DIY History | Transcribe | Keith-Albee Collection | Keith-Albee manager reports, September 2, 1902 - September 3, 1903

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Keith-Albee manager reports, September 2, 1902 - September 3, 1903

Page 218

8 (M. J. Keating)
Boston Show, Week of March 23, 1903.
Stereopticon, 10 min. in one--Interesting list of home and foreign views.
J. A. Murphy and Eloise Willard, 22 min. open full stage, close in 1--This pair present a comedy and singing sketch, which they call "Doughnuts", owing to the fact that considerable amusement is created by the use of fake and doughnjts by the man. The man makes up in eccentric fashion, and is not at all bad comedian, and the woman sings in good voice. The act is a fair one for an early place in the bill.
Keith's Orchestra, 7 min.--Selections from popular airs, so well rendered as to elicit applause.
Matthews and Ashley, 16 min. in 1--Conversational comedians and singers, one working straight, the other made yup as an East side Hebrew, and doing comedy work. In an early part of the bill they went very well, indeed, and the act can be classed as fair.
Parnum Brothers, 16 min. open full stage, close in 1--These men make an effort to imitate Caron and Herbert, Harding and Ah Sid, but their work is miles after that of the teams mentioned. They could not go on after 2 or 8 P. M. in this house. Class the act as fair for Boston.
Biograph, 15 min. in 1--Fair lot of motion pictures, but not so good as those of the past three weeks, the best being some snapshots of Durbar.
Yackley and Bunnell, 16 min. open full stage, close in 1--Musical comedians, one owrking straight and the other in black face, and their musical specialties are not above par, the hit being scored by the comedy chap, who extracts some fair meoldy from an arrangement of ordinary bottles.
George Felix and Lydai Barry, 23 min. full stage--There is nothing new in the work of this couple, but thier act went as strong as ever with the afternoon audience. Miss Barry continues to sing ballads as attractively as ever. Excellent act.
John Zimmer, 12 min. in 1--Skilful juggler of small articles, and always goes well in this house. Repeated his success today.
Kathryn Osterman and George Linderman, 17 min. full stage-- Presenting for the first time here the new comedy sketch entitled, "The Editor", which was well played and chuckingly received, but would never do for other than an early place in the bill. The piece is another twist of the old mistaken identity idea, which has been worked to death in vaudeville. Cannot, personally, fro the standpoint of its reception by the audience class the sketch as better than fair.

least H R. A Fair act.
Quaker City Quartet, 21 min. open in 4, close in 1--Appearing in their old "Fun in a Barber Shop" act, which has decidedly lost its grip. They just manage to cover the time for which they were scheduled but their close was decidedly "frosty", although this may have been due to the fact that they were scheduled pretty well down the bill.
Herras Family, 12 min. full stage--First time here for this troupe. It is composed of 3 men, 3 women, and a small boy, all working in full dress. It is better than any similar act, I saw at Madison Square Garden last week, and all that was represented by the agent. The small boy is not the feature of the turn, as with the Athos family/ but the clever work of the women, creates unusual enthusiasm, there is some lively tumbling at the finish, which is about as good s I have seen for a long time. Consider the act the hit of the show.
The Three Mitchells, 13 min. in 1--Colored singers and dancers, a man, woman and a small girl. Their vocalism does not amount to much, and the act is a little slow at the start, but it is saved at the close by some excellent novelty dancing by the man. In a small place in the bill it went big.
Emmonds, Emerson and Emmonds, 18 min. full stage, closing in 1--It is a long time since this trio appeared here, and I do not think that either the management or audience will shed any tears if they are absent equally as long in the future. They have a new sketch that is a night mare, but closes with the same old business of the theatre hat.
Cook and Sylvia, 12 min. in 1--Man and woman in a singing and dancing act, the feature being some clever wooden-shoe dancing by Cook. Went strong in a very hard spot on the bill.
Sam Drane, 12 min. in 1--Singer of coon songs and a jokesmith, did not go very strong and came off after 8 minutes. This was due to the fact that he was closing a 5-hour shoe, not lack of ability, for I think he would make good if he was put on before a fair sized audience. I notified him that he would have to make good his time or else quit, which he promised to do so.
Comments:- The show as a whole is not so strong as that of last week, although it seemed to give exceeding great satisfaction to the audience this afternoon, which was a limited in size, but as usual on rainy days, made up largely of men. I do not think it will be necessary to make any changes in the schedule arranged.

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8 (M. J. Keating) Boston Show, Week of March 23, 1903. Stereopticon, 10 min. in one--Interesting list of home and foreign views. J. A. Murphy and Eloise Willard, 22 min. open full stage, close in 1--This pair present a comedy and singing sketch, which they call "Doughnuts", owing to the fact that considerable amusement is created by the use of fake and doughnjts by the man. The man makes up in eccentric fashion, and is not at all bad comedian, and the woman sings in good voice. The act is a fair one for an early place in the bill. Keith's Orchestra, 7 min.--Selections from popular airs, so well rendered as to elicit applause. Matthews and Ashley, 16 min. in 1--Conversational comedians and singers, one working straight, the other made yup as an East side Hebrew, and doing comedy work. In an early part of the bill they went very well, indeed, and the act can be classed as fair. Parnum Brothers, 16 min. open full stage, close in 1--These men make an effort to imitate Caron and Herbert, Harding and Ah Sid, but their work is miles after that of the teams mentioned. They could not go on after 2 or 8 P. M. in this house. Class the act as fair for Boston. Biograph, 15 min. in 1--Fair lot of motion pictures, but not so good as those of the past three weeks, the best being some snapshots of Durbar. Yackley and Bunnell, 16 min. open full stage, close in 1--Musical comedians, one owrking straight and the other in black face, and their musical specialties are not above par, the hit being scored by the comedy chap, who extracts some fair meoldy from an arrangement of ordinary bottles. George Felix and Lydai Barry, 23 min. full stage--There is nothing new in the work of this couple, but thier act went as strong as ever with the afternoon audience. Miss Barry continues to sing ballads as attractively as ever. Excellent act. John Zimmer, 12 min. in 1--Skilful juggler of small articles, and always goes well in this house. Repeated his success today. Kathryn Osterman and George Linderman, 17 min. full stage-- Presenting for the first time here the new comedy sketch entitled, "The Editor", which was well played and chuckingly received, but would never do for other than an early place in the bill. The piece is another twist of the old mistaken identity idea, which has been worked to death in vaudeville. Cannot, personally, fro the standpoint of its reception by the audience class the sketch as better than fair. least H R. A Fair act. Quaker City Quartet, 21 min. open in 4, close in 1--Appearing in their old "Fun in a Barber Shop" act, which has decidedly lost its grip. They just manage to cover the time for which they were scheduled but their close was decidedly "frosty", although this may have been due to the fact that they were scheduled pretty well down the bill. Herras Family, 12 min. full stage--First time here for this troupe. It is composed of 3 men, 3 women, and a small boy, all working in full dress. It is better than any similar act, I saw at Madison Square Garden last week, and all that was represented by the agent. The small boy is not the feature of the turn, as with the Athos family/ but the clever work of the women, creates unusual enthusiasm, there is some lively tumbling at the finish, which is about as good s I have seen for a long time. Consider the act the hit of the show. The Three Mitchells, 13 min. in 1--Colored singers and dancers, a man, woman and a small girl. Their vocalism does not amount to much, and the act is a little slow at the start, but it is saved at the close by some excellent novelty dancing by the man. In a small place in the bill it went big. Emmonds, Emerson and Emmonds, 18 min. full stage, closing in 1--It is a long time since this trio appeared here, and I do not think that either the management or audience will shed any tears if they are absent equally as long in the future. They have a new sketch that is a night mare, but closes with the same old business of the theatre hat. Cook and Sylvia, 12 min. in 1--Man and woman in a singing and dancing act, the feature being some clever wooden-shoe dancing by Cook. Went strong in a very hard spot on the bill. Sam Drane, 12 min. in 1--Singer of coon songs and a jokesmith, did not go very strong and came off after 8 minutes. This was due to the fact that he was closing a 5-hour shoe, not lack of ability, for I think he would make good if he was put on before a fair sized audience. I notified him that he would have to make good his time or else quit, which he promised to do so. Comments:- The show as a whole is not so strong as that of last week, although it seemed to give exceeding great satisfaction to the audience this afternoon, which was a limited in size, but as usual on rainy days, made up largely of men. I do not think it will be necessary to make any changes in the schedule arranged.