Variety (October 1925)

Wednesday October 7. 1925 VAUDEVILLE REVIEWS VARIETY IS equally beautiful worka, and, for un eniore, the famous 'Light Cavalry." CreatoVe seertvs to be erring In flaunting those eccentricities of con- durting of which he seems to be so proud. They may impresH in the sticks as the signs of a genius, but for the semi-civlllzed Hip they are less than applesauce. Practically the entire comedy burden fell on Val and Krnie Stan- ton, next to closing, and a laugh- Btarved audience awarded them the hit of the bill. The boys, just Odck from London, seem to have the best act they're ever done and landed Just as soundly with the uke and harmonica playing, singing and hoofing as with their gobbled Eng- • lish and mispronunciation. The only laughs In the Hrst half were provided by Krerf Ardath and Co., third, bilt this clever comedian could never get going. His success elsewhere on the circuit p.oves that the ftip Is a poor house for Ms typs of act. Perhaps if he had not made his drunk so lifelike but had Hopped and clowned about the stage more In a low comedy fashion he might have connected more .soundly. Scanlon, Denno Brothers and Scanlon opened with their excellent routine of clogging, the disclosure that one of the male auartot is a woman proving a genuine suri>rise. Richard Haveman's wild animalf were next, a perfect act tor the house, spectacular, daring and col- oiful as it Is. The great beauty of the lions, the fierce strength of the leopards and the snarling but com- plete subjugation of the one giant tisrer by the German trainer are he chief points of interest. Business was exceptional for a Monday, with a sell-out downstairs and the lower shelf and boxes very comfortably filled. The Foster Oirls made some half a dozen appear- ances, displaying nothing new, but always dres.sing up the sta^e and adding color. typical Oriental routine of mild flavor. Sammy White and Kia Puck had a tough Job in following the Ails act, but after a slow start they also had things their own way, leaving the crowd so fed up witli luughH tliai the slow start of the succeeding turn—La Varr Bios, and Miss Pin- garee «New Acts)—was met with a walkout. A Schulberg picture, "Go Straight," was the film feature. Business Mon- day night good, with upslair.s trade heavy. Siak. STATE Business terrific Monday night, with the Chaplin "Gold Hualj" film the draw. The show itself Just about Kang itself to sleep. Songs in every act. Harry and Mary Scranton opened in "one" with a sung and some dance "bits," fooling most of the folks, who did not know that their specialty was tight-wire walking. Rhodes and Wat.son, a "sister team," sang their way into favor, the Mary Ellis' impression by Miss Rhodes being very well liked. This act has appeared to much better ad- vantage in other Loew houses. The girls sing well, but their last two numbers are too similar. More singing by Yates and Car- son, Although the flippant cross-tire between the man and the woman, with the tiirmer kidding the latter much of the time about her size. Several of the remarks are pretty strong, but got laughs in spots. Lewis and Dody, headlining, dished up some of their comedy gags and sang, too. The closing act. "Bo- hemian Nights." flooded the bill with more songs and dancing. "Bohemian Nights" is one of those Russian acts where 'the men and women sing a little, danc* a little and then sing some Dtore. One woman fiddled for a change. iffarfc. MONCLCCISTS OF THE STAGE ALBEE, BROOKLYN Nli^e, sedate entertainment acros.s the bridge at this hou.se for the cur- rent week, with most of the pepper (n the three act second half. Roger Wolfe Kahn and his 13 musicians usurped plenty of time In the No. 3 spot, but was topped by Nora Bayes, who sang her ac- customed number of stanzas and then prattled about her children for an additional 15 minutes. Undoubt- edly a showwoman. Miss B.ayes nevertheless continues to take ad- vantage of an audience's hospitality to the point where this is evident , through the applause building and then dwindling. However, Miss Bayca may have adopted the Eng- lish idea of anything resembling a "h.'ind" is an excuse to linger. Hamiiton and ILiyes did very .well in the mamrnoth auditorium, and previously were Booth and Nina, and the Temple Four. Bill Robinson opened the second half, drew a receptloji and bowled thorn over with his hard shoe tap- ping that amounts to a treat in this type of work. The colored boy's bit on the flight of st.tirs put him away solidly, if there were any doubt up to that time. Behind Rob- inson came the Dillon-Parker Re- vue, constructed on the Ch:trlot idea T>f brief skits. The act looied iwxr- ticularly well within those ullr.i confines, with the light laughter and scattering applause sounding more like a $1.40 musical, althoucrh ex- tended with utmost approval. Thi.s house seems to unconsciously dre.«H • u an audienoe. Joe Laurie, Jr., had the auestional-le advantage of the late soot, but hoppod it throuKh for consivlerable appreciation, SKig. BROADWAY One of those audiences that start- P'l laughing when thoy l>ou','ht tick- et.s in Mond.iy niulit. and .some supor-o.vtra-.special laughers and Whistlers in the lialcoiiv. For tluso tfl.ows llo.scoe .Ail.s. S.immv White ariil Kva Puck and the Bert Baker «ct were target.s of approval, for on »' of thorn the l)oy.s let tlie shouts. - rff .'"'^^ •ind < ■cillfi-rnlH. The re.st 01 'Ii- show wa.s oUfh and a'fair e.\- smplo of popular vauilovllle ofYereil 11 good style. <';"ninf,'' was tlio .lean .lack.son 'i_iupp of oyclj.sts (.Vow Acls). who "i'l well, while WiKi.uns l';i..s, \en- "Mo.iuist wa.s siM)ttoa No. 2 and ^, 'i"i'', ^"'' ''"' ''-'wc.s. iiert B.ikor '..IV,' '"••< several soas..!)^' old skctcji. I lie Prevaric.itor." fclh.wod. and «'•") niop.ied clean with some sure- nre ^(uiT. I>ixio Hai'nili.m. a woman .Mncle wjtli o\,.,.rienco which smacked of ho -nl;,nMs. w.is fourtli with a ro'i- 'no that was for the iin.st pari ox- cm-.vo. .She lof.k I.no good I,.f,'iii- w.ile eneoi-o and rathoi- an..i;i.>r. but 'v.'"- ^''''W' laovontfd this. 'hon Rosco,. Ail..». Kjito I'lillmaTi ■n. uipir oomp.-inv nf Ja^z p! iVors ^" I 'lin( ( 1-.^. Atls ;,n(l the ciow Were n riot all throu;,-h. running wav over "■< ' an hour and i,'etl!ntr away with P^Ory minute. The turn Is fanilli.ir I. va.|^,,viiio, excer>t that niavlio an I,'"";'"'?'''.'" handed .1 din.-or." Doro- "'y Wm Nworlh. wa.H on the level. «"■< .said that she hi.I jii.<t boon over "■nm Lf,ndon a weel^ an.I would do "^r sfutT. Her .stuiT eonsistod of a KEITH'S BOSTON Boston, Oct. S The headllner at the Kelcb house this week is Olga Petrova. On a bill that runs at times far above the ordinary she stands out. by far the best act on the list. Placed third before closing, the spot position for the local house, Petrova took 25 minutes for he» routine, which included six songs. .one in French, another in Spani.sh and the others in English, winding up with "The Keys to Heaven" the old English classic which is seidcm attempted except on the concert siage. Her closing number, the only one in which she used the piano, held the house spellbound. As mentioned the hill is above the average in many places. It really starts to hit this high grade with tlie dancing act of the Aibertina Rasch Girls in fourth position. In their 15 minutes these girls give an ex- hibition of solo and ballot dancing that wa.s perfect in execution. The act. well slu'-;ed and beautifully cos- tumed, runs so fast it left the house hardly realizing they had seen all the programmed niiinlici.s. Val Harris and Ver.i (Iriffin took up the work where llie dancers left off and witli their swift comedy {..ct kept up the pace. This act has plenty of fine material with Miss Griffin and Harris setting over every point. Following Petrova came Ed Pre.ssler and Blanche Klaiss in their .song, dance and pantomime act. A liard assign- ment but succossfully handled with tiie act going vcr.v strong at the finish. For a closer the house had Charles R. Hector and St. James orchestra. This orchestra Js larger than most of those in vaudeville to- d;j.y, comprising 10 players and Hector. It is an orchestra high in tfine with tlieir prinoii>al bid for ap- proval being tlio way they put over a fantasia on airs fiom "Cavalloria Rustic.ana." The ore.hostra is as- sisted by Suzanne Briekley, who at the Monday show did one number. Seven numliers were i)roKrainme(l but with llio late running shfiw two wore cut. U is unfortunate that the bill calls for this orchestra .act <'lo.sing the -show for -the -waikowt ^rMHtK'-not J."^ stopped .tlid the act (lid not deserve such treatment. The Ballstoiis i eiiiiililirists) open- ed the show, the act gettini; its pundi iirtlie liriale of the man who hops on one h.md .across an aerial novelty traio/.e. On ".No. 2 " wore Marie Civaiianh and r.ud Cooper, the fornior billed as a divine dancer iiul Cooper as a .soi'g coniposor. His pojiuiar com- positions got him by .illboimii his voice wa.s a«ay off. The sirl .seerns to be a very likely siepjior. Fiatik and Teddy SaMni with i now tW'ist on their <i)rii"dy' no\eliy. l Quit", wore tliirrt and kept 'he house iM>.-uiaiir witli ilosi- very funny toUiii on \ tmi-nal ut. I.Ujf«:i/. May Phelan, 'ho v,'ref.|er at OBrien. .Milevin.sl.y <t Dri.scoll'a of- fi.:e, and Thoni.is .1 Hirnion, Jr., have sot the d.ite for their ni.irriai^o for Iiec. S. Mi-!S M ly lia>< gu inled Iho oiUor Hin -tiini of the thontric.il liw linn for soitm firn- The pros- pective groom ii .i ptofosTioita! golf ■ h imi>ion. (Continued from page 4) The lecturing humorists of our early days. Bill N'ye, Josh Billings. Elihu I'erkins, Artemus Ward and the rest had the very easy audiences of the Chatauquas. Gartherings of eaolly pleased old ladies and gentle- men who had read that these hu- morl.sts were good and proved that they believed it by taughing while th y were buying their tickets. In many a school-room, church audi- torium and lecture hall they were— one may say—elegantly, the knees of the well known bee. But when they ventured Into vaudeville, mis- lead by this success, they found that while they had "endeavored" they had not "delivered," and the thud is still reverberating. Even Elbert Hubbard gave up at a Cincinnati matinee, and the great Chauncey Depew. had he been silly enough to attempt such a thing — which, fortunately never entered his consciousness — would, under those conditions, he would have represented at best merely a Mo- Ready pause. A Successful Politician Fortunately great men in politics or great men anywhere who wish to be taken seriously have never made the mistake of trying to be funny. As has been noted, it killed Tom Marshall. Lincoln Is the only great man who survived It, and Coolidge is too smart to try It. My idea of a successful political figure is a man who always makes it a point to look as downhearted as Coolidge does when he is laughing. During my first years on the le- gitimate stage—say from 1886 to 1900—Tim Murphy and Sol Smith Russell—afterwards notable Amer- ican legitimate actors—were suc- cessful single entertainers In the early Variety. So, I believe, was Nat Goodwin and Francis Wilson, while George Wood, the "slightly dllTerent" comedian was a great pio- neer singcl, and Old Hoss James Hoey, I think, originated single "nut' stuff. Biit about that time there ap- peared the first originator and great monologist of which I personally know, namely, "J. W. Kelly, the rolling mill man." Hie reputation still overshadows all who have fol- lowed—at least In the minds of most who remember him. Never did a talker so impress each member of the audience that they were being per.-;onally and intimately addressed. His comedy pictures of early New York and Chicago life, his comments and tales of the corner saloon, the beer can, the boaraing-house, the goats and shanties of the squatters, were contemporan^oua with the same subject matter in the old Harrigan and Hart comedies on the New York legitimate stage. . Wits Those were the days of "Wits," on and off. The greatest legitimate actors strove for "Bon Mots" and the erudite shaft of Maurice Barry- more, the caustic bolts of Wilton Lackeye, the bright sarcasm of Richard Mansfield, the impressive pronouncements of Augustus Thomjus, and the quick quips of the then young Collier still remain as hurdles for the present younger generation of conversational hu- morists in the Lambs and Players Club.s. This spirit Wfui reflected by m.any a variety comedian who kept alive hi.s reputation during open weeks by sidewalk comedy, whlcii made iiale the mild humor of the cultured magazines. • Sidewalk comedy and comodl.jns .Iro now otU of d.'it'c. The comedi.a.n wlho-pwns a foilntry place ami a car has learned, amongst other things, that if he can't sell it, it makes liim look foolish to try to give it awa.v. Thi.s wi.sdom has fol- lowed him into the theatre, where lie has al.so learned tIiat*those who eomo in on a "comp" seMotn ap- prove of the show. After Kelly, the rolling mill man, came Joe Woleh who ins lia<l .1 million imitators but his never l>een eiiui'Ieil. and his e<i'i.il never pvon approached exeejit tiy liis brother (lien Wot'-h), who iH still tdayiiig atui who still makes g<»od. Iioth as an entertiinor and as the sweetest monurn'ont to the loyalty of (lie Ameriean r"il>lic. winch hi.s ever made the re.^t of ua a little nioiH thankful irid humble. About that time- \H<)H or eirlior - c.eorgo Fuller '■;oM"n appoarod Ho wa.s dis'inetly an oriRlnator lie WIS the first great intelleitn i| ninn.il'ic;i:-t. and, to me it toast., Is siiM '.loj grMtesl riionologiM and Hio I i;reateat man (hat the vaudevilles ' have over prodiicod. But lliat if another story. Peaie to his ashes. Directly opiosite. in method. oan>o the great and orii;inal Ezra ♦Kendall. whose play ujion words has never been oiiuailed, and who kr\ow l>ost the art of accunnilatlrig ripples from "stiuibs" and Imnchini? re- pressed humor int« .in explosive laugh at will. He wa-^. periiaps. the most widely and toast su<-co»s- fuliy imitated. Parallel with these, dating back to and even b^for.' the rolling mill man, and still living and elTectivo, is Frank Busii the best .story toller of tliom all. If one refers to those wlio depend oii stones and not u|Hm their own person.ilitios. Harry Thompson, "the Mayor of tlie Bowery.'' was a close second. Ot the minstrel men who had the aid of cork. Lew Dockstader. George W'il.son, Gootko Thati-lier and Willis P. Swcatnam headed. An>l^ the sliKlitly later ones. Artmir Kigby. .Ilmmld Wall. Eddie Boss, Press Eldridgo. Billy Van and Wal- ter Woems wore juways more than good. Alf Grant, a wtiite-faced come- dian, as good and as old and still as young as any ahove mentioned, never got a "break," but there are those who know. Frod NH)Io. about I'JOO. came In as the fir.st ori.ginal and thoroughly genteel, cultured humorist^ i>ut left to manage the Four Cohans, and has pas.sed prominently into pic- tures. Jim Corbetf. at the same date, gave us the most ititoroating per- sonal monolog we ever had, and. to my mind, would stlTl be even more valuable In h similar vehicle. To date back again. James J. Morton, from a first-class .straight monol»g drifted into a "nut" mono- log, and has to answer for a hun- dred imitators. He did not originate that style, perhaps, +>ut was the most successful. Frank Tinney, with » similar voir, owes his meth- ods to the accident of discovering its value when he was a kid of 5 or 6 years old and tried to teach the orchestra leader how to answer one of hia "gags'* In front of the audience, not knowing whether It was a rehearsal or a performance. This was at Docnujador's yieatre. Wilmington, about 1900. The Stan- ton boys, Val and Ernie, who were then children also, were present on the bill, with the "Big Rooster," as was also the illustrious actress. Maude Grainttor, for her first and only vaudeville week, and yours truly and wife (yes, present wife!) in an old soldier sketch. Klllott wa.«t then a baby in the rtrP5-Hlng room and Ruth somewhere In the future. George Yeoman, In a mono- Ipijue and later in his "XArMei" sin- gle, was also on that bill However, lot us get on. Later came .lulitm Tunnen, first an imitator of great actors in their curtain speeches, then with brll- lian original material, and still one of the best monologiHta we have over h.id. Walter C. Kelly, whom the unin- itiated somotimeH confound with Kelly, the rolling mill m.in. came in some 15 years ago Or at least his recent article give.'j the correct date. He was tlio first to realize the value of construction In a monolog and the lirst to introduce it effect- ively. Adopting a ijasic dram.atlc trial scino idea of proven wortfi filnco "Sliylock," 'Damon and Pythias," and otiier trage lies down to the old aftorrdece of "Iri.'-h Justice" and baek through the drfi'maa of "M'i.larhir "3P." "On Trial," "Llght- niii," and the rei^t. he created a new American classic wllii a pic- ture of a southern loeal court, and so /ilb'd it with nni.izing cliaraeter creation so expertly done that he Ki\os the illusion (if a room full of peopto, and it is haid to roatize when do If^aves the stage tliat one ni.in lias done it <l!l. Abriut the H.ime time Cliff Gor- don ontored wilii a new st.yle of Geiiiian Senator, lielpirig to make Ills aiiliior. Aaron Ilofriiiaii, finiou.". 111(1 Incidentally broa<l-st.ikliig an army of echoes who nro still doing his stuff. I talked to Cliff Gordon atv Norfoll:. Va., Saturday nlwiit iint.il 1 a m. Hutiiay. The not iliy he died in Ctiieago. after the Ma- j'-stlc matinee. And. Io.<»t wo forge', through tlie.se latter yearn ran Wilier Browor, alw,iyH a llrst- .;i ider. And aij.jln. tin iNi;ii iIi.tii all. ton fond riiomoriPs of Cfinle, Case i.ij ■>;■ ijlnal and ft g:«.,( ar'ijf. 'Ito-fi j lllere wn Ulek KtloWles. moil^er intoriiai I'Hial of ';mhi Those Who Stand Up Space prevetus jdemiito mention of Digliy Bell. I>i>ll.. Willi. im -Jil- len. .laiiios Ru liimoid (iKiiioy, orig- inator of •F.IilLiplls"; Loiiey H i.i- kell. still as i^ood as over, wii cb means much; Bubo l>iekiiisoii. Sid tJrant and Hav Royoe. Cliick Sale our greatest clTaracter linporsonx- tor. can scarvoly l>e called a mono- logist; and tlieie are other splon.lid onen that I c.innot recall. But. of tirem all. George F^uller Golden. Ezra Kendal, the two Kol- lys, James Thoriituti and James Morton, Fred .Niblo, Lew DocksLad- ler. Charley, Ca.se, Clifl' Gordon, and Julius Tannen si.tnd out, ,imonK-'»t the dead and living. It IS true, I have before me. a New York "Glolie" notice of some seven years a^o, referring to me a.i '■vaudeville's keenest monolo- gist." and a "Variety" notice of five years ago making it "vaudeville's most accomplished monologist." and New York notices within the pant year of a single week at the Palace sa.\itig that 1 am "better than ever." All of which are worth merely a ronriniscont smile tow.ard a past which I have loft, not without sonte sweet memories. But. while I held important spots on the Big Time for three years as a monologist, It was due to my knowleilgo of deliv- ery gained on the dramatic stage in my early yojirs—which got me by—If I gilt by—after many years in my own playlet following the first section of my legitimate stage career. I quote it merely as my authority for referring—with au- thenticity—to the foregoing list, and '1 add that of all the lonely men of the stage, a true wit is the lonliest. Together with their monologue talents, men Uke Golden, Kendall, the Kellys, Tannen, and the others had and have talents far beyond what has been ^equir^d of them, and are men of fine minds, and, no doutit most of them have felt th« tragedy of comedy. Most of them h«ve paid the price—which the morons of the world demand of those who stand on their heads to please them, and who cannot real- ize that the same men are equally above, them when they stand on their feet. The Fool for Pay Still, why worry? It is asking too much to demand tlio priviloKO of acting the fool for pay and re- sent being taken for a foul alway.s. A century ago d<'gcnerate society waited that stage people had ceased to t<e interesting as they boc.ama intelligent and a dire authority re- cently protests that actors should confine oven their private conversa- tions to shop talk and not pretend to even semi-intoUigence on other subjects in midst of the mighty. And such a course ly obviously dis-. concerting to many a social aspir- ant, whose origin was the owner- ship of a delicatesBon shop. How- ever, all this is merely meant to jirecede a consideration of the pro- fessional future of mottologlsts, and that future, if any, I think, depend* upon their adapubility to new con- ditions. It Is a mistake to bewail the changes which lime must bring. Considerations once Important, grow always insignificant. with tho broader horizon which comes with progress. And the progressive artist must keep up. The vast crowded audi- toriums are here. Thoy are neces- sary. They are' the fruit of the times. Between the <lomands of the income tax, the demands of tlie Htockhojdors, who after all are the real owners and entitled to some return for their bravery other than sentiment, and the volume of iiusj- no.ss which chea|t» prices make ne<!e.'--sary in order to pay the ovoi- head (and the poiygloL audlonce—- which oho;ip prices aii'ilinniale pal- aces must bring in) there has conie an era in wi.'.en the fine sketch, the fine playlet, the fine song charac- terlz.atlon and that soul of iho o!d doII(;htful vaudevlilo in its best sense, the mfinnlog la now without a home. These gems, whtch ruadi- vaudo- villo the accepted fashlonai'le en- tert.iintrient in a d.iy ib.it i.s pa.is- int!. depend ui'ori lh'« iriagu of tlio human voice, in ."r.-i.^cs where fli it voice can have light :<n<\ -ihado. Those who can remain in vaude- ville siiccossfiilly win do so now, nn I h.avo trie.l to |i;«i.st l..'fore in tlnso t.ilks, boean.'ie Voey li.xvrt a solid, technical foiinuatioti. Tlicy wiil be I hose who c;in sf:''; l>o soon and hcniil. Not Ihroiigi: giima'-Hig and yelling, but throuiJh" tho okictI- erii cil nianai^-ni -nl of '•f.•.•osMion — .■ff< I five pau.HO before :■< 'irini.i; i V .if'firr, *tl>}n qitlotit'LT t\u riii< - ,/W k i.r-f. '■I'lv'ci; iirini^f .f |i..l:i'.* <l '..tr •! le.'l o'l p.i J,- !)'!>