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15 Mins.; Two (Special Drops) “The Girl and the Bank.” A nice-appearing two-act for small time, that is capable of being developed into big time material. The setting is the paying teller’s window of a bank on a dull day. A girl calls to cash a check. The paying teller, who squares the bank by saying it is a “Reserve” one, kids with her. From the conversation, not bad at all and quite nicely handled by the couple, the teller, closing the bank for the day by pushing the clock to three, sings a song. “Why Must We Say Good-Bye?” the title blending in with the clock moving. The girl returns, notices the teller is absent and seeing no one else around warbles “The Garden of Roses.” This must have been a troublesome movement for the couple to overcome, how to get the girl back and have her sing with a “legitimate” reason. Anyway the teller had only left to put on his evening dress, so when he got back, they both sang “Honey Bee,” a rather good number as they do it, with an original bit of business involved that suggests the pair were at one time in musical comedy. Another bit of good business is the best bursting, and on the other hand, they are using the Melville Ellis-Ada Lewis “Should a fellow kiss a girl when taking her home in a taxi?” The trouble with the turn just now is that when they are talking, one thinks it would be well to use a song here and there, and when they sing, one prefers the talk, not because they don’t sing well, but through the selections, expecting “Honey Bee.” Their voices are not for rags, however, but there must be more melodious numbers around the publishers than those employed as solos. Neither voice is strong, and the girl is the better of the two. The young woman likewise has a better idea of getting points over through emphasis of action and expression. These appear to be the same people, or man at least, that Mark reviewed about a year and a half ago when they were working in full stage. He made suggestions then the couple seem to have followed, and they should keep on trying to improve. On the general run their appearance and work, the people in the act should make the big time, either with a better edition of this turn or some other.
Source:
Variety, Volume XXXVI, no.12, November 21, 1914