“Off with the Old Love”
Weird is a mild term for this affair. The Lincoln Square audience is not made up of discriminating theatregoers, but they laughed at the “drama” and declined to smile at the comedy. The setting is the living room of a gay bachelor. A woman comes to visit him. It appears that they have been concerned in a liaison, but the bachelor agrees that they will be married. She goes into another room when bachelor’s inebriated friend intrudes. In conversation with the souse it is revealed that bachelor is about to leave town to marry a country maid in his home town. Woman rushes out to upbraid him, while drunken friend interposes irrelevant remarks meant to be funny. If the sketch was bad, the acting was worse, and it was a 100 per cent flivver all around.
“Widow by Proxy”
Miss Robinson plays the widow role In a polished manner, denoting schooling In the legit. The male lead is convincingly handled, as well as the other male role, with the two additional women, especially the character woman, handling their parts well. The young woman playing the ingénue role is somewhat miscast. “Widow by Proxy” with Its present cast can fill the bill, in a sketch position.
Full Stage.
H. O’Donnell wrote what he dubs a “domestic flash” in “Nearly Single/’ the comedy vehicle in which he and Julia Nash are appearing. There are not only bright lines, but really humorous ones and the running comment between the stage man and wife holds a good deal that is true and human. The couple have just come from the theatre; she is in fighting trim, accusing him of flirting with another woman who was sitting beside him. The battle is on, with hubby declaring the man who wrote “Home Sweet Home” must have been the world’s greatest liar.
“The Prodigal Father.” 1
23d St.
Lew is a member of the Welch family and also a Hebrew character comedian. For vaudeville he has a three-people sketch built on a far-fetched theme. The curtain rises on a lawyer’s office with a mother reading about father’s exploits with chorus girls after her son, a lawyer, had secured a divorce for her. She decides she wants him back, but the son opposes. Welch enters and mother hides in an adjoining room. He too, is ready to make up, and the comedy is derived from his dialog with his son, who adopts a superior air. The well beaten trails are adhered to with Welch getting laughs from some Indifferent material by his handling of the dialog and character.
16 Mins.; Full
Wife phones her lawyer to meet her at her milliner’s. She wants a divorce. Lawyer arrives and is surprised by husband. Lawyer impersonates man modiste calling for comedy business with tape measure. Husband is supposedly having an affair with a French milliner, but the denouement prows her a professional trouble adjuster who has been hired to stimulate wife’s waning affections.
16 min. F.S. A good Wild West show in little, making an excellent closer. The act is well dressed and the scene set of Wyoming is effective introduces roping, broncho-busting, some comedy and a little vocal music. Act held the crowd in very well and made a spectacular finish.
16 min in one. Much of the same act as given here previously, consisting of a lot of kidding and mixing up of the English vernacular. Considerable laughter throughout and closed well.
“The Right Girl.” 24 min F.S. This sketch is about equal in interest as the former one, “A Stormy Hour” and held the attention very well throughout, the comedy situations getting a good deal of laughter from all parts of the house. Closed well.
Two men and one woman in a comedy skit, “Mag Haggerty, Osteopath”. There is a mere thread of a story which serves acceptable for the delineation of Ryan’s comedy. He made quite a personal success and was capably supported. Pretty good finish, and, an act, all in all, satisfactory. C.D.F. in three. 24 minutes.
In a sketch entitled “Cousin Kitty.” 25 minutes full stage. This is the same old sketch under a new name and with a new song or two. Some clever singing and high-class comedy by Mr. Stevens. Act went good.
