William Rock and Frances White

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Singing.
Rock and White have not played in New York for over a year and it is somewhat longer since they appeared in vaudeville. At the time Billy Rock tried his "costless" revue on Broadway he had a fixed idea that when the revue flopped he would have to enter vaudeville at a handicap or not at all. He chose the latter road for he had as fixed an idea that the revue scheme would make money on tour. Then he surprised everybody by following that hunch and for just about a full year he did stay on the road and he did tour successfully and with less actual equipment and assistance than in the show at the Fulton. The present vaudeville turn is made up of bits from that "road show," some parts being eliminated and no.assistants save for a colored pianist playing almost throughout with the house orchestra save for one specialty number when the man is "real wicked" with the "ivories." The pair open with the tough number, followed by Rock's old soldier bit. With that he sings "Jim." - For some reason he is using the original version, not the revamped edition. The characterization is good enough and at the finish there is a laugh line inserted "and keep out of Paris." Miss White then offered "Dreamy Spain" and joined with Rock in the roue number, she prancing on as a chicken. She then offered two of her kid numbers "Goes Into" and "Whatta I Care.' Follows the Chinese double bit which gave way to the pianist's solo. That was .a bit too long. Rock and White reappeared in what may be termed the second section of their routine. Both were "dressed up," making no further costume changes. Most of the later section held dances with a bit of kidding here and there. There 'was a cue for "Mississippi" which brought enough applause, but Miss White failed to come through with the song. But she did coax Bill to permit her to show some "shimmy" and it was very cute, also very polite compared with some of the "shakings" that have been tossed off lately. For the finish numbers there was an imitation of a pair of delsarte dancers trying a vaudeville sketch ; a dance team attempting a bal lad and an imitation of a Frisco couple doing the one step. Most of the costumes looked well, but here and there some new trappings would be in taste. The turn would look better in hangings instead of a house set. However, there we're a host of Rock and White fans in evidence and there were lots doing in an applause way.
Source:
Variety, 54:1 (02/28/1919)