Gene Hodgkins and Irene Hammond

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14 Mins.: One (3); Full Stage (special Set) (11). Gene Hodgkins and Irene Hammond, described as “A Yankee Boy and an English Girl,” do a combination piano and modern dancing act, in a pure white set that is extremely slightly  the set occurs after an opening in “one,” when the couple sing a song. It would seem a useless procedure to start the turn in “one” with that set in reserve. During the full stage portion a picture drop is employed to throw a representation of the Blazing White Way on the screen, with the electrics doing the different dance steps. It afterwards shows the dancers before the camera doing the maxixe. They are supposed to come down a short flight of steps, burst through the paper and continue the dance themselves upon the stage. Monday night the drop didn’t take care of itself. A large hole was torn in the top and this ruined the effect of a rather clever stage idea. The couple do a fox trot to a song, the music of which is popular about for the fox dance. In getting away from the familiar two-act and “society dancers” while still remaining both, the act has brought its most value. With the opening in “one” out and both ends of the act proper made more pronounced, Mr. Hodgkins and Miss Hammond should become popular in vaudeville. They have the necessaries.
Source:
Variety, Volume XXXVI, no.6, October 10, 1914