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Examining the Origins of Abbott and Costello's Burlesque Routines: "Who's On...
Abbott and Costello's "Who's on First?" routine can be traced back to an old vaudeville routine called "Watt Street," which was also known as "Who's the Boss?" and "The Baker Scene." Theatre critics of...
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Examining the Origins of Abbott and Costello's Burlesque Routines: "Who's On...
Harry Steppe, billed as "Harry Steppe, That Hebrew Gent," was active in vaudeville from 1911 to his death in 1934. Steppe wrote, starred in and produced a number of popular revue shows, including...
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Examining the Origins of Abbott and Costello's Burlesque Routines: "Who's On...
No baseball cross-talk routine is referenced in newspapers before the "Who's on First?" routine. Plenty of comedy and musical routines made use of a baseball theme. Reportedly, these bits were a...
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Examining the Origins of Abbott and Costello's Burlesque Routines: "The Lemon...
Harry Steppe's name will inevitably come up whenever there is a discussion of classic burlesque routines. Vaudeville historian Trav S.D. wrote, "[Steppe] was credited by Phil Silvers for originating...
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Examining the Origins of Abbott and Costello's Burlesque Routines: The Rest...
"The Rest Cure" (aka "Crazy House")I once heard that Willie and Eugene Howard originated the "Rest Cure" sketch (also known as "Crazy House"). Though their authorship is conceivable, I could find no...
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Comedy's Most Devoted Partners: Ward and Fox
Joseph Fox and William H. Ward were a steadfast comedy team for at least 64 years. They combined their talents in 1868 and were still playing engagements in 1932. According to a 1932 news item, the...
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Hotel Topsy Turvy
"Hotel Topsy Turvy," a burlesque farce, opened at the Lafayette Theater in Washington, D. C., on September 19, 1898. It was an American remake of the French musical farce "L'Auberge du Tohu-Bohu."...
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A Slapstick Judge
The most popular and most frequently staged burlesque sketch was "Irish Justice." It went by many other names, including "A Day in Court" and "Police Court." A judge sat atop his bench and listened...
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The Rehash Blues
Variety's critics hated comedy shows that were nothing more than a patchwork of old routines. A Variety critic flatly dismissed a 1921 revue with the line, "All of the hoke and standards were...
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"That's What They Call The Old Nightmare!"
Laughs and scares were promoted by a number of Commedia dell'arte routines, including "Lazzi of the Ghost,""Lazzi of Fear,""Lazzi of the Nightfall," and "Lazzo of the Living Corpse." Similar routines...
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Book Review: “Living Large: Wilna Hervey and Nan Mason”
The visually surreal world of silent film comedy enthusiastically welcomed irregularly proportioned actors. The people who cast these films kept a sharp lookout for actors who were very tall, or very...
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Splat!: Secrets of the Lost Pie Comedies
The long lost second reel of Laurel and Hardy’s The Battle of the Century (1927) has been rediscovered by film historian Jon Mirsalis. The film is well-known among comedy fans for the sloppily epic...
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Billy Gilbert’s Return to the Footlights
Billy Gilbert spent the 1930s making memorably funny appearances in nearly 200 films, but the actor missed his vaudeville days and he felt the urge to return to performing before a live audience....
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Critics Sing Praises of Moss and Frye
Arthur G. Moss and Edward Frye, an African American comedy team billed as "A Couple of Blackbirds," were a popular, original and influential act for more than two decades. As early as 1910, the men...
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Silent Film Comedy Spotlight: Seven Bald Pates (1920)
Seven Bald Pates, a comedy from the Christie Film Company, had a unique and interesting plot. On his wedding day, Bobby Vernon learns from a friend that he is being sought by a process server. His...
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Random Bits: Fourth of July Edition
I came across a few interesting scenes this week.The torn trousers bit is ratcheted up to a manic level by director Larry Semon for Vitagraph's Rips and Rushes (1917). The film’s title is accurate...
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Ha, Ha, Boo!
Today, we will lift the cobwebs off old news journals and examine by the flickering light of a tapered, bone-white candle a few of Hollywood's little known scare comedies. Funny spooks and strange...
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Another Stroll Down Flugel Street
The "Flugel Street" routine, which was discussed in a recent post, was performed for decades by a variety of comedians.Bert Lahr's son, John, claimed that his father performed an early version of...
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The Many Straight Men of Joey Faye
Faye in Once Upon a Time in America (1984) In 1937, New York City mayor Fiorello LaGuardia went on a campaign to shut down burlesque theatres, which he regarded as a "corrupting moral influence." As...
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Tidbits for August, 2015
I hope that everyone has been enjoying their summer. I live in New Port Richey, which the local tourist board has appropriately dubbed "The Gateway to Tropical Florida." The area's tropical summer...
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