Loney Haskell

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Loney Haskell (1870 – October 20, 1933) was an American veteran vaudeville entertainer and theatre manager. He was a writer, a monologist, and a master of ceremonies. Haskell worked as the secretary of the Jewish Theatrical Guild of America and in that capacity eulogized his friend Harry Houdini.

Vaudeville genre of variety entertainment in the United States and Canada from the early 1880s until the early 1930s

Vaudeville is a theatrical genre of variety entertainment born in France at the end of the 18th century. A vaudeville was originally a comedy without psychological or moral intentions, based on a comical situation: a kind of dramatic composition or light poetry, interspersed with songs or ballets. It became popular in the United States and Canada from the early 1880s until the early 1930s, but the idea of vaudeville's theatre changed radically from its French antecedent.

Master of ceremonies Lead presenter at an event before an audience

A master of ceremonies, abbreviated MC, is the official host of a ceremony, staged event or similar performance.

Eulogy

A eulogy is a speech or writing in praise of a person(s) or thing(s), especially one who recently died or retired or as a term of endearment.

Contents

Career

Haskell was born as Lorne Levy in Newark, New Jersey in 1870 [1] and he took up a mercantile career. By 1898 he had chosen to retire from that business and he gained employ with burlesque producers Hurtig and Seaman as a librettist and performer. [1] [2] Haskell had an interest in entertainment having recorded the short silent film Facial Expressions by Loney Haskell in 1897 in which he demonstrated a variety of emotions with the camera close in to his face. [3]

Newark, New Jersey City in Essex County, New Jersey, U.S.

Newark is the most populous city in the U.S. state of New Jersey and the seat of Essex County. As one of the nation's major air, shipping, and rail hubs, the city had a population of 285,154 in 2017, making it the nation's 70th-most populous municipality, after being ranked 63rd in the nation in 2000.

Burlesque Literary, dramatic or musical work or genre

A burlesque is a literary, dramatic or musical work intended to cause laughter by caricaturing the manner or spirit of serious works, or by ludicrous treatment of their subjects. The word derives from the Italian burlesco, which, in turn, is derived from the Italian burla – a joke, ridicule or mockery.

Libretto text used for an extended musical work

A libretto is the text used in, or intended for, an extended musical work such as an opera, operetta, masque, oratorio, cantata or musical. The term libretto is also sometimes used to refer to the text of major liturgical works, such as the Mass, requiem and sacred cantata, or the story line of a ballet.

The Fourteenth Street Theatre featured a production of In New York Town between October 30 and November 4, 1905. The comedy musical was based on the work of Haskell and Willard Holcomb with music by Albert Von Tilzer. [4]

Fourteenth Street Theatre theatre in New York City

The Fourteenth Street Theatre was a New York City theatre located at 107 West 14th Street just west of Sixth Avenue. It was designed by Alexander Saeltzer and opened in 1866 as the Theatre Francais, as a home for French language dramas and opera.

Albert Von Tilzer was an American songwriter, the younger brother of fellow songwriter Harry Von Tilzer. He wrote the music to many hit songs, including, most notably, "Take Me Out to the Ball Game".

Haskell initially gained popularity in vaudeville as a monologist. [2] He then made a name for himself as a lecturer for dime museum-style acts promoted by Willie Hammerstein, introducing and discussing Hammerstein's curiosities such as "The Half Woman". He had the ability to entertain the audience even if the act themselves were unable to communicate well. [5] Haskell provided running commentary for numerous "freak" acts. [1] In 1912 Haskell acted as the interpreter for Don the Talking Dog, fielding questions for the canine and helping to present his responses. Don featured on the same bill as famed escapologist Harry Houdini. Variety reported that Haskell does not get mentioned in the program but that he should divide the billing with the dog given that he utilized nine of the twelve minutes. [1] According to celebrity columnist O. O. McIntyre, Haskell became so fond of the dog that "in one-night stands he slept in the dog's kennel". [6]

Dime museum

Dime museums were institutions that were popular at the end of the 19th century in the United States. Designed as centers for entertainment and moral education for the working class (lowbrow), the museums were distinctly different from upper middle class' cultural events (highbrow). In urban centers like New York City, where many immigrants settled, dime museums were popular and cheap entertainment. The social trend reached its peak during the Progressive Era. Although lowbrow entertainment, they were the starting places for the careers of many notable vaudeville-era entertainers including Harry Houdini, Lew Fields, Joe Weber, and Maggie Cline.

William Hammerstein was an American theater manager. He ran the Victoria Theatre on what became Times Square, Manhattan, presenting very popular vaudeville shows with a wide variety of acts. He was known for "freak acts", where celebrities or people notorious for scandals appeared on stage. Hammerstein's Victoria Theatre became the most successful in New York.

Don the Talking Dog

Don the Talking Dog (1905–1915) was a popular vaudeville act in the early 20th century. Don was raised in Theerhütte, Germany by Martin Ebers and Martha Haberland. His breed is unconfirmed - reports state that he was a German hunting dog, either a setter or a pointer. Don was credited with being able to vocalise eight German words, including haben ("have"), kuchen ("cake"), hunger, and his own name. Don also learned to say ja ("yes"), nein ("no"), and ruhe along with the name of his owner and his owner's fiancé. In April 1911 The Salt Lake Tribune reported that Don had been examined by "a number of the most eminent zoologists" and that they had declared him "a genuine prodigy". The journal Science reported in May 1912 that Don's ability to speak was more down to "the production of sounds which produce illusions in the hearer". Either way he was described in the 11 December 1910 edition of The New York Times as an "uncommonly intelligent animal".

Haskell was a friend of Oscar Hammerstein and worked as the assistant manager of the Victoria Theatre alongside Hammerstein's son, Willie. [2] On Willie's death Haskell continued to operate the theatre now alongside Arthur Hammerstein. Houdini was also a friend of Haskell's [7] and Haskell, in his capacity as secretary of the Jewish Theatrical Guild of America, would go on to eulogize Houdini in 1926. [8]

Oscar Hammerstein I German-born businessman, theater and opera impresario, and composer in New York City

Oscar Hammerstein I was a German-born businessman, theater impresario, and composer in New York City. His passion for opera led him to open several opera houses, and he rekindled opera's popularity in America. He was the grandfather of American lyricist Oscar Hammerstein II and the father of theater manager William Hammerstein and American producer Arthur Hammerstein.

Victoria Theatre (Hammersteins) former theater and movie theater in Midtown Manhattan, New York City, United States

The Victoria Theatre was a prominent American vaudeville house during the early years of the twentieth century. Theatre mogul, Oscar Hammerstein I, opened it in 1899 on the northwest corner of Seventh Avenue and 42nd Street, along New York City’s Longacre Square. The theatre was closely associated with the Paradise Roof Garden above it, and the two venues came to be known collectively as Hammerstein’s.

Arthur Hammerstein was an American songwriter, dramatist, playwright and theater manager

Death

Haskell died in the offices of the Jewish Theatrical Guild on October 20, 1933. [1]

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References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 Slide, Anthony. The Encyclopedia of Vaudeville. University of California Press. pp. 231–232. Retrieved April 29, 2018.
  2. 1 2 3 "Jewish Theatre Folk Mourn 'loney' Haskell". Jewish Telegraphic Agency. October 23, 1933. Retrieved April 28, 2018.
  3. ↑ "Facial Expressions by Loney Haskell". TCM. Retrieved April 28, 2018.
  4. ↑ "Civic Repertory Theatre". Internet Broadway Database. The Broadway League. Retrieved April 28, 2018.
  5. ↑ Hamilton, Marybeth. "When I'm Bad, I'm Better": Mae West, Sex, and American Entertainment. University of California Press. Retrieved April 29, 2018.
  6. ↑ Daugherty, Greg (April 23, 2018). "When Don the Talking Dog Took the Nation by Storm". Smithsonian Magazine. Smithsonian Institution . Retrieved April 28, 2018.
  7. ↑ Kalush, William; Larry, Sloman. The Secret Life of Houdini: The Making of America's First Superhero. University of California Press. Retrieved April 29, 2018.
  8. ↑ "Houdini in the New York Times". Houdini Museum. Retrieved April 28, 2018.
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