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

Transcribe
Translate

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

Page 214

March 12, 1906.  PHILADELPHIA SHOW   C. E. BARNS.

PAUL FREDERIC, The Equilibrist:- 10 min. F.S. 3 Shows. Also hoop and wire act. This is a very good opener,- the man's work is original and very expert. His various feats received a very good hand for an act that is not any more spectacular than this. On the whole is commendable.

YOUNG & MELVILLE, Refined singing and dancing specialties:- 11 min. in 1. 3 shows. This is a very pretty girl and clever man, and the feature seemed to please. Their singing is quite up to the standard, and their dancing is O.K. They make a good presentation being apparently above the average of the singing and dancing class. I believe  these people are capable of immense improvement, for they seem very intelligent. They received a good hand at the close. A.1. in the three-a-day section.

NESSEN, HUNTER & NESSEN, Hoop rollers and Jugglers:- 12 min. F.S. 3-a-day. Two work straight and the third the booby comedian. Begin with triple club act. The clown is especially good, introducing dancing with his club swinging, which brought applause. Some of their stunts are on the order of Mowatts, recently here, Not as expert, yet very good. The comedy portion of this act is especially noteworthy with many little surprises which gotlaughter in the gallery. On the whole, this is a very good 3-a-day act.

HODGES & LAUNCHMERE, Colored Comedy Couple:- 20 min. in 1. 3 Shows. This is a very clever pair, the comedy being especially original and good. The woman's voice is of very good quality. The songs were applauded and the imaginary trip to Berlin likewise. Cat act was especially funny. They got a strong hand, and an encore, finishing with a dancing specialty which showed that they are O.K. for this place on the bill.

"THE INDIAN", presented by Frederic Leopold, White Eagle-Myron Calice. Lieut. Gordon- Joseph Green. First time on any stage:- 22 min. F.S. 2 Shows. Carry their own scenery and drops. A very striking picture of Arizona desert and life. The Indian comes on leading a horse, and after a soliloquy about water, the motif of the playlet unfolds. The Apache Indian is wanted for murder of a white man who has betrayed his daughter. He is followed into the desert by cavaliers. The horse perishes under him and leaves him lost. He encounters White Eagle, begs for water, and The indian tells him the story of the white man's wrongs. He closes by telling him that there is one white man whom he would give water, that is, the Officer who saved his daughter and her child. This person the oficer proves to have been himself. The Indian thereupon gives him water, and his horse also, and tells him to go back to the fort, while he remains to perish. The two characters are well  drawn and very strong. It would be an improvement if some of the long speeches were cut, but it is a clever sketch for Vaudeville,and with a little more work, will hold the  interest still stronger. Closed with good hand and received encore. The stage setting is a picture. Although this is very serious, on the whole I am of the belief that with proper cutting down of speeches, it will pass muster anywhere on the Circuit, for the motif is very tragic and melodramatic, and parts of it are written eloquently and convincingly. Further comment later in week. 

hand. Good close.

DILLON BROTHERS, in the Song Treatment:- 20 min. in 1. Supposed to be a dual act, but there is only one man in it, the other being merely a foil, and stands back of his partner , singing scarcely audible, and really of no use to the act. We have never had an act on the bill that required so many cuts, in fact, altogether there was uproarious laughter throughout it, all coming fromt he gallery and from the masculine element, as the jokes were very broad, and the songs invariably contained suggestive lines. This was not the exception, but was the general rule in fact, to keep these men down on this place on the bill with the rubbish they offer is out of the question. Half of their act should be eliminated, and not only offensive lines, but whole songs of unmistakable vulgarity should be slashed out along with the useless member, supposed to be affected with locomotor ataxia, and who is not one of the original Dillons at all, but an understudy.

MULLEN & CORELLI, Acrobatic Comedy:- 13 min. F.S. It is not as strong as this spot on the bill would justify, but gets by. The house is largely a Fay audience, and after her act a good number of the people leave. The piano jumping part of the act got a good applause. 

KINETOGRAPH:-TWO LITTLE WAIFS:- Fairly good, but obviously fakey.
MR. BUTT-IN:- Comedy that is only comical in spots, not up to our usual standard this week in the Kinetograph series.

GENERAL REMARKS:- In general effort to keep down expenses to make up for one large star-feature, we were inclined to give undue precedence and place to acts which we would not otherwise have accorded them. There is not any one single act that is bad, nor is there a single scream, nor anything that holds the attention fixed and positive. It is mediocre, and were it not for Fay would fall flat. However, a large share of the audience comes to see Fay, and by a little shifting of the bill, the various features will pass muster for the rest of the week. From the prospects of to-day, we are sure of capacity houses.

Saving...

March 12, 1906. PHILADELPHIA SHOW C. E. BARNS. PAUL FREDERIC, The Equilibrist:- 10 min. F.S. 3 Shows. Also hoop and wire act. This is a very good opener,- the man's work is original and very expert. His various feats received a very good hand for an act that is not any more spectacular than this. On the whole is commendable. YOUNG & MELVILLE, Refined singing and dancing specialties:- 11 min. in 1. 3 shows. This is a very pretty girl and clever man, and the feature seemed to please. Their singing is quite up to the standard, and their dancing is O.K. They make a good presentation being apparently above the average of the singing and dancing class. I believe these people are capable of immense improvement, for they seem very intelligent. They received a good hand at the close. A.1. in the three-a-day section. NESSEN, HUNTER & NESSEN, Hoop rollers and Jugglers:- 12 min. F.S. 3-a-day. Two work straight and the third the booby comedian. Begin with triple club act. The clown is especially good, introducing dancing with his club swinging, which brought applause. Some of their stunts are on the order of Mowatts, recently here, Not as expert, yet very good. The comedy portion of this act is especially noteworthy with many little surprises which gotlaughter in the gallery. On the whole, this is a very good 3-a-day act. HODGES & LAUNCHMERE, Colored Comedy Couple:- 20 min. in 1. 3 Shows. This is a very clever pair, the comedy being especially original and good. The woman's voice is of very good quality. The songs were applauded and the imaginary trip to Berlin likewise. Cat act was especially funny. They got a strong hand, and an encore, finishing with a dancing specialty which showed that they are O.K. for this place on the bill. "THE INDIAN", presented by Frederic Leopold, White Eagle-Myron Calice. Lieut. Gordon- Joseph Green. First time on any stage:- 22 min. F.S. 2 Shows. Carry their own scenery and drops. A very striking picture of Arizona desert and life. The Indian comes on leading a horse, and after a soliloquy about water, the motif of the playlet unfolds. The Apache Indian is wanted for murder of a white man who has betrayed his daughter. He is followed into the desert by cavaliers. The horse perishes under him and leaves him lost. He encounters White Eagle, begs for water, and The indian tells him the story of the white man's wrongs. He closes by telling him that there is one white man whom he would give water, that is, the Officer who saved his daughter and her child. This person the oficer proves to have been himself. The Indian thereupon gives him water, and his horse also, and tells him to go back to the fort, while he remains to perish. The two characters are well drawn and very strong. It would be an improvement if some of the long speeches were cut, but it is a clever sketch for Vaudeville,and with a little more work, will hold the interest still stronger. Closed with good hand and received encore. The stage setting is a picture. Although this is very serious, on the whole I am of the belief that with proper cutting down of speeches, it will pass muster anywhere on the Circuit, for the motif is very tragic and melodramatic, and parts of it are written eloquently and convincingly. Further comment later in week. hand. Good close. DILLON BROTHERS, in the Song Treatment:- 20 min. in 1. Supposed to be a dual act, but there is only one man in it, the other being merely a foil, and stands back of his partner , singing scarcely audible, and really of no use to the act. We have never had an act on the bill that required so many cuts, in fact, altogether there was uproarious laughter throughout it, all coming fromt he gallery and from the masculine element, as the jokes were very broad, and the songs invariably contained suggestive lines. This was not the exception, but was the general rule in fact, to keep these men down on this place on the bill with the rubbish they offer is out of the question. Half of their act should be eliminated, and not only offensive lines, but whole songs of unmistakable vulgarity should be slashed out along with the useless member, supposed to be affected with locomotor ataxia, and who is not one of the original Dillons at all, but an understudy. MULLEN & CORELLI, Acrobatic Comedy:- 13 min. F.S. It is not as strong as this spot on the bill would justify, but gets by. The house is largely a Fay audience, and after her act a good number of the people leave. The piano jumping part of the act got a good applause. KINETOGRAPH:-TWO LITTLE WAIFS:- Fairly good, but obviously fakey. MR. BUTT-IN:- Comedy that is only comical in spots, not up to our usual standard this week in the Kinetograph series. GENERAL REMARKS:- In general effort to keep down expenses to make up for one large star-feature, we were inclined to give undue precedence and place to acts which we would not otherwise have accorded them. There is not any one single act that is bad, nor is there a single scream, nor anything that holds the attention fixed and positive. It is mediocre, and were it not for Fay would fall flat. However, a large share of the audience comes to see Fay, and by a little shifting of the bill, the various features will pass muster for the rest of the week. From the prospects of to-day, we are sure of capacity houses.