Avon Comedy Four
Big advance applause. If it had not been for this act the show would have gone to Hades. They pulled it out of the hole in great shape and proved the winning card of the day. Applause hit of the show. 21 minutes Full stage.
Joe Hart’s Military Girls
This is a revised edition of the famous Firecrackers. Sorry it was revised. I really think it would have gone stronger if presented the same as before. The opening number “Posey Land” was very tame; the second, “The Home of the Frogs” received a wee bit of applause for the electric effects. “The Home of the Owl” just about got by and the last scene, “The Military Girls” was rather novel and pleased. The act is far from being a feature. The entire act lacks stage management. The girls make a fairly good appearance, but have no voices. This act is certainly a detriment to the show. 18 minutes Full stage.
Carroll and Baker
Singing, dancing and talking. Two men, one working straight and the other as a Hebrew comedian. They are both good dancers, and have fair voices. The comedian is no good, as his dialect is bad. Went fair. 13 minutes in one.
Paulton & Dooley
Comedy bicyclists: This is an act of unquestioned merit and they fared well at the hands of the audience. Received many laughs and shows some work that was really worth while. This this a very good act and believe that it would have much stronger has not the Baker Troupe been on the bill last week. 11 minutes Garden.
Tom Moore
Coon Shouter. Mr. Moore didn’t do as well as on previous occasions, principally because he has identically the same songs that he gave us last year and at least one that he sang three years ago. 13 min. in 1, 3 shows.
Robinson Crusoe’s ISLE
As I said at the beginning, this act lacks in strength. Mr. Lasky is entitled to credit for his efforts in making the production and spending the money that he has. At the same time there is no doubt that the act is not satisfactory. The men are all clever and the women bad, especially the leading woman. The music is not good excepting for ‘The Pirate King’s Song’ and the comedy is very bad – neither is the story well told. The act should have been pulled off in the early part if the season and rewritten. 23 min, full stage, and did not go well with the audience at the finish.
Harry & Kate Jackson
Rural farce. Kitchen scene, lot of fun in the old fashioned way with bread dough, etc, and a little plot. Lively as a whole and pleased at this point. All right for an early 2-a-day section. 20 min, full stage, 2 shows.
Phil Bennett
Italian street singer. This man has a very nice voice, sings a couple of songs in Italian dialect and a yodling song which went very well indeed. Very good 3-a-day act. 10 min. in 1, 3 shows.
Batty’s Bears
On at 10.11, 14 min, full stage. Played the Orpheum last week but had this week open and were added to our show particularly as a children’s feature for a holiday week. In its present shape I think that the act is very much to the good, and think that the early adverse reports must have been due to the fact that the bears did not recover from their sea-voyage. Mr. Batty also tells me that the animals must be worked constantly or they forget. So long lay-offs are fatal to his success.
Edna Luby
On at 9.43, 18 min, in 1. It is almost sufficient to say that Miss Luby was moved down to this place tonight and Mr. Barnes was moved up. She is a very clever girl and did extremely well at both shows today. I did not care particularly for her imitation of Victoria, as she does not get very close to Victoria’s voice, but the audience liked it and this is sufficient. Not as clever as Belle Blanche, to my way of thinking.