They were followed by Hunter, Randall and Senorita, a two-man and woman colored comedy skit in “one.” They rushed through their scenes and lines like wildfire, muffing many laughs and at times becoming incoherent from the middle of the house. The act was probably asked to cut the running time and preferred a whole act a la Walter Johnson then cutting out any one part. It crabbed whatever merit the turn possesses.
[New Act] Sketch, 23 mins; three (Special Drop). With Clem Bevins as the town constable before a rural “drop” and a cast consisting of a girl as the prodigal daughter, also a man doubling as the village storekeeper and the husband of the returned long lost member, the sketch did very well with a neighborhood audience.
The usual “hick” comedy with a bit of heart interest inserted toward the finish in the father reuniting his daughter with her second husband – and they liked it tremendously, The act looks “set” for the smaller houses, but it’s problematic about what would happen higher up.
Bevins is well known in burlesque as a “rube.”
There was but a few minutes at the opening end of the show that proved real vaudeville, and Henry Lewis, making his return to vaudeville in his former act, was entirely wasted as the closing act of the show. There seemed to be a lack of good judgment in placing Lewis in the final position, although it must be said that he held the house to a man with his foolery.
The Lewis act is identically the same as it was prior to his deserting vaudeville and going into production work. He has the same dressing, and the only bit of the turn that is dropped is the scenery of the “Laugh Shop” with the giggle register. He sings poems, operas and “squidgulums,” and the audience howls. He dances and cuts up generally, and at the finish there was the usual speech, but the applause wasn’t strong enough for him to do a regular number after the act itself was finished. Had he been on a little earlier in the bill there is no doubt but that he would have walked away with the solid hit of the show, that much was indicated by the return that he got in the closing.
“Apartment House Frolics,” two men and two women one of the funniest skits seen on the small time in many months, closed the bill. With the right kind of performer the act couldn’t miss on the two-a-day.
26 Mins.; Full Stage (Special Set). Ben Hendricks was at one time in “The Spring Maid” with Christie MacDonald, and was funny, but at present, in vaudeville, he is not. There is no chance for the act in its present shape.
22 Mins.; Three (Interior). “At Home.” McConnell and Simpson, assisted by Laurence Simpson, have a new act, “At Home,” by H.H. Winslow. The action is supposed to occur in the McConnell and Simpson home at Kansas City. Living with them is Grant’s brother’s Laurence. The men return from a ball game, arguing, and the wife at home has a meal waiting. There’s talk of spending the evening out when the suggestion goes that a rehearsal of the new McConnell-Simpson act take place. In a jiffy the trio enacts a farcical little skit with Miss McConnell playing the role of an insane asylum superintendent, Grant Simpson, a lawyer, who makes believe he’s a new patient to study real conditions at the institution, and Laurence Simpson, a Chicago drummer, who plays doctor, attendant and patients with the aid of wigs that the “lawyer” may be fooled on the supposed “filled up” business the place is doing. After the act Laurence refuses to rehearse it a second time and rushes out, leaving his brother and wife quarreling over him. The phone rings. Grant is informed that his brother has been killed by an auto. Here Grant breaks into tears and a transformation comes over his wife when she realizes the boy she has been berating is dead. It’s a quick change and very well done. The new act gives Miss McConnell opportunity to use her old laugh mixed in with some hysterical tears, while there’s a mixture of comedy and pathos. The act was well received Monday night.
26 Mins.; Full Stage (Special Set). Ben Hendricks was at the one time in “The Spring Maid” with Christie MacDonald, and was funny, but at present, in vaudeville, he is not. There is no chance for the act in its present shape.
19 Mins.; Full Stage. Will prove a clever comedy sketch for small time providing it is cut down to the real meat in the idea. At present the turn is at last four minutes too long and consequently draggy in spots. Miss Iles is a clever little girl who does nicely with the material she has. Her support is not a strong as it should be. The man is clever enough, but the woman settlement worker is not. The act while a comedy has pathos well turned to laugh at the finish. When in shape, good for small time.
12 Mins.; Full Stage (Library). A farcical playlet with mistaken identity for the foundation. When you can get four people at a limited price, too much is not to be looked for, and if you don’t look for too much in this “farce,” you won’t be disappointed, either in the playlet or the players. Otherwise it’s a bad boy.
Thomas Dugan and Babette Raymond found the closing intermission spot to their liking with their absurd sketch structure for unctuous funniments of Dugan and the quiet fending of Miss Raymond. Dugan’s smooth, unconscious fun is delightful, a neat delivery of spontaneous drollery and surprise comedy lines.
