Document text
WPA L. C. PROJECT 2' ivritera.!_. UNIT
Form -3
•A 3646
Date received
10/10/40
Consignment no.
1
Shipped from
Wash. Offise
Label
Amount
Ep
kszolkl.Pre Collection (or Type)
Tftk Vaudeville in Chieao
Place of origin Chi!QagQ, Date.644/39
(r.D.C.)
Project worker Altred 0. Phi 1 lipp
Project editor
Remarks
Lt
Alfred 0. Philipp
No. Words
VAUDEVux.v,DiaHICAGO. 41N 41
Time 1919 PLACE "The Corner."
"Meet me at Dearborn and Randolph." The Midwest edition of
New York's famed Times Square. For Chicago also had its theatrical business
district, a small area which housed the offices of the booking agents,
vaudeville circuit heads, managers and producers, theatrical publications,
music publishers, and other swivel -chair functionaries who were never seen
by the audience during these gala days of variety. For in 1919 vaudeville
was truly an important industry in Chicago.
Morning 'til night (say 10 a. m- to 5 p. m.) the sidewalks
on the northeast and northwest corners of N. Dearborn and W. Randolph Ste.
were crowded with vaudeville performers. There were acrobats, aerialists,
singers, dancers, ventriloquists, jugglers, animal men, dramatic sketch
artists, piano teams, dialect comedians in all classes, wire walkers,
trick cyclists, sister teams, trios and quartettes, pantomimists, trick
cartoonists, novelty musical acts, monologists, soubrettes and prima donnas,
mimos and entertainers in all the infinate variety which was Vaudeville.
In Times Square they loitered on the curb in front of the
Palace Theatre Bldg.; in the Loop they stood in front of the Woods Theatre
Bldg. In New York they assembled in groups before the Loew Annex Bldg.,
in Chicago they congested the sidewalks in front of the Delaware Bldg. In
3E4
VADDEVILLR IN CHICAGO Text -2
both places the acts were essentially the same in character and content, how-
ever different were the names and billing matter they gave to the office boys
in the booking offices. The seething pot of vaudeville was constantly
boiling. To -day the Juggling ;arrows might be standing in front of the Palace
Theatre Bldg., in New "fork; while the Balancing Belmonts are in front of the
Woods Theatre Bldg., in Chicago. Five or six months hence the Juggling Jarrows
will be in Chicago, while the Balancing Belmonts are in New York. You've got to
go where the work is, and if you land a contract you've got to travel according
to your route. This was vaudeville in 19199 and the railroads prospered
mightily.
In the year 1919 the Delaware Bldg., at 36 W. Randolph St.
housed the booking offices of A. Milo Bennett, Chas. Zamater, Webster
Vaudeville Agency, Henry Armstrong, the American Theatrical Agency, and the
Milton Schuster Office. In the Woods Theatre Bldg., at 64 W. Randolph St.,
a number of vaudeville booking agencies did business under the names of
T. Dwight Pepple, Tam Powell Agency, Harry Rogers, Hubb Weston, Schallman
Bros., The Simon Agency, Earl O'Brien, Will Cunningham, and the Associated
Booking Offices.
Here also, in the Woods Theatre Bldg., were the Chicago offices
of America's foremost music publishers; including U4 Witmark Sans; Will Rossiter:
and Watterson, Berlin Snyder. Besides offices their suites also contained
many small sound -proof rooms, (in each one a piano) where vaudevillians were
rehearsed and coached in the latest numbers to be plugged.
Hundreds of "professional copies" were given out daily at these
offices. "Professional copies" included the words and full orchestrations of
the latest songs, and they were furnished gratis to bona fide professionals.
The object, of course, was quickly to popularize each song as it came out and
VAIIDEVTI.TY, IN CHICAGO Text -3
thus stimulate the sale of sheet music and phonograph records. There was
strenuous competition among the music publishers as each used every possible
means of inducing the largest number of vaudeville performers to sing or play
their latest numbers. For vaudeville was recognized as the broadest medium
for presenting a new song before the greatest number of people, and turning it
into a hit. And so vaudeville performers of all types, in every rank and
category, walked into these offices all day for their free copies. Not all of
them were singers. Aerialists requested the latest waltz numbers for their
incidental music while swinging on a trapeze. Perhaps Archie Onri, one of
America's great jugglers, would drop in to try out a snappy number in "two-four"
with which he could keep time while manipulating his famous "devil sticks."
Perhaps Tack Norworth, while starring at the Majestic Theatre, gets a wire
from Ted Snyder asserting -"great new number just out, just your style.
Please drop in at our Chicago office And so Jack Norworth (a $2,000.00
a week star) drops in just as an ivory tickler finishes demonstrating a new
number for the $20.00 a week strip dancer of a South State Street honky-tonk.
Two notable theatrical publications also had their Chicago
offices in the Woods Theatre Bldg. These were the original old New York Clipper;
and The Billboard, of Cincinnati, The Billboard is still published, but the New
York Clipper gave up the ghost about eighteen years ago. The Billboard
was an important publication, covering the entire amusement world, from pitch-
man and side-show barkers to grand opera and concert artists. Vaudeville
naturally merited the greatest number of pages, with its news, reviews of
new acts, and its impressive weekly route list. An especially important
feature AMS the mail forwarding service. Thousands of show folks received
their mail through the five principal Billboard offices; in Chicago, Cincinnati,
New York City, San Francisco, and St. Louis. The Chicago office, on the fifth
floor of the Woods Theatre Bldg., handled a great volume of mail, and hundreds
VAUDEVILLE IN CHICAGO Text 4
of show folks called personally each day for their letters.
An observer could stand on the northwest corner of N. Dearborn
and W. Randolph Ste. any week day from 9 a. m. to 5 p. m. and watch hundreds
of troupers entering and leaving the Woods Theatre Bldg., getting their mail
at the Billboard office. There were big and small time vaudeville performers,
animal trainers, tent show managers, chautauqua people, high pitch artists,
burlesque prima donnas, carnival gyps, chorus girls, circus troupers, song
pluggers, mummers and strollers of every description. And there was little
in their outward appearance to indicate which was which.
From the foregoing it must be obvious that the chronic curbstone
ornaments comprised but a small fraction of the veritable army of Showdom
which came daily to this corner. And the great majority of the daily side-
walk contigent consisted of small time vaudeville performers from Chicago's
near North Side rooming house district. The term "snail time" is here
employed in a broad sense to include all acts not playing "Big time" at that
particular period. Naturally many of these small timers did terrible acts.
But there were some who, if given the opportunity, could step out on the stage
of the Palace Theatre and stop the show. The "breaks" were often deciding
factors in vaudeville.
"The Corner" was more than a mere loitering place. It was
the Chicago gethering place of the vaudevillian; it was an open air club, a
forum, an exchange, an information bureau,- call it what you will, it never had
a definite name. But the daily assemblies had a distinct professional
information which was calnulated to be of mutual benefit. Questions were
constantly asked, and answered. Queries such as "Who's booking the Orpheum
in Hammond now?" "How many houses does Webster book?" "What's the fare to
Evansville?" "Where can a fellow have some cheap lobby photos reproduced?"
VAUDEVILLE IN CHICAGO Text 5
"Whatever became of The Six Damascos?" "What's the baggage hauling rates
out to the Mpress, at 63rd. and Halsted?" "Is there a good hotel in Grand
Rapids that makes professional rates?" "Can you get back to town from Rockford
after the show Sunday night?"
Suppose we edge up, quietly and unobtrusively, behind a
vaudevillian who is posturing on the curbstone in front of the Woods Theatre
Bldg., never forgetting the time and place. (Chicago -1919.) Another performer
approaches from the direction of North Clark Street, the two vaudevillians
recognize each other simultaneously, and immediately shake hands. Let's listen.
"Well: Wall! If it ain't Musical Anthony. How th' heck
are you, you old intermission?"
"Hello there, small timer. How's things?"
"Oh, just so-so. When did you get in town? Heard you were out
on the Sun time."
"Yeah, I closed for Gus Sun at the Princess in Cleveland. I
was about washed up in the east, so I thought I'd jump into Chicago."
"Leap in direct?"
"No, I wired Sam Jacobs my open time, and he broke my jump.
Got me the Orpheum in Toledo, and a couple of cans up in Michigan, all one-
nighters. Got in yesterday."
"Still doing your full -stage act?"
"No, I changed the routines so I can work in one.
Gets MA a better spot on the bill. Who's your ten -per -center in Chicago?"
"Lew Golden handles my act. Have you got an agent yet?"
"No, but I was figuring on Frank Haddon. I hear he stands in
with
Lay off Haddon. He's turned crooked as hell; even expects
VAUDEVILLE IN CHICAGO Text 6
a kick -back from a showing house. Besides, I hear he's going to lose his
Western Vaudeville franchise."
A few feet away two other vaudevillians are engaged in shop
talk. Their speech is also typical. A sample of their conversation is
1st. V. "I was just dam at the Great Northern to catch
the opening frolic."
2nd. V. "I hear Tish Torino are on the bill. How'd they
go?"
1st, V "A panic: There's a team that'll click on any bill.
Even in deuce spot, following a dumb act, they grabbed off a legitimate encore
without stealing a single bow, or milking the customers for it. They've got a
knockout finish that's a positive show stopper. Believe me, Tish Torino should
be dragging down the next -to -closing dough on that bill."
2nd. V. "Who is in the feature spot?"
1st. V. "Gus and Sadie Luken, just a small time patter act.
But they've got top billing. And did they flop! Boy, it was the death of a
dog. They walked off cold."
2nd V.- "The Lukens? Say, that act has died in every dump in
Chicago. HOW did they evsl laud ü pct on a regular bill? You know yourself
that Gus was getting to be a regular Clark Street bum. Who does the business
for the act?"
1st. V. "Sadie fights the agents. I used to see her making
the rounds every day. You know she's the one that holds up the act."
2nd. V. -"Oh sure, Gus would be a flop as a comic without a
straight to feed him lines."
Over in front of the Delaware Bldg. two old timers stood on the
curb. "Rolletti, King of the Rolling Globe" appeared rather shabby and down-
VAUDEVILLE IN CHICAGO Text 7
at -the -heels, for the old fashioned rolling globe act was already practically
obsolete. And his friend "Ventro, the Great" habitually wore a small-timish
air, as might be expected from a ventriloquist who was so inexpert that his lips
moved (though ever so slightly) while his dummy talked.
"I'm getting disgusted with Chicago," declared Rolletti. "these
young punks they have in the booking offices nowadLys don't appreciate a real
artist. I via: thinking of going out on The Death Trail."
"Well, it's better than working the speak-easies for floor
money," was Ventro's knowing comment. "At least you're sure of eating most
of the time."
(The Death Trail, incidently, was the nickname for a horrible
example of what a vaudeville circuit should not be. It comprised a string of
small, cheap theatres extending from Chicago to the Northwest, down the
Pacific Coast, end finishing up in Southern California where you invariably
landed broke, and got back to Chicago as best you could. For full details
read that famous book: "Last Days Of My Lady Vaudeville In Chicago." adv.)
"Row is the coast tour now?" asked Rolletti. "You just got
back from playing it. What's the dope on it.?"
"Well, es a circuit it's pretty lousy," Ventro admitted. "But
it's better than starving to death here in Chicago. You open in Marysville,
Kansas, and
"Can you get advance transportation from the office?"
"Not a chance. You've got to promote the fare to the opening
date. And cut down your baggage if you want to eat regular. I left my trunks
right here in Chicago and suitcased the whole circuit."
"Do you get many sleeper jumps?"
"Plenty, But you can't afford a Pullman playing five or six
VAUDEVILLE IN CHICAGO Text 8
one -Lighters a week, and two or three of them cut houses. But what t'hell, an
old trouper that's played the sticks with a mud show ought not to have any
trouble folding up on the cusions, and grabbing off plenty of shut -eye in a day
coach."
"Heck no. Say, do you remember back in 1896 when we were
wildcatting through Texas with the Mollie Baily Show? Remember when
This being the cue for the old timers to seque into their
dialogue re. "the good old days," let's leave them to their fond memories of
wagon -show days in the hectic nineties, and steal silently away. Those primitive
days are gone forever; for this is Vaudeville in Chicago, in 1919.