Bob Hope and American Variety
The Bill
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From the early 1880s to the end of the 1920s vaudeville was the most popular form of live entertainment in the United States. A vaudeville show was a succession of seven to ten live stage acts, the "bill," which built to a climax with the performance of its top star, the "headliner." A vaudeville bill always included comedians and musicians, but might have included dancers, acrobats, trained animals, magicians, and novelty performers as well. Its form and content had been shaped by a wide range of 19th century diversions, including minstrel shows, the circus, medicine shows, traveling repertoire companies, curio museums, wild west shows, chautauquas, and British Music Hall.

The growth of vaudeville in the late 19th century reflected the rise of urbanization and industrialization in America. Vaudeville's audiences, as well as many of its stars, were drawn from the newly immigrated working classes. Just as goods in the late 19th century could be manufactured in a central location and shipped throughout the country, successful vaudeville routines and tours were first established in New York and other large cities and would then be booked on a tour lasting for months. The act would change little as it was performed throughout the United States. In this sense, vaudeville was a precursor of mass media -- a means of creating and sharing a national culture. While its popularity declined after the 1920s, vaudeville's influence on most popular entertainment forms of the 20th century -- musical comedy, motion pictures, music, radio, television -- was pervasive.

Houdini at the Orpheum Poster. 1918
Houdini at the Orpheum Poster. 1918


The Bill

Proctor Ladies Club
Proctor Ladies Club
, 1894
Music Division

Tony Pastor
Tony Pastor
, 1896
Music Division

All images are from the Prints and Photographs Division
of the Library of Congress, unless otherwise noted.


Novelty Acts

Eugene Sandow. 1894
Eugene Sandow. 1894

Bicycle Act. 1907
Bicycle Act. 1907

Dog Act. 1921
Dog Act. 1921
Dramatic Mirror.
New York, 1921.
General Collections

Roly Poly Dancing Dolly. 1915
Roly Poly Dancing Dolly. 1915
J. T. Doyle with fire. ca. 1902
J. T. Doyle with fire. ca. 1902

Frank X. Silk
Frank X. Silk
National Vaudeville Artists
Yearbook
. 1928.
General Collections

Eva Fay
Eva Fay
National Vaudeville Artists
Yearbook
. 1928.
General Collections

The Three Vagrants
The Three Vagrants
National Vaudeville Artists
Yearbook
. 1928.
General Collections

Naro Lockford & Co.
Naro Lockford & Co.
National Vaudeville Artists
Yearbook
. 1928.
General Collections

Al Gordon and His Comedy
Al Gordon and His Comedy Canines
National Vaudeville Artists
Yearbook
. 1928.
General Collections

Snoozer Jr.
Snoozer Jr.
National Vaudeville Artists
Yearbook
. 1928.
General Collections


Tomah Genero
Tomah Genero
National Vaudeville Artists
Yearbook
. 1928.
General Collections


Jean Lee and Gail Leon
Jean Lee and Gail Leon
National Vaudeville Artists
Yearbook
. 1928.
General Collections

The Bardelangs
The Bardelangs
National Vaudeville Artists
Yearbook
. 1928.
General Collections

The Agemos
The Agemos
National Vaudeville Artists
Yearbook
. 1928.
General Collections


The Juggler Felovis
The Juggler Felovis
National Vaudeville Artists
Yearbook
. 1928.
General Collections


Coram & Jerry
Coram & Jerry
National Vaudeville Artists
Yearbook
. 1928.
General Collections

All images are from the Prints and Photographs Division
of the Library of Congress, unless otherwise noted.


Family Acts

Daisy and Violet Hilton. 1925
Daisy and Violet Hilton. 1925

The Dolly Sisters. ca. 1915 - 1920
The Dolly Sisters. ca. 1915 - 1920

Eddie Foy with his children. ca.1910
Eddie Foy with his children. ca.1910

Bob Hope Collection.
Motion Picture Broadcasting and
Recorded Sound Division

Buster Keaton.  1908
Buster Keaton. 1908

Dramatic Mirror.
New York, 1908.
General Collections

All images are from the Prints and Photographs Division
of the Library of Congress, unless otherwise noted.


Black Face Acts

Eddie Cantor. 1941
Eddie Cantor. 1941

Bert Williams. ca. 1922
Bert Williams. ca. 1922

Lew Dockstader. 1902
Lew Dockstader. 1902

 

Al Jolson. 1927
Al Jolson. 1927

McIntyre & Heath. 1916
McIntyre & Heath. 1916

All images are from the Prints and Photographs Division
of the Library of Congress, unless otherwise noted.


Dancers

Sally Rand. 1934
Sally Rand. 1934

Irene & Vernon Castle. 1914
Irene & Vernon Castle. 1914

Hope & Byrne. ca. 1925
Hope & Byrne. ca. 1925

Bob Hope Collection.
Motion Picture Broadcasting and
Recorded Sound Division

Bill Robinson
Bill Robinson
National Vaudeville Artists
Yearbook
. 1928.
General Collections

Paul & Grace Hartman. 1935
Paul & Grace Hartman. 1935

Fred & Adele Astaire. ca. 1925
Fred & Adele Astaire. ca. 1906

All images are from the Prints and Photographs Division
of the Library of Congress, unless otherwise noted.


Comedy Teams

The Three Stooges. 1938
The Three Stooges. 1938

Montgomery & Stone. ca. 1916
Montgomery & Stone. ca. 1916

Weber & Fields. ca. 1920
Weber & Fields. ca. 1920

Smith & Dale. 1955
Smith & Dale. 1955

Olsen & Johnson. 1939
Olsen & Johnson. 1939

The Marx Brothers. 1931
The Marx Brothers. 1931

Burns & Allen. 1924
Burns & Allen. 1924

National Vaudeville Artists
Yearbook
. 1924.
General Collections

Bert Lahr and Mercedes. 1925
Bert Lahr and Mercedes. 1925

National Vaudeville Artists
Yearbook
. 1925.
General Collections

All images are from the Prints and Photographs Division
of the Library of Congress, unless otherwise noted.


Illusion and Magic

Houdini vanishing an elephant. 1918
Houdini vanishing an elephant.
1918

The Great Leon
The Great Leon
National Vaudeville Artists
Yearbook
. 1928.
General Collections

All images are from the Prints and Photographs Division
of the Library of Congress, unless otherwise noted.


Male-female Impersonators

Kitty Doner. 1923
Kitty Doner. 1923

Vesta Tilley. 1906
Vesta Tilley. 1906

Julian Eltinge. 1913
Julian Eltinge. 1913

New York Clipper.
New York, 1913.
General Collections

All images are from the Prints and Photographs Division
of the Library of Congress, unless otherwise noted.


Ventriloquists

Fred Allen with dummy. ca. 1916
Fred Allen with dummy. ca. 1916

All images are from the Prints and Photographs Division
of the Library of Congress, unless otherwise noted.


Comic Singers

Jimmy Durante. ca. 1950
Jimmy Durante. ca. 1950

Fanny Brice. 1910
Fanny Brice. 1910

Harry Lauder. ca. 1911
Harry Lauder. ca. 1911

Trixie Friganza. ca. 1907
Trixie Friganza. ca. 1907

May Irwin. 1898
May Irwin. 1898

Elsie Janis. 1910
Elsie Janis. 1910

American Stage of Today.
New York, 1910.
General Collections

Willie Solar. 1924
Willie Solar. 1924

National Vaudeville Artists
Yearbook
. 1924.
General Collections

All images are from the Prints and Photographs Division
of the Library of Congress, unless otherwise noted.


Monologists and Entertainers

Will Rogers. ca. 1920
Will Rogers. ca. 1920

George Jessel. 1932
George Jessel. 1932

Bob Hope at the Palace. 1932
Bob Hope at the Palace. 1932

Billboard.
Cincinnati, 1932.
General Collections

Hope in the Follies
Hope in the Follies

All images are from the Prints and Photographs Division
of the Library of Congress, unless otherwise noted.


Musicians

Harry Richman. 1932
Harry Richman. 1932

Ted Lewis. 1931
Ted Lewis. 1931

Borah Minevitch. 1952
Borah Minevitch. 1952

Janet Kippen
Janet Kippen
National Vaudeville Artists
Yearbook
. 1928.
General Collections

All images are from the Prints and Photographs Division
of the Library of Congress, unless otherwise noted.


Comedians

Will Mahoney. 1956
Will Mahoney. 1956

W.C. Fields. ca. 1934
W.C. Fields. ca. 1934

Marie Dressler. 1909
Marie Dressler. 1909

Marie Dressler with hat over head. 1909
Marie Dressler with hat over head. 1909

Bert Lahr. 1934
Bert Lahr. 1934

Ed Wynn. ca. 1930
Ed Wynn. ca. 1930

Willie Howard. 1941
Willie Howard. 1941

Molly Picon. ca. 1930-35
Molly Picon. ca. 1930-35

Milton Berle. 1952
Milton Berle.
1952

Jack Benny. 1924
Jack Benny. 1924

National Vaudeville Artists
Yearbook
. 1924.
General Collections

Hope with Cigar
Hope with Cigar.

Courtesy of the Bob Hope Archives

All images are from the Prints and Photographs Division
of the Library of Congress, unless otherwise noted.


Singers/Entertainers

Lillian Russell. 1895
Lillian Russell. 1895

Nora Bayes. ca. 1920
Nora Bayes. ca. 1920

June Havoc. 1924
June Havoc. 1924

National Vaudeville Artists
Yearbook
. 1924.
General Collections

Ruth Etting. 1929
Ruth Etting. 1929

Theater,
1929.
General Collections

Eva Tanguay. 1913
Eva Tanguay. 1913

Billboard.
Cincinnati, 1913.
General Collections

All images are from the Prints and Photographs Division
of the Library of Congress, unless otherwise noted.


Actors

Sarah Bernhardt. ca. 1890
Sarah Bernhardt. ca. 1890

Anna Held. 1896
Anna Held. 1896

Winnie Lightner. 1927
Winnie Lightner. 1927

Fanny Ward. 1894
Fanny Ward. 1894

All images are from the Prints and Photographs Division
of the Library of Congress, unless otherwise noted.

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