Month: December 2019

Copyright © 2019 by Wendy Waszut-Barrett

Anton T. Kliegl was a Freemason.

I discovered this fraternal connection while looking for information about Al C. Field’s “The Land of the Midnight Sun” spectacle. A 1925 newspaper reported, “Frank Bliss attended the annual theatre party and dance given by the Lincoln Lodge of Masons at Hotel Astor, Tuesday evening. Mr. Bliss was the guest of Anton Kliegl.”  Lincoln Lodge of Masons (Lincoln Lodge No. 3, F. & A.M.) was formed in 1792 and is located in Wiscasset, Maine. Still an active lodge, the “Wiscasset Newspaper” reported, “When the Lincoln Lodge of Masons formed in 1792, Maine was still part of Massachusetts” (17 Dec 2014)

As I processed the following information, my first thought was, “Of course he was a Mason.” I think back to the many other theatre personalities who belonged to the fraternity, including Sosman, Volland, Noxon, and the list goes on. Of all the big movers and shakers in early twentieth century technical theater, the question should be: “Who wasn’t a Mason?” and not “Who was a Mason?”  Theatre manufacturers and suppliers needed these fraternal connections to secure new contracts; the Masons built some of the best theaters in the early twentieth century and appeared to possess almost unlimited funds. Who would pass up that connection; a leg up on the competition?

I decided to see if I could dig up a little more information about the Kliegl’s Masonic affiliations and immediately hit the jackpot. My “jackpot” was the form of a blog post.

On April 3, 2012, “Inside and Abandoned Masonic Hall in Tappan, NY” was posted to Scouting New York. Photos attached to the article showed the decaying German Masonic Home in Tappan. Nestled in a picturesque setting, it was located across the road from the German Masonic Park. The park is still home to Traubenfest, Tappan’s Oktoberfest. Yes, lots of German heritage in Tappan. Masonic artifacts sometimes hold more value for those who are not members of the Fraternity. I stumbled across the Scouting post because Anton Kliegl funded to construction of the German Masonic Home chapel in Tappan, New York. After his passing in 1927, stained glass windows with portraits of Anton and his widow were installed as a memorial in 1928. In 1928, Kliegl’s widow was the sole recipient of his estate, valued at $305,756. Today’s equivalent purchasing power is approximately $4,600,000.  

The stained glass windows have since been restored and re-installed in the United Brothers Lodge #356 in Whitestone, New York, according to “Masonic News, Ninth Manhattan District (Summer Issue 2014, page 2). Interestingly, in 1914, the Masters Association (Stuhlmeister-Vereinigung) and Charity Ball Journal were founded. By 1939, the Gala Charity Ball was held in the Hotel Astor in New York and celebrated the “Silber-Jubiläum” (Silver Anniversary). The 1939 issue of the Charity Ball Journal was co-dedicated to the founding of the Master’s Association and to Anton Kliegl. This means that Kliegl’s involvement with the Fraternity was not minimal, he was extremely active.

The same Masonic building was also the featured in an episode of “Abandoned,” available on YouTube. Here is the link as it says a lot about the current state of many Masonic buildings: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7O1Lss9sUjE&feature=youtu.be The general public is always intrigued with the Masons and their spaces, in some ways more so that the members that abandon these grandiose facilities. Watching this YouTube video reminds us of how much has been squandered; the lost history.

Here’s a little background on Tappan, New York. It is steeped in history, especially revolutionary events. As an interesting aside, on October 2, 1780, British Major John André was captured by American soldiers, tried, convicted and hanged as a spy in Tappan. André had plotted the surrender of the American fortress at West Point with American General Benedict Arnold and was capture while returning to British lines.  André was also a scenic artist and I spent countless hours as an undergraduate student tracking down his theatrical ties.

German Masons in Tappan purchased 20 acres in 1872 for approximately $14,000.  Although construction did not commence until 1906, the complex was completed by 1909.  This was at the same time that the Kliegl Bros. were really making a name for themselves and achieving some financial success and discretionary income for charitable endeavors. The facility closed in 1983, less than eight decades after it was opened.  This structure, however, may have a second lease on life. According to Steven T. Scwartz, president of Noble Ninth Incorporated, a Manhattan-based Masonic company that owns the property now, renovation work to transform the facility to serve community senior citizens was in the works. After viewing photographs and video of the dilapidated complex, it really is a long shot.

As with many fraternities, care for aged members, their widows and children were once one of the many benefits to belonging to a fraternity, hence the creation of Masonic Homes. This was not unique to Freemasonry. It was an early form of insurance for members that guaranteed their loved ones would be cared for after they passed away. Masonic homes were never intended as profit making ventures. Times change.

To be continued…

Copyright © 2019 by Wendy Waszut-Barrett

In 1914, Thomas G. Moses wrote, “Did a spectacle set for the Stanley, Philadelphia.  I went with it, and spent a whole week with it.  Got some good lighting effects.  Kleigel [sic.] came on from New York to do it.”

In 1914, the “Kliegl Bros.” were advertised as “the greatest experts in their line in this country” (The Indiana Gazette, 1 Dec. 1914, page 1).  The brothers had worked their way up from employees in a factory that manufactured electric arc lamps, to establishing their own company in 1896 – Universal Electric Stage Lighting Co. Much has been written about their early history, but here is a link to some of their patents: https://klieglbros.com/patents/default.htm

In addition to being marketed as the famous duo, “Herr Kleigl” was mentioned in newspapers for his design of special effects for stage spectacles. It remains uncertain whether “Herr Kliegl” was Anton T. or his brother Johann “John” H. My gut instinct says it was Anton.

Regardless, newspapers claimed that “Herr Kliegl” created a specific effect for Al G. Field’s Minstrel Show in 1914. That year Field’s touring production included “sumptuous stage pictures” and “mammoth pictorial presentations” featuring four unique spectacles (Pensacola News Journal, 18 Oct, 1914, page 12).  The four spectacles were “The Birth of Minstrelsy,” “Minnie Ha Ha,” “The Land of the Midnight Sun” and the “Panama Pacific Exposition.” The lighting effects for “The Land of the Midnight Sun” were credited to Herr Kliegl and described in great detail.

Alfred Griffin Hatfield was the namesake of the touring minstrel show, going by both Al G. Field and Al G. Fields by the early twentieth century. Hatfield was born in Leesburg, Virginia, between 1848 and 1850; surprisingly, the date varies in many historical records. The man led an exciting life and traveled extensively as he made a name for himself in the beginning. Hatfield first appeared on stage at Jeffries Hall in Brownsville, Pennsylvania. It was early in 1871, and his black-face portrayal of “Handy Andy” caught the attention of Sam Sharpley. Sharpley was a well-known member of Sharpley, Sheridan, Mack and Day’s Minstrels. Hatfield began performing with the group by the winter of 1871, and his career took off. Later shows included Bidwell and McDonough’s “Black Crook” Company, Tony Denier’s “Humpty Dumpty,” Haverly’s “Blackbird’s of a Nation,” the California Minstrels, and Simmon’s and Slocum’s Minstrels, Duprez and Benedict’s Minstrels.

By 1884, he organized his own show in Peru, Indiana; a popular company that became known as the Hagenbeck-Wallace Circus. He remained with the group until 1886 when he established the Al G. Field’s Minstrels. Later in life, Fields claimed that his minstrel show was the first to carry their entire stage setting and scenery, as well as being the first to operate their own special train of cars. For more information pertaining to Field, see “Monarch of Minstrelsy, from “Daddy” Rice to Date” by Edward Le Roy Rice (1911). Here is the link: https://play.google.com/books/reader?id=rRc5AAAAIAAJ&hl=en&pg=GBS.PP10

By 1910, the Al C. Field Minstrels company was incorporated and continued to expand their offerings, producing increasingly elaborate shows each year. In 1914, the “Jackson Daily News” advertised, “Al G. Field, the dean of minstrelsy, is the one minstrel manager who dares invited the public to accept the past as a criterion of the present, and hence the slogan of the Al G. Field Minstrels this season is ‘Twenty-ninth Successful Year.’ Likewise the annual guarantee is given ‘everything new this year.’(Jackson, Mississippi, 26 Oct, 1914, page 80).

The article continued to describe “The Land of the Midnight Sun” reporting, “it is conceded to be the most elaborate and impressive effort ever undertaken in a minstrel production. The spectator beholds the Arctic north, with its seemingly boundless reaches of ice, snow, and sea – all opalescent with every hue, color and tone from the reflection of the sun, moon and stars. This evolves into the transformation picture, ‘The Aurora Borealis,’ when this magnificent phenomenon of nature is shown so realistically as to transport the audience. These wonderful scenes accompany a travesty skit, which introduces old Doc Cook, the North Pole, a Polar bear, cleverly acted by Henry Neiser, the Esquimaux, the seals, ice floes, bottomless well, and other Arctic features that accentuate the comedy situation.”

In 1914, the “Charlotte News” further described the “Land of the Midnight Sun:” “The Arctic regions, with the sun sinking behind the polar mountains of ice and snow, and yet illuminating all by a reflected iridescence. Then is beheld the gorgeous phenomenon of the Aurora Borealis with its irradiation of dazzling contrasted colors. Never before has it been possible to project separate colors so as to give a representation of this magnificent rainbow-like phenomenon. The device by which it is accomplished is the invention of Herr Kliegl and he worked for over four years before perfecting it. The exclusive rights to the stage use have been secured by Al G. Field, and the spectacle can only be seen in connection with his minstrel show. The scenery and effects employed in displaying this novelty are of the most elaborate and expensive, and the combined results are among the sensational surprises of the year. In starting work, Herr Kliegl had no detailed scientific analysis of the real Aurora Borealis upon which to base his experiments. Even today, the scientists have not fathomed the actual richness by which the real Aurora Borealis is produced. They are all agreed that it is caused by some kind of an electrical discharge in the atmosphere. This in turn is brought about by a magnetic influence emanating from the sun. When the particles of the earth’s atmosphere are thus charged magnetically, the electrolyzation causes such an arrangement of the light rays that many of the spectrum colors are visible. Thus it is that the crimson and gold, apple green, sea blue, violet, purple haze, mellow yellow and azure blue, form magnificent color arch, or band, or corona, or curtain that is known as Aurora Borealis. This phenomenon is not visible to the people of this country very often. Here to see it accurately reproduced in the theatre is a rare opportunity for the present generation when it can acquaint itself with one of nature’s grandest and most imposing spectacles” (10 Sept, 1914, page 7).

I would give anything for a time machine right now and see the show.

The “Wilmington Morning Star” also reported, “No invention of a mechanical device for realistic, beautiful stage effects has aroused more interest and discussion than the one which creates the awesome gorgeousness of the  Aurora Borealis, as pictured in the performance of The Al G. Field Minstrels. Just as the tread mill device by Neil Borgess for the horse race in ‘The Country Fair’ made possible the one employed in ‘Ben Hur,’ so this new lighting contrivance controlled exclusively by Al G. Filed, promises a revolution along lighting lines. This is true because it enables the projectment [sic.] of separate colors. The invention is the work of Herr Kliegl. Prior to his endeavor, little had been done in trying to produce artificially the color sheen of the Aurora Borealis. The most conspicuous experiment was that of German savant Kr Birkland. [Dr. Kr Birkland was from Christiana, Norway, and he wrote about the division of terrestrial magnetism, publishing his findings in 1911]. His apparatus consisted of a vacuum vessel containing a magnetic atmosphere. A partial Aurora Borealis effect was secured by sending electric currents through the glass vessel to the magnetic sphere. With this elemental knowledge Herr Kliegl evolved the present successful device. The Aurora Borealis is presented in the number, “The Land of the Midnight Sun,” which shows the Arctic North, with its sweep of ice and snow, indescribably brilliant from the reflection of sun, moon and stars. This spectacle is only one of four, which the unrivaled minstrel program of The Al G. Minstrels offers this season. The production is at the Academy of Music tonight and seats are now selling at Woodall & Sheppard’s” (28 Sept. 1914, page 6).

Other than one advertisement, I have been unsuccessful in locating an image of the spectacle. However, the Kliegl Bros. electrical effects called the “Aurora Borealis” in Julius Cahn’s Official Theatrical Guide, 1912-1913 (page 38).

As for Field, he passed away in 1921, a victim of Bright’s disease. He bequeathed his show and a substantial estate to brother Joseph E. Hatfield and relative Edward Conrad. Field was a member of the Elks. Tomorrow I look at Kliegl’s Masonic affiliations.

To be continued…

Copyright © 2019 by Wendy Waszut-Barrett

In 1914, Thomas G. Moses wrote, “Did a spectacle set for the Stanley, Philadelphia.  I went with it, and spent a whole week with it.  Got some good lighting effects.  Kleigel [sic.] came on from New York to do it.” Although the venue is primarily remembered as a movie house, the first Stanley Theatre in Philadelphia was a combination house. Largely devoted to short-reel pictures, ornate wings and a painted picture sheet created the surround for any projection. There were other lines to accommodate touring acts and spectacles, such as the one mentioned by Moses.

The Stanley Theatre opened on 19 April 1914. The venue was named after Stanley Mastbaum, a remarkable man in his own right who was directly responsible for the evolution of films in Philadelphia (“Philadelphia Inquirer,” page 35). The story of Stanley V. Mastbaum and his Philadelphia theaters is quite fascinating. The Stanley Theater in Philadelphia was the flagship of Stanley’s theatre chain and managed the venue. Stanley co-founded the Stanley Company with his brother Jules Mastbaum. Stanley Mastbaum also managed the Stanley Booking Corporation, a company that supplied pictures to several hundred theatres across the country. The Mastbaum brothers controlled several of the Philadelphia’s movie houses, later expanding to become one of the largest motion picture chains in the country in a relatively short period of time.

Their reign in the film industry was short-lived, however, as Stanley Mastbaum passed away in 1918 at the age of 37 yrs. old. The cause of his death was listed as blood poisoning, developing from a sever case of tonsillitis. At the time of his passing, his obituary reported, “After seven years’ effort in the motion picture business, Mr. Mastbaum was part owner of seven big ‘movie’ houses in Philadelphia, and a score or more in other cities. His interests were in every branch of the industry from production of movies to the placing of finishing touches on the screen” (The Morning Post, 7 March 1918, page 1). The article continued to state that the Philadelphia theaters run by Stanley Mastbaum included, the Stanley (Sixteenth and Market streets), the Palace (1214 Market street), the Globe (Juniper and Market streets), the Arcade (Chestnut street, below Sixteenth), the Alhambra (Twelfth and Morris), the Rialto (Germantown avenue and Tulpehocken street), and the Broadway (Broad street and Snyder avenue). The Paramount acquiring his company by 1919, and the firm was later acquired by Warner Bros. in 1928.

The first Stanley Theatre of Philadelphia was located at 1616-20 Market Street, east of Seventeenth Street. When the venue opened, the “Philadelphia Inquirer” announced, “The Stanley contains every modern device in perfect theatre construction, and many innovations exclusive in this temple of Thespia. The house will comfortably seat 1700 persons and the decorations are of a quietly attractive quality.” The house count was actually a little lower than that.

The policy of the Stanley was the presentation of the “highest grade photo plays.” Photoplays and comic films constituted the program at the Stanley Theatre with live musical accompaniment. Designed by W. H. Hoffman, the venue was later renamed the Stanton Theatre and later the Milgram by 1968. The building was demolished in 1968. Also, the first Stanley Theatre is not to be confused with the second Stanley Theatre that opened on the southwest corner of 19^th and Market Street in 1921; it was a much larger theater.

Of the programming, the “Philadelphia Inquirer” reported, “The subjects were well chosen and of varied character, so that the serious blended excellently with the lighter vein of motion picture. The list included The Dishonored Model, Martha’s Rebellion, A Soul Astray and Our Mutual Girl. One of the pleasing features was the rendition of selections by the orchestra during the exploiting of films and during intermissions” (12 May 1914, page 7). In June, the “Philadelphia Inquirer” noted, “As a forerunner to a series of feature photo-dramas which will be shown during the remainder of the week, two interesting picture entertained audiences at the Stanley Theatre yesterday. ‘Good for Nothing’ was the title of the headliner, followed by ‘The Gem.” Both subjects were well acted by capable companies. The special attraction for the week is a five-part dramatization of “Home Sweet Home,” to be shown today and tomorrow. Selections on a new organ add to the entertainment” (16 June 1914, page 7).

Musical selections that accompanied the photo plays ranged from a full orchestra to the Doria Opera Trio of the Metropolitan Opera Company. Of the trio, they toured with photodrama productions, performing opera and other vocal selections each day and evening to accompany select films (The Philadelphia Inquirer, 10 July 1914, page 4). The Philadelphia Orchestra also furnished the incidental music for the Stanley, with the “Philadelphia Inquirer” commenting that summer:  “The Spitfire,” a nautical comedy drama, was the chief attraction among the Stanley Theatre’s films yesterday. Written by Edward Peple, acted by Daniel Frohman’s Company and starred by Carlyle Blackwell, the intricate plat included a gem robbery, several fights, false correspondence, two rescues, one at sea and the other in the Arabian desert, with a charming love story woven through the whole. The latest and finest developments of moving picture art were exhibited in this an other films, all as remarkable for the clearness of their definition as for the quality of the stories, fantastic and humorous, they presented. “The One Best Bet,” a comic story of the racetrack, and “Tragic Trinkets,” a murder mystery film, in which an alchemist figured, presented scenic features of an unusual character. Members of the Philadelphia Orchestra furnished the incidental music” (7 July 1914, page 6).

To be continued…

Copyright © 2019 by Wendy Waszut-Barrett

Stage designs that highlighted the technical skill of the scenic artist began to shift during the second decade of the twentieth century. A new vision and stage aesthetic began to appear; one with the increased use of draperies and three-dimensionality objects. New lighting accentuated this type of setting, taking on its own importance. By the 1920s, the demand for beautiful painted visions of pictorial landscapes continued to diminish, an in its stead were a variety of abstract interpretations that defined the stage space. Contrasting fabrics with minimal paint application suggested interior and exterior settings rather than replicating them. In some cases, curtains even replaced cumbersome flats for interior walls, with only the use of a fireplace, window or door.

I explored the popular production and setting of “Daddy Long Legs” prior to the holidays. In 1914, Thomas G. Moses recorded that Sosman & Landis delivered scenery for the production. Of the stage setting, he wrote, “It was a very delicate interior, real fabric walls.”

There are two ways to look at Moses’s comments: “real fabric walls.”  The first is the use of fabric panels as in residential homes. In that regard, fabric panels were falling out of favor for home use by 1914. Newspaper articles reported, “Not so many years ago the walls of the boudoir would have been silk panelles, but sanitary specialists have pronounced fabric covered walls uncleanly abiding places for germs” (New York Tribune, 6 May 1914, page 7). It is possible that the “delicate interior, real fabric walls” referred to the use of actual draperies on stage, another type of setting that was gaining popularity on the stage by 1914. Real fabric walls for interior settings instead of painted backdrops or flats.

Artistically patterned and draped fabrics were becoming a popular alternative for painted backdrops, both exterior and interior sets at this time. Scenic studio sales books would promote this cost-effective trending interpretation for modern stage settings. This is where scenic art quickly becomes a craft, requiring a different skill set. The once thousands of painted settings that created scenic illusion for a variety of entertainment venues begin to disappear. Delicate landscapes painted with skilled hands give way to contrasting fabrics and minimalist stencil work to suggest a setting. It was new, fun, more versatile for the stage, and in many cases cheaper.

Like other studios of the time, the Sosman & Landis Scene Painting Studio was not simply a firm that specialized in painted backings; they manufactured all types of settings, draperies and stage equipment for differing entertainment venues. It was this diversity that helped the company expand over the decades, being able to offer a variety of products and services for all types of stages. The mention of fabric walls for a setting, instead of hard covered flats, was a cheap alternative that could be quickly manufactured and shipped to any stage in a matter of days, not weeks. No complex rendering or skilled scenic artist was necessary to create this popular stage setting.

Scenic art branches off into two separate directions at this point: increased realism for the film industry and diminished realism for live theatre. Scenery for many films became increasingly realistic, tightening the scenic art style and application of paint for cycloramas. On the other hand, live theatre was moving in the opposite direction, broader strokes and non-traditional approaches to interior settings. The manufacture of scenic illusion, for projects other that moving pictures, diminishes to such an extent that many studios no longer require a full staff of highly-skilled scenic artists. The hiring of craftsmen becomes a prudent option, as painted illusion was no longer required for every project. By the 1920s, many master painters could be hired on a per project basis. This also allows room for new studios to open across the country, replacing many of the main studios that heavily relied on a legion of high-skilled scenic artists. The painting work is still there, but the demand had decreased.

Fortunately for Sosman & Landis and other well-established studios, certain social halls, fraternal theaters and other public spaces continued to demand painted illusion for the stage.

To be continued…

Copyright © 2019 by Wendy Waszut-Barrett

In 1914, Thomas G. Moses wrote, “August found Germany starting a new war with the Huns who helped them.  France and England are both in the game.” 

At the time, United Stated newspapers reported, “The War in Europe. Following the declaration of war by Austria-Hungary against Serbia, Russia took up the gauntlet for Serbia whereupon Germany declared war against Russia. In the mobilization of troops Germany invaded a French territory, a practical declaration of war against France, and also Belgium, which is under the protection of England. England asked the withdrawal of the German army from Belgium, and not receiving a satisfactory reply, Wednesday declared war against Germany. Italy proclaimed neutrality, but it is feared she will not be able to maintain it. Hostilities have begun, both on land and seas, and the world fears the most destructive war in history. President Wilson has proclaimed neutrality of the United States, and Congress is busy with plans for bringing Americans home from Europe and for protecting all interests of this country” (“Middletown Transcript,” 8 Aug. 1914, page 1).

Although the United States did not officially enter the war until 1917, the conflict overseas affected many American individuals and industries, including the world of theatre. As with many political events and military conflicts, we look back now with unknown “what ifs” and “we should haves.” It often takes a century to pass for the lens of history to provide snapshots of behind-the-scenes motives, mistakes, and missed opportunities of our leaders.

Here is a little background about the draft registration pertaining to WWI in the United States. Three registrations occurred between 1917 and 1918. The 1st was held June 5, 1917 for men ages 21-31. The 2nd was held June 5, 1918, for men who turned 21 since the 1st registration. The 3rd started Sept. 12, 1918 for men ages 18-45. My maternal grandfather was not drafted, but enlisted at the age of twenty-eight years old for WWI. Born and raised in Maple Plain Minnesota, he grew up on a farm but went to work for the Great Northern Railroad, where he became a bridge and building foreman. When he enlisted, my grandfather was still single, only dating my grandmother, Elvina Dressel.  Both were German-American. My great grandfather arrived in the US during 1861 and immediately fought in the Civil War (Union Army). Then as now, there was an unjustified lash back against immigrants; during WWI it was the German-Americans and their families, even when they had resided in the country for decades. American intolerance, a shameful legacy continues today.

WWI draft registration cards provide an amazing wealth of information about the theatre professionals; a snapshot of men, their families, and work. Due to the wide range of ages, 18-45, information for many long-forgotten scenic artists is available in the draft registration database.  Instead of looking at a black and white photo or reading a newspaper obituary, the height, physical frame, hair color and eye color of these individuals in their prime is recorded. We know if they were gainfully employed, or just starting at a new scenic studio. We known if they were married, single, and where they were living.

Moses did not mention the war again until its conclusion in 1918. During the Fall of 1918, Moses wrote, “The Big World War ended November 11^th, and the biggest kind of rally was pulled off.  I never saw such a crowd.  It was not safe to be on the street with a hat on or a good suit of clothes.”

Keep in mind that his 1931 typed memoirs were a compilation of annual diaries, of which only the last five years of his life remain. I have scans of the five, each in a private collection. Of those five years, I have transcribed two and am working on the remaining three. Moses’ daily records provide a wealth of information not included in his final 1931 manuscript titled “My Diary.” His thoughts on the WWI or friends that were lost in the fight may have been mentioned, but are now lost.

To be continued…

I am taking a short break from the life and times of Thomas G. Moses in 1914 to enjoy the holidays with my family. Have a very Merry Christmas!

Copyright © 2019 by Wendy Waszut-Barrett

I came across an interesting article about the sale of “Daddy Long Legs” dolls while looking for information about the production’s scenery by Thomas G. Moses.  The manufacture and sale of Judy dolls were part of a nation-wide charitable endeavor benefitting orphaned children and those in need both in the United States and over seas.

Although the United States would not officially enter WWI until 1917, the conflict was continually covered in the newspapers. That fall, “Daddy Long Legs” was playing in New York as France and Britain battled Germany, ravaging Belgium. Although the United States government remained neutral, individuals and organizations in the United immediately began to lend financial support to those devastated by the war.

In 1914, Ruth Chatteron, Jean Webster and the cast of “Daddy Long Legs” became involved in a series of charity events that benefitted orphaned children, especially those in Belgium. Throughout the fall of 1914 and into the spring of 1915, Chatternon and Webster appeared publically at many fundraisers where “Judy” dolls and other souvenirs from the play were sold to raise charitable donations. Many of the proceeds went to benefit Belgian children and others little ones overseas.

On Nov. 30, 1914, the “New York Tribune” published an article, “Santa Claus Calls Louder Than War. Daddy Long Legs Dolls and Money for Children in Stricken Battle Zone” (page 9).  The article continued, “War and hard times may rule the world, but still a few people have time to plan for a little Christmas merriment for the children, both in this country and in Europe. The State Charities Aid Association announces that, beginning to-day, one thousand Daddy Long-Legs dolls will be distributed to individuals and clubs. The dolls will be dressed by them and then sold in shops and privately to get money to use for the 35,000 children whom the association looks out for in institutions and boarding homes in this state.

There are to be boy dolls and girls, if dressed accordingly to the design made by Miss Jean Webster, who wrote the play “Daddy Long-Legs,” will be in bright blue ginghams, just like Judy Abbott in the play.”  The Daddy Long Legs dolls were part of a larger event. The article continued,

“Dolls of all nations will be on view and on sale at the bazaar which is to be held by the International Institute for Young Women, at 113 East 34^th St., from to-day to December 3. The proceeds will be used to help foreign girls who are stranded in New York, but the dolls, which include Russian princesses, German peasants, Italian cantadinas, Roman matrons,

[racial slur for dolls that I am not including]

, English babies and Scotch Highlanders, as so fascinating that the child who finds one in her Christmas stocking will have a joyous holiday. The committee of the institute includes Mrs. W. C. Potter, Mrs. William Fellows Morgan, Mrs. Elihu Root, Jr., Mrs. Charles H. Ferry, Mrs. Edward S. Harkness and Miss Charlotte Stillman. Members of the committee will preside at the bazaar and serve tea.

Sunday schools all over the country are sending in contributions to the War Children’s Christmas Fun, of which Mrs. John Hays Hammond is national chairman. The gifts of the Sunday Schools have aggregated $1,000 a day recently. The fund has received to date $12,398. Twenty-five tons of clothing and candy have been shipped to England for English and Belgian children. Money equal in value will be sent to United States ambassadors in Russia, Germany and France to buy a little Christmas for the children whose fathers are one the front.”

For a brief period of time, orphaned children took center stage and there was a public outpouring of support. For example, the Children’s Home Society of California started a campaign to “make unique toys for the benefit and succor of hundreds of homeless fatherless and motherless little ones,” especially featuring Daddy Long Legs dolls (Los Angeles Times, 31 Jan 1915, page 11). Newspapers across the country posed the question, “Will you please buy a Daddy Long-Legs doll, mister?” Judy dolls were featured as the perfect Christmas gift that also contributed to a good cause. Newspaper pictures included the “Daddy Long-Legs” cast, stage orphans, making their appeal to the charitable, a cause that would support “their really unfortunate brothers and sisters.”

To be continued…

Copyright © 2019 by Wendy Waszut-Barrett

In 1914, Thomas G. Moses wrote, “One scene, 3^rd Act, for Henry Miller in ‘Daddy Long Legs.’  It was a very delicate interior, real fabric walls.” The first scene of the play is laid in the dining room in the John Grier home, the second in the girl’s study at college, the third on a picturesque New England farm and the fourth in a library in a New York home (Hartford Courant, 28 September 1914, page 9). Moses painted the exterior setting of a picturesque New England Farm.

 “Daddy Longlegs” was a comedy written by Miss Jean Webster (1876-1916) and first presented at Powers’ theater in Chicago on March 16, 1914. Based on the 1912 novel, the “Chicago Tribune” reported, “the love story of a brilliant waif who falls happily in love with her affluent benefactor” (Chicago Tribune, 7 June 1914, page 56). The story was first published as a Ladies’ Home Journal serial (Inter Ocean, 17 March 1914, page 6).

“Daddy Long Legs” centers around orphan Judy Abbot, played by actress Ruth Chatterton. Judy is brought up in an orphanage with a hundred little children. However, instead of being put out to work when she turns fourteen, Judy is allowed to remain and attend high school for four years. This was not a pure gesture of generosity, as Judy becomes the maid, saving the orphanage the expense of having a servant. The head matron berates her daily until Judy finally stands up for herself during a monthly “Trustees Day.” A new, wealthy, and young trustee, Jervis Pendleton, discovered that Judy was different from the other “ cowed, apathetic orphans” and sends her to college (The Pittsburgh Press, 6 Dec. 1914, page 57). His identity remains that of an anonymous benefactor, going by the name of John Smith, with his becoming the “shadow of a father.” Judy is only allowed to see the shadow of Jervis Pendleton, and Judy exclaims, “What funny long legs the shadow has! He is like a spider. I’ll call him my dear old Daddy Long Legs.” As her anonymous benefactor, Pendleton watches Judy grow, falling in love with her and becoming jealous of her attentions toward another young man. At the same time, Judy unknowingly meets her “Daddy Long Legs’ and falls in love, but is too embarrassed of her past to proceed. Pendleton believes that he hesitation is due to her love for another. It is only through a series of letters that Judy writes to Daddy Long Legs that she reveals her true feelings, eventually finding her happy ending.

An interesting article was published in the “Inter Ocean” on 12 April 1914 titled “Accidental Art” (page 32). It described some of the lighting for the production: “When Henry Miller was rehearsing ‘Daddy Long-legs,’ and while the play was in process of formation (for many changes were made during the first rehearsals), he was very anxious to show the shadow of Jervis Pendleton on the walls of the school room. It was his idea that this shadow could be made to explain the reason why pretty Judy nicknamed her benefactor Daddy Long-legs.

“Time after time Mr. Miller experimented with various lights and lighting effects to get the shadow on the wall, but he always found fault with the effect. Many sorts and kinds of automobile lights, spotlights and other devices were used to project the shadow into the room, and not one of them proved effective. In his mind Mr. Miller turned over the problems; thought o silhouettes. Lantern slides and dozens of other ideas, and turned them all down as impractical.

“Finally Miller and his assistants were at their wits’ end. Nothing seemed to answer for the effect desired. The company electrician had given up hope after exhausting all of his ingenuity.

“While the final consultation was ending, a house electrician was removing the various experimental apparatus, and at the end he changed position of an ordinary spotlight used to illuminate the stage for rehearsal. Across the stage swept a straight beam of light, wavered on the side walls and left the stage.

“‘There! You’ve got it!’ cried Mr. Miller. ‘There is the very thing we want! We can’t hope to make a Daddy Long-legs shadow, but we can have a perfect effect of an automobile turning in the drive outside and casting its lights through the window.’

“Since then the motor lights have flashed through the asylum window nightly, a fine stage effect that des not entail any expensive machinery and merely utilizes one of the usual electrical effects with which every theatre is equipped.”

Under the direction of Henry Miller, the 1914 cast included Frederick Truesdell (Jervis Pendleton), Charles Trowbridge (James McBride), Mrs. Jacques Martin (Mrs. Semple), Mrs. Jennie A. Eustace (Miss Prittchard), Miss Ethel Martin (Mrs. Pendleton), Miss Agnes Heron Miller (Julia Pendleton), Miss Cora Witherspoon (Sallie McBride), Miss Margaret Sayres (Mrs. Lippett) and Miss Ruth Chatterton (Judy).

In 1919, “Daddy Long Legs” was made into a silent movie, starring Mary Pickford as Judy and Mahlon Hamilton as Jervis Pendleton. Tomorrow, I will look at the production of Daddy Long Legs dolls to help the war effort during 1914-1915.

To be continued…

Copyright © 2019 by Wendy Waszut-Barrett

In 1914, Thomas G. Moses wrote, “Did a big cyclorama drop for Ruth St. Denis; a dark blue sky, black trees and a high wall, very effective drop.”

On May 25, 1914, “The Evening Journal” announced, “Miss St. Denis after ending the summer season, will go to San Francisco, where she is having a special theater built for her at the Panama-Pacific Exposition” (page 2). Moses’ scenery was for this new theater. 1914 was a big year for St. Denis, as she also married Edwin Myers “Ted” Shawn. Shawn was a young dancer from Kansas City, Missouri who toured with St. Denis’ production.

St. Denis and Shawn later founded their own studio that became known as the “cradle of modern dance,” where students like Martha Graham, Charles Weidman and Doris Humphrey received their training before beginning studios of their own (Tulare Advance-Register, Tulare, CA, 22 July 1968, page 3).

Ruth St. Denis (1879-1968) was a pioneer in American modern dance and noted as “the first dancer to introduce the charm and mystery of Hindu dancing to Europe and American public” (“San Francisco Examiner,” 29 Nov. 1914, page 25). During the spring of 1914, St. Denis performed in “East of Suez,” a show that featured an exhibition of “Hindoo dances.”

The “San Francisco Examiner” reported, “Other forms of Oriental dancing had already become popular, but the subtlest of all, the Hindu art, was first interpreted for us by this American girl from Newark, N.J. Lately she has been giving Egyptian and Japanese dances” (29 Nov. 1914, page 25).  

St. Denis began her performance career in 1893, dancing for vaudeville. She was part of an act called “The Cherry Sisters.”  Ruth’s performance caught the attention of George W. Lederer who signed her up for his new production, “The Passing Show.” From musical comedy, St. Denis’s passed to the management of David Belasco. She toured for a period of five years under Belasco’s management, and during this time she performed in “Du Barry” and “Zaza.”

The “Arizona Daily Star” reported, “It was while under the tutelage of Belasco that she gained her first knowledge of light effects and stage management –a  knowledge which has been invaluable to her in the creation of her Oriental dances first at trial performance in a New York Vaudeville theater where they created such a sensation tat she was immediately engaged for a Fifth avenue theater and subsequently for a long engagement at the Hudson and Fullton theaters, New York. From there she went to London, Berlin and Paris, achieving a far greater success than any other dance artist has ever entertained. The creation of Hindoo dances by Miss St. Denis is the result of patient study, infinite thought and a deep delving into the mysterious philosophy of the Far East. Strange to say, she has never visited India, and yet she posses more information regarding that land of occultism than most Occidentals who have resided there during a lifetime” (23 Nov. 1914, page 8).

Karoun Tootikan for the “Los Angeles Times” wrote a lovely article about St. Denis when she passed away in 1968 (28, July 1968, page 511). I am including it today, because St. Denis’ legacy is quite prolific in the history of American dance:

“Over the years, the great and near-great have made pilgrimages to the Ruth St. Denis Dance Studio in Hollywood to observe, to learn and renew friendship with the indomitable Miss Ruth. The studio, with its faded front poser of the dancer (in a pose from her interpretations of the poems of Tagore) is now a memorial, for Miss Ruth is gone.

It was befitting, in a way, that the dancer, whose career spanned five generations, should choose July 21, a Sabbath, for the goodbye, since it was she who introduced the revolutionary work, ‘Rhada,’ in 1906, which brought to America the completely new idea of religious Hindu dancing in its purest and most esthetic forms.

She was helpful in her goal of popularizing interpretive dancing as a suitable career for young people by three contemporary dancers: Isadora Duncan, Loie Fuller and Maude Allen, who all developed different forms of the dance. While St. Denis delved into Oriental religions for her main inspiration, Duncan became responsible for eliminating the old confines of classic movement, and danced barefoot in a light tunic. Fuller dressed in billowing silk skirts and lighted by various colored lights, she created spectacular forms with subtle variations and silhouettes, while Allen drew from all three for her sensational dance forms.

Whereas Duncan’s talent was best expressed by dancing with symphonies, Fuller’s in creating spectacular serpentine movements, St. Denis’ famous solos were, for the most part, confined to extreme discipline of movement and economy of gesture. Draped form head to toe in voluminous silk and jersey, Miss Ruth presented each nuance of movement in rippling waterfall effects inspiring great tranquility.

It was both Duncan and St. Denis’ great purpose to found a school where the essence of the dance could be taught to perpetuate their dreams. The Duncan Schools, both in Paris and Moscow, did not outlive the death of the dancer, who was strangled when her long red scarf became entangled in the back wheel of an automobile in 1928. By the Denishawn School of Dance (formed in 1914 in Los Angeles, with her husband, Ted Shawn) became a beacon of learning for some of America’s most illustrious proponents of modern, interpretative dancing.

Out of this conservatory came Martha Graham who toured extensively with the Denishawn Dancers and who later developed the individualized choreography in such creations as “Appalachian Spring” and “Night Journey.” Doris Humphrey, who joined Denishawn in 1916 and danced with the company for 12 years, also made her mark wit the electric ‘Lament for Ignacio Sanchez’ and ‘Ruins and Visions.’

Miss Ruth never officially retired and continued to give concerts as late as 1966. Separated from Ted Shawn since 1931, the famous couple nevertheless appeared together occasionally on the stage, most notably in recent years at the observance of the Golden Anniversary in 1964 at Shawn’s School, Jacobs Pillow, at Lee Mass.

Of Miss Ruth’s wide repertoire of original dances, four are perhaps indicative of her genius: ‘Incense,’ in which the rippling arm and hand movements first drew the attention of Ted Shawn who purportedly fell in love with her as she performed on stage in Denver; ‘Dance of the Cobras,’ wherein the hand movements become the snake charmer’s pet in an Indian market place; ‘White Jade,’ which was inspired by a visit to the Temple of Heaven in Peking and shows the Goddess of Mercy bestowing compassion upon the world: and ‘The Minstrel of Kashmiri,’ a Nautch Dance for which Charles Wakefield Cadman composed a special score.

A legend in her own time, Ruth St. Denis, at 91, whom dancer Charles Weidman once called ‘the most beautiful woman in the world,’ the mother of modern interpretive dance, will live on in the students whom she inspired to carry on her work.”

To be continued…

Copyright © 2019 by Wendy Waszut-Barrett

On February 15, 1914, the “Detroit Free Press,” reported that Sosman & Landis delivered the scenery for the New Palace Theater. The firm, under the direction of Thomas G. Moses,  also delivered stock scenery to other Palace theatres in Chicago (1912),  Minneapolis (1914), and Fort Wayne, Indiana (1914).

The “Detroit Free Press” announced, “Scenery is the Best. The scenery is from the Sosman & Landis studio of Chicago, leaders in the art, and for particular reasons the work is extraordinary. It is impossible to produce more attractive scenery during the composition and painting in Chicago many managers viewed it with not a little envy, as it is the last significance of the word ‘Palace’ will be seen very readily by those who attend. The seats are wide enough to be comfortable and are far apart. Every seat in the house affords a perfect view of the entire stage.”

Detroit’s Palace Theatre was located at 130-132 Monroe St, and advertised as “absolutely fireproof.” The article described all of the fire safety measures, including a roof that consisted of six-inch concrete.

C. A. and Graham Hoffman were responsible for the venue and selected Detroit for their new playhouse. Early in the spring of 1912, they started securing lease on the property in the “Great White Way” district of Detroit. The Palace Theater Co. was organized and incorporated on April 5. C. A. Hoffman was the general manager, with Graham acting as assistant manager and secretary.

Detroit’s Palace Theatre was designed by C. Howard Crane and later featured in “American Architect and Architecture,” Vol. 106, September 1914. Crane also designed Detroit’s Liberty Theatre, Opera House, Filmore, Fox Theatre, and the Detroit Symphony Orchestra’s Orchestra Hall.

The Place Theatre closed in 1928.

To be continued…