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408BC Orestes, Written by Euripides

About the Greek Era
- One person would play multiple characters by the use of masks
- A spring festival would take place where people would come with their play at this time and competition
- Only men could perform in chorus and vote on plays
- They had someone called the choregos who could support the play by getting all props and hiring chorus

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925 AD La Farce de maître Pathelin written by Guillaume Alexis

About the Medieval Era
- Also known as Liturgical drama
- Ran and controlled by the Catholic Church
- All different types of plays were preformed during this era such as miracle and passion

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1599, Written by William Shakespeare

About Hamlet
A tragic play written by William Shakespeare. It follows the story of Prince Hamlet, who is haunted by his father's ghost and seeks to avenge his murder. The play explores themes of revenge, madness, and the complexities of human nature. It's a timeless classic that has captivated audiences for centuries!

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1660 The Way of the World, Written by William Congreve

About the Restoration
- This was the reopening of the theaters in England
- Was the start to actresses
- These plays were often social satire, wit, and romance based.

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1671 Scapin the Schemer, Written by Molière

About Commedia dell’arte Era
- Originated in Italy
- Was made to be able to travel around the world
- Lots of improvising to fit their audience
- Used lots of over dramatic gestures, Basic human problems, and mask
- Often actors were traveling so they don't speak the language of the audicace, this is why they used things listed above.

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1837

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Born: October 16, 1854, Died: November 30, 1900

Play writer London in the early 1890s.

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1900s

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1920 The Toto Brothers, Written by Unknown Author

About Vaudeville Era
- Most popular entertainment at the beginning of the centre
- Many different acts
- Was open for everyone to be apart of the acts

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About this Item

Title

Other Title

Unidentified Peters No 3: Vaudeville acts

Summary

Opening title identifies this as a "balancing and iron jaw novelty act." Cuts to a long shot of a stage with a carpet and dark curtains as a backdrop, in front of which stand four chairs and a table. From stage left enters a man wearing dark leotards with a single-shouldered top, a waist belt, and dark high-top shoes with a white border. From stage right tumbles a male clown dressed in a white sailor suit and cap. The two engage in a slap-and-tumble novelty turn. The man then carefully positions two chairs facing each other on the carpet, but as he attends to one the clown sits in the other laughing, until it is yanked out from under him by his impatient "brother." This bit is repeated with the other chair. Finally, the two chairs are positioned correctly and the man performs a balancing act across them, with one arm on one chair and his feet on the other. Behind him, the clown grabs another chair and unsuccessfully attempts his own balancing act. His balancing brother, in the meantime, lowers himself as if doing a one-handed pushup, grabs in his mouth a handkerchief placed on the chair, and raises back up. He then encourages the clown to attempt the same act, with the expected humorous result that the chairs are pushed apart and the clown falls to the ground between them. The clown is picked up by his brother and tossed out of the way.

While his brother lays on the carpet and balances two stacked chairs in one hand as he moves about, the clown tries to balance some sort of stick in his mouth. Cut to intertitle: "You will notice I do all the work, but a double act gets more money, so I carry the brother with me." Cuts back to the man still balancing the stacked chairs from reclining, standing, and sitting positions, as the clown first tries a headstand and then balances his midsection on the back of a chair and scuttles it across the floor. The brothers then move the table to center stage. Cuts to intertitle: "You must have lock-jaw to do this." Cuts back to a closer shot as the man places a chair on top of the table and two others to either side of him, kneels down, grabs the corner of the table in his mouth, and slowly rises to his feet with the table in his teeth and a chair held high in each hand. In the background, the clown fails at a balancing act with a single chair. His brother then lowers the furniture back to the ground and gestures to the camera. Cuts to intertitle: "To fully appreciate this stunt, try it on your kitchen table when you get home." Cuts to the man placing a chair on the edge of the table, on which the clown sits. The iron-jaw brother then grabs a rung of the chair in his mouth and its front legs in his hands, and begins to lift the chair and clown in his teeth. Film ends abruptly.

Names

Spanuth, Hans A., production.

Toto Brothers.

Commonwealth Pictures Corporation.

AFI/Peters (S.E.) Collection (Library of Congress)

Created / Published

United States : [Commonwealth Pictures Corp., 1919 or 1920?].

Headings

- Clowning--United States

- Clowns--United States

- Tricks

- Tumbling--United States

- Strong men--United States

Genre

Filmed vaudeville acts

Silent films

Short films

Nonfiction films

Notes

- No copyright registration or production and distribution information could be found for an act under this name, but the film appears to be an uncopyrighted Spanuth's original vod-a-vil movie given the similarities in title graphics and camera technique to identified Spanuths.

- Performers: Toto Brothers.

- Film is on r1 of two reels that contain the four acts in Spanuth's original vod-a-vil movies release no. 38, interspersed with four unidentified vaudeville films. LC also holds reel 2. Nitrate deterioration from the original film is printed throughout.

- Duration: 5:23 at 18 fps.

- Filmed in Chicago Illinois, probably in 1918 or 1919.

- Fourth film on reel with: Kruger and Ward, Allen Brothers, and Three jumping Tommies.

- Available also through the Library of Congress Web site as digital files.

- Sources used: Copyright catalog, motion pictures, 1912-1939; M/B/RS copyright descriptions; M/B/RS Acquisition files (AFI/Peters file); M/B/RS shelflist cards.

Medium

1 reel of 2 (r1) (362 ft.) : si., b&w ; 35 mm. ref print.

1 reel of 2 (r1) (362 ft.) : si., b&w ; 35 mm. dupe neg.

Call Number/Physical Location

FEA 2900 (viewing print)

FPD 9067 (dupe neg pic)

Repository

Library of Congress Motion Picture, Broadcasting and Recorded Sound Division Washington, D.C. 20540 USA dcu

Digital Id

Library of Congress Control Number

Online Format

Format

Contributor

Location

Language

Subject

Rights & Access

The Library of Congress American Variety Stage collection is in the public domain and is free to use and reuse.

Credit Line: Library of Congress, Motion Picture, Broadcasting, and Recorded Sound Division

More about Copyright and other Restrictions

For guidance about compiling full citations consult Citing Primary Sources.

Cite This Item

Citations are generated automatically from bibliographic data as a convenience, and may not be complete or accurate.

Chicago citation style:

Toto Brothers, Commonwealth Pictures Corporation, and Afi/Peters. Toto Brothers. produceds by Spanuth, Hans A.Uction [United States: Commonwealth Pictures Corp., or 1920?, 1919] Video. https://www.loc.gov/item/96521479/.

APA citation style:

Toto Brothers, Commonwealth Pictures Corporation & Afi/Peters. (1919) Toto Brothers. Spanuth, H. A. U., prod [United States: Commonwealth Pictures Corp., or 1920?] [Video] Retrieved from the Library of Congress, https://www.loc.gov/item/96521479/.

MLA citation style:

Toto Brothers, Commonwealth Pictures Corporation, and Afi/Peters. Toto Brothers. prod by Spanuth, Hans A.Uction [United States: Commonwealth Pictures Corp., or 1920?, 1919] Video. Retrieved from the Library of Congress, <www.loc.gov/item/96521479/>.

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