The Forgotten Headliners Of Vaudeville

We’ve run several posts that had YouTubes showing performers from the era of vaudeville (way before my time) that sparked lots of positive emails from readers, particularly young TMV readers.

And, now, here is the BEST clip of all. CLICK HERE to go to The Glittering Eye and read the wonderful post — and be sure to click on the rare 80 year old clip that shows you an incredible performance by two of vaudeville’s largely-forgotten headliners.

A BIT OF BACKGROUND: Vaudeville was essentially stage variety shows hugely popular in America before the advent of radio and sound movies. For a low price, audiences could sit through a constantly repeating show of myriad performers. Theater owners often put an awful act on last to clear the room. Performers led a hard life, traveling from theater to theater, most of them owned by big chains.

It mean three shows a day and performers could use the same act for years. Silent movies hurt vaudeville and sound movies and radio killed it. And some of vaudeville’s greatest stars (not all) went onto become huge stars in radio, television and movies.

Much of the legacy of vaudeville is gone but some acts are preserved on rare films and recordings.

The piece on The Glittering Eye is one of the BEST and the most beautifully preserved. Watch it and you go back 80 years to another era and can watch a performance that holds up as well as the day it was filmed. This is today’s MUST VIEW AND MUST READ.

P.S. In my day job I do a lot of fairs (I will do 8 fairs in three states in 6 weeks this summer) and the circuit and show schedule is the last vestige of vaudeville. (I also do some stage variety shows and will be in two of them in June). Now these are being threatened due to the economy so by the mid to late 21st century there will be even less of the traveling variety performers around since venues will shrink or cut budgets.