Big Time Vaudeville was a series of black-and-white 9- to 10-minute short films resembling the Vitaphone Varieties and also produced by Warner Brothers and Vitaphone (at the Brooklyn studios in New York). These consisted of four to six vaudeville acts and are historically interesting with many performers rarely seen on film.
Overview
In 1934, Warner Bros. released four Pepper Pots titled “Vaudeville Reel” that featured several acrobatic acts, dancers, singers and comedians appearing on a stage, much like a vaudeville show. Their success prompted the studio to fashion a new series using the same set-up.
Since few of the performers appearing in these became household names, they were seldom reissued after their initial run and were rarely seen on television. The more familiar performers also appeared in other Vitaphone-Warner shorts, including the eccentric Chaz Chase, Eddie Peabody and a pre-radio Edgar Bergen. The latter starred in the most frequently shown today title, Bring on the Girls, with both he and “dummy” Charlie McCarthy commenting on the different acts.
List of titles
A listing of titles, with Joseph Henabery handling several as director, and Samuel Sax producing:
TitleRelease,BoxOffice magazine. February 29, 1936 (p. 42), May 23, 1936, August 15, 1936 (p. 46), December 5, 1936 (p. 38), April 17, 1937 (p. 42), October 2, 1937 (p. 33) or copyright date Motion Pictures 1912-1939 Catalog of Copyright Entries 1951 Library of CongressPerformersVitaphone Casino (All Star Vaudeville / Vaudeville Reel #5) © June 22, 1935 features Paul Duke, Babs Ryan & Brothers, Buster West, the Radio Rubes; (filmed October 1934) Vitaphone Varieties November 16, 1935 Six Symphonettes, Al Loyal's Stallions, Louis Prima & Hal ShermanVitaphone Headliners December 4, 1935 Nick Lucas, 4 Mullen Sisters, Eddie Stuart, O'Donnell & BlairVitaphone Troupers January 4, 1936 1936 Film Daily Year Book of Motion Pictures. 1936. Film Daily, p. 447 lists 4 titles for 1935, possibly including this one Four Trojans, Aunt Jemima (Tess Gardella), Benny Ross & Maxine Stone, the Buccaneers Vitaphone Billboard February 15, 1936 Liazeed Arabs, Jane Lee & Katherine Lee, the Keller Sisters & Lynch, Joe PeanutsVitaphone Celebrities © March 2, 1936 James Evans, the Remington Singers, Clifford & Marion, Florence Mayo & PansyVitaphone Spotlight March 7, 1936 the Five Elgins, the Balabanow Accordion Revue, Frank Conville, Helen Reynolds & her Skating ChampionsVitaphone Highlights April 4, 1936 Ferry Conway, Kingsley & Case, Eddie Peabody, Monroe & GrantVitaphone Hippodrome © May 11, 1936 the Kluting's Entertainers (animal act), Johnny Lee & 3 Sees, Molly Picon, the Michon BrothersVitaphone Entertainers © July 28, 1936 Sylvia Foos, Gautier's Toy Shop, Hunter & Percival, Mangan's InternationalsVitaphone Topnotchers © August 8, 1936 Ben Bayer, the Three Marshalls, the Six Danvilles, Charles Kemper & CompanyVitaphone Gayeties September 15, 1936 Jack Pepper, the DeLong Sisters, Allen & Kent, Will Morris & BobbyVitaphone Internationals October 27, 1936 Pallenberg's Doberman Pinschers (dog act), Holtz & Lee, Ming & Toy, Berke's Country Boys, The Three RayesVaudeville Is Back November 14, 1936 John Perkins, 4 Creeden Girls, Jane & Joe McKenna, the MaxelosVitaphone Stage Show © December 7, 1936 Pallenberg's bicycle riding bears, Four Comets (skaters), Landt Trio & White, Nash & FatelyVaud-Villains December 23, 1936 Marty May, the Three Wiles, the Kitaros, Rose KingReel Vaudeville January 23, 1937 Harry Rose, Three Queens, Carroll & Howe, Bee Hee Rubyatee TroupeBedtime Vaudeville January 30, 1937 Eddie Grady, Joyce Haber & Budy Matthews, Wesley Catri, Dickie Monahan, Muriel Weber; (filmed January 1936, held over a year)Bring on the Girls March 6, 1937 Edgar Bergen (& Charlie McCarthy), Jerry Goff, Jack Kerr, Torelli's Circus animals & Alice Murphy's Quintuplets Vitaphone Diversions April 3, 1937 Five Juggling Jewels, Dave Monahan, Brown, Rich & Hall, Smith & DaleNickel Low-Down May 1, 1937 Charles Kemper & Stooges, Paul Robinson & the Horton Boys, Dunn Brothers & Dotty, Le PaulVitaphone Funsters May 29, 1937 the Three Swifts, Andy & Louise Carr, Johnny Burke, the Three ReddingtonsVaude-Festival June 26, 1937 Je Biviano, Bob Dupont, Ross & Bennett, Fritz & Jean HubertVaudeville Hits July 10, 1937 Lee Manning & Mitzi, the Byrne Sisters, Jules & Clifton, Elaine Arden & CompanyVitaphone Broadwayites August 21, 1937 La Varre & Brother, Chester Fredericks & LaNelle Avery, Medley & Duprey, the Muriel Abbott Dancers
See also Vitaphone Varieties List of short subjects by Hollywood studio#Warner Brothers
References
Motion Pictures 1912-1939 Catalog of Copyright Entries 1951 Library of Congress BoxOffice back issue scans available (release date information in multiple issue “Shorts Charts”)
Notes