A newspaper article and photograph from Reidsville, North Carolina, dated September 29, 1936, and written by William C. Burton.
The text reads:
"Trick cycling that recalls the best days of the old Palace, a chorus that is far from bad and some very comical antics (if they'd brush off the little smut) are on the program, but far and away the niftiest act is put on by a dapper little Philipino [sic] who is billed as "The Yo-Yo King." You remember the little wooden pieces that people used to run up and down on a string. Well don't get any foolish ideas about this act being simple or uninteresting. "The Yo-Yo King" does for the yo-yo, what Houdini did for handcuffs. He makes a spectacle of two little wooden tops, doing his act to music in such perfect rhythm that the thing takes on the beauty of a dance. And the little fellow is a prize audience winner. It's the prettiest precision act this reviewer ever saw in years of devotion to vaudeville."
The yo-yos used were most likely two "Genuine Duncan Tournament Yo-Yo Return Tops" like the one seen in the Duncan 1937 Tournament Winner exhibit in this museum.
It's unfortunate that the player's real name was not identified in the article. I have done a search on the web for more information about this gentleman but cannot find anything. If you know his name, let us know so we can ensure it gets added to this exhibit.
