DeHaven and Nice came doubling up from the Jefferson Tuesday, taking the number four spot left open with the withdrawal of Bert and Betty Wheeler after Monday night. It was the second appearance of DeHaven and Nice at the Palace in a month. They continue to add little bits that landed for added laughs. “First-shot Harris,” the fly cop in the act, announced the music for the finale number (“tangled-footed monkey wrenches”) was written by Volstead and Auderson and was called the “The Blue Sunday Blues.”
Mme. Besson, with a supporting cast of unusual size and ability, brought the distinguished Sir James M. Barrie to vaudeville via his “Half and Hour” (New Acts), a playlet locked in vaults of the Frohman office ever since it was used as a curtain raiser in a Broadway theatre some years ago. On fourth it held the house all of its 33 minutes.
Sam and Kitty Morton followed in next to closing to deliver the comedy punch of the evening and by the time their four children had entered the going the Mortons trotted off the hit of the show. The elder Morton has the house chuckling from the moment of his entrance. His impersonation of “Papa” Joffre, the famed French field marshal, was excellent, and his dancing possessed the pep of a man many years his junior. The family bit concluded with “The Ghost of the Irish Song,” announced by Paul as a new number and led by Ciara.
Bernard and Ferris copped the applause honors. Bernard, dressed as a chef and has a healthy base voice, and Ferris possesses a natural choir boy soprano voice, getting an ovation on each number. For an encore they sang the Hebrew classic, “Ell Ell” Stopping the show completely.
“Bric-a-Brac,” a miniature musical comedy, with two men and five girls, plenty of scenery, took the class laurels. Eugene Carrey, Beulah Hayes and Leon Leonard deserve credit for making this miniature production what it is, especially Miss Hayes, who, besides her beautiful soprano voice, has oodles of personality, looks and appearance, and could at any time step out and do a high grade single. The chorus is a perfect working one, and also assists in putting this tabloid across in high style.
Jerry and Gretchen O’Meara were left in tough sledding, but as soon as possible brought smiles to the faces of the benumbed crowd. Jerry, a character comedian par excellence, characterized a tramp and old man, getting laughs, a throb out of his lines and work, while Gretchen, with a million dollar appearance, did her share for an encore and four bows.
Sibyle-Sammis Sisters four girls in evening dress, sang several different harmony songs with no punch nor delivery, and they put no enthusiasm in their work. They all have good voices and would do much better in Chautauqx work.
Harris and Harris, two men to sport costumes, performed some nifty hand-to-hand balancing, but are not strong enough to close big-time bills and the audience took advantage of this.
Bernard and Townes also ran high for applause honors with some comedy, popular melodies and original gags, both boys having pep, vim and vigor accompanying same, and at the finish Bernard doing a never failing dance, forcing them to make a speech. They crack one or two old gags, such as “Fat Burns,” which they might eliminate with credit to the act.
Janet of France and Charles W. Hamp went on for another hit. Janet getting lots of good laughs out of her French dialect and comedy, and Hamp, with his certified voice and excellent delivery, put over two popular numbers. The act works in front of a very pretty special set in “two.” Hamp besides being a good songster, put over some snappy lines.
