Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1935-07-11
Troupers
Glimpses of Stage Folk
in Washington.

IAN attempt to encompass in one
"A story the histories of the per-
formers in Small Time cSvalcade" is
very much like trying to write COM
plete history of the world in 500 words.
Troupers who have been in thu busl-
ness for 80 years and more usually
undergo about as many experiences,
climatic, physical, dramatic and emo
tional, as the average nation knows IN
its rise, decline and fall. Out OF the
group of veterans appearing at LoeW's
Fox this week we have selected, how
ever. a few exemplary individuals,
who in turn are representative OF
some 1000 acts tried out before the
unit was put together.
We present:
The Magafys, the only big fire
eating act left in the business. A
former magician, gray-haired M. Ma
pafv has been dieting on flames for
decades. He does not give his full act,
passing up such minor gestures as the
placing of white-hot ingots on his
tongue (this is the real Mccoy. We
saw the proof yesterday His wife
is perhaps the only woman ever to be-
come full-fledged smoke sWalloWer.
The Melva Sisters, who have found
a new use for bottles. They can play
any sort of tune on the rack of empty
bottles they have rugged up. Most
bottle musicians merely play one or
two pieces, for which there Is spe-
cial rigging set in advance.
Delphino, the musical clown, who
was the first fellow to use a luminous
nose and otherwise wire himself for
light. He began in European circuSeS,
has been a citizen of this country for
almost 80 of his 81 years in show
business. He has travelled the world,
always a clown. He pops the lights
off an on good-naturedly while talk
ing to you. Makes you feel slightly
silly.
Tyana Schultz, the strong woman.
She is a great help on tour. losses
trunks around with the greatest of
ease.
The steel bars she bends so gaily
In her number are also real. We had
a look at them. In her full routine
she does a trick with Is people on a
platform. She stands on two pedes-
tails above them, grabs a rope tied
around the platform, and lifts the
whole caboodle. When she first ar
rived in this country many years ago.
o mere slip of girl, after she had
cleared Ellis Island and landed on
Manhattan, she picked up her trunk,
hauled it onto her back, and with
three suitcases tied together and
clutched in the other hand, walked
II blocks to her boarding house.
Ia Grannon, who introduced "In
the Shade of the Old Apple Tree"
the first time it was sung on any
stage. She was playing Fall River
and they held her over two weeks.
Ask any trouper what that means.
She Is q veteran of the days when
vaudeville folk strolled up and down
Tin Pan Alley and song writer's
grabbed them, rushed them into little
rooms and picked out the bars of a
new tune. When song was popular,
the acts playing a house would try
to beat each other to the theater in
the morning. Whoever got the music
for q number on the racks first, had
exclusive right to use the song that
week.
Grant Gardner, who can hold four
bells in his hand and wave them
about, but ring only one at a time.
He was one of the earliest bell artists
in variety.
Ray and Lillian Reynolds. He was
the original king of jazz and inventor
of many shot" stunt for jazz bands.
Some of his gadgets for warming up
clarinet solos may still be heard
GROUND the dance halls. r. B. P. jr.