Robert Emmett Keane, as a single, immaculately tailored and booking not a day older than he did the first time he raised his voice to Broadway, depended largely on stories of the late war, some of which he has been telling for several seasons and two finishing recitations, each used as an encore. The first was a mild thing about a wounded Scotch returned soldier, better done than it deserved. This got a hand and brought him back for a Kipling “Young British Soldier,” with some liberties taken in some of the lines where Kip is too on the level for “polite” vaudeville. It scored and Keane retired with very decent takings.
Lexey and O’Connor, an attractive girl and boy, sang and danced to a still unsettled population and “Ye Song Shop” got the first break of performance, the saunterers and leisurely diners being pretty well assembled then. There has been a change in one male principal since the turn played Chicago. The songs whizzed over in spots and lagged badly in others. It is still what it has been from the first, a great idea lukewarmly executed. It finished to the rehearsed number of bows, which were justified through not clamorously demanded.
Sylvester Schaeffer opened the second half. His act is practically unchanged since its last appearance here. At that time it was not a roaring triumph at the performance witnessed. This time it seemed better placed. Though slow in spots, Schaeffer’s multifarious stunts went briskly throughout, and the huge chariot, went for a corking handing and three recalls for bows.
Hazel Moran, a lariat manipulator, entertained for a little over a half dozen minutes with some good role work, reinforced by a running fire of chatter. She claims to be in the only woman spinning 85 feet of rope. It’s good work if she isn’t the one.
Ethel Davis had a sneezing number in the act this week that wasn’t in the routine offered at the 23rdStreet a week ago. It is a corking comedy number, and with her “strike” number, stood out as the best two things of the act.
What a wallop Sylvester Schaeffer was to the Fifth Avenue audience the first half. The versatile performer topped the bill and walked away with the honors with ease, even though he was not his best and seemed rather nervous at times. Placed down in the middle of the show he had no difficulty in holding the attention of the audience, and pulled applause frequently with his various feats. The horses were particularly liked, especially the high school animal.
[New Act] Straight Singing Operatic, 14 mins; full stage. A straight singing combination of four males and three females with trained voices. One is a pianist. All are garbed in Colonial costumes. The repertoire consists of a succession of ensemble and duet vocal numbers, all operatic or classical. The harmony is excellent and the act held nearly three quarters of the house in the “before intermission” spot. The straightness of the turn will keep it in the smaller houses, however, for big time vaudeville audiences shy away from the non-comedy singing turns. It’s a great combination for lovers of classical harmony.
[New Act] Contortionists. 8 mins; one (1); Full Stage (7). Stryker makes a bluff at singing a song in “one” and goes immediately to full stage for some contortioning on a pedestal. He does a dislocation, passing a narrow bar over his frame and follows with a back bend and twist picking up and drinking a glass of liquid in the twisted posture. Stryker then dons his discarded hat and coat and effects a nonchanlant exit. The act lacks variety and aside from his contortioning. Stryker’s stage deportment and lack of showmanship ruin the general affect. The opening discarded. It contains neither originality nor merit. His routine of stunts could be lengthened out unless he was cutting under ordered. A fair small time opener.
Delbridge and Grenner sang five numbers and brought back recollections of an operatic quartet. None of the songs was overburdened with “pep,” but they like this sort of an act on the Roof – it lulls them – and they finished to enough applause for one encore. “The Mysterious Wall,: sketch, got to the house through the story it carries, but the two men and the woman who comprise the cast might have gotten more out of it. However, the act is o.k. placed where it is.
Came Paul Morton and Naomi Glass and went through their paces to their usually excellent returns with the Four Mortons (sam, kitty, Martha and Joe) holding down the ace spot and bringing the entire Morton tribe on for a hurrah finish. The novelty of the family affair struck the house heavy and it bends and more bends for the sextet.
