Harry Steppe (born Abraham Stepner), March 16, 1888 – November 22, 1934Abe Stepner's obituary, "Feature News," Billboard magazine, Dec. 1, 1934, pg 5. was a

Russian Jewish The history of the Jews in Russia and areas historically connected with it goes back at least 1,500 years. Jews in Russia have historically constituted a large religious and ethnic diaspora; the Russian Empire at one time hosted the largest pop ...

-American actor, musical comedy performer, headliner comedian, writer, librettist, director and producer, who toured North America working 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 ...

and

Burlesque A burlesque is a literary, dramatic or musical work intended to cause laughter by caricaturing the manner or spirit of serious works, or by ludicrous treatment of their subjects.

.Theatre Magazine, edited by Arthur Hornblow, Stewart Beach, W. J. Thorold, et al., 1930, v.51-52, pg. 36. Excerpt: "In fact, Harry Steppe, one of the leading burlesque comedians, remarked to me the other day that there is more to be seen on the streets today than there..."Reedy's Mirror. St. Louis, Mo. Vol. 25, 1916, pg. 204. William Marion Reedy, Editor and Proprietor. Excerpt: "The Girls from the Follies" With Harry Steppe in the Two-Act Musical Burlesque "Cohen on the East Side." Steppe performed at several well-known theaters on the

Columbia Columbia may refer to: * Columbia (personification), the historical female national personification of the United States, and a poetic name for America Places North America Natural features * Columbia Plateau, a geologic and geographic region i ...

, Mutual and Orpheum circuits. Steppe was one of

Bud Abbott William Alexander "Bud" Abbott (October 2, 1897 – April 24, 1974) was an American comedian, actor and producer. He was best known as the straight man half of the comedy duo Abbott and Costello. Early life Abbott was born in Asbury Park, New J ...

's first partners."Abbott and Costello in Hollywood," by Bob Furmanek and Ron Palumbo, 1991, Page 18. Excerpt: "Bud was now working with comedian Harry Steppe, who originated the famous 'Lemon Bit'...It was the 'Lemon Bit' that Bud had done with Harry Steppe. When Bud and Lou crossed paths in burlesque in the mid-1930s, Bud staged the routine for Lou. After the boys teamed up, they reprised the 'Lemon Bit'...""Lou's on First: The Tragic Life of Hollywood's Greatest Clown Warmly Recounted by His Youngest Child," by Chris Costello, St. Martin's Griffin, 1982, pg.23. . Excerpt: "Backstage between shows Bud would do skits with Dad (Lou) that he had done with Harry Steppe -- a very clever Jewish comedian who was the creator of the famous "Lemon Bit," which was to be so successful for Bud and Dad (Lou) as a team."Seguine, Brent
"Slowly I Turned / Niagara Falls / Pokomoko"
Abbott & Costello January 2017 Newsletter. Abbott & Costello Collectibles, Jan. 2017. Web. 05 July 2017. Excerpt: "Steppe was also an early stage partner for Bud Abbott, and is among the names mentioned as bringing Bud and Lou together in 1935 before their initial team-up in 1936."American national biography, Volume 1, edited by John Arthur Garraty, Mark Christopher Carnes, American Council of Learned Societies, Oxford University Press, 1999, Page 18. Excerpt: (Costello played) "opposite a variety of comics, including Harry Steppe..."

Early life

Born in Russia to

Orthodox Jewish Orthodox Judaism is the collective term for the traditionalist and theologically conservative branches of contemporary Judaism. Theologically, it is chiefly defined by regarding the Torah, both Written and Oral, as revealed by God to Moses on ...

parents, Steppe emigrated from

Moscow Moscow ( , US chiefly ; rus, links=no, Москва, r=Moskva, p=mɐskˈva, a=Москва.ogg) is the capital and largest city of Russia. The city stands on the Moskva River in Central Russia, with a population estimated at 13.0 million ...

to the United States through

Ellis Island Ellis Island is a federally owned island in New York Harbor, situated within the U.S. states of New York and New Jersey, that was the busiest immigrant inspection and processing station in the United States. From 1892 to 1954, nearly 12 mil ...

with his family in 1892. Steppe became a naturalized citizen of the United States in 1899.New York Petitions for Naturalization Index 1792-1906 and 1907-1989 Steppe's father was a tailor.Twelfth Census of the United States: New Jersey, Schedule I - Population, Year 1900. Retrieved March 20, 2010 from HeritageQuest Online. His brother Michael was a vocalist. One of Steppe's brothers was named Harry but it is not known if this was an inspiration for part of Steppe's stage name. Steppe lived in Newark, New JerseyWorld War I Draft Registration Card 1917-1918, retrieved from Ancestry.com. Notes: Lists his occupation as Actor, employed by the Gaeyty Theater in Chicago, Illinois. and in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. At the age of 29, Steppe claimed an exemption from the draft for World War I on the grounds that he supported his widowed mother.

Relationships

Steppe married twice. His first wife Beatrice, an actress in "Razzle Dazzle of 1918," died at the age of 25 from the

Spanish flu The 1918–1920 influenza pandemic, commonly known by the misnomer Spanish flu or as the Great Influenza epidemic, was an exceptionally deadly global influenza pandemic caused by the H1N1 influenza A virus. The earliest documented case wa ...

, the same year they were married. This sudden loss may have contributed to speculation about Harry's personal struggles with depression.Thomas, Bob. Bud & Lou: the Abbott & Costello story. 1977. Page. 33 & 37. Excerpt: "Bud joined with Harry Steppe, a funny Jewish comic but one subject to spells of melancholia." Other paramours of Harry Steppe included Vaudeville performers Victoria "Vic" Dayton, whom he married in 1920,Photo of Harry Steppe and his wife Vic Dayton (Cover), The New York Clipper: The National Theatrical Weekly, December 1, 1920. Edna Raymond and Leona St. Clair. Steppe was often billed with actress Lola Pierce, to whom he was also reportedly linked romantically.

Career

Known to theater patrons as "The Hebrew Gent,""The Stage," Toronto Sunday World, Mar 15, 1914, page 29. Steppe was billed as a Hebrew, Jewish-dialect or Yiddish-dialect character comedian. One of Steppe's alter egos Ignatz Cohen became a recurring and popular character based on an ethnic Jewish stereotype. Many of Steppe's variety shows featured musical revues and

olios ''Olios'' is the largest genus of huntsman spiders, containing 166 species. They are found throughout the world, with most species occurring in hot countries. The genus was first described by Charles Athanase Walckenaer in 1837. Description Th ...

with dancing girls, comedy sketches and specialty acts. One performance of Steppe's "Girls from the Follies" featured "eight cycling models with thrilling stunts on wheels," operatic songs, ballroom dancing and chorus girls.

Phil Silvers Phil Silvers (born Phillip Silver; May 11, 1911 – November 1, 1985) was an American entertainer and comedic actor, known as "The King of Chutzpah". His career as a professional entertainer spanned nearly sixty years. Silvers achieved major popu ...

and others credited Steppe with "introducing the phrase "top banana" into show business jargon in 1927 as a synonym for the top comic on the bill. It rose out of a routine, full of doubletalk, in which three comics tried to share two bananas." Silvers further popularized the term "Top Banana" in his 1951 Broadway musical and 1954 film of the same name. Steppe also claimed to have coined the phrase "Second Banana." Steppe had a version of a

shell game The shell game (also known as thimblerig, three shells and a pea, the old army game) is often portrayed as a gambling game, but in reality, when a wager for money is made, it is almost always a confidence trick used to perpetrate fraud. In con ...

routine called "The Lemon Bit," that used lemons instead of peas. He performed it with Bud Abbott in burlesque, and Abbott later performed it with Costello in burlesque; in the Broadway musical "Streets of Paris"; in their movie " In the Navy"; live on the "

Colgate Comedy Hour ''The Colgate Comedy Hour'' was an American comedy-musical variety series that aired live on the NBC network from 1950 to 1955. The show featured many notable comedians and entertainers of the era as guest stars. Many of the scripts of the series ...

"; and in their television program " The Abbott & Costello Show."

Agents and management

Harry Steppe was represented by several theatrical agencies during his career, including Cain & Davenport and Chamberlain and Lyman Brown. Some of his shows were produced by Sam N. Reichblum and well-known burlesque producer I.H. Herk. Steppe also secured theater bookings through the support of entertainment circuits, or "wheels," like the B.F. Keith Vaudeville Exchange, the

Columbia Amusement Company The Columbia Amusement Company, also called the Columbia Wheel or the Eastern Burlesque Wheel, was a show business organization that produced burlesque shows in the United States between 1902 and 1927. Each year, about four dozen Columbia burlesque ...

(so-called "clean" burlesque) and the

Mutual Burlesque Association The Mutual Burlesque Association, also called the Mutual Wheel or the MBA, was an American burlesque circuit active from 1922 until 1931. Controlled by Isidore Herk, it quickly replaced its parent company and competitor, the Columbia Amusement Compa ...

.In the City's Playhouses: Harry Steppe - Orpheum
Reading Eagle, Sep 27, 1930, page 14. Excerpt: "That irresistible comedian, Harry Steppe, will hold forth at the Orpheum Theatre for the last time tonight, appearing at the head of his own one that is ...

Death

When Steppe became gravely ill and unable to work, his friends in show business staged a fundraiser on his behalf,The American Burlesque Show, by Irving Zeidman, Hawthorn Books, 1967. Excerpts: "The chief comic effects by Harry Steppe, it was noted, consisted in hitting other characters across the face with celery stalks. (Page 96)" "The most prominent of the later "Hebe" comics was Harry Steppe, who, ill and destitute in 1935, was the beneficiary of the Harry Steppe Fund, to which many famous stage personalities contributed. (Page 102)" "Harry Steppe had to be the recipient of a public benefit. (Page 215)" however Steppe died in poverty.

Pulmonary edema Pulmonary edema, also known as pulmonary congestion, is excessive liquid accumulation in the tissue and air spaces (usually alveoli) of the lungs. It leads to impaired gas exchange and may cause hypoxemia and respiratory failure. It is due ...

contributed to Steppe's death, according to his death certificate. He was at

Bellevue Hospital Bellevue Hospital (officially NYC Health + Hospitals/Bellevue and formerly known as Bellevue Hospital Center) is a hospital in New York City and the oldest public hospital in the United States. One of the largest hospitals in the United States ...

in New York, New York for two days and had been ill for a month,"Stage and Screen," by Harold W. Cohen, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette (Newspaper), Oct 17, 1934. Excerpt: "Harry Steppe, burlesque comedian...was taken to the Mountain Sinai Hospital in New York the other day for observation." according to a story in

Variety Variety may refer to: Arts and entertainment Entertainment formats * Variety (radio) * Variety show, in theater and television Films * ''Variety'' (1925 film), a German silent film directed by Ewald Andre Dupont * ''Variety'' (1935 film), ...

magazine, Nov. 27, 1934. He is buried in New Jersey.

Stage productions

Here is an ever-expanding table of documented theatrical productions.

References

Sources

* "Really The Blues," by Mezz Mezzrow and Bernard Wolfe, Citadel Press (Trade Paper), 1990, pg.27. . Excerpt: "You could see most of the celebrities of the day, colored and white, hanging around the De Luxe. Bill Robinson, the burlesque comedian Harry Steppe, comedian Benny Davis, Joe Frisco, Al Jolson, Sophie Tucker, Blossom Seeley, a lot of Ziegfeld Follies actors..." * American song: the complete musical theatre companion, by Ken Bloom, 1985, Page 130

External links

Bananas in Entertainment
cites Harry as originator of "Top Banana." Citation derived from newspapers and playbills in the Harvard Theater Collection. {{DEFAULTSORT:Steppe, Harry 1888 births 1934 deaths American male comedians American burlesque performers Vaudeville performers Jewish Russian comedians Jewish American male actors American people of Russian-Jewish descent Russian Jews Emigrants from the Russian Empire to the United States 20th-century American male actors 20th-century American comedians Jewish American comedians Jewish American male comedians