Lou Clayton (also Lew Clayton, born Louis Finkelstein; 1890-1950) was an American song-and-dance

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 ...

performer, best known for his teaming with

Jimmy Durante James Francis Durante ( , ; February 10, 1893 – January 29, 1980) was an American comedian, actor, singer, and pianist. His distinctive gravelly speech, Lower East Side New York accent, accent, comic language-butchery, jazz-influenced son ...

and Eddie Jackson, as Clayton, Jackson, and Durante, or "The Three Sawdust Bums". Before meeting Durante, by January 1921 Clayton and

Cliff Edwards Clifton Avon "Cliff" Edwards (June 14, 1895 – July 17, 1971), nicknamed "Ukulele Ike", was an American pop singer, musician and actor. He enjoyed considerable popularity in the 1920s and early 1930s, specializing in jazzy renditions of pop sta ...

, working as a duo, had already achieved the most coveted booking in all of vaudeville, appearing as the headliners at the Palace Theater in

Times Square Times Square is a major commercial intersection, tourist destination, entertainment hub, and Neighborhoods in New York City, neighborhood in the Midtown Manhattan section of New York City. It is formed by the junction of Broadway (Manhattan), ...

. He'd also appeared in Broadway shows as early as 1916, billed as a single and as "Clayton & White". Clayton met Durante and Jackson at their speakeasy, the Club Durant, in early 1923. Clayton became their business partners, writing and performing songs while running the club. After the very popular Club Durant was padlocked by the police for liquor violations and closed, they opened the similar Club Dover and took their show to other nightclubs such as the Rendezvous Club, owned by Gandolfo "Frankie Marlow" Curto. There Clayton was the first to hire a young singer, Ethel Zimmermann, later known as

Ethel Merman Ethel Merman (born Ethel Agnes Zimmermann; January 16, 1908 – February 15, 1984) was an American singer and actress. Known for her distinctive, powerful voice, and her leading roles in musical theatre, musical theater,Obituary ''Variety Obitua ...

. The trio made their vaudeville debut at Loew's State on Broadway in March 1927, with an act that literally included breaking up furniture. By April 1928 they were headlining at the

Palace A palace is a large residence, often serving as a royal residence or the home for a head of state or another high-ranking dignitary, such as a bishop or archbishop. The word is derived from the Latin name palātium, for Palatine Hill in Rome whi ...

, breaking the house record for receipts, and making $5500 a week.Vaudeville old & new: an encyclopedia of variety performances in ..., Vol. 1, by Frank Cullen, Florence Hackman & Donald McNeilly, p. 341 This led to a tour and bookings in Broadway shows; i.e., Ziegfeld's

Show Girl A showgirl is a female performer in a theatrical revue who wears an exotic and revealing costume and in some shows may appear topless. Showgirls are usually dancers, sometimes performing as chorus girls, burlesque dancers or fan dancers, an ...

in 1929, and

Cole Porter Cole Albert Porter (June 9, 1891 – October 15, 1964) was an American composer and songwriter. Many of his songs became Standard (music), standards noted for their witty, urbane lyrics, and many of his scores found success on Broadway the ...

The New Yorkers ''The New Yorkers'' is a musical with score by Cole Porter and book by Herbert Fields that satirizes New York City types during Prohibition, from high society matrons to con men, bootleggers, thieves, and prostitutes. The musical premiered on ...

the following year. Clayton's only known film appearance is the 1930 '' Roadhouse Nights''. The focus gradually shifted to Durante as a single act, and Clayton became his partner and longtime manager. He is interred at the Home of Peace Cemetery in

East Los Angeles East Los Angeles (), or East L.A., is an unincorporated community and census designated place (CDP) situated within Los Angeles County, California, United States. According to the United States Census Bureau, East Los Angeles is designated as ...

References

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* * * {{DEFAULTSORT:Clayton, Lou 1890 births 1950 deaths American vaudeville performers