DIY History | Transcribe | Keith-Albee Collection | Managers' report book, July 4, 1915-November 13, 1916

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Managers' report book, July 4, 1915-November 13, 1916

Page 13

H. T. JORDAN    PHILADELPHIA SHOW     AUG. 23, 1915.
HEARST SELIG PICTURES. 12 min. A fair average of pictures.
SWAN & SWAN. 9 min. Man and woman. Man opens with some clever comedy juggling and is later joined by a woman from the audience who assists in juggling and does some toe dancing. The juggling is the feature of the act. Went well as an opener.
LA FRANCE & BRUCE. 15 min. Two men who work in blackface, one in comedy makeup. Open with a little too much talk and strike their best work when they get to their songs. Finished to a good hand with a burlesque boxing bit.
THE MEYAKOS. 14 min. Two girls and a boy, Japanese. Girls open Full Stage with some hand-balancing and then go into American songs assisted by a boy who plays a violin number. Finish with a trio song. Was very well liked and got a liberal hand.
TOWER & DARRELL. 14 min. Man and woman - comedy, singing, talking and dancing. This is a nut act, the woman furnishing the principal comedy and getting a liberal supply of laughs through the use of some slapstick stuff and they closed to a good hand.
MYSTERIA. 11 min. This is the worst disappointment we have had in the house this season. I saw the act at the Palace where it gave promise of developing into something and took it here on assurances that the act was being worked on constantly and was in perfect condition and would have new pictures. The act as shown this afternoon was like that shown at the Palace and was absolutely without illusion; in fact, the curtain had not been up a minute before the audience were saying "That is a moving picture." At the conclusion of the act, it failed to receive one hand
GRACE FISHER. 20 min. "The Sunshine Girl." Sang four songs, wearing a variety of costumes. Has a pleasing voice. For her last number she used an old Irish lady in the audience to sing "A Little Bit of Heaven" and it was worked up for excellent results, being well handled. Took her off to a good hand.
TOM LEWIS & CO. 19 min. "Brother Fans." The sketch is a baseball story by Tom Barry and was published in magazine form. Lewis is a well known star, formerly of George Cohan's company. He plays the role of an American baseball fan in London and fits the comedy character into a dramatic playlet. The sketch has some tense moments, but there is always a comedy line to lighten it up and it finished to a good hand. Lewis closes with a monologue bit that kept the audience in a roar of laughter and is a gem as an encore.
CHARLES OLCOTT. 15 min. Offering a "Comic Opera in Ten Minutes." Young man with a piano. Sings a travesty on comic opera working in some good comedy and closes with a recitation on moving pictures. He was a big hit closing to applause which lasted several minutes.
AMETA. 12 min. A Parisian dancer using four numbers varied in character and elaborately dressed and staged with electric and light effects. Her final number is a beautiful creation in which mirrors are used as reflectors filling the stage with a myriad of color. Each number is splendidly danced and the act is an excellent dancing novelty which scored solidly in the closing position. It was very well received.
GENERAL REMARKS. Despite the fact that our big advertised feature, "Mysteria," fell by the wayside, the remainder of the show made a fair to good summer entertainment.

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H. T. JORDAN PHILADELPHIA SHOW AUG. 23, 1915. HEARST SELIG PICTURES. 12 min. A fair average of pictures. SWAN & SWAN. 9 min. Man and woman. Man opens with some clever comedy juggling and is later joined by a woman from the audience who assists in juggling and does some toe dancing. The juggling is the feature of the act. Went well as an opener. LA FRANCE & BRUCE. 15 min. Two men who work in blackface, one in comedy makeup. Open with a little too much talk and strike their best work when they get to their songs. Finished to a good hand with a burlesque boxing bit. THE MEYAKOS. 14 min. Two girls and a boy, Japanese. Girls open Full Stage with some hand-balancing and then go into American songs assisted by a boy who plays a violin number. Finish with a trio song. Was very well liked and got a liberal hand. TOWER & DARRELL. 14 min. Man and woman - comedy, singing, talking and dancing. This is a nut act, the woman furnishing the principal comedy and getting a liberal supply of laughs through the use of some slapstick stuff and they closed to a good hand. MYSTERIA. 11 min. This is the worst disappointment we have had in the house this season. I saw the act at the Palace where it gave promise of developing into something and took it here on assurances that the act was being worked on constantly and was in perfect condition and would have new pictures. The act as shown this afternoon was like that shown at the Palace and was absolutely without illusion; in fact, the curtain had not been up a minute before the audience were saying "That is a moving picture." At the conclusion of the act, it failed to receive one hand GRACE FISHER. 20 min. "The Sunshine Girl." Sang four songs, wearing a variety of costumes. Has a pleasing voice. For her last number she used an old Irish lady in the audience to sing "A Little Bit of Heaven" and it was worked up for excellent results, being well handled. Took her off to a good hand. TOM LEWIS & CO. 19 min. "Brother Fans." The sketch is a baseball story by Tom Barry and was published in magazine form. Lewis is a well known star, formerly of George Cohan's company. He plays the role of an American baseball fan in London and fits the comedy character into a dramatic playlet. The sketch has some tense moments, but there is always a comedy line to lighten it up and it finished to a good hand. Lewis closes with a monologue bit that kept the audience in a roar of laughter and is a gem as an encore. CHARLES OLCOTT. 15 min. Offering a "Comic Opera in Ten Minutes." Young man with a piano. Sings a travesty on comic opera working in some good comedy and closes with a recitation on moving pictures. He was a big hit closing to applause which lasted several minutes. AMETA. 12 min. A Parisian dancer using four numbers varied in character and elaborately dressed and staged with electric and light effects. Her final number is a beautiful creation in which mirrors are used as reflectors filling the stage with a myriad of color. Each number is splendidly danced and the act is an excellent dancing novelty which scored solidly in the closing position. It was very well received. GENERAL REMARKS. Despite the fact that our big advertised feature, "Mysteria," fell by the wayside, the remainder of the show made a fair to good summer entertainment.