Detroit evening times. (Detroit, Mich) 1921-1958, 1942-07-08
Vaudeville
Card Recalls
Old Timers
First World War Days
Were Dazzling Days
BY DAMON RUNYON

recently pldyeu the OTpneufIl
Theater in Oakland, Cal, and
came upon a scrapbook COM
piled by frankie Ahearn. stage
electrician for the house for
25 years or more.
This scrapbook is a fairly
complete record of the vaude-
vile acts that played the Or
pheum when il was big timer.
and knowing my interest in
vaudeville, Ted borrowed the
book and brought il TO me, after
taking a solemn VOW on his
clarinet that it would be re-
turned. Ahearn naturally deems
ii one OF his greatest treasures &.
incidentally. Ted Lewis is
about the only name" in the
scrapbook who continues head
lining at the Oakland Orpheum.
He started there in March. 1925,
and celebrated his fiftieth BIRTH
day on the premises on June 2.
A HEARN'S scrapbook is made
"A up of old Orpheum pro-
grams pasted in an ancient
hotel ledger, and on the first
program hat struck my eye.
10. and behold, is the billing:
Tower and Darrell with the
underline, Food for Squirrels"
This Tower fellow. mentioned on
the program as Billy. could nc
none other than my old Broad
way friend. Butch" who was
doing vaudeville on Nov. Is.
1917, with Maybelle Darrell.
Note that Butch" was in the
two-spot on the bill following
an act called. The Space Con-
querorS. called "A Vaudeville
Scientific Novelty" And what
do you think it was about?
Ielegraphing otographS.
winch Is now as common as
telegraphing a night letter. II
was presented by L. J. Leish-
man, who is billed as the IN
ventor. assisted by Douglas
LeiShman.
harry CorSon Clarke was ON
the same bill doing a one-act
comedy with Margaret Dale
Owen and Joseph Crave. Nellie
and Sara Kouns. singers OF
classical stuff; Jean Adair and
company in another sketch. and
arthur DEACON, the musical
comedy star. were also perform
ing with Butch" Harold din
Kane. with June Edwards and
Olga Marwig closed the show
with futuristic dancing. special.
ties.
E'DDIE FOY and his seven
~ kids played the house the
same month. doing The Old
Woman in the Shoe" written
by George V. Hobart and Bill
Jerome. Old Colonel Diamond.
who performed dances at the ace
OF 81, and his granddaughter.
were on that program. AL Lewis
was producing John r. Hymer's
The Night Boat" with a cast
of five.
Lillian Fitzgerald. still
well known coincidence, was
making the folks laugh while
Clarence SIENNA supported her
performance with ragtime on
the piano. Jim and Betty Nor
gan were singing their own
songs on another bill and one of
these songs was Don't Bite the
Hand That's Feeding You"
smash hat of the first World
War.
HERBERT WILLIAMS and
II Hilda Woolfus. one of the
greatest comedy acts in vaude-
vile history, played a December
week at the Orpheum in II.
Claud and Fannie Usher had a
sketch in the bill and Willie
Weston was warbling Joan of
Arc and others. Miss Robbie
Gordone, who used TO make II
changes in eight minutes with
her character studies and poses
OF old masters and original de-
signs, closed the show.
l can not give you all the
once familiar names that
found in the scrap book. Harry
Green was playing George
Washington Cohen" in Aaron
Hoffman's The Cherry Tree"
with Walter Allen. Rught Gar
land, Herbert Delmore and
George Park. Frank Crumit and
Mcintyre and Heath were on
the bill. Rae Eleanor Ball was
playing her violin. ard the
Gaudsmiths were present with
their Spanish poodles. Those
were the good old, etc.
cnnNrInhi 1aAo hu Kinr Enainr..