Today is the birthday of Dorothy Granger (1912-1995). Granger grew up in the theatre; her parents ran one in the small Ohio town where she was raised. She toured the Orpheum vaudeville circuit before breaking into films. Granger was to be a major staple of comedy shorts for as long as they existed, working for Hal Roach (with Laurel and Hardy, Harry Langdon and Charley Chase), Mack Sennett (with W.C. Fields and Andy Clyde), R.K.O. (with Clark & McCullough, Edgar Kennedy and Leon Errol), Columbia (with the Three Stooges), and Educational — which pretty much covers all the bases. When cinematic shorts died she worked with Abbott and Costello on their tv show. She also worked sporadically in features, and acted on television, as well. She retired from show business in the early 1960s.
To find out more about vaudeville performers like Dorothy Granger, consult No Applause, Just Throw Money: The Book That Made Vaudeville Famous, available at Amazon, Barnes and Noble, and on silent comedy don’t miss Chain of Fools: Silent Comedy and Its Legacies from Nickelodeons to Youtube.
Thank you for posting about Dorothy Granger. I just learned a few years ago that she was my Great Aunt. I would have loved to meet her. Having the ability to learn about her through websites gives me the chance to know her better. Thank you for sharing!!! Natasha DuVall : )
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and thank YOU! you’ve a right to be proud of the connection!
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