Frank Littlejohn, juggler, inventor, parachutist and acrobat
had an eventful life that spread across
two world wars, a depression and the 1960s social revolution. Frank was an inveterate
traveller and skilful performer who juggled his entire life.
Frank Price Littlejohn was born in California in October
1890, his father was a farmer, but Frank obviously felt that farming was not
his forte. He apparently had other, bigger, plans.
By the time he was 19, Frank was living in Oregon with the
Brennon family. That same year he married 20 year old Clara Brennon. It’s not
clear how or why Frank decided to become a juggler, but by 1913 he and Clara
were juggling as ‘The Littlejohns’ on the variety circuit.
Not only was he juggling, but Frank had patented his own
juggling club design.
In 1914 Frank submitted a design for an Indian club with a
difference, it reflected light and was decorated with rhinestones. Frank’s 40
year juggling career was subsequently built on this invention.
Frank’s Juggling Club Patent.
Shortly after the club was patented, the Littlejohns were
seen on stage in Chicago by Australian entrepreneur Ben Fuller, who invited
them to Australia for a tour.
The pair readily accepted and in 1916 arrived in the country.
Their act was a ‘sparkling’ turn, filled with flashing props
and shining costumes.
Axes and clubs set with crystals spun through the air whilst
Frank and Clara balanced on a white shining wire. Clara balanced and juggled on
a large mirror ball whilst Frank spun plates studded with rhinestones. The
effect was a radiant flashy sequence of lights on stage, thrilling the audience
with visual wonder
Frank and Clara 1916
The pair toured the whole country, visiting Melbourne,
Perth, Sydney, Adelaide and regional areas such as Newcastle in New South Wales.
Clara was pregnant and gave birth to their son Robert when the
pair were in Sydney.
They remained in the country until February 1917, when they
returned to the United States. While in Australia Frank had registered another
patent, this time a method of attaching sparkling gems to flexible materials. This too formed the basis of his long career.
In 1919, Frank and Clara applied for passports for another
tour which included Australia. By this time they had two children, Frank and
Robert.
Their intention was to travel to Japan, China, South Africa,
India, England, Australia and Egypt. They arrived in China in 1920, but tragedy
struck. Clara died shortly after giving birth to their third child, who it seems
did not survive.
Frank decided to continue and he eventually ended up in
Australia.
According to the Australian government, in 1920 he arrived with another woman who he said was his wife. In December 1920 he
and this woman were performing in the Sinbad the Sailor pantomime in Melbourne
for the Tait Brothers.
It seems that Frank often arrived in random countries
without work contracts, hoping for the best. He seemed to have good contacts
and a fine reputation amongst Australian managers and readily found work at this
time.
The act stayed with the pantomime until February 1921 when
it appears Frank returned to the United States for a time. The highlight of the
performance in the pantomime according to the papers was the ‘balancing’.
When Frank returned to Australia in May 1921, he brought
another lady with him. But this relationship did not last, because Frank had
met Melba May Wilmott who became his juggling partner in the ‘Littlejohns’.
They briefly appeared on the Tivoli circuit, but there was
little publicity or work available. According to the trade magazines,
‘Littlejohn laid off quite a while in this country waiting for an adequate
salary. When it wasn’t forthcoming he decided to beat it.’
By August he wanted to beat it with Melba. She was a
charming 17 year old theatrical from Milton in New South Wales. Her father,
George, was a labourer. However, Frank could not take a 17 year old to the
United States without her parent’s permission. It seems George may have issued
an ultimatum, and Frank and Melba got married in a beautiful church in North
Sydney which overlooked the harbour.
Shortly afterwards, they travelled to the United States, to
play the vaudeville circuit.
According to Frank, during this period they also performed
in Japan during an earthquake. As the last act on stage they had to abruptly
leave when the quake hit. When they returned over 1000 rhinestones were
missing. The manager apparently explained that this was the audience’s way of
showing appreciation.
In 1923 they returned to Australia. They were engaged to Fullers
for a period of 28 weeks from August for a dual salary of 40 pounds per week.
Melba and Frank 1920s
It was, at this time, at the beginning of the roaring
twenties, that the Littlejohns reached the pinnacle of their fame. Their
bright, iridescent act fitted perfectly with the excitement, joy and exuberance
of the era, and their high energy light show reflected the optimism of the age.
They entered a stage decorated with blue velvet curtains
with elaborate decorations outlined in shining gems. Above them was a
spinning vase reflecting a rainbow of lights.
Frank and Melba juggled on large multihued spheres and manipulated
axes, dice, plates and their patented
sparkling clubs while dressed head to toe in bedazzled costumes.
It was the visual glamour of the setting that enchanted
audiences and embodied the ethos of the age. The reviews concentrated on the
set more than their juggling skills, although both performers were
acknowledged as talented jugglers.
As one newspaper described it
‘The stage, the
costumes and every item employed in the act are eye dazzling in a myriad of
colours’
The pair were also praised for their prop making skills with
Frank claiming to have worked in rhinestones for over 18 years. Frank said that
he had provided special props for Broadway productions, circuses and more than
a thousand vaudeville acts. He told one newspaper that he had a production
house in New York where he paid workers one pound per 1000 rhinestones set.
The pair played in the Mother Goose pantomime at the end of
1923 and stayed with the show whilst it toured the major cities of Australia.
After their contract with Fullers expired they put together
their own touring company which travelled the regions of Queensland. Then in 1925, the Littlejohn revue company
travelled to Asia.
It seems that Frank,
as usual, had not arranged any firm bookings for the company before leaving
Australia and without these, the performers were left without money and occupation.
Members of the company started leaving. Albert Rees, the pianist quit, Ivy
Nicholls left in Hong Kong, whilst Bessie Lester also left. A later report from
the Australian government stated that two Australian women were deserted in the
Phillipines by the Littlejohns.
The advance manager for the show, Jack Emsworth told a trade
magazine that,
‘I am sorry for Littlejohn, he lost a pot of money.’
Frank and Melba cancelled the tour and travelled to the
United States. There they performed on the vaudeville circuit. They also ran
advertisements in Variety Magazine for Littlejohns Inc, 254 W 46th
Street New York. Littlejohns Inc sold 100 rhinestones for two dollars. The
price included instructions on a patented method of attaching rhinestones to
any material. Littlejohns Inc also offered to rhinestone shoes for 35 dollars a
pair. Clearly Frank was trying to make up for his losses from the tour.
In 1929 Frank and Melba returned to Australia to little fanfare.
Their exploits in 1925 may have soured the local community against them and the
dire economic situation was not promising for theatrical endeavours. The pair
had a brief pantomime appearance and then toured Queensland and New Zealand
with another company formed from local talent.
Melba
In 1930 Frank tried to arrange passports for the troupe to
tour overseas, but ran into some difficulties with the authorities. An official
Australian government report referred to a 1924 investigation that found that
Frank’s ‘moral reputation had little to recommend it.’
Given this and that one of the troupe, 18 year old Winnie May Miller, was under age, the government investigated Frank again. It found that he
had no firm bookings in Asia and was inclined to deny permission for the passports
However, Frank provided evidence of good character. He
deposited money for a return fare for the women of the group and obtained
permission from Winnie’s mother to take her abroad. In addition the Actors Union
supported his application, saying they had received no complaints about his
behaviour.
Finally the government approved the application for
passports, but Frank decided not to proceed. The depression had decimated the
theatrical industry. Instead, Frank, with Melba and 18 year old Winnie, travelled
to the United States.
Presumably the three of them performed there.
The Littlejohns in the 1940s
Frank and Melba returned to Australia in 1935 for a run with
the Tivoli circuit and another Queensland tour with a revue company. They
returned again in 1941. The lack of performers during the war led to a mini
revival in their Australian career and they spent most of it making sporadic
appearances at the Tivoli.
A 1940s Tivoli Program
Frank and Melba continued the travelling life for the next
decade. When in Australia and not performing they stayed at Melba’s family home
in Milson’s Point in Sydney.
It was there that Frank’s children visited him. One remembers
visiting his father around this time.
He lived at Milsons Point in Sydney and kept all
his juggling equipment and props in his garage, I would visit after school and
we would juggle and roll out the big rhinestone balls on a canvas sheet on the
grass. good fun when you are a Kid
Frank continued travelling and performing well into
the 1950s. It seems he could not stay in one place for too long. However, it
was in Australia that he died in 1967, and despite never becoming a citizen, it
was here that he stayed and worked most often.
Frank in the 1950s
Frank still has descendants in Australia and the
United States who take a lively interest in the adventures of their famous
juggler ancestor.
