14 Mins.; One. Returning to vaudeville, and at the Palace this week, Bobby North sings songs, uses dialog, has a burlesque “one-word drama” and concludes with an “Alphabetical Rag,” which is the best portion of a non over-strong turn. Mr. North starts off with a singing number entitled “I Am Looking for a Job,” in which he informs the audience there is a good comedian at liberty (referring to himself) that the legitimate managers are not bidding for, mentioning several legits by name. it leaves the audience to infer that that is why he is in vaudeville just now, and is as interesting to them as the program mention that he is “Late star of Lew Fields’ Hanky Panky’ and ‘Pleasure Seekers.’” The “one-word drama” is good for a laugh here and there, Mr. North taking the old idea of a one-man drama to convert it into the one-word thing. After that some talk about home and baby that brought very little. There are no natural comedy points to do the dialog. After an operatic medley, there is the very good rag alluded to, that has eight or nine of the best rag strains in it. Mr. North wore a cutaway with high hat, and used a Hebrew accent in his singing, but talked straight. He might sing the songs that way also. Mr. North has enough to go along (his voice always standing him well instead), but the turn will stand improvement. He was “No.4” on the Palace bill Monday night, getting over nicely.
17 Mins.; One. A happy combination for the three-a-day. The boys have fairly good talk, several wheezes sounding especially new, while the singing end is capably handled by the “straight.” The shorter chap has a good voice and put over “Carolina” in great shape Tuesday night. It’s one of the best things in the act. the taller wears a comedy suit, also sings fairly well and does several dancing bits that varied the routine. Act made excellent impression.
17 Mins.; One. Another “audience” act. Two men; the straight coming on and apologizing for the absence of his partner. The comedian coming from the audience, asks for his money back because he got in on a pass which he could have sold had he not come to the show. The straight invites him to the stage and after a little talk the two got into numbers. They got quite a number of laughs from the Sunday crowd and seem to be a nice little comedy turn for small time.
15 Mins.; One (Special Drop). For his return to vaudeville, Harry Bulger, who has been experimenting with musical comedy for the past several seasons with indifferent success, has taken his idea from the trade mark of Smith Bro.’s cough drops. The opening shows a drop in “one” picturing what is supposed to be the factory of the famous candy cough cure, with the familiar photo of the brothers on the side wall. Bulger and his aide walk on attired as the Smiths and after a short introductory duolog, Bulger plunges into a discourse on the history of the manufacturers, which is followed by a series of comic lyrics. The talk is bright, and although containing a few “elders” is sufficiently strong to hold its own. A political number probably known as “Mr. Wilson’s Alibi” should be discarded because of whatever political differences the average audience may represent. It is not very complimentary to the President and was not taken with very much favor. Another turn appearing later, singing, “Our Hearts Off To You, Mr. Wilson,” were rewarded with a reception on the opening line, a fact which speaks for itself. Bulger’s ability to handle his particular line of material in either talk or song is sure to get him over anywhere. He pulled a big hit at the Broadway and with a short workout should classify for the medium time, his one call on the big string resting on the reputation, which has not been over-straightened during his sojourn in the legit houses.
13 Mins.; One. A good singing and talking team for small time. They have rehashed several numbers that have been seen on big time and worked out a routine that will please the small time audiences. The man is a fair comedian and the woman looks very good in a series of gowns worn.
13 Mins.; One. Ordinary single for small time is Max Rossi. He opens with a fast number and then goes into talk that seems to have all the “old boys” in show business. He also has a song for his closing number, on a par with his opening bit.
15 Mins.; Two (Special Drop). Two views could be taken of the Four Rubes, a comedy quartet. It would depend where they were seen and in a way, exemplify the difference between big time and the smaller small time. The views might run like these:
Small Time. The four Rubes could be called the Rube Ministrels, and it is a minstrel idea, fashioned somehow after the Crane Brothers and Belmont turn. Each of the men is in eccentric rural dress and make-up, going in somewhat for rough comedy, having plenty of jokes, and singing during the turn, which concludes with one of the men yodeling that gets over very big, earning an easy encore. The comedy talk and the characters will please in certain of the smaller houses.
Big Time: The Four Rubes got an idea and then ranaway from it. It’s a rube quartet with “gags,” some of the oldest and the poorest that could be gotten for nothing. When the act thins down at any time and a laugh is needed, slapstick is indulged in by one of the farmerish men jumping at another’s throat. All are grotesquely made up, have little natural humor, sing badly in the barber – shop way, and the finish, a yodel, sounds like a weak imitation of a steam calliope. For big time the turn never had a chance. There is a big time act known as The Three Rubes.
: 13 Mins.; One. Fritz Walton and Meta Brandt are offering the usual man and woman two-act with a couple of songs and a little talk. The turn will answer nicely in an early spot on the big time bills. They open with a song, following with some baseball talk, the comedy of which comes from the man, who claims to be an expert on the national sport, misnaming all of the prominent players in his endeavours to explain the game on the girl. For the finish another song is used with incidental business that is effective. Vaudeville is more or less a business of accidents, and during the playing of this act Tuesday night bone happened that the team might well keep in, for it is sure fire for laughs. One of the chairs that are used for the seats in the baseball stand collapsed and the man of the couple was quick-witted enough to make the best of what might have been an award situation, to secure laughs.
10 Mins.; One. Joe Carroll saunters upon stage and quarrels with the orchestra that goes on strike. He suggests he could sing any old song if he had a piano player. Hazel Hickery, dressed as a maid, in rear of theatre, says she can play, and is invited to the stage where she is hired. She plays a good ragtime number, and also for Carroll’s songs. Each one makes a change in costume. They close with “Poor Pauline” in which considerable action is injected, although not enough of the right sort. Carroll has a good stage presence and puts his stuff over in a bluff sort of way. Miss Hickey’s chief assets are a wealth of red hair and a talent for the piano. The act went fairly well at the first show Monday night. Miss hickey was apparently nervous. After the act has been worked into some semblance or smoothness it will be right for the middle-weight time.
Emma Carus was the headliner, and politely inquired during her turn if any one had passed chloroform among the audience. Later Miss Carus found no one had, when the house applauded her hardworking dancing efforts. Otherwise, Miss Carus and the 5th Ave. didn’t appear to agree, nor did her pianist, Walter Leopold, get along with them any better with his piano work and songs. Miss Carus may have injured her standing in the first song when she lyrically stated she had lost 50 pounds. That sounded the truth when Miss Carus first used it, but now she should have that line re-written. It might have caused the audience to wonder how Miss Carus looked with the original 50, and while thinking it over they seemed to lose track of the turn, especially the talk, brightly current but delivered by Miss Carus as though she knew where the punches were. But they weren’t – at least before that mob, which won’t fall for red fire or crossfire unless it is handed to them as they think it should be.
