Mile A Minute
20 min. full stage, spl. Melodramatic sketch with a Langdon McCormick punch, showing race between automobile and express train. Held the interest throughout and the finish put the act over to a.
George Dury Hart and Co. (3).
18 Mins.; Five (Parlor or Library). “The Pardon” and the George Drury Hart people afford a chance to point out what has seemed to be a grave oversight on the part of sketch producers, particularly those of the drama. Very briefly, it is this, that “The Pardon” has a well-balanced cast, or perhaps, more properly, an evenly-balanced company. This is very important to a sketch that is limited in its running time to the vaudeville conditions. Many a good sketch has been ruined through “the star” or the principal player foolishly surrounding himself with inferior people. It threw the playing off keel; the weakness in the acting became too readily apparent, and, although they playlet may have possessed merit, the act killed it, for a company of three or more it is difficult for one person to carry the entire affair upon his or her shoulders. Mr. Hart has three people besides himself, two men and a woman, the latter with a splendid speaking voice. She is the old mother of a convict and steals into the rooms of the governor of the state to plead for a pardon. Just before, the political boss has demanded of the governor that he pardon the boy (her boy) who killed his (boss’s) son. The boss’s request is in furtherance of his scheme of revenge. He has used his influence to have the prison keepers starve the convict until he is taken with tuberculosis. The pardon plan is to have the mother at the prison receive her son, the pardon to be delivered, and as the boy is just outside the gates the prisoner is to be informed by phone from the governor it was a mistake, and the boy thrust back into a cell. The governor accedes, upon the threat of the boss to in his political feature if he does not. Meanwhile the mother makes her plea, and during it the governor learns the boss’s son started the quarrel which led to his death, the boss afterward framing the youth who simply defended himself. The governor thereupon returns to his righteous stand, hands the pardon to the mother in good faith and tells the boss to go to, after the boss had called him a “fine piece of cheese.” The main theme is not unlike that in the Man of the Hour,” nor is the political situation involved unfamiliar; but the piece is very well played, is interesting, working out nicely, and makes an excellent sketch for the small time. It could do on the small big time and would be worth a try on the biggest time, for there are certainly interest and action to hold it up. Mr. Hart probably played the governor. He had a hard role, while the boss contained what little comedy relief the piece has. The small time should commence to print detail billing (characters and names of players) on the programs. No reason to pass up a feature in the descriptive manner as though it were unimportant.
Robert Edeson and Co. (4).
18 Mins.; Full Stage. “Apartment 309.” A rather commonplace story molded into a semi-strong, but exceptionally well staged bit of drama is “Apartment 309,” in which Robert Edeson is being featured. The scene shows the handsomely appointed apartment of Nora Truman (Jane Haven) sister of Nat Truman (Mr. Edeson) a young newspaper man. It’s midnight and Nat, out on an assignment, drops in unexpectedly. He is scheduled to interview Amos Broadback, a local political pillar. Nora exhibits considerable nervousness over Nat’s presence and finally induces him to leave, just as Broadback is about to enter. In a few minutes Nat realizes the circumstances, both Broadback and the girl admitting their relations. He has ruined the sister who is understood to be 18 (but who looks much older from the front). Nat decides to kill him, and do as so after some plain talk, the shooting being done in an adjoining room. Broadback’s brother (Edward Wonn), who had been previously summoned by phone, arrives and is calmly told by Nat of the murder and as calmly arranges for the removal of the body. He in turn calls the family physician and they have the lighting system temporarily disconnected while the corpse is carried out. This allows for a weirdly dramatic situation and gives the turn a unique finish. Meanwhile the brother has advised Nat that the affair will be dropped to avoid any unpleasant notoriety, although this seems to peeve Nat, who evidenced a desire for arrest and revenge somewhere. The sketch carries a capable cast, but Edeson has little opportunity to display his acting ability, since the punch is but a tap in this instance and the climax as aforesaid but semi-strong. There are several interesting situations, but no really big moments, the piece reaching its dramatic pinnacle hen the brother, in discussing the affair with Nat, suggests the murdered man could have paid, to which Nat replies “He has paid.” Without a star “Apartment 309” would hardly carry but being equipped with one, it just about reaches.
Elsie Ridgley
Elsie Ridgley and company portrayed another on of those pretty stenos and rich brokers sketches which always win. Has a good plot and is well acted. Miss Ridgley is just the type for the role she plays and during her emotional scene she works hard.
Taylor Granville
“The Paddock” (New Acts) a new Taylor Granville offering, seemed rather lengthy because of stage waits. The race effect will make the act for any house. It is a new application of the old treadmill idea, this one first showing a head-on view of the four horses and than as the entire tread turns, a profile view of the finish is shown. The act is a flash and the effect one that will cause talk. The idea of the sketch itself in old melodrama stuff with nothing new about it.
“Between Eight and Nine” (3).
20 Mins.; Full Stage. Two-thirds miscast and with a fairly good dramatic theme that becomes humorously melodramatic through bad handling, this vehicle sponsored by the Roland West Producing Company, falls considerably below the standard raised by some of their previous productions. The theme is a slightly altered duplicate of a similar act that appeared over the Orpheum Circuit a few years ago, played by an English company. It deals with domestic life and shows a married man returning home unexpectedly to find his wife entertaining another man. Some preliminary dialog ensues previous to the interlude’s entrance, after which the story assumes a semi-comic sphere and alternates between comedy and drama to finish where the husband compels the man to drink a glass of wine supposedly charged with a deadly poison. The man, after much whimpering, drinks the glass and after testifying to the wife’s innocence is given passage money to Europe. The act closes with the husband reserving transportation to California. Upon the wife’s query as to the intentions regarding her, he replies he proposes to take her along. There seems little visible fault with the script, beyond its comparison with the other, but the affair has been staged on a cheap basis and hardly looks heavy enough for the pop houses where drama and melodrama are in demand. Both men lack expression and carry no light and shade in their deliveries, while the woman’s part is composed principally of pantomime, of which little is forthcoming. With a capable company the piece might qualify for the two-a-day time. What commendable features exist are solely due to the author, not mentioned on the program (nor is the cast).
Henrietta Crosman and Co. (1).
: “One Word.” New? Yes. Novel? Yes. People? Two. Star? Yes. Who? Crosman. Henrietta? Yes. Words? Yes. Each? One. Length? Ten. Hours? No. Minutes? Yes. Enough? Plenty. Action? No. Punch? Depends. Upon – What? Idea – yes! Strikes – Who? You. And so on it might go until the end, the same as Miss Crosman and the young man supporting her in this sketch carry on a one-worded dialog. It’s away from the usual run of dramatic sketches, yet one can hardly see where it will set vaudeville afire. The redeeming feature at the Orpheum was the way Miss Crosman and the man handled the single word “conversation.” It keeps one on the alert connection the sketch as the utterance of one word by Miss Crosman and then by the man gives the dialog a halting, jerking momentum. Fortunately, the litthe skit by Frank C. Egan runs only 10 minutes. That’s about all the vaudeville would stand for, although any audience is going to pay Miss Crosman a lot of respect for she is capable actress and has done some big work on the stage. “One Word” is very light – too might for vaudeville perhaps, and would better serve as a curtain raiser to some short dramatic play where it was first seen before Miss Crosman accepted it. Vaudeville may accept “One Word” because of its ingenious construction, Miss Crosman’s prestige and its brevity. There are one or two good laughs and that’s about all. The act was mildly received at the Orpheum Monday night.
Romance of the Underworld
Melodramatic play, in three scenes, 45 min. in all. First and third scenes F.S., second scene four minutes in one. Plenty of time to strike the first scene and set the third without the use of extra stage hands, which the advance prep list called for. The action produces alternately tears and laughter. A big act, well staged, and well presented by an unusually large number of men and women. Went very big.
Henry Hargaves & Co.
Dramatic sketch, entitled “Chums.” I do not think the audience cared very much for this act, judging from the applause accorded them at finish. The story is a little rough and seems to be very much disconnected.
George Wilson and Co.
In a sketch called “Back Pension.” 20 minutes f.s. Ktichen. This is a very good sketch as it goes, and Mr. Wilson is a really great character actor. His sketch has a lot of patriotic, hoorah stuff, which usually does not make much of an appeal to our audiences. In fact, the piece itself is rather talky. But it held the interest, however, and closed rather strong. Mr Wilson got a big reception upon his entrance.