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Imitations and a song with piano accompaniment throughout.
In all his imitations Combe is realistic. Whether the people like that sort of realism or not is a question. They didn't like it at the Monday matinee.
Mr. Combe (assisted by Burton Brown at the piano) bills himself as an English light comedian. He appears to be English, certainly is light, but whether he's a comedian or not is a question. Mr. Combe specializes in pathological vocalism. That is to say, his offering has a pharmaceutical turn. In other words, he starts his act ith an imitation (in song) of a seasick person vomiting. It was so realistic the young woman who sat next was forced to leave the house to avoid doing what Mr. Combe was imitating. Then Mr. Combe did a sneezing number. Following which, when everybody expected hiccoughs or some other form of physiological phenomens, he sang a straight song.
Source:
Variety, 53:8 (01/17/1919)