Nellie Breen (April 3, 1897''Massachusetts, Birth Records, 1840-1915''''1900 United States Federal Census'' – April 26, 1986)''California, Death Index, 1940-1997'' was an American comedian and dancer. In

vaudeville Vaudeville (; ) is a theatrical genre of 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 ...

, she appeared in a double act with

Lester Allen Lester Allen (November 17, 1891 – November 6, 1949) was a screen, stage, vaudeville, circus actor, and film director. In vaudeville, he appeared in a double act with Nellie Breen and also emceed at the Palace Theatre Palace Theatre, or Palace ...

. Her Broadway theater credits include: ''Everything'' (1918), ''The Passing Show of 1922'' (1922), ''Ginger'' (1923, as the character Ruth Warewell), ''Mercenary Mary'' (1925, as the character Norah), ''Florida Girl'' (1925, as the character Betty), and ''The Desert Song'' (1926, as the character Susan). In 1922, she did the first

tap dance Tap dance is a form of dance characterized by using the sounds of tap shoes striking the floor as a form of percussion. Two major variations on tap dance exist: rhythm (jazz) tap and Broadway tap. Broadway tap focuses on dance; it is widely perfo ...

on radio. Breen was born in

Lawrence, Massachusetts Lawrence is a city located in Essex County, Massachusetts, United States, on the Merrimack River. At the 2020 census, the city had a population of 89,143. Surrounding communities include Methuen to the north, Andover to the southwest, and Nort ...

, to an Australian mother and Irish-American father who married in Victoria, Australia.''Australia, Marriage Index, 1788-1950''''1930 United States Federal Census'' She died in

Santa Clara County, California Santa Clara County, officially the County of Santa Clara, is the sixth-most populous county in the U.S. state of California, with a population of 1,936,259, as of the 2020 United States Census, 2020 census. Santa Clara County and neighboring Sa ...

, aged 89.

References

1897 births 1986 deaths People from Lawrence, Massachusetts American female dancers American tap dancers American women comedians Vaudeville performers American stage actresses American people of Irish descent American people of Australian descent 20th-century American dancers 20th-century American actresses {{dance-bio-stub