Eddie Foy Sr.
Eddie Foy Senior (born March 9, 1856 in Manhattan , New York as Edwin Fitzgerald , † February 16, 1928 in Kansas City , Missouri ) was an American actor, comedian and dancer. He was considered one of the defining figures of American vaudeville .
Theater career
Edwin Fitzgerald was born to Irish immigrants under simple circumstances in Manhattan, but grew up in Chicago after the early death of his father from syphilis . Already in his childhood he performed on the streets and on stages to support his single mother financially. He chose his stage name in 1872 after meeting two sisters with the surname Foy whom he admired. As a young man he first achieved fame in the cities of the Wild West , where he appeared as an entertainer under sometimes adventurous circumstances. He became acquainted with famous figures such as Wyatt Earp , Bat Masterson and Doc Holliday . In Tombstone , he allegedly performed at the OK Corral at the time of the shooting . On the east coast, his popularity in the west helped him little and it was not until the 1890s that he received leading roles there. Foy had a reputation as a versatile comedian, he tried his hand as a singer, dancer, disguise artist, impersonator and acrobat, among other things.
Over a period of 30 years, he has been cast in some of the most successful comedy productions of his generation. Foy was first seen on Broadway in 1899 , where he starred in numerous musical comedies in the 1900s. On December 30, 1903, Foy was the star of the fire in the Iroquois Theater in Chicago , which killed over 600 people and is still the fire in a single building with the most fatalities in American history. Foy gained sympathy during the tragedy, as he stayed on stage for a long time after the fire broke out to keep the audience quiet. In 1913, Foy was one of the driving forces behind the founding of the Actors' Equity Association , which still exists today and is committed to better pay for actors.
Eddie Foy was on stage even at an advanced age and was already considered a theater legend during his lifetime. In 1928, at the age of 71, he died of a heart attack in Kansas City while starring in a play there. He was buried in the Holy Sepulcher Cemetery in New Rochelle . In New Rochelle a park was also named after Eddie Foy.
Family and the Seven Little Foys
Eddie Foy was married three times and had a total of 13 children, eight of whom survived childhood. His first two wives died before him and he was married to his third wife Marie from 1923 until his death in 1928.
With the seven surviving children from his second marriage to Madeline Morando, he recorded great success from 1910, when he performed with them under the name The Seven Little Foys . Foy told jokes on stage while his children performed songs or imitations. The Foys toured the whole country and made a movie. After her mother Madeline died in 1918 and the seven children slowly grew up, the group broke up in the late 1910s. Two of Foy's children later had significant careers in show business: Bryan Foy (1896–1977) worked as a producer and director for Warner Brothers ; Eddie Foy junior (1905-1983) became a well-known film and theater actor.
Eddie Foy in films
Eddie Foy received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in the film category, although he only appeared in four silent short films himself .
Eddie Foy has been portrayed as a historical figure in several Hollywood feature films. His son Eddie Foy junior played him in the films Frontier Marshal (1939), Lillian Russell (1940), Yankee Doodle Dandy (1942) and Wilson (1944). The life of Eddie Foy was filmed in 1955 as a comedian child (original title: The Seven Little Foys ) directed by Melville Shavelson , in the main role played Bob Hope as Eddie Foy, while James Cagney played in a supporting role as George M. Cohan .
Web links
- Eddie Foy senior in the Internet Movie Database (English)
- Eddie Foy senior in the Internet Broadway Database (English)
Individual evidence
- ^ Excerpts from Foy's autobiography at PetersPioneers.com
- ↑ a b c Eddie Foy at Find A Grave
- ↑ a b Eddie Foy at the Los Angeles Times
- ↑ Eddie Foy at the Internet Broadway Database
| personal data | |
|---|---|
| SURNAME | Foy, Eddie Sr. |
| ALTERNATIVE NAMES | Foy, Eddie Senior (full name); Fitzgerald, Edwin |
| BRIEF DESCRIPTION | American actor, comedian, and dancer |
| DATE OF BIRTH | March 9, 1856 |
| PLACE OF BIRTH | Manhattan , New York , United States |
| DATE OF DEATH | February 16, 1928 |
| Place of death | Kansas City , Missouri |