Location:
Theater:
Date:
Type:
Comic dialogue.
Two men in blackface, who open with a bit of crossfire about jiu jitsu, trying one of the holds on each other for comedy purposes; then bring upon the stage, still in "one," an interior
wing with a door, a strip of border lights and a table with off-stage effects. With these they represent a performance at a one-night stand, the border for footlights, the wing for scenery with entrance, and the table with props to -work the various noises usually employed back of the scenes. Straight man walks through the wing door, facing R. L, and "acts" to the
wings a lot of burlesque melodrama, calling to the eccentric man to work the effects, which he gets all twisted. For example, when straight calls for "the wind," the nut answers that it's
broke and won't operate, and again "Give me a strong rope," which is the cue to hand him the cigar the comic is smoking. They conclude with a song and dance, "That's the show we
saw at Punxsatawney." All burlesque melodrama is sure of certain laughs, but the idea is so old that, unless played by travesty artists or exceptional comics, it^is lacking in novelty
of treatment. George and Paul Hickman are neither legitimate travestyists or exceptional comedians.
Source:
Variety, 54:3 (03/14/1919)