Bobby Clark (comedy actor)
Bobby Clark | |
|---|---|
| Born | Robert Edwin Clark 16 June 1888 Springfield, Ohio,U.S. |
| Died | 12 February 1960(aged 71) New York City,U.S. |
| Occupation | Comedian |
| Years active | 1906-1958 |
| Spouse | Angele Gaignat |
Robert Edwin Clark(June 16, 1888 – February 12, 1960), known asBobby Clark,was an Americanminstrel,vaudevillian,performer onstage,film,televisionand thecircus.Known for his painted-on eyeglasses, he was part of a comedy team withPaul McCulloughfor 36 years.
Early years
[edit]He was born inSpringfield, Ohio.While still in grammar school he formed a friendship with classmate Paul McCullough. The two attendedtumblingclasses, and began performing an acrobatic act in minstrel shows and later in theRingling Brothers' Circus.[1]The team worked as clowns from 1906 to 1912. In 1912, they made their debut invaudevillewith a pantomime act built around the simple act of placing a chair on top of a table.[1]In 1922, they starred inIrving Berlin's Broadway showMusic Box Revue.[2]
Film career
[edit]Beginning in 1929, they made a series of about 35 short comedy films, forFOXandRKO,some of which are still extant.
Clark and McCulloughperformed together until McCullough's suicide in March 1936.
In 1939, Clark appeared on Broadway inThe Streets of Paris,sharing the stage with a new comedy act:Abbott and Costello.
Clark appeared on television during the 1950–51 television season, in the 8–9 pm Sunday night time slot ofThe Colgate Comedy Hour;however, Clark's four episodes were among those sponsored byFrigidaireand titled simplyThe Comedy Hour.
The Goldwyn Follies,his last and only film withoutPaul McCullough,in 1938, was the firstTechnicolorfilm produced bySamuel Goldwyn.
TheClark and McCulloughshorts were made for an adult audience, with Clark writing much of the dialogue. LikeWheeler & Woolsey's films, they were not released for television, being considered too vulgar. So, they did not enjoy the renaissance of popularity with a new generation on television, likeThe Three StoogesorLaurel and Hardy.
Stage work
[edit]He appeared on Broadway in theZiegfeld Folliesof 1936. His reputation grew as he tackled roles in plays such asSheridan'sThe Rivals,as well as in musical comedies and revues.
Starting in 1942, producerMike Toddcast him in five Broadway shows, all of them successful: the musical revueStar and GarterwithGypsy Rose Lee(1942–43); theCole PortermusicalMexican Hayride(1944–45);Molière’sThe Would-Be Gentleman(1946); and the revuesAs the Girls Go(1948) andMichael Todd's Peep Show(1950).
He came out of retirement to tour withDamn Yankees,1956–58, in the role created on Broadway byRay Walston.
As well as his better-known stage and film credits, Clark directed and appeared in suchRestoration comedyasCongreve'sLove For Love,and lectured on this period of theatre at theAmerican Theater Wing.[3]
Bobby Clark died inNew York Cityin 1960.
Personal life
[edit]He was married to Angele Gaignat from 1923 until his death.[3]He died on February 12, 1960, and is buried inWoodlawn Cemeteryin Bronx, New York.
Selected filmography
[edit]- Two Flaming Youths(Paramount)(1927)(feature film) (also appearing wereW. C. Fields,Moran and Mack)
- Scratch-As-Catch-Can(1931)
- Kickin' the Crown Around(1933)
- The Gay Nighties(1933)
- Alibi Bye Bye(1935)
- The Goldwyn Follies(1938)
References
[edit]- ^abSlide, Anthony (2012).The encyclopedia of vaudeville.Jackson: University Press of Mississippi. p. 100.ISBN1617032506.
- ^Slide, Anthony (2012).The encyclopedia of vaudeville.Jackson: University Press of Mississippi. p. 101.ISBN1617032506.
- ^ab"Bobby Clark".IMDb.
External links
[edit]
| International | |
|---|---|
| National | |
| Artists | |
| Other | |
- 1888 births
- 1960 deaths
- People from Springfield, Ohio
- American male film actors
- American male stage actors
- American male television actors
- Donaldson Award winners
- American vaudeville performers
- 20th-century American male actors
- Burials at Woodlawn Cemetery (Bronx, New York)
- Comedians from Ohio
- American male comedians