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Singing and dramatic dialogue.
Joan Sawyer was noted for her grace in the dance of various Broadway cafe ballrooms and on the stage, she having danced often at the Palace. At the Palace this week the audience thought it was to see her flash the latest dance evolutions. Small wonder of the disappointment over her appearance, for dancing was not the main idea at all. The act is a mixture. There is a bit of a song, a rather clever recitation, some dancing and a dramatic try. It isn't altogether bad but it is but little better than that. Miss Sawyer first appears announcing to the audience that it will be impossible for her to dance as her partner is missing. From the wings Arthur Ashley called out that he too was "stuck" because his partner didn't turn up. He enters and frankly tips off "lets roll two good acts into one bad one." An odd alibi stunt is worked out on the house programs and for all the audience knew the sudden combination might have been on the level. That because both Miss Sawyer and Mr. Ashley are listed as individual acts, each having a number. Ashley's act was billed as "Big Moments from Great Plays" (similar to that used formerly by Amelia Bingham) and credited to Wilson Mizner. So it may be that he can be blamed or praised for the whole arrangement. The dramatic part was the end section of the turn and it was the "dope" den bit from "The Man Who Came Back." Each principal made up at a small table. At the finish both presented a curious appearance after the flashy opening. But Miss Sawyer quickly exited to appear again swathed in an ermine coat to be loaded down with a whole florist shop of bouquets and baskets that streamed over the footlights. There are comedy lines after Ashley's first appearance. He asks how a dancer dresses and she replies "on credit." Miss Sawyer then sings, being accompanied by Alfred Newman, formerly a kid pianist who appeared with Grace La Rue. Before the song she asks Albert to accompany her and he replies "yes, if you are going in my direction." The number is "Because They're Beautiful They Get By" and it's a rather good lyrics. Ashley, billed as "the screen personality," follows with the recitation called "The Other One Was Booth." It calls for an old fashion tragedian make-up which is carried out, and the number gives a panning of some of our best known players, Frisco being described as "that creature," George M. Cohan and Al Jolson. The remarks anent those gentlemen are anything but flattering. Dancing comes next, Miss Sawyer going through one number with Ashley who surely is no dancing partner for so clever a stepper as Miss Sawyer. But there was a dancing bit that did get over. That was done by John Guiran, lately in the Bessie Clayton revue. That was good stuff, for Guiran cleaned up, pulling down the only real applause won by the act. The house accepted the new Sawyer turn without any excitement. What they thought of Ashley's dancing came later. When George White asked for suggestions for dance imitations several persons called out Ashley's name, which brought laughter.
Source:
Variety, 53:13 (02/21/1919)