DIY History | Transcribe | Keith-Albee Collection | Keith-Albee manager reports, September 2, 1902 - September 3, 1903

Transcribe
Translate

Keith-Albee manager reports, September 2, 1902 - September 3, 1903

Page 248

(M. J. Keating)

Boston Show, Week of April 20, 1903.

Stereopticon, 10 min. in 1--Interesting series of views, as usual.

Lillian and Shorty DeWitt, 11 min. in 1--In comedy, singing and dancing specialties. The little chap makes up as the usual monkey faced Irishman of the varieties, but has no dialect and is only funny in spasms. The girl poor all around. Act just about passable for an opening place in the bill here. Kicked on place in bill, alleging had been promised orchestra.

Hodgkins and Leith, 17 min. open full stage, close in 1--A rustic comedy sketch, "Courtin' in '61", in which both are made up in character, the woman being particularly funny. Both introduce comedy songs that fit the characters and do a bit of eccentric dancing. Some of the man's monologue is the same as that used by Arthur Sidman, and more of it is stolen from Ezra Kendall. Act a capital one for early part of the show here, and in some places I can easily understand its scoring a big laughing it. It is certainly above the average of such acts.

The Two Schrodes, 16 min. in 2--A Man in eccentric makeup, the woman working in a soubrette costume. The man does quite a clever bit of comedy, of the silence and fun order, while the woman is an acceptable singer and dancer. It is a very good act.

Adele Purvis Onri, 11 min. full stage--The sam act she has been giving for several seasons, balancing on a revolving globe, while juggling various small articles, and finished with extension draperies, which have picture and color effects thrown on them. The little Gap who assists her does some very good tumbling. Good act.

Vitagraph, 19 min. in 1--Splendid lot of pictures, every one of the scenes being applauded, that portraying scene in Hans Christian Anderssen's [Andersen's] fairy story, "The Little Match Seller", making a particularly big hit. Greta [great] improvement on the biography.

Brooks Brothers, 16 min. in 1--Same act they have been giving in the past, one of them working full dress and the other in blackface, with eccentric makeup. The comedian is particularly clever and mirth provoking, and the act can be classed as good.

Florodora Sextet, 15 min. full stage (can open in 1 if necessary)--Pierre Young's rendition of "Beneath the Shade of the Shelting [Sheltering] Palms" although not very good, as he has a chorus voice and is not a soloist, was encored on the merits of the song itself. The "8.00 A. M. Duett" by Name Bonville and Emily Griffiths, was encored two or three times, as it deserved to be, for they sing well and dance w[ith] life and spirit, the two young men being particularly good. The dou[ble] sextet was obliged to respond to a half dozen encores, and apparently did just as well as if it were not fully of "ringers". The man are superior singers to the women, and I very much doubt if any of the latter ever appeared in anything better than the second or third companies. Three at least of the men in the chorus were in the second company when I saw it at the Colonial. Still, with all these drawbacks, I

[cut off] tic clay modeling and finished by making [cut off] he tells amusing stories. He is all right in a misplace in the bill here, created lots of laugher and got hearty rounds of applause for his clever drawings.

Victor Moore and Pearl Hight--21 min.--Open after full act setting, and close 15 min. in 1--This act, which was new here, scored the laughing hit of the bill, being the best thing of the kind that has been offered this season.

Mlle. Rialta, 11 min. full stage--Drapery dancer, who works on the same lines as Paptinta, but can never catch up to the latter. She does some posing, with color and pictures, seen through a transparent mirror, which is too heavily smoked to let the pictures appear as clear as they should be. Only worth about half the salary here.

Howard Thurston, 14 min. in 1--Presenting his old card act, which is the best in the business. His fingers were somewhat stiff to day, because of lack of practice, but he did remarkably well, considering.

Ed Reynard, 17 min. open 3, close in 1--Ventriloquil comedian, with an attractive stage setting that he carries himself, and a wonderful lot of mechanical figures. As a ventriloquist he is not better and no worse than many others, and as a comedian he falls away behind, as most of his material has been gathered from old almanacs, and some of it stolen.

George Thatcher, 16 min. in 1--This blackface monologue comedian went much better than last time he was here, and held his place on the bill remarkably well.

Gillett's dogs, 14 min. open full stage, close in 1--One of the best acts of the kind in the business, the musical canines being particularly good. Act scored one of the biggest hits of the bill.

Adeline Pavlovna, 14 min. in 1--This is a Hungarian violinist who played here a few weeks ago when she scored a hit. Being short of show, and the girl having lost her father and needing money, I put her in to fill out the time. She is an artiste and should be booked on the circuit at convenience.

Comment:- We did a tremendous holiday business Monday and the show is an exceptionally attractive one throughout, being well-balanced and free from a sketch, which is appreciated by the audience when it occurs once in a while.

Saving...

(M. J. Keating) Boston Show, Week of April 20, 1903. Stereopticon, 10 min. in 1--Interesting series of views, as usual. Lillian and Shorty DeWitt, 11 min. in 1--In comedy, singing and dancing specialties. The little chap makes up as the usual monkey faced Irishman of the varieties, but has no dialect and is only funny in spasms. The girl poor all around. Act just about passable for an opening place in the bill here. Kicked on place in bill, alleging had been promised orchestra. Hodgkins and Leith, 17 min. open full stage, close in 1--A rustic comedy sketch, "Courtin' in '61", in which both are made up in character, the woman being particularly funny. Both introduce comedy songs that fit the characters and do a bit of eccentric dancing. Some of the man's monologue is the same as that used by Arthur Sidman, and more of it is stolen from Ezra Kendall. Act a capital one for early part of the show here, and in some places I can easily understand its scoring a big laughing it. It is certainly above the average of such acts. The Two Schrodes, 16 min. in 2--A Man in eccentric makeup, the woman working in a soubrette costume. The man does quite a clever bit of comedy, of the silence and fun order, while the woman is an acceptable singer and dancer. It is a very good act. Adele Purvis Onri, 11 min. full stage--The sam act she has been giving for several seasons, balancing on a revolving globe, while juggling various small articles, and finished with extension draperies, which have picture and color effects thrown on them. The little Gap who assists her does some very good tumbling. Good act. Vitagraph, 19 min. in 1--Splendid lot of pictures, every one of the scenes being applauded, that portraying scene in Hans Christian Anderssen's [Andersen's] fairy story, "The Little Match Seller", making a particularly big hit. Greta [great] improvement on the biography. Brooks Brothers, 16 min. in 1--Same act they have been giving in the past, one of them working full dress and the other in blackface, with eccentric makeup. The comedian is particularly clever and mirth provoking, and the act can be classed as good. Florodora Sextet, 15 min. full stage (can open in 1 if necessary)--Pierre Young's rendition of "Beneath the Shade of the Shelting [Sheltering] Palms" although not very good, as he has a chorus voice and is not a soloist, was encored on the merits of the song itself. The "8.00 A. M. Duett" by Name Bonville and Emily Griffiths, was encored two or three times, as it deserved to be, for they sing well and dance w[ith] life and spirit, the two young men being particularly good. The dou[ble] sextet was obliged to respond to a half dozen encores, and apparently did just as well as if it were not fully of "ringers". The man are superior singers to the women, and I very much doubt if any of the latter ever appeared in anything better than the second or third companies. Three at least of the men in the chorus were in the second company when I saw it at the Colonial. Still, with all these drawbacks, I [cut off] tic clay modeling and finished by making [cut off] he tells amusing stories. He is all right in a misplace in the bill here, created lots of laugher and got hearty rounds of applause for his clever drawings. Victor Moore and Pearl Hight--21 min.--Open after full act setting, and close 15 min. in 1--This act, which was new here, scored the laughing hit of the bill, being the best thing of the kind that has been offered this season. Mlle. Rialta, 11 min. full stage--Drapery dancer, who works on the same lines as Paptinta, but can never catch up to the latter. She does some posing, with color and pictures, seen through a transparent mirror, which is too heavily smoked to let the pictures appear as clear as they should be. Only worth about half the salary here. Howard Thurston, 14 min. in 1--Presenting his old card act, which is the best in the business. His fingers were somewhat stiff to day, because of lack of practice, but he did remarkably well, considering. Ed Reynard, 17 min. open 3, close in 1--Ventriloquil comedian, with an attractive stage setting that he carries himself, and a wonderful lot of mechanical figures. As a ventriloquist he is not better and no worse than many others, and as a comedian he falls away behind, as most of his material has been gathered from old almanacs, and some of it stolen. George Thatcher, 16 min. in 1--This blackface monologue comedian went much better than last time he was here, and held his place on the bill remarkably well. Gillett's dogs, 14 min. open full stage, close in 1--One of the best acts of the kind in the business, the musical canines being particularly good. Act scored one of the biggest hits of the bill. Adeline Pavlovna, 14 min. in 1--This is a Hungarian violinist who played here a few weeks ago when she scored a hit. Being short of show, and the girl having lost her father and needing money, I put her in to fill out the time. She is an artiste and should be booked on the circuit at convenience. Comment:- We did a tremendous holiday business Monday and the show is an exceptionally attractive one throughout, being well-balanced and free from a sketch, which is appreciated by the audience when it occurs once in a while.