The mention of W.C. Fields reminded me of how vaudeville playbills were structured. There could be as many as eight acts with an intermission at the halfway mark. Usually, the first two acts were "silent" i.e. acrobats, jugglers or dog acts to allow the patrons to settle in their seats. Next might come a dance act, singer or baggy pants comedian. The headliner came on next to last. Except for the planned intermission there was down time between acts to change the scenery. During these brief lulls and in order to keep the audience in their seats, the house management would create what they called "Blackouts". Two comics would enter the stage from opposite wings, meet in the middle and the exchange might go something like this:
Q-Who was that lady I saw you with? A - That was no eyesore, that was my wife!
Q-Who was that lady I saw you with? A - That was no ladle, that was my knife.!
Q -Who was that flutie I saw you with? A - That was no flutie, that was my fife!
or for a change of pace -
Q-I heard your grandma was ill - did she kick the bucket? A-No, she just turned a little pale!
These jokes were as corny then as they are now but they did their best to keep the crowd in their seats. But they might have hastened the death of vaudeville.
tjs
Next - Potpourri V
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