By Don Taylor
Donna played at the Capitol Theatre in Lansing, Michigan, from March 4th to 6th. She and her “Little Jewel Revue” then headed the 40 miles south to play at another Capital Theatre in Jackson, MI.
A Split Program
Sunday through Wednesday (March 7 to 10), the bill consisted of:
Motion Picture: Tessie – starring May McAvoy (Arrow Pictures)
Vaudeville
- Delano Dell and “Clem” (Clem Wilson) and their Merry Gang in a novelty presentation.
- Donna Darling is presenting “Her Little Jewel Revue.” She was billed as “The Scintillating Beauty” and featured Singing – Dancing – Comedy.”
- Frazier Bros. – “Athletic Artistry”
- Bert Chadwick – “The Eccentric Ethiopian”
- Mahon & Scott with their Aguinaldo Serenaders featuring Eileen Dee Cee. They were billed as “America’s Foremost Apache Sensation.”
The second half of the week, Thursday through Saturday (Mar 11-13), Clem and Dell, along with Donna, stayed over; the movie and the other three acts were replaced. The new the bill consisted of:
Motion Picture: Thunder in His Master’s Voice – starring Thunder the Marvel Dog (Gotham Productions)
Vaudeville:
- Alvin and Alvin “European Clowns and Fun Makers”
- Miller-Packer and Seltz “The three Yaps”
- “Clem” and “Dell” and their Merry Gang in a Musical Dancing Novelty with Donna Darling and Her Girls. “Her Little Jewel Revue.
- Marian’s Dogs – 150 of the Cleverest Dogs in Vodville Today. The act was billed as “the greatest of all canine acts.”
Citizen Patriot Articles
The Jackson Citizen Patriot, dated March 7th, indicated that “Clem” and His Merry Gang would be assisted by “that scintillating beauty, Donna Darling, and her “Little Jewel Revue.” Miss Darling, who has appeared at the Capital before, is known as one of the most beautiful girls in vaudeville today, and her assisting artists are also easy on the eye. They will offer a combination of singing, dancing, and comedy numbers with elaborate costumes, and the whole presentation will be given in a very attractive stage setting.[i]
On the 11th, Donna, a former Mack Sennett Bathing Girl, arranged and conducted a Bathing Girl Contest with a $25 cash prize for the Jackson County Lady who made the best bathing-suit appearance. They would even supply the suit!
A news article on the 11th also indicated that all of Donna‘s and her girls’ songs changed, as would the stage setting. It was like a different show. As a special attraction, Miss Darling and the girls offered a series of bathing girl pictures. The article also mentions the Bathing Girl Contest would be a masked event including girls between 15 and 30.
Capitol Theatre, Jackson, MI
The Capitol Theatre was relatively small, seating only 869 people. It first opened as the Orpheum Theatre on Feb. 24, 1916, and was renamed the Capitol Theatre in 1922. It was damaged in 1937 during the construction of the Tower Building next door and was remodeled in 1938.[ii] The theater closed in 1973, and the building was demolished in 1975. Interestingly enough, the theatre’s front entry wasn’t razed and became the entrance at 128 W. Michigan Ave.[iii]
Location Today
Disclaimer: This article was researched and written by the author. ChatGPT was used as a research and drafting aid, and Grammarly was used for editorial review and copy editing.
Endnotes
[i] Sources: Jackson Citizen Patriot (Jackson, Michigan):
Sun, Mar 7, 1926 · Page 10,
Sun, Mar 7, 1926 · Page 11,
Thu, Mar 11, 1926 · Page 18 (via Newspapers.com).
[ii] Cinema Treasurers – Capital Theatre, Jackson, Michigan, United States, Movie Theaters. https://cinematreasures.org/theaters/5269.
[iii] MLive – “Peek through time: The Capitol was a symbol of Jackson’s movie palaces,” by Leanne Smith (lsmith12@mlive.com) published Mar. 06, 2010. https://www.mlive.com/living/jackson/2010/03/peek_through_time_the_capitol.html
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