Barto and Mann
Encyclopedia
Barto and Mann: Dewey Barto (né Smoyer; 1896–1973) and George Mann (December 2, 1905 — November 22, 1977), known as the "laugh kings" of vaudeville
, were a comedic dance act from the late 1920s to the early 1940s. Their acrobatic, somewhat risqué, performance played on their disparities in height; Barto was 4'11" and Mann was 6'6".
comic strip characters, "Mutt and Jeff". By the end of 1926, they were well known throughout California as Barto and Mann.
booked Barto and Mann “cold” into the Palace Theatre for March 14, 1927. Zit's Theatrical Newspaper reported of their performance, “Ten minutes before they went on at the Palace last Monday afternoon nobody thought very much about Barto and Mann; ten minutes after they came off stage, the whole Broadway world was talking about them ... Acts like these only come along once in a while”. They were an immediate sensation. The Keith-Albee Theatre Circuit
, the Orpheum Circuit, the Pantages Theatre Circuit, Loew's Inc.
, all of the picture houses, and several productions made offers. They accepted a contract with the Orpheum Circuit.
in New York, which included W.C. Fields on the bill. After a successful season with Vanities, the duo started touring again in February 1929 and began headlining for Fanchon and Marco's Fantasma Idea in April 1929. They toured Europe in 1931 and 1934, were on the inaugural program of Radio City Music Hall
in 1932, and appeared in the 1933 film, Broadway Through a Keyhole.
, the first feature-length motion picture with synchronized dialogue sequences, opened at the Warners’ Theatre, heralding the beginning of the end for vaudeville as a popular mode of American entertainment. Barto and Mann were headliners in theaters and clubs throughout the late 1920s and the 1930s, increasingly sharing their performances with feature films
.
As vaudeville wound down in the 1930s, they joined Olsen and Johnson's
hit Broadway show, Hellzapoppin from 1938 to 1941 and continued in the show on the road in 1942. The duo dissolved the team in December 1943. Barto and Mann reunited briefly in late 1946 and early 1947.
, continued to perform on stage and also became active in the American Guild of Variety Artists
(AGVA) about the time the organization was formed in the late 1930s following the demise of the American Federation of Actors
(AFA). He became head of the AGVA in the late 1940s. George Mann acted in small roles in several movies, but primarily devoted himself to making a living with photography, an activity he had pursued actively while in vaudeville. Toward the end of his life he was the image on the box and character actor for the breakfast cereal, King Vitaman
.
Vaudeville
Vaudeville was a theatrical genre of variety entertainment in the United States and Canada from the early 1880s until the early 1930s. Each performance was made up of a series of separate, unrelated acts grouped together on a common bill...
, were a comedic dance act from the late 1920s to the early 1940s. Their acrobatic, somewhat risqué, performance played on their disparities in height; Barto was 4'11" and Mann was 6'6".
Fanchon and Marco
Initially dancing as singles in Fanchon and Marco's Variety Idea and Dancelogue Idea, Barto and Mann began dancing together as a comedic dance team in 1926 in Fanchon and Marco's Comic Supplement Idea, where they portrayed the International News ServiceInternational News Service
International News Service was a U.S.-based news agency founded by newspaper publisher William Randolph Hearst in 1909.Established two years after the Scripps family founded the United Press Association, INS scrapped among the newswires...
comic strip characters, "Mutt and Jeff". By the end of 1926, they were well known throughout California as Barto and Mann.
Playing the Palace
Bypassing the lengthy path of seasoning on the vaudeville circuits usually required to “play the Palace” on Broadway (at 47th) in New York, William Morris of the William Morris AgencyWilliam Morris Agency
WME is the largest talent agency in the world, with offices in Beverly Hills, New York City, Nashville, London, and Miami. WME represents elite artists from all facets of the entertainment industry, including motion pictures, television, music, theatre, publishing, and physical production...
booked Barto and Mann “cold” into the Palace Theatre for March 14, 1927. Zit's Theatrical Newspaper reported of their performance, “Ten minutes before they went on at the Palace last Monday afternoon nobody thought very much about Barto and Mann; ten minutes after they came off stage, the whole Broadway world was talking about them ... Acts like these only come along once in a while”. They were an immediate sensation. The Keith-Albee Theatre Circuit
Edward Franklin Albee II
Edward Franklin Albee II was a vaudeville impresario, and the adoptive grandfather of Edward Franklin Albee III, the playwright.-Biography:He was born on October 8, 1857 in Machias, Maine to Nathaniel Smith Albee....
, the Orpheum Circuit, the Pantages Theatre Circuit, Loew's Inc.
Marcus Loew
Marcus Loew was an American business magnate and a pioneer of the motion picture industry who formed Loews Theatres and Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer .-Biography:...
, all of the picture houses, and several productions made offers. They accepted a contract with the Orpheum Circuit.
Earl Carroll's Vanities
Barto and Mann performed in New York, throughout the mid-West, and on the West Coast of the United States and Canada on the Orpheum Circuit until August 1928, when they joined the 7th edition of the Earl Carroll's VanitiesEarl Carroll
Earl Carroll was an American theatrical producer, director, songwriter and composer born in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.-Career:...
in New York, which included W.C. Fields on the bill. After a successful season with Vanities, the duo started touring again in February 1929 and began headlining for Fanchon and Marco's Fantasma Idea in April 1929. They toured Europe in 1931 and 1934, were on the inaugural program of Radio City Music Hall
Radio City Music Hall
Radio City Music Hall is an entertainment venue located in New York City's Rockefeller Center. Its nickname is the Showplace of the Nation, and it was for a time the leading tourist destination in the city...
in 1932, and appeared in the 1933 film, Broadway Through a Keyhole.
Hellzapoppin
In October 1927, The Jazz SingerThe Jazz Singer (1927 film)
The Jazz Singer is a 1927 American musical film. The first feature-length motion picture with synchronized dialogue sequences, its release heralded the commercial ascendance of the "talkies" and the decline of the silent film era. Produced by Warner Bros. with its Vitaphone sound-on-disc system,...
, the first feature-length motion picture with synchronized dialogue sequences, opened at the Warners’ Theatre, heralding the beginning of the end for vaudeville as a popular mode of American entertainment. Barto and Mann were headliners in theaters and clubs throughout the late 1920s and the 1930s, increasingly sharing their performances with feature films
Feature film
In the film industry, a feature film is a film production made for initial distribution in theaters and being the main attraction of the screening, rather than a short film screened before it; a full length movie...
.
As vaudeville wound down in the 1930s, they joined Olsen and Johnson's
Olsen and Johnson
John Sigvard "Ole" Olsen and Harold Ogden "Chic" Johnson were zany American comedians of vaudeville, radio, the Broadway stage, motion pictures and television. Their shows were noted for their crazy blackout gags and orchestrated mayhem...
hit Broadway show, Hellzapoppin from 1938 to 1941 and continued in the show on the road in 1942. The duo dissolved the team in December 1943. Barto and Mann reunited briefly in late 1946 and early 1947.
Post Barto and Mann partnership
Barto, father of actress Nancy WalkerNancy Walker
Nancy Walker was an American actress and comedienne of stage, screen, and television. She was also a film and television director...
, continued to perform on stage and also became active in the American Guild of Variety Artists
American Guild of Variety Artists
American Guild of Variety Artists is an American entertainment union representing performers in variety entertainment, including circuses, Las Vegas showrooms and cabarets, comedy showcases, dance revues, magic shows, theme park shows, and arena and auditorium extravaganzas. It awards the "Georgie...
(AGVA) about the time the organization was formed in the late 1930s following the demise of the American Federation of Actors
American Federation of Actors
The American Federation of Actors was an early actors union, supported by Sophie Tucker who was elected president in 1938. In 1939 the AFA was disbanded by the American Federation of Labor for financial mismanagement; the AFL issued a charter to the succeeding American Guild of Variety Artists,...
(AFA). He became head of the AGVA in the late 1940s. George Mann acted in small roles in several movies, but primarily devoted himself to making a living with photography, an activity he had pursued actively while in vaudeville. Toward the end of his life he was the image on the box and character actor for the breakfast cereal, King Vitaman
King Vitaman
King Vitaman is a brand of pre-sweetened breakfast cereal produced by Quaker Oats and sold in the United States. The cereal entered the marketplace in 1970, and although it has changed mascots over the years, it is still in production....
.