Barto and Mann: Dewey Barto (né Stewart Steven Swoyer; June 10, 1896
â€" January 31, 1973) and George Mann (December 2, 1905 â€" 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".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 Service comic strip characters, "Mutt and Jeff". By the end of
1926, they were well known throughout California as Barto and
Mann.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 Agency 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.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 Vanities 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. Barto and Mann were the highest
paid dancing team in show business. 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.
â€" January 31, 1973) and George Mann (December 2, 1905 â€" 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".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 Service comic strip characters, "Mutt and Jeff". By the end of
1926, they were well known throughout California as Barto and
Mann.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 Agency 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.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 Vanities 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. Barto and Mann were the highest
paid dancing team in show business. 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.
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