[New Act] Piano and dances, 14 mins, full (special). Two girls presenting a dance routine in a set of special drapes, with Hal Smith at the piano and offering the song numbers necessary to the introduction of each dance. The idea is a neat one and rather well worked out. With a little more speed the girl will be ready for the big time in an early spot. The piano player in the weak spot of the act at present; he fails to get his material over at any stage of the act. They open with a double; this is followed by a single with toe dancing, a fox trot double, and then an imitation of Eddie Leonard by one of the girls; a piano specialty by Smith, and a jazz double by the girls at close. The act is pretty and the girls work well together. There are three sets of costumes for the double and two for the singles.
[New Act] Cycling gymnasts, 9 mins; full. Two men working straight and a comedian offering a corking cycling and gymnastic routine. The boys open working three of the high-boys, this followed, by the two straights doing a hand to had on one of high ones. A bit of comedy follows with a large wagon wheel. A waltz by the straights on unicycles was an applause hit. Head to head balancing on a high one was the closing bit which brought applause, it is worthy of the opening spot on the better bills.
John Butler and Co. in “His Wedding Night,” third, got their full quota of laughs with their light comedy sketch offering. A young woman, unprogammed, playing an engenue [sic] role does excellent work playing opposite Mr. Butler. The sketch holds an unusual number of complications and a surprise finish that makes it a very pleasing turn of its kind.
Christie and Bennett, next to closing, held attention and secured laughs consistently throughout their talking routine. It’s practically the same act that was done some months ago by Lloyd and Christie and is away from the usual run of talking turns, in that it doesn’t depend on gags so much laughs as the every-day nature of the subjects discussed.
By way of contrast there were Ed and Bertie Conrad, with an ultra-modern jazz singing and dancing turn, backed up with a stage full of satin drapes, colored “spots” and special song material. It made a real class turn, the production values being more noticeable through following the roughhouse quartet. Mr. Conrad cheapens his act, however, by resorting to mugging for comedy. It might be a good idea, too, to settle down to whatever dialect he is going to use and go to it. Monday night he seemed uncertain whether he was doing straight, Hebraic comic or darkey. The double numbers are especially well written and out over skillfully. The orchestrations are worthy of comment. Miss Conrad showed several pretty costumes and counted largely in the all around good impression registered.
And it was slam-bang variety that won out Monday night, as represented by the Monarch Comedy Four. It’s one of those old-time singing fours, with a nance, Tad, eccentric and semi-straight. Every time the Tad started to tell a gag the nance broke him up, and always for riotous comedy returns. Just to cinch their comedy hit, the eccentric slaps the Tad on the back with a folded newspaper, likewise for howls. Not so very funny in telling, perhaps but distinctly so in a low-comedy way, as handled by the Monarch Four. They sing tunefully, much above the average, with a youthful tenor standing out in the solos. The act stopped the show, No. 4.
[New Act] Acrobatics, 9 mins; full stage. Two men. One in evening dress does a “souse” entering via the casement window. The other appears as the butler. They offer a comedy acrobatic routine with some single work here and there. The souse effects some good falls the other specializing in somersaulting. The falling table stunt with both men aloft four high is the final and best feat.
Clark and Verdi followed in the next to closing spot, carrying the comedy pace a notch faster. They are still using the statue act, but it looks like a lot of different and quite a measure of new matter is present. At the entrance, the old monicker, “Tony Bootz,” is recalled. Verdi tried to explain to Clark that he was a “salesman.” In doing so he inquired, “If I sell you something, what am I?” Clark replying. “A wise guy,” in dialect it sounded very funny. The comedians are getting more out of the descriptions of the statues and busts. One of the best was on Louis XIV whom Verdi called “Cockeyed Louis.” The comedy song finish and argument took them off to a good exit. The improvement in the turn is considerable and the team may pull a comeback, again getting the better houses.
Leonard and Willard, No. 3, pranced off with the hit of the evening with the hotel skit. Starting with the honeymoon hit, when Miss Willard asked: “Haven’t you any imagination at all?” the laughs came frequently. She sported a new black silk frock with the tulle “floater,” which she discarded, saying it felt like a beard. The comedy number at the close was made the best of. The wish to “bring back the can that’s getting rusty” (beer scuttle) and the added comment by Miss Willard about always leaving wash day netted a hearty outburst.
Alexander and Mack, a pair of comedy tramps singing parodies exchanging old-fashioned wheezes and generally remindful in the frame-up of their turn of the type of doubles popular in Tony Pastor’s day years ago, cleaned up, next to closing.
