Life — June 7, 1923 — page 26: what you’re looking at

Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.

Foot Work HE applause which follows Jim Barton’s danc- ing is of a different quality from that which greets most other theatrical offerings. Other applause may be sincere and hearty, but that which Barton draws down has a typhoon quality which places it in a class by itself. At his final writhing step, the house crashes into a hand-clapping which gives the impres- sion of having been tugging at the leash for five min- utes. It is not made up of staccato cracks like ordinary hand-clapping, but is a continuous sound like a sud- den burst of rain on a roof, and is just about as irresistible. There is nothing left but for him to dance again. In “Dew Drop Inn,” however, Jim Barton does more than dance. He shows himself to be in line for the position of America’s leading black-face come- dian. The line isn’t very long, and with a couple of song-hits to work with (and Barton has a better voice than any of them) it won't take him many -seasons to be in a position where he can ask Al Jolson to stop pushing. Of course, there is the reservation to be made that “Dew Drop Inn” isn’t much of a show and that Bar- ton has some pretty thin songs to work with. But he has those feet (which seem to be propelled from some- where under his belt) and he has more of the genuine Negro quality to his work than any one since Bert Williams. Furthermore, he is an artist if ever we saw one. Special mention must be made of Mooney, the dog, who shares honors with Barton in the second act. He is not very competent, but there is something about him, His perscnal appearance can best be de- scribed by quoting from one of the strong scenes in which he features. A young lady enters dragging Mooney on a leash. “Oh, look!” she says. “I found a $6 REN’T WE ALL?” the second offering of Cyril faude’s company, is very light and very enter- taining. It has practically nothing to recommend it ex- cept that it has amusing lines and that it is well done. You couldn’t ask much more of a comedy in times like these. oO LOD o WING to a blind, unreasoning aversion to the May Vokes school of comedy, combined with a gift for violent invective inherited from a sea-going uncle, we must deny ourself the pleasure of reviewing “Cold Feet.” We can be reached on the telephone, however, if a purely personal opinion is wanted. Robert C. Benchley. Owing to the time it takes to print Lire, readers should verify from the daily newspapers the continuance of the attractions at the theatres mentioned. More or Less Serious The Cat and the Canary. National— Several dozen thrills. The Fool. Times four acts, For Value Received. — Apollo—Show- ing that a lind man can be just as self- ish. as the rest. of us. Rain. Maxine smack at several Jeanne Eagels. Romeo and Juliet. Henry Miller’s—You may know the story but you don’t know Jane Cowl unless. you have seen this. Seventh Heaven. Booth—Much acting. Uptown West. Bijou-—The Japanese problem in a new light. The Wasp. Selwyi-—Pretty bad. Whispering Wires. Broadhurst—Killing by telephone. Comedy and Things Like That Abie's Irish Rose. Republic—In its sec- ond year, God forbid! Aren't’ We All? this issue. Square—Religion in jiott’s—A powerful cred traditions by Gaiety—Reviewed in _ Cold Feet. Fulton—Let’s drop the sub- ject. The Devil's Disciple. Garrick—One en- tertaining act, thanks to Shaw and Roland Young. Give and Take. stick sociology. Icebound. | Vanderbilt—Well-acted England. stuff. Mary the 3rd. Thirty-Ninth St—A cup of tea with a slight stick in it. Merton of the Movies. Hunter Forty-Ninth St.—Slap- New Cort—Glenn s one of the season's most appeal- yceum—Locke’s. novel with stage directions and Norman Trevor. Not So Fast. Morosco—To be reviewed next week, The Old Soak. Plymouth—A medium play with an extraordinary. hero. Polly Preferred. Little—Amusing kidding of the movies. So This Is London! American burlesque. Sweet Nell of Old Drury. Forty-Eighth St—Laurette Taylor in an old favorite. You and I. Belmont—Gentlemanly bad- inage. Hudson—Anglo- Zander the Great. E: | pire—Alice Brady in’ so: hing about Western bootleggers. Eye and Ear Entertainment Adrienne. George M. Cohan’s—To be reviewed next week. Bombo, Winter Garden—Last week of Al Jolson. Caroline. Ambassador—Nice music. The Clinging Vine. Knickerboc Peggy Wood in a good sho . Drop Inn, Astor—Reviewed in this The Gingham Girl. Central—Fair. Go-Go. Paly’s—Fast and at times funny Jack and Jill. m H. Fields in something ‘elaborate. . Little Nellie Kelly. Liberty—Dancing. Music Box Revue. Music Bor—Big and expensive, with Bobby Clark furnish: ing laughs. Sally, Irene and Mary. Century—Still going. Up She Goes. Playhouse—Very nice, Wildflower. Casino—A splendid score. _ Ziegfeld Follies. New Amsterdam—So successful that there isn’t to be any new edition this year. Harris—Lew comicbooks.com