New-York tribune., 1907-11-18
THE VAUDEVILLE HEADS
HOW THEY STARTED.

Sketches of the Men Behind the
Big MuSic Halls.
Now that the business of the variety theatres has
reverted TO the first and natural channel. conduct
ed by the pioneers of this form of amusement. it
may not be found amiss to bring before the public
something of the history of the men in whom rests
the control of the music halls of this country and
the regulating of the performances that Will be
given therein. The for supremacy in this
field of amusement brief, but. It is not denied.
it was more costly than some municipal campaigns
of happy memory. The exact figures are yet to
be made known. Klaw & Erlanger said to
have lost a considerable amount by their ''ad-
vanced" vaudeville idea. They have neither denied
affirmed this 1t is hardly likely how
ever, that such keen business men as they have
shown themselves be would submit a hu-
initiating settlement. and It is more probable that
when the facts made known it viii be found
there a settlement between the opposing
factors that took busnesslke view of the costly
bookings made by the promoters OF advanced"
vaudeville.
While the struggle lasted the public derived
some benefit from it. for IN their determination to
share in the profits OF this amusement fed-if not
entirely control 1.-THE Messrs. Klaw & Erlanger
spared no expense and by tempting salaries
brought here some Of the cleverest artists In the
music halls of Europe Their latest triumph was
the inducing Of Suzanne Adams 10 quit grand
opera and sing In the theatres conducted un-
der their auspices. In a few weeks these things
will be only a memory. Those who worried
for a while the pioneers of the variety halls
Will continue their business In the legitimate
field, and Keith & Proctor, Percy G. Williams and
Oscar Hammersten. through his son William A.
Hammerstein (by alliance with Western man
arers) will have a frmer hold on the entire amuse
rnent field within the meaning of the word va
riety." Because of the prominence OF these men In
this section tho theatrical world and their re-
10 M
amusing performances, brief sketches OF each Of
them are appended. beginning with Keith and
Proctor:
KEITH & PROCTOR
little more than twenty years ago b. F. Keith,
the senior member Of Keith & Proctor. conducted
the old Gaiety Museum. in Boston. From the box
office view it was a success, and few complaints
came from those who attended the performances
II was the oldtime muscum-a mixture OF freaks,
a few good performers and laxative lecturer.
The visitors employed the moments between lect-
ures in wandering about the structure-and the
alert Mr.. Keith had pity on them
They want to be amused every minute they are
here" he told himself. and there and then the
continuous performance" entered his brain
on July 6 1885, the curtain IN his little place of
amusement up at 1890 in the morning anu
WAS let down at the same hour IN the evening.
Tho noveltv was not advertised bat the success
which attended it convinced Mr.. Keith that there
WAS a section Of the public TO appreciate varied
and uninterrupted amusement of twelve and a nan
hours The continuous" became permanent idea
with Mr. Keith. A few years afterward ne eStao-
1isbed a theatre in Philadelphia and still later an
other in New York City on the same plah' 1hey
became in time domestic institutions Elderly per-
sons found there innocent and sometimes instructive
diversion, and the younger persons were enter
,ained bv performers who knew how to temper
,beir biIaritv The Continuous idea swept the
country Western managers finding II prontaoie
enterprise To-day the man VINO Is creolteu WIN
originating this form Of amusement IS Wealth9 ana
there Is no more popular playhouse in New YORK
49, Ka,tb,s Union Square Theatre where the
continuous sign meets the of every traveller
along 14th street. The big. jovia keen eyed heith
NAV be seen any night quietly viewing periotIh-
ance in some one of the group of theatres controlled
nv Keith & Proctor. He IS about the same age as
his business partner and bears sUohs reSei"-
blance TO him -, 49,, -
that he was always Snowman lie was dorm IN
Dexter Ne, In 1851, and worked IN d bos'oH uiS
goods store where he passed his spare moments
irgelfnr barrels and boxes firing of the monoto-
nous existence as a clerk, young Proctor Joined
circus and found himself billed as the great equi-
libristIc wonder. He made three trips around the
world with this organization amusing thousands OF
persons with his performance Like many success
fnl showmen. Mr.. Proctor was of a business turn
Of mind Before he made his last trip with the
circus he had obtained the side show priviieses-
t,,,ervbodv wants TO see the side show. anG tho
Proctor variety must have been e%traofohary' lot
u brought him enough TO lease the old Greene
Theatre in Albany where in 1880 he began MS
career as q manager For time he performed the
old circus feats but eventually found IT more profit
abI, 70 give his entire time to the management of
the theatre. He leased another playhouse there
Martins opera House, and later sent out what are
known in the profession as road companies Even
in those days and later. when he joined his interests
with those of Nj Keith, Proctor quick to see the
of cev,epallV where the second man
was as apt at the show business as himself He and
II r. Jacobs combined their interests and came into
control of theatres in Albany, Troy Cohoes' Roch-
egter Syracuse Buffalo, New Haven, Hartford,
Utica Cleveland Wilmington. Boston, Hartford and
Lancaster Penn Booth and Barrett and other Great
actors of the period played many OF these houses
Mr. Proctor's first house in New York was the
Tvertv-third Street Theatre which he acquired in
1850 For a time he had "A stock company estab-
Iished there which appeared in Shenandoah,
Men and Women" ''AIr. Wilkinsors Widows and
.T'her1uiior" Mr. Bolasco and Mr.. De Mile wrets
plays for him and attended TO the stage arrange
ments. In 1891 the Twenty-thrd Street Theatre
was made continuous house, and is such to-day.
Later Mr Proctor built the present theatre IN 5Nth
street and in 1898 came into possession OF the Firth
Avenue Theatre Joseph jefferson closed successful
engagement there on a Saturday night. and the j.
lowing Monday IL was thrown open as one of lie
Proctor group of continuous The following year
he acquired the old Columbus Theatre. in 125th
street and last year the combined interest of Keith
There is a permanent stock company housed here