Billy Hagan (burlesque)
Billy Hagan (January 29, 1889—June 10,1986) was a burlesque comedian whose catchphrase was "cheese and crackers". (The phrase came from his religious German immigrant father, who used it as a substitute for blasphemy.)[1] According to Ralph G. Allen, one of Hagan's most famous sketches was "Meet Me Around the Corner," which he performed on the Mutual burlesque circuit. When Hagan died, Milton Berle called him "one of the funniest men on the burlesque circuit. I learned a lot of my expertise from him." [2] Born William Hagedorn in San Francisco, Hagan boxed and was the amateur lightweight champion of California before breaking into show business in 1907. He spent 62 years in show business and performed regularly at the Trocadero Theatre in Philadelphia.[3] Hagan met his future wife, Anne Toebe (1894-1968), in 1910 when she auditioned as a chorus girl. They married in 1914 and toured together until 1931, when she left show business to raise their son. Toebe regularly performed in a boxing skit with Hagan and was also an early stripteaser.
References
- ^ Variety. Obituaries. June 18, 1986
- ^ Rochester Democrat and Chronicle; June 12, 1986
- ^ "Billy "Cheese and Crackers" Hagan", Vaudeville Old & New: an encyclopedia of variety performances in America, vol. Vol 1., Psychology Press, pp. 469–470, 2007, ISBN 9780415938532
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