Automatic Vaudeville Company Johannesburg (Transvaal)
"Vaudeville is a theatrical genre of variety entertainment."
Can this Token trace it's existence back to a very famous founder ?
As a pioneer of the mass-entertainment industry of the early twentieth century, Marcus Loew (born May 7, 1870 in New York City; died September 5, 1927 in Glen Cove, Long Island) engaged in everything from penny arcades to nickelodeons, vaudeville, and silent film. Although he primarily pioneered the exhibition side of the business, toward the end of his career he became involved in motion picture production and distribution. In 1924 he oversaw the financial deals that created the Hollywood giant Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM). In combination with his famous theater chain, Loew’s Incorporated, this “super studio” made Loew one of the most powerful men in the American film industry before his untimely death.
A nickel gaming token undated.
Obverse: Legend on five curved lines: “AUTOMATIC VAUDEVILLE CO. JOHANNESBURG S. AFRICA”. Two Arrows pointing towards S.Africa
Reverse: Legend on five curved lines: “AUTOMATIC VAUDEVILLE CO. JOHANNESBURG S. AFRICA”. Two Arrows pointing towards S.Africa
About Token : Several Varieties exist : - Some might have a "A" or a "D" on the reverse.
- (↑↑) Also a (↑↓) on orientation.
- Lunettes under "CO"
- Johannesburg misspelled
Hern No: 30a, Theron No: T8. Diameter 19.0mm.
A typical vaudeville performance was made up of a series of separate, unrelated acts grouped together on a common bill. Types of acts have included popular and classical musicians, singers, dancers, comedians, trained animals, magicians, strongmen, female and male impersonators, acrobats, illustrated songs, jugglers, one-act plays or scenes from plays, athletes, lecturing celebrities, minstrels, and movies. A vaudeville performer is often referred to as a "vaudevillian".
This company was in operation from 1908 until 1915.
I could not get any local info about this company , however , I did stumble across this .... to much of a coincidence , everything seems right ...you be the judge though
"Zukor established the Automatic Vaudeville Company in 1903. Automatic Vaudeville operated penny arcades—usually storefronts filled with coin-operated amusement machines and viewers for the early “moving pictures.”
Loew’s fortunes soared and before long he was constructing his own buildings; and his motion picture palaces were intended to outshine the best of the legitimate theaters. In 1907 Loew joined forces with architect Thomas White Lamb to design his theaters. The arrangement would be mutually advantageous and by the end of his career Lamb would be responsible for the plans of more than 300 theaters in the United States, Australia, India, South Africa, England and Egypt (not all for Loew’s, of course).
Did they have branches in South Africa ?
Off course all of this could be completely unrelated , so here's hoping someone who knows more will tell me so ...
Sources :
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