Гарри Степ: от эмигранта до "топ-банана" американской сцены

American entertainer

Harry Steppe (born Abraham Stepner), March 16, 1888 was a Russian Jewish American actor, musical comedy performer, director and producer, Steppe performed at several well known theaters on the Columbia,

Born in Russia to Orthodox Jewish parents, Steppe and his family emigrated from Moscow to the U. S. through Ellis Island in 1892. In 1899, Steppe became a naturalized citizen of the United States. his brother Michael was a vocalist. and in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. At age 29, Steppe claimed an exemption from the World War I draft on the grounds that he supported his widowed mother. Other paramours of Harry Steppe included Vaudeville performers Victoria "Vic" Dayton, whom he married in 1920, Edna Raymond and Leona St. Clair. Steppe was often billed with actress Lola Pierce, Steppe was billed as a Hebrew, Jewish dialect or Yiddish dialect and others credited Steppe with "introducing the phrase 'top banana' into show business jargon in 1927 as a synonym for the top comic on the bill. It rose out of a routine, full of doubletalk, in which three comics tried to share two bananas." Silvers further popularized the term "Top Banana" in his 1951 Broadway musical and 1954 film of the same name. Steppe also claimed to have coined the phrase "Second Banana." Steppe had a version of a shell game routine called "The Lemon Bit," However, Steppe died in poverty. Pulmonary edema contributed to Steppe's death, according to his death certificate. He was at Bellevue Hospital in New York, New York for two days and had been ill for a month, according to a story in Variety magazine, Nov. 27, 1934. He is buried in New Jersey.

Here is an ever expanding table of documented theatrical productions. Performances Year Month City & State Theater Show Title Players & Notables Media Coverage 1911 Apr Majestic Theater The Two StrollersMusical Comedy Harry SteppeToney MurphySmuckler Sisters Portsmouth Daily Times May   Kenyon Theater Loveland Harry Steppe (as Ignatz Cohen)Ben MastenJack DailyLeona Thompson, singerBerti Wyatt, dancerGertie Fay, dancer Pittsburgh Press 1912 Apr Marion, OH Sun Theater Girl from Daffydill Harry Steppe (as Ignatz Cohen) Marion Daily Star     Olympic Girls from the Follies   1913 Sep     Girls from the Follies   Indianapolis Star Sep Kansas City, MO   Girls from the Follies   Kansas City Star, The Oct Chicago, IL   Girls from the Follies   Suburbanite Economist Nov Boston, MA Howard Athenaeum Girls from the Follies   Boston Globe Cleveland, OH Empire Girls from the Follies   1914 Jan Pittsburgh, PA Victoria Girls from the Follies   Pittsburgh Press Mar Toronto, ON Canada Star Theater Girls from the Follies   Toronto Sunday World May Hartford, CT Poli Palace TheaterMain and Gold Streets Those Kissing GirlsMusical Comedy Hartford Courant Jun   St. James Kissing Girls Harry SteppeOscar Lorraine, violinistEd and Jack Smith, dancers Boston Evening Transcript Aug   Murray Hill Theatre Girls from the Follies Harry SteppeCharles QuinnVesta LockardGertrude BalstonForrest G. WyreJessie QuinnAnnie GoldieMarie RevereHarry FisherWilliam Harris New York Times Sep Pittsburgh, PA Victoria Girls from the Follies Harry SteppeCharles QuinnVesta LockardGertrude BalstonForrest G. WyreJessie QuinnAnnie GoldieMarie RevereHarry FisherWilliam Harris Pittsburgh Press Nov Boston, MA Howard Athenaeum Girls from the Follies   Boston Daily Globe Baltimore, MD Gayety Girls from the Follies   1915 Jan Toronto Star Theater Girls from the FolliesTwo act Musical Farce Harry SteppeVesta LockardGertude WalstonMabel ReflowGeorge L. WagnerWilliam M. HarrisBilly MooreHarry FisherSolly HitoDan Pierce, Star Theater Manager Toronto World March Indianapolis, IN   Girls from the Follies Harry Steppe Indianapolis Star May   Victoria Girls from the Follies Harry SteppeVesta LockhardGertude RalstonMabel Reflow, dancerGeorge L. WagnerWilliam M. HarrisHarry VanHarry FisherSolly Hito, dancer Pittsburgh Press Sep Pittsburgh, PA Victoria Lady Pirates   Pittsburgh Press Cleveland, OH Bijou     Louisville, KY Buckingham Girls from the Follies  Detroit, MI Cadillac Girls from the Follies  Detroit, MI Cadillac Lady Pirates  Philadelphia, PA Casino Girls from the Follies   Rochester, NY Corinthian Girls from the Follies   Ft. Wayne, IN Majestic Girls from the Follies     Razzier   Pittsburgh, PA Victoria Girls from the Follies   Pittsburgh, PA Victoria Keeny's Harry Steppe & George Martin   1916 Jan Ft. Wayne, IN Girls from the Follies   Ft Wayne Daily News Jan Ft. Wayne, IN   Cohen in ChinatownTwo act musical comedy   Ft. Wayne Journal Gazette   Philadelphia, PA Cabaret Girls from the Follies     St. Louis, MO Standard Girls from the Follies     Louisville, KY Buckingham Girls from the FolliesCohen on the East SideTwo act musical burlesque  Reedy's Mirror Feb Brooklyn, NY Howard Athenaeum     Boston Daily Globe Brooklyn, NY Star    1918 Aug Philadelphia, PA Gayety5th below Vine Razzle Dazzle Girls Harry SteppeGrace Fletcher Evening Public Ledger Oct   Star Theater Razzle Dazzle of 1918 Harry SteppeBunnie Mack, comedianGrace Fletcher, soubrettePercie JudahMike Fertig, singerSydia Dunn, singerPalmer Hines, straight man Toronto World 1919 Jan Pittsburgh, PA Victoria Razzle Dazzle of 1919 Harry SteppeLew DennyMike Fertig, singerBilly HalperinPercie JudahSydia Dunn, singerGrace Fletcher Pittsburgh Press Feb Washington, DC Razzle Dazzle Harry SteppeGrace Fletcher Washington Post Mar Trenton, NJ Razzle Dazzle   Columbus, OH Lyceum Razzle Dazzle     Peoples Theatre American Supreme   1920 Columbus, OH   Razzle Dazzle of 1919      Tid Bits of 1920    Buckingham Misfit Cohen     Gayety Harry Steppe and His Rumba Girls   1921 Jun New York, NY Loew's Metropolitan   Harry Steppe, headlinerDick Lancaster New York Tribune Jun New York, NY Loew's American   Harry Steppe, headlinerChappelle and Stinnett New York Tribune   Washington, DC     Harry SteppeHarry O'NealFrank Anderson Washington Post 1923 Apr Los Angeles, CA Hillstreet Just a Debate Harry SteppeHarry O'Neal Los Angeles Times   New York, NY Columbia Playhouse     1924 Sep   Gayety Theater Columbia Burlesque Harry Steppe and His Big Show Harry SteppeHarry O'NealVic CasmoreSolly Hito, dancerMabel Reflow, dancer Canadian Jewish ChronicleThe Axe (Montreal) Nov Bridgeport, CT Harry Steppe and His Big Show   Bridgeport Telegram Dec   Gayety Harry SteppeDorothy Golden, dancer Pittsburgh Press 1925 Jan   Gayety Theater Columbia Burlesque Harry Steppe and His Big Show Harry SteppeHarry O'NealMabel ReflowLola Pierce Pittsburgh Press March   Harry Steppe and His Big Show Harry SteppeHarry O'Neal Chicago Tribune Apr Empire Theater Temperance StreetColumbia Burlesque(Columbia Circuit) Cain and Davenport presentHarry Steppe and His Big Show Week of April 13 Harry SteppeHarry O'NealVic CasmoreHite and (Mabel) Reflow, singerGeorge McClennon, comedian Canadian Jewish Review May New York, NY Columbia TheaterTimes Square(Columbia Circuit) O. K. Harry SteppeHarry O'NealMabel Reflow, singerLola Pierce, singerGeorge McClennon, dancerMiller and Ryan, dancersThree Golfers, acrobatsSolly Hito, juvenileand a whistler New York Times Aug (New) Lyric Theater O. K. Harry SteppeGeorge McClennonOwen Martin, straight manVic CasmoreMiteMabel Reflow, singer Bridgeport Telegraph Sep   Gayety Harry Steppe and His Big Show Harry SteppeVic Casmore Pittsburgh Press Oct Cleveland, OH Columbia Steppe's Own Show Harry SteppeGeorge McClennon Afro American Oct Zanesville, OH WellerColumbia Circuit Harry Steppe and His Big Show Harry SteppeOwen Martin, straight manGeorge McClennon, jazz clarinetistJacque Wilson, blues singerCarmen Sisters, dancersRube Walman, whistler Zanesville Times SignalZanesville SignalZanesville Times Signal 1926 Apr Boston, MA Casino Theater(Columbia Circuit) Steppe's Own Show   Afro American June New York, NY   The Lemon Bit   New York Times   Boston, MA Gaiety Theater Harry Steppe's OK   Gaiety Theater Study Report 1927 Jul Milwaukee, WI Majestic Theatre The Debate Harry SteppeLola Pierce Milwaukee Sentinel Oct Atlanta, GA The Supper ClubThe Debate Harry SteppeLola Pierce Atlanta Constitution 1928 Feb Decatur, Illinois   Matrimony à la Carte with Lola Pierce   June New York, NY Loew's Theater     Loew's Weekly 1929 Sep Gayety Harry Steppe and His Own Big Show   Canadian Jewish Review Dec Washington, DC 9th Street Harry Steppe and His Show   Washington Post Dec Pittsburgh, PA Academy Theater Harry Steppe and His ShowMonte CarloFortune Hunters Harry SteppeBetty and Bud AbbottBillie Holmes, blues singerFrances Knight, ingenueRube WalmanLee Baird, second comedianGertie ForemanJerry DeVere Pittsburgh Press 1930 Sep   Orpheum Theatre Harry Steppe and His Show   Reading Eagle Oct Pittsburgh, PA Academy Theater Harry Steppe and His Big Show Harry SteppeJeanne Steele, jazz singerAnn Clair, ingenueLloyd and ArdellWilbur Dobbs, comedianGeorge Raymond, baritoneDixon and Morrell, sister act Pittsburgh Press 1931 Mar   Orpheum Theater(Mutual Circuit) Fashion Parade Harry SteppeSonny Kest, ingenueLee HickmanDorothy Alexander Reading Eagle Oct Pittsburgh, PA Academy Theater(Columbia Circuit) Rumba Girls Harry SteppeJerri McCauley Pittsburgh Post Gazette 1933 Apr   Ritz   Harry Steppe Max FurmanLew PatelEddie DaleHarry BurnsOlsen and Johnson Syracuse HeraldNov Hartford, CT Parsons Theater Harry SteppeEddie Lloyd, comedianLew Denny, straight man Hartford Courant 1934 Sep   Variety Red Hot Harry SteppeJoe DeRitaHappy HyattAbe Sher Al Golden, directorPittsburgh Post GazettePittsburgh Press