Variety (January 1925)

•V. ■.'f * , -" T« rr' Wednesday. January 7, 1925 VAUDEVILLE REVIEWS VARIETY 11 pOWNICa CIRCUS (80) Indoor Ciroua •0 Mifia.1 On* and Full; (Spoctat) mr4 St. ,. Downlo'a Indoqr Circus wae ai- ^^ambled by Andrew Downl« to play '•VaadaTlU* houae«. It repUc«a th* * l^gular TaudevlII« in the houses tt .yUya, either on a perceotage ar- mnsement or aa outricht buy by ^e bouse.' '■ The Idea has p^roved a business "^tter due to t^e novelty of the presentation and the change from regular TaudevlUe- At the 23rd Street last week the circus out- drew any TaudeviUe bill the house haa held this seaaem The entertainment- runs about one hour and a half. The presenta- ■ t!on includes outside adornment of '^ the theatre with canvass side show * paintlriKs. a cage In the lobby ■TOualng a coyote and a monkey, "'and the cqjjtiimlng V all of the ^hodse a:tiac&ea'|n clreue array. "". ■ The.'^'^rrcii's'V"?^ aerial, acts are "in one "ring backed by a cyclorama ' Ot the^ fnslde of a big top with ".lli»ctators painted In the "blues.*^ *" A.n announcer, "ringmaster," intro- duces the acts ar\d Horace Lalrd^ ;; assisted by four clowns, do com- <!'«d)' bits between the speolaItle« xt'while the apparatus is handled. .3' The show opens with Natlu and ixCo.. an Indian singing and eqniU- jv'brttt turn. The ■ woman has a V^ pleasing baritone voice and sella a - couple of songs conventionally. She .'Ja.attired as a squaw and backed .,i»y a epeclal d(t)p in "one" show- jf. ing a forest scene with tepee, etc v.!The turn goes to ^ull stage for her .< .soIo. The male member In Indian 4'vet-up illustrate* tb^ song, pos- .'. Ing atop a platform. A scrim drop < is used. Back of this, when llluml- '. nated, a set of horiaontal bars al- low the male to strip, to brown . gym costume for interesting acro- 'batlcs on the bars. »The Well Sistei-s are a young ■inging and dancing duo who sing four pop songs, make one change and flash a bit of Jazz dancing. /,,!lCbe act Is a light small time ,\^«ucer, probably Inserted to get a .■".'tpuch of variety In between the sawdust recrulta. The third turn ^4* Johnny and Violet Cummings In .; comedy Juggling. They work in the I rin^ Iq grotesque make up. The lu?gllng consists ot plate balancing, club pas8l)||r and plate spinning. '. Nellie liloyd, ^o. 4. a shapely ' equestrienne, pleases In an Inter* •sting assortment of acrobatics ■ atop the galloping ting hdrse. The clowna interrupt with the old fun- '[ nel in the pants g^. This bit is y followed by Cy Kltchlng, an Oriental In a corking head balanc- "*'' Ing on the trapeze. Kitching mounts to the bar and doing a head-stand, btrips from street attire to tights. ' Re eats, smokes, drinks. Juggles, etc., while holding the head bal- ance His flashiest etunt Is a head- 's 'Mand while the^ trapeze Is swing- •i^inpT perilously. A flash turn for any : 1)111 "1 'ftif "Col Fred, the horse with the tvMuman brain." runs throtigh routine -~'itunts, but closes novelly with '.»"writing on the blackboard. Unlike -'I the usual stunt in this bit, the horse ■zi doee the writing. The chalk is at- u«v, taohed to a leather bit, which fits u^in the anlmafs month. It's a nov- ;') elty. Les 2arado« in a trapeze act are '^i a mixed double. The pair held at- jlvtention. although showing nothing r.o'b^yond the conventlonaL This was K.I followed by Oeorgie Jiines. a girl strong-Jaw artist using the trapeze. ,,,.Her aerial butterfly dance apd „',iwieting flnish received returns. ., ^ ;,6tis Loretta, next, a dog and '^..inule turn with a riding and per- ^j^^orm^ng bear, added a touch. The ^^,.J>ear. In addition to riiling the buck- •''jn^ jnule, gave an imitation of,80|pe singers. His howles <:ould be heard On Eighth avenue. Maximo; a male wlre^ walker, fol- lowed, and took the hit of the bill in his big league assortment of pranc- ing on the single strand. His aerial drunk and other balancing stunts compare favorably with the best of the fraternity. .^ The Five Riding Lloyds closed. The act ie announced as a genuine Indian troupe In horsemanship and ^^orts of the far west before the paleface made the big push. The ' liim evolves into a fast, interest- , '^hs routine of bareback riding nijd ;"'^iic'robatic;i. It is given a touch of otmo.sphere by the placing of tepees '"■'around the ring and the burning '"W an imitation Are. i^'^ • T)ot\-nie> Clrcils is a distinct nov- "telty for th* intermediate and eifiall "■'time houses It Is the smoothest turn of Its kind witnessed. Im- J' pressing In the speed with which the apparatus Is handled without stage ip\its. The clowns help con- siderably, although some of their PALACE Tha bni at the Palace this week looksd like a great lay-out on paper but two of the turns let ths show down and made for a spotty even- ing. Business wasn't capacity but healthy downstairs, with the boxes showing vacancies here and there. Considerable switching around re- sulted after the matinee. Blossom Seeley was off of the bill but noth- ing was added, as 10 acts had been booked. The show ran until after 11 with the nine remaining entries. Plenty of comedy In the line-up. and it was needed to bolster and pick up the tempo due to the weak- ness of two new acts. They were Robert Sielle and Anette Mills (New Acts), sn Imported Englisli*imcing turn of distinct limitations. This act made a debut at the Hippo- drome but has a long way to go be- fore it can hope to measure up to any nuQiber of home brews who axe laying off or playing th* cabarets. Sielle and Mills were moved up from closing the first half to No. 8 after the matinee, switching places with- Violet Hemlng and A. E. Mathews In "A' Unique Opportun- ity" (New Acts). The two legits in a 'cream puff vehicle brought "names" but very little vaudeville entertainment to the program. Ben Welch picked up the frag- ments after the dancing team and piled up bis usual quota of laughs. No. 4. Welch received a corking reception, prbving he Is well known to the Palace Monday nighters. The routine remains about tliQ same, Is sure-fire, and seemingly ageless. Kd and Tom Hlckey, formerly billed as'the Hlckey Bros., followed Welchln their corking comedy and dancing turni It wasn't the aoftest spot but It couldn't be Helped, The comic has developod into one of the funniest on the two-a-daj'. Their burlesque mind reading stunt fol- lows all the others'and is funnier. haa a real novelty opening. His ia- troductory song before the drop promises a "Mad Wag Revue." The divided curtains then part and show the dogs seated In posing formation. The tricks are embellished by Emmy's good showmanship and patter, but a recitation In "one" at the conclusion, "Somebody Poisoned My Dog." (not "Somebody 8tol<^ My Gal") was an antl-cUraax and didn't belong. The turn went heavy. Adier-Weil and Herman (New Acts) pulled down one of the sea- son's hits In the deuce spot and would have duplicated In any place OR the bill. They are a piano and singing combo from the coast who entered vaudeville via the Club Wigwam. It's the best combination that has come out of the west since Step, Mehliager and King first started C^asey Jones railroading. The Palace beclns the new year with the ritziest drop on the circuit. It's a dark-toned velvet appearing pair of drapes with a silver skim- mery effect—very high hat. Ambler Brothers, one of the best of the risley apd acrobatic balancing turns, etosed 4nd hSld like the Notre Dame Una. Con. HIPPODROME An uphni show at the Hip fof the current week, which never seemed able to reach the crest and coast down the other side. No denying that the acts try bard enough, but Ave non-talklng turns In a program numbering It presentations didn't connect for the best results even at this hotise, where It has been main- tained an entire bill of dumb "aets would be acceptable. On the other hand, those episodes which included verbalizing as to songs, dancing ajid merry-making could hardly be said to have lifted the running order above the retarded pace which it adhered to throughout. And before a house, practically ca- pacity downstairs, which offered every kind of encouiagement. Lily Morris (New Acts) equaled any demonstration that the evening . RIVERSIDE The grotesque make-up and baggy^contained when showing No. %. Moss clothes of the comedian help con- siderably. The straight is a smooth, unctuous feeder, and both are clever dancers. This turn should find plenty of bookings around the east, where they are still crying for com- edy acts. The Hickeys were ahead of Welch at the matinee and gave him all the best of the breaks when they switched. Karyl Norman (Creole Fashion Plate) opened after intermission. Norman was spotted next-to-shut in the afternoon but swapped spots with Stan Stanley at night. Nor- man has four new songs and a flock of new costumes that registered for gasps with the women. He does a reverse Kitty Doner with the sex switching, Jumping from a male to a female falsetto voice with the a^llty of a Flatbu^h commuter changing trolleys. His new dresses are the last word. They are cred- ited to Lester, Inc., of Chicago, and whoever Lester Is, he, or maybe It's a she, knows his ,or her business. A Spanish, costume of silver and green fringe would stop traffic at oluigchamps. He's the sex chameleon of the impersonators, and took one of the hits of the bill. In a curtain speech Norman said he was back where he belonged—vaudeville—as he tried out a show and although they said he was good it never reached Broadway. If Norman will' run over and take a peek at "Topsy and Eva" he will cease worrying about*that. Stan Stanley seemed new to the Palace, for his "plant" opening sur- prised a bunch down front. Instead of the straight impersonating a magician, Stanley now has him a firohlbltlon enforcement agent. CTtan- ey enters carrj'lng a bottle and starts to exit when the copper walks out on the stage and announces his men will search the house for viola- tions. From then on the act follows the former formula and includes the "b,uck (or a Uugh," "dollar a kls«," and "woman suffrage" bits which never'^went better than at this house. Some of the gags were wowS and others not so wowey, but the aver- age remained In high. and Frye also were prominent, de spite much of their conversation be- ing lost in the wide expanse of ozone. The ballad, at the finish, was partic- ularly doted upon, thereby Just about proving a vaudeville house is a vafTdeviile house, no matter the size or capacity, and any kind of a ballad delivered in barmony Is second only to the flair. What was termed a Circus En- semble and comprising the Three Danoise Sisters, 8V^ Arleys and the Sle Tahar Co., opened, augmented by the house chorus dressing the staga Tt made an initial flash that but half a hodse saw, for they don't come in. even here, as early as 8:10. Which IS further ground for the contention that the Hip would give a better show were one act dropped and ac- tual start stalled for 10 minutes later. Harrison and Dakin were 1,000 miles away In the second spot, and might as well have phoned their crossfire , In. The only thing that gained any groOnd for them was the comedy instrumental finish. Weir's Baby Elephants (New Acts), third, to effect, while Mr. and Mrs. Cleve- land Bronner closed intermission. This latter act was programed as having been especially arranged for this house, and listed three dance conceptions revived from legitimate shows. The house ballet corps aided, and although the local management, evidently In conjunction with Mr. Bronner, lent every assistance for impressive lighting effects, neither of the numbers contained any In- stance of spectacular work, and suf- fered. As It played tt lllusloned as Just a series of three episodes, all pretty enough, but possessing little or no meaning. The Oaudsmlths Inaugurated the final half. Evltiently, having Insert- ed a few new blti. the men pro- fonged a balloon-batting contest with the audience, (or which an aisle "plant" is used. At that ths tum- bling and byplay with the dogs reg- istered to assemble a neat applause outburst at ths conclusion. Good but not strong v.iudeville at the Riverside this week, Eva Tan- guay soloing In the featuring and being the only "name" of impor- tance in the llne-up. The Cyclonic One is back with some new mate- rial and her familiar sure-fire re- talner.<<. She is us dynamii; a worker as ever before and registered strong consistently. A new croas-wprd puzzle drop Is naively pointed with adjectives Mke "determination," "originality." "steadfastness," "ear- nest," et al. Her second number, a cross-word puzzle ditty, has Eva In a novel costuming ot pencils for skirts, a chapeau decorated with suspended erasers, etc. There were several new acts in the line-up, including Arthur i^Helds and Leo Edwards (No. 2), Robert Emmett Keane and Claire Whitney In a new playlet, second after inter- mission, and Mile. Rhea and Santoro closing. Reopening after intermis- sion, Peplto, the Spanish clown, showed a novelty in acts of this type. It found great favor, the 'mugging," vocal gyrations and clowning clicking. d'Donnell and Blair, with ttieh: "Plastereris" comedy classic were a laugh riot closing the first half. The manipulation of the cumbersome properties and the general atmos- phere Impressed. An unprogramord and unbilled comitany of two sup- ports the team. Coogan and Casey, Immediately preceding, are a fair but not overly strong teanf. The act starts off in- terestingly, with the boy giving her a "line" in the course of 'biddlr^ her good-night" (the act title), but it later develops into the familiar wlll-yoo-marry-me stuff. Albert Whelan, the suave Aus- tralian entertainer, was a Class con- tribution in the third hole. Whelan, as Is programed^or his billing. Is really "th9 originator of all he does on the stage." Another turn (Leo Beers), somewhat similar in style, that has been seen over here more often dne to Whelan's protracted absences abroad, Is really a copy on Whelan and not the reverse, as might be suspected by newer vaude- ville patrons. Whelan's style of en- tertainment is different and highly effective. The whistling, the vocaJ efforts both In the "Manila" ballad and the comedy "trombone" number, the dialect stories and everything else he does different and there- fore more delectable. The Du Fonts opened. Business only fair Monday night, with the lower floor showing plenty of empties. AheL closer of the flrst section and offer- ing a tabloid version of "Rip Van Winkle," captioned "Rip Van Win- kles Dream" (New Acts). Although not a particularly pro- ductive evening for the brokers, it was a great line-up for a pop price bill in the seven act brace and the flrst showing of the film version of "Peter Pan" in pop vaude houses. De- spite the strong card business was light, the roof scarcely holding halt a house. First honors were whizzed away without struggle by Bragdon and Morrissey, who panicked them next to closer with their nifty drolleries and eccentric make-ups. For a windup they trotted out a third partner, with all three turning loose as a hot Jazs band and sending across several Instrumental num- bers that hit as well as their earlier comedy stuff. LIbby and Sparrow were close runners up In the next spot with their donee revue. "Broadway Han- dicap," in which they gave dance Impressions of Broadway's most ra- diant dancing stars, using an E13-0I and Miller bit from "Sally" for art effective wind-up. The act had speed and class and kept the princi- pals on the hop. The Earlea, mixed team, opened with a fast balancing bar work and teeth grip stuff, which planted them as Ukn,ble openers, with Walsh, BeeU and Walsh, two fellows and a girl, holding down the deucer with some good Ixiirmonlzing. Hubert Carleton, under cork and having sidetracked his former sailor scenery for a sack suit; seemed- to have a good, line for this, type of audience, but nevertheless missed consistently with the talk, but picked up with a comedy song that sent him off to a good hand. Sabbott and Brooks, mixed team, grabbed their share of laughs with some nifty olownlng and songs punctuated by some sxcepUonally good stepping. Etba. Carlton Eknmy and bis dogs opened ' Dooley and Morton were next to speedily. Emmy Is a showman and bits don't level. Ths clown band was the one big moment The drcua is a business getter, and something to tickle the Jaded palate of the ^mall time patron. Con, MILTON BERLE Songs and Talk 12 Mins.; One State Conventional male single closing with an Imitation of Eddie Cantor. A "fresh" perEonality serves the purpose of the attempted wise chat- ter, while the musical reference to the south and the much malignjed mammy are other moder.n concep- tions included. Mr. Berle supplied three vocal efforts and a snatch of hoofing for a flnlsh that gave him a fair enough quota In (he No. 8 spot and should keep him traveling within his pres- ent confines without trouble. Bkig. closing, which allowed full sway tOe (Sordon's lew comedy and hoke (alls aU over the place. Both went up against the house proportions brave- ly, but gave the Impression of wilt- ing before the close for apparently no reason, as the out-front respMises were certainly hearty enough. Miss Morton's hardshoe tapping carved a separate notch, as, with the orches- tra toned down, the taps resounded through the auditorium for full worth. Pllcer, Douglas and Raft held the closing spot and the i>a- trons. The opening lyric was com- pletely lost, due to Miss Pllcer's dic- tion, but the dancing picked up suffi- cient at^ntlon to hold 'em, besides which the Hip girls, were back again for a number. Mme. Trentinl and Erlo SSardo (New Acts) were spotted No. 8, with the pianist evenly dividing honors with the singer as regards demon- strated appreciation. Heading the bill in the outside type, this couple was in turn foltowed by John R. Agee's Performing Horses (New Acts), a corking turn of the type that looks to be an assurtd holdover and Is easily set for all ot the major bouses. BUff, BROADWAY Not a visage of anything neW at the Broadway this week, but withal a mighty entertaining vaudeville bill for the house. Possibly that the Harold Lloyd feature. "Hot Water." was 'headlining made the management feel a good little show would hold up r s well as one topped by a name^ The indications Mon- day night were to the effect that they were pretty nearly right, for when the vaudeville got under way that evening there were standc ^s at the back of the house. The audience liked almost every- thing but went strongest for two comedy acts, Oscar Lorraine, the violinist, and Jack MacLellan and Sarah, with their combination skat- ing and musical offering with its attendant comedy talk. Billy Shalrp's Revue, i^lth Mile. Marlone and the Nine Dixie Boys' Jazz orgS&izatlon ran 32 minutes, too long. There was too much of that "now folks" stuff on the part of Sharp. He Just about "now folks" the audience to death. Oscar Lorraine, on Just ahead of the revue, left the audience dry on laughs. He got all thare were to be had, and his box plant put over a couple of numbers snappily. Mac- Lellan and Sarah, who followed the big act, were another mop (or laughs. A real thrill was given the bill by the Four Casting Stars, who closed the vaudeville. They go through without stalling and put a lot of showmanship Into their work. The final cast of the act brings expres- sions of "Oh" ahd "Ah" as Well as applause. Opening the bill Arthur and Darl- ing, a combination contortionlstlc and dancing 4um, managed fairly well, taking three curtains at the finish. Stanley and Blrne, a male team with a dancing routine and some talk, likewise did fairly well although they were Just right vrhere placed. A number two hoofing tttm Smhh and Barker, with an addi- tional woman in a comedy sketch, did not get over as they should have. Both the players in the roles of the doctor and the wife were suf-. fering from a cold, and that pre- vented them from putting their lines over effectively. FreA. AMERICAN ROOF A glimpse of the side lines at thi» house Monday^ight would lead one to suspect that a booking agent'n convention was in session. Either the boys are following thb mandates of the booking offices by covering bills more regularly or else some one rung In a falsa alarm that Jake Lubin was springing a "find." Nev- Apiheless, the boys were there and all attention throughout, despite the bill boasting but a sU)gle new turn, Frank Stafford and Co., spotted GRAND OPERA HOUSE Business appeared to b« good at the Grand opera house Monday night. The audience simply ate the show up, howling its head off at several acts and clamoring for en- cores. If that audience told ItA next-door neighbor over the back- yard fence what satisfaction it aot out of the bin, the Grand should have had a few mors mutoinars than usual ths next dky. Perhaps the act that caused tha biggest furore in point of novelty was the Seven CoUagians. This t«m. with seven young msn. five in female attlj^e, dished up some- thing that one does not find every week in vaudeville, big time or otherwise. The youth ol tha femi- nine Impersonators Is a great aid and the boys make a number ot changes, with one dark-haired youth displaying'physical charms in his abbreviated garb that would make ether "female" artists (mala) turn green. This boy has several ward- -obe "flashes," the tights In particu- lar showing a symmetrical figure. Four of the boys work as "choris- ters," doing steps a la girls and changing clothes for each number. One of the men In Tuxedo outfit does the singing and also dances, while the other chap also does some solo work with his feet One of the "chorines" chews gum and does a phoney fait The act carries spe- cial drapes and hangings and the boys strive for speed through the chorusy way of handling the num- bers. The boys are In masculine attire at the opening, with ona rushing In and telling them to change for the dress rehearsal. For vaudeville It would be belter to change the opening, tricking the audience as best it can through the "boys" disclosing tbelr identity at the close. The name could be changed unless the one at the Grand was used (or that date bnly. The boys make a most attractive set ot chorus girls. Jimmy Wlrs opened wltW his slack-wire work. His tsAk Is use- less, although several of his "gags" got some laughs at the Grand. Ha puts his closing trick over with the two rings most' effectively. Ha opens with a Frisco Imitation. Divine and Gould have a little com- edy act that got the most returns on ths SKchange of comedy Squibs. The singing was not auite so ef- fective. ^ May Lee f«d Co., a male pianist and a girl in "high yaller" and tlghta supplying the company, pleased mainly through the songs. Miss Lee's pdze fight "impression" was a little too much for the Imag- ination and slowed up the routine noticeably. Miss Lee is a llttls blonde whose numbers run mainly to the '^bluea" type. The finish In particular stirred up the Grand crowd. After this act appeared the Seven Collegians. Weber and El- liott have a special drop, exterior, with the men mixing comedy with songs that were sure-fire downtown. The two men had an easy time, with some of the routine slightly monotono/us. Mile. Marie and h«r trained ani- mals, including Judy, the "unrldat>Ie mule," closed the show, and the act was not only well presented but the comedy finish, with three men trying to ride the donic, brought down the house. The featurs film was "Greater Than Marriage" (Hal- perin-Vlta). Mark,