DIY History | Transcribe | Keith-Albee Collection | Keith-Albee managers' report book, September 4, 1905 - April 23, 1906

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Keith-Albee managers' report book, September 4, 1905 - April 23, 1906

Page 196

196
FEB. 26th. 1906.
PHILADELPHIA SHOW.
C. E. BARNS.
GRIFF BROTHERS:-- Ring act, and a very good one. In fact, it is worth going down on the bill. Both work straight. Each of their tricks was applauded. 10 Min. F.S.
BERNARD WILLIAMS:--Talkative trickster. 12 min. in 1. Makes a good presentation,-his talk bright and original. Tricks are not particularly difficult or brilliant, but they seem to hold the attention of the audience quite well. Very good three-a-day feature of the parlor entertainment variety.
Cut out,- "How can she lay in bed when everything lays in the chair", which is neither funny nor apropos.
TEXARKANA AND WALBY:-- 12 min. in 1. Singing and dancing. Very pretty costumes in the spot light. Singing fair, dancing very much better. Do very well in this spot on the bill.
BALANCING STEVENS:--11 min. cut from 15,- F.S. Clown make-up, balancing act, quite good, though a little raw and slow, showing that he is not long on the stage. Comedy part very poor, getting no laughs, although his tricks received a fairly good hand. Ordered him to cut the comedy as much as possible. Will transpose his place on the bill, placing in place of Griff Brothers, who will come down here.
MC GRATH BROTHERS:-- Banjoists:- These people make a very good presentation and are expert in their line. They held the interest of the audience and their selections got good applause. A medley encore went very well. O.K. for this place on the bill. 12 min. in 1.
LEONA AND DALE:--"A Lesson in Opera":- F.S. closing in 1. Man and woman in Spanish costumes, making a very good presentation, giving selections from the Operas, with comedy between. Both have excellent voices and sing with taste, displaying accurate training. It is the kind of musical act that always goes well here. Selections well applauded and a strong hand and encore at the close. 20 min.
MR AND MRS. MARK MURPHY:-in, "The Coal Strike":- F.S. 25 min. One of the best sketches that we have had. Murphy works eccentric, his wife straight. The hits were constant and the laughter and applause all that they could wish for. Would like to have more of this sort of features to swell a good bill. The work in 1 at the close was simply a scream. O.K. for almost any place on the bill.
THOMPSON AND VIDOQC:- 17 min. in 1. Coming after the foregoing they had a very hard place to fill. They were some minutes getting hold of their audience. Their work is somewhat of the Smith and Campbell variety, and while not an imitation, at the same time they have profited by the success of those favorites. Are using much of the old Haines and Vidoqc material. Some of their lines savor a little of vulgarity, and will have to be cut. Finally caught their audience pretty strong. Closed very well. With a few emendations, this feature is O.K.


class in all that he does, and his characterizations are of the best. The poem by Kipling was an encore, and got by all means the strongest hand. His second encore was a story that has been seen in print a good deal of late, but his manner of telling it was immense. Regard him as a strong acquisition. He will do even better with our night audiences the rest of the week I feel sure.
Note: cut-"Don't thank me, madam", story about the woman with the six children. Also story of the boy with the fifth rib. This cut was made previously in Boston, and he should have known that a cut in one place on the Circuit means all. Vaudeville performers will learn this after while, but at the present time they seem to think that they can break out wherever they want to, trusting to luck.
LEON MORRIS AND CO:- 30 min. F.S. This act has a great many very good points, but is also lacking in others that are essential. First of all, it is too long, even cut down from 40 min. to 30. Morris and his men do not seem to have such a strong hold on the act, that the several stunts follow each other with rapidity and dash such as is necessary in an animal act. Palpable imitations of Berzac's features, notably the revolving table, were also patent. For all that, there are some very good things in this circus feature. The bear on horseback, for instance, and the dogs doing the high-jumps, were strongly applauded. After it has gone through a month or two of hard work and constant hammering down in time, this will prove one of the best animal acts on the Circuit.

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196 FEB. 26th. 1906. PHILADELPHIA SHOW. C. E. BARNS. GRIFF BROTHERS:-- Ring act, and a very good one. In fact, it is worth going down on the bill. Both work straight. Each of their tricks was applauded. 10 Min. F.S. BERNARD WILLIAMS:--Talkative trickster. 12 min. in 1. Makes a good presentation,-his talk bright and original. Tricks are not particularly difficult or brilliant, but they seem to hold the attention of the audience quite well. Very good three-a-day feature of the parlor entertainment variety. Cut out,- "How can she lay in bed when everything lays in the chair", which is neither funny nor apropos. TEXARKANA AND WALBY:-- 12 min. in 1. Singing and dancing. Very pretty costumes in the spot light. Singing fair, dancing very much better. Do very well in this spot on the bill. BALANCING STEVENS:--11 min. cut from 15,- F.S. Clown make-up, balancing act, quite good, though a little raw and slow, showing that he is not long on the stage. Comedy part very poor, getting no laughs, although his tricks received a fairly good hand. Ordered him to cut the comedy as much as possible. Will transpose his place on the bill, placing in place of Griff Brothers, who will come down here. MC GRATH BROTHERS:-- Banjoists:- These people make a very good presentation and are expert in their line. They held the interest of the audience and their selections got good applause. A medley encore went very well. O.K. for this place on the bill. 12 min. in 1. LEONA AND DALE:--"A Lesson in Opera":- F.S. closing in 1. Man and woman in Spanish costumes, making a very good presentation, giving selections from the Operas, with comedy between. Both have excellent voices and sing with taste, displaying accurate training. It is the kind of musical act that always goes well here. Selections well applauded and a strong hand and encore at the close. 20 min. MR AND MRS. MARK MURPHY:-in, "The Coal Strike":- F.S. 25 min. One of the best sketches that we have had. Murphy works eccentric, his wife straight. The hits were constant and the laughter and applause all that they could wish for. Would like to have more of this sort of features to swell a good bill. The work in 1 at the close was simply a scream. O.K. for almost any place on the bill. THOMPSON AND VIDOQC:- 17 min. in 1. Coming after the foregoing they had a very hard place to fill. They were some minutes getting hold of their audience. Their work is somewhat of the Smith and Campbell variety, and while not an imitation, at the same time they have profited by the success of those favorites. Are using much of the old Haines and Vidoqc material. Some of their lines savor a little of vulgarity, and will have to be cut. Finally caught their audience pretty strong. Closed very well. With a few emendations, this feature is O.K. class in all that he does, and his characterizations are of the best. The poem by Kipling was an encore, and got by all means the strongest hand. His second encore was a story that has been seen in print a good deal of late, but his manner of telling it was immense. Regard him as a strong acquisition. He will do even better with our night audiences the rest of the week I feel sure. Note: cut-"Don't thank me, madam", story about the woman with the six children. Also story of the boy with the fifth rib. This cut was made previously in Boston, and he should have known that a cut in one place on the Circuit means all. Vaudeville performers will learn this after while, but at the present time they seem to think that they can break out wherever they want to, trusting to luck. LEON MORRIS AND CO:- 30 min. F.S. This act has a great many very good points, but is also lacking in others that are essential. First of all, it is too long, even cut down from 40 min. to 30. Morris and his men do not seem to have such a strong hold on the act, that the several stunts follow each other with rapidity and dash such as is necessary in an animal act. Palpable imitations of Berzac's features, notably the revolving table, were also patent. For all that, there are some very good things in this circus feature. The bear on horseback, for instance, and the dogs doing the high-jumps, were strongly applauded. After it has gone through a month or two of hard work and constant hammering down in time, this will prove one of the best animal acts on the Circuit.