Variety (October 1925)

Wednesday, October 2S. 1925 VAUDEVILLE REVIEWS VARIETY is PALACE ^^ The bill at the Pal:ice ihlft week Is »nriety plus, but it wa« a long lime Ipttint? undtr way Monday night Vn odd foature of the layout, for this house. w'tt8 the presenee of two iiiimb acts in the KaUstons, open- Jnic. Kd and I.ee Traver. closliie, "da number two turn with some talk but mostly featuring tlie con- tortloninu and ground tumbling of 'Tuck and C'ins- The houHe wanted to laugh all Aurinn the rtrst part but until .loi- Laurie walked out number ttvo, f...- lowing the Kuban Cossack Cliorus, they hadn't h;id a chance. Laurie »ave them both barrels of his top- ical string of gags, and they gulp.jd It like a goldfish inhales craoker dust. Joe has a flock of new putter and a few familiars .sandwirhed in the routine, lie hasn't missed many of the "community" gags and is using one that threatens to beoom*^ standard among singles. The paw Ts about the guy who was so .stingy »'he sent out his pajama.s to the : laundry with a pair of sock.'* in tho .pocket. They liked Laurii and he delivered In a lough spot. The real comedy wow of the first -half, and tlie comedy hit of a bi:! that needed comedy, was IJremlel '^und Burt in "Just Gus," the comkn- gatlon of the play by Jack l.ait ba.scd upon his short .-tories. The Lnit act is the first vohiclo Brondel and Burt have shown which ghes them tlie opportunity they d<'serve. Brendel's trick clothes spcciiilty is placed appropriately, and he it al'iu likeable and laughable as the stup.U Swede bus boy who is always gum- ming up tbe work.x. His efforts ic park a huge cake of Ice in a i)i'i«p Ice box at the pleasure of the hp;ul HARRIS and HOLLEY Talk, Songs, Dances One (Special Drop) ' Broadway Harris and Holley, colored, have '■' been a team for some yeary, scl- ! dom around the east It sfem.i but • appearing now with an all new turn from that reviewed in Variety In 1921. In the present act these boys have good comedy, starting it with a piano movlncf bit, swiftly going Into a rather -unny orap- game and closing with song and dance. One dances very well. Both are come- ,dip,n9 and both do straight for one •Apthcr as ocoa,slon ai'ises. It's an act for the No. 2 spot on " the big time, according to some of tHe stilff that has been playing in that position around the larger • feietroi>olitan houses. No. 2 at the _ Broadway Monday night they stopped the show so completely ^they held it up. Not as big a.s that ,would sgggest however, the Broad- tvay holding a pop audience with an extremely appreciative upstrtir.s. I>ut the.se colored youth.x hid at to come right along. They are well set now. OOLLY LEWIS, '•ong Cycle, '14 tnlns.: One The Vic, Chicago A pleasant and neat litlle act that vtould ea^illy fill the number two spot .-On big bills. Miss Lewis is a thor- >Ough trouper with personality and '4eliverj'. Her material is bright and ;tree from stereotyped business. C>pening in a Gainsborough cos- tume, hat and white wig. she changes to a simple gown and red fcalr. Miss Lewis Is not a great "•Inger but is good vaudevUJe. A tross-sectlon of life behind a de- partment store counter gives the act .» strong fini-sh with Miss Lewis re- 'Jnoving the red wig, to much sur- .Prl.'je, proving her.self to be a bru- rvtte. • . She was cordially received at the Vic. Hal. iTTHE ARTIST'S MODEL" (6) Musical Comedy (JO r.Jins.; Three (Special) ■ ' A ria.sh miniature "musical com- ■i*dy." There are f<,ur girls and two n»en. .i:,ek Collins being featured. i>ilk li.'iiigings represent an arti.st'a -•tudio. where the girls pose .singly In l)atl\ing .sulti and exit. The ar- Wst w:ihl)le.i fjomething about a haunting face, n vi.vion divine. The •*<! playing the artist looks new to the stage, m;ik»».s an appearance hut doesn't pretend to have a voice and *cta ainatourisdi. Collins, a liirht comic, oTer.s to nelp his frion.l find the giil. Say- JOg .some fresh models h.T. c arrived ,.the same girls .singly -nter, eich .-.With .some .sort of speciiilty. They l*&ain exit for a costume cluinge .f'ld the aitisit looks 'cm over, re- —J**'ttn« -first tlif fe h u t ( llg fo vcring ^he riKht one in tl e girl whom he ■knew well hut who never had posed. Just a flash fo- the small time. Vollins had a, n'itnber that started •j^ell hut petered f\it. Sover.il others 'written for the t;irn served for the ««rl8 hut thai'fl nheut all. Ibee, waller was one screamintly funr.y piece ot business, also his attempt to handl* things in a table .soe:ie. l''lo Burt, as Kvclyn, the checker, and a corking ca«t supported. Tillis and La Hue turned in some clever hooling, the boy in particular winning with intricate tap and ec- centric dancing. Hal and Charlotte Burton, programmed In the cast, failed to appear. It was reported Uiey were dissatisfied with billing. The "Gus" act ran 35 minutes without a dull one, and the laugh.s were as continuous as Fords on lhf> Boston I'ost Itoad, Ahead of the Luit opus was the Kuban Cossack Chorus, male t-ing- ing orgunizution of 17 men in native garb, singing songs in Uus.sian and lOnglish, and with a male solo flash- ing what is alleged to be tlic Cos- sack national dance. Tlie dance was a novelty, the male doing too work and at the uatne time p'.aying membly pe« liom liis teeth to the stage with six dirty-looUing daggers. The voicesr blended pleasingly, but the act, unless spotted on a bill heavy with eoineily, ih more for pic- ture house atmosp'iiere. It adiipts Itself to augmentation readily. After intermiHsion Kraukie IleLitn witli a corking song cycle written by Harry Brceii built up !o a Inirrali finish. Miss Heatii piill.s the sliort- est curtain speech in \audevine confining hrr.scif to a shy and bash- ful "Thank You." Her songs wore "The Old Neiglihoiliood." with com- edy ptitter about the Conway girl (no relation) by two itnaginary Irisli ladles; 'Butter and Kges"— one of the bes'. special lyrics heard and matched bj a great delivery; "I Don't Say Yes," a good trick lyric number, and, closing, "A Letter from Home," with a dramatic patte: interpolation that ternpts a tout to predict that one day Miss Heath will be reading dramatic sides, Slie has the sympathetic huskiness ot voice and the sincerity ihat lias car- ried others to the heights from the two frolics dail). ISliss Heath and "Just Ous" switched positions after the matinee, which was good Judg- ment, for It broke up two singles following each other. Florence O'Denishawn, assjlsted by Snow and Columbus and a concert pianist, failed to set tlie woods afire. The ex-smali-time hoofers ot recent gradu,T.tlon were given equal prominence on the enunclators. Miss O'Penlshawn is a name to con- jure with at $&.50 and up a copy, bu' at the I'alace it was just another dancing act. They see them .all. at the Palace, discovering them y*ar.s before the mtisical comedy pro- ducers know they are alive, so' the dive Into vaudeville via mu.sical comedy sometimes mea'ns hardly a ripple. Judging by the applause at $3.-0 the slap Miss O'Deniahawn and Snow and Columbus drew about on a par.' Marie Dressier held from last week and nnigged and clowned her way to safety. F^ven those few in who didn't know her enjoyed her delivery and methods. The gag about the Kkeleton in tlie catacomb, which would hardly pass Palace censorship without a special dis- pensation, is still in. Ed and Lee Tiaver closed, fea- uring a neat hand-to-hand routine topped off by a hand-to-hand catch the top mounter skating down a chute to a catch with the under- stander seated in a chair and tak- ing him over his shoulders. Business not capacity by consid- erable. No names, no business. Con. HIPPODROME Nothing startling at the Hip this week. The highly touted Loie Fuller ballet is a disappointment, fiashy in spots, but not good vaudeville. For the rest, It's .so-so. The Hal Roach flicker comedy and the Pathe news reel were fol- lowed by two New Acts, the Auror.a Troupe (probiibly an offshoot of the former quintet, thi.s being a trio) and Rebla. an Knglish Juggler. A three-ring circus carnival was built up around Wier'a elepTJants, with Marlon Chambers, assisted by the Hip dancing girls, in a terp rou- tine and the liimila Brothers in acrobatics. The %Vcir ")>ulls" are among the topn()tc)ier.«( for flash stuff, the one doing the stooge out- distancing any comedy-"dBnciiig" behemoths in tlie field for individu.il returns. Sylvia Clark and the Fuller ballet both carry special conductors. A eouple more of these find Julius l..enzburg cnn telephone his stuff over. Miss Cl.iric grows on the au- dience and chalked up ,a huge per- sonal score with her clover chatter and ditties. Bobby Kiilm, her con- ductor, contriliutcs voc.iUy in t\ solr> with Miss Clark's pomed.v hj play In ' imnlt.Tncoti.s deliver.v, I.es Bnllet.s F.intasliqiies de I.oie Fuller (New- Acts). Bay nuIinrA;'3 se.il just nboul clinched the h<>nors for the anim;;'. olTcriiigs this week. It's a p'.rlect vuiety ai't, possessing novelty. -tui m o dy —and eniirl'iiiinirnt —an4- tho lliverside. Kobinsoa did his tap "Charleston" and clowned about in duet with .Misa Mills, curtailing his regular routine. Some of the prop introductory gags were balled up. Miss Mills, too, seemed uncertain of Bill's surname, addressing him as Kobertson. Willie Solar, dewpite the late hour, Kinexed his usual score. Another [•"uller ballet nun»ber closed ti-.e show, with the semi-finals of the quartet contest following. A mixed four copped the honors Monday night, flashing formal dress, a spe- cial conductor and orchestrations and an operatic aria on the nuil,. If semi-iu-os, at best, any suspicion was eliminated by the awful man- ner of acknowledging the bends. If this four hope to get anywhere lliey .should learn to bow properly and act reservedly. Their voices blend well and they really have the makin's. " Ahrl. RIVERSIDE Loping out of tho subway Mon- but even they cannot iterlously hin- der the success of the turn. The eiKht-piece orchestra .seems to be one of tho pepi>iest and most musi- cianly in a Jazz sense of the vaude- ville cumbiiuitions. The only out- standing iiuprovement in its work will eoine when it bringa Us routine of numbers more strietly up to date. Following the Three .\itos (Xew .\cts), who opened briskly with Comedy .icroliatics. .\imette proved to be almost .a perfeit singing act for tlie house. Her strong, ringing so(ir;ino filled the theatre to its ui>- permost seats hut lost iioihlng be- cause of till.- reniarli.ihle volume in warmth, l)eauty or tonal quality. The kiddie dresse.s, eurls and hare knees may be slightly incongruous coming with th.u resouniling voice. but Annette has the ;'.pi)earancc to wear them and get away with it. She was a genuine surprise aiul an honcst-to-goodness hit in a house I'.iat often lets the deuce spt)lter3 go b> without mtuh ado. Third, (Jraco and F.ddie Parka pr.sented their funitiar fiirtution day^'iVigirt,"' a' new"'"kVd"th-AVbee 1 f'^''-;.''*''''".'"^ "** always with Kadie's Riverside electric si«n attracted at tentiou. Ttie sign was just com- pleted and Ls so .sp(>tted that It makes a fla.sh. Instead of rising al)ove the canopy, the new sign is ufiixed on the corner of the build- ing at 96th street: and Broadway. •"<'"'«• being vislhle botlt ways and east- ward on aeth as far as Central Park West. Tliere were two sketches on the bill. That came about because David tDave) Ferguson and Co. in "The Lucky Stiff" (New Acts) had been booi;ed at the house for some hLdliiig. his pretty i>artner's poison nlity and the general i)reeziness of tlic entire offering. Their success made it five hits out of five nt but for the State show, a great average in tliese days of uneven entert;iii\- Ilcb. 5TH AVE. .\n uith than ;iijd time but a n.tme was needed anil all-.'ouieily bill tlie first half, some clicking more heavily others in the six-,ict layout with a Hal Roach conieify, "Cuckoo Love," incor|M>rated in the Micii division also helping along Florence Keed was added. Tliat I ih" mirth, didn't give Ferguson much of fi ! Three London>>, two men and girl, Itieak, for he was on third, wherea.s I opened with fast acrobatics by the ordinarily he would have been | men and with the girl contributing placed further down. Nothing hilar- i some ^■ocali7,irlg and comedy as a ious about the performance but tlie lilll was favorably eceived through- out. Mi.ss Reed, plus good support in Kdwin Burke's "Jealousy," was a comedy treat. The star's appear- ance w.ls alluring enough to cap- tivate all kinds of husbands. Burke, who directed the turn, is playing well in it. He is a ringer for Walter Kingsley, except what looked like a minor league haircut. Henry Gordon, as the Jealous husband, is excellent—he looked the part and played it thoroughly. "Jealousy" ran 20 minutes, but it didn't seem that long.. It was one of five or six turns fresh for this house. Georgle Price landed next to clos- ing, using a radio microphone a« an excuse for a series of his best imi- tations. For an encore Price s l close to the footlights and asked for requests for any number lor whloli he has made records. There was no response though he is blHed as a "|)opular record star." A Ten- ne.-jsee ballad took him off. Jay Parker and Betty Dillon, smart vaudevillians these two, closed intermission with a little .0- vue of skits billed "NIc Nacs of Now.' Last season they had the Santley and Sawyer "Little Revue." and previous to that offered "Nic Nacs." Just how much is new In the present turn is not appare-it, al- though there is no doubt about the production and costumes being of recent date. Several short skits, starting with "Fancy Me Fancying You" coimted well enough. There are tliree players assisting, a straight, dancer and colored boy. All are u.<!ed in the bits and In the finale. The .setting is a rniniaturc of the orange grove scene from a "Music Box Revue," the tree light- ing up at the close. Bill Robinson was big on fourth, the colored hot stepper getting a hand on his entrance and the house .omiling with him all the way. There Is no one just like "the dark cloud of joy." Margit Hegedus opened in- termission with her violin. Mis.i Hegedus was applauded so sin- cerely that she could have encored, but aft u.-Jual she called it an act after three number.s. Kvangelino and Kathleen Murray made a pleasing sister singing team for number two. They have a wholesome appearance and what they do, they 6,0 well with no at- tempt at fancy warbling. Bernt and Partner opened splendidly, an un- usunil novelty because the po.xitig and eqiiilibristlcs are performed by .a man and woman. The Six Rockets closed with double ladder evolutions and posing. I bee. v.-orthy of a "spot." The act re- oiiened the serond lialf here. Florence .Mill.'4, with hef Will \'oder.v orch'-slra tholh slated to <i))en at the I'lanlaliuii cili.ircl Kri- .1'V nijTh't) plus the dusky slei»|iin!: octet, kcbred. p.iving the way for Bill Roiinsoa, wiio Lt UuublinB froa, STATE "Don Q" packed the State Mon- day night. Instead of tiie usual exodus when tho film was flashed frir the last show, 90 per cent, of the crowd remained. A pru-ti' ularly entertaining vaude- ville bill of five act.'? was an added If r.ither subservient feature. The house w.as fortunate to have Lillian Sliaw as hc'idliner, since she brings small time vaudeville one of the hest known names of tlie two-a- day. The comedienne went through her usual Italian and Yiildi.<h com- eil.v ntmibers, never letting the wide areas of the liousc bother her and vo ll eyiiig ou t-thC-l au e hs - w i th r .i ic ra.gamuffin in patches. The men handle the l)ark work and trampo- line stuff to put the act across, wtiile the girl dresses it with her feminine presence, even though not sartorially. Burns and Foran, male dancers, bridged the gap In the deuce, filling in for Charles Derickson, singing .single, who cancelled because of lar- yngitis. The team scored as usual with (heir neat stepping, which went in strong for tap and clog stuff. An essence i of comedy in chatter and song also helped. Harry Holman and Co., the latter .a girl, wowed them No. 3 with a revival ot "Hard I'.oiled Hampton," Holman again scoring heavily as the hard-fisted busirtess man whose icy veneer willingly melts away when he ia confronted by his departed son's widow. After niuch homel.v repartee arid telephonic wlsepracks the hard-boiled one shows ho is all human and a yard wide by tifking the girl and her babe home with him. Polly and Oa livened things up aplenty with a corking .<!inging duo interspersed with satire in several of the numbers and with the likable couple working at terrific pace to prevent those out front from recov- ering. The result tied them up be- >ond question and took the duo off to the loudest noise of the evening. In the follow-up spot the regular bill was halted for the introduction of contestants In the Quartet Con- test competitions, with three groups competing and the Callboys Medley Four adjudged the winners of the evening and eligible for tho finals. Their spotting between the regular bill prompts a suspicion that the K-A Circuit Is determined that hone sliall walk out on this feature. Sinclair and flaspar, two girls, grabbed up the regular routine In "The Long', I»ng Trail," essaying joy-ridera of the ui>per and _ lower strata, who presumably took .all the Joy out of the ride when refusing to he congenial and were ordered afoot. The girls handle their stuff Well, and the gay reparte«< clicked as well as could be expected. Ned Wayburn's 'Honeymoon Cruise," a Juptor musical comedy in six scenes, closed, nr.il was strong enough to hold them in. It enlists .a company of 13, Including an at- tractive chorus lieyy, which may"" or may not be jirote es .'ind pupils of the Wayburn dancing school. Despite brevity of running time, the act not only prf>vldes flash, hut also has the salient features of the fuller grown musical comedy, sudi as singing, dancing, comedy scenes and attractive groupings which, de- spite condensation, are every whit ■IS entertaining as the long musicals, and more so tlian some we could mention. "Tho Coming of ,Amos." feature, he.tdc'd the screen division. fCtlba. BROADWAY Only a coufile of iU-y llcy^ at the Brfiadway this wee!;. Both girls, whiih Bav'e -thJ* "CharU'ston" an edge. Otherwise a fair vaudevjllo; for the house and price with a wide V .rietv. A plea.s.ant .act st.itteil, J^'lfirencc ScHey. so billed as a "tingle .il(liou;;h i,arryitig .■% c'.t,ple of ;uii- 111 il iiiipi-ihrmatorsas Citi^. TheV-at InI."i iiesH Is amusing and a ve rtain Holley (New Acts). No. 2, they held ui) the show, but it mu.st have been unexpe.led, and the boys in their dressing room.s, for they did not rettirn for .1 bow. Despite that the following turn could not open for quite .some time as a wait. The balcony and nailery wore heavy on apiilause here. These boys have the rmht idea, doing the colored comedy in a n^.iiural manner without attempting boisteroUsness or slap- stick. It gets over and they should Keep building along these lines, for there is a chance .ahead tor them, if not in vaudeville. In a show, un- Ics.s thi.s routine marks their limita« tions. Headlining the show is I'lorrie LeVcre, above Fred .Ardath and a new .Joe Howard production turn (NeiV Alts). Miss LeN'eie. shortly out Willi this act, (ilayed ii well and tfot i)U'niy rcwaril. She was the first Charlestonlixn. m.ikiiig it too hard for the ordinary same dance hy the yirl of the Howard act, closing the show. It looks as though Joe Howard had .it Last made up hiti mind to put on a turn that he could get some money out of without produi'ing an act that he was overboard on before openin;,', and kejit overheard on while working. It's better to have .■I liL;hter act that brloKS a profit than a bigi.M-r ait tlkat leaves you in hock at the end of a season. The more an ad costs to produce and the more o\erhe,'id to run it appar- ently the mor<' tin- producer is held by the throat by the booI:ers. How- ard should lie (riven time with this turn to get some ot the money back he has sunk in others. That "show" and cut week stuff with a produc- tion act Is a terrible thing in vaude- ville. Howard has 12 people be- sides himself in this one. The I'red Ardath "souse" turn en- ti-rtaincd the house. He left them laughing quite heartily. Ardath handles liimself .and the turn, con- taining three |H«>ple In all. quite nicely, considering he has but con- tinuous talk (no songs) and his stow stuff to hold with. Coscia and Verdi, with vIoTtn anift cello, akso slight comedy, did well enough, but need a larger margin for the playing, a bit more blatant or low comedy and a.^veller encore nuniher, musical. The present "showing oft" musical finish lets down the turn. Cap.iclty Monday night, probably drawn by tho Raymond Grifflth pic- ture, "A Regular Fellow." Sim«. consistency. Clinton and Rooney followed In hoth bilHnlr and Spot, closing the "how bright l.v, Mls.H Rooney's danc- ing Is nioro worthy of (hut good ol'' Irish name than e\er. Clinton gets hy n.afi'ly with everything except li!« mote f'*rced ooaedy attcmpla,' bill in t'.vo colored b'>i-; llirri.^ and tuatinee eardj ff thp cll|Ulr<Mi wilt ::i'.itly (»ii>iy ilh»t. (jriuld .MMa .^ccley dy latere aa lier poiiioti. In ,..;iie vv.Ty rir tii.^nVtop, .she would nd- vririe f hip. turn., 1 T'.he eat wuilc'floe.-t nnV ii*»!nTur in tii«» op«-ii:rH!: spiii. .\ner tiiat canie (he iiii of the KEITH'S BOSTON . Boston, Oct. 27;- The customers at this house Mon- day afternoon 'were of the variety that absolutely refuee to become enthused about anything. Another ' audience would have stopped tho show .oeveral times With tho acta they witnessed. Although Nan Halperin la th« headliner and was billed In advanc« for that popRlon on the bill, there are five ac s programmed, four be- sides her, that are much above the ordinary. Two of them have been seen here liefore, one of them, Wal- ter Kell.v, several times. These act* represent the best In vaudeville, with one of them, a combination diving and trained seal act, one ot the be.st of its kind ever shown here. Capt. Adams puts the seals through their stunts In a manner that indicates the dumb performers aro anxious to do their bit, and not because a flsh is the reward. The . part of the act In the tank with Odiva and the seals swimming Is attractive and absloutely devoid of anything distasteful. Nan Halperin's turn has the nov- elty touch so many of the women singles lack. Taking characters from history, famiUAr to everyho-dy, she puts the comedy touch on them' and with the music and Ivrlcs of William n. Friedlander ha.-? a M|ilen. did. smoothly running, entertainlnjir act that was greatly approclatud bjr those who knew values. Bert Yorke and Kd Lord ffourtH) proved there can be something worth while to a nut come<ly num- The hoys are energetic, re- ber. soiircefuJ, have plenty of coinedy and burlesque material, and with the dancing number used for clos- ing finished very strong. After Nan Halperiu came tho Havana Orchestra of Felix Fer- dinando. This is a sweet orchestra, mostly using muted numbers. The boys aro better In their Individual comedy work than when last here. Walter Kelly had the wise bovs in the hoii.se rocking in their se.its. How he can put them over .ind how he does. And hi* material i.s fre.sH, oven to the courtroom bis. .Most of the houae wanted lilm to st.iy longer than he did. Arco l!rolher.<<. ;ithiefIcs, opened, and wi-i-Q followe,! \,y Wade Booth. l>.iritono. The latter did his most ''ffeetive work wi'h tlio Volga Jioat .Song .and 'Boots." The Clairo Vincent sketch was well encored. Miss \incent m.iking .1 ne.it speech at tiie nnish. ■ The shoiv ran late, wiiii SorrciJ a m i KK - UR jh c U i t, ^n. - T Hi P Bi iv e t luw ii a goodly spMoklmff Off • back.s t«j lice. The hnaie at thsfrenlng per- fojm.'ui'.'S Ihifl^ we^k Is pillwig a 2V)«lii.iiiil Qiiarie'te contest-for tho fIn.J act. with U»e .ii ,ii .ne.. the judges. Lihbcy.