George Campbell's letter to Everyones Magazine about Vaudeville conditions in the United States 1922

 Vaudeville conditions bad in America

George Campbell- Juggler writes to Everyones Magazine about his experiences in the United States. An amazing recount of the conditions for a juggler in the early 1920s. 

Published 14 June 1922

Eleven months ago, George Campbell, an English juggler, who had been in this country for over ten years, left for another trip to America, accompanied by Bert Western, a young equilibrist. (his wife Ella went too, she is in the shipping records.) Two weeks ago, Mr Campbell returned here, thoroughly fed up with present variety conditions in the United States, and also firmly convinced that, after all, there was no place nearly as good as Australia, the land of his adoption.Mr Campbell summarises his experience thusly-

We landed in ‘Frisco and started work right away for Levy, playing in and around the capital. It took us five weeks to work three, but conditions were congenial even though the salary was not much to enthuse over. This section of the tour gives one the impression that he is going to have a very enjoyable route, but here is where he gets it in the neck, for you are routed over the south, the portion of the circuit known as the ‘death trail’, and consisting of sixteen towns many of them with very long jumps. Although sixteen are scheduled , you are lucky if you play more than nine. The houses are pictures and vaudeville, four are on each bill comprising the latter.

No signed contract is given you for this tour, and it often happens that when you reach a particular town the house manager does not need your act and you have to go to the next circuit theatre. This is a plain statement of fact and is one of the greatest injustices done to an artist. When you play the last house at Amarillo (Texas) you have a fifty dollar trip to reach Chicago- if you hold the cash.

Getting to Chicago, you are soon forced to realise that you are up against a dead end- that is you are one of the great rank and file of artists. You see, there are many thousand acts, not working, and these unfortunates will tell you that the agents do not need novelty (specialty) acts.

When you are lucky enough to do a try-out, you will know what a scream this means. At certain nights of the week, in small houses, the whole programme is given by try-outs, at a cost of nothing to the management. They will tell you that the house will be well filled with booking agents and, after the show, you get to know that there has not been one on the premises.

 

Later on, I worked with Rosie Stifle? and her husband at the Empire Theatre Chicago, a Western Vaudeville house. We played three days at a cut salary in order to get in. The act went over very big at all performances and the manager reported to headquarters that it was the finest show of its kind that had ever played this house. This meant nothing, for the W V A had lost most of its houses. The rest of the circuit was not worth working owing to the very long jumps and you have to pay your own fare. At all places, too, you are supposed to pay 10 per cent to the agent, but it is always 15, and generally more. If you don’t cough up to these parasites, you don’t work. Therefore we found it impossible to get going in Chicago.

On to New York, we again realised our hopelessness, being an unknown quantity. If you haven’t a few hundred dollars to see you over the first few months, you will starve. It is well known that you get nothing unless you tip the agent, or else bet him 200 dollars he can’t book you.

Speaking of agents, their method of procedure is well known . As they are finishing talking to you, they pull out a drawer in their desk. This drawer is left open sufficiently long enough for you to take the hint that you are to drop your donations in. If you overlook this , it is a case of goodnight.

All the Australians are battling, except Mysto, who is making good money at the various clubs and private entertainments. The Kelso boys have split up and both are working, one with a partner. 

….. ( various bits about Australians he met on the circuit)

Now that is my opinion of America, as a country for vaudeville . It is absolutely rotten at the present time and I defy any of the smaller fry (and many of the big acts) to prove it otherwise.

Personally I found most of the people very fine, but the weather dull, and one missed the sunshine. America is the place for big money, if you have the luck to get in ..if not….

I was in the United States some years ago, when it was really God’s own country as they called it. Personally I doubt the Deity would care to live there now, as America is a nation of cranks and high brows, in the main, with the more citizen of other days gradually losing their rights.

George concludes with some remarks about the availability of alcohol in the US.