Anderson and Graves received a reception on their “set,” managing to play it up for enough interest to see them through, but showed a weak finish with the intermediate “wife and hubby” crossfire not being substantial enough to continue the initial attention.
Dorothy Dahl and Co. have made some slight changes as to the “straight,” but the theme that prevailed through her former offering still stands. The dialog as used missed fire a couple of times due to Miss Dahl’s stammering over a few lines of the “wisecrackin’” kind. She seemed weak throughout the 13 minutes. Besides the vocal efforts failed to help despite a leaning toward the “blue.”
Walter Fenner and Co. in “The Bet,” preceded the picture and, although nothing could be said against the members of the cast, the playlet has not real punch until the conclusion. The title being derived from a bet of $50 which is made whether a girl has a heart or not. He accompanied by one girl companion, enters a supposed slum resort as an aristocratic couple. The story is framed that he has never taken a drink but is about to make a start as a tippler. The conversation is overhead by an underworld women sitting nearby. She jumps up, commanding his not to drink, thereby showing that a woman has a heart. He leaves the room after paying the debt and the fact is revealed that the two girls are friends pulling this bunco scheme whenever they have a sap.
40 min. In this one-act sketch vaudeville has one of its best thrillers. The strongest scene from Jack London’s famous story is given wonderful dramatic presentation both as to playing and scenically by Hobart Bosworth and an excellent company. The audience received it with breathless interest and it closed to a big hand.
This is a very interesting sketch with its usual moral. It is well handled by the entire company and closed to a good hand. 23 min. f.s..
Ralph C. Bevan and Beatrice Flint, fourth, also drew down a racket, and their billing, “A Slight Interruption” went after their act rather than for it. Bevan is a keen eccentric and Miss Lint a statuesque straight in oolala gowns.
A familiar turn in the second part were Robert Henry Hodge and Co. in “Bill Blithers Lawyer.” The act played the 5th Avenue last week and is now started over the Loew time. It’s a laugh maker, with Mr. Hodge’s rural attorney the central figure together with his work, and will do much better in a theatre proper than it did on the roof, though it passed there.
Interest this week was in the initial vaudeville appearance of Vera Gordon, formerly of the Yiddish stage, who offered a sketch, “Lullaby” (New Acts), being assigned to closing intermission. Miss Gordon has been a long time coming and being an artist capable of supplying a tear or a laugh, she should become a fixture.
22 Mins.; Three. “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 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 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 reherse 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.
20 Mins.; Full (Special). In this sketch Edgar Allan Woolf attempts to satirize the private lift of an operatic prima donna. Who his model was matters not. The story that the author has woven regarding the domestic difficulties of the prima donna, her hubby and her teacher-impresario are interesting and extremely laughable, but the cast at present needs two changes, one mighty important. The story tells of an operatic star who just wed a young millionaire she is making his life miserable because of the daily routine that she must follow to keep her voice. There is the throat lozenge, the raw egg and the throat spray, and also the teacher-manager. This is enough to drive any young bridegroom to distraction. But the manager conceives a press agent plant which gives hubby a chance to beat up the manager and shows the wife that a career in the home is more important than one before the footlights and all ends happily. The producer must be taken to the task for his stage reporter. Never before has there been such a journalist in history. W. Mason who plays the role of the young husband fails at all time to be convincing Miss Murray very cleverly characterizes the role of the prima donna and W. Richardi as the teacher-manager is all that could be desired. The act needs to be whipped into shape and then will do nicely. At the Prospect Tuesday night it passed with three curtains at the close.
