Bert Levy was on as a special attraction, he “reporting” the election returns with his projection device. Levy was announced as a special card. It was his first appearance in vaudeville for several reasons, he having been with the Hippodrome for two years. Recently he came back from abroad, plus a monocle, which he sported on Broadway. Levy worked in the orchestra pit between acts both for the regular Tuesday night show and the extra midnight performance.
14 Mins.; One. Returning to vaudeville, and at the Palace this week, Bobby North sings songs, uses dialog, has a burlesque “one-word drama” and concludes with an “Alphabetical Rag,” which is the best portion of a non over-strong turn. Mr. North starts off with a singing number entitled “I Am Looking for a Job,” in which he informs the audience there is a good comedian at liberty (referring to himself) that the legitimate managers are not bidding for, mentioning several legits by name. it leaves the audience to infer that that is why he is in vaudeville just now, and is as interesting to them as the program mention that he is “Late star of Lew Fields’ Hanky Panky’ and ‘Pleasure Seekers.’” The “one-word drama” is good for a laugh here and there, Mr. North taking the old idea of a one-man drama to convert it into the one-word thing. After that some talk about home and baby that brought very little. There are no natural comedy points to do the dialog. After an operatic medley, there is the very good rag alluded to, that has eight or nine of the best rag strains in it. Mr. North wore a cutaway with high hat, and used a Hebrew accent in his singing, but talked straight. He might sing the songs that way also. Mr. North has enough to go along (his voice always standing him well instead), but the turn will stand improvement. He was “No.4” on the Palace bill Monday night, getting over nicely.
25 Mins.; Full Stage (Special Set-Drapes). Assisted by Lester Sheehan and The Clayton Sextet. Pep., Ginger, Paprika and Mustard, Bessie Clayton and her company, and that composes the best modern dancing act vaudeville has had, bar none. When the Bessie Clayton turn is seen, you will think of all the others – and then forget them. Miss Clayton heads and Lester Sheehan assists, also The Clayton Sextet, the latter furnishing the music. It’s 50-50 in this turn between the dancing and the music. The white orchestra on the stage, programmed as The Clayton Sextet is Mel Craig’s College Inn orchestra from Cony Island, and which also played at the College Inn on 125th street. The “Sextet” has seven clean-looking young fellows, with Mr. Craig leading, adding a dancing violin insert, and another trick violinist is Al Tucker, while there is a trap-drummer with a cartload of effects, including a “fire alarm” number that takes the engine to the fire, also returning, but it isn’t strong enough to make it worth while, unless needed. Besides in the orchestra are two banjos, a piano and another violin. It’s necessary to make the music as important here as it is on the stage, for Miss Clayton’s act might not have been voted such a good one without it. In proof of that, the Joan Sawyer act and her musicians preceding on the same bill were enough. Craig’s men, including himself, played as though they breathed the very spirit of ragtime. It was their music (“Ragpicker” and “Michigan”) that made Clayton and Mr. Sheehan’s Fox Trot the biggest dancing hit the Palace has ever held. The dancers were entitled to all credit for their work in this, but the music carried them along. They just had to dance to it. Opening after termission, Miss Clayton appeared before the cloth to announce what the program had already stated, that she would do a series of dances of Yesterday, Today and Tomorrow. “Yesterday” was a Colonial number in costume; “Today,” the fox Trot, followed by their own idea of a Tango, nicely executed with a Spanish movement thrown in for good measure, the turn concluding with Miss Clayton’s own fast tow dancing, such as she did years ago in fast time, hurling a hundred steps into three minutes. Between the dances the orchestra had its opportunities. Mr. Sheehan is a useful dancing partner, and looked well while doing the stepping. Miss Clayton looked truly remarkable, was dressed in that way also, and gave an exhibition of the way to frame a vaudeville act with dancing that commences where the best of the others leave off. It was the fastest and most pleasant 26 minutes the Palace has seen in many a day.
17 Mins.; Full Stage (Special Settings). The famous poseuse of Great Britain made her first American appearance Monday at the Palace, New York. She is La Milo, exquisite of figure and artistic to a degree in her exposition of living statuary. Though in some of the posed pictures, La Milo is burdened only by the alabaster whiting for the miserable effect, the way it is done removes all taint of immodesty and any appeal to coarseness. While this phase of the Milo act doubtlessly disappointed those who looked for a sensational disclosure of the nude in art, everyone present at the Palace Monday appreciated that they were seeing a high-grade vaudeville posing turn, carefully thought out and well put on. La Milo did nine pictures, one a group of three, with La Milo in the centre, though this was left for the audience to decide for themselves, the principal poseuse not being identified nor distinguished in the group, excepting by her exquisite form. At the opening of the turn some moving pictures were sown of La Milo in Paris. She was fully gowned in these, wearing “clothes” and “hats.” Between poses, to fill in for settings, were “Cruickshank’s Sheet Lightning Caricatures,” a novel idea in bringing out sketch line drawing of America’s best-known men, but the outlines were decadently English in conception, the name attached to being the only proof of identity. Placed to close the Palace show, La Milo held the entire house at both performances, the matinee running until 5.45. as both houses Monday were capacity, this attested to a preliminary drawing power of the turn that nothing on the opening day’s bill in the theatre could dispute with it. La Milo should prove a draw over here. She may safely be depended upon to attract the classy set that is always on the lookout for this sort of thing when well done, also always anxious to see a woman’s perfect figure such as Milo possesses. This is a very big point on her favor, for a “classy act” with box office value means much to vaudeville nowadays. The common herd will also want to see La Milo, even though their crude ideas of nude posing are not fully carried out by her. Closing the first or opening the second half of the program would have been a more advantageous position for this number.
12 Mins.; Full Stage. “Little Nap” is another “educated monk,” titled after his dress, a military uniform, with a Napoleonic hat. “Nap” does most of his work on the stage, alone, riding a bicycle, and also piloting a motorcycle, with a side attachment in which is another monk, distinctly new in this sort of turn. The finish is a bedroom suite, made more complete than most of the others, the monk undressing, and the finish arriving when he jumps into bed. Too much time is given to the different bits in the opening. But the act doesn’t overrun, 12 minutes. Had “Little Nap” arrived fast, and so on, the same here as with a lot of others who thought of it something after it had happened! They may do it better, but they do it too late. The same with plays. Opening the Palace show “Nap” did well, and will be generally liked.
27 Mins.; Five (Office Interior – Special Set). Joseph Hart presents Hugh Herbert in this sketch of old fashioned and modernized Hebrews written by Geo. V. Hobart and Mr. Herbert. That Mr. Herbert wrote and inserted most of the typical “Yiddish” lines and actions is as easily believed as it is seen that he wholly holds up the piece, in his character of retired merchant, who left his underwear business to two growing sons. In the father’s absence for three months, the boys, after having incorporated the business, become involved. The “old man” returns in time to save from a receivership, by an immediate advance of $50,000 and a promised loan of $20,000 more. The sons (the parts are played by Thomas Everett and Arthur Thalasso) are the modernized American Jew boys, sharply contrasted in appearance, ways and language with their orthodox Hebrew father and his lifetime companion, Speagle (Gustave Hartzheim). The sons are too loud, too noisy in fact, for their roles, but that may have been a matter of rehearsal. The story is not over strong, has no sympathetic strings, and is made blustery through the introduction of two “women” (Adelaide Folger and Carol Parson). These girls call on the sons at their place of business, to ay they have sent some goods C.O.D., I unless paid for on delivery, “everything is off” between the two couples. It is while the young women are at the office the father returns. The presence of the young women begets horseplay that distorts such of the story as then exists, and the entire portion of the sketch that this section discloses could be removed, also removing at the same time the “women” from the piece. Suggestion regarding them would be as effective, if this phase must be dragged in. The elimination would reduce the running time and make the action swifter. The earlier part of the playlet drags. Mr. Herbert is doing a fine bit of playing as the father. Audiences will like him, Hebrews among them, even if the latter will not particularly relish the act itself, as at present constated. For one thing, it gives the wrong impression of the American born Hebrew. But as an act, Mr. Herbert will make good in it, and will make it good.
12 Mins.; Full Stage. “Little Nap” is another “Educated monk,” titled after his dress, a military uniform, with a Napoleonic hat. “Nap” does most of his work on the stage, alone, riding a bicycle, and also piloting a motorcycle, with a side attachment in which is another monk,
Distinctly new in this sort of turn. The finish is a bedroom suite, made more complete than most of the others, the monk undressing, and the finish arriving when he jumps into bed. Too much time is given to the different bits in the opening. But the act doesn’t overrun, 12 minutes. Had “Little Nap” arrived first, and so on, the same here as with a lot of others who thought of something after it had happened! They may do it better, but they do it too late. The same with plays. Opening the Palace show “Nap” did well, and will be generally liked.
27 Mins.; Five. “The Sons of Abraham.” Joseph Hart presents Hugh Herbert in this sketch of old fashioned and modernized Hebrews, written by Geo. V. Hobart and Mr. Herbet That Mr. Herbert wrote and inserted most of the typical “Yiddish” lines and actions is as easily believed as it is seen that he wholly holds up the piece, in his character of retired merchant, who left his underwear business to two growing sons. In the father’s absence for three months, the boys, after having incorporated the business, become involved. The “old man” returns in time to save them from a receivership, by an immediate advance of $50,000 and a promised loan of $20,000 more. The sons (the parts are played by Thomas Everett and Arthur Thalasso) are modernized American Jew boys, sharply contrasted in appearance, ways and language with their orthodox Hebrew father and his lifetime companion, Speagle (Gustave Hartzheim). The sons are too loud, too noisy in fact, for their roles, but that may have been a matter of rehersal. The story is not overstrong, has no sympathetic strings, and is made blustery through the introduction of two “women” (Adelaide Folger and Carol Parson). These girls call on the sons at their place of business, today they have sent some goods C.O.D., I unless paid for on deliver, “everything is off” between the two couples. It is while the young women are at the office after the father returns. The presence of the young women begets horseplay that distorts such of the story as then exists, and the entire portion of the sketch that this section discloses could be removed, also removing at the same time the “women” from the piece. Suggestion regarding them would be as effective, if this phase must be dragged in. the elimination would reduce the running time and make the action swifter. The earlier part of the playlet drags. Mr. Herbert is doing a fine bit of playing as the father. Audience’s will like him, Hebrews among them, even if the latter will not particularly relish the act itself, as at present consisted. For one thing, it gives the wrong impression of the American born Hebrew. But as an act, Mr. Herbert will make good in it, and will make it good.
8 Mins.; Full Stage. This juggler, fresh from foreign shores, offers a novel idea in his line, elaborately worked out, and finished in its entirety. He has his stage set with two tables and a back counter. His act has laughs from the opening with not a dull minute. One of the big laughs is when he knocks against one of the table which collapses and falls on him, covering him with napery, dishes and cutlery. He works in a nonchalant style, thus living up to his billing of “The Unconcerned Juggler.” The act is of such calibre that it would go well down in a big time bill. Distinct hit at the Palace.
11 Mins.; Full Stage. Carlos Sebastian and Dorothy Bentley have arranged a new routine of dances, which they are offering in vaudeville. They open with “Romance De Fleur,” a rather novel idea, in which the young woman attempts to keep a red rose away from the man during a fast dance, finally to yield it to him at the finale. Other dances in the routine are the “Sebastian Stop Step,” “Valse Artistique” and the “Fox Trot.” The dances are all lively, pretty well worked out, and some of such a novel nature they call out applause during the run of the act. Turn gets over nicely.
