Donna Darling Vaudeville
California Bathing Girls
By Don Taylor
Thanks to my Uncle Russ’s research, we know Donna played in Rushville, IN, on March 26th, but we do not know where she was for the 10 days from the 27th to April 5th.
Preshow Advertising
The Sheridan News and the Noblesville Ledger advertised Donna’s show on April 3rd, reporting that the Wild Opera House would have her “Girl Revue” show on April 6th & 7th. The show featured “Donna Darling and her Life Guards,” 12 People, with “Singing, Dancing, and Music with Plenty of Comedy.” It is reported to be “one of the most Classy Girl Shows on the Road.”
Show Advertising
The April 5th Ledger had a large ad that included a photo of Donna (on the left) and named nine of the 12 people in the show.
- Todd Watson & Clarice Allyn – Dancing Gypsy Bathers
- Gerry Gene – Acrobatic Bather
- Anita May Walker – A Singer of Songs
- Al Ross – Eccentric Dancer
- Betty Bryant – Miss America
- Alyce Louyse – Hawaiian Bather
- Nettie Dennis – Palm Beach Bather
- And, of course, Donna Darling.
Wild Opera House
The Wild Opera House was built in 1895 by Leonard Wild.
Specifications for the Wild Opera House[ii]
- Seating Capacity: 800.
- Width of Proscenium: 32 ft.
- Height: 22 ft.
- Front to back wall: 34 ft
14 Dressing rooms
It transitioned into a mix of live shows and silent films by 1925. The theatre transitioned to movies and was renamed the Wild Theatre in 1934. It closed as a movie theatre in 1936. In 1959, the city purchased the theatre and demolished it to make way for a parking lot.[I]
The location today
53 S. 9th Street, Noblesville, IN 4606
Endnotes
[i] Cinema Treasures – Wilds Theatre, https://cinematreasures.org/theaters/56860
[ii] The Julius Cahn–Gus Hill Theatrical Guide 1913-1914.
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