10 Mins.; Full Stage. The usual type of mail duos with one fellow doing comedy. They open with cornets and then use the rubber gas pipe from which the German character tries for comedy. The pair then do some work and close with saxophones straight music would get them over much better.
“Home Again” 40 Mins.; One and Full Stage. The merry little musical skit gives the Four Marx Brothers opportunity to do some very effective work in their several lines. They all have talent, and they shine in this piece which allows them to display their own brand of rollicking humor in which they excel. There is but little plot to the piece. The story concerns Henry Schneider (Julius Marx) who is returning with his family and friends from a voyage across the ocean. The scene opens in “one” with the party on the dock after disembarking. There is a flirtatious soubrette mixed up in the affair who has been on the boat, and Schneider, who is suspectable, has fallen for her charms, much to the anger of Mrs. Schneider, Milton Marx is seen as Harold Schneider whose chief work is to look handsome, which he does without question. Leonard Marx is seen in an Italian character, and is specialty at the piano, in which he does comic things which his hands and fingers, in one of the best features. He gets a laugh about every minute, is at ease and graceful, and makes good all the time. Arthur Marx is billed as a “nondescript.” He is made up as a “boob” and his makeup is not pleasant. He gets a good many laughs, but a change should be made in his character. He plays the harp well, and does some comedy with the strings that is in a class by itself. Songs are interspersed and modern dances introduced to round out the second part of the show where the people are engaged in a frolic at a house party at the home of the Schneider’s. At the close, the young people all get into a boat and move off the stage with a rousing chorus. Then follows a pretty scene wherein the boat is seen going down the river in the distance. There are times with the members of the company do not seem to have quiet enough to do, but these things with doubtless be remedied in time. The chorus work is good, with many good voices in the ensemble. Al. Shean wrote and staged the piece, and Minnie Palmer presents it At the Lincoln Hip. where it was the Sunday feature it went over very big with many encores demanded. It looks like a good piece of property.
7 Mins.; Full Stage. Ballin has two assets to support his vaudeville presence, i.e., a mandolin and an American flag. He plays the former while standing on one foot, and then with the instrument resting on his shoulder (making both look like a day’s work) and finally atop a table where he lies on his shoulders with feet suspended upward. At the psychological moment (there is one) he blows a small tin whistle and the stage crew pulls the necessary string to bring Old Glory into view, Ballin meanwhile picking a so-called patriotic number on the string, labeled “U.S. Sounds of Peace.” If the number he played goes for peace, those present seemed inclined to favor war. Ballin is either a museum, picture theatre or amateur act. His present routine is impossible.
A high-class act with many good points. Three young men who appear are not at ease at all times, and make an awkward appearance, but when it comes to music, they are at home. The program is varied and they get into the good graces of an audience readily, offering ensemble numbers with ‘cello, violin and piano, and also solo numbers. Max Steindel is a good ‘cellist, and Ferdinand at the piano shows excellent technic. The act is well fitted for big time. It was received with great warmth Monday afternoon.
“Music in the Air” Mins.; One. Steiner and Swayne are a boy and a girl, the boy at the piano, the girl with a violin. Both sing besides, which makes it harder, as they appear to be using the songs of the one publisher, disregarding whether those numbers fit their style, voices or act. One of the songs fits neither. It is the double number near the finish. The act may have a chance on the small time. What the billing “Music in the Air” stands for is left to the imagination.
[New act] Songs and piano, 11 mins; one. The girls form a trio of soubrets and offer songs, some as solos, others as duets with piano accompaniments and the start and finish going as a trio number, with dance bits usually following the numbers. After the opening a duet proved a slow tempo offering. A kid number solo was colorless. A jazz more diverting. The turn closed with a Dixie number. The act is probably from the West, for while the songs are probably published numbers, most were unknown. The girls need a better selection and improvement might come with more attention to dancing. The simple novelty of a three-girl act seems hardly enough.
Following Harry Delf, “Ye Song Shop,” the conception of putting the old songs against the new, was presented and interested despite a few hitches in the act’s progress. Somehow or other, the costume books refused to become undone, the dancer missed his footing a couple or three times, and the like, but it was all forgiven and unnoticed in the spirit of the moment. Irwin Rosen presents the offering wherein Warren Jackson and Harold Whalen respectively vocalize the old and new songs, with girls stepping from the insides of a huge song book, becomingly dressed in keeping with the theme of the songs employed. The numbers have been kept up to date on the popular end if it and the old time songs have been intelligently selected.
Swift and Daley followed with a novel musical act. Swift plays auto horns on the table and some were concealed on his person. His wit is good, also his playing. Miss Daley wears pretty gowns, but has very little to do. They were easy with their encores, forcing several bows.
Eva Shirley and her jazz band, including Al Roth appeared next. This house is gravy for Roth and they never seem to tire of his “shiver.” Between Roth’s dancing and Ed Gordon’s band, Eva Shirley proved a riot.
[Pistel and Johnson] passed away, giving place to Ethel MacDonough, doing a new act since last seen here. She makes four changes behind a scrim, showing her in her boudoir, with gag lines thrown on a yellow satin curtain illustrating in various changes. This is easily the best act Miss MacDonough has ever done and was received accordingly.
