Donna & Griffin’s Theatre – In the News

Donna Darling at Griffin’s Theatre, St. Catharines, Ontario, Canada, January 7^th, 8^th, & 9^th, 1926.

Donna in the News
98 Years Ago
by Don Taylor

“Donna in the News” is my reporting of newly found newspaper articles and advertisements regarding my grandmother, Donna Darling (aka Donna Montran and Madonna Montran). I am always excited when I find a new venue for my grandmother’s exciting show business career of the 1910s and 1920s. 

This week, I learned from the St. Catharines Standard (St. Catharines, Ontario, Canada) newspaper, dated January 6, 1926, that Donna played at Griffin’s Theatre in St. Catharines.

Four Acts at Griffin’s

Jewel Box Revue – Richard Dix and Esther Ralston in “Womanhandled.

Another four-act programme of unequaled vaudeville is announced for presentation at Griffin’s tomorrow, Friday and Saturday, the double headline programme intact jumping from Detroit where it was presented at Miles Orpheum Theatre all last week.

Donna Darling and Girls in her brilliant Jewel Box Revue, is a supreme achievement in music, song and dance, twelve numbers being introduced during the presentation of this elaborate twenty-two minute offering, which introduces the evolution of a bathing suit from 1860, 1900, 1926, besides National dances of France, Holland, Hawaiian and American. The offering is in two scenes.

Weston’s model D’Art….

Because of those newly available online articles, I was able to add TWO new venues for Donna’s exciting vaudeville career.

New information added to her career list:

(Tentative) December 28, 1925- January 2, 1926 – Miles Orpheum Theatre, Detroit, MI – “Jewel Box Revue.”

January 7-9, 2026 – Griffin’s Theatre, St. Catharine, Ontario, Canada – “Jewel Box Review.”

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Endnotes

My thanks to Newspapers.com for providing access to this clipping.

98 years ago, my grandmother, “Donna Darling,” was in the news for being at Griffin’s Theatre in St. Catharine, Ontario, Canada.”