 Columbia Amusement Co. Building, Manhattan, in 1917 | |
| Formation | 12 July 1902 |
|---|---|
| Dissolved | 1927 |
| Legal status | Corporation |
| Purpose | Burlesque production company |
Region | United States and Canada |
Official language | English |
| Leader | Samuel A. Scribner |
| Subsidiaries | American Burlesque Association |
The Columbia Amusement Company, also called the Columbia Wheel or the Eastern Burlesque Wheel, was a show business organization that produced burlesque shows in the United States between 1902 and 1927. Each year, between three and four dozen Columbia burlesque companies would travel in succession round a "wheel" of theaters, ensuring steady employment for performers and a steady supply of new shows for participating theaters. For much of its history the Columbia Wheel promoted relatively "clean" variety shows featuring comedians and pretty girls. Eventually the wheel was forced out of business due to changing tastes and competition from its one-time subsidiary and eventual rival, the Mutual Burlesque Association, as well as cinemas and cruder stock burlesque companies.