Kathleen Clifford (February 16, 1887 – December 28, 1962) was an American vaudeville and Broadway stage and film actress of the early twentieth century. She was known for her skills as a male impersonator.
Clifford initially built her acting on the vaudeville stages as a comedian. She was renowned for her impersonations of men[3] and was often humorously billed as "The Smartest Chap in Town".[3] She often pretended to have been born in England.[4] At one point, as a male impersonator, she was working as a duo with female impersonatorBothwell Browne.[5]
Clifford debuted on Broadway in 1902 as a member of the chorus in Tommy Rot. Her other Broadway credits included A Pair of Queens (1916), A Winsome Widow (1912), A Night with the Pierrots / Sesostra / The Whirl of Society (1912), The Belle of London Town, and Fad and Folly (1902).[6]
By 1904, Clifford had joined Edna Wallace Hopper's supporting company in vaudeville. She progressed from that status to musical comedies in which she danced and had small featured roles.[1]
Clifford served during the early years of World War I as a Red Cross nurse with the British Army in France, and was awarded honorary colonelcy of a Canadian regiment.[7]
With the advent of talkies Clifford settled into semi-retirement. She made only one film during the early years of sound film; The Bride's Bereavement, a comedy short featuring several former silent film stars such as Aileen Pringle, Montagu Love, Luis Alberni, and Charles Ray.
Clifford also wrote a novel, It's April. . . Remember?, about her time in Hollywood.[4]
Clifford died at the age of 75 in Los Angeles, California in 1962. She was buried in Belgrade, Yugoslavia, her husband's former home.[citation needed]
Filmographyedit
Clifford in Who is Number One?, 1917
The Bride's Bereavement (alternate title: The Snake in the Grass) (1932)
^ abRodger, Gillian M. (2018). Just One of the Boys: Female-to-Male Cross-Dressing on the American Variety Stage. University of Illinois Press. ISBN9780252050169. Retrieved 22 July 2018.
^Cain, Giles P. (September 8, 1917). "Little Stories of Plays and Players". The Independent. XXXVIII: 3. Retrieved 22 July 2018.
Kathleen Clifford at AFI - American Film Institute
January 01, 1970
kathleen, clifford, february, 1887, december, 1962, american, vaudeville, broadway, stage, film, actress, early, twentieth, century, known, skills, male, impersonator, number, 1917, born, 1887, february, 1887charlottesville, virginia, dieddecember, 1962, 1962,. Kathleen Clifford February 16 1887 December 28 1962 was an American vaudeville and Broadway stage and film actress of the early twentieth century She was known for her skills as a male impersonator Kathleen CliffordKathleen Clifford in Who Is Number One 1917 Born 1887 02 16 February 16 1887Charlottesville Virginia U S DiedDecember 28 1962 1962 12 28 aged 75 Los Angeles California U S OccupationActressYears active1902 1932SpouseMeo Illitch m 1926 wbr Contents 1 Biography 2 Filmography 3 References 4 External linksBiography editBorn in Charlottesville Virginia 1 Clifford was educated in Dresden and in Brighton England 2 Clifford initially built her acting on the vaudeville stages as a comedian She was renowned for her impersonations of men 3 and was often humorously billed as The Smartest Chap in Town 3 She often pretended to have been born in England 4 At one point as a male impersonator she was working as a duo with female impersonator Bothwell Browne 5 Clifford debuted on Broadway in 1902 as a member of the chorus in Tommy Rot Her other Broadway credits included A Pair of Queens 1916 A Winsome Widow 1912 A Night with the Pierrots Sesostra The Whirl of Society 1912 The Belle of London Town and Fad and Folly 1902 6 By 1904 Clifford had joined Edna Wallace Hopper s supporting company in vaudeville She progressed from that status to musical comedies in which she danced and had small featured roles 1 Clifford served during the early years of World War I as a Red Cross nurse with the British Army in France and was awarded honorary colonelcy of a Canadian regiment 7 Clifford made her screen debut in the 1917 William Bertram directed mystery serial Who Is Number One opposite silent film actor Cullen Landis She appeared in several high profile roles throughout the late 1910s and early 1920s most notably opposite Douglas Fairbanks Sr in the 1919 comedy When the Clouds Roll By in the crime drama Kick In opposite Betty Compson May McAvoy and Bert Lytell 1922 and in the role of Queen Berengaria opposite Wallace Beery and the young actress Marguerite De La Motte in Richard the Lion Hearted 1923 Clifford s last silent film was the 1928 James Cruze directed comedy Excess Baggage opposite silent film actor William Haines With the advent of talkies Clifford settled into semi retirement She made only one film during the early years of sound film The Bride s Bereavement a comedy short featuring several former silent film stars such as Aileen Pringle Montagu Love Luis Alberni and Charles Ray Clifford also wrote a novel It s April Remember about her time in Hollywood 4 Clifford died at the age of 75 in Los Angeles California in 1962 She was buried in Belgrade Yugoslavia her husband s former home citation needed Filmography edit nbsp Clifford in Who is Number One 1917 The Bride s Bereavement alternate title The Snake in the Grass 1932 Excess Baggage 1928 Sporting Life 1925 The Love Gamble 1925 Grandpa s Girl 1924 No More Women 1924 Richard the Lion Hearted 1923 Kick In 1922 Cold Steel 1921 When the Clouds Roll By 1919 Angel Child 1919 The Law That Divides 1918 Who Is Number One 1917 References edit a b Rodger Gillian M 2018 Just One of the Boys Female to Male Cross Dressing on the American Variety Stage University of Illinois Press ISBN 9780252050169 Retrieved 22 July 2018 Cain Giles P September 8 1917 Little Stories of Plays and Players The Independent XXXVIII 3 Retrieved 22 July 2018 a b 1 AllMovie com a b Slide Anthony 2012 The Encyclopedia of Vaudeville Univ Press of Mississippi pp 103 104 ISBN 9781617032509 Retrieved 22 July 2018 Vaudeville old amp new an encyclopedia of variety performances in Volume 1 By Frank Cullen Florence Hackman Donald McNeilly page 150 Kathleen Clifford Internet Broadway Database The Broadway League Archived from the original on 22 July 2018 Retrieved 22 July 2018 untitled photo caption The Town Crier Vol 2 no 15 April 14 1917 p 3 Retrieved 2023 03 15 External links edit nbsp Biography portal nbsp Virginia portal nbsp Film portal nbsp Theater portal nbsp Wikimedia Commons has media related to Kathleen Clifford Kathleen Clifford at IMDb Kathleen Clifford at the Internet Broadway Database nbsp AllMovies com MSN Movies Kathleen Clifford at AFI American Film Institute Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Kathleen Clifford amp oldid 1216474567, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
