Tag Archives: Theater

Mary Mallory / Hollywood Heights: Ethel Barrymore Dons Blackface for ‘Scarlet Sister Mary’

Posted on September 7, 2020 by lmharnisch

Ethel Barrymore in “Sister Scarlet Mary” Stage legend Ethel Barrymore continually sought challenges to advance her craft through her many decades in the theater. In the late 1920s, she took on perhaps her biggest challenge, portraying the lead character in … Continue reading →

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Black L.A. 1947: Herb Jeffries Cast in All-Black Production of ‘Camille’

Posted on September 19, 2018 by lmharnisch

Sept. 18, 1947: The Sentinel reports the intriguing production of an all-black, musical version of “Camille,” produced by Thomas Hammond with a score by Serge Walter, lyrics by Rene Du Plessis, starring Herb Jeffries.  A previous commitment prevented Lena Horne … Continue reading →

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Sept. 8, 1907: Actor Guilty of ‘Mashing’ Young Woman

Posted on September 8, 2018 by lmharnisch

Note: This is an encore post from 2006. Sept. 8, 1907 Los Angeles Jack Foster, a handsome, blond actor who is the toast of the vaudeville circuit, noticed a young lady standing at 3rd Street and Main after a show. … Continue reading →

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Black L.A. 1947: When Hollywood ‘Toned Down’ Black Actors

Posted on June 21, 2018 by lmharnisch

Nina Mae McKinney, above, was “toned down” for MGM’s movie cameras in filming “Hallelujah,” Harry Levette said. June 19, 1947: Harry Levette, a longtime Sentinel columnist, sports editor and publicist, reflects on the Lafayette Players. The Lafayette Players was established … Continue reading →

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April 29, 1907: Blanche Hall Draws Crowds to Burbank Theater in ‘When Knighthood Was in Flower’

Posted on April 29, 2018 by lmharnisch

Note: This is an encore post from 2006. Los Angeles theatergoers are transfixed by the new production of “When Knighthood Was in Flower,” Paul Kester’s adaptation of Charles Major’s 1898 novel, forming a mile-long line to buy tickets at Morosco’s … Continue reading →

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Manhattan Mystery: ‘Makers of Melody’

Posted on November 21, 2013 by lmharnisch

Ruth Tester and the mysterious Allan Gould sing “Manhattan” in “Makers of Melody.”   The mysterious Allan Gould with Inez Courtney in “The Girl Friend.” We have the illustrious Eve Golden to thank for this mystery. The other day, Eve … Continue reading →

Posted in 1929, Film, Hollywood, Music, Stage | Tagged , , , , , , , | 12 Comments

‘The Clansman’ Comes to Los Angeles – 1908

Posted on October 11, 2013 by lmharnisch

A 1908 program from the Mason Opera House has been listed on EBay with an ad for an upcoming production of “The Clansman,” a play adapted from  Thomas  Dixon’s novels “The Leopard’s Spots” and “The Clansman” and turned into D.W. … Continue reading →

Posted in 1908, African Americans, Books and Authors, Broadway, Downtown, Film, Found on EBay, Stage | Tagged , , , , , , | 5 Comments

Millennial Moment – Nick Stewart’s Ebony Showcase Theater

Posted on November 28, 2012 by lmharnisch

Nov. 28, 1982: Times staff writer John L. Mitchell profiles Horace “Nick” Stewart, who opened the Ebony Showcase Theater with his wife, Edna, in 1950. Stewart used the money from playing Lightnin’ in the 1950s TV series “The Amos n’ … Continue reading →

Posted in 1982, African Americans, Film, Millennial Moments, Stage, Theaters | Tagged , , , , , | 7 Comments

June 9, 1908

Posted on June 9, 2008 by lmharnisch

Dolly Graham, actress, shows off the directoire gown on the streets of Los Angeles. Shocked citizens report the garment to prosecutors as "indecent" and "not nice." Email me

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April 7-8, 1908

Posted on April 7, 2008 by lmharnisch

Above, David Belasco’s play, which closed on Broadway in 1906 after 224 performances, is staged in Los Angeles. Sadly, leading lady Alice Treat Hunt will die of pneumonia June 8, 1908, in her apartment on 9th Street near Figueroa. Below, … Continue reading →

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