Donna Darling Collection – Part 36 – Fox Washington Theatre

Treasure Chest Thursday
By Don Taylor

For this week’s Treasure Chest Thursday, I’m looking at two clippings from the Donna Darling Collection concerning “The Fox Washington – Washington Blvd at Clifford.”

Luckily, in the primary advertisement, for her playing at the Fox Washington, she wrote, in pencil, “week June 6” and “Detroit.” She played alongside the 1926 silent film, “The Shamrock Handicap,” which was released on 2 May 1926[i].

From previous research, we knew she play at Broadway Theater, Long Branch, NY – May 3rd, 4th, & 5^th (Ref: DDC-Part 20). We also know she played June 21rd, 22^nd, & 23^rd at the Capitol Theater, Kitchener, Ontario. So, her playing the Week of June 6^th in Detroit at the Fox Washington Theater fits nicely. It is interesting to note that at the Broadway theater the show was called the “Donna Clark Revue” and at the Capitol theater it was the “Metropolitan Review,” but for the Detroit show it was titled, “Donna Darling’s Metropolitan Five.”

With her at the Fox Washington, were:

• The Grady Trio – Miniature Musical Comedy
• Bryson and Tyson – “Breezy Bits”
• Pearl Brothers – “Two Good Men Gone Wrong”
• Murray’s American Beauties – The Acme of Intelligence”

An accompanying article reads:

“Shamrock Handicap”
Is Appealing Story at Fox

Donna Darling and her Metropolitan Five head the vaudeville bill with a song and dance act of merit. “Grady’s American Beauties” is a clever performing dog act. The Grady Trio have a novel specialty offering out of the ordinary, while Bryson and Dyson in a comedy sit, and the Pearl brother round out a well-balanced bill.—H. R. W.

Thanks to these two clippings, I was able to add a new date and venue to Donna’s career.

June 6-12(?) – Fox Washington Theatre, Detroit, Michigan – Donna Darling’s  Metropolitan Five. Ref: DCC-Part 36.

Sources

[i] Internet: IMDB – “The Shamrock Handicap” directed by John Ford, staring Janet Gaynor, Leslie Fenton, & Willard Louis. Released 2 May 1926.