Coleman Goetz, the popular song writer, came next, and ran away with applause honors. He sings his own numbers, telling several original gags with an unusual style of delivery, several of these very risqué, which he might eliminate. He is assisted by a piano player who seems very amateurish.
85 Mins. (Special Settings). “The New Sunnyside.” Max Bloom has taken his old vehicle known as “The Sunnyside of Broadway,” added new scenery, new people, new costumes and has made of it a neat, swift and comical little musical comedy. It is a corking good laughing show, with not a dull minute. It has variety also, in good dancing numbers. There is not much plot to the show, but there is so much liveliness and loveliness displayed that this is not a handicap. Mr. Bloom, seen in a Hebraic character, carries the burden of the comedy although George Browning and Louis Swan, who get into the semblance of a horse and cavort over the stage in a ludicrous manner, get a smother of laughs early. Alice Sherr does some effective work and is at her best in a sensational dance near the close, assisted by George Browing. She wears a smashing creation consisting of red tights, a black gauze gown with a sort of tunic of spangles. Inez Belaire, a Chicago young woman, appears here and there and adds a very nice specialty in a whistling number. The show is almost one continuous laugh, closing with burlesques on “Uncle Tom’s Cabin” and the old fashioned war drama which are distinguished by some very good pieces of business in the way of travesty.
25 Mins.; Full Stage. This act seems to have hastily been thrown together without apparent rhyme or reason being evolved when the finished product has been turned out. It is an excuse for a small time team to appear in numbers with three girls and three boys working as a chorus behind them. The chorus is one of the bad features. They cannot sing nor dance, and as that seems to be the reason for the act, why the less said the better. The act is prettily costumed.
11 Mins.; One. A young girl and man, the former playing the violin, also acting as straight for her partner’s foolishness. That consists of a James J. Morton-Frank Tinney-Harry Fox routine that shows a nice discrimination by this budding comedian. The “copy stuff” seemed to do at the Columbia Sunday afternoon. The girl plays fairly, but looks really well. No visible reason why she should use the violin at all in this act, excepting it sends the young copyist off the stage now and then to permit her to do so. The point of merit about the turn for consideration is that it has new jokes, or at least not any heard on the strange to date. That is something, really a great deal, and it might induce the man of the team to evidence originality as well in other directions.
24 Mins.; Full Stage (Exterior). The Mirth Makers are presenting a tabloid musical comedy with four principals, three men and one woman and a chorus of six girls. There is a thread of a story that is constantly shoved into the background to permit the introduction of numbers and comedy. The act will be a big flash for the small time providing it can get along on a small time salary. There are a pair of comedians in the cast that are fair for small time and the chorus is the next best thing in the act. Popular numbers get the act over.
“The Society Buds” 44 Mins.; Full Stage (Special Set). Forty-four minutes is too long for a big time vaudeville musical comedy sketch, even though a Jesse Lasky production with the popular Clark and Bergman starred. That is the only trouble just now with the act. If reduced to a reasonable time limit, this Lasky number should rank with his “Trained Nurses” which did so well for a couple of seasons, with the same couple leading. William Le Baron wrote the book and lyrics, with music by Robert Hood Bowers. Frank Smithson staged the piece. Two songs are interpolated by the principals, written by Irving Berlin. Eight chorus girls and a musical director are there. A logical story is carried to the finale. Henry Bergman as a chauffeur in love and Miss Clark as a main in the same family, impersonate their employers (who are professional dancers) to entertain a party of society buds that evening, teaching them to dance receiving $5,000 for it. The attempts of two butlers (Clifford Robertson and Vincent Erne) to steal the money furnish the grounds for the comedy and the repeated entrances and exits of the pair. One number, “Society Buds’ Day,” led by Miss Clark, is made into an extensive affair, a sort of illustrated picture series of the choristers who have an opportunity in it. This is very well put on. “My Idea of Paradise (Berlin) is a pretty song. The other Berlin number was “I Love to Quarrel with You” (used Tuesday night in place of the programed “Furnishing Up a Home for Two”). “The Chained Ankel Glide” (Bowers) afforded a chance for a neat little bit of business and satire on the prevailing short skirt. It was done by Mr. Bergman and the girls. Messrs Robertson and Erne tall and short respectively, had “It’s Really Too Absurd” for a duet number, with a dance, and from this point onward the two dancing, as the act is at present routine, is the biggest factor in it including the dances by Miss Clark and Mr. Bergman collectively and individually. The two comedians brought several laughs, and the two principals did the same, securing most of the latter with repartee, using some sure-fires such as “the first national bank.” Miss Clark looked daintily pretty and her personality left an impression. Mr. Bergman handled himself and his material as usual, excellently. The act is costumed in the Lasky prodigal manner. Until properly condensed no one concerned in the turn will know just where they are at expecting that there is enough “meat” to it. And four Class A principals. Jane Quirk conducted the orchestra.
Lawrence Brothers and Thelma opened. They do all kinds of juggling and accomplish some interesting feats. Ryan and Cortez, Miss Ryan doing comedy and Cortez playing harp and violin, next. She is a likeable comedienne, but cracks a few “blue” lines that she might eliminate. She is not only a comedienne, but a dancer of high caliber. Cortez is a wizard of the harp and violin and plays several selection to a good band. The team is worthy of better material.
Earle S. Dewey and Mabel Rogers in “No Tomorrow,” a vaudeville oddity by Jack Lait, proved enjoyable. The clever work of this musical comedy paid is an excellent vehicle with an attractive futuristic stage setting landed solidly. Dewey’s prohibition number and the double jazz song dance finish were the outstanding bits.
George and Ray Perry punished a couple of banjoes. Two banjoes do not make the sweetest music in the world at anytime, and George leans, on his strings for volume rather than melody, and goes to it for speed rather than symphonic vibration. The girl is comedy and has a gleam of personality which she had small chance to register in the stupid routine of playing second banjo on a chair at the footlights from start to finish. In its present form an opening act for the four-a-day.
19 min. in 1 and 1 ½ spl. A very capable couple doing a variety of singing, talking and dancing; Received many laughs and pleased very much.
