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Joe Frisco
Joe Frisco (born Louis Wilson Joseph; November 4, 1889 – February 18, 1958) was an American vaudeville performer who first made his name on stage as a jazz dancer, but later incorporated his stuttering voice to his act and became a popular comedian. Life and career He was born Louis Wilson Joseph in Milan, Illinois on November 4, 1889. In the mid and late 1910s, he performed with some of the first jazz bands in Chicago and New York City, including Tom Brown's Band from Dixieland, the Original Dixieland Jass Band, and the Louisiana Five. He made his Broadway debut in the Ziegfeld Follies in 1918. Frisco was a mainstay on the vaudeville circuit in the 1920s and 1930s. His popular jazz dance act, called by some the "Jewish Charleston", was a choreographed series of shuffles, camel walks and turns. It was usually performed to Darktown Strutters' Ball. It, or at least a minute or so of it, can be seen in the film ''Atlantic City'' (1944). He typically wore a derby hat, and had ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
The Gorilla (1930 Film)
''The Gorilla'' (1930) is an American pre-Code mystery-comedy film produced by First National Pictures, distributed by Warner Bros., and directed by Bryan Foy. It stars Joe Frisco, Harry Gribbon, Walter Pidgeon and Lila Lee, and is based on the 1925 play of the same name by Ralph Spence. The 1930 film version was a sound remake of the 1927 silent version, also produced by First National Pictures. ''The Gorilla'' is presumed lost; none of its visual elements are known to survive. The soundtrack, which was recorded on Vitaphone disks, may survive in private hands. Plot The story opens with a murder supposedly caused by a gorilla. Police catch only a glimpse of a gorilla's shadow, cast against a brick wall, before it disappears. When Cyrus Stevens (Maxwell) receives a note that the gorilla will arrive at his home before midnight, he hires detectives Garrity (Frisco) and Mulligan (Gribbon) to help protect him. Stevens lives with his ward, Alice Denby (Lee), who is in love with ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
1958 Deaths
Events January * January 1 – The European Economic Community (EEC) comes into being. * January 3 – The West Indies Federation is formed. * January 4 ** Edmund Hillary's Commonwealth Trans-Antarctic Expedition completes the third overland journey to the South Pole, the first to use powered vehicles. ** Sputnik 1 (launched on October 4, 1957) falls to Earth from its orbit, and burns up. * January 13 – Battle of Edchera: The Moroccan Army of Liberation ambushes a Spanish patrol. * January 27 – A Soviet-American executive agreement on cultural, educational and scientific exchanges, also known as the " Lacy–Zarubin Agreement", is signed in Washington, D.C. * January 31 – The first successful American satellite, Explorer 1, is launched into orbit. February * February 1 – Egypt and Syria unite, to form the United Arab Republic. * February 6 – Seven Manchester United footballers are among the 21 people killed in the Munich air disaster in West G ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
1889 Births
Events January–March * January 1 ** The total solar eclipse of January 1, 1889 is seen over parts of California and Nevada. ** Paiute spiritual leader Wovoka experiences a vision, leading to the start of the Ghost Dance movement in the Dakotas. * January 4 – An Act to Regulate Appointments in the Marine Hospital Service of the United States is signed by President Grover Cleveland. It establishes a Commissioned Corps of officers, as a predecessor to the modern-day U.S. Public Health Service Commissioned Corps. * January 5 – Preston North End F.C. is declared the winner of the inaugural Football League in England. * January 8 – Herman Hollerith receives a patent for his electric tabulating machine in the United States. * January 15 – The Coca-Cola Company is originally incorporated as the Pemberton Medicine Company in Atlanta, Georgia. * January 22 – Columbia Phonograph is formed in Washington, D.C. * January 30 – Rudolf, Crown Prince of Austria and his ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Vaudeville Performers
Vaudeville (; ) is a theatre, theatrical genre of variety show, variety entertainment born in France at the end of the 19th century. A vaudeville was originally a comedy without psychological or moral intentions, based on a comical situation: a dramatic composition or light poetry, interspersed with songs or ballets. It became popular in the United States and Canada from the early 1880s until the early 1930s, but the idea of vaudeville's theatre changed radically from its French antecedent. In some ways analogous to music hall from Victorian era, Victorian Britain, a typical North American vaudeville performance was made up of a series of separate, unrelated acts grouped together on a common bill. Types of acts have included popular and classical musicians, singers, dancers, comedians, animal training, trained animals, Magic (illusion), magicians, Ventriloquism, ventriloquists, Strongman (strength athlete), strongmen, female and male impersonators, acrobatics, acrobats, clowns, ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Monkey Business (1931 Film)
''Monkey Business'' is a 1931 American pre-Code comedy film. It is the third of the Marx Brothers' released movies ( Groucho, Harpo, Chico and Zeppo), and the first with an original screenplay rather than an adaptation of one of their Broadway shows. The film also features Thelma Todd, Harry Woods and Ruth Hall. It is directed by Norman Z. McLeod with screenplay by S. J. Perelman and Will B. Johnstone. Much of the story takes place on an ocean liner crossing the Atlantic Ocean. Plot On board an ocean liner, four stowaways hide in barrels in the ship's cargo hold. After singing " Sweet Adeline", they are discovered. The naval officers spend the rest of the voyage chasing and attempting to arrest the stowaways. Chico and Harpo disrupt a chess game and confiscate the board, taking it into the stateroom of racketeer Big Joe Helton and his daughter Mary, during a confrontation with rival gangster Alky Briggs. After they scare off Briggs, Big Joe hires Chico and Harpo to be his bo ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Maurice Chevalier
Maurice Auguste Chevalier (; 12 September 1888 – 1 January 1972) was a French singer, actor and entertainer. He is perhaps best known for his signature songs, including " Livin' In The Sunlight", " Valentine", "Louise", " Mimi", and "Thank Heaven for Little Girls" and for his films, including ''The Love Parade'', ''The Big Pond'', ''The Smiling Lieutenant'', '' One Hour with You'' and ''Love Me Tonight''. His trademark attire was a boater hat and tuxedo. Chevalier was born in Paris. He made his name as a star of musical comedy, appearing in public as a singer and dancer at an early age before working in menial jobs as a teenager. In 1909, he became the partner of the biggest female star in France at the time, Fréhel. Although their relationship was brief, she secured him his first major engagement, as a mimic and a singer in ''l'Alcazar'' in Marseille, for which he received critical acclaim by French theatre critics. In 1917, he discovered jazz and ragtime and went to London, ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
The Great Gatsby
''The Great Gatsby'' is a 1925 novel by American writer F. Scott Fitzgerald. Set in the Jazz Age on Long Island, near New York City, the novel depicts First-person narrative, first-person narrator Nick Carraway's interactions with mysterious millionaire Jay Gatsby and Gatsby's obsession to reunite with his former lover, Daisy Buchanan. The novel was inspired by a youthful romance Fitzgerald had with socialite Ginevra King, and the riotous parties he attended on Long Island's North Shore (Long Island), North Shore in 1922. Following a move to the French Riviera, Fitzgerald completed a rough draft of the novel in 1924. He submitted it to editor Maxwell Perkins, who persuaded Fitzgerald to revise the work over the following winter. After making revisions, Fitzgerald was satisfied with the text, but remained ambivalent about the book's title and considered several alternatives. Painter Francis Cugat's cover art greatly impressed Fitzgerald, and he incorporated aspects of it into the ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Sweet Smell Of Success
''Sweet Smell of Success'' is a 1957 American film noir drama film directed by Alexander Mackendrick, starring Burt Lancaster, Tony Curtis, Susan Harrison, and Martin Milner, and written by Clifford Odets, Ernest Lehman, and Mackendrick from the novelette by Lehman. The shadowy noir cinematography filmed on location in New York City was shot by James Wong Howe. The picture was produced by James Hill of Hecht-Hill-Lancaster Productions and released by United Artists. The supporting cast features Sam Levene, Barbara Nichols, Joe Frisco, Edith Atwater, David White and Emile Meyer. The musical score was arranged and conducted by Elmer Bernstein and the film also features jazz performances by the Chico Hamilton Quintet. Mary Grant designed the costumes. The film tells the story of powerful and sleazy newspaper columnist J.J. Hunsecker (portrayed by Lancaster and based on Walter Winchell) who uses his connections to ruin his sister's relationship with a man he deems unworthy of h ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Riding High (1950 Film)
''Riding High'' is a 1950 black-and-white musical racetrack film featuring Bing Crosby and directed by Frank Capra. The songs were performed live during filming instead of the customary lip-synching to studio recordings. The film is a remake of an earlier Capra film with screenwriter Robert Riskin titled ''Broadway Bill'' (1934). While the film is generally a light musical comedy, its plot contains an unexpected tragic turn. Plot Yale graduate Dan Brooks is expected to marry wealthy boss J.L. Higgins' daughter Margaret and join the family box-making business. He is far more interested in racing a horse he owns named Broadway Bill. Doing poorly at work, Dan and his groom Whitey leave town to enter Bill in the Imperial Derby, but first must find money for the entry fee. He and old pal Professor Pettigrew each try to con the other out of money and then must sing the Yale school song when they cannot pay the check at a restaurant. Maggie's younger sister Alice is secretly in love wit ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
That's My Man
''That's My Man'' is a 1947 American drama film directed by Frank Borzage, written by Steve Fisher (writer), Steve Fisher and Bradley King (screenwriter), Bradley King, and starring Don Ameche, Catherine McLeod, Roscoe Karns, John Ridgely, Kitty Irish and Joe Frisco. It was released on June 1, 1947, by Republic Pictures. Plot Joe Grange quits his job as a Los Angeles accountant and gambles the last of his savings on a racehorse. He literally gambles as well, winning $2,000 at one point, then losing it all when his cab driver friend Toby Gleeton bets everything on the favorite rather than on Joe's longshot of a horse, Gallant Man. Toby has helped introduce Joe to the love of his life, Ronnie Moore, who puts up with Joe's gambling for a while. But when she expects a child, even Joe's winning of a house doesn't make her trust his ways. Joe is too busy playing poker to be there when son Richard is born, and he's suckered by horse trainer John Ramsey into betting $40,000 on a race, bl ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Shady Lady (1945 Film)
''Shady Lady''''Shady Lady''. Page at the IMDb (Internet Movie Database) website. Retrieved on 26 May 2016 is a 1945 directed by and starring , , and . Waggner o ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
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