V A R I E T Y 19

H. Bart McHugh Co. (10). "The Housewarmers" (Musical Com­

edy). 17 Mint.; Full Stage (Parlor). Union Square.

"The Housewarmers" becomes more a matter of talent than material. The story is light, written by Mack and Orth. The dialog does not scintillate with any brilliancy, and the act re­solves itself into ten people, three of whom are principals. It is New Year's Eve. Jess Wedd and Gladys Wedd are having a housewarming. They were but lately married. Several young peo­ple call to make the night a rah-rah one. Among the callers are a harelip youth and a cissified boy. These are choristers. Four of the chorus are girls, although all choristers are men­tioned on the program in principal fashion. The bunch cut up. Johnny Dooley leads the bunch. He talks with a George Cohan * twang and imitates Harry Lauder, besides leading songs. Yvette Rugel is the bride. She sings too, and gives an illustrated "Septem­ber Morn" in the rear of the parlor set. Miss Rugel likely picked this pose for herself. Anyone of the girls could have attended to it since only a profile view is shown, but perhaps none of the other girls had the profile from head to feet that Miss Rugel has. Billy Parker is the third principal. When Mr. Dooley said to Bill, "You are go­ing to sing us a song, arn't you?" Bill walked down to the footlights and sang it. It was gross disrespect for the guests present Bill paid absolutely no attention to them whatsoever. Some day even in vaudeville when someone is asked to sing a song it will be sung to the roomful or whoever is present instead of to the audience. That's a Lew Fields idea of running a vaudeville act, and it isn't a bad one. The hare­lip boy secures some laughs. If it is permitted to be said this harelip thing by anyone bears the same relation to comedy that a bladder does. In songs "The Housewarmers" is very well off, and it is the numbers that will carry the turn along. "Days of '64" made a live song and there is action to all the vocal work, excepting Mr. Dooley's Lauder. And by the way, Dooley's Lauder is no so good. His Cohan twang is much closer to the original. With the youth and life in Bart McHugh's new act, it becomes passable, and may work in very much better. The piece could stand more and better "business." This is so even in the numbers. "Hands Up," with the company surrounding Mr. Dooley and Miss Rugel, isn't well staged. Rime.

Bernard A Reinold and Co. (4). "How Hofmeister Did It" (Dramatic). 25 Mini.; Full Stage (Interior; Spe-

, cial). Fifth Avenue.

Bernard A. Reinold, who gained vaudeville popularity through his por­trayal of Dietrich Dinkelspiel in "Dink-elspiel's Christmas," now offers for vaudeville approval, "How Hofmeister Did It." Reinold is seen as Conrad Hofmeister, very much like the good natured Dinkelspiel, although more garrulous. Rupert Hughes wrote this sketch. The new act is funny but not as hilariously amusing as the former "Dinkelspiel" turn. There's the Dutchy home of the Dutchy Hofmeister and wife Augusta (Katherine De Barry), whose daughter Gretchen (Marian Chapman) is in love with Fritz Schultz (John J. McMahon). Daughter would marry but refuses to go to Buffalo with Fritz, as she must stay at least another year to light father's pipe and hook mother's dresses. The parents favor the match. Hofmeister hits upon a plan to bring about the honeymoon to Buffalo by threatening to drive his daughter and lover from home with the aid of the old sabre which he used in his good, old war days. Everything ends right, with German heart songs and a dance by the Hofmeisters. Reinold is splendid as the jolly, likable old German. The supporting corn-

Edith Raymond and Co. (1). Wire. 9 Mins.; Four (Exterior). Fifth Avenue.

Edith Raymond is a tight wire artist with balancing on bicycle and unicycle as her best cards. The company em­braces an assistant in evening dress who attempts comedy now and then with movements supposed to be awk­ward and excitable during Miss Ray

Mrs. Louis James and Co. (3). "Making a Play" (Dramatic). 23 Mins.; Five (Parlor). Union Square.

If the last line of Mrs. Louis James' new playlet is sufficient the act is over. One line did as much for "Officer 666" and when a full play may be held up by a few words why not a sketch? After a series of melodramatic inci­dents, which ends with a pistol shot and the escape of two burglars, a po­liceman in uniform thanks a detective in evening dress seated at a table for the latter permitting the woman to es­cape. "Don't thank me," replies the detective. "Thank the author." The author is Robert Garland. He has somewhat laboriously worked up to the hnale, with a mass of dialog for the three principal players to handle. Mr. Garland has given the sketch a title which in a way intimates the playlet is unreal, and some such denouement as happened may have been anticipated through this, not in the precise inaner it did, but the name of the piece sug­gests a "surprise finish." There is a surprise in the center of the act, when a woman running away from an elderly husband seeks refuge with a friend of her brother, followed there by the hus­band, who endeavors to persuade his wife to return home. She refuses. The friend becomes an interested listener. When invited to leave the room in or­der that the couple shall have a few minutes of private conversation, the

pany is excellent, Miss Chapman mak- estranged pair immediately convert ing an attractive looking German girl, themselves into thieves, stripping the One will enjoy "Hofmeister." Mark. c u r i o t M m o f i t f c o s t l y c o n t e n U <

They escape, but are met on the out side of the house by a policeman who has been planted there by the "friend" (the detective as it developed becom­ing the master of the house for the time being to entrap the schemers). Brought back to the parlor, they hear the detective phoning police headquar­ters. The woman (Mrs. James) has a revolver and shoots at the officer but fails to hit. The shot means a broken lamp shade, however, and a dark stage for an instant, which furnishes regular if brief excitement. Mrs. James did the role of the woman very well. Fred­erick Powell took good care of the husband part It's a matter of opinion with John MacFarlane as the friend-detective. Charles O'Donenll was the policeman. Arthur Hopkins presents Mrs. James in this playlet. Rime..

Bert Lamont's Cowboy Minstrels (5). Songs and Talk. Full Stage; Special Set. Alice Lloyd Show, Royal (Bronx).

Messrs. Lamont, Swanberg, Conroy, Phillips and Cullen, calling themselves "The Cowboy Minstrels" have struck an idea that is going to keep them to­gether for a long time as a singing quintet. The audience applauded at the opening which revealed a pretty west­ern setting, and the house applauded even more loudly at the close, after the five men had sung songs and told jokes. The latter were not always new but they seemed to get over as though they were. In songs the men have a routine that is liked. The only voices featured are Bert Lamont's lyric tenor and the bass. All are dressed in cowboy outfits. Though termed "Min­strels," there is no semi-circle affair, just a neat setting, including a cabin, and cowboys who sing and joke. In the Alice Lloyd show olio they are next to closing, following singing ahead of them, and appearing just af­ter Frank Fogarty who talks as well. While the turn could stand a little quickening through chopping, it's a well-devised number well worked out.

Bime.

King of Dancers. Singing, Dancing, Talk. 9 Mins.; One. Grand O. H. (Oct. 26).

Colored man, sings, talks and mugs, mond's work. The girl has an ordi- besides depending mainly on his origi-nary act best suited for the three a day nal eccentric stepping, at which he's houses. She opened the show. Mark. very good. folo.

Walter James. "The Singing Tramp" (Songs and

Talk). 14 Mins.; One. Union Square

Walter James has selected a tramp character for the singing monolog he is doing at the Square this week. Mr. James has a pleasant singing voice and some songs that are not in the widely sung popular class. One is a medley. The dialog is along lines akin to the charatcer. He closes with a recitation entitled "Walk." It is rather lengthy. Others have taken the tramp thing for a monolog and gotten away with it. No reason why Mr. James can't, as far as may be seen from his new turn. The Square liked him very much. Rime.

If yon don't advvrtln* In V A R I K T Y r a W t

Mabelle and Ballet. Classical Dances. 18 Mins.; Full Stage (Exterior). Fifth Avenue.

Ballets may come and ballets may go, but in the resume one must not overlook Mabelle and terpsichorean sisters who are offering a pretty and effective act at the Fifth Avenue this week. Any kind of a dancing act in the closing position of a New York bill has a handicap to start with, but Monday night the audience was glad it remained for the Mabelle turn. It shows grace, class and much rehear­sal. The girls dress their various danc­ing ensembles attractively and perform their routine stepping with credit Mabelle, of course, is the featured dancer. She's attractive of form, a hard worker who is easy and graceful on her feet. She's assisted in her "Adagio" dance by Mile. Lovet, who shows that she has been dancing for some time. A pretty feature was the flower dance of Lillian and Dorothy Dumont. Mabelle is unquestionably classified for the front rank. Mark.

Franklyn Batie. Songs. 15 Mins.; One. Fifth Avenue.

Franklyn Batie will never regret leaving the Jack Wilson Trio to go out on his own. At the Fifth Avenue Monday night, Batie, in evening ciotnes, sang his way into big favor, his "single" landing solidly. Batie will do, and is now in a class by himself. In the Wilson act he shone brightly, but got little chance with his voice. Batie has a voice and he gives it full play in the present turn. He has all the accoutrements of a successful singing single. Of excellent stature, with a pleasing personality, he goes over big. The catchiest number was his "Why Don't They Dance the Good Old Dances of Ireland?" while his opening song, "Those Happy Days When We Were Running Wild," was of pleasing construction. That "Good Bye" song brought out the full vocal pressure, while he fared very well with "Just for Tonight." Batie should be able to stick around New York for a long time. Mark.

Sidney Wood and Doraine Sisters. Songs and Dances. Alice Lloyd Show, Royal (Bronx).

Sidney Wood and Doraine Sisters (2) do a three-act in the olio of the Alice Lloyd show and also appear in the Cabaret afterpiece. In this way they have probably split the turn until the olio act now consists of but two songs. One of these and the first, a Japanese number, isn't worth while, but the second, a rag with a "Caroline" title, is handled so well by the trio who look nicely while doing it that they should secure something to replace the Jap number immediately. Mr. Wood is a nimble dancer and presents a neat appearance between the two girls when dressed in white for the "Caroline" song. The Doraine Sisters can do sev­eral styles of stepping. Tt should be very little trouble for these three Eng­lish young people to frame up a ycry acceptable act. Opening the olio in the Lloyd show the "Caroline" song alone makes them worth while. Rime.