Tales from a Scenic Artist and Scholar. Part 898 – Gus Hill’s National Directory, 1914

Copyright © 2019 by Wendy Waszut-Barrett

Theatrical guides provide a wealth of information about historic theatres, including the technical specifications and original scenery. I have continued to reference a variety of guides from the 1882 until 1913, with Julius Cahn’s Official Theatrical Guide being  my favorite. In 1914 he did not publish a guide.  For the 1914-1915 season, Gus Hill published his first theatrical guide. “Gus Hill’s National Theatrical Directory.” It was published by Hill’s National Theatrical Directory, Inc. in the Columbia Theatre Building, New York.

Initially, Hill (1858-1937) was a burlesque performer, wrestler and juggler. One of his acts was a series of cartoon theatricals, musical comedies based on cartoon strips. Hill later became a vaudeville manager and producer, founding the Columbia Amusement Company.

Gus Hill’s National Theatrical Directory advertised that it contained “The most complete list of Theatres yet compiled for the United States and Canada. It was arranged alphabetically according to the States and Cities, and promised, “condensed information as to Towns, Theatres, Billing, Hotels, Newspapers, Railroads, Express Companies, etc.” as well as:

It also included: a complete list of Theatrical Managers, Producers and Booking Agents; a list of plays, Musical and Dramatic; a list of the Vaudeville Theatre, Agencies, Acts and Performers; a list of the Moving Picture Houses and Film Exchanges; and a list of Representative Attorneys qualified to handle theatrical business.”

Hill’s also book included something new – “The Reporting System.” The Guide noted, “In conjunction with this Directory, the publishers will establish a Reporting System, which is intended to be to the theatrical business what Dunn and Bradstreet are to the commercial world.”

The Guide promised, “This book is now the ONLY authentic and complete Theatrical Directory in Existence, having just absorbed Julius Cahn’s Official Theatrical Guide. Apply Now for advertising space and rates in the 1915-1916 Edition.” Another page noted, “This is now the only official theatrical directory in Existence Having recently taken over the Cahn-Leighton Official Guide.”

In 1896 Julius Cahn published his first theatrical guide. By 1911, Julius Cahn and R. Victor Leighton created the successor to the Julius Cahn’s Official Theatrical Guide, the Cahn-Leighton Official Theatrical Guide. The 1912-1913 season publication noted it was “the first combined effort to give the theatrical public a guide with many radical changes and new ideas.” Cahn & Leighton wrote, “the object of this guide is to assist the producer and theatre manager to reach each other in a practical business-like manner with the least trouble. Among the new features in their guide was several tables of freight rates, party fares and the mileage to next point from each point in the guide.” It contained, “Authentic Information Regarding all Cities, Towns, and Villages wherein Theatrical Organizations may find a Theatre, Opera House or Hall to exhibit in as well as the Information pertaining to these places of Amusement, the Railroads, Express Companies, Newspapers, Billposters, Transfer Companies, Hotels, &c., throughout the United States, Canada, Mexico, Hawaii and Cuba.” The publication office was New Amsterdam Theatre Building, located at West 42^nd Street, New York, New York.

For their 1913 publication, Cahn & Leighton wrote, “Today we are offering our patrons the best and most complete edition ever published.  The past year we made a number of changes in the construction of the guide, toward the betterment of the publication and the present issue offers not alone the oldest, but most reliable publication of its kind ever printed. It is the only recognized book of reference of the theatrical profession as well as those who come in contract or do business with this class of patronage. We bespeak from our friends an appreciation of the merits of the book and a frank and friendly criticism of what they consider its faults.” The Cahn-Leighton partnership was short lived and Gus Hill took over the theatre directory business.

From Julius Cahn’s premier issue in 1896 to the Julius Cahn-Gus Hill Theatrical Guide and Moving Picture Directory, one can explore a shift within the entertainment industry. There is an amazing amount of information waiting for someone to see how quickly the popularity of “Moving Pictures” swept the country. Many of the theatrical guides are available as free downloads. What makes this wonderful is that one can complete keyword searches and quickly access information.

To be continued…