An ad from the Harrisburg Evening News, January 27, 1920, for the Gus Hill Minstrels, to be held at the Wilmer and Vincent Orpheum Theatre, Harrisburg, Friday and Saturday January 30 and 31, 1920. The ad noted that the show was “the One Big Black Face Triumph.” It also stated that there were “50 All White” comedians, singers and dancers, including “The Great George Wilson and Jimmy Wall.”
Watch For the Big Street Parade
This ad was accompanied by a brief article, probably paid for by the theatre owners, which described the performance:
Gus Hill’s Minstrels
An attraction deluxe is scheduled to hold the boards at the Orpheum, Friday and Saturday of this week, matinees Saturday. We refer to Gus Hill‘s Minstrels. This show which has been correctly proclaimed as the last word in burnt-cork revelry, merriment, joy, laughter, wit, humor, music, tomfoolery, happiness, screams, dancing legs, rag-time, and syncopated exhilarating visits us as an entirely new production, this being the third season of its successful tour. George Wilson, the dean of black-face artists, once more heads the aggregation. His brand of fun-making is too well known to require further introduction. Suffice it to say he will no doubt conquer and score as of yore. Other favorite purveyors of genuine Ethopian joy-providers are listed in the big company of sixty people which includes Jimmy Wall, Jack Kennedy, Lee Edmonds, William Hallett, Herbert Willison, Fred Freddy, Carl Graves, Ed Denys, Max Maxen, Three Musical Cates, William Marwith and Walter Markwith, James Brady, Eddie Gallagher, Jack Hayes, Johnny Buckley and others. Lest we forget, there will be that daily street parade procession with all hands keeping a merry step to the tune of their own band. Oh, you small boy, here’s your chance. Who wouldn’t be a kid again.
Harrisburg’s other newspaper, the Harrisburg Telegraph, January 27, 1920, also had a brief article describing the performance:
GUS HILL’S MINSTRELS
If any doubt exists in the mind of the theater-going public that minstrelsy is on the wane a visit to the Orpheum where Gus Hill‘s Minstrel show is to be the next minstrel attraction will soon dispel the idea. This monster aggregation of funsters, black-face comedians, singers, dancers, vaudevillians and soloists will appear Friday and Saturday of this week, matinees Saturday, in particular there is one man in the company who easily ranks with either Al Jolson or Bert Williams. We refer to George Wilson who will offer his inimitable specialty in addition to contributing his well-known talents to the cause of laughter, gayety, revelry and wholesome merriment. He will be assisted by forty others including Jimmy Wall, Jack Kennedy, Lee Edmonds, William Hallett, Herbert Willison, Fred Freddy, Carl Graves, Ed Denys, Max Maxen, Three Musical Cates, William Markwith and Walter Markwith, James Brady, Eddie Gallagher, Jack Hayes and others. Three complete hours of unalloyed entertainment is promised. A veritable feast of novelty, surprises, music syncopated, jingling, jassy and catchy melodies, features galore. With something happening every minute. There will be the usual, or we should rather say, the unusual street parade. From all accounts this is a magnet in itself, a parade embracing the entire troupe in all the glory of their unique raiment and innocuous talents.
The Harrisburg newspaper were widely available in the Lykens Valley area and the residents there had the convenience of multiple round trip trains available daily to the county seat and State cqpital. Black-face minstrel show were well established in the Lykens Valley area, but were mostly put on by “local talent,” so these Harrisburg shows gave the aspiring locals a chance to witness national talent and copy the routines.
Interestingly, the Telegraph recognized that in 1920 there was the belief that “minstrelsy is on the wane.” However, this show was said to counter that belief. And from the history of minstrel shows in the Lykens Valley and elsewhere, this “art form” appeared to have a revival in the 1920s which propelled it forward into the early 1960 before it finally, abruptly ended.
White men and women, who blackened their faces, and performed in the local shows, emphasizing negative stereotypical behavior that they attributed to African Americans, for the purpose of getting laughs were often the most prominent people in the community.
This post is part of a series in which news articles, photographs and other “memorabilia” are presented to show how “black-face” was infused into the culture of the Lykens Valley area. Readers are invited to submit photos and recollections on how long this offensive “entertainment” lasted and what locals thought of it as part of the culture of the area.
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News articles from Newspapers.com.
Corrections and additional information should be added as comments to this post.