The Billboard 1924-08-16: Vol 36 Iss 33 (1924-08-16)

The Billboard AUGUST 16, 1924 (COMMUNICATIONS TO Al J. Massey is back in minstrelsy as musical director with the Neil O’Brien Minstrels. Chhis W. Viohl, of Wilmington, with the Al. G. Field Minstrels this season playing piano and trombone. By-Gosh, producer of the home-talent minstrel production, entitled ‘‘The Seldom-Fed Minstre's’’, sends post-card read Minstrelsy on Broadway last week. In all probability the cinnati, 0., will inaugurate the 1924-'2 of regular stage attractions this the Neil O'Brien Minstrels, an adherence to a tradition not often interrupted. Grand Lippesonand Cin 5 season J. T. Bauman, recording secretary of the BP. L. K. Club at Susquehanna, Pa., writes that Cleon Coffin, old-time minstrel singer, has signed contracts with the Wirth & Hamid offices, of New York City, to be feature soloist at Syracuse, N. Y., during the State Fair. Cleon has made reservations to sail for Germany October 16. He has contracts for six months’ work in Hamburg at the Fohnstien Gardens. Charlie Lane, former member of the Lasses White Minstrels, wrote from his home in Wabash, Ind., under recent date, as follows: “I ‘caught’ the Grover Schepp Minstrel Five at Peru, Ind., last week, and they certainly have a swell act. It completely tied up the proceedings. Guy Degan, who replaced Frank Long as soloist, has the appearance of a real minstrel ballad singer. His work went big in spite of the fact it was his first appearance with the act. I had quite a nice visit with the boys and it made my feet itch once more. My partner, ‘Boob’ Smallstreet, and I leave here the middle of August for Chicago to enter vaudeville with our double black act with banjo.’’ The oldtimer likes to lapse into silence and Tead occasionally about incidents that took place during the earlier days of minstrelsy, and it is the editor's plan to publish, when contributions and spice are available, some data of the by-gone days. Therefore, minstrels who trouped in the days when tambo ¢spun his tambourine on the tip of his little finger for a full five minutes, or when collars became so elongated as to interfere with the wearer's making a free exit, kindly dig deep into the old trunk and unearth something that occurred in the early annals. There is no doubt that it will interest those who were at one time allied with this distinctly American form of entertainment, minstrelsy. Not in any spirit of complaint, but contributors are kindly asked to write legibly so as to facilitate matters at this end. George (Pop) Sank and Frank Van Hoven last week visited The Billboard offices in Cincinnati, where Van Hoven and his wife, Jean Middleton, played a week’s engagement at the Palace Theater. The week previous ‘‘The Mad Magician’? and “Little Miss Melody’’ played C nbus, ©., Pop's home, and they Were constant companions all week at and away from the theater. When Van Hoven said they played Cincinnati the following week the Columbus minstrel man laid aside all business to motor them to the Queen City for the opening performance. As Van Hoven was runming the gamut and causing sides to ache he made reference to “Pop’’, who was seated in a lower box enjoying the show with his coat off. George’s pulse did not pick up speed nor did he change color as many eyes were cast upon him during the act, as ‘‘Pop’’ has had this experience often and was accustomed to the byplay. R. Blee Smith has been an Al. G. Field far and faithful follower of the show for ten years, attending rehearsals at Columbus, 0O., and opening performances each season, and it EDDIE CANTOR USES MACY’S BURNT CORK And says it’s THE BEST. MACY DRUG CO., Headquarters for Makeup in Boston, " 232 Tremont St. (Cor, Stuart), Boston, HATS For a?! Theatrical and Parade Occastons. A. L. MAGERSTADT, 617 Pine St., St. Louis, Mo. PRINTING strels, Rep. Cos. r ‘Sab. ap, CU RtIs8, ‘Continental ‘Ohio, Mass. Stage Neat quick, Del., is information that he season with OUR CINCINNATI OFFICES) is his opinion that the thirty-eighth annual edition of this famous amusement institution is by far the best yet offered under the Field banner. ‘All the old favorites are there and some new ones,’ he wired from Canton, 0O., last week after The Billboard had already gone to press. “The comedy is strong, with Nick Hufford as premier end man and the wellknown black-face artistes, Harry Shunk, Johnny Healey, Harry Frankel and Jack Kennedy, as other funsters. Jack Richards and Billy ¢ score heavily as usual. Billy Doran's dar ng numbers are revelations in the art of terpsichore. John Leipold’s Orchestra surpasses any I have ever heard in minstrelsy and the Gold Band, under the direction of Harry Armstrong, is strong and well balanced. The costuming and street dress is the finest money can buy. All in all it is the fastest and snappiest minstrel show I have witnessed.”’ Chas. Hammond recently managed to find time away from the theater to make the best use of his power to revive the shadowy forms of memory, and pens the following ‘“‘Do You Remembers’ When Frank Graham of the Graham Stock Company, was bass singer with DeRue’s Minstrels; Bill DeLano, who is now successful with a business of his own in Troy, N. Y., was with the same company; Chas. Williams, of Richfield Springs, N. Y., now in business there, was with Gorton’s Minstrels (Charlie still gets the fever when he sees a band show); Bobby Gozzans put on the afterpiece ‘‘Maland’s Birthday’? with Gorton’s MinStrels; Chas. Perry was with the DeRue Minstrels (Charlie is now successful as a doctor at Richmond, Me.); when Billy (Bom) Bowman was with Gorton’s Minstrels; when Sam Lee joined the Geo. Evans Honey Boy Minstrels and made the hit of his life; when Jake Welby, Cc. C. Pearl and Cleon Pearl, of Gorton’s Minstrels, fell one night doing their clog dance; the writer did baton in the street and was ballad singer with Lucier’s Minstrels? An article captioned “Living Again Some Broadway Yesterdays’’, by James J, Waldron, which appeared in the magazine section of a recent Sunday edition of The New York HeraldTribune, prompted Herbert S. Renton, of New Rochelle, N. Y., one of the greatest collectors of minstrel data in the country, to write the following article which appeared in that New HOMER MEACHUM This black-face comedian will head own 11245 brigade this season, opening at his Raleigh, N. C., Labor Day. The company will be known as The Homer Meachum Minstrels, and Homer gives us his word that it will be ‘‘up to the minute’’ in every detail. York newspaper under the heading ‘“‘A Foot note to Recollections of Broadway's Yesterdays”: “The historical references are singularly true (a virtue seldom seen in theatrical reminiscences), but there is one divergence where Forrest and Christy are brought into the narrative, Speaking of actors’ companionships, Edwin Forrest was an intimate of Christy, the minstrel, who introduced the black-face amusemeut to London and was long successful there “Now, neither Edwin P. Christy nor adopted son, George Christy (real name rington), ever crossed the Atlantic. by which all minstrel shows England—Christy Minstrels—was there by Earle Pierce and J. W. members of E. P. Christy's Broadway, New York, where Christy's minstrels were a metropolitan institution from 1847 to 1854. It was Har first Raynor, used in 1857 that Raynor and Pierce established their Christy Minstrels, which became in after years Moore and Bur gess’s Christy Minstrels and a feature in London life. ‘The first minstrel company to visit England was The Virginia Minstrels, only four persons (Continued on page 67) 4W ete. Play Directing, Promoting. Attractions of this Company. ences positively required. Dept. M. EAS’ COURSES TN STAGE OR LYCEUM STARTING AUGUST 6, SEPT. 22, OCT. 20, NOV. 17. Training for Stage, all Departments. Enrollments limited. JOHN B. ROGERS PRODUCING CO., Fostoria, Ohio World’s Largest Producers of Amateur Theatricals. Expression, Dancing, Make-up, Positions, if acceptable, in Road Character refer Estab. 1903. his The name are designated in two troupe, at 472 ‘lome Productions The Free Service Department of the HookerHowe Costume Company is proving a great help fo home-talent producers and many of them are tuking advantage of it Thru the aid of t service department the following shows and pigeants were recently produced with great success: The Friars Club Show, Akron, 0: Dark County Historical Pageant, Greenville, 0: Mount Kineo House Minstrel Show, K neo, "Me s ng the LBishopthorpe Manor Show, Be thi “he m, “a. sa ‘Buckpasser"’ a play in two acts and five Set . was pre sented July 26 by the English Literature Class of the University High School Norman, Ok., in Recital Hall. The play, which was taken fr ym the story by Hus Kahler and written by the members of the class, under the ipervision of Mrs, George Trudgeon and Stella c ash, was given a most capable presentation, A_ Centennial Pageant will be staged at Sandusky, O., the week of August 25 at the high school athletie field. Rehearsals have been called, and a group has already been selected to portray the spirit of civilization, “The Tr asure Hunters’, an att: active m al vy, Was presented July 25 at Court Houston, Mss., by the Ole South ction “Com pany of Aberdeen, Miss., under es of the W. M. 8S. of the Baptist that place, Tt pl yed to a large and » iative andience. The cast, Which con t of thirty young men and women of ouston, was directed by Etta Walton Jones vice-president of the Ole South Product on Company ee Is will start early fn Septe mber 4 Cay W. EFddy's ‘Parada’, which will prese ™. d about the middle of that month or the New Theater, Hoosick Falls, N. , a under auspices of the Beta Sigma Gamma sorority. “The Importance of Pam", a comedy, was presentec Jt ly 2S at Lovelace Hall, Pleasant \ by the Columbus Dramatic s hkeeps.e, in a most capable man being for the benetit of St. Stanisla h, that place. Mrs, John T. Tynan was th e » dire tress. —_——— An old-time minstrel show _ was _ staced re itly in Vor Edward, N under the direction of Mrs, Sadie being for the benefit of th vrinth Presb ytertan Chareh, It was a great success. MacOmber’s Orchestra furn shed the music, Minstrel 16 Lientine one amps foe 1924 fects Wie Minstrel .~ and EVERYsth s."*_ Our fRHING for PRESB SERV Minstrel and I-B DBPT helps you stage your own show. estates Qamnne Co., Haverhill, Mass. Musical Shows. Theatrical MAKE-UP ésr Henry C Miner ine QUICK 2-02. Box of Jack Welx in Ue 8. and Canada for 25c. . (New Address) DELIVERIES AT FAIR PRICES OF COSTUMES TIGHTS, HOSE, SPANGLES, WIGS, ETC. aes oy LINE OF LEICHNER’S AND STEIN'S MAKE UP. We Make and Rent Costumes of All Descriptions, MINSTREL AND AM. ATEUR SHOWS Given “Special” Attention. amous “BLACK FACE” MAKE-UP sent postpaid Send for new Price Liste. CHICAGO COSTUME WORKS, Inc., 116-120 NORTH FRANKLIN STREET, CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, Phone, State 6780. NOW IS THE TIME TO PLAN HOME TALENT SHOWS a... give us an idea of what you want tod» d our FREE SERVICE ‘DEPT. will fe Tward rrestions and ad e om how to make th bigzest success of your show. THE EARLY SHOWS GET THE COIN BE THE FIRST ONE IN YOUR TOWN. We can supply everything you need for @ M nustrel or Musical Show, from € ‘umes an . \ to Seenic and Lichting Eft SE RV rT 5 DI P own she w ea ily, Menu’ and * ur Guide 3 ne Se Se eae Seana COSTUME CO. HAVCRHILL, MASS. 2 BOOKLETS ee RE PUTTING ON S | hitmart ton P IMATE Peay AMINS Yitieari & MIXE = ws vouR R TROUBLES CEASE ANNAN OVER 1500 NUMBERS LISTED ry BALLADS AND NOVELTIES THE WITMAR 2 PART 3 PART AND All ENTE RI eae OPERA 10 JAZ CATAL Devt GOOD THINGS 8 SUGCESTIONS ‘A MALDEN FOR ALL ENTERTAINMENTS ul ESPECIALLY fies TREL_ SHOWS _! nmlose 2¢ postage for either or 4 cents for both NWI WIT MARK SONS 1650 BROADWAY NEW YORK) al Aso verything for Always leave Old Doe Gags, *‘Punster”’ est Minstrel "So kes, M ’ 521 521 West 159th Street. “OLD DOC GAGS” them lauc ping when you say goodbye. er’ (joke roe 25 cents. i ‘ues and Crossfire, $1.00. DICK UBERT, New York City. J. MAHLON DUGANNE Author, Composer and Producer of “PRINCE CHARMING” 4n Operetta for Amateurs. Composer of numerous other musical productions. One gong “hit” often makes a show a financial suc. cess. what you require. eupplied to music, You may need that mumber, Let me know Music set to lyrics, or lyrics For terms address BCX 181, Altoona, Pennsylvania. HOME TALENT PRODUCERS Harrington Adams, Inc. Home Office, Fostoria. Ohio