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Back to Female Impersonation Home Page The
Club Jewel Box Note that this is Not the Jewel Box Revue but a program from the Club Jewel Box, in Miami....and I have two versions of the program, with the same cover. I can only "date" the first from between 1945-1950, and it also features female impersonator greats of the past, who may or may not have ever performed at this venue. Eltinge for example died in 1941, and Norman in 1947.
Performers included in the first program are: Julian Eltinge, Karyl Norman, Jackie Maye, Leon Leverde, Lestra LaMont, Nicki Galuchi, Art West, Johny Mangum, Kit Russell, Ty Tanic, Niles Marsh, Jackie Jackson, Ralph Gilbert, Gean Evol, Billie Herraro, Bobbie Bell, Francis Russel, Francis David, Bobbie Johnson, Frances & Lonas, Tommy Williams, Del LeRoy, Harvey Lee, and Bill Richards One challenge of collecting programs like this is that the clubs would use for the most part the same version over time, and would not 'date' them (likely on purpose, to get longer use out of them). So, when a collector sees one for sale it is difficult to tell if it is one already in their collection. The first program I have has 28 pages. For the second program I have obtained, that was easy to tell I needed it, as the number of pages was more, 36. The additional performers shown in the second version are: Gean Korday, Del Dixon, Mickey Mercer, Lee Mong, Eddie Lee, Gaby Lee, Leverne Cummings (Laverne), and. Ricky Renee. The second book is dated by TC Jones as July 1950 when she autographed it, though her photo does not appear, as was also the case with Lynne Carter. Other autographed photos are of Jackie Jackson, Del Dixon, Mickey Mercer, Eddie Lee, and Laverne Cummings. This may be the earliest photo I have of Cummings, pre her trademark long blond (and natural) hair. This July 1950 show must have been remarkable, with TC Jones and Lynne Carter on the bill. I'm guessing Carter did not yet have his star power (or ego) for him to agree perform with Jones. I have reason to believe that for the second program the show was not actually done at the Miami club, as TC Jones' autograph gives the name "Balconades, July '50." That was a Pittsburgh venue which I know the revue travelled to in the summer of 1950 during a Northern tour. The ad below shows the troop by June 20, 1950, already in the "3rd smash week" at that club. See this page for other early ads.
First
Program, between 1945 - 1950
The
second program in my collection, dated July 1950,
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