Walter Stanton aka Walt Stanton
Walter Stanton
WALTER JAMES ALOYSIUS STANTON JR. was born on September 27, 1893 to Walter Stanton and his wife, the former Elizabeth Kelly. His father was well known in Camden as a baseball player. The family, which in 1900 included his uncle, Joseph Kelly, lived at 318 Berkley Street. His father was then working as a butcher. By 1906 they had moved to 522 South 2nd Street. Walter Stanton Sr. had by then joined the Camden Police Department. The following year saw Walter Stanton Sr. playing right field for the Camden Police Department’s baseball team.
When the Census was taken in 1910, the family lived at 1139 Pear Street, which was later renamed Whitman Avenue. Also at home was younger brother Thomas, and maternal grandfather John Kelly. Walter Stanton Jr. was then working as a clerk, according to the Census, but he had other plans for himself that would take him to the vaudeville stage.
When it was time for him to register for the draft on June 5th of 1917 Walter Stanton Jr. and his parents and brother were living at 604 South 3rd Street. He was not working at the time. He joined the United States Navy on June 25, 1917 and served as an Able Seaman during World War I. The Stanton family had moved to 618 South 2nd Street by the end of 1919. After returning from the Navy, Walter Stanton Jr. had by this time established himself on the vaudeville stage, listing his occupation as “vocalist.”
The 1924 City Directory shows that the Walter Stanton family had moved to 533 Fulton Place. They remained at that address through at least April of 1930.
By 1936 Walter Stanton Jr. had moved to 457 Carteret Street. He had married by 1942, when he again registered for the draft. He and his wife Rose were living at the Carteret Street address. He was then working on the 13th Floor of Camden’s City Hall for the Workers Service.
During these years and through the mid-1940s Walt Stanton partnered in a variety act with Joe Hamilton, a veteran vaudeville and minstrel show entertainer who lived in Camden. The act ended with Hamilton’s death in 1946.
By 1947 Walter Stanton Jr. was working as a janitor at Clara Burrough Junior High School at Haddon and Newton Avenues. He was still living at the Carteret Street address as late as 1956. By 1959 the Stantons had moved to the Crestfair Apartments.
Walter Stanton Jr. passed away on May 2, 1959. He was buried at Beverly National Cemetery in Beverly NJ four days later. His wife, Mrs. Rose Stanton, was by then living at 209 Beideman Avenue in Camden’s Westfield Acres public housing project.
Father Walter Stanton Sr. served on the Camden Police Department from the 1900s through the 1930s. Younger brother, Thomas Stanton, also was on the force from the mid-1920s through at least 1947.
If anyone has any further information about Walter Stanton, or his father, a one-time Camden policeman also named Walter Stanton, or Vaudeville in Camden NJ, please comment at the bottom of the page!
— Phil Cohen
Policeman’s Wife Gets Thief
Philadelphia Inquirer —
Mrs. Walter Stanton, wife of Mounted Officer Stanton, of Camden, proved herself just as good a preserver of the peace as her husband yesterday, when she overhauled John Dilks, aged 48 years, of 333 Steven street, after the man had walked into her kitchen and purloined a pair of rubbers. Mrs. Stanton just caught a fleeting glimpse of the man as he was leaving the back yard. She went after him and cornered him in an alley. Dilks was given four months in jail.
Two Camden Stars to Lead Mummers
Camden Courier-Post —
Kathryn Hamilton, Walter Stanton Billed for Ambassador’s Masked Ball
Two well known Camden entertainers will aid and abet the spooks and the Ambassador Club in making tomorrow evening an enjoyable one for the 5000 mummers expected to attend the club’s annual masked ball.
They are Miss Kathryn Hamilton and Walter Stanton, who will not only lead the grand march, but will “put on” their acts. Miss Hamilton is the talented daughter of Joe Hamilton, famous minstrel, and has appeared in this vicinity on numerous occasions as well as on vaudeville circuits. The petite songstress resides at 1317 Park Boulevard.
Stanton has just returned from an RKO tour. The Mack and Stanton act played all last Winter and Summer. He has been master of ceremonies, in which capacity he will serve tomorrow, at a number of famous clubs, and is now enacting that role at the Stroller’s Club in New York.
The club, of which Steve Kirby is president, is holding the gala affair tomorrow night instead of on Halloween in order that dancing will not be discontinued until 2 a.m. Pat Riley’s orchestra will present the dance program, while Harry D. Roselle will direct the grand march.
It will be an appropriate night for the “spiriks” to chase “Popeye,” the Courier-Post comic strip idol, as 200 newsboys who will be guests of the club, will vie for a cash prize to be awarded to the one whose costume renders him the best likeness to the hard-hitting sailor man. Other prizes will be awarded to the winners of the perfect form contest and various costume competitions.
Local Girls to Vie in Beauty Contest
Camden Courier-Post —
Many Novelties Planned for Ambassador Club’s Masked Ball Tonight
One of the outstanding novelties on the diversified program planned for the Ambassador Club’s annual masked ball at Convention Hall tonight will be the “perfect form contest.”
Modeled after the bathing beauty contest, it is open to any girl who desires to compete. The contestants will be in bathing suits, and cash prizes will be awarded winners. Prizes will also be awarded to the winners in various classes of costumes and to the boy whose disguise renders him the best likeness to “Popeye,” the sailor man of the Courier-Post comic strip. More than 200 newsboys, guests of the club, will compete for that award.
Prizes total $300 in cash and awards for the various contests.
The dance program, presented by Pat Riley’s 12-piece orchestra, will continue until 2:00 A.M. The grand march will be led by Walter Stanton and Kathryn Hamilton, who will also number among the entertainers. Stanton will be master of ceremonies, while Harry W. Roselle will direct the grand march.
Steve Kirby, president of the club, heads the committee in charge of arrangements.
Gloom Vanishes, Joy Prevails As Halloween Is Observed
Camden Courier-Post —
South Jersey Celebrates With Dances and Parties; Hundreds Attend Ball Masque at Convention Hall; ‘Popeye’ Impersonated by Newsies
‘Everybody Happy?’— Yea! Yea!
Wrinkles and furrowed brows gave way to grins and broad smiles last night as Camden and South Jersey was gripped by a spirit of fun.
Today children will continue to laugh at the woes of adults. Grown-ups, too, will adopt the festival air characteristic of clowns in place of the depressing concern of the day. There seems to be greater cause to seize upon an occasion for fun this year and everyone is glad Halloween is at hand.
The height of jollity was attained last night at the Convention Hall where bathing beauties mingled with costumed dancers. The occasion marked the annual masked dance of the Ambassador Club. Prizes were distributed among the gaily-garbed revelers and more than 200 newsboys sprinkled laughter throughout the huge civic hall by their appearance in costumes impersonating “Popeye.”
Nearly 2500 persons, nearly all of whom were costumed, attended. Outstanding among the throng were numerous imitators of Popeye and Olive Oyl, Courier-Post comic strip characters. Many attired as animals, cannibals and female impersonators attracted comment and attention.
Walter J. A. Stanton, vaudeville star, served as master of the fete, and accompanied Miss Kathryn Hamilton, popular singer, in leading the grand march. “Joe” Hamilton, father of Miss Hamilton and widely known as a minstrel performer, joined Stanton in one act. Warrington’s Dancing Dolls, of 921 Broadway, and a chorus of ten, was another feature.
Music was furnished by Pat Riley’s 12-piece orchestra.
All Popularity Votes Cast Tomorrow to Count Double
Camden Courier-Post —
First Ten Candidates Virtually ‘Locked’ in Positions
Only 3 Changes Made in Standing
Contestants! Readers! Get set for the surprise news in the Courier-Post Retail Merchants’ Popularity Election!
Every dollar spent in the store of a co-operating merchant tomorrow will receive double votes—200 votes instead of 100—for the one day only. Double-vote day! This is your opportunity to help your favorite contestant two-fold in one day. This is the most valuable common service we have ever offered our contestants; it’s worth it if they ever worked before!
Well-known Camden singer and RKO artist, who will be master of ceremonies tonight at the Stanley Theater in introducing the contestants in the Courier-Post Retail Merchants’ Popularity Election. The winner of the contest will receive a 2 weeks’ vacation trip to Bermuda, and will be sent to Bermuda on a two-weeks vacation trip.
Merchants sponsoring the contest and giving out votes with every dollar of cash purchases or payments made on accounts are:
Charles Aceto, Drive-It-Yourself, 325 Arch street. Alice Beauty Shoppe, 512 Cooper street. Edmund S. Allen, Hotel Walt Whitman. Antrim Hardware Co., Twenty-sixth and Federal streets. Auburn Company of South Jersey, 413 Arch street. Auerbach’s Walk-Over Shoe Shop, 217 Broadway. Barrett Tire & Radio Co., 560 Carman street. Cecillia Baillie, 513 Market street. Baker-Flick Co., Third and Market streets. Virgil R. Beery, 2458 Forty-sixth street. Bell Drug Co., 1201 Haddon avenue. Ernest F. Birbeck, Plaza Hotel, Fifth and Cooper streets. Bon Ton Millinery, 709 Broadway. Camden Motors, 2201 Federal street.
Marathon Dance Rivals to Face Test Tonight in First 4-Hour ‘Grind’
Camden Courier-Post —
Nine dance teams and one solo dancer, with 1016 hours of continuous dancing to their credit at last midnight, are prepared today to meet the first real test demanded of them in the marathon dance championship contest at Central Airport.
Tonight, from 8 p.m. to 12, the dancers will be required to hoof without the customary 15-minute rest periods out of every hour. They will not be allowed to rest their heads upon their partners’ shoulders and must keep their feet moving constantly. Two or three teams are expected to collapse under the “grind.”
More than 2000 persons are expected to attend the performance, anxious to note what strength is displayed by their favorite contestants.
Ten vaudeville acts will also be presented tonight, including song and dance numbers, with ceremonies in charge of Johnny Fink, Curly Evans and Walter Stanton, RKO artists.
Tomorrow night a surprise program will be offered.
Injured Players to Be Feted by Dooley A. A.
Camden Courier-Post —
All plans have been completed for the dance and floor show to be held Saturday by the Dooley Athletic Association, which will turn the proceeds over to the football players who were injured while playing with the South Camden club last Fall.
The affair will be at the Licata ballroom, 417-19-21 Walnut Street. The Columbia Recording Orchestra will furnish the musical program. Walt Stanton, vaudeville performer, will be master of ceremonies. A vaudeville bill, headed by the Two Jays, will be presented.
The Young Men’s Republican Club of Camden county will pay tribute to the injured players. Officers are James T. Scarduzio, president; Louis Bush, vice president; Ralph Vitolo, secretary, and Albert Di Giacomo, treasurer.
Members of the committee are Anthony Jennetta, chairman; Thomas L. Griffith, Harry Powers, Adam Slovick, Joseph Gentile and Theodore Messaro.
A contest, closing March 24, will be held to obtain a slogan for the Dooley A.A. Fifteen prizes will be awarded. Further details about the contest will be announced at the dance.
St. Joseph’s Thespians Will Repeat Cabaret
Camden Courier-Post —
The St. Joseph’s Dramatic Club will repeat its cabaret show tomorrow night at the school auditorium, Twenty-ninth street and Westfield Avenue.
Walt Stanton, popular vaudeville performer, is master of ceremonies again. He has arranged a bill of professional talent, including Joe Hamilton, old-time minstrel comedian well known in Camden; the Two Jays, Ed Donahue, the Irish tenor; Mullen and Vincent, the Warrington Revue, Walter Giffins’ dance revue and the Bertha M. Pogue studio dancers.
Mrs. William Mullen, musical director of the affair, will be the piano accompanist. Bill Printz and his orchestra will provide the musical program for the dancing.