Charles T. Aldrich was the father of well-known character comedian Gale Gordon (1905-1995), best-known (to this correspondent) as Mr. Mooney on Here’s Lucy, but he also had tons of other film and television credits . Gale was really Charles T. Aldrich, Jr. but it turns out Senior was no slouch either.
Aldrich was a magician and quick-change artist in vaudeville, and a Broadway actor. Some of his best beloved stunts included a routine wherein he was chases around the stage by a floating red bandanna ( an elaboration upon Blackstone’s “ghost handkerchief”). He also did a well regarded imitation of Ching Ling Foo. From 1901 through the end of the nineteen-teens, he performed in several major Broadway shows). In 1904 he married actress Gloria Gordon (Gale’s mother, 1881-1962) who later played a role in the radio, tv and film versions of My Friend Irma.
To find out more about show business past and present, consult No Applause, Just Throw Money: The Book That Made Vaudeville Famous
(Travalanche) 