History of Santa Clara County California with biographical sketches, Part 20

Author: Sawyer, Eugene T
Publication date: 1922
Publisher: Los Angeles : Historic Record Co.
Number of Pages: 1934

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versity ; Charles F. Macy, who died in Chel- sea, Mass., in 1898; Prof. J. G. Kennedy, city school superintendent, now with the dead; Charles M. Shortridge, lawyer, newspaper publisher and state senator, who passed away in 1919, and Miss Mattie Patton, who after- ward became the wife of J. J. Owen. She died a few years ago. For the occasion a poem written by the late S. W. De Lacy, then pro- prietor of the Times, was appropriately re- cited by Mrs. Ida Benfey, the elocutionist.

During the few years of its existence, the California was managed most of the time by the late Chas. J. Martin, who served as mayor of the city for three terms. He made many notable engagements. It was at this house that the famous production of "The Rivals," with Joseph Jefferson and Mrs. John Drew in the cast, was given. Edwin Booth, W. E. Sheridan, Laurence Barrett, Thomas W. Keene, Louis James, Frederic Warde, W. H. Crane, Stuart Robson, John E. Owens, E. S. Willard, Joseph G. Grismer, Nat Goodwin, Louise Davenport. Minnie Maddern (who later became Mrs. Fiske), Ada Cavendish and others appeared.

Like the Opera House the California The- ater went up in smoke on the night of July 2. 1892. In the same fire the buildings on the block half way to Santa Clara, together with the South Methodist Church and other build- ings across the street were burned.

Two months after the destruction of the California Theater the Auditorium was doing business under the management of Walter Morosco, of the San Francisco Grand Opera House. The building had formerly been known as Horticultural Hall, but was without a proper stage or theatrical. appointments. Some of these necessities were furnished when Morosco took charge, others by Chas. P. Hall when he came in as Morosco's successor.

Other lessees of the Auditorium with its later name, the Garden City Theater, were Webster & Ross, Frank Bacon and a vande- ville combination. During its few years of existence there appeared such attractions as Thomas W. Keene, Ward and James, Robert Downing. John W. Dunne and Mary Marble, Richard Mansfield, Nat Goodwin, Mme. Mod- jeska, James A. Herne; De Wolf Hopper, John Drew, Henry Miller, The Bostonians, Herbert Kelsey, Robert Mantell, Maxine El- liott, Mrs. Leslie Carter and Fannie Daven- port. Fire destroyed the building in 1918.

The Victory Theater, erected by Senator James D. Phelan, was opened to the public on the evening of February 2, 1899. An audience that filled every seat applauded to the echo the fine acting of the performers in "The School for Scandal." the play selected for the occa-

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sion. Louis James, Frederick Warde, Harry Langdon and Kathryn Kidder had the princi- pal parts, and the performance as a whole was a clean-cut exhibition of high dramatic art. Charles P. Hall was the first lessee. He was succeeded by F. A. Giesea, who was in charge until 1918 when M. B. Haas came in as lessee.

During the past twenty-two years the Vic- tory has presented the cream of the eastern dramatic attractions booked for the Pacific Coast. Among them may be named Maude Adams, Billie Burke, Mrs. Leslie Carter, Mar- garet Anglin, E. A. Sothern, William Faver- sham, Otis Skinner, Forbes Robertson, J. E. Kellerd. Robert Mantell, David Warfield, Sa- rah Bernhardt, Anna Held, Geo. M. Cohan, Walker Whiteside, Ethel Barrymore, Hilda Spong, Henry Miller, Julia Marlowe, Louis James. W. H. Crane, Nat Goodwin, Blanch Walsh, Blanche Bates, Annie Russell, W. H. Thompson and several opera companies.

The Hippodrome, located on South First Street, near the corner of San Carlos, was erected by the Southern Development Com- pany in 1919 and was leased to Marcus Loew, a circuit manager. He is represented in San Jose by Ackerman & Harris: B. B. Levin is the local manager. The theater has been used mainly for vaudeville and motion pic- tures.

The T. & D. Theater, a motion picture house, on South First Street, near San An- tonio, was built by the Southern Development Company in 1913. The lessees are Turner & Dahnken and the local manager, A. M. Miller.

The Lyric Theater, a small amusement house for motion pictures, located on North Second Street, opposite the Evening News of- fice, has as lessee Geo. S. Jones. Louis Lieber is the owner of the building.

The Jose Theater on North Second Street, between Santa Clara and San Fernando Streets, was built in 1904 by David Jacks, of Monterey County. It was first leased by No- lan & Blum. After a few years Nolan retired and Blum was the lessee until his death in 1920. James Beatty is now in charge.

The Liberty (motion picture) Theater is located on Market Street, between San Fer- nando and Post, was built in 1914 by James Beatty, the present proprietor.

The first amateur dramatic company in San Jose was organized in the fall of 1865 with the following members: Charles De Lacy, Sam- uel W. Piercy, J. A. Leach, Charles A. Cleal, Thomas L. Cleal, John E. Pillot, Edgar M. Foster, J. F. McMahon, W. D. J. Hambly, W. W. Thomas and E. T. Sawyer, Misses Mary Yontz, Jessie Gavitt, Ellen and Clara Skinner. In 1866, A. P. Murgotten, Amherst J. Hoyt, John W. Dunne, E. M. Skinner, J. W.

Johnson and A. L. Hart joined the company, several of the 1865 members having removed from the city. In the years up to the early '80s, the members included H. A. De Lacy, F. E. York, A. S. York, Charles M. Shortridge, Frank Bacon, A. W. White, Eugene Rosen- thal. Chas. W. Williams, S. W. De Lacy, W. H. Sarles, W. G. Lorigan, H. C. Hansbrough, John T. Malone, Beatrice Lawrey, Mary Westphal, Louis Lieber, Geo. W. Alexander, Chas. E. Howes, Geo. C. Knapp, George Com- stock. James Carson, Henry Beach, Jennie Weidman, Eleanor Calhoun, Virginia Cal- houn, Holton Webb, A. Majors Jr., W. G. Miller, Harry Botsford. Guy Salisbury, Chas. W. Oliver, Clyde Frost, F. G. Hartman and others whose names the historian does not re- call. Many of the members afterwards achieved eminence on the professional stage. Sam W. Piercy was one of the foremost actors in America when death called him in 1882. He came to California in the early '50s and the family home for many years was on Julian Street near Sixth. He was a student at the San Jose Institute when he joined the dra- matic club. In the fall of 1866 he left San Jose to enter upon the study of law in San Francisco. In 1870 he was invited to read the Declaration of Independence at the Fourth of July celebration. He acquitted himself so well that Col. W. H. L. Barnes, a personal friend, advised him to give up law for acting. The advice was followed and in November of that year he made his debut on the professional stage as "Iago" to the "Othello" of John Mc- Cullough. It was a complete success and Mc- Cullough said he had never witnessed a more satisfactory first appearance. After a tour of the state with Frank Wilton's barn-storming company, he played with Joe Murphy and other stars for a time and then he left for the East. For three years he developed his art by playing with such stars as Clara Morris, John Mccullough and Charlotte Thompson. In 1876 he sailed for London to play the leading part in The Virginians. The press notices were so laudatory and his reputation was so enhanced that on his return to New York he was at once engaged as leading man at the Grand Opera House. The next year he joined Edwin Booth's company and was with that great actor until the manager of Niblo's Gar- den offered him the position of stock star in the company playing regularly at that popular place of amusement. His best parts during the engagement were "Lagadere" in "The Duke's Motto," "Badger" in "The Streets of New York" and "Claude Melnotte" in the "Lady of Lyons." There followed an offer from San Francisco to come and play the lead- ing part in "Diplomacy." The offer was ac-

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cepted and a prosperous season was the result. In 1878 Piercy opened the San Jose Opera House, as enlarged and improved, presenting "Diplomacy," "Craiga Dhiol" and "Othello." In the last named play he appeared as "Iago" to the "Othello" of John T. Malone, a rising San Jose actor. In 1881 he rejoined Edwin Booth's company and the engagement was still on when he was stricken with small pox and died. Just before his illness J. H. Haver- ly, the well-known manager, was negotiating for his appearance as a star. In 1879 Piercy married the daughter of William Dunphy, the cattle king. She died in Philadelphia in 1881, leaving one daughter, who is now a resident of San Francisco.

Eleanor Calhoun was a Normal School stu- dent in San Jose when she resolved to make the stage her profession. This was in the late '70s. She was pretty and graceful, had a charming manner and an unconquerable am- bition to succeed in life. Her father, a nephew of John C. Calhoun, the South Carolina ora- tor and statesman, was a justice of the peace in Fresno County and her mother had removed to San Jose for the purpose of giving her danghters an education in the educational cen- ter of the state. Nellie (she did not call her- self Eleanor until after her departure from California) displayed remarkable dramatic talent at the Normal School and after leaving there gave elocutionary recitals in a tour of the coast counties. After this experience she entered the dramatic school of Mrs. Julia Mel- ville Snyder, mother of Emilie Melville, the popular actress and vocalist of the '70s and '80s. It was while she was studying for the stage that she was induced to come to San Jose and play the leading female role in E. T. Sawyer's military play, "Loyal Hearts." She gladly consented and made her first appear- ance on any stage at the San Jose Opera House in February, 1880. Hugh A. De Lacy, John T. Malone, Louis Lieber, the sign paint- er, and Miss Mary Westphal ( now Mrs. Judge Richards) were in the cast. At the conclusion of the week's engagement she was tendered a benefit, as her exceptionally fine acting had made her a public favorite. The house was packed to the doors and the young actress in the glow of her success returned to San Francisco and arranged to appear at the Cali -. fornia Theater, then under the management of John McCullough. She made her debut on the. professional stage as "Juliet" to the "Romeo" of John T. Malone. The critics praised her acting and the engagement was continued until she had exhausted her small repertoire. Soon after the engagement she left for the East and for a year played leading parts in a stock company which gave per-

formances in middle eastern and southern cities. London next called her and it was not long before she had worked herself into a leading position in one of the high class thea- ters. Under the auspices of Lady Archibald Campbell she played "Rosalind" in "As You Like It" in an al fresco production, to the warm approbation of the large audience as- sembled. She was next heard of in Paris, where she studied French, attaining such a mastery over the language as to give her con- fidence to appear before the Paris footlights in a French play with the great Coquelin as leading support. About a dozen years ago she was married to Prince Lazarovich, a claimant to the throne of Serbia. After her marriage she made several visits to San Jose. A few years ago her London and Paris reminiscences were published in The Century. Written in a chatty style and directed mainly to a recital of her social triumphs and of meetings with the notables of the day, including Alfred Ten- nyson and James Russell Lowell, they made interesting reading. One of her sisters (Jes- sica) is married and lives in Los Angeles. An- other sister, Virginia, was a teacher in the Hester school on the Alameda, until she de- cided to follow in the footsteps of Eleanor and become an actress. Her first appearance on any stage was, like her sister's, in "Loyal Hearts." The performance was given at the California theater on Second Street in 1882. In the cast were Frank Bacon, Jennie Weid- man (afterward Mrs. Bacon), Louis Lieber, Geo. W. Alexander and other local lights.

John W. Dunne joined the San Jose Ama- teur Club in 1866. He was a boy of sixteen when he made his first apparance on the stage. In preparing for the production of "The Gold- en Farmer," no woman could be found willing enough to play the part of "Elizabeth," the heroine, so Dunne was called in to fill the breach. He was a handsome fellow in those days, beardless, peachy-cheeked and with a voice that was soft, light and clear-almost like a woman's. When on bended knees, with clasped hands and streaming eyes he besought heaven to "save me from a fate far worse than death," the audience shivered and appealing eyes were cast on the villain, who seemed to hold the fate of Elizabeth in his hands. And that villain, who stood over the shrinking heroine, with his six feet of stature, blood-shot eyes, gleaming teeth and hands red with gore, was none other than that mild-mannered, up- right, progressive citizen, Alex. P. Murgotten. Dunne's success as an amateur decided his destiny. He became a real actor. After play- ing all sorts of parts, from utility to leading business, he departed for Salt Lake City to ac- cept a position in the Mormon Theater. There

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he played for a year or more and then set out on a territorial tour, acting as leading support to Mrs. Annie Adams, the mother of Maude Adams, America's foremost actress. Next he associated himself with the elfin star, Patti Rosa, soon married her, became her manager and until the death of his talented wife played in Hoyt's comedies from one end of the coun- try to the other. He was next heard of as the husband of Mary Marble, a worthy successor to Patti Rosa, and engaged in a similar line of work. They toured the country until vaude- ville became the rage, then went into pocket- edition drama and became public favorites. He was a San Jose visitor in 1919.

Frank Bacon is (1922) one of the most tal- ented and popular of the great American act- ors. He is a former San Josean and the city was the scene of his first stage experiences. He was in his early twenties when he arrived in San Jose. He tried photography, experi- mented with newspaper work and drifted into other lines of work, but none of them succeed- ed in holding his interest. His ambition in those early days was to become another John Mccullough, Edwin Booth or Lawrence Bar- rett. He turned up his nose at comedy and so when "Loyal Hearts" was produced at the California Theater he was rejoiced when he was asked to play the part of the Union officer. The press notices were commendatory. The allusion to his magnificent voice made him more than ever determined to become a trage- dian. Miss Jennie Weidman, a very talented amateur actress, was one of the performers. She and Frank became great friends and soon friendship resolved itself into love. They were married soon after the performance at the California.

It was after Frank left San Jose to try his luck on the professional stage that he stum- bled upon his proper line of work. The por- trayal of a "rube" character on the Alcazar stage in San Francisco, gave the critics a chance to say all manner of nice words. Frank took notice and very soon decided to drop "straight" business for "rube" comedy. He had everything in his favor. He was a slow speaker, had a dry way of saying things, and his deep, flexible voice could at will be used to evoke either tears or laughter. The years went by, his art ripened, the coarse, low comedy "rube" was fashioned into the human country- man and culmination came in the creation of "Lightnin' Bill," a lovable shiftless old coot, in many respects a latter-day "Rip Van Winkle." The play called "Lightnin'" has had a run of three years on Broadway, New York, is now (1922) enjoying a phenom- enal run in Chicago, and Frank Bacon has been acclaimed as one of the finest character actors

of the century. He has a charming orchard home near Mountain View, in Santa Clara County, and every year his vacations are spent there.

John T. Malone, another San Josean, who made good as a professional actor, was a grad- uate of Santa Clara College. He studied law, was admitted to the bar and when the stage bee buzzed in his ears he was deputy district attorney of Santa Clara County. After ap- pearances on the amateur stage he went to San Francisco, supported Eleanor Calhoun, during her engagement in that city and after- ward went east to become a member of Edwin Booth's company. After Booth's death he took out a company of his own, playing in legitimate drama as long as there was any demand for it and then gave up the stage to accept the position of secretary of the Play- ers' Club, New York. He died in New York several years ago.

The late Charles W. Williams, former pro- prietor of the Evening News, would have won fame and fortune on the stage if he had gone from amateur into professional work. He was a born comedian and the most talented and popular laugh-maker who ever appeared be- fore the footlights in San Jose. He came to California when a mere boy and for some years was a clerk in Cassius Morton's music store on First Street. He was a fine piano player and his services in the store were very valuable. From the store he graduated into newspaper work, starting first as business manager of Charles M. Shortridge's Times and winding up as the proprietor and editor of the Evening News. It was after he became a newspaper publisher that he dallied with stage work. His first appearance was a negro boy in "The Octoroon." He made a hit in the part and followed up his success by joining Charles R. Bacon's New York and San Francisco Min- strels, organized for performance in San Jose only. He was one of the end men and con- vulsed the audience by his inimitable dialect specialties. In 1881 he became the manager of the California Theater and in April, 1882, was the recipient of a complimentary benefit. His songs brought many encores. In the same year he played an Irish comedy part in "Loyal Hearts." The press notices spoke of him as one of the great Irish comedians on the American stage. Shortly after this appear- ance Williams resolved to forsake straight the- atricals for operetta and musical comedy. He had a fetching singing voice and under his management were produced "The Mikado," "Olivette," "The Mascot," "Patience," and the popular operettas. His "Ko-Ko" in "The Mikado" was very artistic and mirth-provok- ing and so well pleased with the performance

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was a San Francisco manager that he induced Williams to repeat it at the Tivoli. Williams consented to go, made a success of the trip, but could not be induced to give up newspaper for stage work. San Jose suited him and he was an actor for the fun of the thing. His last appearance as manager and performer was about a year before his death, which oc- curred in 1917.

Felix G. (better known as Phil) Hartman was one of the early San Jose amateurs. He played small parts, sometimes acted as stage manager but more often as property man and scene shifter. He was easily excited and in his excitement would frequently lose his head and make the most ridiculous blunders. At an entertainment given in Saratoga, Hugh A. De Lacy sang "Old Black Joe" in character. To give a touch of realism to the song and the acting it was arranged that "Joe" should die and that the dying should be done to slow music and red fire. Phil Hartman was the scene shifter and property man, and in the hurry of getting his props together he forgot to provide himself with the fire powder and its accessories. "Never mind, Hughie," he said to De Lacy, "I can fake it so the audience won't know the difference. I'll go out, get some fire crackers, take out the powder and light it." De Lacy had his doubts about the substitution, for he knew Phil's optimism, dis- played on other occasions, had not always been vindicated. However, there was nothing to do but take chances. Phil secured the pow- der, placed it in a tin plate and stood ready in the wings to do the lighting. Soon the time came for him to act and as De Lacy sang the last line of the last verse, Phil lighted his first match. The powder wouldn't burn. Then an- other match was tried. Same result. De Lacy kept on singing, but with one eye on Phil, who struck match after match on the seat of his trousers, the perspiration meanwhile running in streams down his face. De Lacy, hoping against hope, sang the last verse over again, but no fire was forthcoming. At last Phil gave it up in despair. Turning an agonized face on De Lacy, he said in a voice that could be heard all over the hall. "Go on and die, Hughie, for I can't make the darned fire burn." Ilughie died in a hurry, for his fingers were itching to get at Phil's throat.

Still later Phil gave a magician's show at the San Jose Opera House. As scene shifter and handy man for the "Fakir of Vishnu" he had learned many of the tricks of that old time juggler and illusionist. Phil called him- self the "Fakir of Ooloo" and what he ex- pected to be his best act was one of levita- tion-the suspending in mid-air of a woman subject. There were steel rods concealed un-

der the clothing of the subject and an upright rod support was also hidden from view. The subject was a heavy woman, while Phil was a lightweight. When all was ready Phil made his explanatory talk and then began to lift the woman to a horizontal position in the air. Once in that position two rods would snap into place and the suspension would be an accomplished fact. But Phil, try as he would, could not raise his subject to the horizontal line. As he tugged and perspired the machin- ery squeaked and the audience roared. He made several attempts, letting down his bur- den between times in order that he might re- cover his breath, and finally gave up in disgust and sat upon the floor. The performance was as good as a circus and the spectators, though the advertised program had not been carried out, felt that they had received their money's worth and applauded accordingly.

John T. Raymond was California's star comedian. He made several professional trips to San Jose and always played to full houses. His most popular role was of "Col. Mulberry Sellers," taken from Mark Twain's Gilded Age. Mark did not like Raymond's interpre- tation of the character, claiming that it was a gross exaggeration, almost a burlesque, not at all like the "Sellers" his brain had conceived. But Raymond's audiences liked the interpreta- tion and money always flowed in at the box office whenever Raymond's "Sellers" was the attraction.

Raymond was very fond of practical jokes and he played them so often that his fellow actors grew to be afraid of him, for they could not guess what was hatching in that queer brain of his. Such tricks as finding their shoes nailed to the floor when they were in a hurry to make ready for a performance, or wigs grotesquely queered, were always to be ex- pected. But there were unexpected variations. On one occasion when a lurid melodrama was on the boards, there was a scene in which the victims of the villain appeared before him. The villain was John Mccullough, and Ray- mond, James A. Herne, Harry Edwards and Julia Corcoran, were the victims. All except Raymond were in line on the platform. He had painted his nose a fiery red and with a most serious expression pointed both hands at Mccullough. The audience roared, then hissed and the curtain was rung down.

When Raymond gave "Col. Sellers" in San Jose the actors who had suffered from his jokes turned the tables on him. The most try- ing part of his performance was the eating of raw turnips, for he loathed vegetables and never ate them except upon compulsion. The members of the company knew this and one night they doctored the turnips. Raymond

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ate them, made a wry face but said nothing. The next night he called for apples, but when it came time for the repast he found he was compelled to eat raw onions covered with apple skins.

At another engagement Raymond was play- ing "Polydor" to the "Ingomar" of John Mc- Cullough. In the striking scene where "Ingo- mar" orders the barbarians to seize "Polydor," Raymond came around to the front of the stage and instead of dropping in front of "In- gomar" and clasping his hands in piteous en- treaty, dropped, crawled between McCul- lough's legs, dived back and circled round "Ingomar," his teeth chattering in terror. Mc- Cullough laughed, the audience took the cue and the curtain went down amid a general roar of laughter.

Some of the old-time minstrels lived in San Jose. One of them, Johnny Tuers, adopted the stage as a profession, after he left San Jose. Charley Rhoades, Fred Sprung and Ned Buck- ley came to San Jose to reside after they had given up active work as entertainers. Tuers was an end man and flat foot dancer. He was the originator of this style of dancing and the champion of the Coast. He played in all the cities and towns from Los Angeles to Salt Lake but most of his time was spent in San Francisco. In the late '60s he quarreled with a man on Washington Street in that city. Pistols were drawn and an innocent bystander, James Dowling, a theatrical manager, stopped Tuers' bullet and ceased to live. Tuers was tried for murder and acquitted. "Billy" Tuers, Johnny's brother, stayed in San Jose. He was never on the professional stage, but appeared many times as an amateur, acting both as end man and dancer. In middle life he was stricken with blindness and died in Santa Cruz several years ago.

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History of Santa Clara County California with biographical sketches, Part 20

Author: Sawyer, Eugene T Publication date: 1922 Publisher: Los Angeles : Historic Record Co. Number of Pages: 1934

Author: Sawyer, Eugene T
Publication date: 1922
Publisher: Los Angeles : Historic Record Co.
Number of Pages: 1934