Christopher and Walton, a mixed couple, got solid laughs in sections of their meritorious talking skit which contains an excellent idea. The man does a good wop character and the girl handles the straight nicely. Both as barbers with a special drop showing two barber shops, the talk revolving around the lady barber and the male barber competing for business.
Lelia Shaw and company offered a comedy sketch entitled “There She Goes Again,” which went over exceptionally well, due to Miss Shaw’s good work more than the vehicle’s merit, which, however, has a good surprise finish.
“At the Boathouse” — man and woman in a comedy skit with singing, talking and dancing; special drop representing a boathouse; 17 min.; went good.
13 min. f.s., spl. set. This is a rather novel sketch with surprise finish. The act received some good laughs throughout and closed to a good hand.
12 Mins.; Full (Special Set). “Almost a Millionaire.” The Usher Trio have an act that will do for laughing purposes on the small time. The set shows the interior of the office of Buttercake & Co., a mail order firm. The two men in the act are clerk and office boy. The girl enters as a young heiress and precedes seemingly to place an order for several thousand dollar’s worth of goods. She has the clerk figure the cost for her and then thanks him, stating it was an example that had been handed to her at school. The trio do a few minutes in “one” at the opening that is not necessary. The principal comedy is furnished by the office boy. It could be improved upon.
Whoever wrote this sketch spent little time on it. It is about a woman, and a bad one at that. The man thinks he is in the clutches of an adventures. His butler tries to steer him right, but ever time he looks at her picture he drops right back to where he was before. So that the act will not become boring or talky, another chap, calling himself a shoemaker, appears, and comedy is tried for, with the finale showing that this newcomer is a member of the adventuress’s company, as she is also an actress. The curtain finds the lover saying he must get a wife. It fathoming out what it was all about, credit should be given.
11 Mins.; Full (Special Drop). Boyd and St. Clair are a man and woman with a comedy skit patterned after some of the teams on big time. The woman hasn’t any voice to speak of, and the act just about passes.
[New Act] Comedy Skit, 16 mins; one (Special Drop). The same act as done by Mayo and Lynn so it might be presumed the only interest remaining is in the new straight man, Mr. Howland. Mr. Howland is all right. He couldn’t be far wrong with Lynn in the turn for here is one of the best top Englishmen on the stage. The act is a first class comedy turn.
[New Act] “Lies and Lies” (Farce), Full Stage (Parlor). “Lies and Lies” is the old style vaudeville farce and looks as though it had been played by Wilfred Clarke when Mr. Clarke was vaudeville’s champ farceur. Lawrence Grattan wrote the piece. It is very aged, in the writing and the theme, while the present company of Mr. Bentley’s one man and two women besides himself, play it poorly. Still the thing is impossible for big time. Running in and out of doors with senseless dialog is not the vaudeville of today excepting on the small time. The small time can use this playlet for the laughs it gives but even them Mr. Bentley should substitute for two members of his company.
“Hello Husband,” by William Anthony McGuire, a local author, featuring Lulu McGuire, his wife, played with three plants and is show stuff, all about producing in bedroom farce. Mrs. McGuire is pleasant and the support was fair, with names not billed except for Hamilton Christy as the young husband.
