Variety (June 1925)

VARIETY NEW ACTS THIS WEEK ">•»■ Wednesday, June 3, 1925 HARRY CARROLL and Co. (1ft) *'Cv*rythinfl WiU b« all Right? (R«- vua) ' M MiiM.1 FmII Stags, Two and Thro* (Savaral Spocial 8«ta and Drop*) Pa lac* This iB Harry Carroll's most ambitious vaudeville offering and hia best. Prom "inside" knowledge, Its Monday night shaping-up was a genuine surprise. Some last -. minute changes (Dottio.Wilaoa'a.in-, elusion, for Instance) worked out very happily. The billing and pro- gram matter evidences the sudden- ness of some of the late additions. The act has the old opener for a good start. It is the scene of Car- roll recruiting his cast and after being assured "everything will be all right," he winds tip writing the booking office to like effect The en- suing skits and scenes which may stand considerable pruning (some were cut out between mat. and night performance) unwind readily from this opening Idea. It is mofe legiti- mate and revuesque, forsaking plot and story thread which was Bailard Macdonald's original idea when he wrote the act of twx> years ago. ICacdonald is not program-credited now. -^ The ensuing scenes are said to be " , tha choicest from Carroll's coast fsvuak "Pickings," which had a run In IjOS Angeles. He is assisted by Ja«k Norton (formerly with Jim Corbett), who does some funny stuff with Bddle Kane clowning opposite, both clicking on laughs and alter- nating as feeders. Linda, the high kicking dance specialist, is the only standby from the original act. She clicked as high as she kicked. Mrs. Bryant Washburn is also featured in the support as the stenog in the opener but not distinguishing her- self otherwise. Dottle . Wilson (unprogramed) evidently left "Ten Me More" to Join CarrolL Her cute step work, particularly in the buck and wing specialty and the "Charleston," got to 'em from tite start. Miss Wilson was signed for the production from a cafe floor show where her "cute- nasB" Impressed considerably. It's a question whether her charming manner of talking can register,in a large house but it's worthy of a try because it's sure-fire with the cus- tomers. Bemlce Bpeei^, also a cafe recruit (■aid to be of the Bpear ful^lture ftaiUy), also distinguished herself with ierp eontributions. Leonard St. Ijto. tha DeMllle Trio (vocal). Billy Blythe. Vera Marsh and Betty Cbapin also programed. A colored (blackface) pickaninny, evidently a midget, is Included for the colored SanU Claus skit leading into a toy- land idea to the tune of the Victor Herbert march of that Idea. The act is open to pruning, prim- ing and primping but will shape up In short while, probably before the •W9A Is out, and qualify as a wow flash anywhere. It was everything. Thare is color, production, danclna, comedy (very good and very valu- able) and ensemble impressiveness. It has some good and important people (like Norton and Kane, form- erly In acts of their own) but it Is worth a price. Aftef. MATTHEWS and AYRE8 "Hungry Love" (Skit) 14 Mine.; On* (SfMcial Drop) Riverside This two-act of Frank Matthews and Ada Ayres Is by Ban Ryan, and like their former vehicles by the same author, contains enough mate- rial for two or three of the average man and woman turns. Miss Ayres does a sterling bit of «haRict«r-'wt>rk'«nd*4MMles most of the comedy aa the hungry girl who has been taken for an economical sea shore outing by her tight-wad admirer. A special drop showing a beach F.cene with a practical bathing tent centered is for atmosphere. The act opens with Matthews in boob attire reading whlie the girl slnga a fast comedy song anent her hun- ger, punctuating it by handing him a elap. He remains engrossed irx hln paper through the recital which terminates when she faints from hunger. Crossfire follows the talk being anent Matthews' frugal habits. He has a "meatless" sandwich for lunch, he has also invented a suit of underwear which can be con- verted Into a night shirt by letting down a section, Qreen goggles which he carries are to put on his horse so he can feed him shavings and make the animal think It's grass, etc A rain effect In the middle of the act finds Matthews, after the lights are up, in a suit which has shrunk- en into a cai^cature. This cues Miss Ayres for a 6omedy recitation, followed by a double song in which Matthews Impersonatea a waiter by dropping down the front of his shirt for an apron «nd *^lBtens" to the meal which she orders via the lyric. It Is probably the fastest fong of Its kind and requires unusual linqulal ability to get over. The song winds up when the exasperated waiter draws a gun, shoots her and carries her off. Another bit which In less capable hands would have meant nothing was a semi-dramatlo travesty by Miss Ayres which pulled applause en her exit. The act was No. t here and did well in a hard position. It's a big time turn and can hold a shot on the best of the two-a.-day bills. Ccn. 'VARIETIES OF IfZS" (14) Minstrel and Band SO Mins.; One and Full Stage (Special Set) Palace, South Bend, Ind. South Bend, May 29. By special arrangement with the Orpheum Circuit 14 Notre Dame University boys were s|lven a four- day engagement at the Palace. The act has been very well set up and contains lots of material, but with one exception the boys lack show- manship. That may come through practice. The outstanding feature la the ■Inging. and most of all the quartet comprising LaCava, Fury, Morris- sey and Marlon. These four possess v«nr fine voices and should be fea- tured mor«' In tha act. The comedy lies with the two end men (black- face) Hurwich and Corcoran, the lat- ter doing some very good stepping which ould veil fit an old timer. The jazx band does much to put *^ep" Into the act and also 3ts well In filling up the space made by the big cyclorama. A corking closing waa inade possible by the joining in of sevoral of the other acts on the MIL ¥h« aet ' juld be cut to about M minuter and would make an Ideal No. S for small time. Woodtoorth. KAM TAI CO (S) Acrobatic and Juggling 9 Mins.| Full staga '• ' '" Fifth Ave. After some of the Japanese troupes that have baen seen in American vaudeville this company's routine seems a j)it tame. Yet there is no doubt they will prove Suffi- ciently entertaining to hold down first or last spots on the average bill. Four meil' and a woman are In- cluded and the routine embraces the ordinary run of Jap Juggling, acro- batics and contortloBlstlc tricks. The girl, shapely and attractive, provides a high spot with her pedal Juggling of a barraL Two of the ipcn swing by their hair as a finish- ing stunt, one that always compels attention because it looks as though it must be painful. The hair looks like a Chinaman's que and suggests that possibly they are of that nationality, but the rest of the routine indicates that Japanese is more like it. The plate spinning, contortionis- tlc work and other tricks are Just mediocre. So, too. are the stage presences and celling powers of the troupe. With Improvement in this respect a better act should be forth- coming. ROSCO^ AILS, KATE PULLMAN AND BAND "Jinglea, Jokoa mmd Jasa* 18 Mina.1 Ofto and Full (Spedal) Hippedremo. Roaooe Alia and Kata Pullman have retained their fOrmer dancing tricka in this new flash. New sup- porters and sets are what give it the main semblance of a new turn. Ails features his eccentrio sliding danoe as of yore and here should- ered most of tha dance burden through Mlaa Pullman not having recovered from an accident to her left leg which caused her to forago an introductory dance although ahe made noble attempts in the doubles. The drop represents a school set and is routined to open with a fast song and dance by Miss Pullman, out at this ahowing. Ails follows on as an overgrown boob for flirta- tion stuff with Miss Pullman and with one of the boys helping It along as an oversized lollipop mnncher. Miaa Pullman soloed a snappy vocal topped off with some stepping and then gave way to Ails for an eccentric shuffle dahce that bit both In dancing and comedy departments. The act goes to full stage with tha aix-piece cormbinatlon sending across a lively instrumental with OUva Vemell next contributing a neat acrobatic Ails countered "With an eccentric Jaxa dance incorporat- ing the Bllding stuff that proved another comedy wow. Mickey Nor- ton and Paul Conlan followed with some more snappy dancing that kept proceedings humming. Miss Vemell contributed another neat aolo with Mr. Ails, Miss Pullman and the Hip ensemble winding up with an eccentric interpretation of "Wooden Soldiers" for a fast wind- up. The act Is ther^ from all angles, clicking here; a sure-fire comedy and dance flash for big time. £4l>a « ■ • JACK BIRCHLEY Contortionist 7 Mine., One Stats Birchley is quite different from the average contortionist. Inntead of tights he dolls up in lux and chatters while tying himself Into knots. He has been around for some months. Hailing from Aus- tralia be has a pleasant speaking voice. The chatter concerns sug- gestions to girls with an ambition to reduce, later lightly touching other matters. The best of his stunts is a double dislocation of both arms and one wrist, saying he sometimes doubts if he does the trick himself. Birchley is a stttis- faetory single opening turn. fbee. "PRIVILEGES PAID PROMPTLY" AAWKATiAlMiS CUBTAINft—DROPS—SCENERY TORS OITV: 4Srd St.—Cblckerinc 2094 LA BERNICIA and Co. (8) Dancing^ Singing, Music 17 Mins.: Full Stage (Spacial) Fifth Avanua La Bemlcia la the very gifted toe dancer remembered for her work in several earlier vaudeville acts. She has always gone In for the bizarre and unique and while' her present turn does not carry quite the clever ideas employed by some of her previous ones, it gets away from the ordinary and reaches the goal of artistic aa well as audience success. Her present supporting company holds three, only one of which, Olga Moreelli. Is mentioned in the bill- ing. Miss Morsalll is one of the most accomplished vioUnlstes heard in vaudeville in some time. Her classical solo apeclalty brought a heat-wracked audience to the high- est applause enthusiasm of the eve- ning. An older woman officiates more than capably at the harp while there is also a young man pianist. Both he and La Bemlcia sing the first number, pleasantly if nothing else. The prima ballerina's butterfly dance is outstanding while her ec- centric toe steps and back runs and kicks score effectively. She is charmingly costumed throughout. The set, while lavish and handsome in a sense, might have been con- siderably more in taste had sim- plicity rather than the desire to spread the decorations on too thickly reigned. As an act providing much better- class material in both the dancing and musical fields. La Bernlcia's turn Is ripe for the best theatres. VAN and LE MAI RE (•) "Hallo Cantral" and "Stepping Out" (Skita) 80 Mina.| Two and Full (Spacial) Hippodrema BiUy B. Van and George Le Malra have divided their current turn Into two vehicles although continuity obtalna The first la a travesty on overcrowded 'telephone booths and the latter a cabaret aoane. Th^ir supporters are the Wood leisters, Trado Twins, Jean Holt and Pran- ces Holllday. Monday night the'act waa fur- thei embellished through the par- ticipation of the Hipp dancing girls and practically every other act on the bllL The added starters helped and the manner In which the second stanza is framed makes it an out and out afterpiece, which may re- quire the enlisting of surrounding players on all subsequent Mils to provide the revuesque flash accom* plisbed here. "Hello, Central" with authorship Is credited to Harold Atterldge, boasts little that is original and much that is reminiscent. It Is bokey to a fault, yet the crowd roared at It. Van does a hick souse with Le Malre as a genteel straight. The set is a brace of telephone booths in the rear of a drug store with Van culling laughs through being knocked over and practically trampled upon every time he dashes for a vacant stall with somebody always elbowing him out. Van and Le Malre meet. George has a date with two swell skirts but no flnances. Bill has |7 and goes for the works. The ensu- ing bit with Van playing rough with the ladles and finally eucherlng himself out of the party has been done before In burlesque but tickled them here with manipulation count- ing a great deal more than materlaL The act goes to full for "Stepping Out," In a gilded night cluU Much of the comedy is also reminiscent of burlesque. Le Malre and the two girls, Jean Holt and Frances Holll- day. enter. The girls display typi- cal chorister appetites with €leorge worrying about getting by with Bill's 17. BUI follows to with the Wood sisters and with little else than his moral support for the party. After some buffoonery between Van and Le Malre an argument en- sues with Van getting back his $7 and also the cabaret manager's roll in the scuffle. Interspersing the chatter were dancing specialties by the Trado boys. Wood Sisters and vocalizing by Jean Holt and Frances Holllday, all dovetailing neatly and helpful. The Hipp dancing girls contributed two lively ensemble numbers. Although a new combination Van has retained a fair portion from his previous vehicle with Jamea J. Corbett. Out of his souse character he becomes a hick with a penchant for risque stories with Le Malre as the restrainer. Just like Corbett but with the vari-colored cards out. Withal they ate It up here and probably will like It aQOally weU elsewhere on the big Udmi Mdba. "20 YEARS OF JAZZ" > Billy Arnold's Band Champs Elysees, Paris . ° Paris, May 23. Billy Arnold has a long contract with his jazz at the Champs Elysees music ball directed by the Scandi- navian millionaire. Rolf de Mare, who took the Swedish ballets to London and New York. Billy hai^ made good. He is the big success of the evening during the entr'acts. The orchestra leader wa^ wishful to figure in the regular bill and arranged a terpsichorean number for his band, entitled "Twenty Years of Jazz." He starts with the Goose step, the Turkey trot, and comes down through "Rosy O'Grady" and the "Charleston," danced to a blues, to the latest shimmy and two-step. In this he is admirably aided by Eddie Lewis and Billy Johnson, a couple of good dancers, and sonie of Mrs. Walker's girls also figure in the program. The Billy Arnold band will have an appropriate act for touring pur- poses when it is properly whipped into shape. The i>ossibllltles of a retrospe^ive review with "Twenty Years of Jazz" ai-e numerous. Kendretc. KATE and WILEY Acrobatic Posing 6 Mins.; One Palace Mlved team on high pedestal In "one" backed up by a black curtain showing off their virgin white gym- nastic attire in striking contrast. They are stripped for action with nothing extraneous, full length tights being the feature of the at- tire. The woman is shapely and shows off to good advantage. They make a nice team. The posturing with the man swinging his partner around is graceful. Closing the show waa a tough as- signment but the faithful seemed to appreciate. Aheh "KEITH'S ANNUAL REVUE" (40) Musical Tab 30 Minsn One, Full Stage (Special) Keith's, Washington Washington, June 2. In this annual revue, plugged for many weeks prior to its advent, with its list of entertainers reading like the official blue book of the national capital, the local Keith house has a good bet. That the whole affair draws money In to the box office is evidenced by the recep- tion accorded the several principals upon their entrances. Donald MacDonald, 8d, has struck a happy medium in the current of- fering. He has avoided the high- brow stuff and gone in for such bits as an amateur night, a burlesque grand op<>ra, and the like with the BRADY and WELLS Mtwie, Singing, Dancing 18 Mlna.1 Ono (Special) Rivarlido Jlorenoo Brady and Gilbert WellpL two former slnglea, are In this two* act which has completed am Orpheum route hut la making ita eastern big time bow this week. > The turn holds novelty and enters Ulnment. Miss Brady is a llkeablo songstress, with pretty wardrobo^ and a personality which fits Wells Jazzy singing, dancing, piano and claronette playing. The turn opens with Wells sing- ing a brief Intro, song and then sitting on the piano where ha playa tm uke accompaniment for Miss Wells' opening song number, a southern. Wells goes to the piano for her next, a "rube" number which she gives an excellent de- livery. While making a change he plano^ logs a blues number wh^h, hO' authored. Miss Brady In k)^ «o8« tume is back for a solo, '^ome Made Blues," while Wells is chang- ing to evening clothes for his Joza parody "Dangerous Dan McGrew," a holdover number from his former single and a pip for him. The finish is another solo by Miss Brady with Wells handling the clarionette, then blending Into a slow eccentric dance while she does a cooing harmonica imitation. They encored with another "blues.", double. The act is well routined and » class turn in production. In an im« possible spot, netft to closing at thia. hohse, they did as well as could bo expected. Under different condl* tions they would have registered much heavier. Versatility and clasa are registered. The slowest spot in the turn is Miss Brady's slow ballad "Home Made Blues." Tha song is spotted right and breaks up the pop series but a stronger lyrlo of a similar nature would help Brady and Wells should go right along in the east. Con- \ "FOUR FLUSHING" (5) ' ' Musical Farce as Mins., Full Stag* '(Spaoial) Stats The cast introduces itself, as to characters, by thrusting heads through a black curtain, the faces illuminated only by a fiash lamp. The stunt is merely fo£jaovelty. "Four Flushing" is a' summer vacation Idea, ■ the farce having songs inferspersed, exclusive num- bers apparently. Two sales girls from a department store have taken a cottage at a resort and are mas- querading as wealthy peraons. Tbey got the notion from an elevator runner, also a store employe, the act's comlo "disguised" as a Wall street broker. The Juvenile, calling himself Mr. Smith, arrives and engages anotfier cottage. Its a case of. love at first sight between hiui and one of ^he girls who is introduced as "Miss Rockefeller" (the other is "Miss Gould). Being on the l«vel she confesses the four fiushlng. Smith counters by explaining he was uh- der cover too, being the son of t^o store's owner. Harry Tyler, the phoney broker,^ the featured member. He gets soma fun out of "Yes and No" replies and there is a likely lyric with that theme. A duet number "If You Can Love Like You Can Lie" sounded well too. There are teveral lo^o ballads besides. Tyler's busineto with a lilac bush at the close i^ t^e best of his antics. ,, , , "Four Fushing" is good enough farce stuff and if speeded it might draw big time attention. The song numbers api>ear to be the main fac- tor In the act running somewhat overtime. Jte^. ■ Hi '■•■tt> I .1 .-,<;. u 'f. NORTH and KELLER Songs and Piano 12 Mins.; One American Roof This combination of twt> women go in for a plain routine of vocal ~ numbers and the young woman at the piano does not have an inning with it alone. Singing Is the real strength and on the voices the act scored. Not an unusual act but can hold Its own in the smaller theatres. Mark. best of the debutantes and their boy friends doing special dances. It is all done fairly well. Mac- Donald, himself, carries a pretty big burden in lining up the crowd and can be forgiven for still -directing his troupe whan working with them on the opening performance. The idea is good. It cannot cost the house any staggering figure and in towns like Washington there are many valuable angles to it. Meakin.