Donna Darling & Co. at the Hippodrome, Sacramento, CA, 4 through 7 June 1924.
I recently found four ads that ran in the Sacramento Bee from June 4th through June 7th. Donna was the headliner “Donna Darling & Co. | Madison Square Beauty” at the Hippodrome Vaudeville.
Hippodrome ad in The Sacramento Bee Wed, Jun 4, 1924, via Newspapers.Com
On stage with Donna were:
Parks & Clayton–“Laugh Producers”
Mascot–“The Human Mind Pony”
Valente Bros.–“Accordionists”
Harte & Helene–“Another One”
Plus the Katherine McDonald photoplay “White Shoulders”
For this week’s Treasure Chest Tuesday, I’m looking at a page (DSCN1427) from the Donna Darling Collection. This page includes four clippings and a photo.
Fox Washington – Detroit
Two of the clippings relate to Donna’s playing at the Fox Washington in Detroit. I wrote about that show previously in Part 36 of this series.
Temple Theatre – Unknown
Next, there is a clipping “Temple,” featuring Richard Talmadge in “The Wall Street Whiz.” For the first time, I wasn’t able to find the movie on IMDB. I was able to find it on Wikipedia, where I learned the film was released on September 29, 1925[i]. I also learned that the film was renamed “The New Butler.” It is unclear if when it was released on September 29 if it was titled “The Wall Street Whiz” or if it was titled “The New Butler.” Based upon the movie, it appears that she and Sammy played at the Temple in 1925 or 1926.
I have never seen “Darling Clarke Review” before. I have seen “Donna Clark Revue” (without the “e” in Clarke). The earliest date I’ve seen show name is May 3, 1926. As such, I’m sure she played at the Temple Theatre sometime in 1926.
Cinema Treasures indicates that there were 27 theaters named Temple in the US, with most of them between Chicago and New York and Bay City, Michigan, and Newport, Kentucky.[ii] That show, with five people, played from New York to Wisconsin. Eighteen of them are in the states Donna & Sammy played in during that time (NY, PA, OH, MI, IN IL, & WI.) and could be this particular Temple Theater. Until I can find another source (Newspaper) showing Donna playing at the Temple Theatre with the same other shows, I won’t be able to identify this clipping.
New Item: 1926 – May or later – Temple Theatre, Unknown City/State. DDC-63
Orpheum Vaudeville—2 Days
This clipping possibly provides a clue to a key event in Donna’s life. It shows “Donna Darling Revue” playing the same time and place as “Sammy Clark & Girlie.” Could this be the show/place that Donna and Sammy met or maybe decided to join shows? Either way, it could be a key point. That said, “Orpheum Vaudeville” doesn’t necessarily mean Orpheum Theater. It might have been any theater that was on the Orpheum Vaudeville Circuit.
Sammy had his own show in July 1925 and Sammy and Donna were one show by July 1926. The key will be to find a venue where Donna, Sammy, and Paul Braden played the same theater.
I took a look at the venues that Paul Braden played at. I found none on Newspapers.com; however, I found two on GenealogyBank.Com. They were:
In November 1925, Paul was appearing as the “Humorous Card Wizard” in Bismarck, ND.
In January 1926, Paul Braden was billed as a “humorous card wizard” and had a comedy show in Portland, Oregon.
Then I looked at NewspaperArchive.Com and found five more venues that Paul Braden played between August 1925 and 1926.
In December 1925, Paul Braden played the Liberty Theatre in Sedalia, Missouri.
In January 1926, Paul Braden played the Nile Theatre in Bakersfield, California.
In February 1926, Paul Braden played “The West Coast Walker” in Santa Ana, California.
In March 1926, Paul Braden played the Orpheum Theatre in Salt Lake City, UT.
In August 1926, Paul Braden played the Jefferson Theatre in Jefferson City, MO.
I found no results for “Paul Braden” on Elephind.com (which includes Chronicling America) from 1920 to 1929.
So, once again, I am unable to identify the clipping as anything more than “Aug 1925 to Aug 1926 – Unknown Theatre in Orpheum Vaudeville Circuit, Unknown City/State with Paul Braden – DDC-63.”
“Backs of Three Men”
Finally, there was a photo of “Three Men leaning overboard.” I’m quite sure the middle person in this photo is Sammy and I believe the three of them are joking that they are throwing-up over the side of the boat. I am yet to identify the two other men in the photo, but I’m sure I’ve seen the three of them (same suits) in other photos. I think that Donna’s fun-loving nature is exhibited by her keeping the photo and putting it in an album.
Follow-up
Search in greater depth for venues that Paul Braden played in 1925 & 1926.
This was a frustrating week for my Photo Identification Project. There were three photos of women all wearing nurse caps and uniforms. All photos were taken at L & W.C. King Studio, Portland, ME.
Quickly, I found all three women at the Maine General Hospital in the 1895 Portland City Directory. I also found some of them for a couple of other years, but I was unsuccessful in finding any of them in 1894 (or earlier) or in 1899 (or later). I couldn’t find any of them in the 1900 Census. Further searches found candidate matches for two of them, but I found nothing on the third one. I am not confident enough on any of them to ascribe them to a Family Search ID, so I’m posting them to Dead Fred.
Dead Fred
“Nellie Dinsmore” – L & W.C. King – Portland, Maine
1890, 1893, & 1894 – Portland City Directory – Not listed.
1895, Pg xx – Dinsmore, Nellie M. Miss, nurse Maine General Hospital, bds. do.
There was a Nellie M Dinsmore, born 1862 in Maine to Francis R and Sophronia (Tuttle) Dinsmore – Candidate.
There was a Nellie M Dinsmore born 1868 in Maine to Joshua and Phoebe (Hawes) Dinsmore. She lived in Fairfield, Somerset County, Maine, in 1870 and in Skowhegan, Somerset County, Maine, in 1880 – Candidate.
There was a Nellie M Dinsmore born 1870 in Carroll County New Hampshire. She married William Burroughs in 1901—Candidate.
“Margret Horton” – L & W.C. King – Portland, Maine
1890, 1894 – Portland City Directory – Not Listed
1895, pg 406 – Horton, Margaret # Miss, nurse Maine General Hospital, bds. do.
1897, Page 739 – Horton, Margaret E Miss, 20 Hill
1898, Pg 757 – Horton, Margaret E Miss, 20 Hill
1899 – Portland City Directory – Not Listed.
A review of trees did not yield likely candidates for Margaret/Margret Horton.
“Harriet Wright” – L & W.C. King – Portland, Maine
1894 – Portland City Directory – Not Listed.
1895, Pg 661 – Wright, Harriet M. Miss, Nurse Maine General Hospital, bds. Do.
1897, 1898, 1899, 1900 – Portland City Directory – Not Listed.
There is a Harriett Maria Wright born 20 Nov 1873 in Oxford, Worcester County, Massachusetts who married William Burleigh in 1898 – Candidate.
Final Note
If you are related to any of these individuals or can help confirm their identities, I’d love to hear from you. Please use the form below.
Donna Montran and “Chin Chin” play at the Oneonta Theatre in Oneonta, New York on 18 May 1920
Oneonta Theatre, Oneonta, New York
Vaudeville – Chin Chin
By Don Taylor
It is not clear where Chin Chin played in the days before Oneonta. On May 15 the show played at the Colonial Theater in Pittsfield. May 16th’s and May 17th’s venues are still unknown but the cast made it the 113 miles from Pittsfield to Oneonta.
Preshow Advertising
It seems odd that 10 days before the show there were two letters in the newspaper. The first was from the former manager of the Oneonta Theatre and current manager of the Lyric Theatre in Allentown, PA, where he mentions what a great show “Chin Chin” is and he is making no mistake in booking it. The second letter was from the Oneonta Theatre, presumably manager Ed Moore, wherein he indicated he made an offer to Mr. Dillingham to bring the show to Oneonta. In the letter, he indicates he is waiting for the acceptance of his offer. Meanwhile, there is a standard “Chin Chin” ad on the same page with everything except for the date.
The newspaper on May 12th indicates that Charles A. Goettier, business manager for “Chin Chin” was in Oneonta, and agreements were signed to bring the show to Oneonta.
On May 15th, the newspaper indicated “Chin Chin” would be the last big roadshow for the season. Immediately after “Chin Chin” contractors will work to remove the stage and join the new addition to the current building.
Show Advertising
Finally, “Chin Chin” played on the evening of May 18th without a hitch.
Reviews
There were no reviews that I have found.
Post Show Info
It is still unclear where “Chin Chin” played the next two days, but the show played the Smith Opera House,Geneva, NY, (130 miles west of Oneonta) three days later, on May 21, 1920.
Oneonta Theatre
47 Chestnut Street, Oneonta, NY
Oneonta Theatre Marquee in 1929. Photo Credit: Uploaded to Cinema Treasures on 7 Feb 1014 by CharmaineZoe
The Oneonta Theatre was designed by architect Leon H. Lempert and was built in 1897 by Oneonta resident Willard E. Yager. It opened on January 31, 1898. In 1913, a 20×20 screen was added to accommodate silent films.
Specifications for the Oneonta Theatre, Oneonta, NY[i]
Ed. M. Moore, Manager – O. S. Hathaway Owner
Seating Capacity 1,000.
Front to back wall: 35 ft
Between side walls: 60 ft
Between fly girders: 40 ft
To rigging loft: 50 ft
After “Chin Chin” played there on 18 May 1920, the theater continued to prosper. Will Rogers played there in 1927; in 1979 the theater was converted to a two screen “Multiplex.” Stage events stopped there in 1992. The theater has open and closed several times in the past 30 years. The theater is on the National and State Register of Historic Places. Last year (2019) there were plans to renovate Oneonta Theater and presentations indicating the costs of various renovation levels. However, the latest Google street photo indicates that the theatre is still for sale.
Today
Further Research
All of my newspaper sources for this event were from the Oneonta Star. The Theatrical Guide indicates there as also a “Herald” newspaper. A look at the US Newspaper Directory (Library of Congress – Chronicling America) indicated that the Oneonta Herald was published from 1884 to 1947. The directory showed that The Oneonta Press and Otsego County Democrat was also being published at that time (1898-1922). I should look at those if they become available.
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Endnotes
[i] Julius Cahn—Gus Hill Theatrical Guide and Moving Picture Directory – 1921 – Page 267
Ancestry indicates that “Scott” is an ethnic name for someone with Scottish connections. However, the Scottish and Irish consider it the ethnic name for a Gaelic speaker.[I]
Genealogy Bank indicates “Scott” is simply a surname of Scottish origin, first attributed to Uchtredus filius Scoti who was involved in the foundation of Holyrood Abbey and Selkirk in 1120.[ii]
Forebears echos the sources that Ancestry and Genealogy Bank provide but goes into much greater depth into the life of Uchtredus filius Scoti and of other Scotts.[iii]
Although “Scotte”, “Scotts”, and “Scotch” are similar surnames, they total less than one-fiftieth of the number of people that have “Scott” as their surname.
Geographical
Today,[iv] there are approximately 861,504 people in the world with the Scott surname. The vast majority, over 500,000, live in the United States. It is most common in Scotland where one in every 195 individuals is a “Scott.”
In the United States, there are more people with the “Scott” surname in Texas than any other state, however, the “Scott” surname is most frequently found in South Carolina where one in 384 people are named “Scott.”
4th Great-Grandfather: Samuel Kinkade Scott (1809-____)*[v]
5th Great-Grandfather: John Scott (1784-1855)*
6th Great-Grandfather: 288. William Jarvis Scott (____-____)*
7th Great-Grandfather: 576. James Scott (1719-1783)*
Historical
1920
Clora Scott Roberts Adams
In 1920, my great-grandmother, Clora Dell Scott, was married, widowed, and remarried and living in Hutsonville, Crawford County, Illinois with her husband, Hosea Lee Adams. With her are three or her children, Bert, Harry, and Mabel. Her eldest daughter, Carrie, died in 1906.
Meanwhile, her father, Samuel Vaden Scott was living about 135 miles southwest in Goode Township, Franklin County, Illinois where the 57-year-old is working as a night watchman. Living with him is his second wife, Lovinia and his youngest son, William.
The 1920 Census indicates there were about 2,974 individuals with the Scott Name living in Illinois. Forty-eight of them are known to be related to my Scott Family.
1880 Census
William Hunter Scott
The 1880 Census found the 19-year-old Samuel Scott married to Amanda and newly blessed with their oldest daughter, Clara. They live in Barren Township, Franklin County Illinois where Samuel is farming. Samuel Scott’s father, William Hunt Scott is probably living in Illinois. (Although I have not found him in the 1880 Censuses.)
1840 Census
In 1840, Samuel Vaden Scott hadn’t been born yet. His father, William Hunt Scott was only about six years old. He was living with his parents, Samuel Kinkade and Elizabeth (Hunt) Scott along with two sisters, Sarah and Mary in St. Clair County, Illinois.
Samuel Kinkade’s parents were living, however, I have not had the time to trace them in the 1840 censuses.
Colonial Times
My earliest known ancestor is thought to be James Scott who was born in what is now known as Northern Ireland in 1719. I don’t know (yet) when he immigrated, but he died in Virginia in 1783. So, it appears that this line arrived to the colonies sometime before the revolution. My suspicion is that James came to the Colonies about 1740 during the Irish Famine of 1740-1741 where between 15 and 20 percent of the population of the Kingdom of Ireland died.
Genealogy
I have 129 known descendants from James Scott (1719-1783) in my tree (See: Roberts-Brown-2020). For Scott photos, please see my Flickr page of “Scott Photos.”
For this week’s Treasure Chest Tuesday, I’m looking at a page (DSCN1427) from the Donna Darling Collection. This page includes four clippings and a photo.
