Kolb and Dill

Kolb and Dill was the stage name of the vaudeville team founded by Clarence Kolb and Max Dill.

Clarence and Dill were born in Cleveland, Ohio and were boyhood friends who decided to go into show business together. The book Vaudeville Old & New lists their prominence and earliest records dating to 1901.

The earliest newspaper mention highlights Kolb and Dill's act as part of a new bill at Cedar Point in Sandusky, Ohio in 1899. On September 3, 1899, the Cedar Point listed a change in their bill which noted that "Ferrell and Starck, comedy trick bicyclists, always keep their audiences in a roar with their humorous act and will be complimented in their mirth-provoking efforts by Kolb and Dill, the German comedians." The ad on the fourth page of the paper however positioned their act over Ferrell and Starck and noted that the production would be a Sunday matinee and run daily for the week. The act they were performing was named "Together Side by Each" and described by the paper as "very funny" and noted that the bill was some of the best performers of the vaudeville stage.

The Times of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania featured an article on September 24, 1899, that noted Fred Irwin's "Majestic Burlesquers" was going to be performing at the Trocadero, and noted that Kolb and Dill, billed as the German comedians, were a part of the act. Fred Irwin was a noted producer whose "Majestic Burlesquers" was new, but popular in December 1898. The performance at the Trocadero was noted as having "plenty to keep the large attendance fully entertained." Kolb and Dill would continue their act as it moved to the Star Theater in Brooklyn, New York.The Indianapolis News noted that the act had performed in the Empire theatre on February 5, 1900, again citing Kolb and Dill's continued role in the bill. A week later they were noted in Saint Louis, Missouri on February 11, 1900. They had a performance at Sam T. Jack's Theater on March 4, 1900. The performance later moved to Kernan's Theater for a week of performances in mid-March. The "Majestic Burlesquers" would return to the Trocadero in May 1900.

By June 25, Kolb and Dill are no longer mentioned as part of Irwin's "Majestic Burlesquers" in an act at the Suburban. On July 1, the Inter-Ocean mentioned Kolb and Dill as part of another vaudeville act that would last for one week.The St Louis Republic compared Kolb and Dill's act to the Rogers Brothers, major rivals of Weber and Fields, on July 9, 1900, but did not elaborate on the act itself. Kolb and Dill performed as part of the reopening of the Hopkin's Theater. Kolb and Dill's act on the Hopkins was short with an ad lasting through about August 3 before they had an act at Sunnyside Park on August 5, 1900. Two more changes with venues, with the Chicago Opera House, Masonic Temple Theater, and Sans Souci occurred in mid-August. Kolb and Dill then went to Ohio in September and also performed an act at the Elk's Carnival, which the Elyria Republican highlighted the vaudeville act as the main feature and noted Kolb and Dill's status as well-known a German sketch team. Kolb and Dill then headed to San Francisco, California and took their act to the Orpheum on September 23, 1900. Kolb and Dill continued to perform at the Orpheum until at least October 4, before returning to Chicago's Hopkins theater in early November. In mid-December 1900, Kolb and Dill were listed as part of the Columbia Theater.

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