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Slapstick comedy. Costumes and rural setting. Dancing.
Comic dialogue and singing.
"Alabama Jubilee," "That Dixie Band" and "Honeymoon Bells."
At the Palace much laughter was caused by Hiram's love making, Hiram reading from a book of instructions on love which bit is also done in the Ardpath act.
At this hour one must make comparisons with Brooks' act with that of the Ardpath vaudeville troop as each turn is of the rural sort that has a show company hit the farm with the leading character a blustery, breezy overgrown country boy named Hiram. There is also the dinner scene with the usual bits of the hot coffee pot being thrust down the centre of the older Rube's pants in the act, the hand burning by the hot potatoes, the hands in the bowl, etc., which both acts use. In the Ardpath turn there is live stock and a more countrified aspect, with a Rube sheriff and several show girls in long dresses. In the Brooks offering there are two Rube characters, a soubrette girlie called Trixie, to whom Hiram makes love, and five choristers, who make several pleasing changes of costumes and help out on most of the numbers with voice and feet. Brooks also does the hot potato picking up with the pitchfork. Brooks may have done his type of rube comedy long before Ardpath and it may have been vice versa. It's up to them to settle the matter between themselves. Miss [Dorothy] Melantanio is sure a good looker, shows considerable pep, although experience and some modern stepping instructions will help her advance, and is a great help to Brooks all the way. The act runs 19 minutes, having a full stage special farm exterior. "Alabama Jubilee" is the opening number, the girls wearing old fashioned dresses for this number. The next selection is "That Dixie Band," the girls wearing purpled outfits of the abbreviated type. The next was "Honeymoon Bells," with Brooks and Miss Melantanio leading, doing a dance at the close. The girl also changed for this number, wearing white dresses. Miss Melatanio changed into a nifty pink array for the last half of the turn. She is of the typical soubrette style, short, curly hair and wearing the accustomed regalia hat shows her shapely legs to advantage.
Source:
Variety, 41:1 (12/03/1915)