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Sullivan follows all the rope spinners and stage cowboys and shows a real novelty in lariat spinning and real honest-to-goodness “gun fanning.” Opening in cowboy attire he explains the uses of a rope in ranching and cattle punching, and does some new tricks, such as tieing four knots at once and then reversing the procedure. The jumping in and out of the noose is also listed, but the cowboy explains that it has no practical value in “hog tieing” a steer and illustrates. He closes with a description of what is meant by the term “gun fanning,” using an old-fashioned Colt .45, with a hammer that requires pulling back or “fanning.” From the holster the gun leaps into Sullivan’s hand and is fired so quickly that the eye cannot follow his movements. Follow an illustration of spinning a gun and firing which was often used in the Southwest in its wild days, when a man was covered and asked to hand over his weapon. Holding the gun butt forward toward his adversary, the “gun man” suddenly spins the handle, into his own hand and fires it with almost incredible speed. The fault of the turn at present is the talkiness as the artist has to orate at length to Illustrate his demonstrations. Comedy talk or some other method of Introduction would help. It’s a real novelty.
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Variety, LXI:11, February 4, 1921.