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 258a

258
Milani Trio, 15 min. in 1--The way in which these men were received demonstrated that the audience mistook them for the Three Dumonds, and all of their selections were followed by applause. They are certainly artists, and the difference in salary considered, are far and away ahead of the Dumonds.

Howard Thurston, 18 min. full stage-- First public performance of the new illusion act put together by this former skilful card manipulator, and without exception it was the worst I ever witnessed, notwithstanding at a rehearsal the night previous everything seemed to go smoothly. The fall down was occassioned by the fact that everybody, from the most unimportant of the 9 assistants to the principal himself, were extremely nervous. He first lets go some toy balloons escape from a collapsible hat, but either the gas was not strong enough or the balloons too heavy, for they would not ascend. Next he apparently suspends a gilt ball in the air, which is done with compressed air a la that advertising sign in a Broadway window, though the latter does it much better than Thurston. Next he introduces some of his card work, which has no business in the act at all, but is the best thing he does and got the most applause. Then he goes behind a huge plate of glass that has been lowered (and stands obliquely on the stage) during the ball trick, and after some unimportant jugglery with firebrands, apparently produces a plate in the air, which he breaks the pieces falling into a basket. Then he follows by producing 5 eggs and a pullet from the stomach of a darkey assistant, which drop into a basket, and are later carried out front and produced. Then there is the production of a large earthen pot, a la Ching, con taining a substance that he ignites and which keeps burning for a long time, the flames being forced upward by air at frequent intervals. Then a diminutive fountain is set going at the other side of the stage, with colored lights to make water look like some other liquid. There is another dark scene, during which his glass is again lowered, and then produces what seems to be a statue standing on a pedestal, but the firgure is apparently cut-off at the knees. Then the drop is lowered for a couple of minutes, and when it is raised the statue has become a woman of full length figure. Then Thurston has a number of large cans, with gutters leading from one to other, he takes a cocoanut shell from an assistant, dips water from a pail a couple of times, and then a stream continues to run from the cocoanut shell into the receptacles.

At night the act went better than in the afternoon, but it can never be a big thing. The tricks, for the most part are dwarfed by the great scenic display, and in any event are better fitted for a parlor display than a large stage. The illusions that simply produce "black art" effects in another way, vis., the plate, egg, etc., are the best things. The man's personality is against him. Instead of moving quickly and with certainty, he is slow and methodical in his movements, due to his training in card tricks for years, and which, while perfectly proper in that work is all wrong in this. No amount of coaching can get him out of this. I will put the act in an unimportant place in the bill and give it o"portunity to improve for the week.

Gillihan and Murray, 16 min. in 1--Blackface talking and singing comedians. Just fair for the place in the bill.

Fields and Whallen, 15 min. in 2--Talking, singing and dancing sketch by a man and a woman, neither ofwhom are clever of [illegible] cularly prepossessing. They just serve to fill in.
{Pages overlap.....}
days during the past 2 years, but today...
turned up first, and I did not know whose place she was to take. Later it transpired that she was here in place of Howe and Scott, and she proved to be a winner.

Then Mr. and Mrs. Darrow did not turn up, and I have heard nothing from them to date. All their billings, etc., had been in hand for weeks.

Williams and Tucker did not show up, and at 1.30 p.m., just as the show started, I got a telegram from them saying that on account of billing they could not afford to play here. This in the face of the fact that I had nothing else but them in the Saturday papers, had her picture in all three Sunday papers, getting cuts made at my own expense, and gave them pracrically all thexreadi ng not devoted to Thurston, and head of one of the columns in the Sunday advertisment, was the absolute limit. Then not to notify me until the show started. I immediately called up Mr. Cronan and told him to proceed against them and a warrant was issued, but up to date we have not been able to catch him. She said he was advised to do this by Jake Rosenthal, who is to be his manager next season, and that he had left for New York as soon as he sent me the telegram. I have done a few things with them in the morning papers, and I mean to do more. They got their first big boost here, and as I wrote him, he is a contemptible cad to so treat Keith house that made him. We made a bad mistake in allowing them to dictate their position on the bill to us at the time of their last engagement. There is not team in this business we cannot better afford to do without than to allow to dictate to us and go over the country telling about it.

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258 Milani Trio, 15 min. in 1--The way in which these men were received demonstrated that the audience mistook them for the Three Dumonds, and all of their selections were followed by applause. They are certainly artists, and the difference in salary considered, are far and away ahead of the Dumonds. Howard Thurston, 18 min. full stage-- First public performance of the new illusion act put together by this former skilful card manipulator, and without exception it was the worst I ever witnessed, notwithstanding at a rehearsal the night previous everything seemed to go smoothly. The fall down was occassioned by the fact that everybody, from the most unimportant of the 9 assistants to the principal himself, were extremely nervous. He first lets go some toy balloons escape from a collapsible hat, but either the gas was not strong enough or the balloons too heavy, for they would not ascend. Next he apparently suspends a gilt ball in the air, which is done with compressed air a la that advertising sign in a Broadway window, though the latter does it much better than Thurston. Next he introduces some of his card work, which has no business in the act at all, but is the best thing he does and got the most applause. Then he goes behind a huge plate of glass that has been lowered (and stands obliquely on the stage) during the ball trick, and after some unimportant jugglery with firebrands, apparently produces a plate in the air, which he breaks the pieces falling into a basket. Then he follows by producing 5 eggs and a pullet from the stomach of a darkey assistant, which drop into a basket, and are later carried out front and produced. Then there is the production of a large earthen pot, a la Ching, con taining a substance that he ignites and which keeps burning for a long time, the flames being forced upward by air at frequent intervals. Then a diminutive fountain is set going at the other side of the stage, with colored lights to make water look like some other liquid. There is another dark scene, during which his glass is again lowered, and then produces what seems to be a statue standing on a pedestal, but the firgure is apparently cut-off at the knees. Then the drop is lowered for a couple of minutes, and when it is raised the statue has become a woman of full length figure. Then Thurston has a number of large cans, with gutters leading from one to other, he takes a cocoanut shell from an assistant, dips water from a pail a couple of times, and then a stream continues to run from the cocoanut shell into the receptacles. At night the act went better than in the afternoon, but it can never be a big thing. The tricks, for the most part are dwarfed by the great scenic display, and in any event are better fitted for a parlor display than a large stage. The illusions that simply produce "black art" effects in another way, vis., the plate, egg, etc., are the best things. The man's personality is against him. Instead of moving quickly and with certainty, he is slow and methodical in his movements, due to his training in card tricks for years, and which, while perfectly proper in that work is all wrong in this. No amount of coaching can get him out of this. I will put the act in an unimportant place in the bill and give it o"portunity to improve for the week. Gillihan and Murray, 16 min. in 1--Blackface talking and singing comedians. Just fair for the place in the bill. Fields and Whallen, 15 min. in 2--Talking, singing and dancing sketch by a man and a woman, neither ofwhom are clever of [illegible] cularly prepossessing. They just serve to fill in. {Pages overlap.....} days during the past 2 years, but today... turned up first, and I did not know whose place she was to take. Later it transpired that she was here in place of Howe and Scott, and she proved to be a winner. Then Mr. and Mrs. Darrow did not turn up, and I have heard nothing from them to date. All their billings, etc., had been in hand for weeks. Williams and Tucker did not show up, and at 1.30 p.m., just as the show started, I got a telegram from them saying that on account of billing they could not afford to play here. This in the face of the fact that I had nothing else but them in the Saturday papers, had her picture in all three Sunday papers, getting cuts made at my own expense, and gave them pracrically all thexreadi ng not devoted to Thurston, and head of one of the columns in the Sunday advertisment, was the absolute limit. Then not to notify me until the show started. I immediately called up Mr. Cronan and told him to proceed against them and a warrant was issued, but up to date we have not been able to catch him. She said he was advised to do this by Jake Rosenthal, who is to be his manager next season, and that he had left for New York as soon as he sent me the telegram. I have done a few things with them in the morning papers, and I mean to do more. They got their first big boost here, and as I wrote him, he is a contemptible cad to so treat Keith house that made him. We made a bad mistake in allowing them to dictate their position on the bill to us at the time of their last engagement. There is not team in this business we cannot better afford to do without than to allow to dictate to us and go over the country telling about it.