[New Act] Dancer, 11 mins; one. Nat Burns is a hard shoe dancer who also included some comedy chatter with his stepping. He appears a likely candidate for the small time in an early spot. Both talk and stepping, while not extraordinary, will entertain small-time audiences.
Next to closing the Texas Comedy Four served up some ditties that were satisfactory to the audience. The way that the boys handled the “Memphis Blues” went a long way toward their scoring.
[New Act] Songs and talk, 12 mins; one. Working against the audience all the way Billy DeVere, in black face, failed to gain as much in the way of response, possibly due to his material or the side remarks passed by him on the conduct of those seated.
Three songs interspersed with a few stories. His efforts were most listless even bordering an carelessness, and he did not appear to be giving his usual show. Accorded a short reception on his first entrance he passed it up and left with practically nothing. The scarcity of applause received at the finish should prove a warning for another such performance as DeVere did Friday it will not help.
[New Act] Sketch, 16 mins; One and full stage. A comedy playlet the should hold its own on the circuit, due to Walter Poulter’s efforts though his support may be put down as negligible. Assisted by a girl, as his supposed ward, and a man as he fiancé, though an unsuspected crook until the finish the act shaped up with enough comedy in it to keep its head above water. It did nicely at the close.
[New Act] Songs, 12 mins; ones. Margaret Merle scored as the individual favorite of the evening singing four songs, one, a ballad that they simply “ate up” on the Roof.
Possessing a nice voice, with average good looks, Miss Merle, opening after intermission, seemed to find the going much easier than others on the bill.
Trovato, the eccentric violinist, headlining, departed his usual hit, but even he was not spared by the gallery gods, although he turned their razzing to good purpose with his fiddling imitations. As an act Trovato is a funny proposition, but it is this very puzzling eccentricity, otherwise “showmanship” that impresses. Entering fittingly, very a la “nance,” he earns for himself a cross between a derisive and pitiful giggle (although an audience may not translate their emotions in so many words), but at the same times commands an interest, which, fortified as he is by headline billing, turns the sympathy again in his favor. For the rest, Trovato holds his instrument a la cello and grinds out rag and classic which ofttimes strikes raspingly on the ear, but cannot be dismissed as poor instrumentalization. It is not.
Ronair and Ward, No. 2 after intermission, fared considerably well with their crosstalk in “two” over a rural hedge, in which the couple recognize themselves as former neighbors, and engage in pleasant familiarities and reminiscences to the delight of their audience.
19 Mins.; Full Stage (Special Set). “The Shoplifter” is a melodrama of the type that makes its greatest appeal to a small time audience. It contains all of the salient points that made the melos of a decade ago the popular entertainment for the shop girl and her beau. The plot of “The Shoplifter” smacks a little of the Horatio Alger stories. This has been modernized and placed into a set and environment similar to that of the first act of “Within the Law.” There is the mighty boss of the department close-fisted and grasping, the private detective, the shoplifter and all the attendant features that go with three principal characters of this sort. The department store has been systematically robbed for several weeks; the regular house staff of coppers cannot find the thief; an agency man is called in and he locates the crook. She proves to be the sister of one of the former employees of the store, who was injured while working and is at present in a hospital. There is a noted European surgeon visiting America. He is told of the boy’s case and although his fee is never under $1,000 he is willing to attend to this case for $300. Because of the fact that a jury refused to award her brother any damages for the injuries he received by falling down the elevator shaft in old flint-fist’s store, the girl starts stealing to get the required amount. She is caught and confesses and as she is about to be taken to the police station the proprietor’s own daughter is brought into his office in an unconscious condition, she having fallen down the same elevator shaft as the boy .At the sight of his own offering’s suffering the boss undergoes a change of heart and refuses to appear against the shoplifter. The act closed a strong favorite on the American Roof.
[New Act] Hand balancing and acrobatics, 10 mins; full stage. Man and woman, The man is on first with some baton juggling, very dexterously done. The girl is petite and besides acting as mounter is the hand-to-hand stuff on a first rate tumbler on her own account. She does forwards and backwards swiftly and handles all of the familiar ground tumbling tricks in an experienced way. For a finish the girl carries the man off, holding him aloft in one hand. This is a corking feat of strength for the size of the girl. Closing the show at the American the act did well. Good silent turn for any type of house.
[New act] Dance, 10 mins; three. A couple in a straight dance routine, opening with a waltz, he in velvet suit, she in ballet costume. The waltz is variegated with a little toe-stepping on her part which as develops proves to be her forte.
A solo by each follows, with the man in the sateen blouse and the velvets doing a whirling Russian number, and the woman a toe one-step. For a finish, following a short double dance number, he whirls her on his shoulder to the extent of a quartet of curtains. Good pop house team for either end.
