The Billboard 1925-05-30: Vol 37 Iss 22 (1925-05-30)

a oe er aw Co" A rem: Be w"Qaert ree Ft eo = @ Wem rt 6 en t OWe @eOrenieveaeoornenvrn @orwoeeo-s @ St www Pee Vt eee whtMwmaes Sew erwe a" —_ ° s ' May 30, 1925 writers who of late years have found xcellent writing material in Uncle »’'s Cabin have seen fit to mention hen Charlie York's Tom show Cast picked berries awaiting a change in weather conditions,” I have been of the Biers. Fletcher Smith and other impression that perhaps The Billboard might be interested in knowing the circumstances leading up to this unusual incident. As I was a member of that company at the time I am as well qualified to tell the story as anyone, and I feel that if I do not tell it the true facts may never be known, as I know of no member of the company at that time who would “open up” and relate this amusing incident. So here goes: I had just closed a_ season on Paul Harrells advance car of the old Pawnee Bill Wild West Show in Central Ohio as am opposition lithogranher when I learned that a Ten Nights in_a Barroom Company was organizing at Caldwell, O. I made haste to jump into that village and soon had been si~ned up as general, agent. As usual in those days it was' a wild-cat outfit, and as house managers had just been stung by an inferior Ten Nights show I soon learned that it was going to be tough picking to book this company. I had just about decided that it could not be done when I picked up a show paper and, while running over the advertisements, my eyes rested on the following. WANT AGENT—Sober, hustler, to wild cat Tom Show. Must put up paper. Salary $18 a week and expenses, but you must be worth it. CHARLES YORK, Rich Bridge, N. J. Stowell, will pay you same as last year. Wire quick. It didn’t take Stowell long to wire, nor did it take him long to reach High Bridge. When I drifted into the High Bridge House there sat York at a writing desk, with a New Jersey map before him, routing the show, as he termed it. Well, to make a long story short, I left High Bridge the following morning with a bundle of sample Tom lithographs, a stamping outfit and 1,000 stock Erie heralds and a badly worn five spot in my pocket, with explicit instructions to go easy on the five, There had been no Tom shows in Jer sey and Delaware in a number of years. After playing every courthouse, tobacco warehouse, hotel dining room, lodgeroom or opera house in the two States we swung into Maryland with a big bankroll and a company of six men, two women, a child for Eva, two massive dogs and an agent. Every man doubled in brass or on drums, giving us a cornet, alto, bass, baritone and two drums. York led his own band and he could play enough cornet for a dozen men; George Miller, now a successful medicine-show operator in Pennsylvania, played baritone, and in those days there was none better to be found; Deacon Huff played tuba, and he sure could blow that old horn. While the “peck horn’ was just a filler, Frank Jarrell more than filled these requirements and as a ‘result the little band caused all to comment on its volume and to paren at the high-grade stuff it cut’. _ This season ran 42 weeks, during which time we lost but a single date, I being unable to fill Election Day, November 4. We stuck close to Pennsylvania and West Virginia and aside from a brief plunge into Bucks and Berks counties, of which the populace was pretty much what York termed “wooden-shoe”” Dutch who just didn’t understand what it was all about, the show had a very pleasant and profitable season. However, at the end of the 42d week of wildcatting, during which time I had to make my towns, Sign up contracts with the opera-house managtrs, the hotel and transfer men, besides putting out banners, lithos. and programs along with some posting and school tickets, I for one was perfectly willing that we close. This we did near Roberts. dale, Pa., shipping from there to Carbondale, where after a brief survey of the vankroll and learning that the prospects for a Tom show under canvas in the New England States were very bright we picked Branchville, Conn., as our openin stand. Following a trip to New York and Philadelphia, where we bought tents, parade uniforms, horseea-and wagons, was delegated to go to Branchville and arrange for the caring of the equipment as soon as it arrived. I found the residents of the village very friendly toward the coming of a large company to rehearse and produce Uncle Tom’s Cabin in their midst and they lent every asSistance to the management in getting the “glad tidings” noised about. As the outfit arrived and was assembled I noticed that York had been most fortunate in buying an outfit far above the average. Every little detail had been carefully looked after and it Was a flash to feel proud of. The performers drifted in slowly as the opening cate approached, but the one thing which othered the “boss” was his inability to get colored people. This we overcame by & trip to the colored theatrical: district of New York City, where we hired five colored musicians. This completed the Stage and street part of the = ipment and it also depleted the bankroll, which learned when York called me over to the rear of the horse tent, informing me that the b. r. had been “shot”. “I’m short Just two teams and wagons to transport the outfit over the road,” said he. his : © also overcame by hiring an agreeable armer by the name of John Peters, who urnished the required horses and wagons e So much a week, including his services. Ve didn’t need any money with which to open in that village; the company had The Billboard “TOM” ACTORS Who Doubled Berry Picking By FRANK H. STOWELL won the respect of all, so the fact that the money bag was empty caused no concern. On the opening day the weather was ideal and such a business as that little town gave us! The show went fine, all remained for the concert and many went home carrying Eva pictures and songbooks. All of this occurred egy # Sunday we left town with all bills paid and the best wishes of the entire populace of one of the best little villages in the entire Connecticut Valley. Late Sunday afternoon rain set in. Monday it rained all day, and this kept up during the evening. It continued to rain Tuesday and Wednesday and as a result the bankroll was again getting dangerously low, but York didn’t lose his pep. He called me in from ahead of the show and we decided that it might be best to run until Saturday and lay off until the weather was more favorable. This we did after playing a solid week in the rain. After the Saturday show York announced all people would be given a oneweek layoff—that they could do whatever they saw fit during that time but must report the following Saturday for work, as the show would open at that time if weather conditions were favorable. Now right here is where the berry picking entered the lives of some of the cast of Marston’s Uncle Tom’s Cabin. The height of the strawberry season was on and there was work for all in the berry fields. The actors had a week off, why not pick berries? The pay was good, the work light and the abundant rainfall made an unusually heavy crop which must. be harvested and moved to the city markets. The actors did pick berries, they got their pay, it rained the entire five days, and then on Saturday there was a change in the weather. It cleared, the sun came out, it warmed up and the whole world looked brighter— to the showfolks. The parade went out, the streets were filled with local oe and strangers. That evening the pleted bankroll was again swollen to a size of safety, the show went early Sunday morning to its Monday stand and right here is where things happened in quick succession. Sunday was an ideal early summer day, warm and allurng—I recall it as if it were but Futeetey in spite of the fact that all of this happened nearly a quarter of a centurv ago. York and I were lounging beneath the shade of a maple tree in front of the main entrance of the big tent wondering what the morrow would bring when oun attention was attracted by the cries of a newsboy selling Sunday papers. At first I could not believe my ears. I listened again and this is what I heard: “New York Sunday World, all about the Uncle Tom’s Cabin Company.” York beat me to it; he had a paper and was back under the tree in a “jiffy”. I heard him utter something but it was not audible. He turned the pages of the paper over and over, his eyes finally resting on a full page, profusely illustrated, of Uncle Tom’s Cabin, I was looking over his shoulder. I saw a picture of Simon Legree, with his Tom whip in hand, tilling the soil with a team of oxen. Topsy was picking cherries from the top of a stepladder. Eva was assisting at dishwashing on the farm. Eliza, Ophelia and Mrs. St. Clair were engaged in household duties, while the colored members of the company and others were picking berries, resembling cotton picking on Southern plantations. York uttered nothing for a few minutes and then broke the silence by saying: “This is what I get for using that World reporter with courtesy in that town last week.” Well, neither York nor I slept much that night. We were busy ondering over what effect this distasteful newsponer publicity might have on the show. othing unusual occurred during Monday morning. We bought our provisions for the cookhouse, paid for them and also paid our hotel bill in full to the following morning. We were eating on the lot and sleeping in hotels, taking breakfast there also. Noon came without any visible effect from the newspaper story and we had about made up our minds that we were giving it more attention than the town people were. The whistle blew’ for parade. I lined up the parade with all of the five colored musicians, one behind the other, on the left side, with five white men at the right and the bandleader walking between the lines. There were seven bi iner boys, two Great Dane dogs, Eva and her pony and the women members of the company in an open hack bringing up the rear. I was to walk ahead of the band with two banner boys at my back. York blew his whistle and the grand free street parade left the show lot headed toward the business section of the village. I heard the bandleader call No. 36 in the old books. As I was wondering just what he would open up with his men struck up There'll Agents _Jevonce Conducted by ALFRED NELSON (Communications to 1560 Broadway, New York, N. Y.) ~ Protean Phil Phil Gersdorf, director of publicity for Hunt Stromberg, film producer, seldom overlooks an opportunity to boost his associates in print. His latest is a blotter which departs from the usual paths in as much as it “kids” himself primarily. The foundation for the stunt is the fact that Phil is playing a butler in Priscilla Dean’s new playlet, a scene from her latest picture, The Crimson Runner, which is now on tour thru the Middle West. The blotter announces “the theater’s newest sensation”, the eminent character artist, Philo Gersdorfo, im person, supported by Priscilla Dean and Company in a dramatic scene from Hunt Strombere’s production, The Crimson Runner. The getup includes two cuts of Phil, one showing him as “a plenipotentiary of the press” and the other as “the butler with the dynamic personality”. Misrepresentation William E. Mallette, well known thru the Far West as an agent in advance of many and varied attractions, including E. 3. Carpenter’s Bringing Up Feather during the past season, protests against the misrepresentation of a fake diamond seller, representing himself to be Mallette, calling on house managers thru Colorado and Nebraska. Mallette closed his engagement ahead of Bringing Up Father five weeks ago at Fargo, N. D., and is now at Roton Point Park, South Norwalk, Conn., for his fifth summer season. Bachelor Managing. “Night” Walter Bachelor, former agent and manager of theatrical attractions en tour, more recently manager of theaters in Chicago, and last season manager of the Prospect Theater, New York, presenting Mutual Burlesque until the close of the season, is now manager of Night, a Shubert show, which played Teller’s Shubert, Brooklyn, recently, en route Chicago for a summer run. Globe-Trotting Felix Felix Blei, the globe-trotting promoter, mapager and agent, is now handling Dante, a Thurston production, that is being highly commended by the Southern reviewers. Rivers Motoring to Hollywood Eddie Rivers, press representative of the Heilig Theater, Seattle, Wash., has loaded his auto with all the necessary equipment for comping out and is now en route Hollywood, Calif. George Alabama Florida George Alabama Florida, returned from the road in mi@season to manage the Colonial Theater, New York, until the close of the season, will in all prebability take to the road again next season in advance of an Erlanger attraction. Billing Broadway Walter Gilmore, advertising agent for the Columbia Theater, presenting Columbia (Burlesque) Circuit shows, in preparation for the summer run of Cain & Davenport’s O. K. show, hit upon_ the idea of having a _ mechanical-talking miniature man impersonate Harry Steppe, featured comique_ of the show, with facial makeup and characteristic attire, set up in the lobby, to ballyhco the passerbys and tell them what a great show it was. Gilmore’s lobby display is more like an art-gallery echibit than a _ typical burlesque house. Henry Seligman is now handling the billing for Daly’s 63d Street Theater, (Continued on page 56) A 5i Be a Hot Time in the Old Town Tonight. and, believe me, those colored boys could sure jazz that number. I remember looking back to see if the long line was moving; all was intact. Again I faced town throwing out my chest as I snapped into the fast march of the band. Whiz! Whiz-bang! Oh, boy! Something whizzed over my head. 1 turned just in time to see the colored tuba player wipe something from the side of his face, wtile the colored alto player was reaching in the bell of his horn for something, ana this something was a volley of eggs, th: source of which none of us was able to determine. Those who were not hit by the first volley did better next time. The parade stopped and we took a hasty survey of what had happened. The tuba me pa had caught an egg back of his eft ear and the alto player had lost two in the bell of his horn! Several banner boys had also figured as a background for the eggs. Old Danger, one of the Great Danes, scented something. She rew restless and, breaking from the oy, who was to lead her in parade, started straight for a barn near the road. As she neared the building two young men ran from it toward a nearby house and they just got inside as old Danger’s 150 pounds came against the door. 1 asked a young lady who had paused on the sidewalk who the boys were and from her obtained their names. We did not complete the parade. We went back to the lot, had dinner and then York and I started downtown. York had not had much to say but I could see he was turning over something heavy in his thoughts. We went to the greces from whom earlier in the day we ad bought our provisions. He sympathized with us, saying it was a shame that law-abiding visitors who came to that village must be subjected to such treatment. He said he had talked with other business men and they were aroused over: the conduct of their villagers. He suggested that we swear out a warrant for the arrest of the youngsters and make an example of them. lis went with us to the office of the local Justice of the Peace, who was a perfect type of the honest old Easterner. The Justice of the Peace haled the young men into court, sentenced them to serve one month in the county jail and imposed a fine of $25 on each. ey were andcuffed and attracted much attention as they were held on a street corner awaiting the arrival of a transfer to the jail. Early that evening the band went downtown, living its usual concert. There was a big turnout and hundreds of people followed the band back to the lot, where more music was indulged in. The big crowd on the lot worried York. He could not understand it. After the band finished its concert York mounted the ticket wagon and said: “L-a-d-i-e-s and g-e-n-t-l-e-m-e-n, we have had a most unpleasant experience here in your beautiful little village at noontime and no one regrets this more than do I. We came to your village as strangers to most of you and I believe we have acted the parts of ladies and gentlemen. We have — all of our obligations contracted ere and I take this opportunity to ‘sa that, upon the advice of your Justice, ¥ have armed every member of this little company and if there is any outbreak here this evening on the part of your townfolk, which might lead to the destruction of our property, I have been instructed to tell my employees to shoot to kill.” At this he pulled from his hip pa his old Marks revolver, placin t across the palm of his left hand, an continued by saying that he would regret *very much to be forced to do that. He wound up his little speech by thanking all for their kind attention. don’t recall ever hearing a man get a bigger hand than that given him as he reached the ground from the ticket wagon. He no sooner struck the ground than we heard a shrill voice call out: “Just a moment, folks. I have something to say.” It was the old storekeeper, and how he did pan his fellow citizens in a fiery five-minute address. While he was talking I moved around among the band boys, rounding them up for quick action, and as the merchant concluded his talk, which drew a big hand, I mounted the ticket wagon and, waving my hand, got immediate attention. I told the people that I had but a few remarks to make— that I believed the storekeeper had voiced the sentiments of the majority of the village people; that we had been wronged and that we were going to term the incident as closed and give the people the best production of Uncle Tom’s Cahin they had ever seen at 35 and 50 cents; that tickets could be bought at the ticket wagon and that the decors were now open. No sooner did the word “open” leave my lips than the band hit a popular air, there was_a mad rush fer the ticket wagon and Marston’s Unele Tom’s Cabin did the banner day’s_business of the summer season, which lasted until late that fall, closing in Pascoag R. I., where York sold the complete outfit. With him and the two Marston sisters I spent several days in New York City before going to Carbondale, where he put out Woman Against Woman, only to return during midseason to his first love, Uncle Tom, the former proving a failure and the latter making a “barrel of money for him. York is now an influential business man in his home town, with extensive property holdings, and he attributes his success to the keen business education he derived from piloting a “fly-by-night Tom show about the country. iy Sco daee ee eT ag EERO RNA TS ig => > Songs Sages eT eee ee ep a ate * sag Fp RRR ge