Prompt Cast
The Rise and Fall of Vaudeville: From Burlesque to Big Business
TLDR Vaudeville, a popular form of entertainment before television, originated in France and gave birth to various forms of entertainment we know today. It was inclusive and family-friendly, but also included racist ethnic jokes and slurs. Vaudeville shows became a big business, attracting famous performers and earning performers a lot of money, but eventually declined with the rise of movies.
Timestamped Summary
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Vaudeville was a popular form of entertainment that preceded television and involved comedy routines and performances on stage.
05:02
Vaudeville gave birth to every form of entertainment we know today, was inclusive and family-friendly, and originated from France.
10:27
Vaudeville shows in America were initially risque and burlesque-like, but a few individuals wanted to make them more inclusive and family-friendly in order to make money, leading to the development of circuits and management companies that turned vaudeville into a big business.
15:59
Vaudeville shows gave rise to various terms and phrases commonly used today, such as "working blue," "killing it," "headliner," and "lemon," and were the origins of popular entertainment.
21:07
Vaudeville shows were variety shows that catered to the working class in cities, providing a form of entertainment and escape from their daily lives, and often included racist ethnic jokes and slurs that were meant to be assimilative and not mean-spirited.
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Vaudeville shows were a compilation of various acts, ranging from hobo acts to electrical acts, and included both comedic and serious performances, with the first and last acts often being less impressive in order to accommodate seating and facilitate a quick turnover of the audience.
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The second to last act in a vaudeville show was often the best act of the night and could feature famous performers such as Harry Houdini or Al Jolson, making vaudeville accessible to audiences across the United States and Europe through the creation of circuits.
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Burt Williams, known as the Jackie Robinson of vaudeville, broke the color barrier and worked tirelessly to prove himself as good, if not better, than white vaudeville performers, but unfortunately worked himself to death at age 46.
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Vaudeville performers could make a lot of money, with some earning up to $3,000 a week, which is equivalent to over $5 million a year in today's money, and vaudeville theaters were incredibly popular, often pulling in 35,000 people in a week, but performers were often overworked and underpaid.
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Vaudeville circuits included a variety of performers, such as black vaudeville stars like Mom's Mably, Yiddish vaudeville stars like Fanny Bryce, and even Native American performers like Geronimo, who would showcase their ethnic stereotypes and skills for audiences.
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Movies started to be shown at vaudeville shows, eventually leading to the decline of vaudeville as movies became more popular.
Categories:
Society & Culture
