Gracie Deagon

Gracie Deagon
Born
Grace O'Connor Deagon

1893 or 1894
Lockport, New York, U.S.
DiedAfter 1966
OccupationsActress, vaudevillian, writer
Spouse(s)Homer Dickinson
(m. 1911; div. 1918
m. 1918; div. 1921)

Grace O'Connor Deagon (1893 or 1894[1]), known professionally as Gracie Deagon, was an American vaudevillian, stage and radio actress and writer, known for her exceptionally unaffected child impersonations,[2][3][4][5]

Early life and career

Raised in Springfield, Ohio,[6] Deagon was a daughter of the then popular vaudeville team Kitty (née Andres[7]) and Edwin H. Deagon[6][8] (who also headed their own theatre company[9]); her uncle was Broadway actor Arthur Deagan.[10]

In 1924, Deagon provided the lyrics to Belle Baker's "Pretending", the first song composed by the already famous singer.[11][12]

During her vaudeville career, Deagon had three straight men. The first, from 1912 to 1922, was her then husband Homer Dickinson; then came Wilbur—a.k.a. Jack—Mack.[13][14][2] Deagan's third and final partner, from 1926 until at least February 1932, was Charlie Cannefax.[15][16]

In the summer of 1934, Deagon and fellow vaudevillian Jack Usher co-starred in the radio sitcom Babs and Don, scripted by Deagon and airing on the "Nation's Station", WLW in Cincinnati.[17][18][19]

Personal life

Thrice married and thrice divorced, Deagon was the wife of fellow vaudevillian Homer Cissero Dickinson from 1911 to 1918,[20][21] 1918 to 1921,[22][23] [24] and 1921 to 1922.[13] They had one child, a son, Homer J. Dickinson.[25]

Predeceased by her son, Deagon was residing in Costa Mesa, California as of April 1967[26]

Theatre credits

References

  1. ^ "Dickinson and Deagon With Shubert Vaudeville at Apollo". Atlantic City Press. February 20, 1922. p. 15.
  2. ^ a b Staples, Shirley (1984). Male-Female Comedy Teams in American Vaudeville, 1865-1932. Ann Arbor, MI: UMI Research Press. pp. 176, 179. ISBN 0-8357-1520-5.
  3. ^ a b c d e "How Gracie Deagon Made a Hit in Vaudeville". The Boston Globe. June 29, 1924. p. 53.
  4. ^ Mason, Arthur (June 1937). "Radio Ramblings: Concerning celebrities of the air, and their comings and goings in broadcastland". Radio Stars. p. 16.
  5. ^ Edmiston, Martha (March 11, 1957). "Veteran Of Vaudeville Visiting Son, Friends ". The Dayton Journal Herald. p. 3.
  6. ^ a b Muir, James (May 8, 1926). "Offerings in All Theaters". The Dayton Daily News. p. 11.
  7. ^ "New York, New York City Marriage Records, 1829-1938", FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:24HL-2WN : Fri Jul 25 15:35:15 UTC 2025), Entry for Edwin Deagon and Katie Andres, 30 August 1891.
  8. ^ "The Plays and Players: Notes". The Cincinnati Post. August 8, 1892. p. 2.
  9. ^ "Amusements". South Bend Tribune. October 20, 1905. p. 4.
  10. ^ "Gracie Deagon Went on Stage When Six". The Los Angeles Record. November 16, 1925. p. 7.
  11. ^ Slide, Anthony (1994). The Encyclopedia of Vaudeville. Westport, CN: Greenwood Press. p. 19. ISBN 978-1-61703-249-3.
  12. ^ Library of Congress (1952). Catalog of Copyright Entries: Third series. Washington DC: Copyright Office, Library of Congress. p. 157.
  13. ^ a b Baer, Leone Cass (September 22, 1922). "Stars and Starmakers". The Oregonian.
  14. ^ Herbst, A. (October 14, 1922). "B.F. Keith's Riverside Theatre". New York Star. p. 13.
  15. ^ B.B. (October 1, 1926). "Vaudeville Personalities". The Vaudeville News and New York Star. p. 18.
  16. ^ "Two Big Shows in One". The Hazleton Plain Speaker. February 25, 1932. p. 4.
  17. ^ "Stage Comics Join WLW Staff". Radio News-Guide. July 21, 1934. p. 6.
  18. ^ "The World’s Most Powerful Broadcasting Station presents JACK USHER and GRACIE DEAGON". Variety. July 17, 1934. p. 37.
  19. ^ "Morning Programs". St. Louis Globe-Democrat. September 21, 1934. p. 3C.
  20. ^ "DICKINSON AND DEAGON DIVORCED". The New York Clipper. June 12, 1918. p. 7.
  21. ^ "Divorced Socially Only". Variety. June 28, 1918. p. 5.
  22. ^ "Vaudeville Artists Decide to Re-marry". Vancouver Daily World. August 31, 1918. p. 8.
  23. ^ "Tried It Twice". The Washington Times. December 4, 1921. p. D7.
  24. ^ "Dickinson Alimony". Variety. November 10, 1922. p. 4.
  25. ^ "Comedienne, Formerly of City, May Get Role in Video Production of 'Harvey'". Springfield Daily News. March 15, 1958. p. 6.
  26. ^ "Deaths and Funerals: Homer Dickinson". Springfield News-Sun. April 12, 1967. p. 9.
  27. ^ Benjamin, Ruth (2006). Who Sang What on Broadway, 1866-1996. Jefferson, N.C. : McFarland & Company. p. 196. ISBN 0-7864-2189-4.
  28. ^ "Noted Team Seen Again; McIntyre and Heath at Poli's in 'Hello, Alexander.'". The Washington Herald. April 18, 1921. p. 8.
  29. ^ "WPA Players". Variety. February 19, 1936. p. 69.
  30. ^ Sturm, Virginia D. (April 10, 1936). "Children's Theater Bows Out; Major Souders Screens at 'Y'; Shirley Temple at Keith's". Dayton Daily News. p. 40.
  31. ^ "Players Group to Give Comedy Again". The Dayton Herald. May 21, 1936. p. 13.
  32. ^ Bernfeld, Herman G. (November 10, 1936). "Chalk Dust". The Cincinnati Enquirer. p. 18.
  33. ^ "Directs School". The Cincinnati Enquirer. November 22, 1936. p. 7.
  34. ^ "'Chalk Dust' Closes". The Cincinnati Enquirer. November 28, 1936. p. 11.
  35. ^ Yeiser, Frederick (December 13, 1936). "Babes in Toyland". The Cincinnati Enquirer. p. 13.
  36. ^ "New Play Rehearsed". The Cincinnati Enquirer. January 5, 1937. p. 8.
  37. ^ "Federal Theater Prepares Drama". The Cincinnati Enquirer. January 17, 1937. p. 48.
  38. ^ Bernfeld, Herbert J. (February 18, 1937). "It Can't Happen Here". The Cincinnati Enquirer. p. 13.
  39. ^ "Saint Preaches to Angel". The Cincinnati Enquirer. April 23, 1937. p. 7.
  40. ^ Cronin, Jack (October 5, 1937). "Green Grow the Lilacs". The Cincinnati Enquirer. p. 9.

Further reading

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