Variety (July 1924)

Wednesday, July », 1»24 NEW ACTS THIS WEEK VARIETY 27 KORBELL .nd DUFFIELD Song* •"«' Dialog 1( Min».; One and Thr«« (Special Drops) S3d St. Monell foinieily did a slnKle aH CInrK Morrell, his BpeciaUy, HoriKs, classical and popular. In j4n am- bltioiiH moment he has taken a rather weak Hketch, spent money for (IrapeM and costumeB, am: formed a piirtnershlp wltlf a rute little partner. Mi-ss Dutneld. Inexplalned. he receives a billet, iiiakinB an appointment. The writer iH unknown to him, but states for identification purpo.ses she will wear white dreg's, white hat and no filockint;H. His readln^' of the note Is immediately followed ly the en- trance of a country t'irl, a little dia- jcK and a music cue. Song, "I'll Lenrn Some City Ways," with in- sipid lyrics, i-i the cue for hin*. to Invite her to his studio. Some more talk Rives her a chance to exit and don a Kown she has made herself (.;o she says) that gave Morrell a ciiance to .show he Is tne po.«sessor •f ft resonint tenor voice of good quality and apparent cultivation. He received prolonged, deserved ap- plause. The girl re-enters and also piiir> over a number In a pretty voice, and then di.-^closee that she in the girl who made the written ai>i5oint- ment, who was to wear a white dress, etc., but the dress she is wear- ing Is yellow. Color is a detail to him. He at once reco>;nizes the de- Kcription and tells her so. Rapid fire love develops, and with mar- liage arranged for as soon as the pair can get some one to .sentence them. A badly chosen (for har- mony) double nunT,ber closes the act, to much applause, however, as the voices carry it. With youth, good api>earance and, above all, good voices, the couple are foolish to waste time on the In- consequential dialog and tnconsis- tant plot. A great deal of excess baggage and worry ova^ hanging drops, etc., can be eliirunated and better results in bookings secured If the team will depend on their biggest asset.", their voices,-and get a well selected vaudeville reper- toire of songs, leaving the sketch thing alone until they can get •omething more convincing than the present one. VoJ. A HOLLAND ROMANCE (4) Miniature Oparatta 15 Mins.; Full Stage (Special) City The scene is in Holland, and the characters are Dutch, of the regula- tion type. The fla«en-halred hero- ine, the loose-trousered hero, the gruff father and the stout mamma. The hero wants the heroine. In lyrics set to music—and execrable lyrics they are—he tells her bo. The father objects. When the stout mamma tella the gruff papa (to mu- alc) that she won't make him any more schnitzels and pigs' knuckles If h« won't consent to the marriage, he gives In. During these episodes, everybody In the cast rubs their stomach at leaat 13 tiroes. The setting is an interior, and one or two of the tunes are good. Al- most everything Is sung, and but one or two lines spoken. As none of the voices, especially the tenor of the hero, Is good, the effect is large- ly lost. The idea behind is good, and Its cheap execution is regretable. As "A Holland Romance" stands "ow, it Is a small-time flash of doubtful quantity. The act looks as though It has been working ■ome time, but may be a revival. Bisk. TOODLES and POODLES Caninea 9 Mins.; Full Stage (Special) :;3d St. Teutonic looking man and woman in evening dress leadinc three stnall dogs through a simpl; line of stunts. O.ie of tl"e canines does nothing b.)t look tute and walk comically, "while the other two, ap- |)urtntly of the fox terrier mongrel tyiie, accomplish tr'cks more of the humorous type than acrobatic or .s« nsational. Several of these funny stunts carry real iaughs. The dogs have a wistful and almost human way of Unking at thei; master, most <omi- -al, while one constantly falls back in a fake faint, particularly well done. A few. mildly athletic tricks are acuomplished, with their worth in the ease the./ are done rather than any dlflicv.lty. The full stage cur- tain used is extremely ugly and should be replaced immediately. Tho trainers have pleasant, it some- what foreign, personalities, with the woman cnly needing to loosen u)) a^ bit. The turn is satisfactory for open- ing small-time bills, but the num- ber of similar acts carryins more difficult and showier routines will keep it from climbing much beyond that. MAX WEBER Ventriloquy and Songs . 0 Mine; One 23d St. (July 7) Max Weber has been playing around the smaller circuits for some time as a sort of emergency turn. This Is understood to be his third tryout in the laE. few months. Unless Weber makes several radi- cal chanjies in his present turn, tryouts and "the sticks" are as far as he will ever get. He has a cer- tain ventriloquia'. ability, par- ticularly in ihe matter of volume when singing. But his, straight singing, hoofing, and imitations are impossible, particnlarly as he has a minimum of selling power behind them. Hi.-^ stage appearance should be made either dePmitely comic or straight. At present he wears a bedraggled tuxedo and a pair of ugly brown shoes, giving an effect neither funny nor neat. It is up to him to get some original plan of attack to put across his moderate talents as a ventriloquist without resorting to other lines, in which he is not nearly bo proficient. ^OUR LAZY DAISIES Dancing 12 Mine.; One 23d St. Two men and two women in •omething a little different for hoofing acts. All are accomplished •oft-shoe dancers and each has an opportunity to present sotnethint distinctive. Their first dance is to the "Lazy Daisy" song, which they first sing in voices better than might oe expected from dancers. One of the girls follows with a umartly executed hornpipe and then there are the usual Bowery, eccen- "'c. Jig and Jazz dances. Hard '^ork is the keynote. The women ■"■e good looking and, except In two Instances, tastily costumed. One -outfit in particular, a hodge-podge looking like a bathing suit with an »Pron and used for an Irish Jig, ■nould be discarded for something 'fss liite corned beef In appear- ance. JThe net is a good one for the In- , '^'^''ate houses and as It works " ''no" might be given a chance ' "If Xo. 2 spot in the belter HARRY GEE HAW Songs, Dances, Impersonations 15 Mins.; Three (Special Set) American Roof This goodlooking Chinese actor has personality, talent, a good speaking and singing voice, with clear enunciation in perfect Eng- lish. He ©pens in a typical Chi- nese setting, aiik scarves, Buddha. etc., and tells in an introductory song of the advancement of his race, even to divorces and bobbed- hair for the women. Another song tells of him dreaming of a visit he paid to Broadway, and he imper- sonates some of the actors he saw there. Slipping out of his Chinese ward- robe, he appears in a well fitting tuxedo and does an Eddie Cantor number, and to show his versatility a dramatic scene from the "Green Goddess," Impersonating George Arliss. A Shubert chorus man fol- lows, and he closes with an imita- tion of Johnny Ford doing a buck dance. An encore brings a mighty good Frisco (Jazz dance) imper sonation. As a surprise novelty number, an early spot on big time bills may be safely entrusted to this clever Chi- nese. ^''^* GUARANDO and COOPER Songs and Piano 12 Mins.; One 23d St. Report had it that Guarando and Cooper were given a ^ryou; Mon- day afternoon and did so well they were Inserted Into the regular show f.- the rest of the first half. Guarando opens with "Sweet- heart" and "What II I Do," with Miss Cooper at the i iano. He knows liow to sing, but his voice is not as pure and sweet in tonal quality as it might be. ' It i.< a tenor of con- siderable technique but little beauty His partner's keyboard work is or- dinary. Her next acconn)llshment is the high spot. A phonograph record of Gain Curci singint, the Aria froTn "Traviata" is played on the stage with Mis?) Cooper singing In unison with the disk. To .-eep one's voice in the same magnificent range and tonal quality as the Metroi)olitan opera star is no inslgniflcent fe<it particularly in a selection contain- ing 80 many difficult passages. Mi.ss Cooper does this remarkably well. Later she sings the much-abused "Ciiania Mia" with Guarando. She has a trained soprano voice, much better than her partner's, but not sounding nearly so well as when she followed the bird-like tones of Galll Curci. Her stage presence is hamp- ered by a stiffness of posture that is unbecoming and might easily be remedied. After a little J-.stlng off, the turn looks raady for good spots in the intermediate houses. The one unlqu-' and arresting accomplishment with the operatic record guarantees their success. In Justice to Guarando it is very possible that his voice was in bad shape when reviewed, as It Is hard to believe a man with such an ap- parent knowledge of singing can have so ungratlfying a vocal quality. PALACE Several changes from the adver- tised bill, all made before the opening matinee. McKay and Ardine did not appear, owing to the illness of Mile. Ardine, and Billy Ulason subbed: Gold and Edwards, programed to start the show, had their booking set back, since the running order re- quired an opener In "one," which fitted the Kanasawa Four, Jap rlsley- ists and Jugglers, of whom only three showed on the stage. Glason was sent in to open inter- mission, and Mme. Pasquali closed the first hialf in place of Richard Uenne'.t and Co., moved midway in the second part. Ted and Betty Healy and Van and Schenck came away with the re- spective halds of their respective halves, with both heavily featured acts doing only fairly well. The Richard Bennett sketch <New Acta) proved light, and failed to impress, in view of what was expected of so notable a visiting star from the •legit." Mme. Fasquali, while she revealed a voice of Metropolitan Opera calibre and standing, did not attain high vaudeville results. A woman with the traditional em- bonpoint of the soprano prima. Pas- quail, by the same token, Is not a two-a-day ballad singer. At the Hip she limited her repertoire to ditflcult operaflcs and "Comln" Through the Rye." Now she rather features HENRI BERCHMAN ORCHES- TRA (t5) Music, Singing ano Dancing 20 Mins.; Full Stage (Special Drapes) 5th Ave. This unit has been broadcasting from WEAP In Newark, and is mak- ing its vaudeville debut this.week. The orchestra is unique in not hav- Irg any brass, being confined to 14 musicians who utilize reed and string. Seven violinists^ four reed players, a drummer, banjoist and pianist comprise the personnel, one of the mu.sicians stepping out to sing a pop song, and a girl dancer breaking up two of the intermissions between numbers with a cork in? toe solo and another kicking and acrobatic dance, featuring cart- wheels, splits, etc. The numbers with special ar- rangements were "California," "Go- in" South," "Skaters," with a snow stereoptlcon effect on a scrim drop which was lowered; "Colorado," also vocalized pleasingly by a baritone. "Charleston Cabin," the girl danc- ing in a black Jazz short-skirted costume followed by two encores. The turn is neatly produced, a gray changeable silk eye, special lamps and drapes making a pretty stage setting. The orchestra lacks the blare and punch of some of the Jazz organiza- tions around, but it Is an enter- taining assortment, wUh worth while specialities woven Into the routine. Can hold a spot on any of thv big time*bills following any of the musical units. Closed the show here Con. ANN CLIFTON Male Impersonator 14 Mine.; One (Special Drop) American Ann Clifton has a freak double voice, using at will the male bari- tone or female contralto. She ap- pears in male attire for her open- ing song after slnKJng behind the special drape, off-stage, in a tory- tone, to save the contralto as a "surprise" later on. .She sings four songs of the pop, Jazz and blues variety when the drapes divide and she rrake a change to female attire In semi- darkness. B.'ick Into "one" for a contralto rendition of "ricardy," "Mandnlay" In both voices, "Lazy Daisey" with a falsetto obligate. At thft Amorican In the deuce spot she made a distinct impression and can duplicate on any of the In- tel mediate bills. Con. ROSE and CARLTON Sengs 11 Mins.; In One City A woman team of h.-trmonizers, who fail to land because both voices are soprano and, unlike the Kouns Sisters and others who make the voices blend, won't make real har- mony. Pop numbers supply the routine, which isn't a knockout. A girl in pink does better by herself than when hooked up with a partner, but even at that the act offers no pos- sibiiitles except the lesser spots on the small time. Both voices are shrill and unmu- sical. By virtue of those qualities, thf-y are beaten at the start. Only the personality of the girl in pink makes the act of any value. euk. low the girl to do all of the vocal- izing. His attempts to duct hurt the turn. The girl has ai>pe«rance, looks classy In her gown and is a fair pianist and vocalist, her voice be- traying some cultivation. It's a good oi>eninK turn for the small time. An attractive divided draps and special drop helps decidedly. Went nicely openins tkerc. Con. WILSON and HAYES Blackface Comedy 15 Mins.; One American Roof Good blackface comedians, know- ing how to humor a situation and nurse a laugh, which is a gift. Hayes as the proprietor of * private de- tective agency is about to be dis- possessed by an insistent landlord, when Wilson appears in the light of a prospective mark for the atitrac- tion of the rental deficit. With the aid of a blackboard, Hayes, after several ingenious transpositions and contortions of figures, convinces the mark that one-seventh of $2t is $13. The dia- log and figure manipulations are funny, and next to closing this show the team had the small at- tendance holding on. It is a new act and a new com- bination and will develop as they go along. With a more logical fin- ish, or the present one better worked out, the big time Is in sight As the art stands now, it can go next to closing in any of the popu- lar iM-iced bouses. CLIFFORD and STAFFORD Piano, Songs, Painting 10 Mins.; Full Stage (Special Drapes) American Man and woman, the latter pian- ist and vocalist. The man paints on the back of nn illnminated easel. Her songs lllustrnte his paintings, but are not specials. The man should stick to his painting and al- "BROADWAY DREAMS" <•) Singing, Dancing and Instrumental 19 Mins-; Full Stage and One (Special) 23rd St. This turn measured up as a wit- isfactory "flash" for the "in- between" bouses. It gets Its name from a thread of a story which opens In one with a ragged little newsglrl falling asleep outside of a Broadway cabaret. The second scene in full-stage Is her dream of the gay entertain- ment In the pleasure palace, and the third her awakeninir outside again to the realization that "Broad- way dreams" never can come true. The Idea Is a good one for setting off an act of this type, lending, as it does, a bit of heart Interest. There are two dancers, one the newsrirl, and the other a male Jazz hoofer. The girl, although rather large for a toe dancer, is pretty and graceful, and her work, while never particularly pretentious, the most satisfying part A six-piece band of the Jazz type supplies the music. It is a con- ventional combination of its class, leaning rather to the d.ince-hall rhythms and tempos. The banjo player is outstanding. The men wear tuxedos of met.Tl cloth, evidently Intended to con- trast the blue drapes but falling to show out and looking almost messy In tlie bar^;ain Toward tlie close a woman Kinvcer with a good contralto is brought out too Lite an<l slows up the pace. In one way th.'it is benelKlal as the speed haK been head on rixht .'ilcinf,', particularly the j.azz pare of till <ir(hfstra. But the change cciiKS too late and niniost "kills" the finale. The set is neat and the women's c(.stunies ,'ittT .'id ivr The a«t reeks n little of the fit fT vhowH in the cheaper (abaretv Imt it's what the average ^.luilev llle fah iil<es and exp<'(ls mii'^t (if the time "Memory Lane," interpolating some of the lighter g. o. melodies, |iei ha|)s intended as strains from memory lane. In the simpler work she loses her power, and when she loses that she seems to have nothing to sub- stitute, though her notes in all reg- isters are splendid. Billing herself on a slide before she enters as "former co-star witli the immortal Caruso" probably makes it a taller order, too. Nobody ever did that on this..side. To have been the first diva of the Met., succeeding Sombrich, is distinction enough. Mme. has a prop piano on stage, but no accompanist; nor does she ear>:y a leader. Her setting la a eye of two iridescent hangings, not esiieelally suitable nor particularly helpful. Her thunderous arias were taken with marked enthusiasm, but the other momenta did not register in accord. She sang for 15 minutes, and the intermission card follow Ins seemed abrupt. The turn wofully lacks vaudeville showmanship. It could be either in concert simplicity or theatrical frou-frou; now it is neither. The stellar lady needs a few inside tips from some vulgar vaude- ville wise-guy or the effete direction of some esoteric Impresario. Her work looks "slapped together." It is like her gown—neither formal nor Informal nor theatrical, neither se- verely plain nor strikingly magnifi- cent. She should also program her selections, as vaudeville patrons don't know one from the other and bum questions, even though the melodies are familiar. If Mme. Pasquali remained to hear the cheers and handclaps for Van and Schenck, she must have wondered. Two boys and a piano, forced to en- core, with Joe Schenck at the piano in the pit and Gus Van sitting over the foots, after having sung a string of toplcals and characters and one hoke ballad that she would toss into a waste basket. They might be Just the boys who could give her some helpful advice, though, for they have vaudeville in their palms, and in that racket they can give her cards and spades, even If they did have their voices trained in Brooklyn—between "runs." The boys certainly knocked it oft again at this old stamping ground. One blue wheeze in a sons about a new colored sheik could be spared; likewise one of two eracks about "B. V. D." Otherwise the layout is perfect, and Joe has a mellcr cry- . song about a sally in an alley driven away by a drunken father ^o be a girl of the- streets that win cause many a blubber out front. And how he warbles it! Gus is better and more versatile than ever. T^e under- signed, who first named these' buys "The Pennant-Winning Battery of Songland" these many seasons ago in Chicago, still stands on the billing. Ted Healy Is doing the two acts he worked at the Hip, following the Ted-and-Betty In "oife" stuff, with a full-stage series of bladder comedy called "Syncopated Toes." Two of the syncopated toes on his toe dan- cer (very good, too) were all wrong— the toes stringy and torn and soiled, and not meant that way. Tiiat isn't done at the Palace, miss. The rest of his troupe did o. k. (or laughs, and left Ted hanging on high for the blow-off wow. Betty, one of the mo»-l charming citizens in the stage blue- book today. Isn't on enough. Other- wise both turns are above par. and the oleo portion will be grabbed for a revue if vaudeville don't watch out. Les Ghezzl, closing, held in the house solid. Extraordinary equill- bristics by two young-looking lads, powerful as trucks and graceful as fawns. A classy turn that could make good in any spot, though silent. "World of Make Believe," with the ffervescent I*oIa St. Claire, a chubby little confection who does everything —and everything well—and who features adorable antics, made No. 2 look like No. 7. The Kanazawas scored with their human and barrel risley—none better anywhere. if the prosperity the Palace man- ages to enjoy at all times, no matter how the rest of Broadway gets along, as a mystery still, maybe it can be started toward solution by a hint about the temperature. Uni- form coolness pervades, and the free orange drink during intermission on a night like Monday was a life-saver. With a comfortable audience, almost anything stands up; and with book- ings that would stand up before even a less contented gang, why not? I.aii. 5TH AVE. A good six-act blH and a feature picture weaned enough customers off the highways to make a good showinK at the Fifth Ave. Monday night despite the re<lucing weather. Raymond Wilbert, a tiiikativo JiiKfilcr and hooi) roller, opened, Kcttinj; nice returns thn^unh his iiianliiul.atlon of the hoops. Wil- bert's chatter lost a decision to the he.it and the house. The Correlll Sisters went »i'l»n- didly. second, with their vin .-ilizinjf and pliino playing. The girls huvo- a nively routined aHSortmenl of son^s. sunimliig uii as a < lass siiig- inn turn tuv the best of the bills. IlayiK's and I'.eck worked hard and were rewartled. It Is a man and woman comtio. the latter, a short, stocky Bouliret. doJn>,' "nut" eotn- eily, with the man an acceptable slr.'ilKht The material i.s moic or (Continued on page *«)'