In “Gowns.” A splendid sketch, excellently played by Mrs. Hughes, and her support is fairly good. Held the audience right to the finish. Got lots of laughs, and considering the late place on the bill, all the curtain calls that could be expected. 22 minutes. Full stage.
Practically the same act that was given by Hawthorn & Inglis, and as far as this house is concerned, no better – and that was pretty bad. Our audience like “nut” work when there is a little merit behind it, but these people did not reach the audience or me. However, they might do very well in some other places, and I think should be given another chance before condemnation. 14 minutes in one.
The show started at this point. This is a snappy talking act by two men and a woman, built on new lines, and the audience were quick to realize that “something was doing.” 14 minutes in one.
The kind of act that people do not like because it smacks of cruelty; lifting the dogs by their hinds legs, etc. If that part of the act was cut out, there would be nothing left. Besides, the dogs don’t work well and seem to be very much afraid of the trainer. 11 minutes Full stage.
A very wonderful act. The precision and unison with which the two monkeys do the trapeze work is about the best I every saw in any animal act. This act should be played everywhere. 10 minutes. Full stage.
These two men certainly “walked away with the audience,” receiving plenty of applause and creams of laughter. I am glad the audience liked them because we are paying them a lot of money. For myself, I agree with Clark Brown that it is about as unfunny and cheap lot of nonsense as I ever saw, but the audience liked it and that is all that is necessary. 25 minutes in one.
“The Girl of 1000 Eyes.” Brought back for return engagement because I felt that for this bad week there were enough gullible people who would attend to have their fortunes told to warrant a return engagement. While the act to me is a palpable cheap offering, there is no doubt it does get a certain class of people and has some draft.
Man and woman in a little skit introducing imitations of barnyard animals, et cetera, and some whistling by the woman. The man’s imitations were very good, but the presentation and manner of delivery was so crude that the whole thing smacks of cheap atmosphere, and the woman is so exceedingly “excess baggage” that it must be classed as a very poor offering. 20 minutes in the afternoon, when cut down to 15 minutes at night it proved a trifle better. Opens in two; closes in one.
Revolving ladder act; one straight, one clown, of the irregulation [sic] style of act which suffices to open the show but no more. Its brevity is also a drawback, although happily I did not need the time this week. 6 minutes. Full stage.
Another great possibility gone wrong both in the writing and playing. I don’t mean to imply that it is not a good act – from the audience’s standpoint – although a great many of them got nervous and “wiggly” after the thing was about half through. It plays up strong, however, at the finish with a strong appeal to Motherhood which gets a good hand. 30 minutes full stage.
