Evening star., 1942-11-07


view was so pleasant she sent word
to the theater that she was Ill and
would not appear at the matinee.
An announcement was made that
those wishing a refund could get
their dough back at the boxoffice.
Only 100 people out of 1900 stayed,
and the bill was one Of the best the
house had in months. That was
the Divine Sarah's draw!
I'm 1914 they had q sign back
stage telling acts not to take over
two bows. It didn't last long as the
big hits would 60 up to their dress
ing rooms after the second bow and
would hold up the show for five
minutes, refusing to take another
bow. They ran a fashion show at
the house in that year showing
$4,000 worth of jewels and furs.
1917 Was Great Year.
"In 1917 the Palace ran the best
shows Of its career. In 1919 Wilkie
Bard came over and Topped but
came back latter part Of the week
and did great. Oracle Fields opened
at the Palace and was told by her
friends to do American songs. She
did and Brodied. Then, on her sec
ond week, on the advice of Slime
Silverman she did her regular Eng
lsh stuff and panicked the audience.
Alice Lloyd returned to vaudeville
after a three-year absence and got
more applause than anybody ever
received in the house up to then.
In 1920 the Palace was still the
kingpin vaudeville maker OF the
country at a 50 top scale on week.
days tyou had to pay plenty more
from the specs. The house set the
style for vaudeville and 1t over
classed vaudeville just silks,
gowns and overdressed stages. A
tramp act with baggy pants would
have been a WOW. New Year eve
the Palace jumped its price to $3.50
top and people paid specs as high
as 10 bucks to get in. In 1921,
Henry .Santry, with Harry and Ann
Seymour, started the band craze. at
the Palace and there were hundreds
of bands that followed them in.
Picture Opposition.
1T was in 1926 when the Palace
first started to feel the picture op-
position. Specs stopped handling
their tickets. They started cutting
salaries of all employees and dis
missed porters, elevator boys, etc.
On November 3 of that year they
ran country store night during the
all-English bill. You got a lucky
number from the stub of your ticket
and won box of apples. Brother,
can you imagine that corn at the
Palace? Things musta been bad.
In 1927 the house was unable to get
enough headliners so played plenty
of repeats. 1t was said that they
were dropping from two to four
grand a week. On March IL, 1880,
E. F. Albee died and vaudeville kinda
started going with him. There came
new change in policy.
"In 1892 the Palace started run
ming long-run bills. Units running
six, eight and 10. weeks apiece with
headliners like Frank Fay, LOT
Holtz and Billy Gaxton, Kate Smith
Eddie Cantor and George Jessel
The house had to pay big salaries
on account of the opposition. Eddie
Cantor got $500, the largest single
salary ever paid outside of personal
appearances in large picture houses
Palace shows ran to $4,000 limit
while the Paramount was bucking II
with $1,000 shows and the Capitol
had $20, 900 layouts. 1t was battle
of names and salaries. Wow! The
Palace couldn't take it or give 1t.
Last Two-a-Day Show.
The week of May 7, 1882, saw the
last two-a-day show (three on Sat-
urdays and Sundays, and after that
1t went into the grind policy
Straight vaudeville in the spring
vaudfilms in the fall, then straight
pictures in November. Vaudeville
never knew what the Palace meant
to vaudeville in the way of prestige
until the Palace closed. The vaude-
vile actor stopped making the Pal
ace his ambition when 1t went into
the grind policy; to him it was just
another week. Vaudeville had II
weeks at the start of 1882 and fin.
ished with 10 and a load of aspirin
The acts that played the Palace
most were Mosconi Bros. Van &
Schenck, Belle Baker, Sophie Tucker
Ruth Roye was the first to have 8
summer run of about seven weeks
Bert Fitzgibbon was the first single
man to close the show, Belle Baker
was the first single woman to close
the show, and Savoy & Brennan wa,
the first act to be held over.
Memories of the excitement or
opening day persist. All the first
timers would get all new stuff
shoes, hats, wardrobe and ever
makeup. BY the time they playee
the house few times they'd gel
over being nervous and wear theil
old clothes, cleaned up. II you were
hit or . flop at the Palace 1t woulc
travel faster than q cat with tur.
pentine on it. There were acts tina,
played the Palace once and neve,
were heard Of In show business
again. There were quite q few act.
that would never accept the Palac,
booking; they were scared Of 1t ol
didn't think the ordeal was worth
It."
DANCING.