Alexander Brothers and Evelyn gave the show a bouncing start and one wonders just what they would do if they had a spot on the bill. They make little rubber balls do everything but talk and at times you think they do that too.
Another “hit” was put down for Newhoff and Phelps. They, in their own intimate style, delivered songs that you like and the way you like ‘em. A fighting love song took them off to thunderous applause. It’s an act in itself and the way this charming couple served it up – peaches and cream.
Sully and Mack did all right. The “wop” comic got powerful laughs and remained consistently in character throughout, piling up an impression. The straight man was wonderfully straight, and used “Do you mean to tell me?” and “Let me understand you clearly,” and wore perfectly fitted clothes, and sang a mother ballad, playing it according to Hoyle. Not that it wasn’t what the act required – it certainly was. It as a strong team, the work is fast, and the finish was a wallop.
Oliver Smith and Company in “A Touch in Time ,” a perfect comedian in a feeble sketch, failed to hold up the early pace. The laughs were scattered and the finish was well, but not enthusiastically applauded. Smith is capital as before. But the skit stalled.
Lane and Harper picked up this tempo and easily made up the sag of a two-minute stagewalk while their stuff in “two” was hastily set. By the time Miss Harper got to showing 87 per cent of her superb physique over and under a thimbleful of clothes, and Lane had sent in “Profiteering Blues” to hit scarcely to be expected of this aged baby at this late day, this spanking pair was on the way to a show-stopper, broken by a light encore without orchestra that was delicious. In a review of this pair recently at a smaller house, Variety raid “Big time for sure.” They got there quickly and made good with a clang.
Jerome and Newell, opening in “one” with clarinet and one-string box fiddle, had ‘em from the bell, and when they added a neat dance and then flied to full for rapid and stellar three-bar horizontal flipping and flying, it went to a smash.
Yvette Ruget, with a pianist opens with a well arranged introductory medley which, including bits from “Gianina Mia,” “Peggy,” “Nobody Knows,” “You’d Be Surprised,” and “Sweet Summer Breeze,” neatly blended. Her clear enunciation, “temperament” and top notes put her over in good shape. One of the little Wilton Sisters, separated only by intermission entered into competition with Miss Rugel for vocal honors. Both the girls have well trained voices and harmonize musically and effectively. Their fully rounded tones have fine, mellow maturity.
“The Little Cottage” is a tabloid with a pretty set, 10 girls, two men and a leading woman. It has been playing about some time and is in good shape. There is feminine sartorial display, the girl numbers alternating with singing and comedy.
It is an unsatisfying program. The big readline act is Valeska Suratt is a disconcerting melodramatic sketch replete with underworld slang. It is real, old-fashioned melodrama, with the old-thing. As an exemplification of cave-man drama it is unique. Miss Suratt orates and intones a la Ethel Barrymore. Some years have passed since we had anything so stirring in vaudeville. In less than half an hour we have the “meat” of a full evening’s red-blooded underworld melodrama, so why sit through two and a half hours to get what can be dished out in one-fifth the time?
An unaccountable stage-wait hung up Walter Ward and Ethel Dooley, closing the show. A closer has enough woes without a five-minute delay. Then the two little people came out in “one” after all, and with a feeble song and dance to follow [Tom] Dingle, those girls and the other dancers on the bill. Still a few remained. But when Miss Dooley rolled in on a bicycle and the first rays of the spotlight struck the nickel-plating, there was a stampede, and what came after that didn’t matter.
