Variety (March 1926)

14 VARIETY NEW ACTS THIS WEEK Wednesday, March 10, 1829 ROSA LOW Songs 15 Mins.: Three (Special) Hippodrome (Vaude) Kosa Luw is a soprano from the Concert stage, making her first Kppeomncei in vaudeville, she has a pleasant, well modulated soprano with tone qualities its feature rather than range.. Also a perfect diction that carries throughout in bell like fashion. For vaudeville purposes her pres- ent repertoire has been well chosen Inasmuch as all five of her num- bers bring out the line qualities of voife. They are more of a popular variety than some braces usually utilized by ■oncert stage recruits COMing into vaudeville. The opener, Jewel Song from "Faust" ami closer "Carry Me Back to Old Virginny" are done with house orchestra. The remaining three selections are carried on piano with In* P. Orange as ac- companist. The operatic contribu- tion clicked for introductory with "Land of the Sky Klue Water" next and also going over well. "Mur- mering Zephyr" and "Answer" were equally well liked. These four practically amounted to the rou- tine with Miss Low coming back in one for ' Virginny" as an encore. In No. 5 here an acceptable fea- ture of its kind. One that will be enjoyed in high class houses for its concert value. Edba RUTH ETTING "Chicago's Sweeth.art" Songs 17 Mins.: One Palace, Chicago (V.) Women singles are scarce in vaudeville. So scarce that within the last six or eight months sev- eral have played the local Palace without revealing any particular or outstanding justification for be- ing on the big time. But here is a single, schooled and developed in the cabarets of Chicago, that big time vaudeville should not miss. They will probably let her slip, however, and Ziegfeld or Dilling- ham or some other producer will prove that they are awake. Cer- tainly Miss Ktting has now become strong enough and big enough to branch out. College Inn is all very well but it should only be a step- ping stone, not a home. Running down the category of the desirable attributes of a woman single in vaudeville Miss Etting checks off big, besides item one, for personality; two, for looks and eharm; Item three, for the ability to deliver a song. The knack of wearing clothes—she has that, too. In fact although her appearance at the Palace was more in the nature of a popularity booking It estab- lished that she is excellent timber in general. This In spite of using nothing but pop numbers, without any of the punch lines most women eingles depend upon for getting over. Hal ALLEN and CAN Tl ELD Comedy, Talk, Songs, Dancing 16 Mins.; One Palace (St. Vaude) Eddie Allen and Doris Cantield comprise this pair who are getting their ilrst Palace show ing this week. How this girl was overlooked until the night chilis and revues try to sign her is for the boy scouts to ex- plain. She's the best bet in a natural and talented comedienne seen around in seasons. Her versatility covers an enormous range, and she gets laughs easily through a sense of travesty and clowning. The turn is a hodge-podge of Crossfire clowning, with Allen feed- ing and handling one solo and one double number. The girl mugs, clowns, debates, ad libs, dances and does about as she pleases. A tele- phone song sung off key was a scream, as was all of her other com- edy contributions. The material was a bit lly at first, but gradually got them. Her delivery is material proof, however, and she would be equally funny jazzing up the Farm- er Almanac. Just a natural for musical com- edy or anywhere which doesn't ex- clude the picture camera. A riot in third position ami misspotted at that. If there is anything beyond conversation in the expressed de- sire of vaudeville to manufacture its own head liners here's virgin ma- terial. Can. "GOING STRAIGHT" (4) Skit 20 Mins.: Full Stage American (Pop. Vaude.) Whoever wrote this light sketch probably had "Turn to the llight" in mind. It opens in "one" with two men talking about just getting out of Sing Sing but one planning a safe robbery for the other, the latter being skeptical. Into full, discloses two girls In an exterior. They complain that nothing happens in Sapville and warble a lonesome number. On walk the yeggs. They quickly learn the girls' father is president of the bank. The couples pair off and there are several duets. One of the strangers falls for "the skirt" but the other exits to make a quick stick-up at the bank and he returns. The money Is returned with no questions asked and the boys are to get jobs In the bank, in addi- tion to the promise of securing wives. The situation seemed to appeal to the roof audience. Every ref- erence to jail got a laugh. "Going Straight" is one of those acts made for small time only but It's over- time. Still they like it. Ibce "DANCE TOURS" (6) Dance and Songs 15 Mins.; Full (Spec.) Englewood, Chicago (Vaude-Picts.) This attractive skit comprises a sister dance team, a Latin duo, male songster and girl acrobatic dancer. The crooning soft-toned vocalizer Introduces the act, explains its es- sence, and fills in between shifts adroitly. The vehicle uses several special *eis. that the "tour" atmosphere shall be complete. Opening with a winter number, a trio executes n "skating" dance with surprising ease, backed by cool white and blue props. The sisters then appear In yellow Chinese cos- tumes and do a combination too dance and Charleston to Oriental music. The novelty of the number and the perfect timing displayed by the sisters make this an aristocratic wow. As an added attraction, the grirls are well matched. A girl acrobat follows with one Of those difficult gyrating and con- torting dances that require the entire stage for their execution. The Latin team, doing Oastilllan dances and specialties, showed well. The Charleston finish, a return to the good old U. S. A., hit the eaves for n riotous closing. The entire cast takes part In this. This act looks good for vaudeville but even better for picture houses. Hal. "BOHEMIAN FLAPPERS" (5) Violin and Songs 14 Mins.: Full Stage American (Pop. Vaude.) Turn opens with all five girls as gypsies. Four are violinists, the other leading several song numbers. The musical quartet with a con- certed number just after the open- ing sounded excellent. When they exited for a change the single so- loed with a ballad that did not get far. When the violinists returned in soubret togs, the act picked up again. The routine for the stringed Instruments in well chosen, besides which the girls are not stiff which sets off the work. Looks Ilk* this turn could be easily adapted for picture houses. That would require a better voice than displayed at present but as it is the act is an o. k. feature for pop Tbcc ELIDA BALLET (5) Singing and Dancing 18 Mins.: One and Full American Roof (Vaude c* Picts) This one contributed by live per- sonable and talented young women, mostly dancers, clicks as classy en- tertainment with the dancing of course being the prime stand-out. Although new to the east the act has played considerable western time before showing here and is as set as an act of its type could be. Four of the girls are accomplished specialty dancers while the other handles vocalizing in the introduc- tion and elsewhere. Good team work all around dominates the turn. It should have little diiftculty of pleasing all around as It did In clos- ing spot here Monday night despite inability to hang its special set but got over heavy just the same. For an introductory the singer comes on in "one" with flashlight for a bandit number explanatory of what is to follow. Going to full tbo four girls portray various dolls and contribute danet specialties. The outfit includes a wooden shoe clog by the Dutch doll, a hornpipe by the sailor, wooden soldier dance by the soldier and an eccentric by the" rag doll. Tho girls are appropri- ately costumed for their numbers and click individually. Going back to one the vocalist returns for "Syncopated Nursery Khymcs" and a dance both of which aro neatly sold. Then back to full with the four girls in attractive rose costumes strumming on ukes for accompaniment to "Certain Party" led by singer and handled as an ensemble. The group makes an at- tractive stage picture and sell the number for top value. Three girls remain for a tap dance with the fourth returning for a wicked Charleston and all on stepping fast at the finale. Plenty of entertainment and good dancing In this one. All five girls know their stuff and are lookers as well. Closed the first half on this eight-act bill to good returns. Can fill this one or the previous spot In shorter bills and get over big. Edba. ART FRANK and HARRIET TOWNE Comedy and Dancing 16 Mins.; One Riverside (St. Vaude) Art Frank is a rube imperson- ator, his character being the same sort of a gay old bird which count- less o'thers have projected. With him is Harriett Towne, a sweet- looking miss, who looks all the bet- ter when she dons the opera lengths and steps out for some hot stuff soft shoe dancing. The comedy cross- lire between the old fellow and the girl |« of a familiar nature, but good for laughs. Frank has injected enough new business into his part to make it Btand comparison with any of the others. But the kick of the act is in its final moments when he and Miss Towne begin burning the hoards for fancy stepping that sent them olf so strongly that even after the lights baC been doused and the next act announced, Frank was called back for a legitimate speech. Good turn of its kind and No. 4 on a big time bill, more than held its own. Sisk WARREN and O'BRIEN (2). Burlesque Revue. 18 Mins.; Two (Special). Riverside (St. Vaude.). Warren and O'Brien used to do an act In which their acrobatics, dancing and chatter whiled away the time. Recognised as compe- tent, they didn't have the sort of a vehicle to bring them into espe- cial prominence. Dolph Singer (son of Jack Singer), has written a turn called "What Price Review" in which their versatility gets lots of play. Dolph recently has been staging tab and stock burlesque shows. Although the audience didn't recognize it, his whole act is a pungent satire against the usual burlesque show. For an opening song, one of the men sings the sort of an introduc- tory song which goes with a fashion number, and the other fellow makes three quick changes for three ridi- culous dame types. Then the fel- low playing the dame Impersonates the entire chorus, doing their sloppy routines with ease' and for effect. To the wise bunch, this act will be an even greater how] than to a lay audience, but Its Riverside recep- tion Stamped It as "there." The 'acrobatic dancing stuff is still worked In and several good dance routines make n snappy closer for an act that looks good for all around vaudeville. .Sisfr. BEN HA8SEN TROUPE (0) Acrobats 7 Mins.; Four 81st St. (Vauds-Pct) After this Arabic looking bunch make a sorry try for comedy at the opening, the troupe scores with aerobe tics. When the men swing Into their ground tumbling the results are sure, certain and swift. That Is their stock in trade. About three or four minutes of fast Arable acro- batics. An acrobatic but not comedy layout. J/orte. CONSISTENTLY SUPERIOR tNCORPORATCD NEW VUHH CITY. US We»l 4Srd Mr«i Chickens »054 ADVERTISING CURTAINS—DROPS—SCENERY CLAUDE DE CAR and CO. (1) Comedy Juggler 12 Mint.: Full American Roof (Vaude-Picts) Claude De Car is an undersized comic with a good Idea as to values in grabbing laughs through his juggling feats and accompanying flip flops. Tho support comprises an attractive young woman used mostly for dress save for a few steps Introducing a trained dog also worked neatly Into the act. The latter is well trained and toward the end imitates the falls and bal- ancing stunts of his trainer. The Juggling portion la the usual routine with the main point being tho angling for laughs. Got over nicely in the opener here and set for this spot In this type of house. Kdba. RALPH WILLIAMS and Orchestra (14) Music, Songs, Dances 22 Mins.; Full (Spec.) Palace, Chicago (Straight Vaude.) This is the second of the Edgar Benson orchestras t^take a fling at vaudeville and, like^the first, Jack Chapman from the Drake Hotel, this band made an important impression ami qualified immediately as good vaudeville. Ralph Williams has long provided the music at the Rainbo Gardens. He flashee a great per- sonality, good singing voice and all the poise in the world to the home town at the Palace Sunday. After showing what he can do it's a pity to again be buried at Uainbo. For that is what it amounts to In spite of his radio plugging, his Victor recording and his local following. With what Williams showed himself capable of he ought to be out In the open market show ing the world and battling for the big plums. The band itself has considerable volume, having 11 men besides Will- iams's own periodic banjo. A piano- accordion valuable at the Rainbo in diffusing the jazz over the wide areas of that establishment is some- thing of a novelty for a vaudeville band. The piano player, whose name was announced but not caught, sang a couple of boIos in front of the band. He has a very good baritone. For the finish of his repeat two of the other boys joined him and made It a trio. Oh, how those two needed new tuxedos. Williams made announcements before most of the numbers and got good results mostly on personality, material not being so forte. He surely gave Fred Mann, his boss at RalnlKi, a great afternoon so far as publicity was concerned. Fred was in the lower right box. A couple of local Charlestoners. Leroy Dressier and Connie Till- strom, developed at Rainbo, did their routine without meaning much. Williams finished up collegiate mak- ing a hurried change from tux to tremendous Oxford bags, in which he proceeded to kid the Charleston a little himself. Ralph is a big boy with a large girth. He is a comic valentine in those Oxford hags. Williams will play about four weeks on the Orpheum and then re- turn to Rainbo. Hal ANGEL BROTHERS (2). Balancing. 9 Mins.; Full (Special). Riverside (St. Vaude.). Here are two real balancers, prob ably the best big time VaudevUU has seen in a year of cut Weeks, and singularly their billing h ne h "unrivaled balancers" ho* trutk written all over. w Aside from some exceptional nana balancing which drew heavy aD . plause, these men feature ladder balancing. Two metal ladders with small globes on the bottom are bal. anced against two upright standi also furnished with globes. In other words, globe Is balanced upon globe and this done, the two men work on the ladders, one keep, ing the balance perfect while the other does the acrobatic stuff. At tho high point of the act one of the men was within two feet of the proscenium arch and in throw. Ing himself up for a handstand, his feet caught in the draperies, render, ing the situation extremely perilous. Thrills galore in this turn. An au opener at the Riverside it was re. reived as if it were the feature turn, so thoroughly did the audience un- derstand and appreciate the skill of the performers. What Colleano Is to the tight rope and Freeman Bernstein to Times Square, these brothers are to tho balancing business as ap. plied to vaudeville, task. PITZER and DOWNEY "North and South" Talking, Singing 15 Mins.; One American, Chicago Maurice Downey, long associated with sketches), has come down in "one" and is doing a two-man com- edy turn with Pete Pitzer, formerly of Pitzer and Day. Mr. Downey impersonates an old Union soldier and Mr. Pitxer an old Confederate ditto. They make separate en- trances, one from the left, the other from the right, with the orchestra playing "Dixie" for the old South- erner and "Yankee Doodle" for the Northerner. This starts a patriotic outburst at the shove-off. The old boys» are en route to ths annual encampment of veterans and stop to talk things over. They com- ment on a wide variety of subjects and let fly some snappy cracks and cryptic observations. Their squibs are good for many laughs. Sand- wiched in between the laughs are a few touches of pathos, some patri- otic "human interest" stuff, a bit of song, and Mr. Downey going into a Charleston. Considering the age of the character he is playing, that is great comedy. Pitzer and Downey are a dandy comedy act, strong enough for the next to shut on any rtve-act bill and great for the middle of the bill in the longer programs. In the average theatre with American au- diences the two characters. North and South, aro sure-fire. Lots of the customers will really put these two actors down for the genuine article, bona fide veteran* Messrs. l'itzer and Downey are old- timers who make a work of art out of a character comedy act that would be brutal in less skillful stewardship. Put if the actors are old-timers, their act is not. It sub- scribes to the modern measured The talk Is interspersed with song md dance and pieces of business, and for the wlndup they go into a file and drum parade, around a couple of times and off, which makes a strong climax. ' TA>op. PACIFIC FOUR Songs 10 Mins.; One American (Pop Vaude) Pour boys togged out as chant fours, two being comics. One de- clare! big bugfl ride in their cabs, (lie other adding little ones, too. The main Idea, however, Is silk- ing with fairly good results attair.c 1. The routine Indicated this quar'i t has been out for some time, prob- ably in other sections of the coun- try. They used "Barney C.ooglc" for a laugh number. No. 8 they got across satisfactor- ily. Joe* BETTY, MARY and JANE Musical, Song and Dance 11 Mins.; Two Special Cyc) and One 58th St. (Pop Vaude and Pets) With the picture houses as much in need of suitable contributory acts, as well as ' names," this femi- nine trio presents itself as a likely entry. Tho girls are nice-looking P'Tformcrs, opening with instru- mental ensemble, the blonde and brUnel handling sax and trombone, and the third girl featuring a so- prano sax. Of the opening pop medley, the trontbonlste with "Tired of Every- thing But You" clicked on her own. the general Impression proving fav- orable and above opening act par. The act goes to "one" with the girls donning prop dinky hats for the old-fashioned song snatch, clos- ing with a snappy jazz and Char lest on. They're a good early spot trio, each capable and versatile, with the picture houses also a certain mar- ket for their talent Abel. LEAH WARWICK and Frisco Her", monitts (S) Revue 15 Mins.: Full (Spec.) Englewood, Chicago (Vaude-Piets.) This rather ordinary fokit dis- close.-, a male quartet (tux) in good pop harmony, with the boys later turning into a loud and peppy or- chestra, and Leah Warwick singing and dancing. Leah has a fairly good stage ap- pearance, but her work Is not to be raved about. Her voice Is good, especially in her, Scotch character song, but she seems too weighty f° r any energetic strutting. In the or- chestra the pieces—banjo, drum, piano and sax-clarinet—naturally don't go In deeply for harmony, but the noise and the spirit of the thing are there. They are also hampered, concerning the audience, by the fact thai tii« country is flooded with of chestras and people have e. me to demand more than four pieces, or else f„ur very unusual ones. Not much of a future can be l> re " dieted for this skit, but they get over well In small time It tool th» KnglewOod crowd. loop.