With the exception of Mae and Rose Wilton, second turn, the full bill are recognized as seasoned performers. The Wilton girls harmonize vocally with good results, one of them warbles an operatic selection with a flute obbligato, then adjourns to the piano to play an accompaniment to her sister’s fiddling: they sing some more and one does a bit of a toe dance. They were well liked and give every indication of talent, but they could stand for some drilling in the science of stage presence.
Lorimer, Hudson and Co. closed with a comedy cycling act. The comedian of the turn is wearing a very mussy facial make-up, which calls for cleaning up. The regulation cycle tricks are capably done by the troupe of four.
Next to closing Grace Nelson scored heavily with “Eli, Eli” well chosen for the Hebrew holiday. Miss Nelson is going in more for the concert style of numbers than heretofore. She has everything, personality, appearance and a tuneful soprano voice, used perfectly.
Fallon and Shirley, opening the second half, entertained with a singing, dancing and talking routine. Mr. Fallon is still doing his announced imitation of Bert Fitzgibbons from the former Fallon and Brown act. He is also still doing announced imitation of Mr. Fitzgibbons throughout the rest of the act. There are quite a few familiar gags in the talk. The “hush” money bit, probably the oldest, in common with the others, landed solid laughing returns. Miss Shirley dances neatly and handles the straight end intelligently. The team were a decided hit.
Kelly and Pollack, second, were up against unsettled house, and the greater part of their talk died. The old tough dance which has been a trade mark with Mr. Kelly since the days of the Kelly and Kent act got something, but not nearly as much as if the pair had been placed in a more advantageous spot.
Mlle. La Toy’s Models were doomed after that. Anything in the way of a dumb act couldn’t have survived at 11:30. They would have walked out on Barnum’s three rings. The turn deserved better treatment, for the still poses of the dogs are extremely pretty and the effects splendidly set out with clever lighting effects.
Billy Arlington with his four-act and its rough clowning got away with substantial hit opening the second half. The way the audience took to the talk and the discordant music was astonishing considering the decided liking they displayed for the politer offerings. The act occupied 24 minutes and took four bows at the getaway.
Timberg was right at home. The salesman song made a fair opening and from that he went to climax of applause in the dancing finale, a bit of stepping that belongs to the youngster and nobody else. Meanwhile the violin stuff got across emphatically.
Winston’s Sea Lions was No. 3, an act that could have taken the closing position. It’s a vaudeville stage attraction. There has been none like it in the skillful manipulation of the seals as against the humans, two girls in union suited costume. Mr. Winston it is likely who tells the house of the different tricks. He handles himself and the stage nicely. It’s a sure fire novelty act and makes people think how it is possible to so thoroughly synchronic the several seals with the water tricks of the girls.
Lew Dockstader was No. 4 with his presidential monolog. He is topically timely, of course, and has excellent monolog material. He stretched it a bit at the encore, but finally got the punch over. The former invite to the audience for jokes is not in now. Dockstader will be in high favor as a turn until election. His talk is brought right up to the moment.
