The Billboard 1924-03-22: Vol 36 Iss 12 (1924-03-22)

74 The Bi llboard MARCH 22, 1924 Minstrel wal Tent Show Talk Harvey’s Minstrels Get Publicity When the Harvey Minstrels recently played the Empress Theater, Denver, Col., they grabbed off some publicity that will long be a record in that community end for minstrelsy anywhere. The parade stopped before the office of The Denver Post ’ Austin and his famous band played a number While they did it The Post photographer caught the group, and a pic and ‘‘Slim ture four eolumns wide and nine inches deep adorned the next issue of the paper. Incidentally the show played to packed houses for the week. The folks had a social time, too. Mrs. Mary Evans, past daughter ruler of the Mountain Temple of Ladies of the Elks, entertained Margaret Jackson Cross, Hazel Cannon and Mary Barbee in honor of Mrs. Wm. Austin, wife of the bandmaster, who is a of Clover Leaf Temple in St. Louis, Mo, Seven local ladies were in the party. Lawrence Deas has been engaged to stag next season's edition of the minstrels. past daughter ruler Pear] Manning that he will be writes from Meridan, on the lets by April 7. Miss., Scott Minstrels E. H. Rucker has staged the C. D. Scott AllStgr Minstrels for the third seasen. The show opened March 7 with fifteen people, including a six-piece band, at Spartanburg, S. C. Perey Wilson is musical director, Lena Horsely the featured singer and ‘‘Shine’’ Davis the extreme end man. Willie May Tucker, Janie Flowers, Homer Lee Bowen and Harry Harris are again with the Rucker says: “There will be no smut on this show, for I believe if a comedian can't be funny without that he ean’t be funny at all, The show was provided with new scenery and wardobe. show. Kid Cottman, who has been in a St. Louis eabaret all winter, has signed with the Virginia Minstrels for the coming season as interlocutor. The show went into rehearsal Mar¢h 15. It will be a two-car show under management of A. L. Crickson, witth Frank Keith as stage manager and Win. Timmons as band leader. Silas Green Notes The Silas Green Show played a one-night date at the Strand Theater, Jacksonville, Fla., to tremendous “business. Jack Ginger Wiggens and Joe Bright and wife were visitors with the company there. Mrs. Bright has been suffering from a tropical disease, and Joe will not leave Jacksonville so long as his wife is affiicted. Billie Harris and Billie McKenzie, clever youngsters, joined the show there, and Maxine Lopez, unusaal woman contortionist, joined at Macon, Ga. The show has been provided with a new tap and new seats, while Carnival Opens The Michael Pros. Carnival mounces that on March 17 it at Savannah, Ga., where Company anwould open the shows have been wintering. ‘They will remain for three weeks, after which Michael is contracted to go into Roundtree Park at Vidua, Ga., for the colored exposition. PRINCE OSKAZUMA, one of the most widely known side-show workers jn the busi ness. His interesting history covers the whole v world, 4 includes contracts with our Pt LLL LL LL LLL LDL DLE LDL Yemen <a Songs 24 4 3 A. B. C.) A. B.C.) 4$ 4% 3 I!t! ATTENTION tr! $¢ $$ 4 % MANAGERS AND OWNERS OF COLORED THEATRES p24 Tf you want to increase your Box-Office Receipts get on the AFFILIATED BOOKING CIRCUIT. $> Every Show travels as a UNIT complete. Now forming 3» ‘“‘Wheel” from North to &< —and $2 West. AFFILIATION and CO-OPERATION spell “SUCCESS” By Close ooking and ‘aying P24 UNITS over our WHEEL operating expense is reduced, railroad fares lowered and layoffs elim$$ inated. Shows consist of VAUDEVILLE UNITS, MINSTREL UNITS, MUSICAL COMEDY U NITS, 62. DRAMA UNITS. Every show personally inspected at the RAYO THEATRE before going over 4 the Wheel. Competent preducers on hand to stage and produce shows. 24 WE WILL BOOK A HOUSE IN YOUR TOWN SOON, WRITE CR WIRE AND GET THE ‘ BOOKING PRIVILEGE FCR YOUR CITY. y MANAGERS—If you are unable to get GOCD SHOWS or if you are dissatisfied with yoyr present 24 bookings, write, wire or phone for a REAL SHOW, 4 PERFORMERS—And Company Managers, write fully, stating all and your open time. ; Pp P24 BOOKING PRIVILEGE STILL OPEN IN MANY TOWNS, DON’T DELAY! 2 WRITE, WIRE OR PHONE > 4 (A. B. C.) AFFILIATED BOOKING CIRCUIT (A. B.C.) 4 BEN HOLMES, Manager, % RAYO THEATRE, + + = = + «+ + RICHMOND, VA..$] ° «4 won ou ; Dn» ee ee $4 : WANTED AT _ ¥ 2 e 3 r$9 . . +> pes $? § Suburban Gardens 8 4 > > res > % ; 3 65 ACRES: 3 24 d l pes $3 e iuxe 2 % 120,000 POPULATION TO DRAW FROM. 2 3 Rides and Concessions under their own tops for the 1924 season. 2 $3 Address 34 % Prudential Bank Building (Room 206), 717 Florida Ave. N. W., 3 3 WASHINGTON, D. C. 3 D ameennnnnetannnannn bot bP dvb tt P tb PPP PPE PPD 8? Roun , Ferris Wheel and all kinds of G f jue tk cyte y ‘the colored section of an established resert. "Aéires ee MOSSELL & SAUREZ, Drugstore, 1051 Springwood Ave., Asbury Park, N. J. WANTED, GOLORED SINGERS AND DANCERS FOR BART'S BIG y wanted. Men must be able to drive Trucks on moving day. We a hacetent Act, Strong Novelty Act, Singers for — in Southern Per nsylvania. season. A-No Bill and Lillian, come on! first-part minstrel amd closing acts. Show opens April 38rd Long, sure DR. ARRY FUN SHOW No.1 All two-week stands. Tenor, Lead. Boston, All people must WANT— Smithy, work in Bass, High BART, Austinburg, Tioga County, Pennsylvania. lowa Likes the Busbys The following extract from The Mason City (Ja.) Globe-Gazette tells it’s own story: “With the entrancing melodies for which they are noted twenty-six dusky males and maidens belonging to the Busby Colored Minstrel Show presented a complete repertoire of selections at the Garden Theater Saturday and Sunday. . « « The comedy in most instances was new and original. The scenic effects were rich and varied in the tints that the colored race loves so well. There was a wide choice in the selection of vocal numbers and the harmony measured up to the standards of the most fastidious.’’ The show did a big business in that city. While there the company was entertained by Mrs. Maude Bratton, sister of Johnny Smith, share drummer, with whom the Nay Brothers worked on the Georgia Minstrels. The show goes into Michigan for a tour of the Winkfield Time. Albert White, ballad singer, and Ruben Harvey, comic, former members of the Smart Set Minstrels, have joined the show. Dave Conners passed thru New York en route to Washington to assemble his band to open upState April 1. He dropped in to see the Page and promises another stop when he returns. Georgia Smart Set Minstrels Smart Set Minstrels set another record during their engagement at the Grand Theater, Chicago. This show came to Chicago unknown, most of the performers being strangers here, Opening The Famous Georgia to turnaway business this attraction sold out and turned back hundreds at every performance, which speaks well for the entertainment being offered. subber Mack, who produced this deserves great credit for it. The band, under the direction of Walter Mason, made a hit, and the Georgia Smart Set Minstrels will be a welcome visitor to Chicago in the future. Major George L. Barton informs that he has secured very g6od Eastern bookings and has been offered both the Pantages and Keith vaudeville time for this attraction. The show will be seen shortly in New York. A REAL BURLESQUE COMIC “Billy Cumby was really piece at Miner's last night, ‘Record Breakers’, with a chorus full of pretty girls, was warmly welcomed by a_ capacity house. As an African funmaker, Cumby hit attraction the where hero of the Jack Reid's the audience where it lived and it said so in many encores. His lines vied with the rich humor of Jack Reid himself—dear old Celtic Jack.” Thus spoke The Newark the Negro ¢omedian, talented and his ability, ployer. The Page (N. J.) Eagle of whom we know to be a deserving man by virtue of deportment and loyalty to his emhied himself to Hurtig & Sea mon's 125th Street Theater to renew our faith in Billy, and that’s just what happened. The audience in that big Harlem house amply veri fied the Newark newspaper man's expressions, HERE AND THERE AMONG THE FOLKS India B. Allen, one of the best female character actresses in the profession, is in the Northwest with an act called the ‘‘Seven Gofers’’. When she played St. Paul, her home town, she was a riot. Dan Michaels, carnival man, recommends Harry Burns’ restaurant, next to the Pekin Theater, Savannah, Ga. Dan wonders how Harry can put up such meals for a quarter. Sounds like old times. Robert Miles has abandoned illusions, ete., for a try at commercial life. He is doing a mail order business in toilet goods at Bangor, Pa., mith coverol branch affices listed on bi pt = ter head. He says, however, in he will be on somebody's midway Illusion, called the fair season, a letter that with a new “The Jaws of Death’, during Harry T. Ford, cornet and bugle imitator, closed an engagement in ai Cleveland (0.) theater that he has been filling since Thankagiving Day to go on a concert tour under the direction of Olive Mourvan The Four Dancing Demons’ with the ‘‘Temptations of 1924’ have been making a nice tmpression with Columbia Circuit audiences. They have received nice press notices in Baltimore, ibeeling and Canton, and have made a nice ae record for deportment. Bobby Bramlett won't work with any other sort of folks im an act, The recently burned Lafayette Theater in Winston-Salem, N condition C., is being rapidly put into the time this issue Scales did some quick purchasing of equipment by wire, The Lincoln Theater, under construetion in the same city by the Carver inter. will be opened March 24, Show played Columbus, 0., for reopening by 1e8 the public. Mr contracting end rear sate ests, When the ‘‘Liza’’ recently, the musical director, Tim Brym, and the Misses Trent and Slat ter were entertained at a dinner by the usiness Men's Club of that city, and the Dénsien’ Corner ‘‘put it on’ for Rufus Byars, press representative. Cecil Slaughter, an (O.) tenor with the show, had a home-folks sort of time hile there. He is well known in Columbus Reese Dupree, New York and Albany Park hotel man, who was a well-known musician and singer, has heard the lure of the records. He has recorded ‘‘Long Ago Blues" and “O’Sara Saroo"’ for the “key Company. Another record by him that is about ready for release has “One More Rounder Gone’ on one side and “Norfolk Blues’’ on the other. Kelly Thomas and “Doc Perkins accompanied him with guitar music on the latter Joe Camouche and his wife, Cleo Mitchell, are again on the road after spending a year n Chicago clubs and cabarets. ‘*We Got It” is the name of their preduction. Sherman Dudley wrote lyrics and musie and produced the piece. They and Troy Brown, Mary Covington and Willie Oglesby comprise the cast. The choristers are Susie Wroten, Toy Francis, Queenie Price, Baby Louis, Vivian Richards, Laura O'Brien, Georgine Helms and Mabel Moore. Joe Camouche wrote the book and reports from Cincinnati and Louisville are excellent, The Whitman Sisters’ Show created such a furore of comment when playing the Lincoln Theater, Beaumont, Tex., that the Kyle Theater management engaged the show to play a week for them * a white audience. The Sunday Enterprise reviewer says: ‘The company numbers twenty people, and what I saw astounded me. I ha ‘Shuffle Along’ and never saw anythi seen two companies of ‘Strut, Miss Lizzie’, but I ng as fast as this show. There is a child dancer with the show that is absolutely wonderful, a prima donna with a marvelous voice, and Mabel Whitman, who is great.’* Frank Kirk writes was playing with the Company, he has been enjoying says, Columbus, where he ‘Bringing Up Father"’ upon the pleasant season with a show that, be “has ‘no drunks, poolroom loafers nor mashers, but a group of studious and talented people wholly interested in their work. Pay from to comment days are like the dates on the calendar for gularity. After thirty-nine years of trouping I am enjoying perfect harmony with @ company of real performers with a real owner and manager, and find color is no handicap if one copforms to the required standard.”’ That was a great little letter to receive after so many that tell another story of other performers with big OPEN LETTERS (Continued from page 68) shows, / The church is a place of worship. The theater is a place of amusement, even on Sunday, which is the best theater day in the week. Theaters are direct opposition to God's teaching. They are commercialized and the money derived from such is the main object, rather than the development of great talent. According to God's word, all idols must fall. no other gods behonest-to-goodness ChrisChrist appear in the branches of the thou shall have llow would care to and find them in show business? Reinhardt says: “The C very cradle of our modern theater, Therefore, down with the , at any cost. They cheat the theater of its eternal biiss.”” A very God says, fore me. tians clouds many have some tholle Church is the iconoclaste broad assertion, Iconeclast means breaker of idols, According to th Christ himself was an idol breaker. True, he was, for ' stood for everything thet is good. He destroyed the golden images. True, the Catholic Church may be the erade of the theater, but Christ and his teachings are not and could not be. Retnhardt might just as well say, down with Christ. That might do in Germany, but America is @ God-fearing nation. held in the th church is sometimes the ‘theater may help True eater, and the church in different ways, but Christ went anywhere, even unto the lepers, and just because church Is sometimes held in the theater and the no reason why we the theater, radle of Some of theater sometimes helps the ehurch, is should link Christianity with inasmuch as Christianity is the the theater. our modern productions teach any thing but Christianity or the personification of higher morals, Real Christianity is Godliness and Christiikeness. Let others figure this out also. (Signed) SAM LOGKERT.