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Comic dialogue and travesty.
The Oriental tom-tomming overture sort of gave away the kind of turn to be expected before the curtain rose. The scene discloses a female crystal gazing fortune teller, with a male assistant. Enter Oakes in "hick" get up. The f. c g. f. t's hopes rise. Here's an easy mark. And then the rest of it is cross-fire between her and the supposed victim, with side remarks to hex
assistant such as, "He speaks but one word of English, and that is 'No,' Dost thou." Answer: "Yes." Or she addresses him as "Jazzbo" and the answer is "hoke"; "geffilte," and the answer is
"fish." All the while entertaining, at least,' it fell down at the end with, the ancient "frame-up" of the woman falling into the "hick's" arms, feigning faintness, and her assistant enters, explains she's his wife and will arrest him unless settled out of court. Oakes' purse changes hands. After spilling some yarn about being done out of the money with which he was to pay the mortgage (the orchestra aiding with the "Spring Song" music) the crooks are touched so much so, in fact, that he "touches" them for an additional $100. The punch that he had no farm with the hell tag, lets it off weak. Not cold, however, for it got returns to the extent of a half dozen curtains. Small time.
Source:
Variety, 54:11 (05/09/1919)