In today's episode, you will learn everything you ever wanted to know about vaudeville, whether you like it or not.
AI Summary
# Stuff You Should Know: Vaudeville
In this episode, Josh and Chuck dive into the surprisingly rich history of vaudeville, the variety show entertainment phenomenon that basically birthed all modern entertainment as we know it. They explore how vaudeville evolved from rowdy, alcohol-fueled shows into family-friendly performances that packed theaters nationwide, making superstars out of performers and creating the business circuits and booking systems that dominated American entertainment in the early 1900s. Along the way, they uncover the fascinating etymology of the word itself, the strict rules enforced by theater owners, the incredible diversity of acts that ranged from shadow puppetry to acrobatics, and how vaudeville both perpetuated and sometimes subverted racial stereotypes in surprising ways.
Funny Girl
1968
G
2h 35m
★ 7.2
"there was also a Yiddish vaudeville circuit, which Fanny Bryce, the inspiration for Funny Girl came out of — Mentioned that Fanny Brice, who inspired the character in Funny Girl, emerged from the Yiddish vaudeville circuit."
— Josh
"the mandrel sister show or he-haw, right back to vaudeville — Cited as a variety show demonstrating the direct lineage from vaudeville to 1970s-80s television."
— Josh
Oh, God!
1977
PG
1h 38m
★ 6.4
"George Burns played God in the John Denver vehicle, Oh God — Mentioned as an example of George Burns' later film career after his vaudeville success."
— Josh
"He-Haw and the Mandrel sisters and solid gold. Maybe not solid gold. Kind of. — Mentioned as a possible example of a variety show with vaudeville roots, though Josh was uncertain."
— Josh
The Ed Sullivan Show
1948
TV-G
★ 6.8
"supposedly when he was canceled in 1971, he said, vaudeville has died at second death — Ed Sullivan commented on vaudeville's decline when his show ended, showing the direct connection between vaudeville and television variety shows."
— Josh
The Jazz Singer
1927
1h 36m
★ 6.1
"he starred in The Jazz Singer, which was the big sort of first huge feature length talkie in 1927 — Discussed Al Jolson's transition from vaudeville to movies as the star of the first major talking picture."
— Josh
Who's the Boss?
1984
TV-PG
★ 7.4
"apparently who's the boss is having some sort of reboot in the works — Referenced as a reboot in development, mentioned jokingly in relation to Tony Danza."
— Chuck
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