Copyright © 2019 by Wendy Waszut-Barrett
On Dec. 4, 1914, the “Twice-a-Week Dispatch” mentioned scenery produced by Sosman & Landis for Price & Bonelli’s Greater New York Minstrels (Burlington, North Carolina, page 1). Here is the article:
“Greater N. Y. Minstrels
James Bonelli, of Price and Bonelli, is very well known here in our city through his annual visits in former days in the white face version of Dickson and Mustard’s ‘Humpty-Dumpty.’ He has amused both old and young in many seasons gone by, but last night he appeared at his topmost success in the grand after piece following the Minstrel Olio – Humpty Dumpty in black face with an entire setting of special scenery from Sosman & Landis. Truly Bonellis a world beater for clean cut comedy. We welcome his return at the head of his own Minstrels or in any other production. Price & Bonelli, Greater New York Minstrels is a winner and will make good before any audience.-Evansville (Ind.) Democrat. Price & Bonelli will exhibit here at the Piedmont Opera House Soon.”
In 1907 Bonelli starred in Dickson & Mustard’s production of Humpty Dumpty and the Black Dwarf. Although a popular vaudeville actor, this show really brought Bonelli into the spotlight. The “News-Journal” reported “For many years [Bonelli] has been one of the best known and most popular vaudeville performers both in this country and abroad, and has met with great success in such musical comedies and pantomimes as Devil’s Auction and Eight Bells, and Fantasma Metropolitan critics have praised Mr. Bonelli insistently for his droll eccentric comedy and odd methods of his works. Reynold Wolf, of the New York Telegraph declares him without a doubt to be the funniest man on the American stage, and many other well known critics have vouched for his ability in much the same manner. (News-Journal, Mansfield, Ohio, 21 Oct 1907, page 7).
The “Humpty Dumpty” musical olio first appeared in the 1880s, remaining a popular act when Bonelli entered the picture in 1907. That year, the “Palladium-Item” published, “Humpty Dumpty. Bright, exhilarating, sparkling, hilarious, ‘Humpty Dumpty,’ which will be seen as the Gennett tonight, in all its gorgeous splendor presented by one of the most capable companies that has ever appeared in a musical comedy pantomime in this country, headed by the inimitable clown and comedian, James H. Bonelli, one of the most notable laugh producers of the present day, is a production that should certainly appeal to every theater goer as it is said to be the most complete and refined presentation of Mother Goosie’s fairy story ever given” (Richmond, Indiana, 15 Oct. 1907, page 6).
The “Marysville Journal-Tribune” reported that the Price & Bonelli Company numbered thirty performers, noting they were selected for their ability as minstrel artists of merit. The article advertised, “singers, dancers, comedians, musicians and novelty artists vie with each other to make the performance bright and entertaining. Good comedy is a prominent feature of the programme and has justly earned for Price and Bonelli’s Minstrels the title of Big Laughing Show” (24 Oct 1916, page 4). By 1917, the Price & Bonelli Minstrel Show included six vaudeville acts, with the show lasting two hours and twenty minutes (Columbus Daily Advocate, 15 Dec. 1917, page 1). To be continued…
