .. A combinnlion mil -•.• t!, > . 1! singing and dance turr In which eight persons are concerned. Kiv-» men and thre • women, T:.-- act opens \\i'\. a woman ,r x grand piano In a draw,i,g room overlook* ing 1 canal in Venice, \ :•!•. one of the men and the soprano offering a duet. At the conclusion a gondola draws up with f>ur men and a worn in daneor. One of the men is a singer, while tll9 other throe play violin, plano-accordean and guitar. A routine of numbers fOttOW, sin- gles, doi.bl-s ind ensemble, with threo dancea being offered by tin one girl It h a flash iiTiir that c xrr iea conslderabls class for small tims houses. The voices arm all good, but a little spirit could be used t» advantage by the instrumentalists. The stepper 7.'.\s the applause hit of the act. CLAY CROUCH ANO CO. (4) "Oh, You Shiek" 21 Mins.! Full (Special* Loew's State This one certainly mas: havs been given the State date without anyone* having looked at the act. Monday night th? act did an out and out Brodle. Of all ths oil timo ideas that could be dug up this act has them. There tie three women and two men. r Is hard to figur.? which of th.> quintet was the most to blame Possibly he* who played the Shiek was the worst offender, especially sin,-- he essayed "On the Road tj Mm ii! iy," and how. Th>n there W \ J a comedl in A dancing team >f glrlj displayed three numbers worMtKg together at • il times The; w >i 1 ibout th ■ only ' hlng in ' 1 • a ' th if we" • 1 -II pas -i ilile MANNING and GLASS Wire Act 6 Mins; Full Stage Man and woman wirs walkers One was prolably >: the Manning and Olass tun two girls The similarity :n 1 imej .< ividently de- llber il • The m ■• iia •• e 1 .r on the wlrj ion .- 1 1 tyles of dan -in r, includ- ing > .ii?.-: Bance with difficult bal- ance .steps, a R u-mh; dince. ths hock steps Inn.. ,id ■ ways on tho wiro being good t >r Individual ap- plan ^e. The girl i'."hi;m fnriy, making three changes of eostum ) and als) doing 1 mild routine on 'he wire ! t . I '.'if • >p n.T ' e I • ,.' ■■' ■) ■ , .li > 01 1 '■■ s iSllil f