Month: July 2018

Part 455: Moses & Hamilton in 1903

In 1903, Moses & Hamilton advertised in Julius Cahn’s Official Theatrical Guide. Cahn’s was one of many guides that described the interiors and technical specifications of potential venues for touring shows. These publications were compiled as a resource for touring companies, assisting them in the selection of appropriate performance venues for their theatrical productions. Many of the technical specifications presented a basic overview of the auditorium and stage house. In addition, necessary travel information, such a local hotels, print shops to publish playbills and posters, as well as the on site theater staff were detailed in the guide.

Moses & Hamilton are credited as the scenic artists for the Broadway Theatre in New York, yet they also had the use of paint frames at two other theaters. Thomas G. Moses was credited with stock scenery at the Loring Opera House in Riverside, California; the Marengo Opera House in Marengo, Illinois; the Columbia Theatre in Bath, Maine; Steinberg’s Grand Opera in Traverse, Michigan; Forbush Hall in Groveton, New Hampshire; Eagle Opera House in Petersburg, New York; Sales Opera House in Cambridge Springs, Pennsylvania; the Academy of Music in Richmond, Virginia; and the Tacoma Theatre, Tacoma, Washington, by 1903.

Moses wrote, “We started the New Year [1903] with more work than last year.   We did among the many shows, “The Ramblers,” “Reaping the Whirlwind,” “As you like it,” “Lost in the Desert,” No. 1 and No. 2, “That’s All,” “Scout’s Revenge,” “Wayward Son,” “Mazeppa,” “The Night Before Christmas,” “Peg Woffington,” “The Red Café,” and “Old Sleuth.”

Moses and Hamilton were also venturing into a variety of large outdoor spectacles, adding these projects to their ever growing list of standard commercial productions and stock scenery installations. In 1903, they were creating a variety of settings for Fred Thompson at Luna Park. Of this experience, Moses wrote, “I had a big show of ‘Fire and Flames,’ a very effective amusement park show. Real fire, real engines and an awful mob of street vendors and loafers. A lot of good comedy and it did good business. We did several other small shows at Luna Park… Luna Park itself proved to be a money getter, and helped to increase the attendance at the Island; better car service was installed to New York and with the steam boats there were facilities on going and coming, enjoyed by everyone.”

These early experiences were exciting and suggested an ever-increasing profit margin. Thompson made it all look so simple, and these new projects promised huge potential, as well as the subsequent expansion of Moses & Hamilton.

During the early spring of 1903, they also started creating the “Streets of Delhi,” a big out-door spectacle, that cost close to $75,000.00. Moses recorded that they had twenty-nine elephants to train and a hundred horses. Furthermore, three hundred people were the company. Of the spectacle, Moses wrote, “I am sorry to say the show was a failure.”

Regardless of this failure, Hamilton was anxious to get into the amusement business, so Moses & Hamilton invested $3,000.00 in 1903 for “The Devil, The Man over the Maid” (today’s equivalent of $81,672 USD). Moses commented, “It was a bit taken from Faust. We had good scenery and lighting effects and many novelties were introduced. One day’s receipts was $400.00 and it all looked good to us, but a rainy spell set in an no one did business on the island.” Their gross receipts were only $9,000.00, instead of the expected $12,000.00. They started with a cast of five people in the show and ended up with twenty-three. Moses recalled that Hamilton took the advice of every old showman on the Island, but none of the suggestions proved to be of any use.

This unfortunate turn of events prompted the two to sell the attraction at the close of the season. When all was said and done, Moses & Hamilton only netted $1,000.00 for all of their effort. Although, better than a total loss, it still convinced the pair that Hamilton was not cut out to be a showman and the game of outdoor spectacles was too risky to play.

I think that Moses didn’t want to risk everything, as he was 47 years old and had worked so hard to enjoy a moderate level of financial success and security. He was working his tail off in 1903, producing stock scenery, touring theatre shows, and outdoor amusements. Yet he remained the prime talent in the studio and was leading the painting of most projects. The amount of work that was completed in 1903 by Moses & Hamilton seems almost unreal to me.

The two would soon part; Moses would return to the secure paycheck of the Sosman & Landis studio, while Hamilton would continue with non-traditional theatre and work in the East for another decade.  Hamilton would become associated with the New York Painting Studio, the eastern affiliate of Sosman & Landis run by David Hunt. Hamilton would eventually specialize in massive spectacles for the Ancient Arabic Order of the Nobles of the Mystic Shrine.

To be continued…

Part 454: Thomas G. Moses and “The Night Before Christmas”

In 1903, Thomas G. Moses designed and painted the scenery for “The Night Before Christmas.” This was not a theatrical version of the seasonal poem, but a pastoral-comedy-drama that toured the New York area during 1903. Hal Reid’s show depicted a domestic picture of rural life in the Buckeye State was advertised as “The Laugh Producing and Tear Compelling Story of Real Life! SENTIMENT! LOVE! MIRTH! TEARS!” “The Night Before Christmas” was one of Burt & Nicloai’s productions. They were theatrical managers located at 1495 Broadway in New York. The show first appeared in 1900 and toured the circuit as “The Old Home Drama” that was “a picture of nature” (The Bedford News, 24 October 1901, page 4).

By the beginning of January in 1903, the show was receiving rave reviews in Buffalo, New York. It was performed at the Academy, known as “Buffalo’s Family Theatre,” and was one of five performance venues in the city. This was the production for which Moses created painted settings. The seating capacity at the Academy’s ground-floor theater was 1,586 (624 Orchestra, 352 Balcony, and 600 Gallery). The stage was framed by a proscenium measuring 40’ wide by 41’-6” high. The height to the fly gallery was 25’, with the height to the rigging loft at 52.’ There were 18’ grooves, but only for tormentors, not wing sets.

“The Buffalo Morning Express” reported, “The play is beautifully staged and abounds with realistic situations” (11 Jan 1903, page 25). At the same time, “The Buffalo Evening News” published, “The scenery was fine and the play handsomely staged, the churchyard scene and the court room scene coming in for the greater share of the applause. The plot of the story is very original and the love story is a fresh as the new mown hay. The story is complicated and tells the struggles of Jack Phillips to abstain from liquor for the sake of the girl he loved. The villain, Bud Meade, forces his attentions on the girl after a quarrel with Jack is killed by a tramp, who was at one time wronged by Meade. Jack is accused of the crime, tried, and sentenced to death by the judge, who is Jack’s father, faints upon pronouncing the sentence. The father in time becomes Governor of the State and pardons his son, whereupon the tramp confesses and comes out right in the end” (13 Jan. 1903, page 8).

“Plain homespun characters are introduced, and the unaffected simplicity of scene and incident seems to exert a potent charm over all classes of theatergoers. Great pains have been taken to give the play, and adequate scenic equipment and a fine company, numbering nearly 30 people, will be seen” (Buffalo Enquirer, 3 Jan. 1903, page 9).

By the fall of 1903, the show was playing at the Gotham theatre in Brooklyn from September 7 to 12. Jack Drumier played Judge Phillips, formerly the leading man of the Elite Company. Jack Phillips was played by James B. Marting, with Amanda Hendrix as Marian Williams and Helen Gurney as Mrs. Judge Phillips (The Brooklyn Daily Eagle, 8 Sept. 1903, page 10). The Gotham Music Hall is also fascinating; it opened in 1903 (some say 1901) and was built solely for plays and vaudeville with a 1,750-seat auditorium and stage house occupying the better part of a city block. In 1904, owners Sullivan & Kraus hired architect Thomas W. Lamb to do some minor alterations; it was his first theatre-related commission. By 1908, the venue was taken over by William Fox and began to include movies. The theater was razed for parking space in 1941. At the time, it was the oldest theater in East New York, originally built by the late Otto Huber, the brewer, as the Brooklyn Music Hall in 1894. It replaced Bennett’s Casino, a venue that had been destroyed by fire in the same decade.

“The Buffalo Morning Express” commented that the most thrilling scene in the show was the court scene, in which the father is sitting in judgment upon his son. “In this scene, a dry and usually uninteresting proceeding is turned into a thrilling act” (The Buffalo Morning Express, 11 Jan 1903, page 25).

To be continued…

Travels of a Scenic Artist and Scholar: The Paramount 

The last event for the League of Historic American Theatres (LHAT) was at the Paramount Theatre. We learned about the incredible history of this beautiful historic theater and its inspiring staff. Each of the staff gave brief presentations and insight into the running of their venue. We looked at funding, educational development, community outreach, and productions.

What struck many of us was the passion and dedication clearly apparent as individuals spoke about their role and mission. It is apparent that the employees feel appreciated. They are treated very well; this feeds into and supports their continued dedication. This is such a no brainer. In this venue, labor is not the enemy. Great healthcare, benefits, and support pay off in the long run.

The executive director of the facility took the time to explain their approach. The repeated over and over that they took the time to investment in their greatest asset…our people. This venue treats their patrons and staff equally well. They are an example of what all theaters, and businesses, should aspire too.

Only 20% of their revenue is dependent on grants, with the majority of their funding originating from private sources. They worked hard to achieve this level of success and continue to work hard at it.

The LHAT closing party was held on stage with a Texas barbeque theme, complete with picnic tables, bourbon samples, and sparking lights overhead. Despite everything else that is troubling in the world, we all needed this community event and positive message. The experience left me with a feeling of hope.

To be continued…

Travels of a Scenic Artist and Scholar: Ample Opportunities, July 17

One of our Austin adventures included another trip to the Scottish Rite. We wanted to further explore the effects of electric lighting on the backdrops and brought a few people along. It is delightful to watch people see the magical transformation of light on painted scenery for the first time.

The appearance of light on dry pigment backdrops (also known as distemper painting) is partially created with the specific combination of colors selected by the scenic artist. A blue seascape was not created with pure blue paint from a can, or it would appear flat. A purple shadow was not created with purple paint from a can, or it will appear unnatural. Each backdrop color was a combination of both warm and cool pigments. In college, I was taught to “knock down” the brilliancy of a pure color from the can, adding a complimentary color. Part of this reasoning is to make the painting appear more natural, and not too vibrant as when it comes straight out of the can. Another reason is that both the warm and cool colors uniquely reflect light – it is all about optics.

When making a lovely purple shadow that defines a nineteenth-century forest composition, or some architectural detail, the historical combination of complimentary colors may be ultramarine blue and French mineral orange. This is just one example. There is both a warmth and coolness represented in this color combination throughout the composition.

During two conversations with historic theater owners, I was able to watch their complete comprehension of a historical aesthetic; the facial expressions said everything as they processed the information. That being said, not all people understand color. Not all people understand the variables in painting techniques throughout the 19^th and 20^th century. I encountered two people today who understood both – this is remarkable

Both understood exactly what I was talking about in terms of color palette as we watched the drop’s magical transition under different lighting effects. It was some of the most exciting exchange of information that I have ever had with a potential client. I recorded the scenic illusions in both still photography and videography, capturing the effects of various lighting effects on historical drops. These images were shared with many colleagues at the conference, as well as theatre owners. All were astounded at how the stage composition shifted in appearance and overall composition. At one point, he exclaimed, “I can’t believe how it looks like an entirely different setting now. It’s the lights!” It IS a big deal to present the possibilities to a historic theater owner. This is one of the reasons that early 20^th century scenic studios used electrified models to display the scenery; you have to see it to believe it. There are so many possibilities for the stage, with minimal investment.

After our Scottish Rite adventure, we accompanied our friend Frank Cortez to the Long Center. Cortez runs the backstage area at the Long center as well as taking care of the aging counterweight system at the Austin Scottish Rite. He is an amazing and very talented professional. It is wonderful to see a space through the eyes of someone who has worked in a performance venue for years; there is both the presentation of the flaws and advantages of the venue. What a lovely space. I absorbed much information about the current counterweight system like a sponge; I love the mechanics of the entire system and wish that I had studied the intricacies of theatrical rigging just a tad more while in college. After a long day, we returned to our lodging and later met with a dear friend, Karen Maness. We exchanged stories about scenic art, the Press, and the future of our industry.

To be continued…

Travels of a Scenic Artist and Scholar: Service Provider Expo at the League of Historic American Theatre National Conference, July 16

I operated a scenery restoration business, Bella Scena LLC, for years without ever having to advertise. All of my business was secured through customer satisfaction and word of mouth. Positive referrals can be some of the best advertising, traveling fast across among a group or throughout a region. If you do a good job, people talk about it and you get more work. The same can be said for poor craftsmanship; if you do a bad job, it lives forever and people realize that you have no idea what you are doing. I have restoration projects that are over two decades old and they remain in good shape. People still pass along my name and their satisfaction with my work. My new book “The Santa Fe Scottish Rite Tempe: Freemasonry, Architecture and Theatre” even includes detail images and entire scenes from the restored 1912 collection; the images show the quality of my work.

Travels of a Scenic Artist and Scholar: The Theater Ramble at the League of Historic American Theatres Conference, July 15

There is something wonderful about meeting people who are passionate about historic theaters. Whether they are executive directors, board members, architects, consultants, or technicians, this conference gathers a variety of people from different backgrounds and experiences. The League of Historic American Theatres (LHAT) national conference began on the morning of July 15 with a breakfast. I sat down at one of the large banquet tables and introduced myself to two gentlemen. Wouldn’t you know that they were from the Atlas Theatre in Cheyenne, Wyoming; the same theater that I visited just a few weeks ago on my way to the Santa Fe book release event. It was wonderful to discuss their accomplishments and challenges at their venue. They immediately had questions about the front curtain that I had documented while in their building and my experience with their tour. Small world.

This was the day that many of us were gathered for the LHAT Theatre Ramble. There were sixty of the League members who boarded a bus after breakfast to go on the pre-conference “ramble.” Over the next ten hours, we would visit six historic theaters in the area: the Austin Scottish Rite, the Gaslight Baker Theatre in Lockhart, the Brauntex Performing Arts Theater in New Braufels and the Majestic Theatre, Charline McCombs Empire Theatre and the Tobin Theatre in San Antonio.

The first stop was the Austin Scottish Rite where I had just spent the past two days. I was asked by our Masonic host, and current Theatre Board president for the venue, to say a few words about the stage and scenery collection. It is always humbling when I am presented as a “national expert” in Scottish Rite scenery and historical scenic art. It is hard to suppress any passion that I have for historical scenery collections and the stage machinery; my enthusiasm has a tendency to spill out with sheer joy about sharing what I love. People recognize this excitement and often express their appreciation, and in turn are excited about their own historic stages. The opportunity to speak about something that I am very passionate about provides one of the best introductions I could have ever to 60 LHAT members.

Many people approached me after my presentation to discuss scenery at their own venues, including one gentleman who showed me a picture of an 1858 Russell Smith curtain. This was a scenic artist from the generation before David Austin Strong and two generations before Thomas Gibbs Moses. I have been slowly plugging through a book about his unpublished manuscript. He was an amazing artist, yet I had only seen black and white photographs of his work To see color detail of this painting and technique in a drop curtain was magical.; a complete unexpected surprise.

After out tour of the Scottish Rite, we headed to the Gaslight Baker Theatre in Lockhart, Texas. This theater opened in 1920 and was proclaimed as the “most modern theatre in the state.” It was later renovated and much of the original grandeur changed as the interior of the auditorium was altered to suggest the interior of a steamship. Even the theatre doors include portholes. Across the street from the theater in Lockhart was a Masonic Temple – go figure. It was hard to ignore, but I hopped back on the bus and we headed to San Antonio where we would visit three more theaters.

In San Antonio we visited the Tobin Center for the Performing Arts; it is listed as a versatile and world-class performing arts facility. Behind a historic façade is a multipurpose performance hall with a mechanized seating system that can transform the space into a flat-floor configuration. This was fascinating to watch the rows of seat appear to unfurl and get placed on stage. There is also a smaller Studio Theatre, and an outdoor performance plaza along the lovely river walk area.

After the Tobin, we headed to the Empire and Majestic Theatres; two stages that share a common upstage wall. The Majestic is a 1929 theater designed in the Mediterranean style by John Eberson for Karl Hoblitzelle’s Interstate Theatres. The 2,264-seat Majestic Theatre was restored during the 1990s. Nextdoor, the 1913 Charline McCombs Empire Theatre sits on the site of the former Rische’s Opera House. The Empire originally operated as a vaudeville house, but then became a motion picture theater. It was redeveloped as part of the Majestic Theatre project after sitting vacant for years. Both were simply stunning.

Our final visit was to the Brauntex Performing Arts Theater, a 1942 movie theater that has survived despite the odds. It was this last stop on the LHAT Theatre Ramble that was the most welcoming. As we departed the bus and entered the theatre, each of us was met by board member who shook our hand and offered a bottle of water. The staff gave a lovely presentation about the history of the venue and its subsequent renovation finished, offering a departing gift as we left the building. It was such a warm and welcoming experience that it ended the tour on a sweet note – especially as each of our swag bags included a gingerbread cookie from the oldest bakery in Texas.

We returned to Austin by 6PM, with just enough time to take a short break before heading back to the hotel for the opening night cocktail reception & welcome dinner. This is a remarkable group of people with a long history. LHAT is an incredible resource for historic theaters, whether they are in large metropolitan areas or small rural towns. As one historic theater owner from Ontario explained, “I like coming here because no one laughs at me for buying a theater, they all understand.” It is a wonderful group of kindred spirits, I am glad to be a member again.

To be continued…

Travels of a Scenic Artist and Scholar: The Austin Scottish Rite, a theatre within a theatre

Rick Boychuk and I met at the Austin Airport on Friday, June 13, 2018, for the League of Historic American Theatres national conference that would begin on Sunday, July 15. By that evening, Boychuk was streaming live on Facebook from the flies of the Austin Scottish Rite theater. He was accompanied by FB friend and local IATSE stagehand, another history buff who occasionally works for the Austin Scottish Rite – Frank Cortez. Braving excessive heat, the two navigated three galleries above the stage, two of which date from 1871. Fortunately, I wore completely inappropriate footwear and had to stay on stage level, conversing with the director of the space and looking for hidden treasures.

The Austin Scottish Rite was originally constructed in 1871 and opened in 1872 as a Turner Hall for the German social organization Turn Verein (pronounced toorn –fair – ine). This group was similar to the SOKOL halls in America for the Czech-Slovaks; each organization provided a home for immigrants to socialize and celebrate old world traditions. The Turner Hall members congregated to study the German language, celebrate exercise and carry on a variety of revered German customs that included musical performances and theatrical productions.

The Scottish Rite in Austin has a very convoluted history that is intermingled with the Ben Hur Temple of the Ancient Arabic Order of the Nobles of the Mystic Shrine; too complex to discuss at this time. What is significant about the Austin Scottish Rite theater is that in 1914 the Masons retrofitted the 1871 Turner Hall for their degrees productions. This was a common practice for Scottish Rite Masons throughout the late nineteenth century as the renovated cathedrals, synagogues, and even a previous pork slaughter house, included theatrical stages, auditoriums, dressing rooms, properties areas and other performance spaces to produce Masonic degree work. This historical practice of the Fraternity is covered in many of my past installments.

I previously visited the Austin Scottish Rite during the fall of 2016, after the photo shoot for the Santa Fe book. My desire to have Boychuk look at this particular venue was due to the artistic provenance and my understanding of used stage scenery in Masonic theaters. My research suggested that a portion of the Austin scenery collection, and possibly the accompanying stage machinery, was purchased used from Guthrie, Oklahoma, and installed in Austin during 1914 or 1915. However, early communications between a theatrical manufacturer and two Austin Scottish Rite Bodies commenced in 1912. So, lets look at some of the facts that surround the transformation of a German social space into a Masonic performance space.

In 1910, the Guthrie Scottish Rite bodies began enlarging their Scottish Rite stage in the original building. This is not the massive complex that is a popular travel destination today. The enlargement of an existing stage occurred in a variety of Southern Jurisdiction Valleys, including Little Rock, Arkansas; Wichita, Kansas; and McAlester, Oklahoma. The original 15’ x 30’ scenery for the Guthrie Scottish Rite was replaced with new scenery measuring 19’ x 36’ in 1911.

Although enlarging scenery was a commonplace practice for growing Scottish Rite Valleys, the regalia and paraphernalia supplier (M. C. Lilley) did not recommend an alteration of the original scenery due to the amount of fabric and labor needed to enlarge the entire collection. This was solely a sales tactic to sell new merchandise, as I own a Scottish Rite collection that was enlarged from 14’ x 28’ to 20’ x 40’; it was certainly possible to do without making it noticeable from the audience.

Going back to the Austin Scottish Rite story. The Guthrie Bodies acquired their 1900 Scottish Rite scenery collection for approximately $7,500. This same scenery was returned in 1910 to the same company that sold it to them – M. C. Lilley – for a $1,400 credit on their purchase of new scenery. Around this same time, negotiations with the Austin Scottish Rite began, even thought the final purchase of used Scottish Rite scenery would not occur for a few years.   This is the same year that the Santa Fe Scottish Rite was being completed. Both projects were contracted by M. C. Lilley & Co. of Columbus, Ohio, and all scenery and stage machinery subcontracted to Sosman & Landis. This was a very solid partnership with the western sales representative for M. C. Lilley, Bestor G. Brown, and the president of Sosman & Landis, Joseph S. Sosman, being well-known Scottish Rite Masons.

Many of the technical specifications for the new Santa Fe Scottish Rite lighting system were recommended for the Austin Scottish Rite, carefully described in a series of letters exchanged between the Valley of Austin and M. C. Lilley. Tensions were high as the Valley of Austin did not understand the complexity or the skill required to produce and install a Scottish Rite scenery collection, complete with an entire counterweight rigging system. The negotiations for the used scenery and the communications with the architects could be a book in itself – or a fabulous doctoral dissertation.

To be continued…

Part 453: The Scenic Artists’ Union – “Reaping the Whirlwind”

When I was looking for images and articles about the 1903 production of Owen Davis’ play “Reaping the Whirlwind,” I stumbled across an interesting article about union artists. It provides a little insight into the artistic life and times of Thomas G. Moses during 1903. Although the scenic artist “from a well-known painting firm” remained unnamed in the article, it reminded me of Moses.

Moses never joined the union. Throughout the years he expected great speed from his studio crew, commenting that a guaranteed hourly wage should never affect any artist’s productivity. It is the argument that the speed of some scenic artists decreases when they are hired “by the hour” instead of “by the job.” It is understandable that there is an incentive to work fast when you are paid “by the job” as it directly increases the profit margin in your own pocket. Working fast for others to increase someone else’s profit margin is not always an incentive for some people. It takes great loyalty and appreciation for a studio owner to have their staff uniformly overcome this potential obstacle. You need artists that have a vested interest in the speed of the process, as well as the end product.

Here is the article “Reaping the Whirlwind” in its entirety as it was published in “The Santa Cruz Sentinel” in 1903 (Santa Cruz, California, 4 August 1903, page 2).

“While talking to a member of a well-known painting firm a few mornings ago at his place of business, no less than four journeymen daubers interrupted our conversation during the fifteen minutes that it lasted. The journeymen were asking for employment, and I was told that five others had applied during the morning, yet it seems that, although it was only half-past nine o’clock. It seems that although this ought to be the busiest time of the year in the painting line it is not, for the simple reason that many employing painters refuse to take up new work on account of the exorbitant scale which the union demands for a day’s wages. (Me: Really? They are not going to accept a project if they have to pay people a good wage?) As a consequence only chance jobs are taken, except by a few of the very largest firms, which prefer to keep busy even when there is but meager or no profit to be had. One of the applicants for work, I was told, is one of the best painters in the city, and his services were in such demand a year ago that the firm to which he had just applied was unable to get him at any figure, and now he is tramping the streets looking for a job. My informant told me that last year painters were commanding a premium and now there are any number of them idle. He remarked that if the union wage schedule was any way reasonable that there would be plenty of work to do, but no one in the business desired to waste their energies by accepting jobs in which there was no profit just for pleasure of paying big wages to employees. Still worse, he alleged that the men no longer worked as diligently as formerly. They loafed a great deal, and the result was that jobs which were figured on to show a fair profit caused a loss to the firm. I was not surprised to hear what the man said because I had foreseen such a state of affairs for a long time.” The article was signed, “S. F. Wasp,” possibly for the San Francisco Wasp magazine.

To be continued…

Part 452: Thomas G. Moses and “Lost in the Desert”

In 1903, Thomas G. Moses produced scenery for the melodrama “Lost in the Desert” when he was in New York and running Moses & Hamilton. Living in Mt. Vernon, New York, he commuted to the city daily where he worked at both the American Theatre and the 125^th Street Theatre.

The Democrat and Chronicle (Rochester, NY, 1 March 1903, page 16) reported:

“Lost in the Desert” is one of the numerous successes of that popular and prolific melodramatist, Owen Davis. The play tells of the adventures of a party of Americans who are wrecked upon the coast of Arabia, and who, through the villainy of one of their party, fall into the hands of the tribe of wandering Arabs. The chief of this tribe falls desperately in love with one of the ladies of the party and makes desperate efforts to force her to return his love. Through the aid of a friendly Arab, who has been touched by the young American girl’s helpless position, she is enabled to escape. After many exciting adventures and trials she is again captured and taken to the mountain home of the Arab chief. He determines to kill the girl’s friend and force his unwelcome attentions upon her. She is taken to his tent and her friends are placed under guard in the vaults of an old fortress. The American whose plans of revenge for his unrequited love had been the cause of all the trouble of his fellow-countrymen, begins to fear that the girl’s tears will prevail upon the Arab chief, and that he will be induced to spare the hero’s life, decides to take things into his own hands and plans an explosion that will bring about the death of the party of Americans. His plans, however, fail, as the explosion, instead of killing the prisoners, merely blows down the prison walls and opens their way to freedom. Once clear of the prison, by a daring ruse the girl is saved from the chief, and securing food and arms, the happy party starts home across the desert, guided by the Arab. The action of the play gives unusual opportunity for picturesque scenes and exciting climaxes, and the entire idea is novel and interesting.”

The touring company that performed “Lost in the Desert” was composed of twenty-three performers that included Arab acrobats. Sie Hassan Ben Ali’s Whirlwind Acrobats and a camel were noted among the “accessories” that toured with the show. Newspapers commented that these exotic elements added realism to the production (Hartford Courant, 13 March 1903, page 7). The Hartford Courant also advertised, “It is said to be handsomely staged with special scenery.” These special settings produced by Moses & Hamilton included:

Act I-Deck of the Mary Jane – from Rockland to Budapest. A fire at sea.

Act II.-Lost in the desert. “O, for water to quench our thirst.”

Tableau-“A Race with Death.”

Act III. Scene 1. The Arab prison. “To Liberty.” Scene 2. The road to freedom. Scene 3. The oasis. The recapture.

Act IV.-The Arab camp. “Feasting and Pleasure,” introducing Sie Hassan Ben Alis Whirlwind Acrobats. “Who laughs last, laughs best.”

To be continued…

Part 451: Thomas G. Moses and “Reaping the Whirlwind”

In 1903, Thomas G. Moses created the scenery for two shows written by Owen Davis – “Lost in the Desert” and “Reaping the Whirlwind.” The Broadway opening for each show was in the Star Theatre, located at 844 Broadway. The venue opened in 1861 and was previously known as Wallack’s Theatre and the Germania Theatre. It was renamed the Star Theatre on March 26, 1883.

The playwright, Owen Gould Davis (1874-1956), wrote hundreds of melodramas during the first two decades of the twentieth century. He also used a variety of pseudonyms, including Ike Swift, Martin Hurley, Arthur J. Lamb, Walter Lawrence, John Oliver and Robert Wayne. Between 1897 and 1907, he wrote 100 melodramas. By the 1910s, he began writing comedies. He later wrote scripts for both film and radio. Davis became the first elected president of the Dramatists Guild of America and received the Pulitzer Prize in Drama for his 1923 “Icebound.” Davis then joined the staff of Paramount Pictures as a screenwriter from 1927-1930. He married the actress Elizabeth Drury Bryer. This was around the time he wrote “Reaping the Whirlwind,” how ironic. Davis eventually penned two autobiographies: “I’d Like to Do It Again” and “My First Fifty Years in the Theatre.” The latter focused on the period of his life from 1897-1947. I could not help think of Moses’ desire to have his own memoirs published – “60 Years Behind the Curtain Line.”

Owen Davis was featured a 1911 issue of American Magazine under the section title “Interesting People” (Vol. 71, No. 5, page 609). The article called Davis “the Abou ben Adhem of American playwrights – quantitatively, at any rate.” It then reported: “And so Mr. Davis, who used to write ‘em so fast that he was what smokers would call a chain-writer – that is, he’d write FINIS to one play and, without resharpening his pencil, begin with the title of the next and go right ahead – Mr. Davis is thorugh with lines like “Have courage, girl, I’ll save you!” and “Rather than do what you say, Remington Hallowell, I would starve in the gutter!” Anybody who has seen one of Mr. Davis’s shows might not picture the author as a soft-spoken, mild-mannered, book-loving, modest-bearing (Note to Editor: Do compounds count as two words?) gentleman. That is where anybody might have erred. See him in his tastefully furnished West One Hundred and Sixteenth Street apartment, reading “Joseph Vance” aloud to Mrs. Davis, and you would hardly think he was the author of “The Opium Smugglers of Frisco” and kindred pastorals.” Here is a wonderful dissertation on the theatrical career of Owen Davis: https://digitalcommons.lsu.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?referer=https://www.google.com/&httpsredir=1&article=4300&context=gradschool_disstheses

Davis’ first Broadway play was “Reaping the Whirlwind,” opening 17 September 1900. It was one of the touring productions for the Maude Hillman company and based on the proverbial phrase, “They that sow the wind, shall reap the whirlwind.” The Maude Hillman Co. advertised “a repertoire of scenic productions” with “new and bright specialties” (Pittston Gazette, 27 Oct. 1903, page 3). The show was set during the Franco-Prussian War.

The Wilkes-Barre Record reported on the production, “A thrilling incident in a varied spectacle which the melodrama “Reaping the Whirlwind” affords is a sensational escape from the military prison at Metz. There are also other thrilling climaxes in this latest and victorious four-act drama. It is not a mess of lines built about a display of scenery, but it is a play with excellent characters interpreted by Maud Hillman and a strong supporting company. Hilarious mirth alternated with deep pathos.” (16 March 1903, page 5).

I had to chuckle as I read: “It is not mess of lines built about a display of scenery.”

To be continued…