Pat Rooney and Jimmie Barry

Piano playing, comedy, and singing.

After the entire show had been run through, it was difficult to Judge which of the two races on this week's bill would prove the more interesting, the free-for-all by the piano players. or the burlesque staged by Pat Rooney and Jimmie Barry in George Brown's walking act that gave this house one of the biggest laughing hit it has had in quite a while. Monday night it was a very close thing between Pat and Jimmy, while any one of the ivory-ticklers might have all been awarded first prize for his relay work, according to what kind of music sounded best to one's particular ear. It probably would have been a deserving reward to give it to Arthur Anderson, who played for the Ford Sisters, and had to follow all the others. He no doubt appreciated what he was up against and offered a varied program of numbers while the girls were changing, that brought him his full share of the laurels. Putting on "specials" seems to be a delight for Pat Rooney, for he has put on more of them in this house than any other comedian who ever played here. The present vehicle, however, tops anything any of the impromptu producers has put over yet, reminding some of the regulars of one of the Friday night sessions at the old Bijou. It was a scream from start to finish and the audience was willing enough to sit through the regular act of Brown and his assistant, to rest up after laughing themselves sick at Rooney and Barry. It must also be said that no little credit is due Brown, for the athlete shows himself to be not only a good showman, but a first rate "straight" for the two clowns. It might help many a bill if more of such "extras" were built up. Rooney was also the big hit with Marion Bent in their regular offering, doing the best act the two have shown here in a long time and getting more out of it. Mr. and Mrs. Barry resurrected one of their old sketches, "The Rube," which they have not used here for quite a spell, and they have not been such a big laughing hit here since the last time they played it. The present vehicle is far better than "The Burglar" which was seen here only a few weeks ago.

Variety, 54:5 (03/28/1919)