Vaudeville Comedians
Like Ezra Kendall, Fred Duprez was a popular vaudevillian famous for his comic monologues. In this recording, you can hear how Duprez used music to help tell a story. Have you ever noticed how certain sounds make you think of particular characteristics?
"Duprez invented all this himself and has given it before many audiences. It is really very cleverly worked out . . ." This is how the Edison record catalog from around 1927 described the Desperate Desmond routine, adding, "If you can't laugh at this, see a doctor."
AUDIO CREDIT: Duprez, Fred. "Desperate Desmond." recorded 1915. The American Variety Stage: Vaudeville and Popular Entertainment, 1870-1920, Library of Congress.
