Comedy Routine of the Day: "The Dice Bit"

The "Dice" bit that Abbott and Costello performed in Buck Privates was for years tied to blackface comedians.  This fact becomes evident in just a cursory examination of Variety reviews.  In November, 1926, the routine was performed at the American Roof Theatre.  Variety wrote, "Coulter and Rose, two men 'in cork,' set the comedy ball a-rolling with argumentative chatter pertaining to a dice game. . ."  In July, 1930, the "Dice" routine turned up again at Chicago's Capitol Theatre in the "Good Fellows" revue.  Variety wrote, "For comedy, Seven and Eleven, a male blackface team doing a comedy dice game routine, were just right for this house, and a punch right along."  Variety reported that, in February, 1932, blackface duo Harrison and Elmo performed the "Dice" bit at Chicago’s Paradise theatre as part of the "Darktown Follies" revue.