Two men, one appearing with a violin, the other making his entrance from the audience. At the start the fiddler handled a classical number in hurried style. He was better with his second try, with a dash of double string melody about the only distinction to his playing. After starting a third number, a “wop” character interrupted, complaining of the ragtime selection and finally coming on the stage.
“Widow by Proxy”
Miss Robinson plays the widow role In a polished manner, denoting schooling In the legit. The male lead is convincingly handled, as well as the other male role, with the two additional women, especially the character woman, handling their parts well. The young woman playing the ingénue role is somewhat miscast. “Widow by Proxy” with Its present cast can fill the bill, in a sketch position.
Male monologue followed by comedy piano playing. Hebrew dialect used in talk. Plays classical selection followed by finger exercises of a beginner with discords for comedy purposes. A comedy song, “There May Be a Change,” is well delivered. Lambert steps upstage to make an announcement. Male partner interrupts, bawling him out for trying to make a single out of a two act. The latter is Joe Phillips, from burlesque. Lambert introduces him in a comedy speech. Next a duet of burlesque opera, Phillips pulling laughs with a thin exaggerated falsetto voice. A burlesque ventriloquial bit similar to Felix Adler’s, with Phillips as the dummy seated upon Lambert’s knee, with some cross fire and a song hit.
Four horses, with a man and Woman doing the equestrian work in a high school routine, that bespeaks excellent training. Three of the animals are adepts at dance steps, performing all of Me more difficult ones in perfect time with the music. One of the animals called “Little Mike” stands out as a fancy stepper. The other two do fox trot, waltz, one step. The tricks are run through with speed and minus surging by the trainers. A rearing horse also contributed a bit of jumping that served to vary the routine. Horse acts have not been abundant around the local vaudeville houses for several years.
Mr. Paulus has personality, some magnetism and an engaging stage presence but is immature in the desires of vaudeville. Tricks are necessary to strike the mass which composes the major portion of the audiences. Minus these tricks the most silvered tones fall into the despond of inattention.
“Moonbeams”
A girl of anywhere from 12 to 18 opens the act in “one” before a special drop upon which there is a large moon. The girl dances and then recites a prologue. The moon opens up and a second girl comes forth and does a song with scenic effects in the opening in the drop. This routine is repeated for four other numbers. The act is very quiet, at no time does it get moving, each number is so much like the others in tempo that it might all be the same. An effort has been made to put over novelty numbers in a little different manner. The effort is praise-worthy. One or two of the ideas are rather neat, but the act as a whole has neither the go nor the punch to put it over.
Still in blackface, Mr. Beyer enters on a combination of automobile, motor cycle, bicycle, horse and other things. It is the queerest mechanical conglomeration imaginable. Across his right shoulder is slung a bag of golf sticks. He stops the vehicle—or, rather, it stops Itself— clear the footlights, and goes through a very funny routine of pantomimic comedy in an endeavor to get the “instrument” started. A fast exit and return with a bicycle, doing inimitable slow-riding to the melody of “Traumerel,” with all the tragic pantomiming that would ordinarily accompany a funeral cortege but interspersed with hasty turns at all four corners of the stage, eventuating into fast riding and double twists balanced on the handles bars; single wheel work and breakaway wheel stuff.
An exchange of bright comedy chatter, a bit of stepping by Miss Rooney, with Kennedy putting over likeable clowning at the piano, some nifty dancing doubles, with Kennedy showing equal nimbleness with his feet as with his fingers at the piano and a couple of sessions at the ivories, during which Kennedy introduces auto harp and hand organ imitations, and later the playing of one tune in a variety of tempos, with Miss Rooney making a couple of pretty costume changes, are among the specialties listed. Also included is a travesty Spanish dancing double and another bit of stepping at the finish, during which Miss Rooney makes a quick change from a dress to Scotch kilts. The act is made bright and consistently entertaining through the Interpolation of comedy by Mr. Kennedy, which balances nicely with Miss Rooney’s dancing. The turn went over at the 58th Street.
Full Stage
A good routine of acrobatics and gymnastics is executed on the flying rings with the finish trick a flashy thriller. Two of the men posed on the tips of the tepees Jump together onto the raised end of a spring board which hurtles another member up to a turnover and foot hold on two ankle straps, leaving him hanging head downward. It’s a difficult looking trick and made a strong finish.
This couple, while retaining the former style of turn, have worked out a new routine. The woman explains she is a picture star and desires a double to work for her in a flying machine stunt. The job is to be his if he will consent to ascend 17,000 feet and “stand” for a drop into the ocean. Asking how much he Is to be paid for the stunt and how he is to get the dough, she explains the money will be in the form of a draught—after he falls. During a change the man had a comedy lyric, “The Scandal of Mr. Buick and Lizzie Ford.” A ballad, then old-time songs by the woman for the finale, the man dancing during the singing. He retains his “sure” expression. The turn was liked on fourth. It fits the three-a- day bookings.
