This thread's purpose is for anyone who is interested in discussing anything that had to do with Vaudeville. I did a term paper on the subject in college, years ago...and I found it to be very interesting.  Who are some of your favorite actors/actresses that originated by performing Vaudeville acts?




Erin :)

I used to like how on old eps. of I Love Lucy, Fred and Ethel always wanted to do Vaudeville acts in Ricky's show :)

The late Phil Silvers started in Vaudeville. Bilko has been one of my favourite programmes since I was a child.

If I could borrow the DeLorean for a few days, one of my trips would be to Paris around 1900 so I could see the legendary French vaudeville act known as "Le Petomane."

http://www.straightdope.com/classics/a1_394

Red Skelton is one of my biggest favorites. He could run the whole spectrum from happy clown, to down and out sad sack in the same show. He also told great stories, and was one of the best at ad-libbing. And I have to mention he outlasted many after switching from stage to television.

My great grandmother and grandfather were involved in vaudville.  Somewhere there are pictures at my Mom's place of her.  I'll scan some pictures and post them here.  :)

My great grandmother and grandfather were involved in vaudville.  Somewhere there are pictures at my Mom's place of her.  I'll scan some pictures and post them here.  :)



that would be awesome to see Molly!




Erin :)

Red Skelton is one of my biggest favorites. He could run the whole spectrum from happy clown, to down and out sad sack in the same show. He also told great stories, and was one of the best at ad-libbing. And I have to mention he outlasted many after switching from stage to television.



I really like when he played Freddie the freeloader....do you all remember that Freddie the Freeloader Christmas special...that used to be one of my favorites!



Erin :)

Vaudeville was very interesting to say the least. It was basically the "television of its day". It gave entertainment to the masses.  If you take a "Who's Who" of early television, you will find that most of them got their start in Vaudeville. Burns & Allen, Jack Benny, etc. But, I do believe it was television (as well as the film industry) that killed Vaudeville. However, I think that television did try to keep it alive a bit with shows like The Ed Sullivan Show. It is sad that today there are very few who have seen "live entertainment", whether it be a concert, play, ballet, symphony, etc. They just watch t.v. or movies/DVDs.




Cat

It is sad that today there are very few who have seen "live entertainment", whether it be a concert, play, ballet, symphony, etc. They just watch t.v. or movies/DVDs.


Yeah, it's a shame. I just heard yesetrday the Indianapolis Ballet closed down in the middle of rehearsal for their annual performance of "The Nutcracker". It played for decades and was always a holiday favorite, but I guess it's gone now.  :\'(

In the 80's, I was fortunate enough to see Billie Bird, an ex-vaudevillian, in a live play at a dinner theatre in Albuquerque. Many of you you won't recognize the name, I'm sure but she had small parts in these movies:
1993 Dennis the Menace Actor: Edith Butterwell 
1990 The End of Innocence Actor: Mrs. Yabledablow
1990 Home Alone Actor: Woman at Airport 
1989 Police Academy 6: City under Siege Actor: Mrs. Stanwyck 
1988 Save the Dog! Actor 
1988 Ernest Saves Christmas Actor: Mary Morrissey
1987 Police Academy 4: Citizens on Patrol Actor: Mrs. Feldman
1986 Help Wanted: Kids Actor: Bea 
1986 Ratboy Actor: Psychic
1986 One Crazy Summer Actor: Grandma
1984 Sixteen Candles Actor: Dorothy
1983 Max Dugan Returns Actor: Older Woman
1982 Young Doctors in Love Actor: Flower Girl
1970 Getting Straight Actor: Landlady 
1966 Las Vegas Hillbillies Actor: Aunt Clementine 
1961 Secret of Deep Harbor Actor: Mama Miller
1961 The Cat Burglar Actor: Mrs. Prattle 
1960 Too Soon to Love Actor: Mrs. Jefferson 
1959 Born to Be Loved Actor: Drunk's Wife 
1958 Unwed Mother Actor: Gertie 
1957 Panama Sal Actor: Woman Manager 
1957 The Joker Is Wild Actor 
1954 A Woman's World Actor: Woman in Bargain Basement 
1953 Half a Hero Actor: Ernestine 
1952 My Wife's Best Friend Actor: Katie 
1952 Somebody Loves Me Actor: Essie 
1952 Just Across the Street Actor: Pearl 
1951 The Mating Season Actor: Mugsy 
1951 Journey into Light Actor: Gertie 
1951 Darling, How Could You! Actor: Rosie 
1950 Dallas Actor: School Teacher

Yeah, it's a shame. I just heard yesetrday the Indianapolis Ballet closed down in the middle of rehearsal for their annual performance of "The Nutcracker". It played for decades and was always a holiday favorite, but I guess it's gone now.  :\'(


Every year we usually have to suffer sit through the Nutcracker because my step-son usually is the Nutcracker Prince.


In the 80's, I was fortunate enough to see Billie Bird, an ex-vaudevillian, in a live play at a dinner theatre in Albuquerque. Many of you you won't recognize the name, I'm sure but she had small parts in these movies:



I know the name. I always get her confussed with Billie Burke (Glenda from the Wizard of Oz).



Cat

Not being old enough to have seen any Vaudeville acts on stage, I'll have to go on what I'm told were some of the best of the radio & TV crossover acts. I always thought Burns & Allen were great. My one Uncle used to go to the Palace in NY when he traveled there on business in the 20's & 30's, and would sing some of the songs and recite poetry he remembered from some of the acts. Some of the stuff was quite risque. I was trying to find some of the songs but didn't have much luck. Most of what I found was songs that Benny Bell recorded later. I do remember my uncle saying that acts tried to play in Scanton, Pa. If they killed them in Scranton,( they were supposed to be a tough crowd, to please) the acts would be booked at the Palace. W

Not being old enough to have seen any Vaudeville acts on stage, I'll have to go on what I'm told were some of the best of the radio & TV crossover acts. I always thought Burns & Allen were great. My one Uncle used to go to the Palace in NY when he traveled there on business in the 20's & 30's, and would sing some of the songs and recite poetry he remembered from some of the acts. Some of the stuff was quite risque. I was trying to find some of the songs but didn't have much luck. Most of what I found was songs that Benny Bell recorded later. I do remember my uncle saying that acts tried to play in Scanton, Pa. If they killed them in Scranton,( they were supposed to be a tough crowd, to please) the acts would be booked at the Palace. W



What I would be interested in is how the censors worked (or didn't work) with Vaudville. I know once the film industry because big-so did the censors. We just recently watch "Modern Times" with Charlie Chaplin and there was a "note" that the film was ok by the censors. I'm sure with Vaudville, it was not (and probably couldn't be) regulated as well as film.



Cat

It is sad that today there are very few who have seen "live entertainment", whether it be a concert, play, ballet, symphony, etc. They just watch t.v. or movies/DVDs.


I'm not sure that's true, Cat. Just look at the amount of people who go to see (for example) The Rolling Stones. And look how many people were at Live 8.

My family and I go to a lot of live theatre, and it's usually full.

Live entertainment may not be as popular as it once was, but I think it's still got a future.

Every year we usually have to suffer sit through the Nutcracker because my step-son usually is the Nutcracker Prince.


Hehehe. My children are both in the school brass band and we go to virtually every concert. They tend to change three or four of the songs throughout the course of a school year, but generally we're hearing the same songs over and over aain.

From what I understand what acts played were controlled by the stage manager, Cat. If it was booked,  it played,  unless he thought it wasn't pleasing the crowds. He could bring down the curtain on an act if he thought he needed to be stopped, and could usually cancel contracts if he didn't think they were living up to their end of the agreement. My uncle always said the acts were more INTERESTING at later shows. This was probally after there were no kids in the theater!  The dialog probally changed depending on who they were playing to.    W

a lot of biographies I've read, mention the performer's early start in Vaudeville, but, guess I'm gonna do some research, what is vaudeville?

a lot of biographies I've read, mention the performer's early start in Vaudeville, but, guess I'm gonna do some research, what is vaudeville?



Vaudeville was basically a constant live variety show. There are lots of websites that give histories of it. If you google "Vaudeville" you can come up with lots of info.




Cat

I'm just reviving this thread because I had Vaudeville on my mind today. I was just thinking about how much I would have loved to be apart of something so great during it's time.

This thread's purpose is for anyone who is interested in discussing anything that had to do with Vaudeville. I did a term paper on the subject in college, years ago...and I found it to be very interesting.  Who are some of your favorite actors/actresses that originated by performing Vaudeville acts?




Erin :)


I don't know much about vaudeville only that in the very early 50's TV was basically vaudeville entertainment brought to us by Uncle Miltie. Visual slapstick comedy schtick was a perfect format for TV. He saw the future in TV but only had his history in vaudeville to draw on for material and subject matter. I was very young but remember some of that raw vaudeville acts on our 9" RCA. His history and his foresight was successful and for it they crowned Milton Berle the "King of Comedy".

It all started with basic vaudeville and all others that followed him on the tube did the same thing, but refined the acts to fit the times, all the sitcoms in 60's were re-hashed vaudville material even up to the "Carol Burnet" show in the 70's were basic vaudeville acts in disguise. So I think we always had vaudeville in our faces all these years but the newer generations didn't know it.

Until another Milton Berle comes along with a vision to bring back the "comedy variety shows" on TV, which I personally would enjoy, vaudeville is dead forever.

PS...I'm sort of proud of our home town movie house having all of the top billing vaudeville acts perform here in Union back in the hay days of vaudeville...now it's a 10 scene abomination.