Leo Burns and Thomas Foran were the first of three teams who began their acts with lyrical descriptions of why they were present and what they would do. Their dancing needs no introduction and the song about themselves does not especially recommend them. They had much better begin with the dance and let it speak for itself. Their stepping is abundantly able to do that.
Julian Dayton has a clever little sketch. It is a good laugh-maker and, with a little girl who plays the wife, cannot help but go along. Dayton is a hard-to-please husband who has a wife slaving for him. Across the airshaft is a woman who has had a great deal of experience in matrimony. She tells the wife not to let her husband walk all over her. When George (the husband) pulls in on this specific evening, he is out of sorts. Wifey wants to go to the opera. Husband finds fault with everything. It is the maid’s day out, and things do not run smoothly. The wife finally prevails upon him to put on his evening clothes for dinner, but does not tell him about the opera. George returns in the glad rags and finds fault with the wife’s cooking. He becomes enraged (the house. It is raining. He returns. The wife thinks it is her twin. She throws dishes around and surprises her spouse, following the instructions of her friend across the court. George is buffaloed. Then she springs the opera thing, and off they go. The second woman has little to do. The wife is acceptably done, some real laughs coming from her interpretation of an angry woman. Mr. Dayton is a fair husband, but owes the success of the sketch to his side partner.
Whiting & Burt with their “song savings” closed and held them in a body, accepted one encore and could have done more. “Pretty Little Cinderella” was indeed a pretty conceit and scored exceedingly. Miss Burt is a pert miss with a vivacious though modestly restrained style that wins her audience completely. George Whiting, of course, can outsing any of ‘em with a published number. The duo is doing “Bimbo on Bamboo Isle” in a manner which will ever keep that number fresh and new. It is in the nature of a “hick” conception and a scream from verse to punch line.
Leon Errol as the inebriated guest acted ancient history sufficiently funny to make his audience forget its unreality in these .005 per cent days. Alf James in the butler role was his usual convincing self, serving as excellent foil for Errol’s quips.
Anderson & Yvel, a roller skating pair, did a series of familiar dances but performed on skates as they were, fetched ready and hearty response. The Egyptian travesty and Apache things are about on their last legs as far as straight dance turns are concerned, but the extra novelty of being performed on rollers gets it over handsomely.
Lane and Moran, unprogrammed fourth, were the first to reach ‘em with comedy and landed a hefty hit. Mr. Lane is an eccentric comic of ability, and his partner is a clever dancer and straight. Considerable of the material is use is familiar and a freshening of the routine is in order.
Clark and Virdi, next to closing, held the spot creditably, gathering a high average of laughs with their natural “Wop” character conversational exchanges. The team is using several new statuettes for comedy dialog, and get a lot out of series of plays on the word, “history.” The songs landed for usual results.
Maud Earl and Co., their, attracted immediate attention with the class of singing turn. Miss Earl, although suffering from a slight cold Monday night, noticeable in the higher register of her voice, did the “Traviata” aria effectively and earned heavy applause with “Macushia,” a pretty Irish song. The finish with Miss Earl in knickers made a neat contrast for the classical stuff that had gone before.
Harry Carroll and Co., headlining, ran away with the show, closing the first half. Following Mr. Carroll’s rhymed token of appreciation as insistent demand for another “speech” brought him out on one for a happily worded “impromptu.” The show had all the elements requisite of a good vaudeville entertainment and ran very smoothly.
Margaret Young, next to closing the first half, chalked up one of the hits of the show with her song routine. Her chorus girl number is right with the customers and following her own inimitable rendition of “Oh, by Jingo,” she had them begging for more. “By Jingo” it was, but she was compelled to respond with two more extra innings, doing “Where is My Sweetie Blues?” and “Bimbo on Bamboo Isle.” That probably exhausted her routine, else she would be up there yet. Miss Young is a ‘warm’ sort of miss with a harmless way of putting over a naughty lyric is undeniable.
