DIY History | Transcribe | Keith-Albee Collection | Keith-Albee managers' report book, September 4, 1905 - April 23, 1906

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Keith-Albee managers' report book, September 4, 1905 - April 23, 1906

Page 214b

214
March 12, 1906.  PHILADELPHIA SHOW   C. E. Barns.

PAUL FREDERIC, The Equilibrist:- 10 min. F.S. 3 Shows. Also hoop and wire act. This is a very good opener,- the man's work is original and very expert. His various feats received a very good hand for an act that is not any more spectacular than this. On the whole is commendable.

YOUNG & MELVILLE, Refined singing and dancing specialties:- 11 min. in 1. 3 shows. This is a very pretty girl and clever man, and the feature seemed to please. Their singing is quite up to the standard, and their dancing is O.K. They make a good presentation being apparently above the average of the singing and dancing class. I believe  these people are capable of immense improvement, for they seem very intelligent. They received a good hand at the close. A.1. in the three-a-day section.

NESSEN, HUNTER & NESSEN, Hoop rollers and Jugglers:- 12 min. F.S. 3-a-day. 
3. WATERBURY BROTHERS & TENNY, in Mirth and Melody:- 14 min. F. S. Two working straight and one black face comedian. These people brought the laughs at every turn. Their musical work is comparatively new and their comedy quiet acceptable. Fill this place on the bill all right. Stage setting unique.
ANNA EVA FAY, Second Section:- 23 min. Repeats her mind-reading feat as explained last week. Blindfolded and covered with a sheet, Miss Fay answers questions which she claims to receive telepathically form persons in the audience. This is a drawing card for the Orchestra and First Balcony, but is utterly lost on the Second Balcony crowd. This is very unfortunate,a s we play strongly to the gallery which is of a distinctly high-class crowd of regulars. Miss Fay does not direct any of her work to the gallery and indeed her voice scarcely reaches that far at all. The consequence is that before her act is half over, the gallery is very restless, and many people leave in disgust. This is an act more for a large hall than for a three-floor theatre. There is no doubt about her drawing powers, but we do not believe it would be advisable to play her again for that reason as well as others.
MULLEN & CORELLI, Acrobatic Comedy:- 13 min. F.S. It is not as strong as this spot on the bill would justify, but gets by. The house is largely a Fay audience,a nd after her act a good number of the people leave. The piano jumping part of the act got a good applause.
KINETOGRAPH:-TWO LITTLE WAIFS:- Fairly good, but obviously fakey.
MR. BUTT_IN:- Comedy that is only comical in spots, not up to our usual standard this week in the Kinetograph series.
GENERAL REMARKS:- In general effort to keep down expenses to make up for one large star-feature, we were inclined to give undue precedence and place to acts which we would not otherwise have accorded them. There is not any single act that is bad, nor is there a single scream, nor anything that holds the attention fixed and positive. It is mediocre, and were it not for Fay would fall flat. However, a large share of the audience comes to see Fay, and by a little shifting of the bill, the various features will pass muster for the rest of the week. From the prospects of to-day, we are sure of capacity houses.

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214 March 12, 1906. PHILADELPHIA SHOW C. E. Barns. PAUL FREDERIC, The Equilibrist:- 10 min. F.S. 3 Shows. Also hoop and wire act. This is a very good opener,- the man's work is original and very expert. His various feats received a very good hand for an act that is not any more spectacular than this. On the whole is commendable. YOUNG & MELVILLE, Refined singing and dancing specialties:- 11 min. in 1. 3 shows. This is a very pretty girl and clever man, and the feature seemed to please. Their singing is quite up to the standard, and their dancing is O.K. They make a good presentation being apparently above the average of the singing and dancing class. I believe these people are capable of immense improvement, for they seem very intelligent. They received a good hand at the close. A.1. in the three-a-day section. NESSEN, HUNTER & NESSEN, Hoop rollers and Jugglers:- 12 min. F.S. 3-a-day. 3. WATERBURY BROTHERS & TENNY, in Mirth and Melody:- 14 min. F. S. Two working straight and one black face comedian. These people brought the laughs at every turn. Their musical work is comparatively new and their comedy quiet acceptable. Fill this place on the bill all right. Stage setting unique. ANNA EVA FAY, Second Section:- 23 min. Repeats her mind-reading feat as explained last week. Blindfolded and covered with a sheet, Miss Fay answers questions which she claims to receive telepathically form persons in the audience. This is a drawing card for the Orchestra and First Balcony, but is utterly lost on the Second Balcony crowd. This is very unfortunate,a s we play strongly to the gallery which is of a distinctly high-class crowd of regulars. Miss Fay does not direct any of her work to the gallery and indeed her voice scarcely reaches that far at all. The consequence is that before her act is half over, the gallery is very restless, and many people leave in disgust. This is an act more for a large hall than for a three-floor theatre. There is no doubt about her drawing powers, but we do not believe it would be advisable to play her again for that reason as well as others. MULLEN & CORELLI, Acrobatic Comedy:- 13 min. F.S. It is not as strong as this spot on the bill would justify, but gets by. The house is largely a Fay audience,a nd after her act a good number of the people leave. The piano jumping part of the act got a good applause. KINETOGRAPH:-TWO LITTLE WAIFS:- Fairly good, but obviously fakey. MR. BUTT_IN:- Comedy that is only comical in spots, not up to our usual standard this week in the Kinetograph series. GENERAL REMARKS:- In general effort to keep down expenses to make up for one large star-feature, we were inclined to give undue precedence and place to acts which we would not otherwise have accorded them. There is not any single act that is bad, nor is there a single scream, nor anything that holds the attention fixed and positive. It is mediocre, and were it not for Fay would fall flat. However, a large share of the audience comes to see Fay, and by a little shifting of the bill, the various features will pass muster for the rest of the week. From the prospects of to-day, we are sure of capacity houses.