Comments on: The Forgotten Headliners Of Vaudeville

By: Marlowecan

Marlowecan — Tue, 08 Apr 2008 04:19:19 +0000

Archangel said: “marlowecan, i just wanted to say your comments are notable for always being so informative, Thank you!:

You are most welcome

And thanks again to Joe, for finding these gems.

By: Jim_Satterfield

Jim_Satterfield — Tue, 08 Apr 2008 03:18:45 +0000

In Columbia, Missouri where the University of Missouri has its main campus they did an amazing job in the '70s of restoring an old theater. It was a movie theater in its modern incarnation of course and I saw many showings of Rocky Horror there. But word was that in its heyday one of the vaudevillians that performed there was Bob Hope. I do love watching some of the older films. Anyone else ever see The Great Broadcast of 1938. That's the one that made Thanks for the Memories his “theme” song.

By: Dave_Schuler

Dave_Schuler — Mon, 07 Apr 2008 22:27:57 +0000

My mom was born almost literally in a trunk. She was born on the road, living in hotels, and didn't have a settled home until she was eight or nine years old. She sometimes says that if room service didn't bring it she didn't know it was food.

Her StoryCorps submission is here.

By: archangel

archangel — Mon, 07 Apr 2008 18:15:31 +0000

marlowecan, i just wanted to say your comments are notable for always being so informative, Thank you!

And Dave_Schuler, wow, your mom AND your grandparents, what stories you must have!

dr.e.

dr.clarissa pinkola estés

By: Marlowecan

Marlowecan — Mon, 07 Apr 2008 16:05:20 +0000

This is an EXCELLENT post! Great...but also sort of sad.

A great performance. Look at their timing.

BTW: Vaudeville also developed in a parallel tradition on both sides of the Atlantic. J.B. Priestley's "Lost Empires" is a great novel about life in British vaudeville (America had its "Palaces" while Britain had its "Empires).

The two traditions cross-fertilzed, of course. British vaudevillians like Charlie Chaplin and Archie Leach from Bristol coming across the pond.

Archie Leach? Better known as Cary Grant. He referred to himself as an ex-vaudevillian to the end of his life. Look at Grant's comic timing and how, despite being a big guy, he moved like a cat, always aware of his body in space...they don't teach that in Hollywood.

You can see that in this YouTube. They aren't even watching each other - except peripherally - but the interaction and timing is superb.

It's funny...but when one watches old movies one is almost instinctfully aware of when an actor - even a character in a bit part - has had vaudeville experience.

Joe's post is rather sad in his closing observation. Ironically, the same technology-economy that allows YouTube and preservation of vaudeville is contributing to the ending of the last vestiges of live variety.

That said...I invariably enjoy these video posts of Joe's to brighten one's morning (especially in this election year).

By: Dave_Schuler

Dave_Schuler — Mon, 07 Apr 2008 15:21:55 +0000

Thanks for the link, Joe.

BTW, my mom and grandparents worked the Pantages circuit.