Author Archives: vaudevilleshows

This week: Roy Smeck, Cliff Edwards, Claire Ness, Flanagan and Allen, Stan Laurel, Laurel and Hardy

Like many many vaudevillians, Louise Dresser went into the business because of the need to avoid starvation. For 30,000 vaudevillians who toured the Continent at any one time, it was a job. In spite of the arduous and sometimes humiliating … Continue reading →

This week: The vaudevillian life of Nora Bayes, starting with the vaudeville lullaby that my kids heard night after night as they grew up in the world of the Frantic Follies Vaudeville Revue. Included in this vodcast is Al Hirshfeld … Continue reading →

During the halcyon days of vaudeville the harp often took center stage. People loved to hear the beautiful sounds of course, but add a vaudevillian twist and it was a winner. There was never a better example of this and … Continue reading →

This Week: The vaudevillian talents of Lucille Ball and her cast and friends. Lucille Ball started out as a chorus girl, but before that she endured as more rejection than you could ever imagine. Constantly learning, tweaking and adding to … Continue reading →

 A real buster!   When I was a young kid of about 12 years old I remember clearly sitting in front of the television and watching one of the “new comedians” from the 1970s.  After watching a routine and not laughing … Continue reading →

It was President Woodrow Wilson who gave May Irwin the title of “Secretary of Laughter” after she performed in Washington. Born in Whitby Ontario, May Irwin was another vaudevillian that following the death of her father – launched into the … Continue reading →

This week on the Vaudecast with Grant Simpson: Imagine a time when the only way to hear new songs was 1) buying and reading the sheet music, or 2) go to a vaudeville show like the one on stage at … Continue reading →

On this Vaudecast we visit some of Jack Benny’s funniest moments, from how he stole his theme song from Kitty Carlisle – to his own feeble attempts to get some big named singers to sing a song he wrote called … Continue reading →

This Vaudecast is all about The Tiller Girls! Including an interview with Mary Kruger, the 89 year old Tiller Girl who lives in Vancouver, B.C. Her wit, her charm and her story – right here. Plus: Ginger Rogers, Una Merkel, … Continue reading →