Fred Andrew Stone (August 19, 1873 â€" March 6, 1959) was an American
actor. Stone began his career as a performer in circuses and minstrel
shows, went on to act on vaudeville, and became a star on Broadway and
in feature films, which earned him a star on the Hollywood Walk of
Fame.He was particularly famous for appearing on stage opposite David
C. Montgomery. They had a 22-year partnership until Montgomery's death
in 1917. They performed in shows such as The Wizard of Oz premiering
in 1902, the Victor Herbert operetta The Red Mill in 1906, and
Chin-Chin, a Modern Aladdin, in 1914. In 1939, he appeared in a radio
program promoting the new MGM film The Wizard of Oz, in which he got
to meet the actor who played the Scarecrow, Ray Bolger, who was a
great admirer of Stone's work, and although Bolger was too young to
have seen Stone play the Scarecrow in the stage play, he did see Stone
in The Red Mill.In 1917, he appeared on Broadway in Jack O'Lantern,
which, according to Vanity Fair theater critic P.G. Wodehouse "should
be the greatest success he has ever had. Fred Stone is unique. In a
profession where the man who can dance can’t sing and the man who
can sing can’t act he stands alone as one who can do
everything."Johnny Gruelle, the creator of Raggedy Ann, was a fan of
Fred Stone and L. Frank Baum. Gruelle wrote a scenario for a stage
show, which never was produced, in which the Scarecrow of Oz, played
by Fred Stone, met Raggedy Ann. In 1923, Fred Stone and his daughter,
Dorothy Stone, starred as Raggedy Andy and Raggedy Ann, respectively,
in a musical extravaganza titled Stepping Stones with music by Jerome
Kern and lyrics by Anne Caldwell.
actor. Stone began his career as a performer in circuses and minstrel
shows, went on to act on vaudeville, and became a star on Broadway and
in feature films, which earned him a star on the Hollywood Walk of
Fame.He was particularly famous for appearing on stage opposite David
C. Montgomery. They had a 22-year partnership until Montgomery's death
in 1917. They performed in shows such as The Wizard of Oz premiering
in 1902, the Victor Herbert operetta The Red Mill in 1906, and
Chin-Chin, a Modern Aladdin, in 1914. In 1939, he appeared in a radio
program promoting the new MGM film The Wizard of Oz, in which he got
to meet the actor who played the Scarecrow, Ray Bolger, who was a
great admirer of Stone's work, and although Bolger was too young to
have seen Stone play the Scarecrow in the stage play, he did see Stone
in The Red Mill.In 1917, he appeared on Broadway in Jack O'Lantern,
which, according to Vanity Fair theater critic P.G. Wodehouse "should
be the greatest success he has ever had. Fred Stone is unique. In a
profession where the man who can dance can’t sing and the man who
can sing can’t act he stands alone as one who can do
everything."Johnny Gruelle, the creator of Raggedy Ann, was a fan of
Fred Stone and L. Frank Baum. Gruelle wrote a scenario for a stage
show, which never was produced, in which the Scarecrow of Oz, played
by Fred Stone, met Raggedy Ann. In 1923, Fred Stone and his daughter,
Dorothy Stone, starred as Raggedy Andy and Raggedy Ann, respectively,
in a musical extravaganza titled Stepping Stones with music by Jerome
Kern and lyrics by Anne Caldwell.
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