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

Page 143

NEW YORK SHOW: WEEK JANUARY 15th: 1903:

STEREOPTICON:- Ususal collection of views. 8 minutes in one.
NH- OZAV & [?]ELMO:-Two men in a comedy juggling act, one made up straight and the other as a tramp. This act has played the circuit several times, but it really seems to go better each visit. The comedy is not especially strong, but the juggling is about as good as that of any artists that play the house. They made a very favorable impression this afternoon in an early part of the bill. 14 Mins.full stage; can close in one if necessary.
GYH- 4 AMERICAN TRUMPETERS:-  consisting of one man and three women a young girl. It is not a particularly brilliant act, in fact, it opened rather poorly but they close quite well. They opened with bugles, then from that they go on to mandolins, and then to cornets and finaly close with three xilophones and a Miramba. They play two or three very brilliant pieces for the close and get away with it all right. Can be classed as a good 3-show-a-day act. 20 minutes, open full stage; long close in one.
EE- BIOGRAPH:- Being put on at an early hour in the afternoon it seemed to catch a class of people to whom it was comparatively new, exactly as we surmised it would in our conversation of Thursday last. The views were not particularly brilliant, still there were one or two comedy pictures that went very good, and it proved to be an excellent attraction at that end of the bill. 10 minutes in one.
NH- WYMAN & GARNER: Two men in a comedy talking act, one of them made up straight, the other a Dutch comedian. The comedian is really very good, and his dialect makes a first-class impression. Straight man is not very strong, but he got away with it all right, and at the place which they have got on the bill it can safely be called a good act. 15 minutes in one.
YYN- JACK NORWORTH:- Blackface monologue. Norworth is always strong in this house, and he went very nicely this afternoon. I can understand, however, how he would fall down to a certain extent in the middle of a bill in Philadelphia, as his stuff is all a little bit "fly". The gambler's song which was such a frost in Philadelphia went very strong here this afternoon, but that of course, was to be expected. He certainly is very good here. 15 minutes in one.
GYH - BANKS & NONA WINTERS:- A man and a young girl in a comedy sketch called "A Disappointed Romeo", although any other name would fit it just as well. I really think, however, that Banks is improving, as he seemed to be much easier in his speaking part than he was on his previous visits. He sings fairly well, though of course, at his age his voice is losing its old-time brilliancy. The girl is very dainty indeed, and would win out no matter what she does. The act is a very good one. 21 minutes; open full stage, close in one.
YRR- WINSCHERMAN'S BEARS:- They worked pretty well this afternoon, although there were times when they were quite slow. The monkeys is the best feature of the act I think. I can't consider them nearly as good as Batty's. I have just learned that the clown bear died here last night, and naturally they were obliged to work outside of their usual routine of tricks which is always disastrous to an animal act, at that however, the act can be called a good one. 19 minutes; full stage.
---LOUISE DRESSER(with Jack Norworth) Miss Dresser with her first two songs did not do much except to look pretty, which she alwatys does, but in the last song where she introduced the illustrations she made quite an impression. 11 minutes in one.
[?] ing act, a European importation. The woman does nothing at all but stand around and assist the man, and while she is very pretty the audience were inclined to guy her a little bit this afternoon on account of the fact that she does not do anything. If there is any indication of their doing so to-night I will take her off entirely. The man is an exceptionally clever ring performer and can work his act alone, if necesary.Their wardrobe is very beautiful indeed, and it may have been there were a few fresh people down in front that started the guying. The act is really a good one. 12 Mins. full stage.
HR- NEVINS & ARNOLD:- Young boy and girl in a singing and dancing act. It is a nicely dressed act, and while not a big one is still very acceptable. It is much after the style of the Rice Twins. 10 Mins. in one.
GYH- RICE & WALTERS: Ths is one of the best acrobatic comedy acts that has ever played the house. One of the men makes up straight and the other as a white faced clown, after the style of Geo. Carron, and his methods remind me very much of Carron. He makes some very funny falls and makes them so naturally that the audience fairly scream with laughter. It is an excellent act throughout. 11 Mins. full stage.
REMARKS:--- This is the first day of the two-show-a-day system, and it certainly has been a great success so far as we are able to judge with the afternoon performance. We had an extremely big opening. There must have been two or three hundred people when the doors opened, and the business has been very large all the afternoon. The show ran with the most aboslute smoothness, with the exception of the non-arrival of Miss Mahr's trunk. We came out about 9 minutes shy, but that will be made up all right in the night show, as the stereopticon and the biograph both ran a little bit short. The audience stayed in remarkably well and evidently waited for repetition of the biograph as a signal that the show was ended. There were no waits in the bill and the whole show was received elegantly.

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NEW YORK SHOW: WEEK JANUARY 15th: 1903: STEREOPTICON:- Ususal collection of views. 8 minutes in one. NH- OZAV & [?]ELMO:-Two men in a comedy juggling act, one made up straight and the other as a tramp. This act has played the circuit several times, but it really seems to go better each visit. The comedy is not especially strong, but the juggling is about as good as that of any artists that play the house. They made a very favorable impression this afternoon in an early part of the bill. 14 Mins.full stage; can close in one if necessary. GYH- 4 AMERICAN TRUMPETERS:- consisting of one man and three women a young girl. It is not a particularly brilliant act, in fact, it opened rather poorly but they close quite well. They opened with bugles, then from that they go on to mandolins, and then to cornets and finaly close with three xilophones and a Miramba. They play two or three very brilliant pieces for the close and get away with it all right. Can be classed as a good 3-show-a-day act. 20 minutes, open full stage; long close in one. EE- BIOGRAPH:- Being put on at an early hour in the afternoon it seemed to catch a class of people to whom it was comparatively new, exactly as we surmised it would in our conversation of Thursday last. The views were not particularly brilliant, still there were one or two comedy pictures that went very good, and it proved to be an excellent attraction at that end of the bill. 10 minutes in one. NH- WYMAN & GARNER: Two men in a comedy talking act, one of them made up straight, the other a Dutch comedian. The comedian is really very good, and his dialect makes a first-class impression. Straight man is not very strong, but he got away with it all right, and at the place which they have got on the bill it can safely be called a good act. 15 minutes in one. YYN- JACK NORWORTH:- Blackface monologue. Norworth is always strong in this house, and he went very nicely this afternoon. I can understand, however, how he would fall down to a certain extent in the middle of a bill in Philadelphia, as his stuff is all a little bit "fly". The gambler's song which was such a frost in Philadelphia went very strong here this afternoon, but that of course, was to be expected. He certainly is very good here. 15 minutes in one. GYH - BANKS & NONA WINTERS:- A man and a young girl in a comedy sketch called "A Disappointed Romeo", although any other name would fit it just as well. I really think, however, that Banks is improving, as he seemed to be much easier in his speaking part than he was on his previous visits. He sings fairly well, though of course, at his age his voice is losing its old-time brilliancy. The girl is very dainty indeed, and would win out no matter what she does. The act is a very good one. 21 minutes; open full stage, close in one. YRR- WINSCHERMAN'S BEARS:- They worked pretty well this afternoon, although there were times when they were quite slow. The monkeys is the best feature of the act I think. I can't consider them nearly as good as Batty's. I have just learned that the clown bear died here last night, and naturally they were obliged to work outside of their usual routine of tricks which is always disastrous to an animal act, at that however, the act can be called a good one. 19 minutes; full stage. ---LOUISE DRESSER(with Jack Norworth) Miss Dresser with her first two songs did not do much except to look pretty, which she alwatys does, but in the last song where she introduced the illustrations she made quite an impression. 11 minutes in one. [?] ing act, a European importation. The woman does nothing at all but stand around and assist the man, and while she is very pretty the audience were inclined to guy her a little bit this afternoon on account of the fact that she does not do anything. If there is any indication of their doing so to-night I will take her off entirely. The man is an exceptionally clever ring performer and can work his act alone, if necesary.Their wardrobe is very beautiful indeed, and it may have been there were a few fresh people down in front that started the guying. The act is really a good one. 12 Mins. full stage. HR- NEVINS & ARNOLD:- Young boy and girl in a singing and dancing act. It is a nicely dressed act, and while not a big one is still very acceptable. It is much after the style of the Rice Twins. 10 Mins. in one. GYH- RICE & WALTERS: Ths is one of the best acrobatic comedy acts that has ever played the house. One of the men makes up straight and the other as a white faced clown, after the style of Geo. Carron, and his methods remind me very much of Carron. He makes some very funny falls and makes them so naturally that the audience fairly scream with laughter. It is an excellent act throughout. 11 Mins. full stage. REMARKS:--- This is the first day of the two-show-a-day system, and it certainly has been a great success so far as we are able to judge with the afternoon performance. We had an extremely big opening. There must have been two or three hundred people when the doors opened, and the business has been very large all the afternoon. The show ran with the most aboslute smoothness, with the exception of the non-arrival of Miss Mahr's trunk. We came out about 9 minutes shy, but that will be made up all right in the night show, as the stereopticon and the biograph both ran a little bit short. The audience stayed in remarkably well and evidently waited for repetition of the biograph as a signal that the show was ended. There were no waits in the bill and the whole show was received elegantly.