OK, so here we have the 20-member Chariton Male Chorus --- 18 in blackface --- on stage at the Ritz Theater on the square in Chariton during October of 1935. The ensemble had been practicing since September for two performances of a charity minstrel show entitled "Plantation Days." The backdrop features a giant watermelon.
Ouch.
Many thanks to Lois Hutchison Schleuter for donating this image, and others that I'll share later, to the Lucas County Historical Society recently. Her father, Otto L. "Hutch" Hutchison, is one of the chorus members --- along with some of Chariton's leading physicians and attorneys, a dentist and several leading businessmen.
O. L. Hutchison was a hugely talented and highly respected teacher in the fields of manual arts, math and science at Chariton High School.
I'm willing to bet that were it possible to reassemble this group of talented men --- all white --- now, about 90 years later, none would even consider such a performance. But, bless their hearts, all were oblivious at the time to its implications.
+++
When I started to research this image I looked back to the early 1920s because Lois and I both assumed the photograph had been taken on the stage at the new Chariton High School, built in 1923.
As it turns out it wasn't --- we tend to forget that the Ritz was built in 1930 as a venue for stage shows as well as movies. But I did discover that charity minstrel shows were almost annual events in Chariton during the 1920s and early 1930s.
The earliest ones were staged by professionals who arrived in Chariton with scenery, music, props and the personnel needed to recruit and train a local cast. The later ones were produced locally. It's almost impossible to read the programs for these shows without cringing. Beneficiaries included the American Legion and, later, United Charities --- affiliated organizations that engaged in relief work as the economy careened toward the Great Depression.
Several of these shows were staged in the new high school auditorium, but none involved students. Chariton still had a substantial black population at the time; none were invited to join in.
+++
The following promotional story for the show was published in The Herald-Patriot of Oct. 10, 1935:
City Solicitor Oscar A. Stafford will be Interlocutor in the minstrel show, "Plantation Days, to be presented by the Chariton Male Chorus at the Ritz theater Oct. 22 and 23. Rehearsals are well under way, Director Loyd Mikesell said.
One of the feature songs will be a parody on "It Ain't No Fault of Mine," written by Dr. J. H. Malony. The song tells the story of a much-publicized and financially-tragic fishing trip taken during the past season by two Chariton attorneys.
There also will be a variety of new and old popular songs, including "When I Grow Too Old to Dream," "Alexander's Rag Time Band" and "Alabama Bound," the director said.
Only one performance will be presented each evening.
A week later, The Herald-Patriot of Oct. 17 included a photograph:
Here is a scene from the minstrel show, "Plantation Days," to be presented Tuesday and Wednesday at the Ritz theater by the Chariton Male Chorus. The cast includes the entire chorus membership and Oscar A. Stafford, interlocutor. The stage show is two hours in length and begins each evening at 8:15 p.m. End men will be Dr. Lazear Throckmorton, Ralph Downs, Jimmy Fuller and Donald Olson. The chorus's share of receipts will go the the organization's uniform fund, Director Loyd Mikesell said.
And the following advertisement:
I didn't find a review of the show, but there were reports that ticket sales exceeded expectations and performances drew full houses.
No comments:
Post a Comment