Chin Chin
In the News
By Don Taylor
“Donna in the News” is my reporting of newly found newspaper articles and advertising regarding my grandmother, Madonna Montran (Donna Montran and Donna Darling). 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 researched “Chin Chin,” the show Donna joined in October 1919, while it was already on tour. Thanks to Newspapers.com, I was able to learn of seven new appearances of “Chin Chin.”
| Date in 1919 | Theatre | Location |
| Nov 1 | Chatterton Opera House | Bloomington, IL |
| Nov 3 | Plumb Theatre | Streator, IL |
| Nov 4 | Dixon Opera House | Dixon, IL |
| Nov 5 | Greene’s | Cedar Rapids, IA |
| Nov 6 | Berchel | Des Moines, IA |
| Nov 21 | Sterling Theater or Rex Theatre[i] |
Greeley, CO |
| Dec 9 | Arcade Theatre | La Grande, OR |
The Greeley showing was an exciting find because the theater wasn’t identified. On November 27, 1919, the Windsor Beacon (Windsor, CO) reported:
The Windsor Beacon, Windsor, CO – Nov 27, 1919
MANY TAKE IN SHOW AT
GREELEY FRIDAY NIGHT
—–
“Chin Chin” was the attraction which took many Windsor people to Greeley last Friday night. Among those known to have attended were:
Dr. and Mrs. T. B. Gormly…
(Note: Windsor is about ten miles northwest of Greeley.)
Followup
The 1921 Julius Cahn-Gus Hill Theatrical Guide reports Both the “Republican” and the “Tribune” as newspapers that serviced Greeley. I’ll need to find sources for those newspapers when I write more about “Chin Chin” playing in Greeley.
Because of those newly available online articles, I was able to add another seven venues for Donna’s “Chin Chin” tour.
New information added to her career list:
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- Nov 1, 1919 – Bloomington, IL – Chatterton Opera House
- Nov 3, 1919 – Streator, IL – Plumb
- Nov 4, 1919 – Dixon, IL – Dixon Opera House
- Nov 5, 1919 – Cedar Rapids, IA – Greene’s
- Nov 6, 1919 – Des Moines, IA – Berchel
- Nov 21, 1919 – Greeley, Colorado – (Sterling or Rex Theatre)
- Dec 9, 1010 – Arcade Theatre – La Grande, Oregon
– – – Disclaimer – – –
Endnotes
[i] Vaudeville Trails Thru the West “By one who knows” – Herbert Lloyd, page 98, reports only one theatre in Greeley, Colorado, the Sterling Theatre. It indicates the Sterling operated on Thursday for a 3PM matinee and an 8:15 PM night show. This could have been a special Friday night show. Alternately, the 1921 Julius Cahn-Gus Hill Theatrical Guide for 1921 indicates that a second theater, the Rex Theatre, J. Lynch, Mgr. had a seating capacity of 800 and also played Traveling Companies.
