Today is the birthday of Mickey Deems. Too late for vaudeville proper, he helped perpetuate its style way longer than most people probably thought possible. I’d previously known him from my cast album of the 1963 production of the Cole Porter show Anything Goes (he played the same part I played in my high school production). But he is best known as the creator (with burlesque comedian Joey Faye) of the short (10-12 minute) comedy series Mack and Myer for Hire. Read a cool interview with him here.
To find out more about the variety arts past and present, consult No Applause, Just Throw Money: The Book That Made Vaudeville Famous, available at Amazon, Barnes and Noble, and wherever nutty books are sold.
(Travalanche) 
Hello Trav Thanks for the terrific interview with Mickey Deems.I used to watch Mack and Myer For Hire 40 years ago in Australia ,of course when I was a kid.Iwonder if Joey Faye is still alive ? If you can ,could you please send my regards to Mickey Deems. Thank you Trav
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I’m afraid Mr. Faye has passed on and I’m not sure how to reach Mr. Deems (that interview was on another site, linked from this one). But it’s nice to hear from you and thanks for checking out Travalanche!
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[…] An interesting artifact of his latter work is Mack and Meyer for Hire, on which he partnered with Mickey Deems. He passed away in […]
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Hi Trav, We bought your book at Strand without knowing of you or your proximity, but knowing a little about American Entertainment in general from the Nineteen Twenties on. Unlike the historical writings of Oliver Stone, your work rings truer to the tone of ‘what was,’ at least from our perspective. And you write plays.
Trav, we own a collection of musical jottings from the hands of Roger Edens, given to us by playwright Leonard Gershe.
We are currently seeking a co-book writer who would work with us in turning what are now complete numbers into an original musical about M-G-M’s Freed Unit back when M-G-M was ‘King of the Sees.’
(And we’re neighbors from our places of business on Tenth Street.)
Trav, if you have interest in something like this, please give us a call
Best, Bobb Goldsteinn, The Roger Edens Foundation.
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Please forward to Mr. Goldsteinn
I am a nephew of Roger Edens, and I live in Shreveport, Louisiana. Our family is giving funds for a state of the art new theatre in Shreveport, and I very much want to honor Roger Edens, I called him Uncle Bus. Please send me your phone number or call me at 318-470-7227. My e-mail is hjackson@bradleyfirm.com
Thank you so much for helping me in my quest to honor Uncle Bus with some appropriate music/entertainment when the facility opens soon. I need to start making plans now!!
Haller Jackson
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