Jack Inglis, following the contest, seemed to realize be would have to work fast to hold ‘em, and he just jumped right at ‘em. Inglis’ recitation with the hats, an opening that seemed new, with a male assistant interrupting, and some very effective comedy business with a telephone combined to make him a solid comedy hit. The nut stuff is kept within bounds and as done by Inglis is really funny.
Frank Shields, a cowboy rope manipulator, opened. Shields is a good dancer as well as an expert lariat twister. He combines the two frequently for first rate results.
Following the Santrey riot it looked like a tough job for Mary and Ann Clark to hold them, and it was at first, but the girls kept at it pluckily, and soon as the eccentric comedienne reached the stage from the audience it was pie from there on. The laughs came fast and furious toward the latter part of the turn, filling in a comedy punch that was needed to hold up the show, next to closing.
That business held up as well as it did the first half, however, was undoubtedly due to the presence of Henry Santrey and his Jazz Band. Santrey and his crew of jazzy-harmonists did 42 minutes. The bunch just wouldn’t let them off, although Santrey did no jockeying for bows or in any way attempted to prolong his stay beyond the regular closing of his act. It’s in a class by itself, this Santrey act, made different because it contains real musicians who can jazz or play any old kind of music, classical or popular, and particularly so through Santrey’s delivery of pop songs. He did so many Tuesday night there was no keeping count. Had he wanted to make a “speech” he could have talked himself blue in the face, but he ducked the “I thank you,” and took it out in bows.
Tuesday night “Tripoli,” a Witmark publication, sung by Billy Fagan, was declared the winner, so adjudged by applause. The contest may have pulled a few extra patrons in the first half, in that way reducing the expected depreciation in attendance of the five days preceding Christmas.
Jean Granese and Co. is an audience act. Miss Granese uses two “wop” plants, the frame-up resembling the Frank Sabini act and also Al Shayne turn. One of the “wops” in the Granese act has a tenor voice that suggests grand opera, and which will advance its owner rapidly when he learns how to use it properly. Right now he strains too much. Miss Granese delivers her numbers easily and with nice stage presence. Several duets with the other audience plant playing piano accompaniments stopped the show. It’s an excellent singing turn and the earlier section holds plenty of sure comedy.
Dorothy Wahl, second, entertained with a repertoire of pop numbers. Her routine is pleasingly varied and runs mostly to comedy. A pianologued number and a travesty prohibition recitation, paraphrasing “Paul Revere’s Ride,” were especially well received. Just to show that she is versatile Miss Wahl includes a short dance at the finish.
[New Act] Gymnast, 10 mins; full stage (special hangings). Hurio is a classy gymnast of exceptional strength. He works off the floor entirely, using a high pedestal as a starting point. Upon the pedestal at first he does a posing. Hanging close to the stand is a single ring upon which he performs his first gymnastic exhibition.
Some distance down stage hang a pair of regulation rings. Hurio leaps from his pedestal to them. The stunt is pretty and it looks a lot easier than it is. He drops to the floor several times but always reaches the rings from the pedestals. Heavily musculated, neat in appearance and performance, Hurio adds something by dressing his act with velvet hangings. Good opening turn.
The Battling Nelson act has four boys (white) as plants for the comedy finish, where all attempt to fight the “dummy” figure on the oval bass that is knocked every way and always comes back the other way. The boys half the time are fighting themselves instead of the dummy. That provides the comedy.
Nelson is interesting in his description of famous blows of famous fighters, which he illustrates and mentions with the familiarity born of long acquaintance and observation. He gives Jack Dempsey a great boost, also Tommy Ryan (old timer), and illustrates his own famous blow with which he knocked out Joe Gans for the lightweight championship. Nelson claims that while he was accused of a foul in the 42-round encounter with Gans at Goldfield, it was his kidney blow that did the trick. He tried it on the dummy and told the house that no one could withstand it once it landed.
Nelson was in ring costume, spoke with confidence and directly, wasting no time nor blows. Always a popular champ, he is quickly remembered, as was proven by the reception received when first appearing. His “dummy” idea for exercise is quite the best thing any athlete has yet shown the vaudeville stage as a practical demonstrations of how a business man could keep himself fit without trying the carpet beating stuff so many others have told about. Nelson’s act runs 12 minutes.
Dooley and Storey had the place following the long production, and it hurt them. They have a laughing start, entering in a go-cart (Miss Storey) and dumped out by Bill Dooley when she refuses to give him a kiss. After that Dooley does a lot of things, from Bill Roger’s lariat throwing to Bernard Granville’s dance, and make them like it. Miss Storey is a cute youngster, who works well with Dooley. Dooley only needing an excuse to do some of the thing he can do, and he does them all quite well.
