THE LOWDOWN ON CHUCK AND CHUCKLES
THE LOWDOWN ON CHUCK AND CHUCKLES
Today is the birthday of tap dancer Chuck Green (1919-1997). The Georgia native danced on street corners as a child, won third place in a contest at age six, moved to New York with a talent scout at age nine, and got signed by Nat Nazarro by age 12. This takes us almost to the end of the vaudeville era, but Green squeaked in just under the wire. He formed a duo with childhood friend James Walker initially calling themselves Shorty and Slim, but then Chuck and Chuckles. They played the Big Time, including the Biggest Time of all, the Palace. The team outlasted vaudeville by over a decade, playing nightclubs and huge presentation houses like Radio City Music Hall and the Paramount and Capitol Theatre, as well as the storied Apollo.
In 1944, Green had a breakdown, for which he was institutionalized for 15 years. When he was discharged, he performed again in clubs, at festivals and on television,enjoying a resurgence of interest in his work throughout the 1960s until his death.
For more on vaudeville history, consult No Applause, Just Throw Money: The Book That Made Vaudeville Famous, available at Amazon, Barnes and Noble, and wherever nutty books are sold.
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