Variety (August 1925)

Wednesday, August 19. 1985 VAUDEVILLE REVIEWS VARIETY 19 PALACE Too much heat probably ac- counted for the scattered population 2>ack of the 12th row Monday night. jUi 8:S6 start, outside of the over- ture and weekly, brought the flnale ' ct 11:08, a somewhat prolonged period considering the weather. Good vaudeville, though, with per- V haps most of the punch in the tlrst balf. ' ^ Two singles, Odette Myrtil and ' • Joe Browning, following each other ^ to place Browning next to closing T proved a pace impediment that lost a few customers. However, both performers were well oa the right •ide as regards applause grosses. ]isiaB Myrtil is singing and playing three numbers In "one" previous to jRoing her "Dancing Master" as an encore. The pantomime bit, as al- . ways, took Its full quota. Miss V Myrtil haa evidently become ad- V dieted to comedy mannerisms and • t' they are deadly to an otherwise " charming personality. Possessed of ' a soothing delivery the feeble grira- < ACM are drastically out of order and ''J^dlrect violation of the code this .' feminine single always has and ' ffhould follow. «, Browning with his reform mono- *:* , |ogue had to go up against the heat fmd the late hour but pulled him- self over the grade to numerous |>ows and extra verses. The Mar- l^aret Stewart act reeled off 10 poses ^ Mrlthln three minutes to close, held 'em nicely and took two curtains. Hal Skelly (New Acts) opened the Second half. A decidedly versatile five act first fialf made it entertainment all the ;way with Led ova, danseuse, doing {exceptionally well just ahead of in- termission. Jack Joyce's Horses omewhat disrupted the running or- ider, due to the ring having to be Bet and then broken down, but gave Ithe house plenty to look at. Joyce's tnaneuvering of a sextet of animals "'. kimultaaeously was always inter- I jesting besides which he is carrying < » solo horse and a trick rider in possack outfit. Placed No. 8 the $uct did exceptionally welL Zelda Brothers and their midair ^ntortion work on a trapeze found knore than the usual welcome open- ing the show, although the Palace Is , filways a house where the initial act ttets a break. They seem to dote 0o 'em here, even it they do walk Out on the closer In the customary knanner. Keller Sisters and Lynch followed to draw a hearty response. ' Sifaking phonograph records has tevidently done this trio a world of good. Especially is this noted in the Voice arrangement of at least two !bf their numbers. The routine of ihe act is as of yore with the only tquestion being the advisability of ^ k>lacing two ballads so close to- V gether. The feminine buck dance jcontlnuas to be the finishing item •' Uuring which a mended stocking tun failed to help appearances. Ryan and l<ee abbreviated to 16 ftninutes, somewhat under their run- Ing time in other houses, walked on to a reception and terminated wilh- out having a complaint. Miss Lee tias developed a rasping voice to the point where it grates to the de- preciation of the act Otherwise the \ineducated crossfire clicked at reg- ular intervals. ^-; Ledova supplied an abundance of ' laotlon with her dancfng and flashed ri " tnore control than is normally seen A ia a dozen vaudeville shows or six .,^_ legit musicals. An adagio dance ■; ■ Won considerable favor as did a . ^ale youngster who resembles Carl llandall, of which he has evidently „ 1>een told. The Randall acquirement should .' be beside the point for him as both ■ , "his own person.allty and ability are • teufficlent to lift Mm above the pen- •* . ■ eral trend. The accompanying - string quartet also added to the . ;■ r. acore with two number.s, the playing V of the violinist being of no advan- ik, jtage to Odette Myrtil when she ap- 4 i)eared In the second half. 8kiff. r RIVERSIDE The bin at the Riverside this week '' Is one act short, due to the running '■ time of Joe Howard's "Toy Shop," which closes the show. For the same reason but two acts are In the sec- ond half, Barry and Whltledge hold- ing the spot Just ahead of Howard and contributing some much needed comedy. The Whltledge-Barry rou- tine is one of those consciously un- conscious turns more studied than the conventional frame ups. Miss Barry's apparent ad libbing is well foiled by Whitledge. In addition he handles the piano. The sophisticated stuff got over big hece, where the intimate touch Is craved. The first half of the bill could have stood another comedy turn. The only act of this nature on It was Conlln and Glass (New Acts) No. 4 ' in their "Morning, Noon and Night" low comedy and hoke offering, which * got over ajfter a rather slow start. . Conlln uses back stage vocal effects and other familiars to good effect. • •■; Lawton, the Juggler, opened and ■ scored untisiially. His handling of rubber balls la almost unc.inny. The cannon ball routine with the three balls Is more or le.'is 'amiliar. His \ ' talk got little or nothing, holding not more than three or four laughs for the entire period He affects a Will Rogers delivery, btit It ml.s.scd hero. However, as a juggler he stands out with the conversation only inci- dental. Andre De Prang, the Russian vio- linist, seconded strongly, taking sev- eral t>ow8 and doing an earned en- core. De Prang h.as dropped the guest celebrities. He had a celeb In the box each night during his Palace engagement. He Is now standing upon liis own and getting results. An accomiillshed musician and has the necessary personal at- tributes to craah, especially with the ladies. Lorln Raker in "Contradiction," by Kdwin Burke, was third. The act didn't speed up the first Half any, although It Is a fast sketch. Raker, as the argumentative son-in-law of a grouchy father-in-law, gave a con- vincing performance. Laura Lee, as his young wife, played Intelligently, but a fair speakln^r voice. Wm. B. Morris was the regulation stage parent. The act is draggy In spots, but picks up and finishes In high. Nltza VerniUe, the dancer, sur- rounded by her gorgeous production, was the class act of the evening, closing the first half. Miss Vernllle is versatile and personable. Her cos- tumes and settings, e.<<pecially the handling of a green ostrich feather fan, pulled favorable comments from the women. Joe Howard clewed in his "Toy Shop," a well routined flash of spe- cialties with Howard's old sc" hits worked In as part of the routine In a broadcasting bit aboard ship. James J. Morton, as the announcer, was greeted with some puzzlement here. The customers didn't seem to get Jim, except In the most obvious spots. The act was well received, the singing of Anita Case and the specialties of Edith and Dick Bar- stow, Eddie and Marlon Root and Hobson and Jason receiving Individ- ual acknowledgment. About a half houseful Monday night Con. VICTORIA PALACE 5TH AVE. No Inspiration for acts Monday night at the 6th Ave. Neither the 60 per cent audience nor the turns held any ginger. Show not a real summer bill, though, but odd In formation, having much of nothing. Clark and Bergman headlined (New Acts), with Gladys Clark act- ing as an upper stage box plant. During the turn and while a "Charleston" song and dance num- ber was being done, Mr. Bergman called upon Florrle LeVere, formerly of Holmes and LeVere, to come out from the wings for a verse. After that Henry cajoled her into doing a dance and after that it struck some- body how well Miss LeVere would fit into the present Clark and Berg- man turn. Another plant man and in the same upstairs box, was employed for the Gordon Bostock skit of "Amateur Night in a London Music Hall." This Is a good idea with some good actors in it, but the ma- terial Is poor, with the performers far beyond their material. It would be worth while for the producer to have this skit rebuilt, rewritten and reconstructed. Seven people and all capable, but not all English, if any. Another spot for advice Is Mar- garet FV)rd, single, with a baritone natural voice and a forced falsetto that leaves if no voice at all. Miss Ford Is a brunet, comely and can sing, but will continue to find herself held back with the present very con- ventional style of presentation of her double-voice songs. What Miss Ford needs is direction for r, series of character songs, especially suited to her baritone and she might forget the falsetto, excepting possibly for a novelty opening. In character and mostly ballads with proper coach- ing, this girl would spring a com- plete surprise when appearing In her proper person and under the good looking gown she now wears at the finish. It should be worth the try for Miss Ford, not only in vaude- ville, but in a production if she got away with it, for just now there is no other .singer on the stage like Margaret Ford, and those before couldn't commence to touch her on looks. Ch.arles Irwin, next to closing, got through easily before this house and without exertion. The "Guatamala Revue" (New Acts) closed the show. It's a Ben Edwards turn of seven. Including four male musicians. Ed- wards should have held it out of the 5th Ave. for a little while longer. It looks as though ha Is trying to make a few principals In It. Jean Phillips and Co., girls and two boy dancers (New Acts) opened, with Pat Hennlng and Co. (New Acts), No. 2, and young Henning was a bright light on this program. The turn has played under another name, but Is going In for featuring with the boy and playing In "one." Looking back over the years there has been no boy of efjual age regard- less of what they afterward amount- ed to as a performer who looked better then than young Honning does now, as a performer. But he can't break out in the present frame up. He should be sent along alone for a while or hooked up In a two- act either with another boy or girl. London, Aug. 11. You've all heard the story of the theatre where they laugh when they buy their tickets. The Victoria Pal- ace goes 'em one better. They start laughing on the way there. Thoy will stand In line, extending way round to the stage door, and when one of the comics enters you'll hear such remarks as; "There he is— that's him—blimey, he's comical— and you're gonna see him—ha, ha, ha!" While not an "all American" bill this week, five of the eight acta hail from the "States" and a sixth Is undoubtedly foreign, probably Ital- ian. Imported acts on either side of the Atlantic are always Inter- esting, because they are different from native talent and hence are more apt to appeal to an audience. Therefore, considering the Victoria Palace to be the safest audience in the world and with half a dozen im- ported turns, all of excellent qual- ity, the performance Monday even- ing went over with a t>ang—always bearing in mind that the man in su- preme command, both In booking and management, Is Jack Hayman, and that he Is probably the only one In England who can run a vari- ety show without stage walls. Nine out of every 10 weeks—may- be more—Hayman opens his bills with a single singing soubrct The current week's selection Is Queenie Pickford. This opening act is of such small consequence that the conductor never takes his seat in the pit until she has finished. The first violin conducts the overture and the first act. The regular con* ductor generally leaves his seat and retires Just before the closing act makes its appearance. Often the opening turn sings one number. Miss Pickford offers two—the second with a change of frock. In which she yodels and does a bit of wooden shoe stepping. The amount usu- ally allocated for the opening act is eight pounds ($40), from which It may l>e Imagined there is not much in the way of merit to be expecied. The audience seems to realize this and Is always kindly disposed in the way of applause. Number two Is Fulvio, a foreign- looking young man with a female assistant to hand him his props. Fuivio Is an equilibrist of excep- tional merit whose act would com- mand attention and applause any- where in the world. He is to equH- Ibrism what Rastelll is to Juggling. For his first stunt he places an in- verted tumbler on a table, puts an oi'dlnary walking stick on it (minus handle) and sits upon it An up- right taut rope from the stage to the flies Is occasionally utilized to enable him to get his balance, but he immediately lets it go. He then places the two back rungs of an ordinary cane chair upon two in- verted tumblers upon the table, secures his balance, and then one of the tumblers Is removed. A 12- feet bamboo stick with a step on It half way up is used for a balance. Three inverted tumblers are pyra- mided on the table upon which he places a 5-foot stick for another balance. Five wine bottles are pyramided on the table for a hand- stand. Then came the five American acts In succession. The first is I^eon Kimb^rly and Helen Page in their latest comedy skit, "The Heart Broker," a satire on advice to the lovelorn. Although they played half a dozen engagements in New York their new act was never reviewed in Variety's New Acts department. A special drop in "one" is utilized, representing the exterior of a heart broker's shop, pre.slded over by Miss Page. It is quickly developed that Kimberly Is paying court to her. He wants her to give up her shop and marry him. She is reluctant to re- tire but his love-making is so violent .she finally yields. A couple of con- versational ditties are Introduced. Kimberly is an admirable straight 'man and continually plants lines and situations for the fattest sort of crossfire, or, as we say over here, "back-chat." The finish is along the same llne.s as their last year's offer- ing, and the whole thing went over in excellent shape, necessitating a felicitous curtain speech, carefully cued for comedy Interruptions by Mi.ss Page. Having played around all last summer for several month.s) and for a couple of sea.soiis pre- viously, Kimberly and Page are es- tal)lished favorites and can now command headlino billing. Hit after hit was registered by the American turns, but the biggest "wow" was jmdoubtedly rcgiBtored by Val and Ernie Stanton, Who are doubling with the Tod Lewis .show at the Hippodrome. Thoy "goaled" the audience good and plenty. These boys are ripe for parts In a revuo here. They do more things well than most acts. After the Interval came Slanl-^y and Uirnes, hoofers from across flio pond—tlieir second week at the Vic- toria Palace—most exeeptional. Their simultaneous stepping went over very big. Thoy were .succoodcd by Tucker, the singing violinist, who has been over here so many years the audi- ence have probably forgotten he isn't a native. Tucker opens with off-st.'igo singing in a soprano voico ;ind prances about the Ht.ige while doing double-voiced singing and eccentric violin playing, airom- panlod bf bis own pianist. Lie is a big favorite here and took three calls in front of the "tabs." At tiie closing turn the conductor left the pit and relegated his baton to the first vioiiaLst. It is beneath the dignity for a regular house con- ductor here to play for an opening or closing turn, and it was many years before they, could be per- suaded to play for an acrobatic act in any part of a program. The closing act is Phil and Phlora, a young man and woman, the man doing some clever acrobatics and the woman a little dancing spe- cialty, surrounded by a talking skit The act would make a good opening turn in the American pop houses If the chatter was deleted, Jolo. 58TH ST. Low comedy at 68 th Street the first half, and Monday night's audi- ence seemed to revel in It The show had little else to recommend It. Theodore and Swanson opened with an acrobatic turn in which most of the stunts are performed on a prop lamp-post. The comedy attempts fail to get much, and most of the routine is ordinary, but the closing trick, with the understander balancing his partner on a heavy pole, held in his mouth will stir any crowd. After Dorothy Casey (New Acts), who found the going rather rocky second. Haven McQuarrie and Co., headliners, presented their film making travesty. The act has been seen at the better Moss and Proc- tor houses, where It went over well, but at the 58th Street it was noth- ing less than a laugh tornado. Only two plants were used, and one may have been the real thing in ama- teurs, so clumsy and stupid did he appear to be. A new leading man is carried, but the pretty girl Is re- tained, fortunately enough. One look at the specimens brought upon the stage and then allowed to kiss and fondle her convinces that she earns whatever salary is being paid her. McQuarrie sure-footedly drives home every laugh value, and he rates considerable credit^or making the turn the comedy sensation it as- suredly is for the neighborhood stands. Evans and Hart (New Acts) did fairly well with another act very similar to that done formerly by one of them with another partner (Conn and Hart). Next-to-closing Haunll- ton and Barnea, apparently the vet- erans of the bill, showed the value of experience with the most legit- imate variety turn of the evening. The start is a trifle slow, and both the watch-stealing and wedding bits have been seen many times, but the couple wade through it all with plenty to spare. The Glad-Vans (New Acts) closed with balancing embellished more or less by singing and dancing. Para- mount's "Rugged Water" was the film. WINTERGARTEN Berlin, Aug. 4. The opening performance of this August program was well patron- ized although the quality Is below average and not to compare with last month's bill. All are foreign turns (mostly Italian) except Little Plpifax, who could figure as American as he has been In tlie States for 10 years. Most of. the acta are known to America. Athea, the contortionist did fairly well. Fayre Sisters mu- sical, four girls, look nice. Torino, juggler, billed as American, met with good success. Corn and Nell, eccentrics, with old tricks, medi- ocre. Four Chllenos (2 men, 2 wo- men), Spanish dancing act, good- looking, well dressed. The step dancing of the men is the best suc- cess. Carlo, Mariano and Porto, three men, clowns, regular circus horse- play act Three Popescus, one o( the best straight bar acts la ex- istence, opened the show. Zanetti Troupe only act desirable for the States. Six people, dressed as Spanish or Italian gypsies. The act opens with an acrobatic tango of one man and woman, very good, followed by a kind of casting act The tricks are well executed and some of them new. Nice stage setting, good looking people with the turn clean and of merit. Two of the men, assisted by a lady, do also in the same bill a free standing ladder act under the name Medini Company. A similar act under the same name has been In America. Modlni as opening and Zanettls as closing act would do well at ths two-a-day. AMERICAN ROOF Business rather good Monday night compared to trade the past couple of months, and the show ditto. The eight acts played smart- ly, the program being rounded out by the punchy "Streets of Forgot- ten Men" film feature. Ledegar opening with his tight- rope stuff, has a bit too much talky intro. Cutting down on the "scrub- woman" gab would speed it up gen- erally. Shayne and Joyce and Mack and Tempest (New Acts). • The Four RuMni Sisters closed the first half with their tip-top musical routine. The pianist fea- tures an effective soprano and the string and woodwind instrumenta- tion in solo and ensemble formation clicked. Barrett and Farnum stepped smartly. The counle can buck-and- wing in fast company, the incidental byplay breaking up the straight hoofing routine, li'remont Benton and Co., following with a sketch tilaylet, got plenty of laughs, al- though running overlong on time al- lotment. The comedy is derived from the wife's plan to cure her slangy husband of his slanguage proclivities. She essays a spiel of the argot on her own in the midst of a ritzy business conference. Fre- mont Benton Is a woman, heading the cast In the role of the wife. She handled her lines well. The act topped the first half show here. Lewi.s and Ames were a laugh fest. Lewis did everything he had .ind more besides, tho returns being surprising even unto themselves. At times Miss Ames forgot to "straight" faithfully because of realistic inci- dental laughter, Lewis ad llbblng an<l sagging to his heart's content. The laugh score w;iH heavy. Lewis guoriod the orchestra leader, "Is there a 'Variety' man in the house?" possibly with the memory of pro- vious criticism anent I^ewis' mate- rial. That goes as before, but after llie team's imi)re.ssi(in Mond.iy nlniit, what i>rlce restricted material if they run do ho well with the hodijo- t)odge they have'' The ;ict was a l:ni^h mar.ithon for a hoIhI 25 mln- iite.s, and there in no niie.stloning il'.s .siire-llrcdnoHH for the grade. Lewis Is a corking 'rirnlc and Mis.s Ames a faeile vis-a-vis. but th!«t will not »sl'!Vatf> them t'evornl th-^ tliree-a-dayers with ilio pKNSorit ma- terial Wil.soii and Oormari Slstrrs (New Acts). Feature film cIofl<'d. Abel. BROADWAY Three new acts and four recog- nized turns comprise the vaude end of the current Broadway show, while the picture Is "Fighting Flames," a Columbia release. Blended, the whola thing works out as a routine vaude- ville show, neither very good nof very bad. One fault with the bill was that It held too much low talk- ing, not enough dancing and except for one of the new acts, "Al's Here," little In the w^y of novelty. Opening, Frank Reckless and Co. started things well with some head balancing. Will and Gladys Ahearn In their routine. Aheam is also a good roper, but his released remarks that went with the roping were met by a stony silence. Once the ropinf stuff was over the audience ap- plauded. Ahearn has been doing this turn for a long time and always the talk goes with It while his roping and dancing are the cards. • "Al's Here" (New Acts), in which Ave men appeared before a bar room set props and everything that even went down to some Imitation liquor drink- ing. Wayne and Warren, In the Paul Gerard Smith act "The Last Car," scored too, although It was hard to get a good deal of the talk with the doors of the house opened as they were. Next Amac, the card illu- sionist and his trick of making the woman disappear behind three large cards was moderately well received. But Morris and Shaw, who followed with nut talk between the cokie and the Yld comedian, lost lots of ground by being confidential with the mu- sicians and themselves. Many of their gags couldn't be heard on the paying side of the foots. But their singing, hoked plenty and which had a patter chorus seemed to please. Marion Wllkins and Lido Orches- tra (New Acts) closed without a very big bang. Business Monday night fair, with downstairs well filled, but upper stielves about half a crowd. Biak, STATE It wasn't the best show of the sea- son by a long shot nor, on the other hand, could it be termed the worst, several of the turns apparently hold- ing up the State blU Mond.ay night through giving unusual satisfaction. Shows at the State seem to run that way—good one week, bad the next and just between the third, and ao on. Downey and Clarldgo got away nicely in the starting position. The man In this turn still hangs tena- ciously to the "bits" Joe Jackson long ago stamped as his particular stage brand of pantomimlcry, and scores as a result The majority in that audience Monday night prob- ably never saw Jackson. The wom- an adds strength to the turn and gives it a variance of routine that was appreciated. Frank Whitman, a fiddling entertainer In "one,' who aKso dances while he plays, followed. He gives a few Imitations. Whlt- mnn does his tricks neatly and easily, and registered. Brown and Rogers tacked on more comedy and did their best with the exchange of patter. Why a piano was at one side of the stage and never used was not. explained. They spice enough vocal liarmony to en- li ince the value. (Ir.iee Cameron worked hard and did well with a routine ImpreHslon- istic with character Ideas, carried out In costume and songs. Billy Travis i.s at the piano and rondem first aid between chang'^.s. In in easy .sj»>l, one mado to order f(ir the .style of (urn offtrod, Dav« II iiTis jjoaied 'em ill flie way with hi.s in.stnimentat nuinhers anil aongs, (Continued on page 44)