St. Paul recorder. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1934-2000, 1945-10-26
Washington
Spotlight
By Louis Lautier

whether there is any basis for their
action a survey of local customs in
matters of race was undertaken.
Loew's Capitol is the only down.
town theatre which has vaudeville.
Carter Barron, eastern division
manager of Loew's theatres wash
ington, Baltimore, Richmond, Nor
folk and some smaller towns), says
the Capitol has no policy respect
ing the use of colored artists-lt
tries to give it's patrons what they
want.
During the days when Mr.. Bar
ron was manager of the Capltol
some of the greatest acts in vaude-
vile played there-Duke Ellington,
Cab Galloway, Bill Robinson and
the Mills Brothers, among others.
But in recent years none has been
booked in there.
Warner Brothers Earle Theatre
no longer has stage shows. But
in the days when it did, it also
played the better cOlOred acts.
The National Theatre is the only
legitimate playhouse in Washing
ton. No show playing an engage
ment at the National has ever had
to replace a colored actor in the
cast with a white one in burnt
cork because of any policy in eff
feet at that theatre.
All-colored shows and mixed
casts have played the National.
No season ever passes without a
colored actor appearing there in a
role in some show.
COlored theatregoers, however,
are barred from all downtown
theatres in Washington, except the
Gayety, a burlesque house. Jimmy
Lake, the owner of the Gayety, al
lows cOlOred patrons to occupy
gallery seats in his theatre.
All-colored shows usually refuse
to play the National unless there is
a definite understanding that dur
ing their engagements there will be
no discrimination or segregation on
account of race. "The Hot Mikado,"
with Bill Robinson, was the last
all-colored show to play there with
out the bars against colored at
tendance being dropped.
When the late Richard Harrison
was starring as ode Lawd," "Green
Pastures" played the National. No
colored theatregoer, if his or her
racial identity could be detected,
was allowed to attend any regular
performance. A special benefit
performance was arranged for a
Sunday night for colored people.
Vic DAILY Hes now with the War
Manpower Commission), in a
casual drugstore conversation re-
marked in jest that it would be a
fine thing if Harrison were kid
mapped and his appearances at the
National stopped. Days jest was
transformed into rumor and given
credence by a daily paper. During
the remainder of his two-week en-
gagement Harrison was given a
bodyguard.
Todd Duncan and the other mem
bers of the cast of "Porgy and
Bess," the Gershwin folk opera
came to the National with the
definite understanding that there
would be no race discrimination OF
segregation during their engage
ment. Colored patrons attended
every performance and sal
wherever they pleased. When Ethe,
Waters was co-starred with Bea.
trice Lille in GAS Thousands
Cheer" and in another show the
next year, the bars were completely
dropped.
The no-discrimination practice
was continued one week during the
engagement of an all-white show
The Washington Post, then not sc
liberal under the ownership of Ned
Mclean, ran columns and columns
of letters, for and against the
changed policy. Advanced sales Of
tickets were made to colorec
theatregoers for a second all-white
show, but after the second per
Torrance the tickets were taker
up when presented and the price
of admission refunded.
At Constitution Hall itself
colored music lovers may attenG
concerts and operas. Subtle eff
forts are made to seat them in ont
or two sections. But Ostensibly
there is no segregation because no
enough cOlored persons attend t.
lend color to the audience.