Farce comedy entitled “It’s Up to You William”. There are three women and two men in this act. The scene opens in a drawing room in which the two wives are mourning the loss of their husbands. The men are supposed to have gone to Europe and the wives have just read in the newspaper of the sinking of the ship on which they sailed. After some dialogue the women depart and the two men arrive. It appears that they have gone to New York on a little quiet “toot” and have returned because the boat is due to arrive. They had not heart that the boat had sunk. This situation gives an opportunity for all sorts of comedy. The more they lie the more they have to and “the plot thickens” as the sketch progresses. It is a very good act with an excellent finish, and is deserving of head line honors on most any bill. I consider it one of the best sketches that we have ever played here. Cut—“You’re the damndest liar I have ever seen.” C.D.F. in 3 25 min.
Sketch entitled “A Dream of Baby Days”. These two women have stunning figures and are beautifully gowned. They open in a parlor set with a bombastic dialogue, in which they hurl at each other an unlimited number of twenty-syllable words that are purposely mispronounced. This gives them an excellent opening and puts them on good terms with the majority of the audience. They follow with some individual singing, that of Miss Johnson’s being excellent. A proposal is then made that they go to bed and sleep on a piece of wedding cake and dream of baby days. The biograph sheet is then dropped and a moving picture is shown of the girls going to bed. They place the wedding cake under the pillow and the picture changes and shows a number of children playing. The play of the children gives an excuse for an excellent “chasing” picture, in which they are all seen running across the country. While the picture is being shown the ladies change their costumes and appear for their close in one in a Fauntleroy and a doll make-up. Here they do a little singing and dancing, which closes the act. They received a number of curtain calls and if judged by the applause of a holiday audience the act is an excellent one. C.D.F. in 3, close in 1. 25 minutes.
Crayon specialty entitled “faces”. This man’s work is very well known. The same criticism of his act has always been made and that is that the act is too short. For tonight’s show Saunders will go down in place of Monroe and Wesley. Drop in 1. 9 minutes.
Man and woman in a comic acrobatic specialty. It is a sort of messenger boy and soubrette affair. Lucy has a bad voice. It pierces. The man’s comedy is very good in spots and the act went much better than I had anticipated. The holiday audience was liberal with laughs and applause. C.D.F. in 3. 19 min.
Sketch entitled, ‘Managerial Troubles.’ A jumbled affair. It contains a little of everything, a little soubrette work, a little tragedy, a little comedy and part of a scene behind the stage. It is hard to find an excuse to connect the different spots. Miss Cotton in her impersonations is quite clever in the way she always has been. Long comes on the stage to fill in the time between her changes of costume. The act failed to greatly please our audience. It seemed to drag and seemed to lack action. More than this it was disconnected and disjoined. Long and Cotton are both very clever and it seems that they could obtain a more suitable vehicle with which to exploit their talents. Five years ago they were a terrific hit. Today they almost failed completely. Knowing these people so well and the prestige they have carried, I was greatly disappointed with the act. Wood in 4. 23 minutes.
Two boys. Club jugglers. This act was booked here to work in one. It is just simply impossible. We worked them in two and that was as near the foot lights as we dared put them. They do as difficult stunts as the Mowatts or the Johnsons. It would endanger the heads of the musicians and of those in the front orchestra seats to have them throwing six and eight clubs at terrific speed through the air out on the foot lights. However, I doubt it they could do it even if we would let them. The act is an excellent one their work being liberally applauded. Drapery in two, close in open. 8 minutes.
Shadowgraphist and silhouettist. This act is altogether too good for this spot, but there was no help for it. Aside from its value it is not the right sort of act to open the show with because of the dark house. The ushers can not see to seat the patrons. Very good act and good value for the money. Palace in 5. 15 minutes.
Chassio would not close in one as suggested by Mr. Hodgden. He said he had never done it but once and that was for Mr. Jordan in Philadelphia. He said his contract did not call for it and that his stomach was not in the best of condition today so that he did not feel that we should depend on him for more than his usual act. Full stage 15 minutes.
Comedy sketch “Our Baby”. Unlike a great many of the legitimate actors that enter vaudeville these people really made good. The sketch is one that appeals to the front orchestra and the boxes. It really consists of a clever dialogue – as clever in spots as any that Clyde Fitch was ever guilty of writing. The whole audience seemed to enjoy the act, and the comedy in spots is excellent. For a high priced act it is the best bargain I have ever had in this house. C.D.F. in three. 25 minutes.
Comedy bicyclist and unicyclist works in tramp make-up. This man has a good act for an opener. He offers many tricks that are old and quite a number that are new. I consider it an exceptionally good act for the money. F.S. 11 minutes.
This woman singing popular songs assisted by a boy from an upper perscenium box was the applause hit of the show. The boy received more applause than the woman. She seemed to catch the audience with her opening song and had them constantly with her until the close when she had to respond to six curtain calls. A good act. Drop in one. 10 minutes.
