JW-vol49no2-p72

PERFECT TIMING IN A VAUDEVILLE WORLD

The History of the Elgins

by Tom Breen

(From the IJA Newsletter, August, September & October 1958)

The team of Baggett and Sheldon retired around 1929 to run their bowling alley in Brooklyn. They were successful but missed the applause, footlights and greasepaint. So in the fall of 1930 they went over to New York and spoke to their former agent, Eddie Riley, about returning to the stage in a larger act. Riley said, "Perfect, get eight or ten girl jugglers with Jim Baggett, and put on a big act"

The act opened as "The Juggling Aces" and had Jim Baggett, Rose Sheldon, George Dewey, Alice Percival, Hattie Bamberger and Flo Innis. Mrs. Innis quit after two weeks. After a few weeks tryout, agent suggested more men in the act to carry the main tricks. So Baggett, through Jack Jordan (another agent and former juggler) contacted Ben Mowatt and Tommy Breen. Mowatt had just started a new act with John Beahan, so he turned down the offer. Breen was working with Harry Martine and Harry wanted to work with his wife, so Tommy entered the set.

After ten days rehearsal, they opened for a Sunday date at a Rockaway Beach theatre on April 29, 1931. Hattie Bamberger quit the act on April 20. The opening show had quite a few critics to look the act over. (No matter how long a group act is rehearsed in a gym, when it gets before the footlights there are bound to be mistakes.)

The father of Tommy Breen was there and was asked his opinion. He said, "It is not an act for jugglers, it is strictly good entertainment and that's what any act should be. Remember, between the five of you there is nearly 200 years of show business in back of you, so how can you miss?"

Everyone in the act had been on stage since they were kids. He, "Pop" Breen, also advised them to get out of New York to break in the act. They took some New England time to iron out the wrinkles.

Before going any further, I should describe the act. It opened with the hat routines which were arranged and figured out by Jim Baggett, Rose Sheldon and George Dewey. Baggett was to my mind about the best hat juggler that ever lived, and Dewey topped them all in being a fine fellow.

After the hats we went into club routines which were staged under the supervision of Jack Jordan, formerly with the Juggling Jordans. He knew the troupe tricks. Sheldon and Breen were the only two out of the five people in the act that had ever done troupe work before. If we did the tricks Jack Jordan wanted us to do before we started out, we would have been in the gymnasium today. But the happy combination of the hats for novelty and clubs for a sock finish made a nice act.