Ray Dooley Trio

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: 17 Mins.; One and Full stage. Ray Dooley has taken the best section of her former minstrel turn, condensed what was originally a big girl act into a trio, added some new material and reconstructed her routine into something which bears a semblance to big time speed, although there is still room for further improvement. The trio includes a comedian, “straight” man and Miss Dooley herself, who essays a kid character throughout. The comic can be safely credited with 75 per cent of the turn’s success. He carries a style and delivery of his own and executes some sure-fire falls that will eventually bring him up among the top-notchers in eccentric work. As the turn stands now, it runs a bit long for big time usefulness. The comic’s solo song could be safely discarded with his dance interpolated into the early section. The “bedroom” number could also be consistently eliminated since the girl’s enunciation is rather faculty and the whole bit runs to low comedy and doesn’t harmonize with the balance. And Miss Dooley could and should cover her knees. The rest of the turn is excellent, with the encore, a burlesque of a modern cabaret, measuring up as one of the best comic bits seen around here in many months. The rearranging process would bring the time down to a reasonable limit and in turn develop the act into a standard big time number. Miss Dooley’s business sagacity is evidenced in the billing, but it seems the boys should be credited somewhere for their work. At the Columbia the act took all the honors of the Sunday matinee.

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