Copyright © 2020 by Wendy Waszut-Barrett
In 1917, Thomas G. Moses wrote, “Closed a contract for two scenes with Gatts and Company, $825.00 for ‘Katzenjammer Kids.’ We hustled it out. Maier and I went to Michigan to put it on and nearly froze coming back. 14 degrees below zero. As there was no train, we had to ride home in the trolley.”
The Katzenjammer Kids was a comic strip concerning two mischievous little fellows Hans and Fritz. The strip first appeared in 1897 and running until 2006. Rudolph Dirks created the strips, with its debut on Dec. 12 in the “American Humorist.” Harold Knerr later drew the strip, from 1914 until 1949. From 1949-1956 Charles H. “Doc” Winner was the cartoonist; from 1956 to 1976 it was Joe Musial; from 1981-1986 it was Angelo DeCesare; and from 1986-2006 it was Hy Eisman.
This comic strip was first turned into a stage play in 1903. In 1917, the Katzenjammer Kids was advertised as a “cartoon musical comedy” produced by Gazzolo, Gatts and Clifford. Hans, Fritz, Ma Katzenjammer, Der Professor, Der Captain and the other characters were featured in the production. Donald M. Bestor composed the music and Virgil M. Bennee choreographed the musical numbers. The play was staged in three acts, the first showing a hotel, the second a dock scenes and the third the Hawaiian Islands.
Of the production, “The Indianapolis Star” reported, “Particular care has been taken with the staging and costuming of the Katzenjammer Kids. The fashion plate chorus is gowned in various fetching evening gowns, all of which match harmoniously with the beautiful stage pictures and novel electrical effects” (15 March 1917, page 3).
To be continued…
