Vaudeville on TV

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Gary Johnson
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Vaudeville on TV

Postby Gary Johnson » Mon Oct 05, 2015 6:17 pm

This episode of the FRANK SINATRA SHOW is from 11/13/51. Frank introduces Larry Griswold, who went by the moniker "The Diving Fool".
Griswold was a gymnastic coach in the 1930's, who also dabbled in vaudeville performing acrobatic tumbling. He and his partner started a company that developed the trampoline. Eventually Larry sold his interests in the company to concentrate on his stage work. The act eventually centered around a diving board.............and a trampoline.
All of us Baby Boomers grew up on acts like this. It helped spark my already growing interest in show business, but it would confuse me when I would read that vaudeville died decades earlier.

"Oh yeah? That wasn't grand opera I was just watching..."

https://youtu.be/WIFVbQw6pvE

Richard M Roberts
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Re: Vaudeville on TV

Postby Richard M Roberts » Tue Oct 06, 2015 11:36 am

The myth of Vaudeville dying when talking pictures came in is just that....a myth. Vaudeville may have been dying, but just like the Theater, which was always being described as in its death throes, the actual mortality took a long time in its march to the grave.

Vaudeville actually went hand in hand with the Movies through the thirties and forties, live acts were as much a part of many movie theater bills as the selected short subjects. Many movie stars made "personal appearances" and the usual crop of jugglers, magicians, singers, acrobats, trained dog acts, continued to work steadily. Several years ago, we worked on the Kit Parker Films/VCI DVD release SHOWTIME USA, a collection of the Robert L. Lippert/Ron Ormond vaudeville films like VARIETIES ON PARADE and YES SIR MR. BONES that showcased a lot of still working vaudeville performers.

Even in the fifties, when Vaudeville indeed did disappear from Movie Houses once and for all, there were still the nightclubs, hotel, supper clubs, circuses, amusement parks and state fair circuits, coupled with a still booming vaudeville and variety business in Europe and Central/South America that kept a lot of performers still trading the boards, allowing Ed Sullivan and various other TV Variety shows to be able to book acts like these way into the late 60's/early 70's. Only the myopic researchers who cannot see show business outside of the movies they see on their flatscreens at home ever say that Vaudeville died when talkies came in.


RICHARD M ROBERTS

Gary Johnson
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Re: Vaudeville on TV

Postby Gary Johnson » Thu Oct 08, 2015 2:46 am

Two favorite moments pop into mind of specialty acts in the movies.
Fred Astaire is waiting in the producer's office along with 50 other acts in BROADWAY MELODY OF 1940 when Trixie Firschke (not yet LaRue) pulls him in as an unwilling participant in her head bobbing juggling routine. The other moment concerns Betty Hutton trying to scale the Paramount wall in STAR SPANGLED RHYTHM when Walter Darewahl and his partner Johnnie Trama happen along to assist. For the next 5 minutes Hutton is treated like a rag doll as she gets entangled in their hand-locking routine.

In both instances, these bits stand out because they are integrated into the action of the movie, rather than being a separate entity where the curtain rises and falls and we all applaud when it's over.

Richard M Roberts
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Re: Vaudeville on TV

Postby Richard M Roberts » Thu Oct 08, 2015 8:57 am

Gary Johnson wrote:Two favorite moments pop into mind of specialty acts in the movies.
Fred Astaire is waiting in the producer's office along with 50 other acts in BROADWAY MELODY OF 1940 when Trixie Firschke (not yet LaRue) pulls him in as an unwilling participant in her head bobbing juggling routine. The other moment concerns Betty Hutton trying to scale the Paramount wall in STAR SPANGLED RHYTHM when Walter Darewahl and his partner Johnnie Trama happen along to assist. For the next 5 minutes Hutton is treated like a rag doll as she gets entangled in their hand-locking routine.

In both instances, these bits stand out because they are integrated into the action of the movie, rather than being a separate entity where the curtain rises and falls and we all applaud when it's over.



And who can forget the oh-so-limber Ross Sisters in BROADWAY RHYTHM (1944):

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GXTE9xucyIE



RICHARD M ROBERTS

Gary Johnson
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Re: Vaudeville on TV

Postby Gary Johnson » Thu Oct 08, 2015 10:15 am

MGM seemed to have an affinity for blonde, dimpled-cheek contortionists, like June Preisser from BABE IN ARMS.


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