Charley Case<br /><br />"Experiences In The Show Business"<br /><br />Victor 16354<br /><br />March 18, 1909<br /><br />In this monologue he says he was born John Cass in Lockport, New York. But he is setting up a joke. He says he was forced to adopt a new name ("Case") because audiences had been changing John Cass to Jack Cass (the joke is that audiences were speaking of him as a "jackass"). <br /><br />If Charley Case is remembered at all, it is NOT for his talent or records or stage legacy. <br /><br />He is known as possibly a "black" man who passed for white.<br /><br />Whether he had African-American blood cannot be known. Even if descendants wish to undergo DNA tests, the issue could remain unclear. <br /><br />Was he partly black? That's why a few people today take an interest in Case.<br /><br />His recording career was brief--three monologues. They did not sell well.<br /><br />Charles M. Case was born on August 27, 1858. Case is was known for comic monologues and is not to be confused with Charley Chase of silent film fame.<br /><br />He was born in Lockport, New York, and lived there for years as an adult, raising a family (later he settled in Buffalo). The U.S. census for 1875 indicates that his father was Moses Case, a musician and lawyer.<br /><br />His mother was Catherine Martin, a native of Ireland. <br /><br />His parents divorced or separated. Charlie as a young man studied law in the offices of local attorneys. He opened his own law office above 75 Main St. <br /><br />In 1882, Case married Charlotte Bush, daughter of William Wirt Bush.<br /><br />He worked in vaudeville and performed in minstrel shows. He was not a headliner--he was second tier in show business, an opening act. If he had been a star performer, photos and drawings of the performer would be more plentiful.<br /><br />He arranged for a booklet of Case monologues to be published in 1903 in his hometown of Lockport.<br /><br />On vaudeville stages, Case delivered monologues such as "A Warning to Girls" and "A Warning to Boys," recorded in the late 1920s by Vernon Dalhart. These Dalhart discs--Harmony 729, Velvet Tone 1729, and Diva 2729--did not sell well and are among the most sought-after Dalhart performances due to rarity.<br /><br />Case made three recordings, all for Victor and all on March 18, 1909: "Father as a Scientist" (16328), "Experiences in the Show Business" (16354), and "How Mother Made the Soup" (5693; 16547). <br /><br />"How Mother Made The Soup" was the most popular--it is easiest to find on disc.<br /><br />One year after his Victor session, he sailed for England to perform there.<br /><br />Information about Case is on page 8 of The Manhattan Mercury (a Kansas newspaper) dated April 29, 1909, which was five weeks after his Victor session. <br /><br />
