The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1901-11-03
PUBLIC YEARNS TO WEEP
OPINION OF JAMES DECKER, Mn
sTREL MAN FOR MANY YEARS.
Big shows Are All skirts and Circus
Now. He Says-CarI Carlton
Quits the stage.

Carl Carlton. after having led a minstrel
orchestra and band for fifteen years. re-
tired from that field last night He Will
open a music publishing house in Cleve-
land. lie had been with the Primrose and
Dockstader Ministries since its organization
four years ago. and was with the old Prim-
rose and West show for six years. The
members of the Primrose and DOckstader
company decided 10 show their friendship
for Carlton. and before the matinee yes
terday they gave him "A diamond ring.
I'm going 10 get out Of it, too, at the
end of this season" said James Decker,
manager Of the company. I've had seven
teen years of it, and that's enough. It's a
hard game; no money in it; no home The
musical comedies and vaudeville have
stolen all the minstrel stuff People seem
TO want TO see pretty women on the stage,
dressed gorgeously. and that's all they care
for. Look at Broadway-alI skirts. The
dresses Anna HeId's chorus girls wear cost
$500 apiece may be.
Look at the legitimate stage. Nobody
gets a chance but the syndicate. There's
no acting any more; it's all circus. Two
automobiles in Elsie De Wolfe's The Way
Of the World y ton OF scenery. In the
of work. after the critics said he was great
Now the syndicate makes a star in twenty
four hours. They don't ask, Can he play
the part? Does he look the part? they
say. Yes Put him in.
Il saw 'Ben-Hur.' There's a circus.
Horses and chariOts on a treadmill. Long
before they thought OF putting 'Ben-Hur'
on the professional stage / saw il acted in
CrawfOrdsville by amateurs in pantOmtme,
and the play was better than the big show
Up at Chicago now. In Charlottesville they
had camels painted on a drop At Chicago
they've got real camels. Straw all around.
Walk up. camels, on the straw There S
art for you. The Rogers brothers are get
ting eight curtain calls after each act The
curtain goes up and down like a flash. 1
asked Ben Teal: Ben, how do you do it2'
Ben has "A donkey engine on the curtain
and runs it UP and down so fast the audi
ence hasn't got time to give one hand
clap between times. That's right-curtain
run by engine. Flash, up; fash, down.
Great success.
yes, the syndicate's got the big towns
tied up 50 tight you can't get past the
guards. But there's money in the small
cities The ten-twenty-thirtyf for me next
season. You know what you've got to do
10 get the money there2 Make EN- cry.
That's all-make EN- cry. The people don {
want To laugh; they want to cry. They
don't want circus; they want picture of
everyday life with all the tears in. They
used TO want TO laugh and see lightning
and rain on the stage. They don't care
for lightning and rain now-the newspapers
have told them how it's done. They put
on 'Ben-Hur' in New York. and the next
day the papers had pictures showing how
the horses and chariOts ran over the tread
mill. The trick was all OFF.
Take a newspaper and read a good
heart-interest story about something that
really happened-some young fellow that's
gone wrong Get some bright fellow to
write you play on it. Put ii i'm the pop
ular-priced houses. You'll get the money
and you'll be independent. The people
want to cry at real life