Description: “Lady Gossip.” 29 Mins.; Full Stage.
Mrs. Gene Hughes has a new comedy sketch by Edgar Allen Woolf. It is made for laughing purposes and should create amusement wherever played. The story deals with the cat-like life of society women. The sketch opens with two women in street dresses about to have tea. Their hostess does not put in her appearance and so they help themselves to tea and cake where are on a serving table. While sipping the Oolong they most graciously “knock” their hostess. The two find much pleasure in trying to form a lively bit of scandal in their minds about the number of visits to the home of Mrs. Nellie Breckenridge of a certain influential Senator. While things are progressing in this manner Nellie (Mrs. Hughes) enters. They greet her in their sweetest tones. A man is behind one of the portiers at the window and has heard all. Mrs. Breckenridge announces a dinner party for that evening. The two women leave to dress. The man comes from his hiding place and the ensuring conversation is about securing some letters from the Senator so that a big graft deal can not be put through, which, if completed, would cost the government several million dollars. He exists and she changes to evening dress behind a cap held by a fountain pen shaped maid. Reports had reached Nellie that her daughter, at a convent, was contemplating eloping with a chauffeur. While she is in the other room a little miss enters and does not give her name, but wants to surprise the older woman who is her mother. Mrs. Breckenridge upon seeing her child is highlight delighted and decides that she will keep her identity hidden and introduce her as a friend at the dinner party. The two other women return and gossip follows. They go off stage to the dining room with Nellie returning shortly with the letters to the man waiting for them. The title of the piece then comes in to play, as Mrs. Breckenridge calls the “Scandal Magazine” on the ‘phone and gives them the recent gossip which is put in the paper under the head of “Lady Gossip.” The daughter returning sees her sweetheart with her mother and is greatly enraged at him. A note found in the folds of a child’s dress belonging to the daughter reveals that the one of the women gossips had been the cause for much of the family trouble of Mrs. Breckenridge. The final curtain brings the daughter to the arms of her lover and her mother declaring for the downfall of gossip. Mrs. Hughes has some funny dialog with quick resorts that have the snap to please. The remainder of the company will do, Russell G. Randall, the only male in the east, has little, the whole being a woman’s battle. Adele Potter as the daughter does nicely the convent-bred girl. The two other women are merely used as ornaments and to wear clothes.
Nancy Boyer and Co. presented a comedy sketch with a heart interest, well acted. She portrays a country girl whose brother had stolen $300, then enlisted and to save him from jail she had mortgaged the little farm to the employer whom he robbed. Employer takes his case to a lawyer who at that moment receives a letter from his son in France who writes his life was saved by a young man who stole. Lawyer pays the debt but refuses to pay the usurious interest of $90, whereupon employer calls a lawyer a crook. He, in turn, rejoins that it takes a crook to catch a crook. Good stuff for the three-a-day houses.
“When Ella Comes to Town,” a comedy skit with a touch of melodrama, took a couple of curtains. From the title one would never think the scene takes place in a notorious cabaret in New York. The cabaret owner tries to blackmail a rich old geezer, but is foiled by Ella, who turns out to be the rich man’s wife, and who had just come to town for wild time. The theme is well handled and should do well in the small houses.
Lee Beggs and Co. have a likeable comedy sketch in “Old Folks at Home.” It’s just made to order for the pop houses and cleaned up its full share of laughs on the Roof. Mr. Beggs’ old man characteristics was nicely suggested and the company of three made the most of every comedy opportunity. The act held attention throughout, landing solid applause at the finale.
Hal Johnson and Co. preceded the News film in a comedy skit that will keep any audience interested. It is founded on a father refusing to consent to his daughter’s marriage. Applause follows upon Johnson’s entrance in female attire as a chaperon. This leads up to father taking a fancy to the newly hired guardian for his daughter who via the flirtation routine receives a $500 check from father to pay a supposed coal bill. His sex is then revealed forcing father to consent to their marriage. The skit is plated right up to the minute.
[New act] Comedy sketch. 20 mins; full stage. A slapstick vehicle made up of rough clowning without either rhyme more reason. Tommy Allen plays to familiar old style slavey [sic] pretending to run a hotel and roughhouses everybody in sight. There is a lot of pretty shabby matter concerning a half pint flask. The offering might have been taken from a turkey burlesque show. Miss Allen shows a certain knack in getting the rough stuff over to the amusement of her audiences. The 58thStreet crowd liked her.
Frank Conroy, after his stuff in “one” with Irving O’Hay, goes into full stage for a farce spiritualist scene. It is funny after a fashion but neither witty nor inherently humorous. He sloughs the darky character entirely, though he still assumes the weak-kneed postures of his Conroy and Le Maire days. The laughs were at times big, but were forced on cheap puns and frankly reaching after artificial comedy; propped up by aids in physical and vocal manifestations identified with the seamiest order of burlesque shows of a generation ago and old-time “nigger acts.” The set is tawdry and flimsy, expansive.
Tom Nawn and company in the comedy sketch entitled “Pat and the Genii” scored laughs from beginning to end.
The vaudeville end was not in favor with the exception of a comedy playlet entitled “Such a Little Devil,” and Bert Earl and Girls, the latter being the hit of the bill.
The comedy skit occupied No. 2 spot, and is played by an alleged married couple and two small youngsters of opposite sex. Following the supposed couple having a quarrel the youngsters appear, the male attired as a devil (minus horns), called “Temptation,” and the other as an angel (minus wings), called “Conscience.” Children go off one side for a minute and make a wager as to which one will be successful.
Jesse Hayward and Co. presented “The Heart of Annie Wood” in a most effective manner. Miss Hayward winning approval as an old timer in theatricals. There were plenty of laughs in the sketch. Vida Walker played as the amateur and William Hefferson scored as the manager.
