Frank Mullane turned in the third hit, from No. 3. His Irish and Yiddish stories found a steady target, regardless of the presence of a number of more or less familiar matter. It seemed that the oldest yarns got over strongest at that. Mullane’s vocal efforts drew an earned encore, and the number given was announced as his own, it being “Always Two Sides to a Story.”
“Three of a Kind,” three boys in evening clothes, with good voices, easy clothes, and good voices, easy mannerisms and a well chosen cycle of songs, left a very good impression. The boys put over comedy numbers in hiffhang style, digging up laughs as freely as they did applause.
The hit of the show was scored by Ralph C. Bevan and Patricia Flint is an offering that contained some original comedy talk and songs. The laughs started with the opening of the act, with Bevan doing a travesty posing turn. Miss Flint proves an excellent foil for his work and the two look like splendid production possibilities.
Bob Cooke and Dot Oatman stopped the show. They were easily the class of the vaudeville with talk, songs and comedy numbers.
Murphy and White were the first of the familiars to appear and whanged over a crashing hit in fourth position. It is one of the best two-man piano and singing teams in vaudeville and can stand any kind of elevation. Murphy handles most of the solo work and has personality in abundance. He got laughs easily. White does the accompanying and also contributes a solo “When He Gave Me You,” a corking ballad capably rendered. They had to encore with a comedy speech by Murphy which swelled their laugh total.
Bob Callew and Julia Callew picked the running up nicely. It is a neatly former turn, with a neatly dressed blonde girl singing coon songs in a quiet way and the man at the piano making labored efforts for comedy.
Margaret Young, on just ahead, was another first half favorite. This girl can handle “blues” and does. She was forced to several encores and pulled “Oh By Jingo” which is credited with introducing. She gets a trifle more with it than any of the others. Another encore was a new comedy song written as a successor to Jingo titled “Bimbo.” The wise crackers laughed every time the title was mentioned for the slangists know that Bimbo has a unique meaning. Miss Young also had worth while chorus girl number, but should watch a slight tendency to be too tough. So quite a hit.
Claire and Bergman were next and had a walkaway. Mr. Bergman is equipped with a remarkable bass voice and considerable comedy ability, while Claire is a performer of the first water. Her burlesque wedding song was a little masterpiece. The girl knows how to express emotion in a forceful, sincere manner that makes slaves of her audience.
Sylvia Clark, fifth, held up the middle section of the show nicely, putting in a punch just where it was needed. Miss Clark, after slipping over a couple of well written and finely delivered character numbers, did a ballad. “It Might Have Been You.” While rendered capably, the ballad seemed poorly placed. She is a natural comedienne and is at her best when handling comedy character numbers. The travesty classical dance and burlesque drama sent her off at the finish to one of the best hands of the afternoon.
The Misses Lightner and Newton Alexander, with their singing and cross talk have worked up their act to a point where it ranks high in the big time. The comedy points are not properly accentuated, but the addition of a little more “nut” material for Miss Winnie Lightner, classily written and avoiding all vulgarity, should put her over with the topnotchers.
