Top Twelve Vaudeville Performances on YouTube

Long before there was "American Idol" and "America's Got Talent", there was vaudeville. Some of our greatest stars came from the Broadway talent revues that were popular at the beginning years of the 20th century. Unfortunately, some great performers have faded to obscurity. Thanks to YouTube, these performances have come back to life. Here are twelve of my favorites:

Fanny Brice wasn't just a show stopping vaudeville singer, as depicted by Barbra Streisand in the musical "Funny Girl", she was also a gifted comedienne ... a talent that Streisand couldn't match.

Bud Abbott and Lou Costello's famous "Who's on First" routine is classic vaudeville patter at its best.

Before he became a film comedian, WC Fields had the most successful juggling act in vaudeville. Back then, he came onstage in tramp makeup and was known as "The Eccentric Juggler." Here's a taste of his juggling prowess from his film "The Old Fashioned Way." The cigar boxes routine is a particular standout.

Animal acts were a staple in vaudeville. Here's a rare animal act clip from the vaudeville stage.

Here's a prime example of singer/comedian Eddie Cantor at his infectious exuberant prime. Thankfully, he isn't in blackface, a vaudeville convention that Cantor, Jolson and others perpetuated.

Cliff Edwards is best known as the voice of Jiminy Cricket in Walt Disney's "Pinocchio." But he was also one of vaudeville's biggest stars, then billed as "Ukulele Ike."

Vilma Ebsen died this year at age 96. In vaudeville, she performed eccentric dance routines with her brother Buddy (of "Beverly Hillbillies" fame). Here they are in "Broadway Melody of 1936."

Chaz Chase was a long forgotten French vaudevillian with a breathtaking one-of-a-kind comedic routine. Very little is known about him, but this rare remarkable clip lives on.

Before the Andrews Sisters, the Boswell Sisters, and certainly the Pointer Sisters, there were the Brox Sisters. Here they are performing in "The Hollywood Revue of 1929."

To many, brothers Fayard and Harold Nicholas were the greatest tap dancers of all time. Fred Astaire once called this performance (from the film "Stormy Weather") "the greatest dance number ever filmed."

Then again, others say that Bill "Bojangles" Robinson was the greatest. Here he is in a staircase dance number with Shirley Temple in "The Little Colonel."

While they may not be considered vaudevillians, here are Laurel and Hardy, film's greatest comedy duo, performing "Shine on Harvest Moon." Note that Stan Laurel, like Charlie Chaplin, came out of London's Fred Karno Music Hall troupe.

SOURCES:

"Inspiration to Astaire, Fayard Nicholas", Joel Rose, NPR, URL: (http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=5172207)

http://www.usatoday.com/life/movies/2007-03-20-3312511211_x.htm

http://www.juggling.org/fame/fields/

http://www.pbs.org/wnet/broadway/stars/brice_f.html

http://www.redhotjazz.com/cliffedwards.html

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0019993/