Jimmy Savo in 1926

Jimmy Savo (1895[1] September 5, 1960) was an American Vaudeville, Broadway, nightclub, film and television performer, comedian, juggler, and mime artist.

Life

Born in New York City as James Vincent Savo on July 31, 1895, Savo began his career as a juggler in amateur contests and went on to the burlesque circuit and then Broadway. In 1938, he originated the role of "Dromio of Syracuse" in The Boys from Syracuse.

Savo also starred in Once in a Blue Moon (1935) written by Ben Hecht and Charles Macarthur. The film was not a success, costing Paramount pictures $350,000.

In 1942 Isidore Herk and the Shubert brothers co-produced a Broadway show called Wine, Women and Song, starring Jimmy Savo and Margie Hart. The show was advertised as a combination of vaudeville, burlesque and Broadway revue, and ran for seven weeks.[2] The revue included striptease, which shocked some of the audiences.[3] Wine, Women and Song was closed by court order in December 1942.[4]

In 1950 Savo had his own television program, The Jimmy Savo Show on NBC.[5]

Savo was the author of two books: Little World, Hello! (1947) and I Bow to the Stones; Memories of a New York Childhood (1963).

He died in Terni, Italy in 1960.

References

  1. Cullen, Frank, Florence Hackman, and Donald McNeilly. Vaudeville, Old & New: An Encyclopedia of Variety Performers in America. New York: Routledge, 2007. Pg. 993
  2. Stewart, Donald Travis (2014). "Barons of Burlesque: Isidore H. "Izzie" Herk". Retrieved 2014-05-24.
  3. Shteir, Rachel (2004-11-01). Striptease : The Untold History of the Girlie Show: The Untold History of the Girlie Show. Oxford University Press. p. 228. ISBN 978-0-19-802935-9. Retrieved 2014-05-14.
  4. Nielsen Business Media, Inc (15 July 1944). "Isadore H. Herk". Billboard. p. 31. Retrieved 2014-05-24. {{cite magazine}}: |last1= has generic name (help)
  5. "The Jimmy Savo Show". Variety. May 10, 1950. p. 27. Retrieved September 27, 2023.

Further reading

  • "Jimmy Savo Dead; Comedian was 64" The New York Times September 7, 1960
  • "Jimmy Savo (New York 31 luglio 1892 - Guardea 3 settembre 1960); sposato con Frances Victoria Browder, divorziato nel 1935, figli: Jimmy Vincent Savo Junior, sposato in seconde nozze con Farina Lina, Italia, Guardea (Terni), senza figli.
  • "Jimmy Savo; di Famiglia Lucana originaria di Stigliano (Matera) al "secolo" Vincenzo Rocco Sava, abitò con Farina Lina a Guardea (Terni) Italia nel Castello del Poggio e ad Amelia (Terni) Italia in Via Marcheggiani n. 26. Oggi abitazione "Della Rosa" Amelia (Terni). Referenze, fotografie e note in: www.grupporicercafotografica.it/jimmysavo.htm.
  • Cullen, Frank, Florence Hackman, and Donald McNeilly. Vaudeville, Old & New: An Encyclopedia of Variety Performers in America. New York: Routledge, 2007. Pg. 993
  • Schmucks with Underwoods," Max Wilk, (C) 2004 Applause Theatre and Cinema books
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