Leonard and Willard, No. 3, pranced off with the hit of the evening with the hotel skit. Starting with the honeymoon hit, when Miss Willard asked: “Haven’t you any imagination at all?” the laughs came frequently. She sported a new black silk frock with the tulle “floater,” which she discarded, saying it felt like a beard. The comedy number at the close was made the best of. The wish to “bring back the can that’s getting rusty” (beer scuttle) and the added comment by Miss Willard about always leaving wash day netted a hearty outburst.
Nieman and Harris, a tramp and straight two-man combination, next to closing, stood ‘em on their heads with a line of old-fashioned comedy talk and nonsense. While the stuff was ancient, the method of delivering, was entirely modern. The straight is inclined to talk a bit too loud. Probably he thought it was necessary because of the sixe of the house. The tramp comic, besides owning a real voice, is genuinely funny in a quiet, easy fashion.
Baker did a lot of ad libbing with Benny Roberts. Everything he tried landed solidly. He has a new trick of repeating any gag the gang muffs and works it up for laughs. The plant in the box helps out at the finish, but Baker can dispense with him at any time, for he is in safety before the “stooge” butts in. He followed Fay Marbe and got a laugh on his entrance by pulling a few cracks about Miss Marbe’s physical assets, following it up with the remark, “It looks like a good week.”
Dave Kramer and Jack Boyle packed home the comedy smash for the late part of the show, taking the next to closing spot. Following the Vera Gordon act Kramer had plenty of chance to kid about it for laughs. When he spilled some Yiddish Boyle inquired what he was talking about. The answer itself was a laugh: “What do you care as long as they are laughing.” Kramer, too, got plenty of fun with the breath-souse, but beseeching Boyle to argue with him and getting “stewed” on the aroma.
Turner and Josselyn, the latter half of the team boing Nick Basil and Allen, are doing the old Basil and Allen recruiting in a bit out of date, the funny situation and dialect got them over. Turner should slow up his talk, as he muffs and lines and is not audible after the first eight rows.
Barry and Layton, a couple of boys who seek laughs and get them wobbled a trifle in their early talk, but rolled it up to an explosion with their roller skating clown stuff for a getaway.
Kenney and Hollis from the parting of the curtains start begging for applause, and have made an entire routine out of appealing to the audience. They were a stony-hearted bunch on the other side, though, and refused to loosen up. Either that or they remembered this turn from last season, when they were doing the very same sympathy thing, They had a tendency to slow up the entire bill, but luckily the following Kitty Doner, who immediately picked up the running and ran away with all honors.
Al Shayne, headlining, has no trouble in clowning his way into a hot next to closing. The two “plants” did well in a comedy way, and Shayne cinched his kit by singing “My Gal Sal,” delivering it straight and scoring with the old ballad.
The Weiss Troupe (from the circus) in No. 2 had a bad handicap through being unable to use their long perch. It prevented the roof crowd from securing the real line of the three men, now appearing without a woman and attempting some comedy.
Harry Jolson, direct from the big time, made his first appearance around New York in quite some while and was well appreciated. His unbilled assistant, seated in the orchestra rendering several pop number and a few lines of comedy talk helped considerably.
