James Edward Barton (November 1, 1890 â€" February 19, 1962) was an
American vaudevillian, stage performer, and a character actor in films
and on television.He was born into a theatrical family on November 1,
1890 in Gloucester City, New Jersey. Barton began performing in
minstrel shows and burlesque houses throughout the country in 1898.
His years of experience working with African American performers led
to his becoming one of the first jazz dancers in America.After working
with repertory companies in the South and Midwest, he made his
Broadway debut in the musical revue The Passing Show of 1919 in a role
originally intended for Ed Wynn. He frequently was the highlight in
otherwise-mediocre productions, and a critic for the Daily News noted,
"Whenever the book failed him, he shuffled into one or more of his
eccentric dances." He commonly worked in blackface at the time.
Barton's other theatre credits include Sweet and Low in 1930, Tobacco
Road in 1933, Bright Lights of 1944 (which ran for only four
performances), The Iceman Cometh in 1946, and Paint Your Wagon in
1951.While appearing on Broadway, Barton also achieved the highest
pinnacle of status in vaudeville, headlining at the Palace Theater on
Broadway not once but eight times, from March 1928 through April 1932.
American vaudevillian, stage performer, and a character actor in films
and on television.He was born into a theatrical family on November 1,
1890 in Gloucester City, New Jersey. Barton began performing in
minstrel shows and burlesque houses throughout the country in 1898.
His years of experience working with African American performers led
to his becoming one of the first jazz dancers in America.After working
with repertory companies in the South and Midwest, he made his
Broadway debut in the musical revue The Passing Show of 1919 in a role
originally intended for Ed Wynn. He frequently was the highlight in
otherwise-mediocre productions, and a critic for the Daily News noted,
"Whenever the book failed him, he shuffled into one or more of his
eccentric dances." He commonly worked in blackface at the time.
Barton's other theatre credits include Sweet and Low in 1930, Tobacco
Road in 1933, Bright Lights of 1944 (which ran for only four
performances), The Iceman Cometh in 1946, and Paint Your Wagon in
1951.While appearing on Broadway, Barton also achieved the highest
pinnacle of status in vaudeville, headlining at the Palace Theater on
Broadway not once but eight times, from March 1928 through April 1932.
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