Poll: Vaudevillian Comedians Who Made it Onto the Big Screen

Results of 185 votes:

1. 1.
   

   Cary Grant

    

   Known later for his suave dramatic roles, Grant started off like so many others, on stage doing comic turns! Though most of his stage work was done in Europe, he did perform on American stages before…
2. 2.
   

   The Marx Brothers

    

   Their 1929 film "The Cocoanuts" was basically a filmed version of their stage show. The brothers went on to give us a batch of now-classic comedies.
3. 3.
   

   Buster Keaton

    

   The "Human Mop" of the American vaudeville stage transitioned to films with a little help from Roscoe "Fatty" Arbuckle, and the rest is history!
4. 4.
   

   Bob Hope

    

   Hope appeared in many films with the likes of Lucille Ball and Jane Russell, and of course the "Road Pictures" he made with Bing Crosby.
5. 5.
   

   The Three Stooges

    

   Their stage work with Ted Healey made the move to movies, then they went "solo" and an entire generation of kids was told not to imitate them when their shorts got new life on television.
6. 6.
   

   Jimmy Durante

    

   The "Big Schnozzola" made it big on the big and small screens.
7. 7.
   

   Jack Benny

    

   Jack Benny is best known for his radio and TV shows, but he did appear in films, such as the original "To Be or Not To Be" and cult-status "The Horn Blows at Midnight".
8. 8.
   

   Ed Wynn

    

   This comedian was also one of the very first television stars. But Ed Wynn also appeared in such serious projects as "The Diary of Anne Frank" and "The Twilight Zone".
9. 9.
   

   Fred Allen

    

   Once billed as "The World's Worst Juggler", Allen became hugely successful during the golden age of radio. His on-air rivalry with Jack Benny resulted in a film called "Love Thy Neighb…
10. 10.
    

    Edgar Bergen

     

    A ventriloquist on radio? That is exactly where Bergen took his puppet Charlie McCarthy. He also brought him onto the big screen.
11. 11.
    

    W.C. Fields

     

    From humble beginnings, Fields attained stardom both on the big-screen and on the radio, feuding with Charlie McCarthy.
12. 12.
    

    Al Jolson

     

    Known today as the star of the first actual (partial) talking feature film, "The Jazz Singer". But he had been on stage for years prior.
13. 13.
    

    Milton Berle

     

    While better known for being one of the very first TV comedians, Berle also made it onto the big screen in films like "It's a Mad Mad Mad Mad World".
14. 14.
    

    Eddie Cantor

     

    Cantor's comedy and singing moved onto radio and film screens after many hit performances on stage.
15. 15.
    

    Fanny Brice

     

    Subject of the film "Funny Face"!
16. 16.
    

    The Ritz Brothers