Credon and Walsh

Singing and comic dialogue.

A young man who doesn't look unlike George Jones did when George came East for That Quartet, walked out in "one," announced he was Corporal Credon, returned from the First Army Corps in France, and that his partner was Sergeant Walsh. The Serge entered. He was large of girth, good natured in looks and thought he was made up as a comedian through wearing a misfitting derby. The boys addressed each other by their army titles. They looked like an amateur act formed at the front, by themselves or in a group, and now tackling vaudeville. Not bad tacklers at all, for a couple of reasons. The first is that they seem to be just testing themselves, as if they thought to find an opening around, they might provide themselves with real material. That was very sensible and economical. The economy may have been forced. It's not against them. Up to date no soldier has been reported returning home with a bankroll. The other reason is that neither wore uniforms. That is against them. It may bespeak modesty and confidence, but it's mad showmanship, when a soldier is a soldier. The boys might at least secure that much benefit from their service. At the beginning they gave impersonations of how soldiers greeted each other when first in France, six months afterward, a "lieutenant" meeting a private, and a Yank soldier boy trying to tell a French peasant he wanted a couple of eggs. Later they sang, singly, and doubly, a lively number and a ballad, mixing in with some near-comedy business with the orchestra leader over going flat and giving the leader cigars. That was old stuff, but it would have gone very well with uniforms behind it. The boys have some personality, Mr. Credon a fair singing voice, Mr. Walsh a ballad voice. If they want to stick, they'll be all right for small time, until they acquire more finish. Mr. Walsh need not strive so hard for comedy. If he will handle himself normally without any attributes for comicness that are not, he will secure more laughs, for it's not difficult to laugh at a fat man when he's funny. With some experienced vaudevillian to line these boys up with an act, they have prospects as a kidding singing team, by themselves or with others. They play with quite some assurance, enough at least to indicate that if experience abroad, professionally, was their first they had plenty of it. And they are entitled to a lot for gambling without their uniform.

Variety, 54:10 (05/02/1919)