Eddie Cantor

Eddie Cantor (born January 31, 1892; died October 10, 1964) was a comedian, singer, actor, songwriter, and one of the most popular entertainers in the United States of America in the early and middle 20th century. His nickname was "Banjo Eyes."

Related Topics:
January 31 - 1892 - October 10 - 1964 - Comedian - Singer - Actor - Songwriter - Entertainer - United States of America - 20th century

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Cantor was born as Edward Israel Iskowitz in New York City, the son of Russian Jewish immigrants. He was orphaned in childhood and made a living entertaining for coins on the city streets of Manhattan's Lower-East-Side.

Related Topics:
New York City - Russia - Jew - Manhattan

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By his early teens he began winning talent contests at local theaters, and started appearing on stage and in 1907 became a billed name in Vaudeville.

Related Topics:
1907 - Vaudeville

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In 1912 he appeared in Gus Edwards Revue, and in 1917 debuted in the Ziegfeld Follies, where he would appear for years. For some time Cantor co-starred in an act with pioneer African-American comedian Bert Williams, both appearing in blackface; Cantor played Williams's son.

Related Topics:
1912 - Gus Edwards - 1917 - Ziegfeld Follies - African-American - Bert Williams - Blackface

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Cantor started making phonograph records in 1917, recording both comedy songs and routines and popular songs of the day, first for Victor, then for Aeoleon-Vocalion, Pathé, and Emerson. From 1921 through 1925 he had an exclusive contract with Columbia Records, then returned to Victor for the remainder of the decade.

Related Topics:
Phonograph record - 1917 - Victor - Aeoleon-Vocalion - Pathé - Emerson - 1921 - 1925 - Columbia Records

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He starred in the Broadway musicals Kid Boots in 1923, Whoopee! in 1928, and Banjo Eyes in 1940.

Related Topics:
Broadway - Kid Boots - 1923 - Whoopee! - 1928 - Banjo Eyes - 1940

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Cantor was one of the era's most successful entertainers, but the 1929 Stock market crash suddenly took him from multi-millionaire status to being broke and deeply in debt. Cantor soon bounced back thanks to Hollywood movies and the radio. Cantor had appeared in a number of short films in the 1920s, but became a feature star in 1930 with the film version of Whoopee!. He continued making feature films through 1948, the most notable including Roman Scandals (1933), Ali Baba Goes to Town (1937), and If You Knew Susie (1948).

Related Topics:
1929 - Stock market crash - Hollywood - Movie - Radio - 1920s - 1930 - Whoopee! - 1948 - Roman Scandals - 1933 - Ali Baba Goes to Town - 1937 - If You Knew Susie

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In the 1930s he also began hosting his own radio show, and by 1936 Cantor was the world's highest paid radio star. His radio shows began with a crowd chanting "We want Cantor - We want Cantor", said to have originated when a vaudeville audience used that chant to chase off an opening act who was on a bill before Cantor. Cantor's theme song was the 1903 pop tune "Ida, Sweet as Apple Cider", dedicated to Eddie's wife Ida.

Related Topics:
1930s - Radio - 1936 - 1903

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In addition to film and radio, Cantor recorded for Hit of the Week Records, then again for Columbia, for Banner and Decca and various small labels.

Related Topics:
Hit of the Week Records - Banner - Decca

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He was a founder of the March of Dimes, and did much to publicize the battle against polio. Cantor also served as first president of the Screen Actors Guild.

Related Topics:
March of Dimes - Polio - Screen Actors Guild

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Cantor's career declined somewhat in the late 1930s due to his public denunciations of Adolf Hitler and Fascism. Wishing to distance themselves from any political controversy, many sponsors dropped Cantor's shows. However Cantor's career bounced back with the United States entry into World War II.

Related Topics:
Adolf Hitler - Fascism - World War II

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In the 1940s his NBC national radio show was Time To Smile.

Related Topics:
1940s - NBC

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In the 1950s he was one of the alternating hosts of the television show The Colgate Comedy Hour. However, the show landed him in an unlikely controversy -- when a young Sammy Davis Jr. appeared as a guest performer, Cantor Cantor embraced and mopped the brow of Davis with his handkerchief after his performance. Worried sponsors led NBC to threaten cancellation of the show, though Cantor's response to the controversy was to book Davis for the rest of the season. (Other sources claims that NBC threatened to cancel the show when Davis was booked for two weeks straight.) Cantor left the show in 1954, due to failing health (he had suffered a heart attack following an appearance on the show in 1952).

Related Topics:
1950s - The Colgate Comedy Hour - Sammy Davis Jr. - NBC

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Cantor wrote eight books, including Caught Short (about the Crash of 1929) and his autobiography, My Life is in Your Hands.

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He was awarded an honorary Academy Award in 1964.

Related Topics:
Academy Award - 1964

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Eddie Cantor died of a heart attack in Beverly Hills, California, and was buried in Hillside Memorial Park Cemetery.

Related Topics:
Heart attack - Beverly Hills, California - Hillside Memorial Park Cemetery

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