The Floorwalker Clippings 28/84
Variety, New York, March 10, 1916.
American Studio (photographer), Palace Theatre, exterior
by day, New York, 1920, detail
„Called at her dressing room after the Monday night occurrence“
Editorial content. „SCRAPPY PALACE BILL.
The usual brotherly-sisterly atmosphere was entirely absent
from the Palace stage gathering this week, the dove
of sublime peace having exited via the private elevator as the
trio of current headliners were ushered in to occupy
the incandescents.
The simultaneous booking of Franklin and Green, Maurice
and Walton and the Dolly Sisters (heldover) precipitated
a miniature battle when the fact became public and according
to report the Palace management was visited daily last
week by emissaries of the two new headliners who came in quest
of information as to how their clients were to be treated
in the matter of billing.
Monday night a catastrophe was narrowly averted when Miss Walton, after completing a series of bows, approached
the footlights and informally introduced Charlie Chaplin to the
audience, the screen comic occupying a seat in a stage
box. It was understood this little by-play had been arranged
in advance and a number of ,rail birds‘ were perched
in the rear of of the orchestra to note the effect. Immediately
following the announcement of Chaplin‘s presence,
the lights were flashed for Franklin and Green, and what was
expected to result by many a disastrous torrent of
applause simmered down in a series of neck bends until
the excitement had subsided. The gallery, however,
emphasized their exceptions to the new Franklin-Green opening
and broke up the dialog in several spots with ,cliqued‘
applause, although this was a natural interruption and not
premeditated as claimed by some.
Miss Franklin claims Mr. Chaplin called at her dressing room
after the Monday night occurrence and expressed his
regret through having been made a victim of the Maurice-Walton
scheme. Miss Franklin also charged the Maurice-Walton
combination had ,planted‘ a chorus boy clique in the gallery for
each performance, and although Miss Franklin refrained
from any accusation, it appears Maurice and Walton insisted
that they appear on the program ahead of Miss Franklin.
Accordingly the second part of the show was opened by the
dancers with the singer immediately following.
The Dolly Sisters closed the first part, and when the
opposition did their their turns the Dollys were
usually in the wings to catch any stray remarks. Some of
Miss Franklin‘s brief speeches during her entrance
through the audience (where she did the same bit of business
with Will Philbrick she had done in Hands Up) might
have been improperly construed by Maurice and Walton had
they deemed fit to look for trouble from that direction:“
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