Variety (May 1924)

r-\ NEW ACTS THIS WEEK >iS"«V;t'r*^'' Wednesday, May 21.1M4 FRITZI 8CHEFF and CO. (8) •When Pompadour Waa Youno" tS Mins.; One and Four (Spacial) Miss Scheft'A new act is labeled •opera comique," tidgar Allen Woolf being credited for the libretto of "When Pompadour Was Young." Augustus Kl'lnecke supplied the music, which is more meritorious than the rest of the vehicle. A com- pany of eight is in support. A gorgeous fan decorates the drop ^ "one" which discloses a realistic garden set in full-stage. The sim- ple tale deals with the French King Louis' attention to Antoinette Pompadour, and liis amorous serv- ility to the woman who «eems to be leading the entire kingdom to ruin. The power behind the throne later proves her strategy by the fact that the Prussian enemy was bested through the tactical purchase •f a certain tract of land for 9,000,- 000 lire. " But the Prussian emissary was there to collect the purchase price. Inconsi!<tent in'^rludes dot a pro- luction that spells class in costumes and setings. Watever sense of real- Ism was established through the period sartorial investiture and the courtly nianner.s of King Louis and Mile. Pompadour was at once dis- pelled by the lapses. In between, a slight romance with a subject Mile. Pompadour's heart quickened to was worked in but not as effectively a« It might, and not at all skillfully. Miss Scheft handles her vocal numbers In her usual brilliant voice, but for the rest It was all tinisel and gaudiness, with nary a thought for conviction The production will carry the act In any big time house. Ite endur- ance In vaudeville as a general thing l8 how.ver hazardous. It's a class act that recpiires class houses for best attention. Abel. ALICE LAKE and Co. (5) Sketch 2S Mint.; Full (Spacial) Palace, Chicago Chicago, May 22. "The Bobbed Bandit" is the play- let Alice Lake is featuring in vaudeville. It is a comedy sketch that starts off well, but falls flat at the nnliih. Opening Is In "one" showing Broadway by night and going into full showing the waiting room of a hotel. Miss Lake Is seated with a hat covering her hands. A de- tective walks in and, having seen her picture In the papers, mistakes her for the bandit. She Is about to leave when placed under arrest. Robert William.) enters, flirts and starts a conversation. The officer mistakes him for one of her gang and places him under arrest. Many laughs are miHsed by the abrupt manner in which the sit- uations and comedy are handled. The linish discloses her handcuffed and a director walks in explaining it. Miss Lake is a stnv in pictures and that they were just shooting a Sfcn \ M: s IjiUe handles her lines poorly and evidences lack of stage training. The supportinc; cast is of the ordinary with Williams fea- tured. As a vaudeville attraction it will get by on the slur's reputation. I''rom a playing standpoint the playlet Is not strong enough. MEEHAN and IRWIN Bona* and Comedy 12 Mins.; One 23rd St. (May 19) From the moment the curtain went up and disclosed these boys posed in really funny comic getups ui.til they concluded their last en- core, they had the Twenty-third Street crowd with them as a unity. It is doubtful it there ever has been a turn that crowded as many dif- ferent kinds of lioke into a few min- utes. But it was hoke that was well put on and cleverly presented, and it left nothing in the way of sure- fire gags, slapstick or bu.'^iness un- done. Meehi.n and Irwin, in spite of the f.,ct they were a tryout and can- not be found in Variety's tiles, are far from tyros. Possibly thoy come from burlesque. They are boob types, with hick clothes, foolish looking wigs and half the teetli missing. They ^iinB a variety of nut songs, interrupting each other with rapid-fire patter and nonsense, all of It pate de foi for the three-a-day. For the twice daily, however, their chances are not as bright, as the hoke may be buttered a bit too thickly. Their voices are not par- ticularly melodious, althouijh they got away with one straight number as an encore on llie strength of forceful, earnest delivery. One clowns r:itlier than plays at the piano. A pu.-isy-cat imitation was partic- ularly enjoyed here, but It tir'i,.rti>,y will not create such a fur.*" * fTiose house.s where such *>okuni sags. For the small-time, however, they're ;i liiul. JOSEPH B. STANLEY and CO. (3) Comedy Musical Skit 17 Mins.; Full Stage (Special) Fifth Avenue Joe Stanley was formerly in bur- lesque, and has more recently been In vaudeville in other acts. He is a capable comedian, but his present vehicle and support hardly qualify him for the big time. Fifth at this house, the turn secured some laughs, but not enough ^o hold up the spot sufficiently well. At the smaller houses, however, It should prove an unquallfled hit. The set is a street scene with a florist on the right and a drug store on the left. The latter has swinging doors, reminiscent of "the good old days" and play an important part in the proceedings. Stanley and the straight man each have a "blind" date on the corner. When the girls arrive each grabs the wrong one. A few mild complic.itions follow, but the plot Is soon lo.st sight of. The lines are very old and sal- vaged only by Stanley's comic de- livery. He is pint-sized with no par- ticular make-up or accent, but a ijcnerally funny way of getting across. He also does some fair ec- centric stepping. The specialties are too few and far between. The straight attempts a ballad with lit- tle success. One of the girls plays .1 ukulele accompaniment to Stan- ley's solo on a whistle, an entertain- ing Interlude. The other woman has nothing to do except speak a few unimportant lines. Both girls have a tendency to shout, that should be corrected. All in all, the turn needs plenty of fixing. Do You Want Work? HARRY DANFORTH 302 Loop End Bldg., CHICAGO Can Get You Plenty of It Baoklnr RK-liixiveir nrllh Wfrntrm Offlcf B. r. Keitli Kvi'linnsc Orplieani and Weitrna Vaudeville Manusera' Aan'n WRITE, WIRE, CALL LOU LOCKETT and PEGGY PAGE (1); Song and Dance 15 Mins.; Three (Special Set) Palace Lou Lockett's newest dance part- ner is Peggy Page, a likely "pony" who looks well and dances smartly. Fr.'inces Sper Is at the piano throughout. Agnes Silver is credit- ed for the special songs, the skit being titled "Say It While Danc- ing." The opening number is a "Dance My Way Into Your Heart" double, lli.s solo clicked. A dance flirtation double was followed by the pian- iste's solo. Miss Sper later also essayed a vocal number*in a re- freshing manner of delivery. The principals' stepping is of the usual high par identified with Lockett's acts. Spotted in the deuce, an early position for a turn of this grade, although hardly suit- able for anything else on this par- ticular lay-out, they stopped the show for an extra bend. Abet. WARINQ'S PENN8YLVANIAN8 (12) Orchestra 17 Mins.; Full Stage Strand, New York. Having acquired a reputation In almost every section of the country, principally through playing the larger picture houses, this band Is in New York for the first time. How well known this combination is to Manhattanltes Is problematical. Its box office value may be similarly ciassifled, but if the reception ac- corded at the conclusion of their rendition Monday night Is any cri- terion, the boys look to be In line to eaqual the general Impression made away from the local Island. The Initial flash Is conducive to attention through appearance. The combine Is unquestionably as neat and as boyish a looking outflt as has played around this locale, either for dancing or otherwise. They adhere to uniform costuming, wearing grey trousers and dark coats, while the instrumentation, working behind a leade. who does net deviate from a baton, consists of two cornets, three saxophones, trombone, violin, banjo, piano, tuba and drums. Styling themselves as a collegiate organiication, the band follows the undergraduate conception of rendi- tion, in that ensemble singing Is included, with this method utilized for the Opening number, a waltz. At this theatre the male voices were supplemented by a feminine soprano from off stage for more or less effect. The one bit of verbal soloizing came from the pianist, who virtually crooned a popular melody to a cork- ing orchestra accompaniment which threatened to call a halt, but wa- passed over to perrr.it the playing of Ave numbers, one as an encore, within sevanteen minutes, while the Aim feature w^s necessary tu shut oft the resultant applause. An excellent reed section Is prom- inent during the various selections, which conform to the pop variety, while the instrumentlsing of the aged Gallagher ajid Shean melody was novel enough, though what may be a new manner of muting by a cornet and a trombone, to stand up even at this late date. Grouped with the reed and brass sections on opposite sides of the drummer, with the remaining mem- bers forming the second line, the band was given tht usual lighting that brought forth nothing beyond the ordinary, but was appropriate. - Adhering to a quickened rhythm unsuitable to dancing there is now way to classify the orchestra's abil- ity as a ballroom Inducement other than that their stage playing Is cer- tainly well versed enough to make the dance angle seem a surety for them. Other than that, the entertain- ment values are emphatically there, and while the surrent routine would have to undergo revision for vaude- ville presentation, the present lay- out is particularly adaptable to the film theatres within which such confines this band is basically at home. ^ Comment on the opening of this combination at the Strand centered upon whether it would mean any- thing at a Broadway box office de- spite the out-of-town heralding, but the viewing and hearing of the boys would indicate that they're well able to take care of themselves and if permitted sufficient time the enter- tainment provided will build for it- self to reach out and acquire a New York following. 8kig. BIRDie REEVE Champion Typist 14 Mins.; One 23d 8L (May 19) When a acreen announcement heralds Birdie Reeve as the world'a champion typist, one expects ber act to be an oddity, but hardly one that will be completely .entertain- ing. If Mlaa-Reeves were merely a typist this would probably be bo, but in addition she is a phenomenal mentalist and word Juggler and possessed of no little stage person- ality. Consequently the 23d Street gallery apaches who came to kid remained to wonder and applaud. The Aim at the beginning shows a close-up of Miss Reeve's nimble hands at work. She uses only four ^„^^ ^„^ ^^^^^., ,j^^ ^ employed. Angers and has a system •entirely 1J,,. .. ... . ^ " ' RAYMOND BARRKTT A C*. (») . Comady Sketch 14 Mina.; Full 8tao« (Special) 23rd St Almost a perfect embodiment what the small-time sketch baa ft>r the past decade and probably will continue to be until the Ameri can masses suffer a great change In tastea and fancies. It embraces their favorite humor; (for mixed company) the domestic squabble* and the continual war of the sexeai It la the humor of the comio stripe, the monologlsts, and the witty mag*' sines, and even our Guiltier prUo- searchlng playwrights dip into It more than once for their laughs. In Raymond Barrett's act the "be her own. She"averages 20 strokes a second and has accomplished as many as 300 words a minute. She groups words according to their endings and has compiled several different dictionaries, one of which holds about 60,000 words. She is said to be Just 16 and turns out to bo a pleasant looking young girl with bobbed hair, a win- ning smile and easy stage presence. She is dressed in simple middle and short dark skirt. She opens by re- questing some one in the audience to name a prominent man, after which she would recite and type an excerpt from one of his speeches. Her speed is undoubtedly remark- able. She works the little Corona as quickly as the average person talks. At the conclusion of this trick, as in every other one that come later, she passed the paper to the au- dience, where it was found to be meticulously neat looking copy and astonishingly free from mistakes. Her next tricks demonstrated that she has a real sense of humor. She agreed to answer any questions asked vocally and simultaneously on the keys, and had no trouble giv- ing the local "smart alecks" wise crack for wise crack. Her flnest feat was the typing of one speech while she recited a totally different one, oil at break-neck speed. At the flnish she placed a tin pan In the machine and demonstrated her speed by giving imitations of a drum and train. Few people would dream that so much diverse entertainment could be derived from the ability of a lit- tle stenog. Unless memory falls. Miss Reeve won front-page pub- licity when her genius was first dis- covered about a year and a half ago. This should aid her even now, in spite of the long delay In reach- ing vaudeville. For the small-time she Is Just the necessary type of novel performer wanted. Although it is very doubt- ful that two-a-day bookers will break the precedent and give her a tumble, this reviewer believes that, with some changes in routine, par- ticularly the elimination of most of the tricks accomplished by Just a plain retentive memory, she would land almost as soundly in the l>est houses as her wizard Angers do on the keyboard. FRIENDS: IN VAUDEVILLE Have designed and painted many producUoii'^ for the 'Legit" in past few years, but— Wc arc always de.'iignitig and painting for otir vauilcv ille clients.. P. DODD ACKERMAN SCENIC STUDIOS, Inc. 140 West 39th Street, New York LILLIAN FAULKNER and CO. (1) Marionettes 11 Mins.; Full Stage Fifth Ave. Something refreshingly different In the way of marionette entertain- ment. Third at this house, it scored a tremendous ><applau8e hit, and it should have no difficulty on the best of the circuits. The set shows .a miniature theatre upon which the various puppet ac- tors perform. Charlie Chaplin is the announcer, with the famous walk splendidly reproduced. The turns consist chiefly of Imi- tations. Mr. and Mrs. Valentino are shown doing ttie tango, leading up to some fine comedy results. A Frisco Impersonation has the little mani- kin executing the jazz rteps per- fectly, doing everything In the way of trick hoofing the dancer attempts and some that neither he or anyone else would dare try. Doug and Mary dance, too; with the former on a prancing steed. The scene shifts to a ball field, anjj the action at home plate is shown. Umpire, batter and catcher are in- cluded In the panor.ima. The thud when the ball hits the lutter's glove brings a howl ^\ety time. FinaUj', after much arguing, talk!jig to the JERRY and her FOUR BABY GRANDS Piano and Singing 17 Min«.; Full Stage (Special Drapes) 5th Ave. This act has about as pretty, and incidentally, most expensive setting seen ac the Fifth Avenue for many a day. Four white enamelled haby grand pianos with stools to match are set In eschalon across the stage, beautifully draped, made more so by a clever arrangement of the lights. Four exceedingly pretty girls In Colonial costumes, seated at the pianos, each playing brilliantly with evident proficiency in execu- tion and technique (especially the whi.stler) could have been playing until now (torn the audience's ap- proval. There have been masy massed I)iano acts, but this is Just a little l-etter than any. Two also sing, not loudly, but sweetly, to the accom- paniment of their fellows, and not even the Introduction of the "5th Avenue Follies Girls'' In one of the numbers could interrupt the con- tinuous applause which greeted every bit. The very best of vaudeville bills can use this act, both as a clever specialty and a well-dresseJ, classy novel^s he set shows two apartments with a hallway In between. In one is a newly married pair of doves, cooing and cuckooing all through In the joy of love's young dream. The other apartment houses a couple who have been for ten years at the battle, front, and affairs en this evening are paricularly strained. Whenever the ^ oung wife whim- pers an expression of endearment or trust, the older woman gives herJ idea on some kindred subject In no| uncertain words. The happier th»i nervlyweds. the flercir the conjugal! struggle in the next room. For the sake of contrast, the author haa permitted logic and sequence to fly away. At the (ln;sh he foolishly permit* both couples to become entangled in one room. This adds nothing and weakens the point. The tag line. when, after 'he older wife haa tripped over her husband's foot and asks him why he doesn't put It where it belongs, and he gallantly responds "if he did she wouldn't alt down for a week," Is rough, to say the least. The sketch is acted rather well by Barrett and his asso- ciates. One special song sung by all four serves to break up the talk. BENNETT and POLLOCK Sengs and Piano 11 Mins.; One 23d St. Liols Bennett was In vaudeviU* two or three years ago as a single and until recently played one bf'th* two leading women's roles In "Mr. BatUIng Buttler." Muriel Pollock has appeared' as accompanist for several big acts and In addition la known as a songwriter. To one who had seen Miss Ben- nett lately In the legitimate ^er work was a disappointment. Poa- slbly the sudden switch from 4M street to a mile south was not healthy. Her voice is as sweet a> ever, but she seems listless and wlth« out much of the charm that charac- terized her in musical comedy. Sha sang three or four numbers, pleas* Ing enough, but only one of which held any real distinction. Miss Pollock Is an accomplished pianiste and scored with a marcb announced as of her own composi- tlon. The women are carrying a special drape, but the lighting ef' fects used are not always produc* live of the best results. At the 23d Street they earned nlc# polite applause, but no encores in the No. 4 spot. It seems certaid they can do better, particularly the sweet-voiced soprano. "■•. ■ * AUSTIN FAIRMAN Songs and Talk 10 Mins.; One 23rd St. (May 19) Austin Falrman maii'es a rather imposing looking single in full eve- ning^ dress, well-fitted to his big strongly-built figure. Aside from his appearance and a well modulated talking voice, he has little to qualify him for vaudeville. With different material it might be another story. He affects a strong English ac- cent throughout, but one that Is pleasing rather than otherwise. His stories are either old or Just plain unfunny and the supposedly comic song used at the flnish is more ot an enigma than a laugh creator. pitcher, foul balls and other Inter- ruptions the batter swats a homer, and, after sliding home a mile ahead of the ball, is declared out. Pande- monium follows until the game is halted by an apparently real rain storm. The whole act Is novelly presented, and the baseball l^it will particularly entertain. "VENETIAN MASQUERADERS' (8) Singing, Dancing and Instrumental 24 Mins.; Full Stage (Special) 23d St. It has been several years since a Venetian act has been seen In vaude. \111e. This one is colorful and tasti- ly arranged, but at present it runs seven or eight minutes too long. As a better-class "flash" for the Inter- mediate houses, it meets the re- quirements more than satisfactorily. Five men and three women are included. The two featured per- formers are a toe dancer and a so- prano, with the act's honors going to tlio former. In addition to her toe work, she does graceful gypsy and whirlwind dances. The third woman is at the piano and tyln< sirtgs. Two of tlv« men ore vocal-^