William James Ahern (October 9, 1896 - May 16, 1983), was a

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 ...

entertainer at the beginning of the 20th century. He is best known for being part of a comedy duo with his wife, Gladys Reese Ahern. As part of their act, Ahern told jokes and performed rope tricks while his wife, using a Mexican accent, sang and danced.

Early life

William James Ahern was born in

Waterbury, Connecticut Waterbury is a city in the U.S. state of Connecticut on the Naugatuck River, southwest of Hartford and northeast of New York City. Waterbury is the second-largest city in New Haven County, Connecticut. According to the 2020 US Census, in 20 ...

, on October 9, 1896. Ahern reportedly ran off with

Buffalo Bill's Wild West William Frederick Cody (February 26, 1846January 10, 1917), known as "Buffalo Bill", was an American soldier, bison hunter, and showman. He was born in Le Claire, Iowa Territory (now the U.S. state of Iowa), but he lived for several years in ...

troupe in 1909 after a local appearance, and learned rope spinning while working with the show.

Performing career

Ahern's first performance was in 1913 at the Lyric Theater in

Bridgeport, Connecticut Bridgeport is the List of municipalities in Connecticut, most populous city and a major port in the U.S. state of Connecticut. With a population of 148,654 in 2020, it is also the List of cities by population in New England, fifth-most populous ...

. He did a comedic act featuring rope spinning. He subsequently worked in circuses and the Oklahoma Ranch and 101 Ranch shows doing trick riding and roping. He joined the

Navy A navy, naval force, or maritime force is the branch of a nation's armed forces principally designated for naval warfare, naval and amphibious warfare; namely, lake-borne, riverine, littoral zone, littoral, or ocean-borne combat operations and ...

during

World War I World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, the United States, and the Ottoman Empire, with fightin ...

and performed in shows for Liberty Loan drives. After World War I, Ahern and his partner, Joe O'Hare, performed a mind-reading act aboard the ''George Washington'', a ship carrying U.S. delegates to Europe for the peace conference. After splitting up, Ahern performed solo until he met Gladys Reese in Chicago in 1919 and they formed an act. The Aherns' act consisted of Gladys dancing inside the open lasso Will twirled, as well as comedic song and dance numbers they performed together, in and out of the rope. The Aherns spoke German, French, Italian, and Spanish, and performed for many years in Europe after American vaudeville became less popular, including appearances for soldiers during

World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...

. They also appeared in

RKO RKO Radio Pictures Inc., commonly known as RKO Pictures or simply RKO, was an American film production and distribution company, one of the "Big Five" film studios of Hollywood's Golden Age. The business was formed after the Keith-Albee-Orpheu ...

studio shorts in the 1930s. Will had an uncredited bit part in '' Hello Dolly'' dancing with

Barbra Streisand Barbara Joan "Barbra" Streisand (; born April 24, 1942) is an American singer, actress and director. With a career spanning over six decades, she has achieved success in multiple fields of entertainment, and is among the few performers List ...

. For many years the Aherns operated Rainbow Studios, a rehearsal space one block North of Hollywood and Vine in Hollywood, California. Will was also active as a member and an officer in the Hollywood Comedy Club.

Notable stage appearances

Broadway appearances * October 3, 1927 - January 7, 1928 - Sidewalks of New York, roles: Goofy, Willie * February 18, 1930 - June 14, 1930 - Simple Simon, role: Jack Horner

Death

Ahern died May 16, 1983, at the age of 86.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Ahern, Will 1896 births 1983 deaths Vaudeville performers