“Ordered Home” 25 Mins.; Full Stage (Special Scenery). “Ordered Home” is a playlet of love and war. The scenes are laid in Malabang region on the Phillippines, which allow of picturesque and unusual scenic effects. Rudolph Berliner, director of the orchestra at the Palace, is the author is more ways than one, as he is set down as the maker of the book and also part composer of the music. Franklyn Underwood staged the piece. Raymond Barrett wrote the lyrics, and Raymond Midgley staged the musical numbers: so it appears that the offering has about as many authors as the average musical comedy. There are several pretty songs, and the presence of native Filipinos gives color and atmosphere. Darmerel is debonair, as of old, and sings his songs well. If anything, the act is slightly too long and needs speeding up a bit. Just as this time, when war and patriotism are topics of the world over, this little story of love and duty ought to please as it did last Monday afternoon.
24 Mins. (Special Drops and Setting). In their newest vaudeville offering, “The Masher,” Mr. and Mrs. Carter DeHaven are getting further away from singing and dancing. In fact, the entire strength of “The Master” rests on the dialog between the diminutive pair and the “situations” arising from the young stage door Johnny’s determination to show the actress a good time. There are several song numbers, to be sure, and well handled in the usual DeHavenesque style; yet they are secondary considerations in the summing up of the act’s impression. In “one” Miss Parker, looking younger and prettier than ever, is singing front stage. Carter interrupts from the box. She promises to meet him at the stage door and go out for the cats. A stage door drop then is used. Carter does a song and dance while waiting and also chins the stage doorman. He and Flora then taxi to a quiet restaurant room in “three,” where Flora proceeds to make Carter’s roll like a thimbleful of ashes. Here the DeHavens sing two numbers, the most effective and snappy being the “Marriage Is a Grab Bag.” This is a neat, gingery little conceit, with the DeHavens and the waiter, doubling as the preacher, doing a trotting dance around and off the stage in bridal procession. For the end, following their ejection from the private dining room because they were not married, the masher takes Miss Parker home to New Rochelle. She enters and does a disrobing “bit” before a transparent window. The masher, broke, sings a little soliquoy and starts to walk back to the city as a lightning and rain effect is used in “one.” The act is away from anything previously offered by the DeHavens. It’s light and airy but sufficiently molded to give satisfaction. DeHaven is the accredited author, but the song, lyrics and music sounded suspiciously like Gene Buck and Dave Stamper.
18 Mins.; Full Stage (Special Set).
Title: Classed as a “tank art” through having a tank upon the stage. Capt. Sorcho’s vaudeville turn, removed from Coney Island, where it was a concession for a couple of seasons, looks good enough to go over the circuit once an interesting exhibit. It dwells almost wholly upon the equipment of a deep sea diver, and in a measure, as far as the limited tank will permit, gives an idea of a diver at work at the bottom of the ocean.
11 Mins.; One. George L. Moreland announces he will answer any question on baseball since 1846. Three-fifths of the act is devoted to still pictures of baseball of other years, with some photos of prominent people connected with it. The remaining time is submitted to the audience for questions. Monday night at Hammerstein’s but two important questions were put: the first, how much does Christy Matheworn get? Mr. Moreland answered the amount had not been announced, but it was supposed to be $15,000. The next was which team would win the world’s series. He replied that is not yet a record, but in past history of baseball, the Bostons had never lost a world series they contested for. In a gathering of baseball fans, Mr. Moreland would come in handy and be enjoyed. An elderly man, who not doubt had stored up a world of records and statistics, his turn is not a vaudeville one, and not for vaudeville, in or out of the baseball season. If he continues to entertain the public in this way, on the variety stage, he should employ plans to be certain of comedy on the questions at each show.
10 minutes, full stage. This man does some very good roping tricks with a line of talk throughout. Very good opening act.
19 Mins.; One (Special Drop). Harry Kelly and Louis Wesley are presenting a comedy talking skit in “one,” entitled “Small Town Chatter.” Kelly is doing his usual “deacon,” while Wesley is the straight. There is also a dog. Wesley is the “city feller,” and Kelly, “town constable.” Constable suspects “city feller” and is on his trail. The talk is fast and choc-a-block with laughs. The act was down next to closing at the Royal and kept a mighty hard audience laughing from start to finish. Wesley is a talking straight and makes a capable feeder for his team mate. Kelly does his usual rube song and a bit of eccentric dancing that is a scream. The act is one that can be used to advantage on any bill to get a lot of laughs.
15 Mins.; Full Stage. Ben M. Jerome has been a favourite composer in Chicago for some years. He has now essayed to go into the varieties, where he is offering some of his old melodies and some new. He presides at a grand piano for his opening. Later a woman sings one of his latest songs, and a man arrives still alter to do a “wop” number. Some of the old Jerome favorites are sung off the stage by the man and woman, who alter come on for a romping child song. The act is a little awkward as yet, and the singers are not quite at ease. Some of the selections might be changed with advantage.
11 Mins.; One. Little Jerry is a dwarf, with very short legs. He sings for sound with a couple of attempts at dancing. The singing is fairly well and with more dancing Little Jerry should get over big on the small time. Some comedy steps would be a help
12 Mins; One. The Tiller Sisters have an opening somewhat different. One does a tough girl, attempting “nut stuff” with some success; the other handling the straight, displaying an agreeable contralto voice. The comedienne, changing to a pink dress, does nicely with a little song. They change to black and white dresses for the finish. A fair “sister act.” They could use new songs.
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.
