Variety (Jan 1936)

200 VARIETY E VILLE Wednesday^ January 1, 1936 The Vanishing HeatUiner By Joe Schoenf eld Vaudeville's backbone, the headliner, Is almost extinct. The headliner of today, and that's practically with out reservation, is from pictures and radio, or was built Into the nsLme dlass In those branches. "Tlie headliner of yesterday was strictly vaudeville,' each having Iri proportion. Its. large layman ;fQllowiers the same as a fllni star or radio artist jBijioys today. VaudevIUie wasn't bunt, oh headliners, true, but the b.o. appeal of the variety favorites unquestionably kept It going for the threie or. four years Just before the dialog-screen and up-and-coming radio finally strangled it. The debut of talkers quickened vaudeville's demise, but vaudeville was on Its last logs ev<en before. The flow of headllners had stopped three years befor^ talkers, ifor it waa,, around 1924 that showmen were turned from vaudevlllis to the lucrative bids from mammoth ciroult-bullders; leaving vaude.to shift for Itself for the time being. That was fatal. The development ground of variety, the family time aAd burlesque, was still there, but the highpowered exploitation, the costly buildups by the operators, had. suspended. The mental energy of the showmen versed In vaudeville H. 1 turned to theatre mergers and picture buying, and, just as , they were about to return their , efforts to vaudeville, sound cam^ in and olainped an. icy hr.".d on the popu. lar stage. But still It kept going, on the impetus of entertainment and the headliner. Radio was still quite crude, not yet holding enough In 182t In the way of variety to Iceep the public at home. Sound was. still a debatable' factor among theatrie men.. Vaude held themIn a v^reakening grip. Just as it had from 1924 to '27, only becaluse there was nothing, else to turn to. When . sound did become nationwide, and radio came out of Us cocoon lii brilliant form, vaudeville had no brakes and the toboggan was on In full motion.' First to feel it was the family time, the. small-time' towns which afforded acts their breakin ground and provided the fodder to feed the big-time maw. These, low-budgeted spots couldn't afford sound and .raude, sp vaude went. Burlesque's Decline Burlesque> which had been Invaluable in producing comedy acts for \^audevllle consumption, also began to' slip Into its present" state of strippers first and comedy last. The ITannle Brices: Jack Pearls, Bert Lahrs, James . Bartons, et al., had already graduated from: its ranks, and the studes who took their place In burlesque seemed satisfied' to stay there, or else did not hold enough ■for promotion. Popular stage entertainment received its last impetus In 1925, when aie presentation vogue in picture aOuses started to boom. This lasted two years and then came souhd, and presentations slid down to the level of vaudeville and they went to, the bottom together.. Once the pu^bllc fancy had turned to something else there was nothing to stop the debacle. Vaudeville may have continued on a big-time scale for a few years past talkers' advent iiad not the family'books been, closed. When the Foil, Junior Orpheum, Pantages 6nd Delniar timie, plus the many independents booked on Keith's .Fifth Floor, passed out, the first notes of . udftville's requiem were sounded.. It marked the end of the deyelopment of new acts, it placed the brunt on the headllners already In the biz to keep It gplng. But the majority of them w4re. already on the downgrade. Fact that many of the vaiide names had already become passe did not quicken ude's demise so muchas the exhorbitant salary de-., mands. growing out of the competition for name acts that arose between the deluxers. Acts, which in 1924 and '25 considered $500-$7G0 salaries proportionate to their headlining reputations. Were paid $1,600 to $3,500 and up. The picture houses could afford that kind of money because of their large seating capacities, but vaude yille theatres couldn't. Another thing the vaudeville headliner couldn't compete with beginning around 1928 was the growfh^ importation of outside names for vaude dates. Film personalities, tjien radio and legit started to come In. This was in Itself a sure sign that vaudeville wa.sn't developing anything, and that tlie vaudeville headliner, with few exceptions, had lost the public fancy.. 2,000 in '26 , a year before the sound era was ushered in, there were 2,000 vaudefilm houses in the U. S., besides 28 straight Vaudeville theatues.. .BJghteen of the latter were on the Keith Glrcult in the east, the other 10 on the Orpheum time, ■'Aroiihd 6,501)' acts found niore. work than they could use in. the. 2,000. vaiidefllmers, while the strictly vaudeville spots played an avei-age of 220 acts weekly. When it's considered from wiiere vaudeville started to slide, it's hard to imagine Uiat it could have fallen so far so quickly. In less than seyen years vaudeville has been reduced from 2,000 vaudfllmers. and 28 strictly variety houses to less than 60 weeks In all over the. entire country. There hasn't been a, continuous straight vauide theatre In the U. S; for almost four ydS.rs, and even' the most rabid vaude optimist. has given up all hope of there ever being one again. Another sign of the times: Hardlyhalf tlie strictly vaudevlile headliners who were around seven years ago, and no further back, than 10 years ago, are remembered today. And most of them are recalled only when their names and acts are fully detailed. Where, the headliner of seven and 10 years ago is today Is also unknown In most instances. Some are still In show business, still, headllners, but the niajority seem to have passed out .pf the picture entirely. It Is: claimed by some dyed In the wool yaudevilllans that if the headliner of 10 years ago was around today, vaudeville could come back. That's doubted by those more versed in what happened to. vaudeville and what's happening today. Sound, though aided somewhat by the hieadliners' salary demands, licked vaudeville practically by Itself. Today vaudeville would have radio to fight as well. The names of yesteryear's vnudeville, with extremely few exceptions, could not hope to drag th& public from their homes and the type of entertainment now broadcast; It's the vaudeville of thei air, the modern idea of popular entertainment, -vvlth headllners who count their followers In. the millions. That's something vaudeville of the past never dreamed of competing with. HEADLINERS OF THE PAST Single Women Ruth Roye Ethel l^ev'ey Mary -llDynes I'Taticea Kennedy Ulate JanlB; Ednn W. Hopper Tr!xle FrlRahza ■Lilly Morrla Rae Samuels Belle -Ba:i<clr Mlaa Juliet I'votte Sugel Nora Bayes Julia: Sanderson Jose Collins lildna Davenport Vera Gordon Valeslia Suratt Lora. Sonderson Irene Franklin Frankle Heath Florence Mills Nan ' Halperln Mae West Florence Moore Bobby Folsom Orace La Riie Marie Dressier Marie Cahlll Adcle Rowland Jertle Vanderbllt Kitty Doner Rita Gould Tess Garden Lulu McConnell liva Tntiguay Cissy Loftus Anna Chandler Sophie Tucker Miss Patrlcola yvette Ulosaom Seeley Sybil Vane . ISllzabeth Hlnes Fannie Brice Lillian Shaw Eva Slilrley Ann Suter J^va Clark Ruby Norton Bessie Barrlscale Primrose Semen Bessie Clayton Grace Hayes Vlvlenno Slegel Rose Perfect Fritzl Scheft Kthel Davis Frances Arms Single Men .George Jcssel. ■Will Mahoney ■Will Rogers Joe Cook Chic Sales Roger Imhot Kddle Cantor Al Herman .Toe Joclisbn Harry Green Julius Tannen Jack Wilson Solly Ward James Thornton Bill Robinson Bddle Leon&rd Jack Sidney Senator Murphy Joe Browning Jack Norworth fCaryl Norman lack Benny Charles Kin? Phil Baker Frank TInney Tullan ISItlnge Tack O.iterman .Raymond nitchcock 'oo Frisco Lou HoUz Dr. Rockwell Will Fyte .Tack Donahue John B. Hymer Tom Patrlcola. Leo Carrlllo Snub Polli vd . Jimmy Hussey Sylvester Schaefer Bert Fltzglbbon John Steele Gcorgie Price Harry Delt Harry Lauder W. C. Fields Frank Fay. Kastelll Joe Marks Juck' Rose Jed Donley Owen McGlvcney Herb Williams Olllt Edwards D.D.H. (Dave Hall) James Barton Willie Solar Hdrry Holman wharles Withers Acts and Teams Moore and Tjillluiluid Puck and While Duoley and Snies Ted and Betty Hcaly Morgan Dancers Whiting and Burt Pour Camcrons . Morah and Mack I'hurston ' . Duffy and Sweeney Will Morrlscy . and Bi'loe 3lnsle and Blake Mo.13 and Fryo Kramer and Doyle Hyanis and Mclnlyr*-.. Vernon nnd Irene Coslle Bard ao/l Penrl Watson .Sl.iters Hpaly and Cro'ss Tcmiicst and .SMnphlne New Acts DANCE PORTRAITS (6) Flash Act 14 Mina.; ThfM G. O. H, N. Y, . Someone concerned, lii this act must have a flair fop the . palette. Lighting, togs and scenery attest to this. Opening shot Is a studious recreation ot an artist's, habitat. Three girls and a male terp team comprise lineup. Gan't detect the boss because everyone works hard and all siieceed In their endeavors. Titian haired nifty dances on her toes. M.ale tea.m Justify their Inclusion, as idb . a statueeique 'iemme tapper and a soprano, ■who also tickles the Ivories when not singing.. HERBERT, LYNN and MITZI Trapezista 6 Minis.; Full Jefferson; N> V. Excellent dumb act of novel membership and routines. Zips through a speedy six minutes and is sure-flre for applause. Man Is discovered In Inverted posture hanging from trapeze Just under the overhead drape line. Arrangement of ropefs and ispecial gadgetry enables the trip (two of them girls) to reveal dexterity, strength and daring while staying away from the familiar. Top .stun,t has . the miaii doing . a fast' spin hahginf byvhls teeth while carrying one of the girls, neck and legs, with his feet only. Land, The Two-Man Act By JOE LAUBIE, Jr. SHEPPARD, CARLTONS HERMANN Dance Revue 10 Mini.; Oho and Full (Spec) Jeffereon,' N. Y. This Is . fait. And on its fastness plus, a special set act probably has an obvious utility by present booking standards. ..A certain slap-dash crudeness mars the advantage of the ;Speed somewhat. Less frenzy and more flnesse would get smarter r(Bsults. Composed entirely of hooflng specialties and pretty much' of a single pattern. Land. Waring at N. Y. Par, Lyman Deal Falls Through Fred "Warlng's band, already set for five .>7eekfl by Paramount opening Jan'. 24 iii Minneapolis^ goes Into tiie circuit's Broiadway Par in March for ia. two weeks' stay. Opening date has not been set. Deal for Abe Lyman to follow the Casa Loma band's current two weeks' run fell through. Negotlar tions are on for another name band. Gallagher and Sbean Dackett and Delmar Bert and Betty Wheeler Four Mortons Rooney and Bent The Dooleys Weber' and Flat Mercedes Harry Houdlnl Olsen and Johnson Miller and Lyles Van and Scbenck Montgomery and Moor* Whipple and Huston Fred and Adele Astalre Smith .a:h<l.Dale '(Ayon Comedy Four) Williams ap.d Vanejui Foy Family Four Matz Brothers' 7orbett and Van Dickinson, and Deegan Klein Brothers ' Harry and Tom McNaughton Roger Imhof and Coreene Jane and Katherlne Lee Billy House Deno and Rochelle Conrad and Eddy Walter 0. Kelly (sketch) Torke and Klnir Dave ApoUon and Company Weaver Brothers Bert Labr and Mercedes Clark and McCullough Rock and White Hilton Sister. (Siamese) Wlllard Mack (sketch) Singer's Midgets Rosa' and Carmela .Ponselle Eugene and Willie Howard Crafts and Haley Gertrude HoKman Mason and Ke'eler . Clark and Bergman Moaconls Barnes and Crawford Kaufman. Bros. Scott and Kean , (sketch) Herman Tlmberg and' Co. Val and Emle Stanton ' Morton and Glass Mack and Walker . Arthur and Morton Havel Toto Frank and Margie Newelle and Most Hugh Herbert ^ahd. Co, Long Tack Sam Harry Carroll Revue Willie. West and McGlnlty Meyers and Hanford Gu3 Edwards Frank Orth and Ann Codec McLaughlin and Evan* Shaw arid Lee Laura Plerpont (sketch) Duncan Sisters Stone and Kallz Tom Brown and Bros. Ryan and TIerney Gygl «nrt Vndle Ryari and Lee Ball and Lambert . Stamper and Leedom Savoy and Brennan Albertlna Rasch Ballet Frank Keenan (sketch) Al K. Hall and Co. Miller and Mack Davis and' Darnell Harland Dixon nnd Co. Bands Henry J^antrey Paul Whlteman ■Ted Lewis Mound City Blue Blowers. Vincent TjOpfz ft<>n Bernie npnny Meroff Jrving Aapjnson The 'twO-mari' act has gone , the way of the monploglst, the sketch artist and the single woman. But from the beginning of the old variety days up to the peak of vaudeville, two-man act was the standby of all. programs. • Most of the twof-man acta., had 'beliy-laugh' material. Their comedy was broad, physfcal and rowdy. They could use stufl! that tiiis mixed: teams couldn't use, 'They couW g.et bigger, laughs than the single man because they could 'feed' each other and help build up. the laughs; and so, having a . two-man act on a vaudeville bill Usually inisured the next-to-closlng spot against a flop.. The first variety programs consisted of ms^ny two-man acts, most of thern blackface teams The nilnstrel , show was redlly the beginning of the variety show. After the firstpart they would have an olio where /specialties were presented and when Tarlety till replaced the bid ihinstirel shows It was these same specialty artists that stepped In and laid the amusement foundation for a business that entertained, ia. nation under the name of vaudevlUe. The two man . acts of the early 80's were mostly knocUabout comedlahs. They worked In blackface, seme of tbenl did lrl»ii, and many of them made up eccentric. Their acts consisted of almost everythlhg —song and dance, crossfire talk, musical instruments and acrobatic j. Their talk would run to a series of disconnected 'gags' and they would depend oh their song and dPnce 'and tumbling !oi a, finish. Harry and John Kernell, Lester and Allen, Schoolcraft and Goes, Scahlon and Cronln^ Sandford and ■Wilson, Lament and DuCrow, Johnson and Hruno, HarriG:an and Hart, ■Wild and Bradley, Bryant and Hoey, Nlles and Evans, Fields and Hanson, Emerson and Clark, Daly Brothers, Har»ls and • Carroll, Pox and, Ward and Mclntyre and iteath are Just a few of the top -iiotchers of those days. People who remember them say that they have never been equalled. Changing Styles In the late '9p!s the style of two man acts changed. Instead of both, members of team dressing 'funny' the members started to draw a distinct line between the 'comic' and the 'straight man'. "The comedian would wear a funny makeiip and the straight man would dress In flashy street clothes. Instead of just a series of unrelated gags they now had regular 'routines' and some of them even had 'skits'. They began to depend more on 'talk' than On the song and dance and knockabout corned:-. In 19D0 many .of the teams would use a song or a dance only for a flnisli and 'some of them would even 'walk-off' on. a gag. The! 'straight man' was just as Important to the success Of a twoman act as the comedian. He had to make a flne appearance, have sex appeal, a good speaking and singing voice. A good straight man usually was an educated and well read man, and In the majority of cases also had to handle the business for the act. The average tworman act was temperamental and seldom remained intact for over 10 years. Of course, there •were teams like Mclntyre and Heath, Fox and Ward, Kenny and Hollis, Howard and North,. Smith and Campbell, Conroy and LeMaire, Hussey and Boyle. Clark and McCullough, Weber and Fields, Hoey and Lee, Kenny and Piatt, Klien brothers, Roger brothers, Eu-: gene and "Willle Howard, Gallagher and Shean, Aveling and Lloyd, Lewis and Dody, Mathews and Ashley, Miller and Lyles, Cole and Johnson, Williams, and Walker, Avery and Hart, Iller and Jtaclc; Moss and Fry, Mack and Ortii, Bill and (iJordon Dooley, Needham and Kelly, Cooper and Robinson. Barnes and Barron, Cook .and Lorenze, Hawthorne and Cook, Savoy and Brennan, Carson and Wlllard, Raymond and Ca^verly, Otto brothers, AVilson brothers, Tom and Fred McNaughton, McKay and Cantwell, Qulnlan and Mack, Russell brothers. Morton and Moorf. Smith and Austin, Sw.or brothers, Shaw and Lee, Jans and Vhalen, Mercer and •Tames T6mpleton, Jack Wilson and Frariklyn Battle, Val and Ernie Stanton, Buck and Bubbles, Snyder and Buckley, Clark and Verdi, Dillon brothers, DePIaven and Niece, Fenton and Field?, Fiddler and Shelton, Havel brothers, and othjers that stuck to each other for up to 20 years. But most of them would split and try other partners and many would re-team with their original partners after being separated for a few seasons! There were many things tha.t contributed 'o the splitting of successful two-man acts. 'Woman trouble' and 'the bottle' were two of the main reasdns. If one of .th partners . w.pre married or keeping comp'ahyj the" other would, fefel Ihit' it would be only a matter of time when he would leave him and do an act with 'the wife' so the money could go in one pocket. There were a^ nuinber . of two man acts that never spoke to each other 'off stage'. Mclntyre and Heath, the Russell brothera and Montgomery and Stone didn't speak to each other except, on br.siness. for many years. Many of tiie teally great teams were nnade iip of one 'mixer' and the othier member a 'lone wolf* They would live in different hotels, eat at diffoln restaurants and traviel . with different companions. These teams seemed to get along better and fct* a longer period than, the ones that became 'pally' isrlth each other, Inseparables Of course there were many twoman acts that weire. Inseparable on and off the stage: Aveling and Lloyd, Lewis and Dody, Havel Boys, Wilson brothers, Olsen and Johnson, Raymond -and Caverly, Savoy and Brennan, Shaw and Lee, and others top numerous to mention. There were .a. lot. of two-man acts wberia the straight man or comic would receive an offer for a show as a single and would refuse it to keep the act togetlier. Others left their partners and became stars In musical comedy aind the legitimate field, and some of them broke up their p'artnepshlps to enter the business world. Eddie Cantor (Cantor and Leie), Doc Rockweir (Rockwell and Woods), Tom McNaugh^ ion (McNaughtons), Bill Robinson(Cooper and Robinson), Henry Lewis. (Browning and Lewis), Solly Ward (Leonard aiid Ward), Ed Wynn (Wynn and Lewis), ,Rex Weber (Wilton and Weber), Bert Wheeler (Wheeler and Moran), Ford Sterling (McAvoy and Sterling); Frank Tlnhey (TInney brothers), Bill Mahoney (Mahoney brothers), Charlie Murray (Murray and Maik), Willie Howard ( oward brothers), Harry Kelly (Kelly and Harrison), Don Barclay (Barclay and Chain), Jack Pearl (Bard and> Pearl), Cliff Edwards (Clayton and Edwards), Harry Green (Fisher and Green), Bernard Granville (Granville and Rogers), Jack Benny. (Benny, and Woods), Charlie Allen (Morris and Allen) were a few. The two-man act was usually great cpmpary, spending nioney freely and . mostly out ' for laughs. They had many, adventures that the 'man and wife' act didn't have. They would make many friends, standing up against bars and m^^^' Ing gamblers, jockeys, baseball players, bartenders and big business men. They usually belonged to many lodges and clubs and biiilt up followings all over the country, which reflected at the box office and raised their sal?rie'' To mention all of the two mai* acts would read like the Who's Who of comedy. Names like Merrill and Otto, Burk and McDonald, . Shean and Warren, Gallagher and Carlin, Hawthorne and Inglls, Bickle and Watson, Harry ''ooper and Charles Henderson, Webb and . Burns, Comfort and King, Ed and Lou Miller, Dyer and Fay, Glenn and Jenkins, Gordon brothers, . Hibbitt and Mall*; Hlnes and Fox, Hufford and Cha,in, Hurst . and Volght, Hand;.: and Mlllis, Hanio i and Morrisey, Harris and Manioh, Jerome and Herbert, K-.ne and Herman, Kaufmai. rothers, Kay and Sayre,. King and Beatty, Kramer and Morton, , Kramer and Boyle, Kranz and White, Kelly and Galvin, Kelso brothers, iiane and O'Donrell, LeMaire and Philips, LeMaIr and Hayes, Lloyd and. Britt, McAvoy and Powers, Lloyd and Wells, Lydell and Hi gins, Jloran and Mack, Montgomery and Perry, Tiathews and Sha.vne, Mayo and T.■^lly, Mitchell aiid Durante, Morton and Jlopre, Mullen and Coogap, Murray and Allen, A:llen and Howard, Alexander and Scott, Armstrong and Ford, Ashley and Lee, Bobby and Nelson, Bcnnfit and Richard.s, Burns and Fabrito, Freda and Palace,, Cook and Slf (Conlinued on page. 20-1)