Frank Ward, next to closing, and De’Lea and Orma, No. 3 divided comedy honors. Ward is a real monologist, one of the very few offering a genuine monologue with all his subjects related and delivered with a finish and comedy method second to none on big time. He does novelty encore that’s about an original as any piece of business can possibly be. This is an illustration of the different kinds of dances, but done by means of manikins on ward’s hands, with his fingers showing the dance steps. If the big time don’t capture Mr. Ward the big time will have to stand the onus.
The American Roof is an institution in its way much like Tony Pastor’s was a generation ago. There’s a certain individuality and character about the Roof just as there was about Pastor’s famous old variety house that many a far more modern and pretentious vaudeville theatre might well envy. Like Pastor’s, too, the Roof has a clientele all its own, discriminating, quick to recognize and appreciate talent and charitably disposed towards mediocrity. And to further carry out the parallel the Roof, like Pastor’s has its own way of arranging the sequences of its bills.
The Four Marx Brothers then came and scored their usual hit for a flock of extra bends. The act is playing the entire week at the Fifth Avenue. The elder Marx had to beg off with a few words to permit Herman Timberg’s entrance, who, despite the succession of comedy hit turns accounted for himself per always.
The Hoffman Trio followed with a fast comedy cycling turn. All of the showy cycle trio formations, with one or two given a novelty twist, were run through in jig time, with an appreciative applause return at the finish.
Conn and Whiting, a two-man dancing combination with a neat hotel set to back up their specialties in the stepping line, opened. They sent the show off to a hurrah.
Holden and Le Varr slammed home a hit with their artistic little comedy sketch. The man does a “souse” minus hiccups or any of the cut and dried trade marks. The woman is a petite blonde who reads lines as they should be read. The novelty setting also gives the act atmosphere seldom found in sketches playing the pop houses. Maybe this one won’t continue in that field over long. The couple’s ability and the high standard reached in their offering should send up the ladder speedily.
While Shaw’s act has the familiars of acts of its type – leaping greyhounds, trick ponies, unridable mule and a naturally funny baboon – the turn is presented in a big time way. The greyhounds are wonders at jumping over high obstacles, a brown dog for a feature trick clearing over a pile of cylindrical props. The mule is not as vicious in appearance as most, but a good animal comic who seemed to know just where to toss the colored hostler plants for the biggest laughs.
Milt Collins made his entrance to some departing clientele. No great interval passed before his audience was almost in convulsions. This bland imitator of the deceased Cliff Gordon is timely in his monolog, which is punctuated now and then by a few jokes which might be cut out for the benefit of an equal number who might take offense.
Brown, Gardner and Barnett opened following the pictorial. The latter held nothing startling, the audience passing it up in anticipation of lights and the opening turn. The dancing of the couple merits praise for their effort rather than their grace. The pianoist scored with the house in his own specialty while the other make the change.
Billy Duval and Merle Symonds had no difficulty at all in making the deuce spot a pleasure. Miss Merle was a trifle indistinct in her enunciation of the opening song, but is to be admired for her agility in dancing, as her partner evokes admiration for his nonchalant manner. Miss Merle had a little too much color for a too white brow, and appeared at a disadvantage for inability to make up. A fault easily remedied. The “Extra Dry” act in third spot showed plenty of class, speed, effective dancing and costuming, which is very pleasing to the eye. The lady playing the school ma’am scored an individual hit with her drunk scene, walking off with a well deserved hand. The turn moved with precision, spirit and a tempo, well sustained throughout, finishing to a dozen curtains, while the last song was encored to its rise and descent.
