List of vaudeville performers: A–K

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This is a partial list of vaudeville performers. Inclusion on this list indicates that the subject appeared at least once on the North American vaudeville stage during its heyday between 1881 and 1932. The source in the citation included with each entry confirms their appearance and cites information in the performance notes section.

Contents

Vaudeville was a style of variety entertainment predominant in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Developing from many sources, including saloon shows, minstrel shows, freak shows, dime museums, British pantomimes, and other popular forms of entertainment, vaudeville became one of the most popular types of entertainment in America, Canada, Australia and New Zealand. Vaudeville took the form of a series of separate, unrelated acts each featuring a different types of performance, including classical and popular musical acts, dance performances, comedy, animal acts, magic and illusions, female and male impersonators, acrobatic and athletic feats, one-act plays or scenes from plays, lectures, minstrels, or even short films. A vaudeville performer is sometimes known as a "vaudevillian".

NameBirthDeathNationalityPerformance notesReference
Abbott and Costello AmericanComic duo consisting of William (Bud) Abbott (October 2, 1897 – April 24, 1974) and Lou Costello (March 6, 1906 – March 3, 1959). Abbott began working in vaudeville in 1918, producing a "tab show" on the Gus Sun circuit with his wife. Later, he began working as a comic "straight man." Abbott and Costello met around 1929 and possibly performed together in vaudeville in the very early 1930s. The duo went on to work in radio and film. [1]
Jean Acker October 23, 1893August 16, 1978AmericanActress known primarily for her work on film and as the first wife of Rudolf Valentino. [2]
Janet Adair c. 1892November 24, 1938AmericanSinging comedienne with piano accompanist; she was the lead female performer in Bombo with Al Jolson. [3] [4]
Jean Adair June 13, 1873May 11, 1953CanadianActress of the legitimate stage who appeared in vaudeville in a sketch, Maggie Taylor, Waitress. Adair usually played mothers and elderly aunts onstage following her New York debut in 1922. One of her best known roles was as Aunt Martha in the play, Arsenic and Old Lace. [5] [6]
Milton Ager October 6, 1893May 6, 1979AmericanPianist and songwriter. Ager worked in vaudeville prior to 1910 as an accompanist. He wrote for the stage and Hollywood and composed the song, "Happy Days Are Here Again" with lyrics by Jack Yellen. [7]
Will Ahern October 9, 1896May 16, 1983AmericanCowboy comedian and entertainer who performed in a comic duo with his wife, Gladys Reese. Ahern told jokes and performed rope tricks while his wife, using a Mexican accent, sang and danced. [8]
Harry Akst August 15, 1894March 31, 1963AmericanPianist and songwriter, Akst accompanied singers including Al Jolson, Nora Bayes and Frank Fay. Perhaps his most notable song is "Dinah", which has been covered by such artists as Bing Crosby, the Mills Brothers and Fats Waller. [9]
Jack Albertson June 16, 1907November 25, 1981AmericanActor, comedian, dancer and singer. After vaudeville, Albertson worked in burlesque, on Broadway and in Hollywood, winning a Tony Award, an Emmy Award and an Academy Award. [10]
Robert Alda February 26, 1914May 3, 1986AmericanActor, singer and dancer whose vaudeville career began in earnest after winning a talent contest. After working in vaudeville and burlesque, Alda appeared on Broadway, winning a Tony Award for the role of Sky Masterson in Guys and Dolls . He later appeared in film, as well. He is the father of TV and film actor Alan Alda. [11] [12]
Joe Bennet Aldert 18891967AmericanDancer [13]
Russell Alexander February 26, 1877October 2, 1915AmericanEuphonium virtuoso and musician who performed in a novelty musical act with his brothers, Newton and Woodruff. It was Newton who first formed the act, called "The Exposition Four", which consisted of Newton, Woodruff, James Brady and Willie Patten. Russell replaced Patten later. The group performed a comedy act with some blackface but also performed virtuosic feats on their instruments. Russell would become one of the greatest of circus music composers. [14]
Hadji Ali 1892November 5, 1937EgyptianRegurgitator, billed as "The Egyptian Enigma", who performed an act where he swallowed kerosene followed by water. After regurgitating the kerosene and setting it ablaze, he would put out the flames with the regurgitated water. He also swallowed and regurgitated nuts and live goldfish. [15]
Maud Allan August 27, 1873October 7, 1956CanadianA dancer, Allan created the famous "Salome Dance", a dance of her own creation. After performing it first at London's Palace Theatre, in March 1908, she appeared at New York's Palace Theatre January 20, 1910. She toured in American vaudeville from 1916 to 1917 and 1919 to 1920. [16] [17] [18]
Fred Allen May 31, 1894March 17, 1956AmericanJuggler and comedian who also performed in a comic duo with his wife, Portland Hoffa (January 25, 1905 – December 25, 1990). His original act featured Allen as a ventriloquist, the comedy coming from his lack of talent (at one point the dummy would fall apart). Later his act featured Allen as a clumsy juggler and once his wife joined, she would act as the "straight man" to his bad juggling routine. Later, the couple would gain prominence on the radio. [19]
Lester Allen November 17, 1891November 6, 1949AmericanComedian who appeared in a double act with Nellie Breen. He also emceed at the Palace. [20]
Louis Alter June 18, 1902November 5, 1980AmericanPianist and songwriter who accompanied Nora Bayes for a number of years and wrote songs for Irène Bordoni, Beatrice Lillie and Helen Morgan. Among his most popular songs are "Manhattan Serenade" and "Do You Know What It Means to Miss New Orleans." [21] [22]
Nick Altrock September 15, 1876January 20, 1965AmericanFormer baseball player who appeared in a comedy routine with Al Schacht, The Clown Prince of Baseball. [23]
Kirk Alyn May 31, 1908December 6, 1993AmericanSinger and dancer. Later notable as the first actor to play Superman on film. [24]
Don Ameche May 31, 1906March 14, 1999AmericanComedian with Texas Guinan's troupe. After vaudeville, Ameche worked in film, winning an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor in 1985 for his work on the film, Cocoon . [25] [26]
Morey Amsterdam December 14, 1908October 27, 1996AmericanAmsterdam debuted in vaudeville as a cellist with his brother, a pianist. Within a short while, the act had become a comedy routine; Amsterdam's cello becoming a mere prop. After working in a nightclub owned by Al Capone, Amsterdam worked in radio, where he had his own variety show, The Morey Amsterdam Show , and in television where he was cast as one of Dick Van Dyke's co-workers on The Dick Van Dyke Show . He also wrote comedy dialogue for motion pictures. [27]
"Broncho Billy" Anderson March 21, 1880January 20, 1971AmericanActor who, following vaude, became the first star of the Western film genre. In addition, with George K. Spoor, he founded Essanay Studios ("S" for Spoor and "A" for Anderson) in Chicago. [28]
Eddie Anderson September 18, 1905February 28, 1977AmericanBorn into a vaudevillian family, Anderson began performing in a song and dance act with his brother, Cornelius and another young man, at the age of 14. The act was billed as the "Three Black Aces." Following vaude, Anderson appeared with fellow vaudevillian, Jack Benny, as "Rochester" on The Jack Benny Show on radio and later TV. [29]
Andrews Sisters AmericanTrio of sisters, LaVerne (July 6, 1911 – May 8, 1967), Maxine (January 3, 1916 – October 21, 1995) and Patty (February 16, 1918 – January 30, 2013) who sang in close harmony. The trio started touring vaudeville in the early 1930s with the Larry Rich band. [30]
Margaret Anglin April 3, 1876January 7, 1958CanadianActress from the legitimate stage who appeared in a sketch of the play The Wager, The Playhouse Theatre, New York, December 1917. Anglin was one of the most noted actresses on the American stage in her time, having gained the admiration of Sarah Bernhardt, the greatest actress of the age. [5] [31]
A. E. Anson September 14, 1879June 25, 1936BritishShakespearian actor who appeared in a vaudeville sketch entitled 1690 which he wrote himself. [32]
Capt. Adrian C. "Cap" Anson April 17, 1852April 14, 1922AmericanFormer baseball player who appeared in a sketch in 1913 with a monologue and short dance. He reappeared with his daughters in 1921. [33]
Dave Apollon 1898May 30, 1972Russian-AmericanMandolinist. Apollon arrived in the US from Russia in 1921. Finding success in vaude, Apollon appeared as an emcee at the Palace and also appeared with his Filipino Orchestra on the last two-a-day program there, May 7, 1932. He also appeared in the final vaudeville presentation at the Loew's State Theatre, New York City, December 23, 1947. [34]
Macklyn Arbuckle July 9, 1866March 31, 1931AmericanCharacter actor who toured vaudeville in the sketch, The Welcher in 1910. Arbuckle made his stage debut in Shreveport, Louisiana in 1888 and his New York debut in 1900. He found success playing "homespun" type characters and eventually he moved into film, creating the San Antonio Pictures Corporation. [35] [36] [37]
Roscoe "Fatty" Arbuckle March 24, 1887June 29, 1933AmericanArbuckle was a portly comic actor who was mentored by vaudeville veteran, Leon Errol. After leaving the stage, Arbuckle became a well-known comedian in silent films, eventually partnering with Buster Keaton. His career was destroyed by accusations that he murdered a young actress. Following two trials ending in hung juries and a final trial that acquitted him, Arbuckle's career was ruined. He would not return to motion pictures until 1932. [38]
Harold Arlen February 15, 1905April 23, 1986AmericanPianist, musician and composer. Among his more well-known songs are "Stormy Weather", "Get Happy" and songs for the movie-musical, The Wizard of Oz . [39]
Armida May 29, 1911October 23, 1989AmericanMexican-American singer and actress discovered while performing with her sister, Dolores, in Los Angeles. After becoming a part of Gus Edwards' vaudeville troupe, she made a number of films, including 1930's On the Border with John Barrymore and Rin-Tin-Tin. [40]
Julia Arthur May 3, 1868March 28, 1950CanadianActress from the legitimate stage who appeared at the Palace in May 1917 in a sketch called Liberty Aflame. As well as working onstage, Arthur made 10 silent films from 1908 to 1919. [41] [42]
Adele and Fred Astaire AmericanBallroom dance duo with Fred Astaire (May 10, 1899 – June 22, 1987) and his sister, Adele (September 10, 1896 – January 25, 1981). The duo first appeared in vaudeville in 1912, but as Fred was underage, the duo did not return until 1916, when they toured many vaudeville circuits. [43] [44]
Roscoe Ates January 20, 1896March 1, 1962AmericanComedian known for his portrayals of comic, stuttering characters. Ates later appeared in films. [34]
Cholly Atkins September 13, 1913April 19, 2003AmericanTap dancer in a noted dance act with Charles "Honi" Coles. Later Atkins became a choreographer for Motown. [45]
Lionel Atwill March 1, 1885April 22, 1946BritishAn actor, Atwill toured with Lillie Langtry as her leading man in the play, Ashes during 1915. Following his stage career, Atwill worked in Hollywood, appearing in many horror films during the 1930s and 1940s. His career was cut short by a scandal involving an orgy at his home where a young woman was raped. [46] [47]
Adrienne Augarde May 12, 1882March 17, 1913BritishSinger and stage actress, [48]
Gene Austin June 24, 1900January 24, 1972AmericanSinger and songwriter who first appeared in vaudeville in the early 1920s. He performed as one of the first "crooners." Austin appeared on radio in 1923 and began recording as "The Voice of the Southland." [49]
Lovie Austin September 19, 1887July 10, 1972AmericanJazz pianist who toured extensively in vaude, often with her own band, the "Blues Serenaders." [50] [51]

B

NameBirthDeathNationalityPerformance notesReference
Frank Bacon January 16, 1864November 19, 1922AmericanActor and playwright, appeared in vaudeville skits and playlets. Father of Lloyd Bacon. [52]
Lloyd Bacon December 4, 1889November 15, 1955AmericanBroadway actor who, following a season in vaudeville went to Hollywood where he became a director with Warner Bros. after appearing as an actor in nearly 40 films. [53]
Pearl Bailey March 29, 1918August 17, 1990AmericanSinger and actress who followed vaudeville with a career onstage, on film and on TV. She garnered a Tony Award for her role on Broadway in Hello, Dolly! . [54]
Belle Baker December 25, 1893April 29, 1957AmericanBaker first ventured onstage with the encouragement of actor, Jacob Adler and later, producer, Lew Leslie. Her debut in vaudeville was in Scranton, Pennsylvania at the age of 15 and she debuted in big-time vaudeville at Hammerstein's Theatre in New York in 1911. As a singer and actress, she established her name in vaudeville as "The Ragtime Singer." Baker is one of the Palace headliners who performed there numerous times. Her Palace debut was in 1913, when she sang the song, "Cohen Owes Me Ninety-Seven Dollars." Following vaudeville she appeared on Broadway and on the radio. [55] [56]
Josephine Baker June 3, 1906April 12, 1975AmericanBaker debuted as a chorus girl in vaudeville and in the revues Shufflin' Along , The Chocolate Dandies, and Runnin' Wild. Following that she left the US to become a dancer and singer in the cabarets and nightclubs of Paris. [57]
Phil Baker 324 August 1896December 1, 1963AmericanPianist, accordionist and comedian who began in a double act with Ben Bernie on violin. Originally a serious musical act, over time it developed comic elements. Following their split, both comedians became successful in their own right. Baker headlined at the Palace in 1930 and 1931. He later enjoyed a career on Broadway in musicals and later radio. [58] [59]
Balasis family acrobatic act Acrobats performing in vaudeville, variety shows and circuses in Europe, US, and Canada from c.1900 - 1930 [60]
Nikita Balieff c. 1877September 3, 1936ArmenianSinger, dancer, actor, monologist and impresario of the Chauve-Souris comedy troupe. [61]
Ernest Ball July 21, 1878May 3, 1927AmericanAccompanist, singer and songwriter known for writing sentimental ballads, usually with Irish themes such as "When Irish Eyes Are Smiling." Ball appeared at the Palace in 1923 and 1926 and died the next year in his dressing room at the Yost Theatre in Santa Ana, California while on tour with his singing group, "Ernie Ball and His Gang." [62]
Barbette December 9, 1904August 5, 1975AmericanAfter seeing an aerialist in a circus, Vander Clyde or Van der Clyde (his real name) desired to become one. He responded to an ad in Billboard for the Alfaretta Sisters, an aerial act, who were looking for a replacement member. He began dressing as a female on their encouragement and continued to do so after leaving the act. In 1923, he traveled to Britain and then Paris, where he became the talk of the town. He toured Europe and returned to the US to continue in vaudeville. Following his stage career, Barbette continued to work with performers for various circuses. [63]

[64] [65]

Ben Bard January 26, 1893May 17, 1974AmericanComedian, in a duo with Jack Pearl. [59]
Wilkie Bard March 19, 1870March 5, 1944BritishComedian and singer. [66] [67]
Reginald Barlow June 17, 1866July 6, 1943AmericanActor and minstrel. Appeared at the age of 9 with the minstrel troupe of Barlow, Wilson, Primrose and West. Later he became a film actor. [68]
The Barrison Sisters SwedishFive sisters who performed risqué songs and dances. The sisters were Lona, Sophia, Inger, Olga and Gertrude Barrison. [69]
Mr. and Mrs. Jimmy Barry AmericanMarried couple who performed as a comedy duo [70]
Ethel Barrymore August 15, 1879June 18, 1959AmericanActress who appeared in "tab" versions of her hits in the legitimate theatre as well as one-act plays. Barrymore's debut in vaudeville was in the one-act play, Civilization by Richard Harding Davis at the Palace Theatre the week of April 28, 1913. In 1914, Barrymore toured in Drifted Apart and later toured the Oprheum circuit in J. M. Barrie's The Twelve Pound Look with a salary of $3000 a week. The Twelve Pound Look played the Palace, June 1921 and in September and December 1926. [66] [71] [72]
John Barrymore February 14, 1882May 29, 1942AmericanActor, Appeared in a sketch called, His Wedding Morn', caused a sensation on Broadway in Justice and later for his portrayals of Hamlet and Richard III. [66] [73]
Lionel Barrymore April 28, 1878November 15, 1954AmericanActor from the legitimate stage who appeared in a sketch of Bartley Campbell's play, The White Slave, with Doris Rankin. He also toured in The Still Voice in 1914. [66] [73] [74]
Maurice Barrymore September 21, 1849March 26, 1905BritishActor on the "legitimate stage", Barrymore made his vaudeville debut in a one-act version of Augustus Thomas' play, A Man of the World, and headlined many other sketches. [66] [73]
Charles Barton 19021981AmericanActor. [75]
Eileen Barton November 24, 1929June 27, 2006AmericanSang "Ain't Misbehavin'" in her parents vaudeville act at the age of 2 in Kansas City, Missouri. At the age of 3½, Barton appeared at the Palace as part of Ted Healy's routine. Barton later became a noted popular music singer. [76]
James Barton November 1, 1890February 19, 1962AmericanComic dancer who made his stage debut at the age of 2. Barton appeared in vaudeville at the age of 4, working steadily in stock and repertory theatre as well. His New York stage debut was in The Passing Show of 1919 and from there on he appeared in many musicals during the 1920s, appearing in vaudeville between roles. [77] [78]
Billy Barty October 25, 1924December 23, 2000AmericanDiminutive, juvenile actor, Barty originally appeared in film. He appeared in vaudeville with his sisters in an act called "Billy Barty and His Sisters", where he played the drums and did impressions. Later, Barty founded two service organizations for people with dwarfism. [79]
Count Basie August 21, 1904April 26, 1984AmericanPianist, bandleader and composer. Before the age of 20, Basie was touring on the Keith circuit and later, the Columbia Burlesque and T. O. B. A. circuits as a pianist, accompanist and musical director for singers, dancers and comedians. [80] [81] [82]
Blanche Bates August 25, 1873December 25, 1941AmericanActress of the legitimate stage who appeared at the Palace in December 1918 in The World Mother. Additionally, she would play vaudeville houses in between engagements. Bates debuted in 1897 with Augustin Daly's company later working with David Belasco. [83] [84]
Clayton "Peg Leg" Bates October 11, 1907December 6, 1998AmericanRhythm tap dancer with only one leg. [85]
Warner Baxter March 29, 1889May 7, 1951AmericanActor. Later won the 1929 Academy Award for Best Actor for his role as the Cisco Kid in the film In Old Arizona . [86]
Nora Bayes October 8, 1880June 19, 1928AmericanSinger and comedian who toured with her husband, Jack Norworth from 1908 to 13. She introduced such standards as 'Shine on Harvest Moon' and Cohan's 'Over There.' [71] [87]
Beverly Bayne November 11, 1894August 18, 1982AmericanActress with her husband, Francis X. Bushman. Bayne and Bushman, following successful careers in silent films, appeared at the Palace in a comedy sketch, Poor Rich Man. The couple toured vaudeville throughout the 1920s. Unable to revive her film career in the late 1920s, following her divorce from Bushman, Bayne worked the rest of her life onstage. [88] [89]
Ruth Virginia Bayton November 11, 1894August 18, 1982AmericanEntertainer and actress. [90]
George Beauchamp 18991941AmericanViolin and steel lap guitar player. Beauchamp developed the first commercially available electric guitar. [91]
George Beban 1873October 5, 1928AmericanKnown for his Italian characters. Beban began playing French characters but once he began working in film, he played Italian characters. His initial act involved recitation of a poem called, "Mia Rosa." Beban created a one-act play from the poem, The Sign of the Rose, in which he toured vaudeville for seven years. A full-length version, also by Beban, premiered at the Garrick Theatre in New York in 1911. Beban signed with silent film director and producer, Thomas Ince, after his work in vaudeville and appeared in a number of films including a version of The Sign of the Rose called The Alien. [92]
Martin Beck 1867November 16, 1940Austrian-AmericanActor and later one of the top vaudeville theatre owners. [94]
Digby Bell November 8, 1849June 20, 1917AmericanComic actor, Bell began his stagework as a singer, but eventually made his mark as a comedian. Bell was the leading comic in Lillian Russell's company and spent much of his later life in plays and vaudeville. [95]
Rita Bell December 16, 1893January 8, 1992AmericanA lyric soprano, Bell's vaudeville career included the B. F. Keith Circuit. [96]
Robert Benchley September 15, 1889November 21, 1945AmericanActor and monologist. [97]
Chief Bender May 3, 1883May 22, 1954AmericanFormer baseball player who did an act with Kathryn Pearl called Learning the Game by George Totten Smith with music by Arthur Behim. [23]
Bennie Benjamin November 4, 1907May 2, 1989AmericanGuitarist and banjo player with a number of bands, Benjamin would become a major songwriter following his work in vaude. [98]
Le Roy Benjamin 19171997AmericanBuilt and performed with marionettes, later did voice impressions with Le Roy Brothers Marionettes. [99]
Belle Bennett April 22, 1891November 4, 1932AmericanTrapeze artist and later silent film actress, Bennett, following a career in vaudeville, entered film in 1916 and worked through the end of the age of silent films. [100]
Richard Bennett 18701944AmericanActor who appeared in a sketch from the play The Common Man. [5]
Jack Benny February 14, 1894December 26, 1974AmericanComedian and actor, known for his comedic violin playing (a leftover from his stage routine) and for constantly presenting the idea that he is 39 years young. His radio and TV programs featured his wife Mary, comedian Don Wilson as announcer, and character actor Eddie Anderson as Benny's valet Rochester. [101]
Irving Benson January 31, 1914May 19, 2016AmericanComedian and actor known for playing Sidney Spritzer, the wise-cracking heckler of fellow vaudevillian Milton Berle, and for being a frequent guest on The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson . [102]
Alphonse Bergé July 12, 1885June 23, 1980English-AmericanNoted for speedily dressing live models with bolts of fabric [103]
Edgar Bergen February 16, 1903September 30, 1978AmericanVentrilogquist with his dummy, Charlie McCarthy. [104]
Valerie Bergere February 8, 1867September 16, 1938French-born AmericanActress, headlined in vaudeville for 17 years [105]
Sammy Berk c. 18941983AmericanNovelty dancer. [106]
Milton Berle July 12, 1908March 27, 2002AmericanComedian and actor, later known as "Mr. Television" for pulling in record numbers in TV's early days for his "Texaco Star Theater". [107]
Irving Berlin May 11, 1888September 22, 1989AmericanMusician and songwriter. Known for such songs as "Alexander's Ragtime Band", "White Christmas", "Easter Parade", "There's No Business Like Show Business", and "God Bless America." [108]
Sam Bernard June 5, 1863May 16, 1927BritishActor, "Dutch" comedian and monologist known for his German characterizations. In 1885, Bernard toured the British music hall circuit later appearing at the Palace in January 1914 and March 1926. [109]
Sarah Bernhardt October 23, 1844March 26, 1923FrenchActress, known as "The Divine Sarah" and "The First Lady of the Theater" [110]
Ben Bernie May 30, 1891October 20, 1943AmericanViolinist and comedian. Had an act with Phil Baker. [111]
Joe Besser August 12, 1907March 1, 1988AmericanBesser first began in show business as a song plugger and magician's assistant. He worked his way up to being a comedian and headlined with acts such as Olsen and Johnson. After appearing on radio, Besser appeared on film and was a member of the Three Stooges for two years. [112]
Amelia Bingham March 20, 1869September 1, 1927AmericanActress of the "legit" stage, Bingham appeared in vaudeville at the Palace in July 1909 in Big Moments from Great Plays, which included excerpts from six plays. Bingham was discovered by a traveling actor while she was waiting tables in her father's hotel while on break from Ohio Wesleyan University. Following her Broadway debut in 1893, Bingham was noted for her sparkling performances in comedies and melodramas. In addition to her performances, Bingham also managed the Bijou Theatre in New York beginning in 1900 and organized her own stock company. [5] [113] [114]
Billie Bird February 28, 1908November 27, 2002AmericanActress and comedian who was discovered in an orphanage. Bird toured with the group for some time before creating an act with another girl called, "The King Sisters" which toured the Keith-Orpheum circuit. After vaudeville began to fade, Bird toured in musicals and comedies and on the nightclub circuit. She also worked in film and on television. [115]
Harry Blackstone Sr. September 27, 1885November 16, 1965AmericanMagician. [116]
J. Stuart Blackton January 5, 1875August 13, 1941British-AmericanStage cartoonist billed as Komikal Kartoonist in an act with his friends Albert E. Smith the Komikal Konjuror and Ronald A. Reader who operated a magic lantern. [117]
Blake and Amber AmericanHusband and wife comic duo composed of Winfield Blake and Maude Amber [118]
Block and Sully AmericanHusband and wife comic duo composed of Jesse Block (December 16, 1900 – March 22, 1983) and Eve Sully (1902 – August 7, 1990). [119]
Joan Blondell August 30, 1909December 25, 1979AmericanActress. She joined her parents' act at 3, leaving the act in 1926 for Broadway and later Hollywood. [120] [121]
Lew Bloom August 8, 1859December 12, 1929AmericanComic monologist and "society tramp." [122] [123]
Ben Blue September 12, 1901March 7, 1975CanadianComedian and dancer. [122]
Ray Bolger January 10, 1904January 15, 1987AmericanDancer and actor known for his "loose-limbed, comic" dancing style. Appeared on Broadway in On Your Toes and By Jupiter . Best known film role is the Scarecrow in The Wizard of Oz . [124] [125]
Bessie Bonehill February 17, 1855August 21, 1902BritishMale impersonator, Bonehill first appeared on the American vaudeville in 1889. She worked heavily in the British music hall as well as playing the principal boy in British pantomimes. [126]
Irène Bordoni January 16, 1895March 19, 1953FrenchChanteuse and musical theatre star. Bordoni's first appeared in the chorus at the Théâtre des Variétés in Paris at the age of 13. She traveled to the US and began appearing on the vaudeville and the Broadway stages in 1912. The following year she toured the Orpheum circuit with Melville Ellis in tow as both accompanist and costume designer. From 1915 to 28, Bordoni appeared in a number of Broadway musicals but in vaudeville in her spare time. She appeared at the Palace in May and November 1927 and September 1930. After her retirement, she made occasional appearances on Broadway before dying while on tour in the musical, South Pacific . [127]
Luis Borromeo FilipinoAlso known as Borromeo Lou. A Filipino jazz pianist who performed at the Orpheum Circuit in the late 1910s. He returned to the Philippines in the 1920s where he popularized bodabil, a localized variant of vaudeville. [128]
Boswell Sisters AmericanTrio of singing sisters composed of Meldania "Martha" Boswell (1905–1958), Constance Foore "Connee" Boswell (December 3, 1907 – October 11, 1976), and Helvetia George "Vet" Boswell (May 20, 1911 – 1988). [129]
Hobart Bosworth August 11, 1867December 30, 1943AmericanActor appearing in a sketch from the play Sea Wolf. Bosworth was already an accomplished stage actor having worked with the companies of McKee Rankin and Augustin Daly as well as with some of the leading ladies of the day. After contracting tuberculosis, Bosworth traveled west and became a leading man at the Belasco Theatre in Los Angeles, where he also founded the Hobart Bosworth Institute of Dramatic Arts. He entered silent films in 1909 and created Bosworth Incorporated in order to create feature films based on the works of Jack London. In 1917, Bosworth and Ethel Grey Terry, toured in a sketch of London's Sea Wolf. [5] [130]
Ray Bourbon 1893July 19, 1971AmericanFemale impersonator. [129]
Eddie Bracken February 7, 1915November 14, 2002AmericanActor and comedian, started in films as a child and later appeared as comic foil in numerous feature films. [131]
Hugh Bradley May 23, 1885January 26, 1949AmericanBaseball player who appeared with the Boston Red Sox Quartette in 1912. The quartet included Buck O'Brien, Marty Hale and Bill Lyons. [132]
Nellie Breen c. 18981986AmericanShe appeared in a double act with Lester Allen. [20]
El Brendel March 25, 1890April 9, 1964AmericanComedian. [133]
Jay BrennanDecember 6, 1882January 14, 1961AmericanComedian. Played the "straight man" to Bert Savoy. [54] [134]
Walter Brennan July 25, 1894September 21, 1974AmericanActor. [135]
Herbert Brenon January 13, 1880June 22, 1958AmericanHad a comic duo with his wife, Helen Oberg. Later he was a Hollywood screenwriter. [136]
Elizabeth Brice c. 18851965AmericanWhen she performed in vaudeville with Charles King they were known as Brice and King. [137] [138]
Fanny Brice October 29, 1891May 29, 1951AmericanComedian and singer known for comedic songs, except for "My Man", and her portrayal of bratty Baby Snooks. The Ziegfeld Follies regular was famously portrayed by Barbra Streisand in Funny Girl and Funny Lady . [139]
Lottie Briscoe April 19, 1883March 21, 1950AmericanStarred in a 1919 vaudeville skit by George Kelly entitled Mrs. Wellington's Surprise [140]
James Brockman December 8, 1886May 22, 1967AmericanAfter beginning as a comedian in vaudeville, Brockman worked in musicals before settling in Hollywood as a songwriter. [141]
Helen Broderick August 11, 1891September 25, 1959AmericanSinger-comedian who made her stage debut in the chorus of the Ziegfeld Follies of 1907. After becoming a comedian, she developed a caustic, wisecracking style and appeared in both musical comedies and vaudeville. Later Broderick worked in Hollywood. [70] [142]
Harry Brooks September 20, 1895June 22, 1970AmericanPianist and songwriter. [143]
Shelton Brooks May 4, 1886September 6, 1975AmericanSinger, pianist and songwriter. Many of Brooks' songs were composed for vaudeville singer, Sophie Tucker and among them, the song, "Some of These Days", which became one of Tucker's best known songs. Her 1911 recording of this song was selected in 2004 to be added to the National Recording Registry, ensuring its preservation in the Library of Congress. [144] [145]
Heywood Broun December 7, 1888December 18, 1939AmericanDrama critic who worked as a monologuist in vaudeville and appearing at the Palace. Broun began working for the New York Tribune in 1912 and went to serve as the drama critic for the New York World from 1921 to 1928 and also as the drama editor for Vanity Fair . [146] [147]
Joe E. Brown July 28, 1892July 6, 1973AmericanComedian with the Bell Prevost Trio, Brown was often billed as "The Corkscrew Kid." Brown made his screen debut in 1928 and quickly became one of the leading comedians in Hollywood and later on television, thanks in part to his mouth and yells. Among his best known film roles is the millionaire, Osgood Fielding, in the 1959 film, Some Like It Hot . [19] [148]
Nacio Herb Brown February 22, 1896September 28, 1964AmericanPianist and songwriter. Brown was accompanist to performer, Alice Doll, and toured with her on the Orpheum Circuit. Certainly one of his best known songs is "Singin' in the Rain", which he wrote with lyricist, Arthur Freed. [149] [150]
Tom Brown June 3, 1888March 25, 1958AmericanTrombonist and leader of Tom Brown's Band from Dixieland. Also put together the vaudeville band, the "Five Rubes" which disbanded shortly thereafter. [151] [152] [153]
Bothwell Browne March 7, 1877December 12, 1947DanishFemale impersonator with a brief career; headlined at the Palace in 1919. [154]
Frank Browning 18821948AmericanFormer baseball player who was in a quartet with 3 other baseball players around 1925. The three other singers were George Crable, Tom Dillon and Kid Gleason. [33]
Peaches Browning June 23, 1910August 23, 1956AmericanActress, known best for her marriage at the age of 16 to Edward Browning, a 51-year-old real estate mogul. Shortly after their marriage, Peaches filed for divorce and her fame lead her to appear in vaudeville. [155]
Tod Browning July 12, 1880October 6, 1962AmericanActor. Later a Hollywood director who directed Dracula and Freaks . [156]
Harry Bulger 1872April 14, 1926AmericanActor and comedian who was one half of the duo Matthews and Bulger. Starred in several Broadway musicals. [157] [158]
Brox Sisters AmericanTrio of singing sisters consisting of Dagmar Brock, born Josephine and later called Bobbe (1900 – May 2, 1999), Kathleen, later known as Patricia (June 14, 1903 – 1988), and Eunice, later called Lorayne (d. 1993). [159] [160] [161]
Buck and Bubbles AmericanDance duo with Ford Lee "Buck" Washington (October 16, 1903 – January 31, 1955) and John W. "Bubbles" Sublett (February 19, 1902 – May 18, 1986). [162]
John Bunny September 21, 1863April 26, 1915AmericanActor, comedians, and minstrel. Later a film star. [163]
Neil Burgess 18461910AmericanFemale impersonator, mostly playing elderly widows. [164]
Smiley Burnette March 18, 1911February 16, 1967AmericanSinger. Later worked with Gene Autry and performed onscreen in Westerns. [165]
Burns and Allen AmericanComic duo consisting of George Burns (January 20, 1896 – March 9, 1996) and his wife, Gracie Allen (July 26, 1895 – August 27, 1964). Their radio and television shows proved their enduring popularity, thanks in part to Gracie's scatterbrained publicity stunts. [71] [166]
Pesach Burstein 18961986Polish-AmericanActor, comedian and singer mostly in Yiddish vaudeville with his family. Burstein, his kids and his wife, Lillian Lux are profiled in the 2002 documentary, The Komediant. [167]
Mae Busch June 18, 1891April 19, 1946AustralianActress and comedian who found success in American vaudeville and later appeared in a number of Laurel and Hardy films. [168]
Francis X. Bushman January 10, 1883August 23, 1966AmericanActor who toured with his wife, actress Beverly Bayne. Following his initial silent film career in Hollywood, where he had become a matinee idol, Bushman and Bayne appeared at the Palace in the comedy sketch, Poor Rich Man in 1921 and toured various circuits throughout the 1920s. Bushman returned to Hollywood and continued work in film. [88] [89]
Butterbeans and Susie AmericanComic duo composed of Jodie Edwards (1895–1967) and his wife, Susie Hawthorne (1896–1963). Their act was composed of duets and comedy routines about marital troubles. The duo was active on the T. O. B. A. circuit. [169]

C

NameBirthDeathNationalityPerformance notesReference
James Cagney July 17, 1899March 30, 1986AmericanActor, before winning an Oscar, Cagney dressed in drag for a comedy act with four other actors. After several other bit parts on the stage, Cagney was spotted by Al Jolson while appearing in the musical Penny Arcade and was soon signed to a Warner Bros. contract. [170] [171]
Marie Cahill February 7, 1870August 23, 1933AmericanSinger and actress. [170] [172]
Cab Calloway December 25, 1907November 18, 1994AmericanMusician and bandleader. Calloway headlined at the Palace in June 1931 and at the Loew's State Theatre in 1932. Most famous song is "Minnie the Moocher". [174]
Emma Calvé August 15, 1858January 6, 1942FrenchOperatic soprano. [175]
Mrs. Patrick Campbell February 9, 1865April 9, 1940BritishActress from the legitimate stage who appeared in vaudeville in Expiation (a Russian tragedy). [176] [177] [178]
Judy Canova November 20, 1913August 5, 1983AmericanComedian and singer. Performed with her brother and sister in an act called the "Three Georgia Crackers" and later in an act called "Annie, Judy & Zeke." [179]
Eddie Cantor January 31, 1892October 10, 1964AmericanSinger and comedian who often appeared in blackface. Appeared in various editions of the Ziegfeld Follies and Broadway musicals such as Kid Boots and Whoopee! . [180]
Cardini 1894November 11, 1975WelshSleight-of-hand magician [181]
Mutt Carey 1891September 3, 1948AmericanJazz trumpeter who toured the vaudeville circuits in 1917. [182]
Leo Carrillo August 6, 1881September 10, 1961AmericanCharacter actor. [183]
Richard Carle July 7, 1871June 28, 1941AmericanComic actor who appeared in vaudeville in 1914 in A Slice of Life where he played Mr. Hyphen-Brown and in April 1915 in If We Said What We Thought. Carle debuted on the New York stage in 1891 and performed primarily in musicals until 1913 when he left the stage for vaudeville. [184] [185]
Alan Carney December 22, 1909May 2, 1973AmericanComic dialectician. Later worked on Broadway and in films of the 1940s where he was partnered with comic Wally Brown. [186]
Georges Carpentier January 12, 1894October 28, 1975FrenchFormer boxer and song and dance man. [187]
Harry Carroll November 28, 1892December 26, 1962AmericanSongwriter, pianist and singer. [188]
Suzette Carsell1875c1945AmericanKnown as The Mother of the Accordion. Toured from 1916 to 1921 with the Peerless Trio as Anna Vincent with Thomas Francis Savage (Tom Rosa) and Bertha Mae DeCroteau (Mazie Berto) [189]
Mrs. Leslie Carter June 10, 1862November 13, 1937AmericanActress of the legitimate stage who toured vaudeville in the role of Zaza, one of her most famous roles from the play by David Belasco. [190]
Emma Carus March 18, 1879November 18, 1927GermanSinging comedian who first appeared in vaudeville at Proctor's 23rd Street Theatre in New York in 1894. From 1915 onwards, she performed mostly in vaudeville. [191] [192]
Diana Serra Cary October 26, 1918February 24, 2020AmericanJuvenile actress billed as Baby Peggy. Following her film career, Baby Peggy worked in vaude, making $1500 a week, but with the death of vaudeville, Baby Peggy's career was over as well. [193]
Charlie Case 18581916American Blackface singer and pioneering monologist. [176] [194]
Vernon and Irene Castle American (Irene) and British (Vernon)Ballroom dance team consisting of Vernon (May 2, 1887 – February 15, 1918) and his wife, Irene (April 17, 1893 – January 25, 1969). Introduced such dances as the foxtrot and tango to U.S. audiences. [170]
Walter Catlett February 4, 1889November 14, 1960AmericanComedian who worked in vaudeville and on the legitimate stage before working in film. [195]
Joseph CawthornMarch 29, 1868April 17, 1959AmericanMinstrel and comedian, Joseph Cawthorn, made his stage debut at the age of 4 at Robinson's Music Hall in New York City. Later, he joined Haverly's Minstrels in 1872 and worked in vaudeville as a Dutch dialect comedian. He continued working in musical comedies and in 1926, made his screen debut. [196] [197] [198]
Lon Chaney April 1, 1883August 26, 1930AmericanActor, "the Man of a Thousand Faces" later scared moviegoers after years in vaudeville houses in films such as The Hunchback of Notre Dame and The Phantom of the Opera .
Anna Chang April 21, 1910Chinese-AmericanActor and Singer. Began singing on the stage at the age of six. Active from the 1920 - 1940's. She was billed as "The Chinese Songbird of San Francisco," "The Chinese Princess of Song" and "The Chinese Star of Syncopation. Featured in a singing duet with Hatsu Kuma in the film "Two Little Chinese Maids" (1929). [199] [200]
Charlie Chaplin April 16, 1889December 25, 1977British-AmericanActor and comedian, toured the US with the Fred Karno troupe in 1910 and 1912–1913 before being signed by Mack Sennett the following year.| [201]
Chaz Chase 1902August 4, 1983AmericanComedian whose act was to seemingly eat all manner of inedible objects, such as matches and paper (in reality he would turn upstage and spit them into his oversized top hat). [202]
Dave ChasenJuly 18, 1898June 16, 1973Russian-AmericanComedian who worked with Joe Cook. [202]
Doc Cheatham June 13, 1905June 2, 1997AmericanTrumpeter, singer and bandleader who toured T. O. B. A. working in bands accompanying blues singers. [203]
Cherry Sisters AmericanAn act consisting of five sisters, Addie, Effie, Ella, Elizabeth and Jessie Cherry who sang, danced and acted. It was known as the worst act in vaudeville and audiences often attended to hurl produce and catcalls at them. [204] [205]
Albert Chevalier March 21, 1861July 10, 1923BritishBritish music hall actor and comedian. [176]
Frank Christian September 3, 1887November 27, 1973AmericanTrumpeter.
Chung Hwa Four ChineseSinging quartet. Members included E. A. Donsang, L. Alaaron, James Oh Chung and H. K. Liang. Performed as the Chong Hwa Three after Alaaron left the group. [206]
Ching Ling Foo 18541922ChineseMagician. [207]
Chung Ling Soo April 2, 1861March 24, 1918AmericanMagician. [208]
Paul Cinquevalli June 30, 1859July 14, 1918GermanJuggler. [209]
Ina Claire October 15, 1893February 21, 1985AmericanSinger-comedian Ina Claire made her vaudeville debut in 1907 impersonating Harry Lauder. Her first appearance on the musical stage was in 1911 and she debuted at the Palace Theatre in 1915. She toured vaudeville on the Orpheum, Keith and Proctor circuits and appeared in the Ziegfeld Follies of 1915 and 1916. She continued on the stage in musical comedies. [210] [211]
Bobby Clark June 16, 1888February 12, 1960AmericanComedian. Member, with Paul McCullough, of the comic team of Clark and McCullough. [212]
Bessie Clayton 1878July 21, 1948AmericanDancer. [213]
Loretta Clemens Tupper May 6, 1906September 17, 1990AmericanSinger and musician, performed with her brother Jack Clemens.
Stanley Clements July 16, 1926October 16, 1981AmericanActor and comedian.
Laddie Cliff September 13, 1891December 8, 1937BritishEccentric dancer. [214]
Kathleen Clifford February 16, 1887December 28, 1962AmericanMale impersonator billed as "The Smartest Chap in Town" who appeared in a top hat, tails and a monocle. Clifford's first appearance on the legitimate stage came in 1903 in the musical comedy, The Girl from Kay's. She worked in film from 1917 to 1928 returning to vaudeville in the 1930s. [215] [216]
Herbert Clifton October 19, 1885September 26, 1947BritishFemale impersonator and singer [217]
Maggie Cline January 1, 1857June 11, 1934AmericanIrish American singer whose vigorous persona and hearty performances of Irish songs made her an immensely popular figure in the heyday of the vaudeville stage. [218]
E. E. Clive August 28, 1879June 6, 1940BritishActor.
June Clyde December 2, 1909October 1, 1987AmericanActress, singer and dancer billed as "Baby Tetrazini." Clyde began working in vaudeville at the age of seven progressing to stage musicals and eventually appearing in films in 1929. [219]
Ty Cobb December 18, 1886July 17, 1961AmericanFormer baseball player. [33]
Imogene Coca November 18, 1908June 2, 2001AmericanComedian who was born into a showbiz family. Coca's first stagework came at the age of 11 as a dancer and she worked in nightclubs and vaudeville houses before being discovered as a comedian. In the 1950s, Coca began work on television with comedian, Sid Caesar. Her work in TV spanned decades. [220] [221]
Ann Codee March 5, 1890May 18, 1961BelgianComedian who toured with her husband, Frank Orth. Their act toured the world and could be performed in 5 languages. [222]
Cole and JohnsonAmericanSinging and dancing duo consisting of Bob Cole (July 1, 1869 – August 2, 1911) and J. Rosamond Johnson (August 11, 1873 – November 11, 1954). [223]
Michael Coleman 18891945IrishIrish fiddler.
Charles "Honi" Coles April 2, 1911November 12, 1992AmericanTap dancer. [224]
Lottie Collins 1866May 1, 1910BritishSinger-comedian. Most well known for popularizing the song, "Ta-Ra-Ra-Boom-De-Ay!." [225]
Pinto Colvig September 11, 1892October 3, 1967AmericanComedian, the voice of Goofy in Disney cartoons and was the first Bozo the Clown.
Chester Conklin January 11, 1886October 11, 1971AmericanComedian and actor. Later worked as one of Mack Sennett's Keystone Cops and appeared in some of Charlie Chaplin's films. [226]
Conlin and GlassOctober 14, 1884May 7, 1962AmericanComic duo consisting of Jimmy Conlin (October 14, 1884 – May 7, 1962) and his wife, Myrtle Glass.
Jackie Coogan October 26, 1914March 1, 1984AmericanChild actor, best known as Charlie Chaplin's sidekick in The Kid and (as an adult) as Uncle Fester on TV's The Addams Family . The infamous Coogan Law is named after him. [227]
Elisha Cook Jr. December 26, 1902May 18, 1995AmericanActor. Cook first appeared onstage at the age of 14 and worked onstage in stock theatre, vaudeville and Broadway. His first film appearance was in 1929. [228]
Joe Cook 1890May 16, 1959AmericanBorn Joseph Lopez, Joe Cook first appeared in vaudeville in a juggling act with his brother, billed as "The Juggling Kids." He made one of his first solo appearances in July 1907 at Proctor's 125th Street Theatre, New York. He began incorporating comedy, props and monologues into his act and on January 2, 1922, he played the Palace. Following vaudeville, Cook appeared on Broadway and was heard on the radio. [229] [230]
Baldwin Cooke March 10, 1888December 31, 1953AmericanActor who toured vaudeville with his wife, Alice and Stan Laurel.
John W. Cooper 18731966AmericanVentriloquist with his dummy, Sam Jackson. [231]
James "Gentleman Jim" J. Corbett September 1, 1866February 18, 1933AmericanFormer boxer [232]
Maurice Costello February 22, 1877October 30, 1950AmericanActor and comedian. [233]
Willie Covan 1896May 7, 1989AmericanTap dancer. [234]
Ida Cox February 25, 1896November 10, 1967AmericanBlues singer who toured in vaudeville from 1923 to 1929. One of the bandmembers accompanying her was Earl Palmer. [235]
Joseph E. Coyne March 27, 1867February 17, 1941AmericanComedian/Dancer/Actor active on the music hall circuit from roughly 1884–1894 as half of the duo ' ' Evans and Coyne ' ' with actor Frank Evans. Transitioned to legitimate theater in 1895. [236]
Henry Creamer June 21, 1879October 14, 1930AmericanSinger and songwriter.
Will Cressy October 20, 1863May 7, 1930AmericanActor and writer. [234]
Crumit and SandersonAmericanHusband and wife singing duo with Frank Crumit (September 26, 1888 – September 7, 1943) and Julia Sanderson (August 20, 1887 – January 27, 1975). [237]
Pauline Curley December 19, 1903December 16, 2000AmericanFrom the age of 7, Curley appeared onstage, including in vaudeville, where she was a singer and dancer. From 1915 to 1928, Curley appeared in silent films. [238]

D

NameBirthDeathNationalityPerformance notesReference
Dan Dailey December 4, 1913October 16, 1978AmericanDancer, singer and actor. [239]
Peter F. Dailey 18681908AmericanComedian, one of the members of the popular act, "The American Four." His debut on the legitimate stage was with the Howard Atheneum Company. Later, he appeared with Weber and Fields. [240]
Dainty Marie November 6, 1886April 2, 1960AmericanMarie Meeker, aerial performer in both vaudeville and circus. [241]
Dorothy Dalton September 22, 1893April 13, 1972AmericanActress.
Viola Dana June 28, 1897July 3, 1987AmericanActress. Before she worked in silent films, Dana worked extensively on the legitimate stage. Her first foray into vaudeville was in a playlet called There Goes the Bride which received bad reviews. She tried her hand at vaudeville again with a sketch by Anita Loos called, The Inkwell, supported by Edward Arnold which did much better. [242]
The Dancing Cansinos SpanishA family Spanish dancing act, The Dancing Cansinos included Eduardo Cansino, Sr. (March 2, 1895 – December 24, 1968), his wife, Volga Hayworth (1900 – February 5, 1945), daughter Rita Hayworth (October 17, 1918 – May 14, 1987), and son, Eduardo, Jr. (October 13, 1919 – March 11, 1974). [179]
Cow Cow Davenport April 23, 1894December 12, 1955AmericanA Boogie-woogie and Piano Blues player as well as Vaudeville entertainer. Davenport's first fame came as accompanist to blues musicians Dora Carr and Ivy Smith. Davenport and Carr had a Vaudeville act as Davenport & Co. [243]
Marion Davies January 3, 1897September 23, 1961AmericanActress and comedian. Davies appeared as a 'comic' chorine in vaudeville as well as the Ziegfeld Follies of 1916. [244]
Reine Davies June 6, 1886April 5, 1938AmericanSinger and actress.
Benny Davis August 21, 1895December 20, 1979AmericanPianist, singer and songwriter. [245]
Joan Davis June 29, 1907May 22, 1961AmericanActress and comedian. [220]
Sammy Davis Jr. December 8, 1925May 16, 1990AmericanDancer and singer, performed with his father and uncle as "The Will Maston Trio". As an adult, he became one of the most celebrated entertainers of his time and a member of the infamous Rat Pack with Frank Sinatra and Dean Martin. [246]
Sammy Davis Sr. December 12, 1900May 21, 1988AmericanDancer. Father of Sammy Davis, Jr. [246]
Hazel Dawn March 23, 1890August 28, 1988AmericanMusical comedy actress. Dawn debuted in vaudeville at New York's Alhambra Theatre in 1923 in a sketch called, The Pink Lady. She appeared at the Palace in January 1924 in a playlet called, The Land of Love by Edgar Allen Woolf. Additionally, Dawn appeared in 11 feature films for the Famous Players Film Company between 1914 and 1917. [247]
Mlle. Dazie September 16, 1884August 12, 1952AmericanToe-dancer. Dazie's first appearance in vaudeville was as "Le Domino Rouge" in an act where she wore a red mask. After she got rid of the mask, she was billed as "Mlle. Dazie" and it was under this name that she appeared in the Ziegfeld Follies. She toured the Keith circuit in a ballet panotmime, L'Amour d'Artiste and headlined the Palace in 1917 in another ballet pantomime directed by Herbert Brenon. [248]
Vaughn De Leath September 26, 1896May 28, 1943AmericanActress and singer. [249]
Dizzy Dean January 16, 1910July 17, 1974AmericanFormer baseball player. [23]
Bertha Mae DeCroteauMay 30, 1889July, 1968AmericanToured from 1910 to 1912 as Savage & De Croteau with husband Thomas Francis Savage and 1916–1921 with the Peerless Trio with Thomas Francis Savage and Suzette Carsell, The Mother of the Accordion
Carter DeHaven October 5, 1886July 20, 1977AmericanComedian. [250]
Guido Deiro September 1, 1886July 26, 1950Italian-Americanpiano-accordionist
Dorothy Dell January 30, 1915June 28, 1934AmericanSinger and dancer in a duo with Allan Mann. [251]
William Demarest February 27, 1892December 28, 1983AmericanComedian and later character actor, popular in Hollywood in the 1940s and 1950s, best known as "Uncle Charlie" on the TV sitcom My Three Sons. [252]
Bernardo De Pace March 31, 18811966ItalianActor, musician and comedic vaudeville entertainer of the 1920s, billed as "the Wizard of the Mandolin". [253]
Gaby Deslys September 4, 1881February 11, 1920FrenchSinger and dancer. [254]
Elliott Dexter March 29, 1870November 21, 1949AmericanActor. Later worked in silent films. [255]
William Dillon November 6, 1877February 10, 1966AmericanSinger and songwriter. [256]
Henry E. Dixey January 6, 1859February 25, 1943AmericanActor, dancer and comedian. [257]
Lew Dockstader 1856October 26, 1924AmericanComedian and minstrel. [258]
Dolly Sisters Hungarian-AmericanTwin sisters, Rosie and Jenny (October 25, 1892 – May 1, 1941 Jenny and 1 January 1970 Rosie) who had a dance act. [259]
Hessie Donahue 18741961AmericanFemale stunt boxer and first person to knock out John L. Sullivan. [260]
Jack Donahue December 29, 1888October 1, 1930AmericanDancer, singer and actor. Worked with his wife, Alice Stewart, as Donahue & Stewart. [261]
Kitty Doner September 6, 1895August 26, 1988AmericanMale impersonator and dancer. Of the male impersonators in vaude, Doner was the best known American-born male "imp". She was the first male impersonator to play the Palace, in 1919 and she played there again in May 1926. [262]
Mike Donlin May 30, 1878September 24, 1943AmericanFormer major league baseball player who entered vaudeville after marrying an actress, Mabel Hite. Acted in a one-act play, Stealing Home and later worked as a comedian with Tom Lewis. [263]
Red Dooin July 12, 1879May 12, 1952AmericanBaseball player who appeared in vaudeville first with a singing act and a singing and talking act with Dumon's Minstrels in Philadelphia, 1910. [132]
Fifi D'Orsay April 16, 1907December 2, 1982CanadianSinger and Comedian. [264]
Billie Dove May 4, 1901December 31, 1998AmericanZiegfeld girl in the Follies of 1917 and 1918. Later, Dove appeared in films and was a mistress of Howard Hughes. [265]
Eddie Dowling December 9, 1894February 18, 1976AmericanActor and singer. [266]
Johnny Downs October 10, 1913June 6, 1994AmericanChild actor who appeared in the Our Gang series of shorts along with several feature films. Following his film work, he appeared in vaudeville in the early 1930s. [267]
Thomas Nelson Downs March 16, 1867September 1938AmericanMagician specializing in coin tricks.
Louise Dresser October 5, 1878April 24, 1965AmericanSinger and actress. [268]
Marie Dressler November 9, 1869July 28, 1934CanadianActress and comedian, who later found greater fame in movies such as Min and Bill and Dinner at Eight . [269]
Dorothy Drew AmericanComedic actress. [270] [271]
Mr. and Mrs. Sidney Drew AmericanHusband and wife comic team with Sidney (August 28, 1868 – April 9, 1919) and Gladys Rankin Drew (c. 1874 – January 9, 1914). [272]
Dave Dreyer September 22, 18941967AmericanPianist and songwriter.
Duffy and Sweeney AmericanKnockabout comedy act consisting of James Terence Duffy (1889 – March 30, 1939) and Frederick Chase Sweeney (1894 – December 10, 1954). [273]
Margaret Dumont October 20, 1882March 6, 1965AmericanActress and singer, best known as the comic foil for the Marx Brothers, performed under the name "Daisy Dumont" before entering motion pictures.
Duncan Sisters AmericanSinging sister act composed of Vivian (June 17, 1899 – September 19, 1986) and Rosetta Duncan (November 23, 1896 – December 4, 1959). [274]
James Dunn November 2, 1905September 3, 1967AmericanActor.
Jack DurantApril 12, 1905January 7, 1984AmericanAcrobat and comedian. [275]
Jimmy Durante February 10, 1893January 29, 1980AmericanComedian and actor, known for his huge nose. [276]
Walter Dyett January 11, 1901November 17, 1969AmericanViolinist and conductor of vaudeville pit orchestras. Following his work in vaudeville, Dyett became a noted music educator working at Chicago's DuSable High School. As a music teacher and director of school ensembles, Dyett influenced many up-and-coming jazz, blues and rock musicians. [277]
Jacqueline Dyris BelgianDancer.

E

NameBirthDeathNationalityPerformance notesReference
Charles Eaton June 22, 1910August 15, 2004AmericanActor.
Mary Eaton January 29, 1901October 10, 1948AmericanSinger, dancer, actress and Ziegfeld girl.
Pearl Eaton August 1, 1898September 10, 1958AmericanSinger, dancer, actress and Ziegfeld girl.
Buddy and Vilma Ebsen April 2, 1908July 6, 2003AmericanBrother and sister dance duo. Buddy later became known to millions of TV viewers in the 1960s and 1970s playing Jed Clampett in The Beverly Hillbillies and playing the title role in Barnaby Jones . [278]
Gertrude Ederle October 23, 1905November 30, 2003AmericanCompetitive swimmer and first woman to swim across the English Channel. [279]
Cliff Edwards a.k.a. Ukulele IkeJune 14, 1895July 17, 1971AmericanSinger, ukulele player, minstrel, and musician. Later voiced Jiminy Cricket in Pinocchio . [280]
Gus Edwards August 18, 1879November 7, 1945German-AmericanSinger, songwriter and producer. Known for such songs as "School Days" and "In My Merry Oldsmobile." [281]
Kate Elinore December 2, 1876December 30, 1924AmericanSinging comedian. [282]
Duke Ellington April 29, 1899May 24, 1974AmericanMusician and bandleader who toured the RKO circuit beginning in 1927, headlining at the Palace in 1930. Ellington is considered by many to be one of the founders of modern jazz music. [282] [283]
Elseeta 1883February 23, 1903AmericanBarefoot toe dancer, known as the 'dancing marvel' [284]
Julian Eltinge May 14, 1881March 7, 1941AmericanFemale impersonator and actor. [285]
June Elvidge June 30, 1893May 1, 1965AmericanActress.
Hope Emerson October 29, 1897April 25, 1960AmericanComedian known for her large build (6'2", 230 lbs.) who appeared in vaudeville and on Broadway in the 1920s and 1930s. Emerson began working in films in the early 1930s. [286]
Knute Erickson May 27, 1873December 31, 1945AmericanSwedish comedian. [287]
Bert Errol August 11, 1883November 28, 1949BritishFemale impersonator. [288]
Leon Errol July 3, 1881October 12, 1951AustralianComedian. [289]
Beatriz Escalona August 20, 1903April 4, 1979AmericanGenerally performed in Spanish, well known for the fast-talking underdog character La Chata Noloesca. [290]
Ruth Etting November 23, 1896September 24, 1978AmericanSinger and actress [291]
James Reese Europe February 22, 1881May 9, 1919AmericanBandleader of the ragtime "Society Orchestra" which accompanied Vernon and Irene Castle in their ballroom dance act. After serving in World War I and becoming the director of the 369th Infantry Band, Europe (now Lieutenant Europe) toured France and American vaudeville with the band. During this US tour, he began incorporating jazz elements into the ragtime music the band played. It was during this same tour that he was stabbed in the neck by one of his band members. [292] [293]
Evan E. Evans and Helen Evans (née Hartz)AmericanMarried vaudeville performers Evan E. Evans (1889–1962) and Helen Hartz (1894–1974) toured the circuit until 1919. Later, they created "The Four Evans - Two Generations of Dance" with daughter Maryetta Evans (1912–2009) and son Lester Evans (1919–1989). The family toured from 1942 to 1960. [294]
George "Honey Boy" Evans March 10, 1870March 12, 1915AmericanMinstrel. [295]
Lizzie Evans 1864AmericanActress and comedian, who made her debut in 1881 at the Standard Theatre with an impersonation of Clip. She owned her own traveling company.

F

NameBirthDeathNationalityPerformance notesReference
Nanette Fabray October 27, 1920February 22, 2018AmericanSinger and actress. Started out as a child singer in vaudeville. [296]
Elinor Fair December 21, 1903April 26, 1957AmericanActress and one of the leading ladies of silent films. Fair made her start in vaudeville as well as musical comedies and stock companies. [297]
Dustin Farnum May 27, 1874July 3, 1939AmericanSinger, dancer and actor with his brother, William Farnum. [298]
William Farnum July 4, 1876June 5, 1953AmericanSinger, dancer and actor with his brother, Dustin Farnum. [298]
Edward M. Favor August 29, 1856January 10, 1936AmericanSinger and comedian.
Anna Eva Fay March 31, 1851May 12, 1927AmericanMind reader. [299]
Elfie Fay 1881September 18, 1927AmericanComic singer. [300]
Frank Fay November 17, 1897September 25, 1961AmericanComedian. Considered the "father" of modern stand-up comedy. [300]
Alice Faye May 5, 1915May 9, 1998AmericanActress and singer. Faye's first professional appearance was as a singer and dancer at the age of 14. While appearing in George White's Scandals, Rudy Vallée spotted her and she later became a regular on his radio show. Faye became 20th Century Fox's biggest musical star before Betty Grable was hired in 1940. [301]
Frank Faylen December 8, 1905August 2, 1985AmericanPantomimist, clown and song and dance man. [301]
Louise Fazenda June 17, 1895April 17, 1962AmericanTrapeze artist.
Betty Felsen June 9, 1905November 30, 2000AmericanDancer and teacher. Felsen began dance lessons at age 8 and was enrolled in the Pavley-Oukrainsky Ballet's school in 1916. Her first professional performance was in January 1917 at 11 years old. The Pavley-Oukrainsky Ballet merged into the Chicago Opera Association in 1917. Felsen joined its corps de ballet in 1919 and became a ballerina soloist in December 1920. She starred as the Infanta from December 1922 to February 1923 in productions of Adolph Bohm's ballet "The Birthday of the Infanta", in which Andreus Pavley and Serge Oukrainsky also danced. Felsen left the Chicago Opera in 1922 for a vaudeville career, which began with the production of "Rainbo Trail" at Chicago's Million Dollar Rainbo Room, in which Felsen and singer Ruth Etting had leading roles. Starting in the fall of 1923, Felsen and her new partner Jack Broderick, toured the U.S. and Canada in their headline act, Broderick & Felsen. In 1926 and 1927, Broderick & Felsen toured across the United States and Canada starring in two spectacular musical productions, first for about three months in Emil Boreo's “Mirage de Paris” followed by nine months in their own “Ballet Caprice”. After Broderick left the act near the end of 1927, Felsen performed with her troupe as Betty Felsen & Company, appearing in June 1928 at Broadway's Palace Theater in New York City in the final performances of "Ballet Caprice". Felsen left vaudeville in November 1928 and owned performing arts schools, first in Worcester MA until 1932 and then in Cleveland OH until she retired in 1937.
Arthur Fields August 6, 1888March 29, 1953AmericanSinger, songwriter and minstrel. [302]
Benny Fields June 14, 1894August 16, 1959AmericanSinger, minstrel, and actor. [303]
Gracie Fields January 9, 1898September 27, 1979BritishSinger and comedian, considered of the greatest stars of the British music halls. [304]
Sidney Fields February 5, 1898September 28, 1975AmericanIn a comedy team with Jack Greenman.
W. C. Fields January 29, 1880December 25, 1946AmericanLegendary comedian and actor, who got his first show biz exposure by running away as a teenager and joining a circus as a juggler. Later on, Fields the comic appeared at the Palace not to mention several editions of the Ziegfeld Follies and George White's Scandals. His films, including It's a Gift and The Bank Dick incorporated many of his stage routines. [71] [305] [306]
Flora Finch June 17, 1869January 4, 1940British-AmericanBorn into a music hall family, Finch also made a splash in American vaudeville, appearing at the palace in January 1922. The actress also appeared with John Bunny in many films. [307]
Larry Fine October 5, 1902January 24, 1975AmericanActor, comedian, musician, and boxer.
Ella Fitzgerald April 25, 1917June 15, 1996AmericanSinger, discovered after winning the Apollo Theater's amateur hour while still a teenager and worked the "Chitlin Circuit" (including the Cotton Club) with Chick Webb and his band before getting her first major record deal. [173]
Bud Flanagan March 29, 1908August 31, 1968AmericanAppeared in family's vaudeville act from infancy. Appeared later in films as Dennis O'Keefe. [308]
Jay C. Flippen March 6, 1898February 3, 1971AmericanWhite and blackface comedian. [309]
Henry Fonda May 16, 1905August 12, 1982AmericanActor who toured vaudeville with George A. Billings. [310]
Evan-Burrows Fontaine October 3, 1898December 27, 1984AmericanInterpretive dancer and Ziegfeld Follies performer. [311]
Wallace Ford February 12, 1898June 11, 1966BritishActor. [312]
Four Cohans AmericanFamily comedy troupe consisting of father Jeremiah "Jere" Cohan (1848–1917), mother Helen "Nellie" Costigan Cohan (1854–1928), daughter Josephine "Josie" Cohan Niblo (1874–1916) and son George M. Cohan (3 or July 4, 1878 – November 5, 1942). [71]
Harry Fox May 25, 1882July 20, 1959AmericanDancer and comedian. Creator of the Fox Trot. [313]
Imro Fox May 21, 1862March 4, 1910German-AmericanMagician (The Comic Conjurer) [314]
Eddie Foy March 9, 1856February 16, 1928AmericanComedian and singer. [71] [315]
Eddie Foy Jr. February 4, 1905July 15, 1983AmericanSon of Eddie Foy and a member of his Seven Little Foys. [316]
Irene Franklin June 13, 1876June 16, 1941AmericanSinging comedian. [317]
Sidney Franklin 1903April 6, 1976AmericanBullfighter. [318]
William Frawley February 26, 1887March 3, 1966AmericanActor and comedian, later found greater fame as Fred Mertz on I Love Lucy [319]
Arthur Freed September 9, 1894April 12, 1973AmericanSinger and pianist, later known for writing hit songs with Nacio Herb Brown such as "Singin' in the Rain" and "You Were Meant for Me" and for producing film musicals for MGM. [22]
Kathleen Freeman February 17, 1919August 23, 2001AmericanDanced at an early age in her parents' vaudeville act.
Leopoldo Fregoli July 2, 1867November 26, 1932ItalianProtean or quick-change artist. [320]
Ford Frick December 19, 1894April 8, 1978AmericanSportswriter who appeared in vaude. [23]
Trixie Friganza November 29, 1870February 27, 1955AmericanComedian and singer [321]
Frankie Frisch September 9, 1897March 12, 1973AmericanFormer baseball player who appeared in vaude. [23]
Joe Frisco November 4, 1889February 12, 1958AmericanDancer, minstrel and comedian. [322]
Loie Fuller January 15, 18621 January 1929AmericanDancer. [323]
Will Fyffe February 16, 1885December 14, 1947ScottishComedian and singer. [324]

G

NameBirthDeathNationalityPerformance notesReference
Gallagher and Shean American (Gallagher) and German-American (Shean)Comic duo consisting of Edward Gallagher (1873 – May 28, 1929) and Al Shean (May 12, 1868 – August 12, 1949). They had one of the biggest comic hits of the 1920s with their self-named song "Mister Gallagher and Mister Shean." Al Shean (real name Adolph Schönberg) was the uncle of The Marx Brothers [325]
Maria Galvany 18781949SpanishColoratura soprano.
Tess Gardella 1898January 3, 1950AmericanPerformed as iconic blackface character "Aunt Jemima" [326]
Judy Garland June 10, 1922June 22, 1969AmericanSinger and actress, toured with two elder siblings as "The Gumm Sisters" (their maiden name) from the age of 2. While in Chicago to perform at the 1934 World's Fair and the Oriental Theater, emcee George Jessel suggested to change their last name to "Garland" to not get laughs from the audience. Young Frances was a big fan of Rudy Vallée's song "Judy" so that stuck as the first name. Older sister Jimmie ran off and married a bandleader after the girls returned home to Lancaster, California. Judy was signed to a contract by MGM shortly thereafter. [327]
Paul Garner July 31, 1909August 8, 2004AmericanComedian.
William Gaxton December 2, 1893February 2, 1963AmericanActor. [328]
Charlie Gehringer May 11, 1903January 21, 1993AmericanBaseball player who appeared in vaudeville. [23]
Gladys George September 13, 1904December 8, 1954AmericanToured with her family act, "The Three Clares", later called "Little Gladys George and Company." [329]
Sylvia Gerrish May 1860December 8, 1906AmericanMusical comedy and light opera performer, known as the "Girl with the Poetical Legs" [330]
George Gershwin September 26, 1896July 11, 1937AmericanPianist, songwriter and composer, Gershwin accompanied Nora Bayes and Louise Dresser. After his brief foray into vaudeville, Gershwin became one of the most celebrated American composers of the early 20th century. [22]
Dorothy Gibson May 17, 1889February 17, 1946AmericanActress.
Ella Margaret Gibson September 14, 1894October 21, 1964AmericanActress.
Billy Gilbert September 12, 1894September 23, 1971AmericanComedian and actor known for his sneeze routines. [331]
L. Wolfe Gilbert August 31, 1886July 12, 1970Russian-AmericanSinger and songwriter. [332]
Jack Gilford 19071990AmericanActor and comedian. [333]
Charles Sidney Gilpin November 20, 1878May 6, 1930AmericanActor. [334]
Lottie Gilson January 2, 1862June 10, 1912American Soubrette and the first vaudevillian to use a singing stooge. [335]
George Givot 1903 or c. 1901June 7, 1984AmericanGreek dialect comedian [336]
Billy Glason September 10, 1904 (uncertain)January 1985AmericanSinging comedian and monologist. [337]
Frank Glazer February 19, 1915January 13, 2015AmericanPianist.
Madeline Gleason 19031979AmericanSinger and dancer.
Dorothy GlentonMay 10, 1877BritishSinger under the name "Dainty Dorothy Glenton, The English Singing Soubrette". Dorothy Glenton Kerr. [338]
Elinor Glyn October 17, 1864September 23, 1943BritishNovelist and monologist (usually under her pen name "Madame Glyn"), coined the phrase "It Girl". [339]
George Fuller Golden 1868February 17, 1912AmericanSinger, dancer and monologist. [340]
Horace Goldin December 17, 1867August 22, 1939PolishMagician, the first one to play the Palace in 1913. [340] [341]
Lefty Gomez November 26, 1908February 17, 1989AmericanFormer baseball player and monologist. [33]
Nathaniel Carl Goodwin July 25, 1857January 31, 1919AmericanActor and comedian. [342]
David Gorcey February 6, 1921October 23, 1984AmericanSinger. Later he became a noted disc jockey.
Bert Gordon April 8, 1895November 30, 1974AmericanComedian. [343]
Gorman Brothers AmericanEntertainers and songwriters who often used local news stories to create songs for their act. [344]
Mack Gordon June 21, 1904March 1, 1959AmericanActor, singer, and songwriter [174]
Emmanuel Taylor Gordon 18931971AmericanActor.
Morton Gould December 10, 1913February 21, 1996AmericanPianist.
Hank Gowdy August 24, 1889August 1, 1966AmericanFormer baseball player, singer and comedian. [33]
Archie Leach January 18, 1904November 29, 1986BritishToured the US with the Penders acrobatic troupe. Was a stilt-walker with the Loumas troupe and served as leading man to actress, Jean Dalrymple, in one-act plays. Also appeared with Fay Wray and Jeanette MacDonald in several musical flops. When signed by Paramount Pictures in 1931, he was told he looked like a "Cary Grant", so his name was changed. [345]
Charles Grapewin December 20, 1869February 2, 1956AmericanActor and comedian, later known to millions of moviegoers as Dorothy's "Uncle Henry" in The Wizard of Oz . [19]
Gilda Gray October 24, 1901December 22, 1959Polish-AmericanDancer who introduced the "Shimmy", a dance involving the shaking of the hips. Gray starred in the Ziegfeld Follies of 1922 and George White's Scandals. Later appeared at the Palace Theater as a headliner. [346]
Gene Greene June 9, 1881April 5, 1930AmericanSinger and composer.
Charlotte Greenwood June 25, 1890December 28, 1977AmericanDancer, actress, and comedian, known for her rubbery dance routines. [347]
Griffin Sisters 1870s1918AmericanAfrican-American performers who started their own booking agency. [348]
Arthur F. Griffith July 30, 1880December 25, 1911AmericanMathematical prodigy.
Larry Griswold September 17, 1905August 24, 1996AmericanAcrobat and gymnast.
Grock January 10, 1880July 14, 1959SwissClown. [349]
Yvette Guilbert January 20, 1865February 2, 1944FrenchChanteuse. [350]
Texas Guinan January 12, 1884November 5, 1933AmericanSinger and famed nightclub hostess. [303]
Louise Gunning April 1, 1879July 24, 1960AmericanSinger [351]

H

NameBirthDeathNationalityPerformance notesReference
Janette Hackett 1898August 16, 1979AmericanDancer with Harry Delmar (September 9, 1892 – August 29, 1954) in the duo Hackett and Delmar. [352]
Joseph Paul HaggertyJune 16, 1889May 2, 1973AmericanVaudeville actor, director and producer from New Orleans. Ran a travelling stock show called 'Haggerty Repertory' during the WWI-Era. Boris Karloff briefly worked for Haggerty in 1918. He settled in North Hollywood and became a pastor at a spiritual Unity Church. [353] [354]
Jack Haley August 10, 1898June 6, 1979AmericanActor and comedian. [313] [355]
Adelaide Hall October 20, 1904November 7, 1993American - dual British (by marriage)Singer, actress, dancer, musician. Hall commenced her career on Broadway in 1921 in Shuffle Along and was featured in Runnin' Wild , and starred in Desires of 1927, Blackbirds of 1928 , as well as being a big-name headlining act in her own right in variety/vaudeville and on the RKO and T. O. B. A. theatrical circuits across the USA during the late 1920s and early 1930s before heading to Europe where she continued her successful career. Hall was honoured by Guinness World Records as being the world's longest recording artist in the 20th Century. [356] [357]
Nan Halperin 1898May 30, 1963Russian-AmericanSinger and comedian [358]
Walter Hampden June 30, 1879June 11, 1955AmericanActor. [190]
Hunter Hancock 1916August 4, 2004AmericanSinger. Later he became a noted disc jockey.
Lou Handman September 10, 1894December 9, 1956AmericanPianist and songwriter.
W. C. Handy November 16, 1873March 28, 1958AmericanMusician and composer known as "The Father of the Blues." [359] [360]
Fred Haney April 25, 1896November 9, 1977AmericanFormer baseball player. [23]
Poodles Hanneford 1892December 9, 1967BritishClown and bareback horse rider [361]
Theodore Hardeen March 4, 1876June 12, 1945HungarianMagician and escape artist; Harry Houdini's brother. [362]
Oliver Hardy January 18, 1882August 7, 1957AmericanWas briefly a singer in Vaudeville in Florida in 1913 before entering films. Was teamed with Stan Laurel at Roach Studios forming Laurel and Hardy in the late 1920s.
Otis Harlan December 29, 1865January 21, 1940AmericanActor, minstrel, and comedian. Appeared in a burlesque called Hell by Renold Wolf in the first show at New York City's Folies Bergère, April 16, 1911. [363]
Ben Harney March 6, 1872March 2, 1938AmericanPianist, singer and songwriter. [364]
Harrigan and HartAmericanComic duo composed of Edward Harrigan (October 26, 1844 – June 6, 1911) and Tony Hart (July 25, 1855 – November 4, 1891). [355] [365]
Marion Harris April 4, 1896April 23, 1944AmericanSinger. [366]
Mildred Harris November 29, 1901July 20, 1944AmericanHarris began as a juvenile actress in vaudeville, burlesque, on the legit stage and on film where she appeared at the age of 9. Later Charlie Chaplin's first wife, she appeared in a playlet, Getting the Money at the Royal Theatre in New York in February 1922. [307] [367]
Joseph Hart June 8, 1861October 3, 1921AmericanVaudeville actor, singer, songwriter and producer. Teamed up with Carrie De Mar and later married her. [368]
Mark Hart c. 1873November 25, 1950AmericanActor and singer. Nephew of Tony Hart who began his career as a teenager performing with Harrison & Hart before starring in Broadway musicals. [369]
Hartman and HartmanAmericanComedy dance team with Paul (March 1, 1904 – October 2, 1973) and his wife, Grace Hartman (January 7, 1907 – August 8, 1955) [370]
Morton Harvey 18861961AmericanSinger. [371]
Loney Haskell 1870October 20, 1933AmericanMonologist. [372]
June Havoc November 8, 1916March 28, 2010AmericanActress and dancer (as "Baby June"). Sister of Gypsy Rose Lee. [373]
Mary Hay August 22, 1901June 4, 1957AmericanZiegfeld girl and musical comedy actress [374]
George 'Gabby' Hayes May 7, 1885February 9, 1969AmericanActor who appeared in vaudeville before entering films in the 1920s where he was seen mostly in Westerns. [375]
Grace Hayes August 23, 1895February 1, 1989AmericanSinger, mother of Peter Lind Hayes. [376]
Helen Hayes October 10, 1900March 17, 1993AmericanActress, known as the "First Lady of the Stage". Started appearing in vaudeville while still a child in "tab" versions of popular plays.
Peter Lind Hayes June 25, 1915April 21, 1998AmericanActor, singer, minstrel, and son of vaudevillian Grace Hayes. [377]
Rita Hayworth October 17, 1918May 14, 1987AmericanDancer in her family's Spanish dancing act, The Dancing Cansinos led by her father, Eduardo Cansino, Sr. [179]
Ted Healy October 1, 1896December 21, 1937AmericanComedian, minstrel, dancer and singer. [378]
Henry "Crip" Heard November 11, 1924September 11, 1991AmericanAfrican-American professional dancer; double amputee with only one leg and one arm. [379]
Lew HearnFebruary 15, 1882February 1965PolishComedian. [380]
Hy Heath 18901965AmericanComedian and songwriter.
Millicent Hearst July 16, 1882December 5, 1974AmericanPerformer until she became the wife of William Randolph Hearst.
Horace Heidt May 21, 1901December 1, 1986AmericanPianist and bandleader of the band, "Horace Heidt and His Musical Knights". [381]
Anna Held March 8, 1872August 12, 1918PolishActress and singer. First wife of Florenz Ziegfeld, who produced most of her sketches and plays. [382]
Edith Helena 18761956AmericanSinger with a voice spanning four octaves, which also enabled her to perform violin imitations. [383]
Percy Helton January 31, 1894September 11, 1971AmericanAppeared in his father's vaudeville act at the age of 2.
Fletcher Henderson December 18, 1897December 28, 1952AmericanPianist, bandleader and composer at one time teamed with Eubie Blake. Henderson later toured with Ethel Waters from 1921 to 1922. [283] [384]
Ray Henderson December 1, 1896December 31, 1970AmericanSinger, dancer, songwriter [279]
Herschel Henlere December 14, 1890January 13, 1968CanadianPianist and comedian. [385]
Beatrice Herford 18681952British-AmericanMonologist. [386]
Lillian Herlein March 11, 1895April 13, 1971AmericanActress and singer, better known for display of her figure than for the quality of her performances. [387]
Al Herman c.1886July 2, 1967AmericanBlackface comedian. [388]
Woody Herman May 16, 1913October 29, 1987AmericanClarinetist, saxophonist, singer and bandleader. [389]
Juano Hernández July 19, 1901July 17, 1970Puerto RicanOriginally a boxer, Hernández quit the sport in the early 1920s and worked in traveling and minstrel shows, circuses and in vaudeville before entering film. [390]
Alexander Herrmann billed as "The Great Herrmann"February 11, 1844December 11, 1896GermanMagician. Upon his death, Herrmann's wife, Adelaide (1854–1932) took over his act. [388]
Art Hickman June 13, 18861930AmericanBandleader. [391]
Hildegarde February 1, 1906July 29, 2005AmericanSinger. [392]
Bertha "Chippie" Hill March 15, 1905May 7, 1950AmericanBlues singer. Initially Hill appeared on the T. O. B. A. circuit as a singer and dancer with the Rabbit Foot Minstrels. [393]
Daisy and Violet Hilton February 5, 1908January 6, 1969BritishConjoined twins. [394]
Raymond Hitchcock October 22, 1865November 24, 1929AmericanMonologist. [395]
Florence Hines UnknownMarch 10, 1924AmericanSinger and male impersonator. [396]
Raymond Hitchcock October 22, 1865November 24, 1929AmericanMonologist. [395]
Mabel Hite May 30, 1883October 22, 1912AmericanComedian and musical comedy actress [397]
Gertrude H. Hoffman 18851966AmericanInterpretive dancer. [398]
Ernest Hogan 1859May 20, 1909AmericanBlackface comedian billed as "the Unbleached American." Credited with the creation of the "coon" song and as one of the creators of ragtime music. [399]
Fay Holderness April 16, 1881May 13, 1963AmericanActress.
Taylor Holmes May 16, 1878September 30, 1959AmericanLight actor. [400]
Lou Holtz April 11, 1893September 22, 1980AmericanComedian, minstrel, and dialectical singer. [401]
Bob Hope May 29, 1903July 27, 2003British-AmericanActor and comedian. [402]
DeWolf Hopper March 30, 1858September 23, 1935AmericanActor and comedian, known for his recitations of the poem, Casey at the Bat. [403]
Edna Wallace Hopper January 17, 1874December 14, 1959AmericanActress. [404]
Edward Everett Horton March 18, 1886September 29, 1970AmericanComedian, Singer and dancer.
Allen "Farina" Hoskins August 9, 1920July 26, 1980AmericanChild actor who appeared in the Our Gang series of short films. He and his sister, Janie, had an act together.
Harry Houdini March 24, 1874October 31, 1926HungarianMagician and escape artist. [405]
Willie and Eugene Howard AmericanComic duo made up of Willie Howard (1886–1949) and Eugene Howard (1880–1965). [406]
Curly Howard October 22, 1903January 18, 1952AmericanActor.
Joseph E. Howard February 12, 1867May 19, 1961AmericanSinger and songwriter. [407]
Moe Howard June 19, 1897May 4, 1975AmericanActor.
Shemp Howard March 17, 1895November 22, 1955AmericanActor.
Buddy Howec. 1910March 4, 1981AmericanAcrobatic dancer. [408]
Alice Howell May 5, 1888April 12, 1961AmericanComedian in an act with her husband, Dick Smith. [409]
Waite Hoyt September 9, 1899August 25, 1984AmericanSinger and dancer.
Doris Humphrey October 17, 1895December 29, 1958AmericanDancer.
Walter Huston April 6, 1884April 7, 1950CanadianActor and singer. [365]
Hyams and McIntyreAmericanHusband-wife comedic duo with John Hyams (June 6, 1869 – December 9, 1940) and Leila McIntyre (December 20, 1882 – January 9, 1953). Their daughter, Leila (May 1, 1905 – December 4, 1977), appeared with them as a child. [377] [410]

I-J

NameBirthDeathNationalityPerformance notesReference
Imhof, Conn and Corinne AmericanComic trio. Roger Imhof (January or August 15, 1875 – April 15, 1958), his wife, Marcel Corinne or Coreene (d. 1977), and an associate, Conn (about whom, little is known), toured in two comic sketches, "The Pest House" and "Surgeon Louder." Imhof began his career as a circus clown and Irish comic and following vaudeville, appeared as a character actor in a number of Hollywood films. [411] [412]
May Irwin June 27, 1862October 22, 1938CanadianComedian and actress. [413]
Eddie Jackson 18961980AmericanSinger and actor
Joe Jackson Sr. January 1, 1881May 14, 1942AustrianBicyclist and comic. Born as Josef Francis Jiranek in Vienna, Austria, where he began competing in cycling races and later appeared in circuses, clowning with his bicycle. Appearing on the American stage for the first time in 1911, Jackson's act involved him entering the stage dressed as a clownish tramp and attempting to ride a bicycle that was slowly falling apart. He would often end his act with a series of athletic riding tricks. He appeared in a number of Broadway shows and Hollywood films including some directed by Mack Sennett. Jackson died on his way to his dressing room following a performance at the Roxy Theatre in 1942. [414] [415]
Tony Jackson June 5, 1876April 20, 1921AmericanPianist, singer and composer. Best known for his song, Pretty Baby, Jackson appeared in vaudeville as a singer and pianist in the Whitman Sisters' New Orleans Troubadours during their tour in 1904. He later appeared with them in 1910. New Orleans born, Jackson began his career playing in the brothels of that city's red-light district, Storyville and following his work in vaudeville, he continued his performing in Chicago. [416] [417]
Lou Jacobs January 1, 1903September 13, 1992GermanClown.
Elsie Janis March 16, 1889February 26, 1956AmericanSinger and actress. [71] [418]
Marie Jansen c. 1857March 20, 1914AmericanSinger and actress. [419]
Frank Jenks November 4, 1902May 13, 1962AmericanSinger and dancer. [420]
George Jessel April 3, 1898May 23, 1981AmericanActor, monologist, minstrel, and singer. [421]
Jack Johnson March 31, 1878June 10, 1946AmericanFirst African-American Heavyweight Champion of the World. He first appeared on the vaudeville stage in 1909 at Hammerstein's Victoria in New York City, appearing in the ring with white boxer, Kid Cutler. He went on a thirty-week vaudeville tour the following year. [422] [423]
George W. Johnson c. 1855January 23, 1914AmericanSinger.
Ralph Johnstone 1886November 17, 1910AmericanBicyclist. Originated the trick of jumping a bicycle up and down stairs on one wheel. [424]
Al Jolson May 26, 1886October 23, 1950Lithuanian-AmericanActor, singer, and minstrel. [71] [425]
Frank "Peg Leg" JonesDancer, comedian and minstrel with Arthur Gardner and the Gloom Chasers. Billed as America's Greatest Monopede Dancer. Active 1910–1933. [426]
Irving Jones 1873March 11, 1932AmericanAfrican-American comedian and ragtime composer. [427]
Sissieretta Jones January 5, 1869June 24, 1933AmericanAfrican-American Soprano, often billed as "The Black Patti." Jones was one of the first African-American singers to perform classical and operatic repertoire. Starting in 1896, Jones was the centerpiece of a travelling vaudeville show called the Black Patti Troubadours which included African-American singers, dancers and comedians. [428] [429]

K

NameBirthDeathNationalityPerformance notesReference
Armand Kaliz October 23, 1887February 1, 1941FrenchActor.
Bert Kalmar February 10, 1884September 18, 1947AmericanMagician and songwriter teamed with Harry Ruby. [430]
Kanazawa Trio Japanese Risley Artists. A juggling Act made up of Kono, Mankichi and Taw Kanazawa. Alternately known as "The Four Kanazawas" or "The Kanazawa Boys." Active from 1910 to the 1940s. [431]
Harry Kandel 18851943RussianClarinetist and bandleader.
Helen Kane August 4, 1904September 26, 1966AmericanSinger and comedian, known as the "boop-oop-a-doop girl". [432]
KaraOctober 17, 1883April 9, 1939GermanJuggler credited as performing the first "Gentleman juggling" act. Dressed in a top hat and tails, Kara would then juggle the numerous props onstage. [433] [434]
Kawana Trio Japanese Risley Artists. Active from 1913 to 1931. [435]
Beatrice Kay April 21, 1907November 8, 1986AmericanSinger and actress.
Birdie Reeve Kay January 16, 1907May 31, 1996AmericanSpeed typist. [436]
Stubby Kaye November 11, 1918December 14, 1997AmericanActor and comedian [437]
Buster Keaton October 4, 1895February 1, 1966AmericanActor, acrobat and comedian. Member of his family's act, The Three Keatons, with his parents, Joe (1867–1946) and Myra (1877–1955). [438]
Frank Keenan April 8, 1858February 24, 1929AmericanActor. [439]
Harry Kellar 18491922AmericanMagician. [440]
Helen Keller June 27, 1880June 1, 1968American Deafblind lecturer. Appeared with her teacher, Anne Sullivan. [339]
Keller Sisters and Lynch AmericanSinging trio of siblings consisting of Annie Catherine "Nan" Keller (1900–1975), Kathryne Ann "Taddy" Keller (1909–1962) and Frank Lynch (1902–1992).
Annette Kellermann July 6, 1887November 5, 1975AustralianOlympic swimmer. [441]
Gene Kelly August 23, 1912February 2, 1996AmericanDancer, singer and actor. Appeared in vaudeville with his brother Fred. [442]
George Kelly January 16, 1887June 18, 1974AmericanActor.
King Kelly December 31, 1857November 8, 1894AmericanFormer baseball player and comedian.
Kitaro Brothers, Three Kitaro BrothersJapanese[Risley Artists. Active from 1916 to 1921. [443]
Walter Kelly October 29, 1873January 6, 1939AmericanMonologist and dialectician. [444]
Pert Kelton August 23, 1912February 2, 1996AmericanActress and comedian. [445]
Ezra Kendall February 15, 1861January 23, 1910AmericanMonologist. [446]
Freddie Keppard February 27, 1890July 15, 1933AmericanJazz cornetist. [447]
Jerome Kern January 27, 1885November 11, 1945AmericanPianist and accompanist for Edna Wallace Hopper. Kern later became one of the best known musical theatre composers of the early 20th century. [448]
J. Warren Kerrigan 1916August 4, 2004AmericanSinger. Later he became a noted disc jockey.
Joseph Kesselring July 25, 1879June 9, 1947AmericanActor.
Victor Kilian March 6, 1891March 11, 1979AmericanActor. [449]
Charles King 18891941AmericanSong and dance man later on Broadway and in the Ziegfeld Follies. [450]
Hetty King 1883September 28, 1972BritishMale impersonator and singer. [451]
Johnny Kling February 25, 1875January 31, 1947AmericanBaseball player who appeared in vaudeville with a monologue and a champ billiards exhibition act. [132]
Fred Kohler April 20, 1888October 28, 1938AmericanCharacter actor. [452]
Kolb and Dill AmericanDutch dialect knockabout comic duo with Clarence Kolb (July 31, 1874 – November 25, 1964) and Max Dill (September 15, 1876 – November 21, 1949). [453]
Hatsu Kuma1907Japanese-AmericanJapanese-American Singer who began performing at the age of four. Performed as part of the Kuma Four and later under her own name. She was a Soprano and performed with Anna Chang in the Paramount Pictures short "Two Little Chinese Maids" (1929). Her father was magician Kinjiro Tanaka Kumajo who performed as Aki Kuma and later as Kim Yen Soo. She performed on the Pantages Circuit and was active from 1912 to 1931. [454] [455]
Tanaka "Aki" Kuma 18841963Japanese-AmericanMagician Kinjiro Tanaka Kumajo was one of the longest practicing Illusionists in vaudeville and was active from 1914 to 1957. He performed as Tanaka Kuma through the 1930s and changed his performing name to Kim Yen Soo from the 1940s to the 1950s. [454] [456]
Harry Kraton February 14, 1883October 10, 1912African AmericanJuggler and tightrope walker who specialized in a style of juggling known as hoop rolling. With his wife Ethelyn Kraton he founded the vaudeville act The Kratons. He was an early vocal advocate of supporting black performers in vaudeville. [457] [458]
Isa Kremer October 21, 1887July 7, 1956Russian-AmericanSoprano [459]

Notes

  1. Slide 1994 , pp. 1–3
  2. Leider, Emily W. Dark Lover: The Life and Death of Rudolph Valentino. New York City, Farrar Straus Giroux, 2003. ISBN   0-374-28239-0. p. 100.
  3. Ewen, David (1970). New complete book of the American musical theater. Holt, Rinehart, and Winston. pp. 51, 409. ISBN   9780030850608 . Retrieved April 21, 2019.
  4. Dietz, Dan (2019). The Complete Book of 1920s Broadway Musicals. Rowman & Littlefield. p. 85. ISBN   9781538112823 . Retrieved April 21, 2019.
  5. 1 2 3 4 5 Laurie 1953 , p. 50
  6. Bordman & Hischak 2004 , p. 7
  7. Harrison 1988 , p. 13
  8. Slide 1994 , p. 4
  9. Laurie 1953 , pp. 326, 327
  10. Katz 2005 , p. 20
  11. Katz 2005 , p. 21
  12. Strait, Raymond. Alan Alda: A Biography New York City: St. Martin's Press, 1983. ISBN   0-312-01703-0. pp. 7–9.
  13. "Joe Bennett Dies. Vaudeville Dancer". The New York Times . September 2, 1967. Retrieved February 3, 2015. Joe Bennett, a vaudeville headliner early in the century whose specialty was eccentric dancing, died yesterday at the Our Lady of Consolation Residence here. He was 78 years old. ...
  14. Hoe, Robert, Jr. Alexander, Russell. in Rehrig, William H. ed. The Heritage Encyclopedia of Band Music: Composer and Their Music, Vol. 1. Westerville, Ohio: Integrity Press, 1991. p. 8.
  15. Slide 1994 , pp. 7–8
  16. Laurie 1953 , p. 449
  17. Rapp, Linda. (May 2007) Maud Allan Archived March 24, 2014, at the Wayback Machine . glbtq.com. Retrieved May 2007.
  18. Parker 1925 , p. 9
  19. 1 2 3 Laurie 1953 , p. 21
  20. 1 2 Laurie 1953 , pp. 230, 489
  21. Laurie 1953 , pp. 326–7
  22. 1 2 3 Slide 1994 , p. 111
  23. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 Laurie 1953 , p. 127
  24. Katz 2005 , p. 32
  25. Katz 2005 , pp. 32–33
  26. Palmer, R. Barton, "Don Ameche", in Thomas 1992 , p. 9
  27. Amsterdam, Morey in The St. James Encyplopedia of Popular Culture. Thomson Gale, 2006.
  28. Katz 2005 , pp. 35–36
  29. Katz 2005 , p. 35
  30. Larkin 1998 , p. 183
  31. Parker 1925 , p. 18
  32. Parker 1925 , p. 19
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Sources

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