Variety (Jul 1926)

20 VARIETY NEW ACTS THIS WEEK Wednesday, July 7, 1926 NILE8 WELCH and Co. (4) Skit 12 Mint.; Full Stage (8pa«ial) City (V-P) Nllea Welch Is the picture player, JuTenile leads. In taking a fling at ▼audeville he has fortified his at tempt with two very capable play ers (man and woman; their names unknown, no program) and an en- tertaining "situation" sketch with **surpri8e" finish 8WiFT and QIB80N REVUE (2) Sonos and Dances 18 Mins.: Full Special Broadway (V.-P.) This four act comprises two boys and two girls with fast moving singing, dancing and some comedy. It is a corking turn for any big ^Ime bill in about the trey spot, but a better combination if pulled out of vaudeville and stuck into a picture house revue with a chorus behind it. The skit opens with Mr. Welch as Every member of the quartet can do to I something and does it and at the a. scenario writer under orders do a piece for the screen, talking to his butler on the possibilities of a plot. Upon request the butler, for- mer clergyman, offers as an Idea the thought that "would the friends of a highly reputable man take his word against that of any woman." Mr. Welch says friends would be- lieve the man and the butler says no. As they retire a woman crook enters and Is grabbed by Welch, who calls the police. The woman slips oft her coat and is In negligee. When the butler is called In she cries out the betrayed woman stuff, with the nameless child tacked on, naming Welch as the man. The butler be- lieves the woman, as does the cop who arrives later, and both know of Welch's spotless reputation. The "situations" 'that follow In the dia- log and Welch's antics at exaspera- tion bear the skit's punch. For the "surprise," the lady crook proves to be a picture actress and star, and the whole a frame to dis- prove Welch's theory about the de- eision of friends. Both the man, as the butler, and the woman, blonde, play excellently. Mr. Welch Is a good stage actor, but a much more likable one on the screen, where he looks younger. Good-looking (and a sure hit with the women in any theatre) he han- dles his material well and manages emotional scenes eqtially so. At a better house than the City, where the turn was probably break- ing in, a clearer view of Its value as entertainment may be obtained. As it Is, and In that house, it showed enough to allow a once- Broad way Monday night they got by easily. Opening in "one" for a brief second there is an announcement by one of the boys, which ends with the parting of the curtains and the girls are on for a bit of close harmony singing. "Sleepy Time Gal'* used, followed by a dance. The last show Monday found the sllght^t of the two girls all out of kilter as far as the orchestra was doncerned. Later she redeemed herself with solo dancing. A fast bit of stepping by a boy follows and the girls are on again for a comedy number. It is a sort of a 10th to 6 th ave- nue Idea. Maggie and her beau come home on 10th avenue and Mommer bawls them out; later when the family gets dough and moves to 6th avenue it's the same old story except for the language. The slim girl does the daughter In theoe scenes and slips a dan?e over after aach one. The first one brought lots of applause and in the second gave a corking Imitation of Marie Saxon. An eccentric dance by one of the boys follows and for the finale there is a Charleston with all four on and the stouter girl showing up as the better dancer of the two women. The act has speed and does en- tertain. Fred, -WE" (6) Tabloid 14 Mine.; Full Staga Coliseum, London London. June S3. Five well-known musical comedy men. headed by Laddie Cliff, are banded together for the perpetra- tion of a aort of tabloid "Co-opti- mlsts." for variety engagements. In addlUon to Cliff, there is Roy Royston. Bobby Howes, H. B. Hed- ley and Dennis Cowles. They are all attired in dress clothes, with Hed- ley and Cowleis devoting tbenrweJves principally to the two pianos. JEANNIE With Edith Shaw and Co. <S) Skit Full Stag* (Spacial Drop) 6th Ava (V-P) A previous two-man act walked Into this full stage turn closing the 6tb Avenue show the first half, as * though to make it an after-piece. It's set for an after-piece also if any house wants to ao employ It. The two boys. Kemper and Bayard, had previously appeared next to closing. Jeannle is a midget Besides Is a The act has pretty much the ap- . . ^ , * , ^ n pearance of having been thrown | eM assistant <^ontortlonal dancer) (and the word is here used in a ~ " " literal sense) together. It reminds one of the old days of vaudeville in New York when a recruit from the legitimate automatically be- came a headliner by virtue of repu- tation, and when the aforesaid legit discovered to his consternation that the name alone was not sufllclent and suitable material was neces- sary. This conglomeration entitled "We," if presented by people minus the reputations of Its members. also a wife character, without it being known which woman is Bklith Shaw, sub-billed. The straight of the two-act is but incidental, but the boob come- dian of that turn is the Juvenile of the skit. Its scene Is on #ie beach with a girl in a bathing house (on the stage) who has lost her bath- ing suit. The comedian suggests a newspaper, which she winds about herself, coming out, when the come- dian starts a flirtation. He Is swim- would probably have been razzed, | nrilng a^ng with It when Jeannle and certainly would not have been booked for the Coliseum. A detailed description of the turn would be a sorry waste of time and space. Suffice It to say none of the artists enhanced his reputation by thla presentation. Laddie Cliff Is still obsessed with the idea he can render a coon song, and this review begs to take issue with him. JoIq, ICHAS. DIAMOND and JOHNNY WARD Songs and Dances One around on any circuit, mainly on luu o\ Welch's cinema rep. A couple of old-timers, going back 50 years or more. Charles Diamond did the song and dance he performed at the London on the Bowery in 1876, he said. He sang "Martha Jane Green," adding a tapping dance. Mr. Ward sang "Nancy, How I Love You," with a dance, as he did both 60 years ago, it was announced. Mr. Diamond opened with "Mag- IRVINQ AARONSON'S CRUSADERS (10) Versatile Orohaatra 18 Mins.; Full Stage American (V-P) This combination is a versatile outfit, playing night clubs prelim- inary to opening on the Loew Cir- cuit It was organized by the same chap assembling *^he Command- Islo" and cloaed with a dance during ers," and is being projected under I which he did a cartwheel and a aimilar arrangements. Ihaad-apring. . Mr. Ward when play As a music combination, it's there I Ing, singing or dancing, used a min . and was the mop up on this bill I iature harp, playing his own accom- Monday afternoon. The Instrumen- | paniments. Some of the daadng tations were enhanced further by I violin players might take a peek .to several specialties by the players see how they did it In '76 with a and two comedy ensembles, which harp. sold the outfit with this mob be- Interesting act, of course, on ac yond question and will sell It to count of the ages of the principals, anybody. | • Symphonic arrangements of the classicul jazz order are utilized throughout with the boys shining I ^ANDY LANG and Co. (4) whether playing in under or over- I Roller Skaters tone. Six InBtrumentals comprise the program exclusive of & coon plaint number by the drummer which clicked heavy, and the "Horses" bit 14 Mins.; Full (Spec.) American, Chicago (V-P) Sandy Lang or whoever is re- si>onsible for this act has shown an „ . appreciation of theatrical values. It handled by the pianist, also cleaned is preceded by a considerable foot up. Another comedy ensemble age of film as an exposition on packed at the finish sewed things skating. Dancers are shown per- up for the boys. * forming difficult acrobatic stuff Spotted No. 4 on this eight-act with a sub-title asking the audience Jine-up the band was a panic de- to give some thought to the roller spite only half a house in. It's a skater who doep the same things on good bet for the Loew Circuit and a moving pivot just as good for the better picture I While this flJm trailer Is a bit too PHIL SEED and Co. (6) Comady Revua 18 Mins.; Full Stage (Spacial) Loavtf'a Stata (V-P) Phil Seed is a brother of Dave Seed, and a comedian as well. His comedy efforts are flavored and pat- terned after his brothfer. The revue by which Seed is surrounded is tastefully produced and quite frankly built for small time con- sumption and in that company can't miss. Four girls and a good looking male comprise the company. The act opens with a long drawn out singing nunlber in which the man sings his proposals to each of the four and is rejected by each girl who confesses she has given her heart to another, describing the ab sent Seed. * He enters in grotesque comedy get up. The girls decide to let him propose to his choice and he crosses each in turn until the last one. The blackout and flashback idea is used to show two comedy domestic scenes on a miniature back stage. In "one** Seed generously helps himself to most of Lillian Shaw's **baby stuff" for laughs when he does a henpecked husband. The other ia a weak attempt to lllus trate an anecdote that had a stag genosls. A *^arle8ton Wedding" closes with all on and dancing. It follows a couple of fair specialties by a sis- ter team and a semi-classical vocal oCr<^ring by the male straight who also prologs for the cutbacks. The act holds nothing new nor original and is highly reminiscent all the time but will do for a flash on the ordinary intermediate bill Con. appears, as a lost little girl who persists in calling the comedian "Daddy.*' entices dimes from him and makes herself so mischievously busy he can't find time to pursue his wooing. The kid's mother final- ly appears, aiezes her child and accuses the two adults of being kid- nappers. This is quite an amusing turn, with good people in it, but badly staged and with a finish that kills any chance of applause. Here as with the act of Kemper and Bayard, there appears to have been home- made direction, all wrong in both. This turn needs some reflxlng, not as much as the two-act calls for however. The comedian In this might*bet- ter come on a smooth juvenile rather than hold to his boob dress, especially hat. It's a question also if the two turns should be placed to close, with No. 2 and 3 better if not a longer bill when Nos. 4 and 6 would fit, although the boys had better have both Ikcts properly set before going after bigger time. fiimm. houses. Edba, BLUE RIBBON QIRLS 14 Mins.; Full Stage 68th St. (V-P) Best that can be said for this group of choristers is that they are young, nice looking and the turn is brightly costumed. Otherwise any stager could throw together a better routine in a couple of days, working with trained girls. The act has no variety. The aevcn do an introductory number. One has a toe dance, followed by another ensemble, followed In turn by an exhibition of legmanla. The dancing is Indifferent and the sing- ing represents nothing but seven glrlB. For a finish they go through a lively routine, a sort of jazz medley of Charleston and half a dozen other kinds of steps from Bessie Clayton to Russian. The girls have half a dosen costume changes and thaae like the dance routine have no variety although neatly designed. The' gitla eould back a pair of principal (Sanoani but alone they 4o not hutLTe an act from any angle. long it has the additional advan- tage of giving the stage crew ample time to set without a wait. The act at the American was No. 3 and can hold that assignment on any five-act bill. Lang has three girl assistants. Two are the Emeralde Sisters who work separately while Lang works with the third girl, red head, who takes plenty of punishment. Whirl- wind twirls and other feats of dar- ing are enough to convince anyone that the lady with the hair could have her arm broken, oh, so easy. Lang does a series of snaps getting a new grasp on her wrist each time and not only throwing her around, but reversing her position in mid- air as she Is thrown. The Emeralde Sisters are capable performers on the ball-bearings, providing pretty Interludes between the sensational stuff of Lang and the red-head. For a flash finish the lights are extinguished With the three girls appearing in radiumIzed (luminous) costumes. Dandy act and should make the main tenL Loop, KEMPER and BAYARD (See also Jeannie, New Acts, this issue.) Sidewalk Talk and Songs. One 5th Ava. (V-P) Straight and boob In sidewalk chatter and nongki, resorting to the old slapstick of the straight strik Ing the comedian In the face with a folded newspaper. Nevertheless this turn can work out. It's material fades away in the centre, the jBlapping should go out despite It now will draw laugrhs in the smaller timed houses, and the flnish is light, also poor,, but the boob has the makin's. Whether this turn is new or its people so or a new comblnaton (along with "Jeannle"), the two boys should get enough confidence In themselves to get proper ma SPANQLER and HULL Dancing and Talk 14 Mins.: One 58th Street (V.-P.) Another pair of youngsters who have not yet found themselves. They are Kay Spangler and Jack Hull, jr. Like an infinitude of be- ginners they are cursed by dull talk. They have assembled a quantity of stale repartee and wise cracks that almost altogether con- ceals from the naked eye that they have a specialty. The girl has a remarkable front and back kick and does a perfect split. In addition she can play the violin. Out of that she ought to build a specialty. The boy ia a fresh clean cut youngster and he is a corking eccentric dancer, even a better dancer than the girl, whose style is a bit stiff. She gives evi- dence of having been well coached and Is mistress of certain steps, but does not show the native gift for dancing that marks the real stepper. The boy has the goods in this es- sential respect. He - can play the saxophone. These materials ought to be emphasized at the expense of as much talk as possible. If they could cut the chatter to as near nothing as possible and develop business and emphasize their specialty material, they ought to prosper. But the talk they have now and their style of delivering It would sink a pair of entertainment geniuses. It sinks them before they've been on the stage three minutes, and they have to contend against a poor first impression al most from their entrance. FRANK EVERS and Co. (2) Wire Walking 7 Mins.; Full Staga American, Chicago (V-P) Nice looking young chap who {dances on tight wire giving a credit able exhibition. Embellishment is * , , -,w . ^ . ^ 1 a^dded by the wearing of caps and una Their good stuff «t present ^t,„ ^ carry out {he .uggoetton ..•^"«^'".".^ ''.^L'^'"'';''"'l*'''7. »' dance, performed on the is sufllcient in the turn to make it stand up in the best company If the material is brightened and made big time. Because the boob' is a comedian. The boys should call in a crack vaudeville author who also under- stands routining. The "Jeannle" reference is an- other act that appears to be co- booked with the two boys. Reviewed elsewh^e in this department. Sime. on wire, a Spanish, Russian, ete Blond young woman in black tights hands up the balancing parasol. The big trick Is a leap standing to standing over a chair held alof; by the girl, lifr, Evers wears black bandage over his eyes and ao far as any audience is concerne< it is a bona-fide blind leap, aa it may really be. Turn okay as opener for any of the general run of pdp houses. ENOCH LIQHT'S COLLEGIANS Orohaatra and Entartaining 2S Mifis. Full Staga Broadway (V P) Enoch Light's Collegians are boys from Johns Hopkins, Baltimore, and it would have been a pipe for 8iak to review this one if he hadn't taken an extra day on his vacation. There are 1.' boys in all, 12 In the orchestra while the extra man is carried to recite "The Shooting of Dan McGrew" and his life is saved t>ecause he burlesques it. Right now the band looks to be fairly good bet providing some one with showmanship takes it into hand, re-routines the program and cuts some of the material now in use. The combination lines up with three boys doubling saxophono and piccolo. 2 trumpets, 2 pianos, baas fom, trombone, banjo, drums and the violinist leader. A novelty entrance for the boya through the audience singing **Hello Everybody." In full stage they aU ack a syncopated version of '*Pa«* iacci" following It with a "College Medley" during which one of the pianists sings. That could just as well be omitted as could all of the individual vocalizing. The boys are all right together but apart the least said the better. "Dinah" by the orchestra is next and it would be just as well here if the alleged strut was dropped and likewise the individual sing- ing. The "McGrew" got any num- ber of laughs and should be worked up a little stronger, for the audi- ence enters into the spirit of the fuh and when you make an audience entertain itself you have the battle half won. For the closing number "Animal Crackers" is tised, another instance where the singing could be eut« The boya seem to have a corking arrangement of this number aa well as for "Dinah." and if they hit into their music a little hotter they, would register somewhat stronger. What they lack is finish for their numbers, for they do not get the applause that they should at the conclusion of their numbers. The closer, however, brought ^enough. In applause to let the boys oblige with •The Way to Heaven" for an en- core. With the right sort of taandllniT this band can be built into a box oflnce attraction, both for vauda- vllle and especially the southern picture houses. Fred. NEE WONG Talk and Songs 9 Mirfs.; One City (V-P) Nee Wong, Chinese, is for small time. His bit is along the regular lines of the many native monolo* gists with nonchalant delivery. Dressed in a blue double-breasted with turned,down straw hat, Wong makes an excellent appearance in an opening song under amber apot. His voice is poor but his Oriental accent gives the number a novel twist He sits down and talka; Mostly about how other Chinamen pursue the laundry and chop suey games for livelihood while he "takes It easy In the show business." He reminded the audience that he sur- prised them. The majority of hla countrymen In show business are either magicians, acrobats or jug- glers, he opines. Not he! Nothing magic about him! By the time Wong got half way through his dialog it sounded like a verbal autobiography of himself. Standard gags were jumbled up. One familiar story used by Wong was cut off in Its natural half and sounded totally unfunny. The not too-refined gang in the 14th street house seemed to like Wong, though, and received his stuff good natured- ly. They were in a kiddng mood. Several of the gents fiung in their own personal gags to help along. Singing of a popular number in Chinese and then In English showed Wong capable as an entertainer had be adequate material. JESS and MARGIE MARTIN Songs 14 Mint.; Piano, in One American (V-P) Mixed team in routine piano act. Nothing exceptionuiij- ©itntr In singing voice of manner of pre- sentation. The girl handles accom- paniment on miniature baby grand, chimes in on several, duets and also handles a solo. The man handles two solos as well as being in on the double numbers. He also tries a h>t of ipugging that doesn't fit. Just ^ routiner that will not pro- voke any excitement in its present shape. . i^eld the deuce here. I • ' Edha.