David Craig Montgomery (21 March 1870 â€" 20 April 1917) was an
American actor and dancer, the partner of Fred Stone. Montgomery and
Stone became famous for their performance in the 1903 Broadway musical
The Wizard of Oz, and had many other successes in musical comedy and
vaudeville.David Craig Montgomery was born in St. Joseph, Missouri, on
21 March 1870. In March 1887 he was given a juvenile role in Smokey
Moke at a local variety beer hall called Streakbiner's Garden. He had
been thinking of getting work with a railway, but now decided to go on
the stage, and practiced a routine in his back yard. He learned to
become a dancer and contortionist. He put on his song and dance
routine at various minor local venues, getting a good reception. He
played for some years in St. Joseph and Kansas City, then found work
in Denver and the surrounding mining towns, where he first met Fred
Stone. Stone (1873â€"1959) from Valmont, Colorado, was an acrobat and
tightrope walker.While in Denver Montgomery was offered a job with the
J. H. Haverly’s minstrel company, which was planning to first tour
the southern USA and then move to New York. The minstrels played in
Denver and then traveled to Texas where they played in Fort Worth and
Dallas. They reached Galveston in January 1896 en route to New
Orleans. Montgomery met Fred Stone again in Galveston, and invited him
to become his partner. Billy Rice, manager of the minstrels. offered
Stone a job, and he accepted. This was the start of a 22-year
partnership.In New Orleans, Montgomery and Stone played a song and
dance routine, and Stone did an acrobatic act of his own. Attendance
was poor, and after three days the Minstrels folded, unable to pay the
cast. Montgomery was able to find a two-week engagement at a local
variety theatre for himself and Stone, then got an offer from Billy
Rice for them to appear in a minstrel show in Chicago at Hall's
Casino. Montgomery had a good singing voice. In Chicago, Stone taught
him new dance steps to use in their acrobatic tap dance routine.
Montgomery and Stone were hired to perform in the Casino, Lyceum and
Hopkins theaters in Chicago from March to June, and became well known
for their original dance routine.
American actor and dancer, the partner of Fred Stone. Montgomery and
Stone became famous for their performance in the 1903 Broadway musical
The Wizard of Oz, and had many other successes in musical comedy and
vaudeville.David Craig Montgomery was born in St. Joseph, Missouri, on
21 March 1870. In March 1887 he was given a juvenile role in Smokey
Moke at a local variety beer hall called Streakbiner's Garden. He had
been thinking of getting work with a railway, but now decided to go on
the stage, and practiced a routine in his back yard. He learned to
become a dancer and contortionist. He put on his song and dance
routine at various minor local venues, getting a good reception. He
played for some years in St. Joseph and Kansas City, then found work
in Denver and the surrounding mining towns, where he first met Fred
Stone. Stone (1873â€"1959) from Valmont, Colorado, was an acrobat and
tightrope walker.While in Denver Montgomery was offered a job with the
J. H. Haverly’s minstrel company, which was planning to first tour
the southern USA and then move to New York. The minstrels played in
Denver and then traveled to Texas where they played in Fort Worth and
Dallas. They reached Galveston in January 1896 en route to New
Orleans. Montgomery met Fred Stone again in Galveston, and invited him
to become his partner. Billy Rice, manager of the minstrels. offered
Stone a job, and he accepted. This was the start of a 22-year
partnership.In New Orleans, Montgomery and Stone played a song and
dance routine, and Stone did an acrobatic act of his own. Attendance
was poor, and after three days the Minstrels folded, unable to pay the
cast. Montgomery was able to find a two-week engagement at a local
variety theatre for himself and Stone, then got an offer from Billy
Rice for them to appear in a minstrel show in Chicago at Hall's
Casino. Montgomery had a good singing voice. In Chicago, Stone taught
him new dance steps to use in their acrobatic tap dance routine.
Montgomery and Stone were hired to perform in the Casino, Lyceum and
Hopkins theaters in Chicago from March to June, and became well known
for their original dance routine.
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