Variety (April 1925)

r V^ednesdaj. April W, 1925 VAUDEVai£ REVIEWS VARIETY 11 PALACE Like the Theatrical Hall of Fame mmaAM the Palac* program this week flhj^e old-tlmen and everyone a hladllner on the Mime bill. Weber ■nd Fields, Emma Trentlnl, ClAsie "toftue. Marie Cahlll and Blossom flMley' And every one of them made rood Monday night before a capac- lt» house, a house only beaten by the matinee attendance the same day when the Palace held the largest crowd of any regular Monday this ■oason. And of this bunch who stopped the show, the only one to do it— Trentlnl! Weber and Fle'ds would have stopped It had they not closed the first half, but even at that and with the intermission sign In sight the continued applause obliged Lew Fields to utter an appreciative apeech with Joe Weber Interpolating comedy asides. And Cl!<8le Loftus could have -topped It with ease, but she wouldn't, although Trentlnl could not help herself Marie Cahill had BO complaint on any score, and Itwossom Seeley with her new and HiMt act, appearing Just before Kp^ber and Fields, making an exit B&jjiimn. graciously mentioned the '^^m as next and expressed thanks to Lew Fields, whom, she said, had "brought her on from California and was responsible for her in the days when she "Toddled the Toledo." That sent the audience into a wave •tor Weber and Fields that did not «tep until for many seconds after "tfcey were In front of the audience Such prolonged, consistent and hearty applause never before had been heard for an act prior to its Inish. at the Palace. Weber and Fields, Miss Cahlll, Kiss Seeley and Dr. Rockwell are under New Acts. Dr. Rockwell, in the afternoon. No, 4, rocked the bouse with his double act (Mere- diths). At that performance the , Beeley turn closed the first part with Weber and Fields and Miss CahiU in the second section. At night Weber lind Fields closed the first part with Miss Cahlll No. 4, andt he Rock- well combined acts sent next to closing. Thai gave the flrat half six turns and the final end but three, an unusual lay out for the Palace, but one that worked out excellently. As the first of the big acU, Miss Loftua, No. 3, another return here for the phenomenal mimic, had a wide open sUrt. She did Lily Mor- ris doing "The Bridesmaid," and that much have been peaches for Lucy Weston, who was in front, while Sophie Tucker (The Dame), who stopped in on her way to panic the Riverside, heard Miss Lcftus ■ing "Kathrlna" as Soph does, and repeat the chorus in German or Yiddish. Besides. Miss Loftus did a number by the Duncan Sisters, made somewhat lengthy through use of all of the dialog, but Miss Loftus' imitation of one of the Dun- oans doing the straight singing sounded exactly the way both Dun- cans harmonize. Probably it is as j[ood as the imitation Gertrude Lawrence and Beatrice Lille Jointly are doing of the same two girls iP a current London show. Lily Morris, now back home In London, may feel Intensely gratified to know that although she played Xbm Palace but once and was over here but briefly, the announcement by Miss Loftus of the Morris num- ber brought a surprising quantity of applause. Jeanne Eagels and .Mrs. Fiske were others mimicked. , The billing reads for Miss Loftus, •*Wi)rId'8 Greatest Mimic." She Is tbe greatest and in many ways. Opening after intermission Tren- tlnl with Brlc Zardo as expected at the piano felt kittenish, playful, <^ockerblock with animation; kid- ding through a couple of numbers, winking at Benny Roberts as she passed him, and meanwhile singing all of her numbers to the stop the Show ending. Across the street this Mfwek at the Strand Is Nailmova In "My Son" (film). Barring a little difference in stature, the Narlmova of the picture could be accepted for the Trentlnl of the stage or vice Tersa. Mentioning Mr. Zardo and Mr. Roberts, Mr. Zardo after one of his solos and while still seated before the piano threw a swift bow of gratitude to Mr. Roberts, leading the orchestra, before Zardo arose to acknowledge the tremendous ap- plause for his exquisite playing. It Isn't often a vaudeville house or- chestra leader receives a tribute like that from one who knows. And again, while Miss Seeley was speech- making, she mentioned Mr. Rob- erts, adding: "Benny, you always have been an inspiration to me." Pretty good for vaudeville where orciieatras are notorious for their faults through scantiness of mem- No. 1 held Lucas and Inez, a «iRhtly lift turn with the customing, *"ork and figures of the man and Woman making a picture for every move. In the second spot were peymour and Jeanette, a colored o<)U|.1p. with Jeanette doing and ovndoinB a male impersonation. Thp :ivi cin depend upon the man's two pcconiiir routines rather than |nt' worriiin s hnllads or her speeches, •i!ul till' tnuii kbuuld routine the act *• ji;?' (l:;n<fs are separated Into •'"vinp: !hf» iiirii pn per and the first pn.^orc. rv they will have trouble KP iin;; properly over in a big time house as they did Monday night when they faded away after steal- ing bowa and infilcting another song by the woman for the final encore. They need direction. Bime. HIPPODROME The Hip probably has had better all-around shows than this week's, but certainly none more gorgeous, spectacular and colorful In general effect. It is "doggy" entertainment throughout, with magnificent scenes, beautiful gowns and the male section In full evening dress, leaving the :omparatlvely bourgeoise tuxedos for the hoofers and acrobats. But the chief fun was provided by the two messiest-looking actors on the bill. Ted Healy and Roy Cummings, whose sartorial sloppiness is one of their chief selling points. Business Monday night again re- flected the steady growth of the Hip's popularity, the orchestra sur- prising with a complete sell-out and the shelves respectably dotted. Ar- thur West held the post of an- nouncer as a sort of surprise attrac- tion, unannounced and probably un- recognized until he spilled his mon- icker near the end of the show. He dragged Cummings out with him for every announcement, more than winning his quota of laughs with the nonsense. Interest centered in the appear- ance of Van and Schenck, their de- but at the giant house except for myriad benefits. The billing states this is their first New York showing In two years; and while this seems to be something of an exaggeration It has been too long, anyhow. The boys, dolled up In complete "soup and fish," were on second after In- termission and sang a lucky seven numbers to their usual havoc-bring- ing returns. Joe Schenck, though suffering badly from hoarseness, drove them to real tears with his latest "Sally" follow-up. Incidentally the fourth song about little ladies of that name he has used in as many years. The team is doing their usual routine of Irish, Dutch, wop and coon songs, all new and saga- ciously chosen. Trlnl was the associate headllner, one of three big, spectacular turns on the bill. The Spanish charmer followed Van and Schenck, her lav- ish act showing to best advantage In the rich settings of the Hip. The Foster girls appeared Just once dur- ing this turn, but they were not missed, as Hurtado's M&rlmba Band most engagingly fills In those mo- ments when Trinl Is not showing the crowd those Spanish steps and curves it is most anxious to see. Quite as colorful and attractive, although not, perhaps, so smart and artistic, was the Venetian Serenad- ers turn, closing the first half. This is a very worth-while musical act that has been playing the Interme- diate houses for some time. The manner presented here proves the value of dressing and embellishing a turn to the limit The dancing gMa, more than a score of them, were used for pictorial purposes only, and as such prove Just as valuable aa when they exhibit their well-trained but mechanical terpsichorean prow- ess. The latter was left to Coilette Bllen, a lovely little toe dancer, daintily stepping her way to the honors of the act. There is an ex- cellent instrumental quartet and some half-dosen vocalists whose solos seem rather strained and husky but whose combined choruses achieve splendid tonal effects. This was one of three acts held over from last week, the others be- ing "Joe Mendi" (New Acts), a cute though not remarkable baby chim- panzee, and Roy Cummings, who, with Ted and Betty Healy, were the only strictly comic turns of the show. Cummings, next to closing at nearly 11, took the applause gravy. His falls are wilder and more screamingly funny than ever, and the way in which he literally man- gles that well-known special drop, his clothes and even his pretty as- sistant, Irene Shaw, shows a fero- cious brand of humor that's some- thing new in the way of comic tor- nadoes. The Healys need a smaller house to get all of their Intimate stuff over the way It should go, but Boyle's Thirty Acres wouldn't be too big for Ted to get laughs once he hits his stride. They were fifth, following the chimp, and succeeded In turn by "Syncopated Toes," their own danc- ing act. In which Healy is even fun- nier than before. This holds some very fair adagio, acrobatic and toe dancing, but It Is Ted's bits with the two plants and on the flying rings that feature the routine. Whereas the wise talk in the two-act is bet- ter for the more sophisticated houses, this hokum and low comedy is what paralyzes them at the Hip- podrome. Ruby Norton, back from England, was third, with Clarence Senna pre- siding smoothly at the piano. Miss Norton is not dancing as much as formerly, but as a light prima donna her work Is of the superlative va- riety. Five numbers are Included, but It appears that two or three of them might be replaced by some more fitted to Miss Norton's talents. The Hip girls were on three times during this turn, attractively cos- tumed each time and dressing the act Immeasurably. A distinctive Interlude was pro- vided by the Pasquall Bros., eighth, with their remarkable hand-to-hand acrobatics. Here Is consummate showmanship and ease, but without the loss of speed or the sauriflce of really difllcult tricks that too often come with such o.ualltles. The Baader La Velle Troupe (New Acts), a quartet of excellent cyclists, opened with snap, followed by Stan- ley and Blrnea In a neat routine of dunces. The latter team gets away from the ordinary in its eccentric steps and the comedy and singing against which the dancing is bacle- grounded are not as bad as might be expected from boys who are first, last and always hoofers. A special Hip production, "Crystal Fountains." closed this heavy bill. It held a very picturesque scenic effect, with some of the girls In fie.ohllngs posing aa water nymphs In the fountains. Miss Blien danced again with the rest of the girls, and Hammer and Hammer and Will Ferry did frog contortionLstic stunts. Although it ran only four or five minutes it brought vividly back to mind many similar scene.*) in the days of the old Dillingham Hip pro- ductions. STATE One writing guy on this nefarious and illogical sheet last week grabbed the occasion and went to some length besides pain (to us) In one of those mlxed-up endeavors of hlan that he alone probably can under- stand, wherein he tried to point out that Variety's younger set of re- viewers couldn't get the whys and wherefores of small time criticism. That guy, presumably an A. K. from the way he talks, said the lax- ity in Judgment displayed by the children of the staff plus their Ill- mannered method of putting those misconceived opinions into print was Incomprehensible or something like that—anyway that's what a for- tune-teller made out when the no- tice was given to her for transla- tion. On behalf of the younger set and after a conference at which the vote was one, It was agreed that that guy has gone slightly nutty—that the real reason for his alaniming article on the youngsters was that he had fallen asleep during the American Roof show and to square himself, wrote anything he could think of, and cf course picked on the kids. However, small-time reviewing is small time reviewing and contrary to what hopes anyone may have, this "notice" Is going to leave a lot of room for the actual discourse on the entertainment at the State this week. Incidentally, such showman- ship as was displayed at the State Monday night was woefully lacking In comedy. From a Juvenile stand- point the lack of reasons for mirth was even more so, like, "Look, mis- ter, you're not k>okln.' " Bronson and Dale, next to closing, were the one genuine comedy act on the bill, and to make that unani- mou«i, Miss Bronson and Mr. Dale very nearly walked oft to thunder- ous silence. (That No. 1 against the other guy, right away.) Miss Bron- son Is carrying on very much as she formerly did with Johnny Dale con- tributing a snatch of hoofing while foiling his partner's semi-nut pat- ter. The act gives reason to be- lieve that it will entertain in any vaude house, but the State dropins were decidedly akeptlcal, and while they tittered a couple of times the patrons almost declared Coventry when It came time for bows. On the other hand, the Russian Master Singers are a quartet that should gladden the heart of Joe Plunkett over at the Strand. If they hang around long enough Joe'll get 'em. Just an ordinary warbling foursome seemingly confined to the lesser theatres, and they were very close to a riot (That puts us In front of that guy twice). A feminine dan- eer la an added starter to the male vocallzers who solos once and marks the initial instance of the act com- ing from behind a scrim, which may be a cop on the CHierry Sisters Idea, figuring that If they get that far It's worth the risk. Of six num- bers the boat song was Inevitable and eventually submitted. Schictl's Wonderettes, a mannikin act, opened, providing passive fare with a well-worn routine of a rope walker, dancing, flying dragon, etc. Just how passive the entertainment was may be witnessed by the fact that the marionettes did about as Well as any opening act this house has he'd In weeks. (Oh, boy. do we hang It on that guy, or not?) Westony and Fonteyn were No. 2 with piano selections and songs. The latter Is possibly a new partner fo'r the pianist who haa a registering voice that particularly gains atten- tion as It ascends. Westony is de- livering his three national anthems simultaneously preceded by a lengthy speech delivered in phoney dialect to the extent It's unneces- sarily broken up. An average act of the type holding no outstanding item that brought a spontaneous outburst which Westony hopped upon to get In a few prop words of thanks. (That makes us out front four to nothing if that guy hasn t quit reading.) Los CSelUs, an acrobatic turn with a novelty opening, was spotted third, designating an unusual pro- cedure for the State, novelty or no novelty. A song, dance, tumbling and some creditable rlsley work summed up this trio's bid for fame, which impressed an assignment coverer aa fair to middlln', and was verified by the audience, giving the act as rousing a sendoff as any other turn on the bill could glean. (Listen, checking up on that guy is a push over). Harry Stoddard's band was the big name out front, and correspond- ingly was the closer. Stoddard now has the boys singing and doing dra- matic recitations, but sustains suffi- cient gray matter to Include his New York medley which orches- trates about every section In the town. Nine pieces in this combina- tion which remains an average ag- gregation of music purveyors that listens as lacking a basic volume to give it a foundation. To coin- cide with the idea that Stoddard's outfit Is not quite all it should be the well-filled State turned on an applause avalanche that left no doubt to this opinion being right. Elinor Glyn's prize cluck, "Man and Maid," was the screen feature and screened as an uninspiring piece of work to the extent that the house gave it plenty of atten- tion and jsome hand clapping appre- ciation at the finish. (But split that with Fred, and he'i not in the chicken class, which still gives us 1.000 per cent, over that other guy). AM in all. you can easily see from reading this that it's only the abil- ity to ruin typewriters and a Mon- day night with a couple of hours to kill that giveh that guy high pressure, hence he takes to wrltin' sermons. Leaving it to you, can you Imagine what would happen to that bozo if Variety ever started a box score on vaudeville critics? Bkiff. As evidence above that the younger reviewers do wander around the small time but think of something else, the mention of Dale and Bronson carried no reference to the Injury to Johnny Dale's foot, obliging him to cut down on hla strenuous dancing. It denotes 8klg went to the State Just to see the show and nothing else, besides h«,ving Ills mind on a date instead of the performance. That this young man was able lo remain awake during the show is not indicative of faithfulness to his Job, but merely that he did not wish to miss said date. And to term Mr. Wcstony's dia- lect "phoney" la being facetious, for it's doubtful If It Is phoney since Mr. Westony has been using it so long that by now It roust be a part of him. Also the reference to the Russian Singers and the suggestion to Joe Plunkett. Mr. Plunkett Is the man- ager of the Strand, New York. That positively proves this member of the younger set did not hav his mind on his business, or he would have held out to either make the Russians advertise to "get F»lunkett or Plunkett advertise to get the Russians. It still being Monday night and still later, with the reviewer pre- sumably away on his date and the A. K. still working, the rest of it can hold'over. Bime. GRAND OPERA HOUSE An ideal show for the 40-cent top at this Independent small timer for the first half and probably one of the best small time bills the house had had in some time. A packed house also Monday night, which is nothing to sneer at In this section as neighborhood competitors will attest. Four famlliara and two new turns compriaed the six-act brace, with the usual cinema fea- tures thrown In for good measure. The new ones were Nora and Sid- ney Kellogg, contributing a mus- ical act In the opener, and Smith and Duval, a nifty mixed singing duo In the follow up (New Acts). Ketch and Wllmar treyed It to good results, with the ventrlloqulal contribution of the man again the outstander, and could t^ave remained Indeflnitely as far as the mob out front was concerned. Jean La Costa held the follow-up assisted by six boys In cork and contributing a minstrel flash. Miss La Costa in Prince Albert and trousers served aa interlocutor for the early portion, with the routines of songs and dances by the men spaced by gags and" foolery from the "ends," and some particularly good stepping by a male dancing team that was not billed but are easily the mainstay of the act from an applause getting angle. Miss La Costa later changed to a soubret costume ,and also showed some lively stepping, with the mob going into a speedy dance tempo for the finish. Shriner and Fitzimmons garnered comedy honors In next to shut with their newsstand act in which Fitz- immons "old boy" panicked them Just as heavily ns when the act Was new. Shriner makes a clean-cut straight and is a good feeder for the comic antics of his partner. Johnson, Reed and Powers, (wo men and a girl, cloa«'d with a fax' ri.mbination of acrobntlrs while on roller skaes. showing some rPtriarU- able h.'ind-to-hfind and head Ixil- nnclriK whllo whirling around tho stage on i..i1its. r,iUni. AMERICAN ROOF Quite a «how at this Loew house the first half, with a couple of flashes to punctuate it brightly. Jim Toney and Ann Norman were the wow of the evening with their comedy classic. It whammed 'em Just aa tellingly at the American aa it haa in the past at the I'alace. Gus King's "Melodyland" la a musical flush, closing the first half on the Roof and satLsfactory for the (frade, but hardly destined to grad- uate beyond the pops with the prea- ent frameup. It's probably a family affair, three males and two women, the boy being featured In the rou- tine. His comedy Is not strong, but at the piuno and the other aolu blta he aatiafies. There is room for Im- provement with re-routlning to mix up the reeds and brasses Judiciously ind not stress either in solid quintet formations as is done. It does not make for the happiest results. The Wilson Trio opened. The girls do all sorts of dancing, not ex- traordinary, but aulflclent for the small time purpose thereof, and at that none too strong in the opening alot. The toe specialist Is amateur- ish; the sister team not much be- yond that. Leona WlUiamfl (New AcU). Howard and Lucky (New Acts). Plant, Holmes and Co., formerly Plant and Co. It's the same vehicle, "Matter of Form," with the straight and dialect comedian discussing a legal form erewblle the comic con- centrates on a human form on dis- play in a shop window. The straight's discourse on the clauses In the legal paper are misapplied to the feminine figure for plenty of laughs. The rest of it is familiar but liked. Rudell and Dunigan are a nice appearing couple that can advance with material. (Some of these small time reviews and their constant plugging anent "need material" sound like vaudeville authors' prop- aganda, but that goes for many turns which are handicapped by home-made or pieced-together rou- tines.) This boy and girl at piano combo la not wholly lacking in re- stricted stuff, but It's more a ques- tion of Improving on It for some- thing above the big three-a-day consumption. Toney and Norman were a comedy panic and the Five Lelands found them milked but polite. It's a large lineup for a hand-to-hand and ground tumbling act, and the qties- tlon of salary should figure for five people, because it's nothing beyond an opener or closer. Buster Keaton's "Seven Chances," feature film. Abel. cvn A show shy somewhat on comedy but plenty of dances and Jazzedy music and a "Charleston" contest. With it all was "Tainted Money," a film with some thrills. The Lumara opened tbo shoVr. The man fills In acceptably by act- ing as "props," the woman doing the feature Work atop tables and chairs, her closing trick up olose to the edge of the wings, requiring skin, practice and nerve and well executed. Much applause. Walsh Sisters (New Acta) were followed by Fagg and White. They enter- tained and then knocked the au- dience galley west when the "hi yaller" doffed the wig and revealed a smiling youhg man. The other man does a characterization that works in harmony for the coarse comedy effect through the verbal by-play Indulged In. Isabelle D'Armond and Lew Hunting dished up a comedy sketch with laughs and applause at the finish. It's a skltwhere a hubby phones home at Hie last minute that he's bringing the boim for din- ner and wifey rebels and tells him there's nothing to eat. the baby must be washed and that she's go- ing to the movies. Miss D'Armond does her best work in her scene with tlie boss, when she tells him a few things about her hubby. Mias D'Armond and Mr. Hunting work hard all the way to put It over. Rody Jordan (New Acta) got away slowly, but finished strong with his Jumbo saxophone. Then came Paul Zlmm and Band, the same band originally billed as Paul Zlmm and hla Chlcagoana. They were aure-flre. Zlmm gives th(» kind of topical stuff the family neighborhoods revel in. Some novel- ty and versatility* through f»i>eclal numbers, worked for results. Shannon and Leeming next to cloning held the spot nicely. Their style of two-man comedy, while fa- miliar in all the pop houses through this pair having played them, swept along to laughing returns. The Hoffman Revue (Mew Acts) closed the variety end. with the "Charleston" contest proving a real feature through the house rooting hard, long and loud for a neighbor- hood entrant. Mark. If you don't Ad?ertise in Mff Don't Advertise