- Turnabout Theatre
The Turnabout Theatre existed in Hollywood, CA., from 1941 through 1956. Extremely popular in its day--attracting both the general public as well as many of Hollywood's top stars--it offered entertainment that combined both puppets (marionettes) for the first half of a show and a stage revue for she second half.
The name of the theater derives in part from the fact that the theater seats swiveled, with a puppet stage at one end and the live revue stage at the other. Adjacent seats were labeled with humorous names (e.g., "Hot 'n Bothered," "Salt 'n Pepper," etc.), and after intermission theater-goers would "turn about" to see the show continued at the opposite end of the house.
The Theater originated with a group of puppeteers (the Yale Puppeteers) composed notably of
Forman Brown , Harry Burnett, and Richard (Roddy) Brandon. Many artists, some quite well known or soon to be well known (e.g.,Elsa Lanchester andOdetta ), also participated.The history of the theater is documented in the film, "Turnabout: the Story of the Yale Puppeteers," directed by film maker Dan Bessie (a nephew of Harry Burnett).
Trivia
Harry Burnett is a brother of famous advertising executive
Leo Burnett .External links
* [http://dbase1.lapl.org/turnabout/ Turnabout Theater] online exhibit at the Los Angeles Public Library
References
"Rare Birds: An American Family" by Dan Bessie, University Press of Kentucky (November 2000)
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