[New Act] Piano and Singing. 14 mins; one. Two clean cut young chaps dressed in belted brown sack coats and white flannel trousers. One handles the piano and doubles lyrically. They open with a medley about the kind of songs the public like. Another double gave them a good start. Both have appearance and the turn should develop into a big timer shortly. The singer possesses a nice personality and doesn’t strain too much for comedy. It’s a very pleasing act right now and could go into the more pretentious bills in an early spot.
[New Act] Novelty dances. 12 mins; full (Special Cyclorama). Ameta works surrounded by a black cyclorama striped with gold. Three mirrors up stage and a couple of baby flood make for a novel lighting effect. Her first dance is the usual classical rendition costumed in diaphanous draperies. Next an Egyptian offering introducing the familiar angular posturing, followed by a “Flame” dance which appeals chiefly through the novel lighting effects secured by the aid of a stage floor light playing on the waving draperies. She finishes this dance by falling prostrate upon the stage, which pulled some laughs. The house drop descended after each dance. The next was a pretty snow scene with the prop snow flakes brilliantly illuminated and the dancer doing a butterfly dance. Ameta dances without much expression. The mechanical attributes are there strong enough, however, to cinch her for the smaller bills. She interested [sic] in the opening spot at the uptown house.
[New Acts] Sidewalk conversation. 14 mins; one. Straight man and “Silly ass” type of Englishman. The straight has smooth, wise, cracking delivery and ad libs cleverly in his efforts to explain the mysteries of baseball to his stolid companion. The latter registers also with his density and ignorance of the subjects under discussion. Both wear evening clothes. The straight also does a whistling solo, using a prop piccolo just long enough to fool the house into believing he is playing the instrument. A couple of nifty eccentric dances top off a good specialty. They can entertain anywhere and got over strongly at this house.
The Dancing McDonalds, a couple of nifty kids who need to be told how to make effective exits instead of finishing dances in mid-stage, taking the bows and then going off to stage-waits in a closing turn made good in spite of their amateurish technique. As lookers they are perfection they got being built like Pat Rooney and the girl a blonde sweety [sic] of many parts and graces. They looked fresh and clean, their clothes were tasty and well cared for, and they danced a variety of numbers with ease and charms. They should by all means change their stage name, as it smacks of circus or small time whereas they smack of musical comedy at $3 and furthermore each should establish a name individual as well as half a team. This looks like a couple of kid who have a lot and don’t know how much they have, themselves.
The Four Ushers, introduced with a “sympathy” speech in which it was held forth that they were not booked and that what this audience did would fix whether or not they remained in show business, were over before they were on. The girls look like ushers and act like them. There are two good voices in the four, a contralto and a soprano. Their clothes look homemade and their stage technique ditto. In harmony singing they were strong if not artistic. They got plenty of applause.19
12 Mins. One.
Colored man and woman, the latter in exaggerated costume accentuating current styles affected by women. Both are good exponents of the negro style of harmonizing. The woman gets results with some comedy while the male Is singing. “Emmalina” and another rather ancient Southern ditty were doubled in pleasing style. It’s a good small time singing combination.
Trained Pony.
12 Mins
The trainer is a classy looking tall blonde girl in a green jacket and riding breeches. The pony is a well-kept animal and runs’ through an interesting routine of answering, questions by the shaking of the mane, etc. He adds numbers, subtracts, etc., by scraping the hoof in the time honored fashion. Some comedy is injected by his answers, all his work being cued from the position of the girl’s whip. Nothing unusual about the pony’s assortment of tricks but an interesting 12 minutes for the smaller bills.
10 Mins. One.
A pretty blonde youthful-looking girl. tastefully attired in a pink fluffy dress opens with solo “Stop Your Stuttering Jimmy.” It is her only straight contribution for she immediately switches to imitations of a 3-year old baby singing “Johnny’s In Town.” She is a wizard as a delineator of kiddisms and pulls hearty laughs with responses to remarks of the leader. “Tipperary” also in the baby treble is her last number.
12 Mins. One.
Grossman is minus the right arm and makes a Charley Kenna entrance carrying a small suit case and stand. He has some dialogue about contents of suit case. “Cuba” is his first song delivered a la Jolson as are all his vocal efforts. Then Grossman blacks up, using suit case for dressing table, monologing continually the. while. He ties a four in hand tie using but one hand for the operation. “Snoops the Lawyer,” a comedy number, followed by “My Mammy’s Arms” and, “Only a Dream of the Past,” wind up his offering. He went big here and might do for the smaller.
12 Mins.
Hall has-six easels covered with white /paper strung across the stage and he crayons a topical subject on each one. His creations run to current abuse’s such as a boy entering a, telephone booth, to emerge later wearing a beard and the reason for the high cost of living, the answer being a cartooned landlord. Hall has explanatory signs draped on the foot of the easels, letting them fall upon the completion of his pictures. He is a good artist and held interest.
