Sosman & Landis: Shaping the Landscape of American Theatre. Employee No. 69 – L. R. McNeal

Copyright © 2021 by Wendy Waszut-Barrett

L. R. McNeal was purportedly a scenic artist who worked at the Sosman & Landis Scene Painting Studio during the early twentieth-century. His previous work for the firm mentioned in a 1916 newspaper article.

In 1916, McNeal was contracted to paint scenery for Walter Savidge (1866-1949) in Wayne, Nebraska. Savidge ran an amusement company that toured small towns in Nebraska.

On April 20, 1916, the “Wayne News” of Wayne, Nebraska announced, “Scenic Artist Arrives” (page 6). The article reported, “Walter Savidge has secured the services  of the well-known scenic artist, L. R. McNeal, who arrived in this city on Tuesday from Chicago. Shortly after his arrival Mr. McNeal started painting the scenery for the production of Graustark and before leaving Wayne will complete the entire scenic equipment for each of the six plays that will be presented by the Savidge Dramatic Players during the coming season. Mr. Savidge has been fortunate in securing Mr. McNeal who has been connected with some of the largest scenic studios in this country, including The Lee Lash Studio of New York and The Sosman & Landis Studio, Chicago.” This story was also published in “The Nebraska Democrat” on April 20, 1916 (page 6).

McNeal’s scenic contribution was again mentioned at the Summer Carnival in  Ainsworth, Nebraska that summer. The event ran from June 28 to July 1 that year. The Walter Savidge Amusement company performed their productions in a tent. On June 23, 1916, “The Ainsworth Star-Journal” reported that the company was using a “new water-proof canvas theatre.” Again, the new scenery by “well known artist L. R. McNeal” was mentioned in the article. McNeal was still mentioned that fall when the Walter Savidge Amusement Company was featured at the Tri-State Fair and Carnival in Crawford, Nebraska, that fall. On September, 8, 1916, the “Crawford Tribune” reported, “The Walter Savidge Amusement Company opens a five-day engagement in Crawford on Tuesday, September 19^th. In presenting his company this season, Mr. Savidge feels safe in the assertation that he has the strongest aggregation of attractions that he has ever carried. Especially does this apply to the Savidge dramatic players, who will appear in their new waterproof canvas theatre. Mr. Savidge has devoted much time and care to the selection of both plays and players. His company will include Miss Katherina Dale, an old favorite of this territory, who has been engaged as leading lady. Mr. A. C. Wilson has been retained as stage director and will have entire charge of each production. Fritz Adams and Miss May Wilson, two favorite players have been retained. Among the new members may be mentioned O. TR. Prather, Dick Elliot, Marvin Landrum, Edwin Henderson, Miss Marie Hardwick and Miss Anna Nielson.

The plays presented this season constitute the most pretentious repertoire ever opened by a tented attraction and will include Graustark, a romantic play in five parts from t eh novel by George Barr McCutcheon, dramatized by Grace Hayward; The Call of the Cumberlands from the popular novel of the same name by Charles Neville Buck, stage version by Hugo Kock; The Printer of Udell’s from the novel by Harold Bell Wright, dramatized by Mr. Wright and Elsbery W. Reynolds; the Belle of Richmond, a beautiful play of the old south, by popular actor author Sidney S. Toler. On the Board, a play of Mexican border life by the late Myron Leffingwelt, one of the most successful and prolific modern playwrights; The Girl of the Mountain, a well written play by W. C. Herman, who has just scored a great success in the larger cities with his latest play Any Man’s Sister, The only comedy offered during this engagement will be The Prince of Liars, which was written for laughing purposes only by James J. Runnion. Each of the above plays will receive a complete scenic production, the scenery having been designed and painted by the well known artist, L. R. McNeal. Among the new carnival features are: The African Ostrich Farm, Oriental Museum of Reptiles, and the Birds of All Nations. The Ferris wheel and the Merry-go-round will be in operation during the day and evening and free band concerts and feature free acts will be presented both afternoons and evenings” (page 1).

The Nebraska State Historical Society included a Walter Savidge Amusement Co. Collection in its manuscripts division (RG1667.AM). The collections contents date from 1899-1970, with the majority of records and photographs dating from 1910 to 1931. Here is the link to the collection’s description: https://nebraskahistory.pastperfectonline.com/archive/773D6CEE-F0B8-482E-AA29-979449914441

Here is the “Scope and Content Note” for the collection:

“The records of the Walter Savidge Amusement Company have been arranged into three series: 1) Ledgers, 1910-1920; 2) Printed matter and 3) Miscellaneous.

Series 1: Ledgers, 1910-1920, consists of employee salary records. Employees received wages, and a bonus if they stayed with the show for the entire season. End of season entries include the signature of the employee, signifying that they had received full payment. Some records have notes regarding work performed: “band,” “canvas,” “snakes,” etc. Several ledgers contained loose bills, receipts, and a few items of business correspondence which have been placed in envelopes at the beginning of each volume.

Series 2: Printed matter, 1899-1970. contains four “mail and route lists” for the company, Mabel’s piano lesson book, and articles about the company. Series 3 contains miscellaneous items, including the obituary of Walter Savidge.

Here is the description of the contents:

Series 1 – Ledgers, 1910-1920

Box 1
Volume

1. 1910

2. 1911-12

3. 1912

4. 1913

5. 1914

6. 1915 [& envelope]

7. 1915-1916 [& envelope]

Box 2
Volume

8. 1916 [& envelope]

9. 1918 [& envelope]

10. 1920

Series 2 – Printed matter

Box 2
Folder 1

Route and Mail Lists, 1927-1929, 1931
“A Graded Course of Studies and Pieces for the Piano-Forte,” 1899
Clippings

Series 3 – Miscellaneous

Box 2
Folder

1. Miscellaneous

Series 4 – Photographs (transferred to photo collection: RG1667.PH)

Group 1:  Midway Shows & Acts
Group 2:  Bands & Musicians
Group 3:  Rides & Midway
Group 4:  Guernsey Dam area
Group 5:  Storm Damage
Group 6:  Groups and individuals
Group 7:  Women
Group 8:  Custer State Park

History Nebraska also included a  “Background Note” for the collection:

“Walter T. Savidge was born in Deloit, Nebraska in 1886. As a child in Humphrey, Nebraska, he tried to imitate the stunts of the aerialists he saw at the circus (walking a tightrope between the family barn and a shed, for example). When he was 16, Walter left home to perform tricks at fairs and picnics, and by the age of 20 [ca. 1906], he had formed the Savidge Brothers Amusement Company with his brother, Arthur, who performed under the stage name of Elwin Strong. In 1911 he married Mabel Griffith, whom he had met while he was performing at the fair in Wayne, Nebraska a few years previously. Sometime between the 1914 and 1915 seasons, management disagreements with his brother led Walter to start his own company, the Walter Savidge Amusement Co., using $500.00 as capital. The show grew from a single boxcar load to a 20 car private pullman train carrying 125 employees, concession stands, tents and equipment. The Company traveled a circuit of Nebraska and Midwest towns with the Savidge Players, who performed popular dramatic productions from New York and Chicago in a specially made tent theater, as the main attraction. Outside the big tent were rides, sideshows, and animals. Walter and Mabel Savidge traveled the circuit for 35 seasons, until the Company began to feel the effects of competition from movies and radio. In 1941 they sold the show and retired to Wayne. Walter T. Savidge died in Wayne, Nebraska on September 20, 1949.”

It is possible that this collection provides more information on L. R. McNeal. To date, I remain unsuccessful in tracking down any information about this “well known scenic artist” or his affiliation with any scenic studio.  It makes me wonder if “L. R.” are the initials for his first and middle name, or if it was simply a typo republished in a few newspaper articles that summer. That being said, it is possible that McNeal worked as a paint boy, and had yet to reach the full status of scenic artist at either studio.

In fact, I have only located one other scenic artist with the last name of McNeal from this period. In 1917, there was a 22-yrs.-old scenic artist/electrician who perished after a July 4^th fireworks accident (holding fireworks that exploded). Hugh Marshall McNeal worked as a scenic artist and electrician at the Gladmer Theatre in Lansing, Michigan. His horrific death was described in the “Lansing State Journal” on July 6, 1917 (page 1). It is unlikely that this was the same McNeal hired by Savidge in 1916.

If more information comes to light about L. R. McNeal, I will update this post.

To be continued…