Willie Howard (April 13, 1883 – January 14, 1949) and Eugene Howard (July 7, 1880 – August 1, 1965), billed as the Howard Brothers , were Silesian -born American vaudeville performers of the first half of the 20th century. They were two of the earliest openly Jewish performers on the American stage.
45-522: After performing in amateur night competitions, the brothers began separate professional theatre careers. Soon they were appearing together in burlesque and vaudeville, where, over the course of a decade, they established their reputation. The brothers were hired by the Shubert family in 1912 to perform in a series of successful revues on Broadway over the next decade called The Passing Show . These were followed by another popular series of Broadway revues in
90-503: A Mexican divorce only ten days earlier. After their divorce on August 11, 1939, he caused another scandal by breaking into her house with a pistol and firing shots at her current lover. In 1940, he married a 16-year old showgirl, Lois Andrews , when he was 42. They had a daughter, Jerrilyn, before divorcing in 1942. In his 1975 autobiography, The World I Lived In , Jessel claimed he had affairs with actresses Pola Negri , Helen Morgan and Lupe Vélez . In 1961, actress Joan Tyler filed
135-513: A Hurry' in which [they] did rapid doubletalk; 'Quartets from Rigoletto' [a parody], which [they] would perform with large, buxom ladies ([with Willie] stealing glances at their breasts the whole time); and 'Comes the Revolution', in which [Willie] would play a radical agitator" on a soapbox and Eugene would play a heckler. Variety magazine said of their act, "there is never a dull moment" and praised Eugene's "straighting" as well as Willie's gags. Of
180-430: A paternity suit against Jessel claiming he was the father of her daughter Christine. Jessel later admitted he was Christine's father and settled the suit out of court. As part of the terms of the settlement, Jessel agreed to pay Tyler $ 500 a month in child support (equivalent to $ 5,036 in 2023). In 1964, Jessel reportedly sexually groped an adult Shirley Temple . According to Temple, he invited her to his office under
225-878: A riot at the Garden", and George Jessel later said that Willie was "The best of all the revue comics, bar none." A review in The New York Times said: "Next to Al Jolson, Willie Howard is now the foremost of the Winter Garden entertainers." Willie appeared opposite the 19-year-old Ginger Rogers in the Gershwin musical, Girl Crazy , in 1930–1931. The brothers' Broadway shows were: Eugene retired in 1940 to manage Willie and write material for him, although he occasionally appeared with him even afterwards. After Eugene's retirement, Willie usually used Al Kelly as his sidekick. Willie performed in several more Broadway shows, touring shows for
270-489: A short film made in the DeForest Phonofilm sound-on-film process. In 1925, he emerged as one of the most popular leading men on Broadway with the starring role in the stage production of The Jazz Singer . The success of the show prompted Warner Bros. —after their success with Don Juan (1926) with music and sound effects only—to adapt The Jazz Singer as the first " talkie " with dialogue and to cast Jessel in
315-556: A young actor in New York, he used to go see Willie and laugh so loudly, Howard began to play to him. According to columnist Bob Thomas, who wrote a biography of Brando, "...[Brando] always cited the old Broadway comic to categorize low comedy." Willie Howard made several recordings: Willie had been suffering a liver ailment for six weeks and became ill during a Philadelphia tryout for the Broadway-bound show Along Fifth Avenue . He died
360-629: The American entry into the Vietnam War and of conservative political causes. He often crossed the era's stereotypical political lines with its support for the civil rights movement and criticism of racism and anti-Semitism . His outspoken political opinions were, at times, the source of scandal. In 1971, while being interviewed by Edwin Newman on The Today Show on NBC , he repeatedly referred to The New York Times as Pravda (the house organ of
405-700: The Bastable Theater , and David Belasco took notice of Sam and cast him in a small role in a play. Sam became enamored with the theatrical arts and went on to be promoted through a series of managerial jobs in Syracuse theatres, including program boy at the Bastable, assistant treasurer at the Grand Opera House, and treasurer of the Weiting. Lee and Jacob also began working in management roles in local theatres, and by 1900,
450-738: The Communist Party of the Soviet Union ), and the interview was cut short. Later film roles included a cameo as himself in Valley of the Dolls (1967), The Busy Body (1967) opposite Sid Caesar , and the controversial musical Can Heironymus Merkin Ever Forget Mercy Humppe and Find True Happiness? (1969) directed by and starring Anthony Newley . He made additional cameos in other all-star films such as The Phynx (1970) and Won Ton Ton,
495-582: The Soundies movie jukeboxes, were three-minute shorts filmed in New York. Most were comic songs (like "Tyrone Shapiro, the Bronx caballero") but some were spoken-comedy routines including two with Pierre Ginsbairge: How to See a French Doctor and How to Go to a French Restaurant . Comes the Revolution was revived, with Al Kelly standing in for Eugene Howard. Marlon Brando was a huge fan of Willie Howard. He told Lawrence Grobel in his 1979 Playboy interview that, as
SECTION 10
#1732863249841540-971: The Winter Garden Theatre , the Shubert Theatre , and the Imperial Theatre . They also own two theatres outside of New York, the Shubert Theatre in Boston and the Forrest Theatre in Philadelphia . Additionally, they own and operate two off-Broadway facilities in New York City, Stage 42 and a 5-stage facility called New World Stages . They also managed the National Theatre in Washington, D.C. until 2013. Jerry Stagg identifies Lee Shubert as
585-624: The baritone ), and rapid-fire comedy crosstalk. Diminutive, wild-haired, slumping Willie often portrayed a troublesome servant, such as a waiter or a bellhop, while well-fed, well-dressed Eugene, the straight man, played a self-satisfied authority figure, such as a manager, businessman or a customer. Willie assayed foreign accents, such as Spanish, Scottish, French, Russian, and Chinese, but always laced with his Yiddish dialect, and also did impressions of popular vocalists, such as George Jessel , Al Jolson , Gallagher and Shean , and Eddie Cantor . Their most famous comic routines "included 'French Taught in
630-496: The 1920s and 1930s called George White's Scandals . They appeared in a few additional Broadway musicals, notably Girl Crazy . In between these Broadway seasons, the brothers continued to be in great demand on the vaudeville circuit and made a few (mostly short) films. In the 1940s, Willie continued to star in revues and musicals and to perform in vaudeville and night clubs. Isidore and Wilhelm Levkowitz were born in Neustadt in
675-556: The 1950s and 1960s. At the same time he became known as a host on the banquet circuit, famous for his good-natured wit aimed at his fellow celebrities. In 1946, he was one of the founding members of the California branch of the Friars Club . (A recording exists of an example of his "blue" work in front of a stag audience, although it was actually recorded at a roast hosted by the Friars' rival,
720-545: The Dog Who Saved Hollywood (1976). In the 1930s, his personal life kept him in the public eye as much as his movies. On May 2, 1930, Jessel married Florence Courtney in Chicago. She divorced him on October 24, 1932, on the grounds of cruelty. On April 23, 1934, Jessel married silent movie star Norma Talmadge , causing a scandal because Talmadge was married at the time that they started their affair, and she obtained
765-585: The German part of Silesia to Leopold Levkowitz and his second wife, Pauline ( née Glass), two of six children (three boys and three girls). The family immigrated to New York City and settled in Harlem about 1886. Their father was a Jewish cantor , who taught his sons to sing, hoping that they would follow his profession. However, both boys became intrigued by performing. The brothers, especially Willie, performed at amateur night shows at local burlesque houses. Their father
810-563: The Howard Brothers. They wrote a sketch that they toured widely, early on, called "The Porter and the Salesman". After a few years together, the brothers were earning high fees on the Orpheum circuit, and young Willie became the acknowledged leader of the act. The brothers generally played wisecracking caricatures, using Jewish dialect humor, opera parodies (with Eugene as the tenor and Willie as
855-530: The Lee Brothers, playing in restaurants and museums. Eugene and Willie, in 1902, along with a friend, Thomas Potter Dunne, formed an act called "The Messenger Boys Trio". One sketch that they wrote was called "The Messenger Boy and the Thespian"; even after Dunne left the act, Willie and Eugene continued to perform this routine. Eugene and Willie built their reputation in vaudeville over the next decade, often billed as
900-619: The Masquers Club.) He also traveled widely overseas with the USO entertaining troops. As he grew older, he wrote eulogies for many of his contemporaries in Hollywood. He wrote three volumes of memoirs, So Help Me (1943), This Way, Miss (1955), and The World I Lived In (1975). Jessel produced a number of Hollywood films, including The Dolly Sisters (1945), Nightmare Alley (1947), Golden Girl (1951) and The I Don't Care Girl (1953). In
945-625: The Russian Empire (now Kudirkos Naumiestis, Lithuania ) with their eight children, two of whom died after the journey. They arrived in New York City from Hamburg , via England, on June 12, 1881 on the S.S. Spain . They then settled in Syracuse, New York . Due to their father's alcoholism, the three Shubert sons ( Lee Shubert , Sam S. Shubert , and Jacob J. Shubert ) had to give up much of their formal education and instead go to work when they were still children. Lee and Sam sold newspapers outside
SECTION 20
#1732863249841990-600: The Shuberts and Mike Todd , and in night clubs. Willie's last Broadway shows were: The Howard Brothers also made several short films together, including Between the Acts at the Opera (1926, one of the earliest Vitaphone talking pictures), The Music Makers (1929), and I'm Telling You (1931). When Educational Pictures transferred its activities to its New York studio in 1937, its star comedian Buster Keaton declined to relocate from
1035-404: The actor realize that his lines are funny and laugh at them, ever so little, himself, and his audience immediately will freeze up. Consequently, in my impersonations, for example, I seriously study the person I wish to imitate and rehearse the impersonation many times in the serious vein, before I even attempt to give it a humorous twist. Then I try to insert the humor while still in the character of
1080-424: The brothers' approach to their work, Willie said: [A]ll fun-making must be well grounded and serious in its conception, and it is this basic seriousness of fun that leads to the best laugh production, which, after all, is the final test of all humor, on stage or off. In proof of this, you will notice that any good comedian always maintains a serious expression on his face, no matter how funny his lines may be; for let
1125-713: The day before the show opened in New York, in 1949, at the age of 65. He was survived by his widow Emily ( née Miles). They had no children. He is buried in Paramus, New Jersey , in Cedar Park Cemetery, Emerson . Eugene, who had been living in Jackson Heights, Queens , died in 1965 at Park West Hospital, in New York City, aged 84. He was predeceased by his wife, Maud ( née Fisher) of London, whom he had married in 1910, who died in 1964. Notes Bibliography Further reading Shubert family The Shubert family
1170-584: The early 1950s, he performed on the radio in The George Jessel Show , which became a television series of the same name from 1953 to 1954. He guest-starred on NBC's The Jimmy Durante Show . In 1968, he starred in Here Come the Stars , a syndicated variety show. However, his attempt to extend his career was undermined by a perception that his style of comedy was outdated, as well as by his outspoken support of
1215-505: The federal government took the Shuberts to court, alleging that their business practices violated antitrust laws. In 1955, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that they were subject to and in violation of antitrust laws , so they sold 12 theatres in six cities and gave up the booking business, which, until then, had been the heart of their enterprise. As of 2024, the Shubert Organization owns 17 Broadway theatres in New York City, including
1260-637: The guise of discussing a recent role. During their meeting, Jessel put an arm around Temple while taking off his pants. He then grabbed the 35 year-old Temple's breasts. She fought off his attempts by kicking him in the groin. On May 23, 1981, Jessel died of a heart attack at the University of California at Los Angeles Medical Center at the age of 83. He was interred in the Hillside Memorial Park Cemetery in Culver City, California . In 1969,
1305-463: The key partner in the business, telling of how he built the most successful theatrical empire in history. Stagg characterizes the trio as vulgar and uneducated but acknowledges that they made a personal monopoly amassing millions of profits in the process. Entertainment and popular taste were the goals, rather than the enhancement of the dramatic arts. The Shuberts opened new theatre districts in many major American cities, employing thousands of people over
1350-440: The lead role. However, the studio refused his salary demands, so Jessel turned down the movie role, which was eventually played by Al Jolson . According to Jessel during an interview around 1980, Warner Bros. still owed Jessel money for earlier roles and lacked enough funds to produce this movie with a leading star. Jolson, the biographical inspiration for the movie, became the movie's main financial backer. Jessel's next movie role
1395-418: The lyrics for a hit tune, "Oh How I Laugh When I Think How I Cried About You," and he performed in several successful comedy stage shows in the early 1920s. In 1921 he recorded a hit single, "The Toastmaster." He sometimes appeared in blackface in his vaudeville shows. Jessel appeared in his first motion picture, the silent movie The Other Man's Wife (1919). In 1924, he appeared in a brief comedy sketch in
Howard Brothers - Misplaced Pages Continue
1440-399: The musical The Belle of New York . Meanwhile, Willie had his first engagement in 1897 singing in the gallery of Lyon Palace on 110th Street as a boy soprano. He was hired in 1900 as a song-plugger to sing from the balcony at Proctor's 125th Street Theatre as he distributed water to customers. He did this while attending school, and had to leave early to make the 3:15 pm show. He soon
1485-575: The person I am portraying. Thus, the basis of actuality is given to the impersonation. Beginning in 1912, in between their vaudeville bookings, the brothers performed in Broadway shows, especially revues, including the Shuberts' series The Passing Show at the Winter Garden Theatre and later the George White's Scandals series. An early review in Variety magazine commented: "The Howards never fail to become
1530-952: The trio had acquired ownership of the Grand Opera House in Syracuse and the Herald Square Theatre in Manhattan . The three brothers broke the monopoly on the theatre-management industry (represented by the Theatrical Syndicate under Abe Erlanger and Mark Klaw ) in the founding of their agency, known today as The Shubert Organization . By 1924, they owned 86 theatres in the United States, and operated, managed, or booked hundreds more. By 1942, they owned, leased, or managed 20 of New York City's approximately 40 legitimate theatres and controlled some 15 in other cities. By 1953, they had produced 600 shows under their credits and had booked 1,000 shows into their numerous theatres. In 1950,
1575-564: The venture. Thus, according to Stagg, the Shubert family almost single-handedly kept legitimate theatre alive in America. The Shubert children: George Jessel (actor) George Albert "Georgie" Jessel (April 3, 1898 – May 23, 1981) was an American actor, singer, songwriter, and film producer . He was famous in his lifetime as a multitalented comedic entertainer, achieving a level of recognition that transcended his limited roles in movies. He
1620-514: The west coast, leaving Educational without a name comedian for the new season. The New York-based Willie Howard was signed, and he made several short comedies in which he appeared as the hapless Frenchman Pierre Ginsbairge, complete with beret, mustache, and goatee. This ridiculous characterization was received enthusiastically by trade critics and theater owners. The financially troubled studio suspended operations in mid-1938 and closed in early 1939. Willie's final film appearances, produced in 1941 for
1665-518: The years. By 1924, they controlled 75 percent of all American theatres, producing 25 percent of all plays. In response, their actors created Actor's Equity as a labor union to counterbalance the Shuberts' power. When the Great Depression caused the bankruptcy of the Shuberts' corporate empire in 1933, their advisors urged them to retire and enjoy their accumulated wealth. Instead, the Shuberts sustained their business by pouring their own money into
1710-408: Was a partner of Eddie Cantor in a kid sketch and performed with him on stage until he outgrew the role at age 16. He later partnered with Lou Edwards and then became a solo performer. His most famous comedy skit was called "Hello Mama" or "Phone Call from Mama," which portrayed a one-sided telephone conversation. In 1919 he produced his own solo show, George Jessel's Troubles . Jessel co-wrote
1755-521: Was appearing in vaudeville and on Broadway to support his family after the death of his father, who was a playwright . His mother, who worked as a ticket seller at the Imperial Theater , helped him form The Imperial Trio, a harmony group of ushers to entertain patrons of the theater, with Walter Winchell and Jack Wiener, using the stage names Leonard, Lawrence and McKinley, in their early teens (such usher-singer groups were common). At age 11, he
1800-469: Was disappointed with their performing activity. He wanted Eugene to be a doctor and worried about Willie because he misbehaved in school. Their father changed his attitude when he saw them achieve success and even asked them for advice on how to get into show business. Eugene studied business but decided to go on the stage. In his earliest attempts at performing, he billed himself as "Harry Lee, phenomenal boy tenor". His first professional theatre job, in 1900,
1845-579: Was engaged to do the same during out-of-town performances of The Little Duchess (1901), but he was dismissed after the opening night, as his voice had begun to change. To compensate for the temporary loss of his singing voice, he began doing impersonations and started using the stage name Willie Howard. At one point in that formative year of 1901, he considered taking up boxing and appeared briefly as "Kid Lefko." He attended Cooper Union college. Eugene and Willie then performed briefly with their middle brother, later known as Sam Howard, as Harry Lee (Eugene) and
Howard Brothers - Misplaced Pages Continue
1890-479: Was in Private Izzy Murphy (1926). Whereas Jolson's film career skyrocketed after the 1927 release of The Jazz Singer , Jessel remained in smaller movie roles, often intended for audiences fond of Jewish and other "ethnic" humor. He was elected to The Lambs Theatre Club in 1942. In the mid-1940s, he began producing musicals for 20th Century Fox , producing 24 films in all in a career that lasted through
1935-458: Was in the chorus of a Broadway musical, A Million Dollars . Upon being hired and hearing his name, the manager suggested that "Eugene Howard" would be a more suitable name, and Isidore adopted it permanently. Later that year, he had a small role in a Broadway play based on Quo Vadis . Next, he was in the chorus of The Strollers , and, in 1902, he was one of the Portuguese Twins in a tour of
1980-686: Was responsible for the establishment of Broadway theaters in New York City 's Theater District , as the hub of the theatre industry in the United States . Through the Shubert Organization , founded by brothers Lee, Sam, and Jacob Shubert, they dominated the legitimate theatre and vaudeville in the first half of the 20th century. The family's history in America began when Duvvid Schubart ( transliterated to "Shubert") and his wife Katrina (Gitel) Helwitz left their native town of Vladislavov in
2025-412: Was widely known by his nickname, the " Toastmaster General of the United States," for his frequent role as the master of ceremonies at political and entertainment gatherings. Jessel originated the title role in the stage production of The Jazz Singer . Jessel was born to Jewish parents, Joseph and Charlotte "Lottie" (née Schwarz) Jessel, on 118th Street in Harlem , New York City. By age 10, he
#840159