Monster Loves Florence Mills
via Society6
Today, my darling Trav S.D. posted a blog about vaudevillian George Mann, of the team Barto & Mann. In addition to being a dancer and comedian, Mann also had a second life as a photographer. You can see his incredible archive here.
Mann also shot 16mm film footage, including this extraordinary clip of Josephine Baker performing at the Casino de Paris in 1931. I can’t embed it, but I posted a screenshot above and you can watch it here. The youtube channel is owned by Mann’s son and there are lots of other fascinating clips.
From the Harry Earles File: Harry Earles (1902-1985) and his sisters, Gracie, Daisy and Tiny (all pictured here) were part of the “The Doll Family,” a multitalented family of dwarf entertainers. Harry, of course, starred (along with Daisy) in Tod Browning’s Freaks (1932). Like so many of the stars of Freaks and the film’s director, Tod Browning, Harry’s subsequent film career didn’t fare so well. He was one of the heads of the Lollipop Guild in The Wizard of Oz. After that, his film career was over. But Harry and his sisters cleaned up in the circus world and bought a lavish joint in Florida, where they all retired in comfort.
(via vintagegal)
The bottom photo kind of kills this for me.
(Source: detroitdollface)
Stumpie and Stello, a 1930s vaudeville act.
(via mephistosschreck)
Another from my 1920’s vaudeville publicity photos. Absolutely no info on the back of this one, but it looks like a Marx brothers type act, along with some sisters - the guy on the stool being the teacher and the flute player in the checked shirt a Harpo-type character. These photos have been a lot of food for my imagination over the years.
Ruby Bennett generates some heat by making passionate love to herself, using the classic “Half-and-Half” routine..
(via backtothefiveanddime)
Three Unknown Black Vaudevillian Actresses in 1921 (via Flickr)
