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War stories and comedy.
"Warologue."
Lieut. Winston is altogether different as a vaudeville monologist. His talk is different and his encore is the same. He appears in the uniform of a first lieutenant, U. S. A. Lieut. Winston informs the audience he went in the Army and knowing nothing became a second lieutenant. Later, he says, when they found that to be thus; they, made him a first lieutenant. Leaving the Army and having nothing to do he became an actor. He "pans" himself throughout the act, sometimes gently, sometimes roughly, but never says any- thing favorable to himself. Said that while in the Army he learned to smoke cigarettes, carry a cane and keep himself broke, just like a regular officer. While in the Service he .got shells, shocked through his superiors saying, "You shall do this" and "You shall do that." For the encore, Lieut Winston stated his actor friends said that when called before the curtain, a curtain speech was necessary. He then described the olio drop he was standing before, and when that went up revealing a street drop, he also informed the house what that meant. Much of Lieut. Winston's material went over the heads of those in front. Either that or they did not think it funny. Much received in silence sounded funny enough. The lieutenant is red-headed with a pleasant appearance, but he somewhat haltingly delivers at times. He has a monolog full of laughs, if properly strung together. That is what he needs to do just now, smooth out his delivery and reshape the talk. He said, for example, his father and mother think he is the war's greatest hero. They believe he won the war. He told them he did. That got a splendid laugh. Then he added they will go on believing it until they meet the parents of some other soldier. Dead silence. Maybe it's the stuff, maybe it was the audience. Incongruities of reception by the house stood out all
through in the same manner. Maybe Lieut. Winston is to blame. But he has a big time act.
Source:
Variety, 54:6 (04/04/1919)