“The King of Ireland and Queen of Vaudeville.” I have never seen Donovan fall down with an audience yet and I have played him a number of times. He has a personality that makes itself felt and his Irish stories, clean and inoffensive always got over in good shape. Miss Arnold looks nice, dresses becomingly and makes three changes. Our Monday afternoon crowd is coldly critical but Donovan kept them howling for 18 minutes and then had to go back for a 6 min encore that is pretty old but went over in good shape. Street in. time 18 min.
“The Villain Still Pursued Her.” This is one of the best travesties on a melodrama I have seen since Harry Hampton came over with “The Melodrama” some years ago. Before the right kind of audience the act ought to go with a scream but a goodly portion of the “wise” Monday jury this afternoon failed to get the numerous fine points to the act. Roberts was never funnier than as the “dying child” and the other members of the company were good. Attic in 3. Time 23 min.
This act, written by Paul Dickey and Chas. W. Goddard and produced by Maurice Campbell, had its first presentation here today and held the audience spellbound. Never have I seen an act in vaudeville that has gripped an audience as did this one today and the interest was intense during the 18 minutes of its presentation. The scene is laid in a wireless station at Cape Fear, North Carolina, with a terrific storm raging outside. The operator on duty keeps getting a call for C.F. and decides to answer. The reply comes “Off Scarboro Reed, nine fathoms deep” and signed Carroll Brown. From another operator he learns that Brown and Bradley Wolf had both loved the same girl and had cut the cards to determine which would leave the other free to woo her. Brown loses and starts away in a storm but is supposed to have wrecked off the reef. On the night of storm the message had come over the wireless that Brown would return on Wolf’s wedding night. The wireless keeps flashing the message and the operator summons Wolf on the phone and delivers the message. Wold arrives at the station and orders the operator to return to the house with his fiancé and be careful that the automobile does not skid over the sea wall. Wolf has been in the station but for a few minutes when Brown, “the man from the sea” returns. He accuses Wolf of treachery and insists upon again cutting the cards for the girl, stating that if he wins he will take her back with him “nine fathoms deep.” Brown wins and as the card is turned the phone rings and Wolf is informed that the automobile has gone over the sea wall and the girl is drowned. Brown vanishes into the storm.
While the act is weird it does not have that gruesomeness that might be expected. It is finely acted, the cast being above the average while the storm effect with “real rain,” etc., is the best that I have seen staged. It seems to me that properly worked this act could be heavily featured anywhere and will create discussion. Certainly there is no other act like it in vaudeville today and those managers who are constantly crying for novelties would do well to consider this one. Own set in 3. Time 18 min.
“The College Boy and Girl.” Eccentric dancing and talking act in 1. Conflicts in a degree with the opening act. Had hard work getting the audience this afternoon but went much better at night. Olio in 1. Time 16 min.
In “Red Ike.” A western comedy sketch that is full of good stuff and one of the most attractive settings I have seen in vaudeville. Sketch is lively, full of action and the lines are bright. Could go down further in the bill and more than make good. Good value for any house. Own set in 3. Time 18 min.
“Watch the Cigarette.” Man and woman in a cross-fire singing and talking act. In a tough spot for a talking act. Some of their material is a trifle ancient but they got a good many laughs throughout their act. Act would go #2 on the smaller time. Garden drop in 1. Time 22 min.
“The Dutchman’s First Visit.” This is the old Spissell Brothers and Mack act, though not nearly as good as the original. Act moves rather slowly for an acrobatic comedy act. In its present shape would make a good opening act on the smaller time. Garden in 4. Time 10 min.
“The Night of the Masquerade.” All Dutch acts in this house are judged by the standard set by the Wilson Brothers and German act has to be extraordinarily good to get by here. These men had a tough time of it this afternoon, their talk getting a few scattering laughs. A suggestive parody on “Rings on her Finger” caught the Monday afternoon aggregation of “critics” we got here while their burlesque opera suggestion and Salome dance at the finish went well. The parody was promptly out after the first hearing. Own drop in 1. Time 25 min.
Joseph Hart’s latest production. Scene is laid in Fleischman’s and the various characters typical of the place are to be found. There is the fat “souse” who has been out celebrating the night before and has picked up a couple of freight brakeman and has brought them to the bath. Some good comedy is introduced and there is a touch of heart interest brought in. I consider the act a good feature for any bill, though it requires a little more working out before it is running as smoothly as it should. Own set in 3. Time 24 min.
The Storiette Comedian. Neat appearing young chap with a fairly good line of patter. His impersonation of an effeminate young man reciting “The Charge of the Light Brigade” is really the feature of his act. Street in 1. Time 14 min.
