Al Shayne

Singing.

Shayne started off as he always does, to boisterous screams of hearty laughter. His operatic nonsense, then the mix-up with his partner, who comes up from the pit then his very comic single, with' Yiddish interpolations, scored him the hit of the bill. But he didn't know when to stop. So few acts who "go" do know when to stop. Back be came, in the some ridiculous make-up, in the some absurd dress, with the some accent (now not meant to be funny at all) and sang a weepy ballad which was not for his voice, his style, the spot or good for anything except to break up a wonderful vaudeville act. He had to pull himself back, then, with the barroom floor stuff to get an exit, which he did, but what he could have done with the show bad he passed out at its apex, not on its anti-climax! Shayne doesn't need popular and patriotic lyrics, especially alter be has already burlesqued them, to put him over. He can't help getting over. He should not break his own back by taking on dead stuff. He is the best comic of his type left, and has a sensational voice and crackling material to back up his talent. But too much ice cream spoils the digestion, the more so when a sour pickle is fed in between portions.

Variety, 54:13 (05/23/1919)