War Is Dull

Watch a war movie and you'd think World War 2 was non stop hell.  The reality was that most members of the military were support personnel and for them the conflict was more boredom than terror.   My father was a ninth grade drop out who could do complex mathematical computations in his head.  That skill got him four years in a darkened room breaking codes.  He was stationed in England so he was able to get out and about, but he still spent  most of his time on base.  In the Pacific, the island campaigns were about capturing islands with airfields.  The marines would land, fight for a few days, a few weeks, or a few months.  After  the island was taken, the air corp would move in.  For the air crews, there were missions over Japan.  For the ground crew, it was servicing the planes and waiting for the war to end.  If they were lucky a USO show might come through.  If not, they had to amuse themselves.  It looks like these guys decided to put on a show, and in the all male environment of a Pacific island air base, someone had to play the girl.

Dot Wenzel, World's Smallest Entertainer

In 1950, Dot Wenzel married Don Williams and began performing under the name Dottie Williams. Dot and Don were both members of Nate Eagle's Hollywood Midget Movie Stars troupe. She was a singer and dancer, billed as The Miniature Rita Hayworth. I did a search on IMDB, and couldn't find a single screen credit for either Dot Wenzel or Dottie Williams. If there are any recordings of her I'd love to hear them. Printed on postcard stock.

The Dancer

Way back when, this young lady would go to her audition, dance away, hand this picture and a resume to the show's producer, and wait for a call-back. I don't recognize her, so she didn't make it in the movies.

Interesting Young Men

A fraternity party, an acting troupe, Vaudeville, a late nineteenth century group of gay men? It's impossible to say. Anyway, we've got one man in a woman's bonnet, one in what might be a woman's hat, and one man in a dress. An albumen print from the late nineteenth century (probably) with a very interesting group of young men.

Women of the Theater

This photo was very likely cut out from a bigger print. While it's possible that this might have been from a costume party, I think it's far more certain that it's a photo from a theatrical production at an all girls school or a woman's college. On age, my guess would be from the late nineteenth century or early twentieth. The seller told me that it was from an estate in Maine.

Moorish Scene, Minnesota

A strange albumen print. Written on the back, "Margarie Greenwood-Dancer, Charlie Allen-Faiker, Hermann Percival-Juggler, Olga Lawitzky-Singer. Moorish Booth-Midway Plaisance, Duluth-Minn. August 5-10, 95" Travelling entertainers working the county fair circuit, or locals having some exotic fun?

High Steppin' Mama

It is labeled "High Steppin' Mama" That's not my idea of a title. A show girl or chorus girl from the roaring twenties would be my best guess.

McVan's Nite Club, Buffalo, New York

Another of the many night club souvenir photo folders from the collection. (Click on night club in the label section at the end of the post to pull up the others.) Sometimes it almost impossible to come up with information on these old venues, sometimes far easier. The earliest references to McVan's that I was able to find are from the 1940's. An article in Billboard Magazine from 1946 lists Lillian McVan as the owner manager of the club, seeking dance bands and floor shows. I've found reference to an ownership change on April 17, 1963 when the club was purchased by former Buffalo mayor, Steven Pankow who converted McVan's from a night club to a supper club. No info on whether Lillian McVan was still the owner or not. In McVan's latter years, it was a rock venue and eventually a hard core punk showcase. Among acts that I've been able to verify played McVan's, Art Tatum, The Ink Spots, Gypsy Rose Lee, Jimi Hendrix, and Alex Chilton. Printed on the back of the folder, "Dine Dance and Fun. TOPS IN ENTERTAINMENT 3-FLOOR SHOWS NIGHTLY-3 9-12-2:30 McVAN'S NITE CLUB Date January 28, 1950 SOUVENIR PHOTO $1.00"

Culture In America 2

These photos were found in the same envelope of the ones in the previous post. While there is no proof that they were taken at the same function, the number is right for a single roll of film, and the lady with the fur muff in the first image is in the party photos. No dates or location.

The Trombonist

Before the movies, radio, and television, small town America had local bands that gave summer concerts. The old wooden band stands can still be found, preserved, in many town squares. This is a nineteenth century photo of a trombonist. It's not easy to see, but he is wearing a band uniform.

On the Set With Hal Roach, Jr.

Written on the back of the print, "Sat. Dec 17, 1955. "The Set" Can see me at the camera with script. Man in light suit (with arrow) is Hal Roach, Jr." The arrow referred to is on the print's white boarder, and cropped out, but it points to the man in the light suit in the group of people on the left side of the print. He's just of center. I've run an imdb search for Roach, and there are three shows listed as have been produced in 1955. The most likely candidate would be The Public Defender.

Two More From Maurice Seymour

I'd love to know who this woman is. Taken by Chicago based Maurice Seymour, this is another post of theatrical portraits from one of the most talented commercial photographers I've run across. To pull up some more Seymour portraits, go to the labels section at the bottom of this post and click on Seymour's name. Stamped on the back of both prints, "Chicago Herald-World S. BJURSTROM", and "THANKS FOR CREDIT MAURICE SEYMOUR PHOTOGRAPHER CHICAGO, ILLINOIS."

Vaudeville Love Triangle

Hugh Herbert was a Vaudeville performer and writer who made the transition to films. Most famous in the sound era from the 1930's through the early 50's he was noted for playing eccentric millionaires, and dim witted professors. His trade mark was his fluttering fingers while making a hoo-hoo-hoo sound, which was supposedly the inspiration for Daffy Duck. His first wife was Vaudeville and Broadway dancer Anita Pam. Pam appeared in seven Broadway shows between 1925 and 1933. Herbert's second wife was Rose Herbert, nee Epstein. Hugh Herbert, Rose Herbert, and Anita Pam all appeared in the 1928 film, Lucky In Love. This is a picture of Rose Herbert standing in front of an ad for Anita Pam.

Jane Marshall, Stripper

With all of the interest in classic burlesque out there; in a world were many nice, middle class, well educated young ladies are putting on pasties and joining burlesque troupes, you'd think I'd be able to find some biographical information on Jane Marshall. Not so. Identified by name, with type in the border, that I've cropped for the scan. Stamped on the back, "WILL GROFF THEATRICAL AGENCY 211 S. MARSHALL ST. YORK, PENNSYLVANIA." Jane Marshall and Marshall Street, I'm guessing, is just a coincidence.

A Black Face Minstrel Show

Well, you don't see one of these everyday. Printed on a very heavy paper, this appears to be a lobby card for a minstrel show. Primarily a 19th century entertainment, minstrel shows didn't die out until the early 20th century, making it very difficult to date. The costumes would have been pretty much the same for the history of this type of show. Performed mostly by white people in black, burnt cork, face makeup, the entertainers would tell jokes and sing songs lampooning African Americans. Sort of a precursor to Amos and Andy.

Hollywood Dwarfs

From the days when I worked at the photo lab. The original, the sepia toned print, is a small 4X5 theatrical print of a dwarf act. I put it up on a copy camera, made a negative, and then made the black and white print, also posted here. The image is credited to Peralta. Fed them name into Google, and couldn't find anything helpful.

Bertha Wood, Vaudeville

Written on the back of the print, "Grandma Wood. Bertha Wood as "silly kid' character in Vaude." I did an Internet search on Bertha Wood, and found one reference to a Bertha Wood on http://www.ibdb.com/, the Broadway version of imdb. If it's the same Bertha Wood, she had one credit as a replacement performer in the play Abraham Lincoln which opened at the Court Theater on December 15, 1919 and closed in May of 1920. She played Susan a maid in Lincoln's home. I would assume that she had a fair career in Vaudeville, and that she didn't make the transition to silent movies.

Show Girls!

There is a date, SEP 66, on the borders of these two small prints. I would guess that the cosutme was meant to imply that this entertainer was topless. Probably from Las Vegas.

Men In Skirts

Entertainers or two guys on a lark. Who knows, maybe they lost a bet. Perhaps they just like to wear women's clothing. I spent years working in photo labs, and I don't think I ever had a week go by when I didn't get some sort of picture of naked people, people in some sort of sexual situation or men dressed as women. My guess is that this photo was probably taken during the twenties or thirties. I can see the skirts, but the shoes?