Woolsey and Ardsley, operating swiftly through the man’s comedy except when the girl held too long in mid-act with a number, suffered also, but ran with the rest of the bill in this, their “going” being no fair estimate of their worth or work. Lucas and Ines closed to apathy and walk-outs, despite the girl’s lovely form and art poses.
Dewey and Rogers fared fairly well, evidently pleasing thoroughly, but bucking constantly against the crust of that hard-boiled bunch. The turn showed class and got several woof laughs, but nothing like what a merry houseful would give; it took three curtains and after curtain, however.
Billy B. Van and James J. Corbett curtailed their crossfire turn, elimination the portion of their routine referring to the Eighteenth Amendment, but it wasn’t missed and went as well as usual, which means Class A in the way of a hit. Van seemed to be in particularly fine fettle and has the audience in hysterics with his colored cards.
The big comedy hit was Pete, Pinto and Boyle, appearing as part of the big act. This male trio, with a rather original idea, topped the show, the big laughs coming from Pinto’s working in the audience, and who steps on the stage for the finish, and by rubbing his thumb on a wardrobe trunk, makes a noise sounding like a bass viol, which accompanies Pete’s steel guitar playing. Jack Boyle handles the straight nicely, possessing a good voice and appearance.
Howard Langford and Ina Frederick took one of the hits of the program. Langford is a fast and subtle jester and Miss Frederick is an ideal support and a sugary looker. The set was naughty and so was the stuff, but it was silk in props and handling, and silk is rarely offensive. The women loved it.
Norton and Nichols, man and woman comedy talking combination, were next to closing, but have not sufficient comedy material to help them ascend the ladder of vaudeville. He has several new and funny “gags,” but not enough of them to keep the audience interested throughout.
Jimmy Lucas and Francene, fourth, found a friendly house nicely settled down by this time and had no difficulty in cleaning up a rousing comedy hit. Mr. Lucas has developed the knack of doing “nance” stuff without making it effective. Francene makes a capital vamp. The pictures seemed to have missed something in the personable little “French” girl.
Laurel Lee woke up the audience with personality and charms. Laurel might have done the big time the compliment to offer a little new material, which she didn’t. With more ballast to her stuff the child would sail to heaven with a Majestic audience making wind for her with hand motions; as it was, she took good laughs and applause and got she! And she! And other audible approvals. She is first-rate stuff in appearance, talents, individuality and amazing gracefulness of every gesture and mood. She has $2,000,000 worth of eyes – $1,000,000 an eye. They drew heavy interest Monday.
Another transplanted pair were Morrison and Daily, who are here having a new act written, and who booked the night to show before their author. Miss Daily has a Florence Moore personality and more looks; Morrison is a dry wit who corks points across with that cunning which marks the deft comedian from the amateur or miscast clown on sight. They were immediately picked by the lowbrows as of another world, and the afterclaps were as befitted.
Milt Collins got plenty of laughs from the proletarians on his Cliff Gordon’s act, the apostrophe of the possessive being not misplaced, for he uses not only the late comedian’s manners, but his closing gag about wives going on strike and scabs taking their places, and several of his best crackers intact; his start is unpropitious, due to poor taste to comedy, anent the origin of the Stars and Stripes, in which he says (and with a German accent!) that in 1776 our soldiers had ammunition and no ambition, but a woman came along with a red, white and blue petticoat, and when she waved it our soldiers got “ambition,” and they have followed the petticoats ever since – rather broad wit on such a delicate subject. Collins got laughs because most of his stuff was punchy hokum; at the last show Monday he did not get enough applause to warrant taking one bow.
