14 Mins.; Full Stage (Curtain). New York men haven’t been educated up to classical dancers of the Paul Swan type. He is wholly classical. The women may like him. The older the women the more they will like to see him float about the stage, with his arms moving snakewise, and his body twisting, almost squirming. But the men over here don’t understand it. Art isn’t held very high at Hammerstein’s and Mr. Swan got more snickers than applause, but the horrid men were responsible, the brutes! Mr. Swan danced three times, each time a different costume, but never at any time wearing enough clothes to cover him up. He was almost as naked as some of the women who have danced around for different reasons. Mr. Swan wore some silken drapes for covering. They exposed his bare arms and his bare legs and his bare back and his bare chest. The program said is “The Most Beautiful Man in the World,” but Mr. Swan ducked this way and then ducked that way, and he would never stand still long enough to let the house see his face. Of Mr. Swan’s three dances, the first, second and third seemed to be over the heads pf the audience. He died in the final dance, and it’s tough to die at Hammerstein’s.
14 Mins.; One (6); Full Stage (8). “The Wedding in Old Tomoon” Jack Lorimer returns to this side with what the program says is a “song scena,” “The Wedding in Old Tomoon.” A song scena on the other side is presumed over here to be a “song production.” Mr. Lorimer had the song, singing it in a full bare stage woodland scene, assisted by Stella Sthal, but that was all it amounted to, just a song and dance. His first song in “one” was “Doing the Seaside” with several familiar Scotch melodies intertwined. His next was a Spanish number, costumed. It has a bit of humor in the idea, a Scotch Spanish dancer. Miss Stahl did not appear until the “song scena.” Mr. Lorimer has hardly a turn of strength, as it played Monday at Hammerstein’s.
19 Mins.; Full Stage. “A Turn of the Knob” For Louise Dresser’s return to vaudeville she has selected an entertaining little comedy skit with a splendid idea and a fine line of dialog and one that should keep her continually playing, for Louise Dresser is popular wherever she is known. The story is of a prominent city investigator (Geo W. Howard) who is due to play a principal role in a wedding 15 minutes after the rise of the curtain. The scene is his apartment on the 10th floor of a hotel. His future brother-in-law (Edward Langford) rushes out for the ring and during his absence an insurance solicitor (Miss Dresser) gains entrance through a ruse and proceeds to talk the bridegroom into a policy. Having just completed a searching investigation of the local insurance companies, his name to a policy would be a valuable asset to any firm, and the solicitor is anxious. In his attempt to escape, the door-knob becomes loose and is pried off, leaving them marooned. Immediately afterward, while endeavouring to reach the office via the phone, he breaks the telephone wire. To be brief, the girl finally secures his promise to the application just as the other chap returns. Finding the couple alone in the room the visitor demands an explanation, and although unaware of the promise or its meaning, insists it to be fulfilled. Incidentally the brother-in-law recognizes the girl as his ideal of a wife and upon the men’s exit, locks her in to await his return when he purposes to resume his interrupted business of making love. Langford is a bit weak for his particular role, his enunciation falling short, although as the part is of minor importance he passes muster. Miss Dresser looks better in this role than in any previous vaudeville effort and scored an individual hit. Mr. Howard fills his role nicely. The piece works jerky in sections, but should eventually develop speed and accumulate strength with playing. It pulled one of the hits at the Palace and well deserved to.
12 Mins.; One. Two little misses. Appearance decidedly sisterish. One girl plays the piano and the other the violin. Both sing with piano girl displaying better voice. Typical kid act. Popular numbers got the usual results although the applause at the finish gave evidence of home sympathy. Precocity of youth. Ever a jewel valuable asset with the Wiltons.
22 Mins.; Full Stage. The daintiest of dancers, Adeline Genee is again with us. The little Danish woman has lost none of her exquisite charm since she was last seen in this country and still thrills with her terpsichorean art. Genee is a keyword for all that is delightful in dancing, and as she floated before the Colonial audience Monday night she received an ovation that must have gladdened her heart. The artiste is doing four dances from her repertoire, ably assisted by Serges Litavkin. For the waits between there is a little sprite who weaves her way about the stage in graceful manner. The program names Mlle. Vanoni, who shows she has long followed the steps of the only Genee. The opening number is “Pierrot et Pierette,” a neat exposition, and heartily applauded. This was followed by another double number, a waltz, also pleasing. Then Genee appeared in the ballet costume in which the audience remembered her, and the dancer’s mere appearance in this costume was received with applause. Following Mons. Litavkin offered his conception of “The Warrior Dance,” clad in a costume that must have been designed by Paul Iribe, for it is as modern and colorful as anything Reinhardt has brought to this country. As a male dancer, Mons. Litavkin reminds one very much of Nijinski. He is fully as graceful and equally as clever a dancer in the little that he shows in this movement. For the closing number Genee does her Hunting Dance Gallop and at its conclusion two encores were demanded. Two beautiful floral offerings found their way across the footlights to the dancer as she bowed her thanks. In accepting the flowers the dancer showed she was also a capable actress and comedienne and with several little tricks managed to capture a neat little laugh from the house.
One man performs magic while the other as the assistant exposes the tricks. At the finish there are several that the legerdemain boy does which are not shown up by the helper. Good act for the pop houses.
16 Mins.; Full Stage. A three-man musical turn that leans strongly to brass and has comedy. A fat boy in an Eaton jacket leads in the comedy. He is assisted by a straight and a Scottish Highlander. The trio runs through a routine of playing that wins applause. Very good musical act for small time, with lots of ginger and laughs.
18 Mins.; One. Dave Nowlin and Gertie St. Clair have a double that will prove a standard turn on the small time. The opening is a bit of burlesque of light opera, patterned very much after the finish in “one” Willard Simms does. This runs about 10 minutes. For the finish Miss St. Clair has a song that permits of the interpolation of a number of barnyard imitations by the man. It makes a strong comedy ending, and the turn gets over very big.
11 Mins.; One (Special Drop; Exterior) Fairly good harmony. Opening character song well received. Act diversified with girl’s whistling the closing number giving additional strength. Couple should thrive in the pop circuits.
11 Mins.; One. This team of colored entertainers was one of the three real hits of the bill at Hammerstein’s this week. Johnson has a new woman partner, as far as America is concerned, in Josephine Deen. She makes a splendid stage appearance and wears three gowns nicely. She is also possessed of a soprano voice that passes her in the single number she does. Using “Follow the Crowd” for an opening number starts the act nicely. “You’re Here” and “Dancing Mad” also help along and give opportunity for dancing. Johnson is doing eccentric stepping as usual.
