Ted Healy

Singing.

Ted Healy is a great admirer of Al Jolson, Al Herman, T. Roy Barnes and Eddie Cantor. He likes them all so well he has been impartial in borrowing their tricks, mannerisms and material. Healy opens his act singing an operatic air offstage, with a drop in "one" and the full lights on, leading the house to expect an Italian street singer. He gets a laugh when he pops cut in blackface. Then he comes down stage center, strikes the Jolson pose, begins the Jolson sway and arm movements and sings the Jolson song, "Rip Van Winkle." Then he begins the Cantor canter, smirks the Cantor smirk and sings the Cantor song, "Oh, Jennie, Oh." Then he takes the Herman position on the end of the stage, simulates the Herman warnings to silence and gives a Herman recital of the "scandal" backstage. In the small time all this will go very well, but in the big small time it will drag and in the big time it will flop, unless Healy gets some material. He has a robust, pleasing singing voice and a pleasant personality. He should forget Jolson and Barnes and Cantor and Herman and try to remember Healy.

Variety, 54:4 (03/21/1919)