Blanche Deyo
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Blanche Lillian Deyo (née Pixley, June 6, 1878 – August 29, 1933) was an American dancer, actress, and singer who performed in multiple theatrical venues --
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,
vaudeville Vaudeville (; ) is a theatrical genre of variety entertainment which began in France in the middle of the 19th century. A ''vaudeville'' was originally a comedy without psychological or moral intentions, based on a comical situation: a drama ...
, burlesque, ballet, and international variety theaters—throughout the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries.Walter Jones Marries Again, ''The New York Times'', April 8, 1908, pg. 7.


Family

Deyo's mother was Lillian Scott and her father was Robert "Bob" Franklin Pixley, a mining engineer from Canada, who died in
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on February 24, 1908. She had two sisters, Pearl (1873–1950) and the actress Grace (sometimes Grayce) Scott Pixley (1877–1970), who married theater producer and literary agent R. L. "Larry" Giffen (ca. 1873–1946). Deyo's paternal aunt and uncle were successful in show business. Annie Pixley (1856-1893) was a well-known actress; Gus Pixley, a stage comedian.


Stage career

Deyo first appeared on stage in New York in 1895, billed as a discovery of producer Edward E. Rice. She was first known only as "the Beautiful Deyo" or, in Europe, "Mademoiselle Deyo," doing a solo dance act. Beginning in May 1897 she danced in London theaters and thereafter traveled the world. She began using her full name by 1903, having had success in several plays. Deyo appeared as Miss Carruthers in ''A Country Girl'', September–December 1902. She also appeared as Peggy Sabine in the musical play ''The Cingalee'' at
Daly's Theatre Daly's Theatre was a theatre in the City of Westminster. It was located at 2 Cranbourn Street, just off Leicester Square. It opened on 27 June 1893, and was demolished in 1937. The theatre was built for and named after the American impresa ...
on Broadway, in October 1904. The musical featured chorus girls with extravagant costumes and splendorous settings with oriental motifs. After appearing as Ozma in '' The Woggle-Bug'' (1905), she was signed by Frank L. Perley (agent to
Mabel Hite Mabel Hite (May 30, 1883 – October 22, 1912) was a vaudeville comedian and Musical theatre, musical comedy actress. Life and career Hite was born in Ashland, Kentucky, on May 30, 1883, the daughter of Lewis and Elsie Hite. Her family relocate ...
, who also appeared in the show) for a part in ''The Winning Girl''. The play was staged at the Shubert Park Theatre in
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. Deyo was in a company that presented ''Mexicana'' at the Lyric Theatre (New York) in February 1906. The show was produced by Sam S. Shubert. In April she participated in a benefit at the Casino Theatre for victims of the
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. In October 1908, Deyo starred in Joe Weber's version of ''
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'' at the Duquesne Theatre in
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. The religious subject matter and revealing costumes led to complaints to the
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, and the department's Director of Public Safety unsuccessfully attempted to halt the October 13th performance. Mayor George W. Guthrie intervened, ordering the Chief of Police to inspect Deyo's costume before allowing the October 14th performance to start.
Blanche Ring Blanche Ring (April 24, 1871 – January 13, 1961) was an American singer and actress in Broadway theatre productions, musicals, and Hollywood (film industry), Hollywood motion pictures. She was best known for her rendition of "In the Good ...
was the
leading lady A leading actor, leading actress, or leading man or lady or simply lead (), plays a main role in a film, television show or play. The word ''lead'' may also refer to the largest role in the piece, and ''leading actor'' may refer to a person w ...
of ''The Merry Widow and the Devil'' which played the Grand Opera House,''Brooklyn Amusements'', ''New York Times'', November 22, 1908, pg. X7.
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(
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, in November 1908. It was staged by
Julian Mitchell Charles Julian Humphrey Mitchell, FRSL (born 1 May 1935) is an English playwright, screenwriter and occasional novelist. He is best known as the writer of the play and film '' Another Country'', and as a screenwriter for TV, producing many origi ...
with music by
Franz Lehár Franz Lehár ( ; ; 30 April 1870 – 24 October 1948) was an Austro-Hungarian composer. He is mainly known for his operettas, of which the most successful and best known is '' The Merry Widow'' (''Die lustige Witwe''). Life and career L ...
. The cast included Deyo and her husband Walter Jones, as well as Grace Griswold and Joe Weber. Deyo and comedian Franker Woods toured in ''The Echo'' in 1911 after the play had a successful run at the
Lunt-Fontanne Theatre The Lunt-Fontanne Theatre, originally the Globe Theatre, is a Broadway theater at 205 West 46th Street in the Theater District of Midtown Manhattan in New York City, New York, U.S. Opened in 1910, the Lunt-Fontanne Theatre was designed by C ...
(Globe Theatre). The season prior to this she appeared as Paulette Devine in ''The Blue Mouse''. Theatrical manager Edwin A. Weil owed Deyo $1,692 when he filed for bankruptcy in November 1913. Deyo was among the actors in ''All Over Town'', the last theatrical production of the 1914-1915 season in
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staged at the Belasco Theatre, when she teamed with
Roy Atwell John Leroy Atwell (May 2, 1878 – February 6, 1962) was an American actor. He was known for playing characters that mis-deliver their lines or stammer, most notably Doc from Walt Disney's ''Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs''. Early life Atwell, ...
in a "diamond robbery motion picture specialty" in the opening act. Her
Charlie Chaplin Sir Charles Spencer Chaplin (16 April 188925 December 1977) was an English comic actor, filmmaker, and composer who rose to fame in the era of silent film. He became a worldwide icon through his screen persona, the Tramp, and is considered o ...
number, performed with eight members of the chorus, earned her the most applause.


Private life

She married tramp
impersonator An impersonator is someone who imitates or copies the behavior or actions of another. There are many reasons for impersonating someone: *Living history: After close study of some historical figure, a performer may dress and speak "as" that ...
Walter Newton Jones Walter Newton Jones (1874-1922) or Walter Jones was an American actor and singer who appeared in several popular plays in the first two decades of the 20th century. He first appeared on Broadway in 1893 in a musical play about Columbus, ''1492''. ...
in
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in April 1908. It was her second marriage. Jones had divorced his previous wife, Beatrice, two months earlier, and the divorce decree implied his infidelity with Deyo. Jones and Deyo had a daughter in December 1913, also named Blanche Deyo. Her hobby was collecting dancing slippers. She began her collection by accident when she obtained a pair owned by Marie Taglion. Deyo filled two glass display cases in her
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania Philadelphia ( ), colloquially referred to as Philly, is the List of municipalities in Pennsylvania, most populous city in the U.S. state of Pennsylvania and the List of United States cities by population, sixth-most populous city in the Unit ...
home with slippers worn by famous dancers."Amusements",
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''Evening Courier'', May 16, 1910, pg. 6.


Death

Blanche Deyo Jones died on August 29, 1933.


References


External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Deyo, Blanche 20th-century American actresses American stage actresses American vaudeville performers American female dancers American musical theatre actresses 1878 births 1933 deaths 20th-century American singers 20th-century American women singers 20th-century American dancers