This might be of interest to some with interest in vaudeville as well as comedy in the catskills. It is the Jay Jason Tribute channel, a nightclub comedian who also starred in Sugar Daddy; vaudeville in the 1980s. See him on Youtube
Lowe is Roland Picaro (who used the stage name Tommy Lowe), who is the average sized guy in the middle. He was in his 90s when he passed away about 15 years ago in Chicago. Hite is Henry Mullens (aka Henry Hite), who was actually just under 7' 7". He died in 1978 at age 63, also in Chicago. Stanley is Stanley Ross, the little fellow who takes most of the abuse. They were a very popular team for over 25 years and even appeared on Ed Sullivan.
@warnie1 Actually Hite's real name was spelled Mullins. He was my great uncle (affectionately known in the family as "Uncle Henry" naturally) and was a really nice man and class act person. He was born in Atlanta in 1915. Thanks for the info regarding his place of death. I couldn't remember and his wikipedia entry had it wrong, listing LA, but a relative told me Chicago and you confirm that.
@warnie1 Thanks so much for this information and update! Henry Mullins (not Mullens) was my great uncle and beloved in our family as a really nice man. He was originally from Atlanta, Georgia.
Henry "Hite" Mullins was my great-grandmother's brother, which means he is my great-great-uncle! He was born in 1915 according to my family and they say he was 8'2" tall. I never met him, but my grandmother has a picture of my mom with him when she was a child and she looked so tiny next to him. He was also the Wilson Giant. Anyway, just thought I'd search youtube to see if there was any videos of him on here and I came across this... pretty neat!
@MomWifeMe "Stanley" was my great-uncle Freddy Hickey. I met him in the 1984 & 85. their act was very well known... I have been looking for his stuff for decades... do you have any pictures of them as a team in your family?
@MomWifeMe I met and knew "Uncle Henry". He's my great uncle as well. While I never took a tape measure to him, I'd be willing to swear that he was at or over 8 feet. My main thing I remember about him was that he was always kind and gracious and dearly loved by my grandmother, his sibling.
Hey everyone I was wondering if you could help me. I'm doing a research paper for my theatre class on the following act. my question is:
How are the physical movements common to Slapstick Comedy utlized by the actor Lowe in the American Vaudeville Act called " New Faces of 1937"?
I'm not sure if I should use charlie chaplin as the main source of influence of the physical movements presented in this act. If anyone has any ideas, please let me know
These three are great. I'm especially impressed with Mr. Lowe....he took every damn one of those hits and falls. A True master of slapstick. Hite's exaggerations are also pretty funny.
Thanks so much for posting this. Henry Hite (Mullins) was my great-uncle. He was 8'2" (although the record books claim he was only 7'9") and he was a wonderful man. It is so nice to get to see some of his work.
I worked with Henry Hite back in the early '60's. Henry was hired by Wilson & Co. to be their Corn King Giant and I was the Corn King clown. We visited shopping centers around the Midwest. Henry was 8'1" (not 7'9" as an earlier poster said). Sometimes, we piled into a Volkswagen bug with Henry's head and shoulders sticking out of the sun roof! I marched around in full clown makeup and regalia beating a large bass drum while Henry visited with the people. Great memories -- thanks!
Ah stupidjunk878, you live up well to your name. While I would love to explain how you have no idea how influential vaudeville was to comedy/entertainment today, I can see I would be wasting my breath, since you obviously have the i.q. of an arrogant fat-kidneyed cretin.
lol this is amazing. i have to do research on vaudeville for my jazz dance homework. thanks for putting this up. and cant help but say this......look how huge the big guys feet are!!!!! they are like the size of the little guy lol :)
This comment has received too many negative votesshow
"Three mental midgets show you how to be a good soldier." Please change that description or I will give you one star rating.
This video (and I know nothing prior of the actors) shows three, talented, team-players. The giant suffers from "marfan's syndrome". He is sure to die soon. (I may have the name of the syndrome wrong) The little guy is a dwarf: again, because of his bad luck in genetics: he is doomed.
Look, people? Vaudeville was LIVE entertainment, on stage, for a quarter or half dollar.
IT DIED due to the advent of the talking film of 1929 (The Jazz Singer, 1927, was NOT the first talking film; it was an experiment that proved viability, only). VAUDEVILLE rapidly died, and was extinct by the WWII years.
My guesstimate: this clip dates from ca. 1936. Set design and lack of military dress are my clues. Historical experts can date this film more properly than myself.
Actually, the little guy is not a dwarf, but a midget-he obviously doesn't suffer from dwarfism, which effects the long bones, causing the typical long body/short limbs appearance.
No, a dwaerf is someone with dwarfism; a midget just lacks that which is needed to grow. Dwarfism effects the long bones, but the rest of the body is normal is size, hence large head hands, feet and torso, while a midget is more uniform in overall bady size.. Still, funny video, regardless. Having the three, tall, average, and short, working together both in concert and slapstick is very good. PC my eye-might as well outlaw Spike Jones, as he perfected this sort of thing.
"The giant suffers from "marfan's syndrome". He is sure to die soon." You are speaking of Henry Hite, (1915-1972). I remember this act, and his frequent appearences on television until the early 1970's.
Lowe ( the short fellow) was the oldest of the group. As I recall he was born in the early 'ninties. He lived a long life. The vaudeville three-act was a latecomer to the Variety stage. The big "Vaude" wheels were gone by the time that this act was formed
Lowe, Hite and Stanley made a pretty good thing in the "forites and early 'fifties playing the few remaining Presentation Houses, the County Fair circuit, the few surviving Chautaquas, and a little Circus time.
I doubt they came up with the concept for this act. More likely a booker thought it'd be a great filler act between the cooch and assembled them. Mental midgets might be taking things to an extreme but so is calling them geniuses. They are at most, adequate performers. Nothing wrong with that.
Actully they were known as "Lowe, Hite and Stanley". You can find quite a bit about them by doing a Google search. On thecircusblog(dot)com there is a photo of them.
These three were known as "Hite, Lowe and Stanley." Henry Hite was 7 ft. - 9 in. and was billed as the tallest man in the world. Of course Lowe was the midget and Stanley was normal height. They also appeared in the musical film "New Faces of 1937" which featured some big names such as Milton Berle, Harriet Hilliard, Benny Goodman and was the first film for Ann Miller, who was only 14 years old at the time.
It took nearly 18 thousand views, but now I know who these guys are. The opening title from this short was missing....When I have the time, I will edit the opening titles and re-up the entire clip.
@CineGraphic "Stanley" was my great uncle Freddy Hickey. I met him before he passed on. He was in very good standing with many performers such as Mickey Rooney. Donald O'Conner, Gene Kelly, Cookie Cook and many more. He and his partners were very well known and highly appreciated. Cheers, Tim Hickey
@bsgs98 "Stanley" was my great uncle Freddy Hickey. I met him before he passed on. He was in very good standing with many performers such as Mickey Rooney. Donald O'Conner, Gene Kelly, Cookie Cook and many more. He and his partners were very well known and highly appreciated. Cheers, Tim Hickey
Thanks for posting! That was from a time when people weren't so materialistic and selfish like nowadays...people knew how to laugh! People were better and more decent.
My copy of the film was missing the original opening titles, so I just called them The Cohen Bros. for the heck of it. From what I can figure out, the short guy was a clown.
It was from a "soundie" that was missing the opening and ending titles. It was spliced onto a reel of other cool shorts that I bought many years ago. If you don't know what a "soundie" is, Google the term...there is plenty of info out there...
I sure do know what a soundie is. I thought that term died by the mid-thirties when the silent movie went extinct. Or is that a "talkie" that I'm reffering to?
It isnt from a film!!!!! A vaudville production is just a series of random acts of entertainment. They werent specific and didnt have a name besides whoever was acting, vaudvilles arent films.
I guess Mrs. Cohen had big troubles finding brides for the three brothers..The Concord woulnd't take them (not even as an act and e-harmony did not exist at the time...Oy, just Catiskill reflections....
This might be of interest to some with interest in vaudeville as well as comedy in the catskills. It is the Jay Jason Tribute channel, a nightclub comedian who also starred in Sugar Daddy; vaudeville in the 1980s. See him on Youtube
JayJasonTribute 2 days ago
Great Talent ...
WytZox1 6 days ago
lol wee man was still funny back then
JMB177 6 months ago
Okay...let's get the players straight.
Lowe is Roland Picaro (who used the stage name Tommy Lowe), who is the average sized guy in the middle. He was in his 90s when he passed away about 15 years ago in Chicago. Hite is Henry Mullens (aka Henry Hite), who was actually just under 7' 7". He died in 1978 at age 63, also in Chicago. Stanley is Stanley Ross, the little fellow who takes most of the abuse. They were a very popular team for over 25 years and even appeared on Ed Sullivan.
warnie1 9 months ago 2
@warnie1 Actually Hite's real name was spelled Mullins. He was my great uncle (affectionately known in the family as "Uncle Henry" naturally) and was a really nice man and class act person. He was born in Atlanta in 1915. Thanks for the info regarding his place of death. I couldn't remember and his wikipedia entry had it wrong, listing LA, but a relative told me Chicago and you confirm that.
Thanks again for this update!
coachhollywood67 8 months ago
@warnie1 Thanks so much for this information and update! Henry Mullins (not Mullens) was my great uncle and beloved in our family as a really nice man. He was originally from Atlanta, Georgia.
coachhollywood67 8 months ago
Henry Hite (the tall one) was the "monster" in MONSTER A GO-GO!
buxombeautease 9 months ago
Does anyone know what music this is? Much appreciated if anyone could tell me!
phileeepapa 11 months ago
is that the barney theme tune?
Calza321 11 months ago
Poor Lowe (Little Guy) . Keep making mistakes over and over<
MyYummycookie 1 year ago
Henry "Hite" Mullins was my great-grandmother's brother, which means he is my great-great-uncle! He was born in 1915 according to my family and they say he was 8'2" tall. I never met him, but my grandmother has a picture of my mom with him when she was a child and she looked so tiny next to him. He was also the Wilson Giant. Anyway, just thought I'd search youtube to see if there was any videos of him on here and I came across this... pretty neat!
MomWifeMe 1 year ago 2
@MomWifeMe "Stanley" was my great-uncle Freddy Hickey. I met him in the 1984 & 85. their act was very well known... I have been looking for his stuff for decades... do you have any pictures of them as a team in your family?
Tim Hickey
timtapshickey 11 months ago
@MomWifeMe I met and knew "Uncle Henry". He's my great uncle as well. While I never took a tape measure to him, I'd be willing to swear that he was at or over 8 feet. My main thing I remember about him was that he was always kind and gracious and dearly loved by my grandmother, his sibling.
coachhollywood67 8 months ago
the big guy is 2 and half midgets tall
oldfart74 1 year ago
Simple entertainment, I remember those days... well not really I'm only 16 but, I like watching these types of old shows with simple humor values
TheSecondR 1 year ago
it ain't funny
diddymuck 1 year ago
Kool
manormaid 1 year ago
Hey everyone I was wondering if you could help me. I'm doing a research paper for my theatre class on the following act. my question is:
How are the physical movements common to Slapstick Comedy utlized by the actor Lowe in the American Vaudeville Act called " New Faces of 1937"?
I'm not sure if I should use charlie chaplin as the main source of influence of the physical movements presented in this act. If anyone has any ideas, please let me know
aileenrocks92 1 year ago
They are without a doubt the most graceful giant and dwarf that I have ever seen.
metalbornmetalbred 1 year ago
vaudeville on film, nothing more, nothing less. this was a way of life for both the performers and audience way back when...
sickkat44 1 year ago
Could it get any better!
FrankMahovlich 1 year ago
el humor de antes era aun mas vizarro que el de ahora:S
mrstreet2008 1 year ago
I love the dryness of it.
clownfragment 1 year ago
These three are great. I'm especially impressed with Mr. Lowe....he took every damn one of those hits and falls. A True master of slapstick. Hite's exaggerations are also pretty funny.
Tebibeawulf 1 year ago
Thanks so much for posting this. Henry Hite (Mullins) was my great-uncle. He was 8'2" (although the record books claim he was only 7'9") and he was a wonderful man. It is so nice to get to see some of his work.
jonim63 1 year ago
Wackity-Schmackity Doo!
Gettinghitonattheban 1 year ago
I worked with Henry Hite back in the early '60's. Henry was hired by Wilson & Co. to be their Corn King Giant and I was the Corn King clown. We visited shopping centers around the Midwest. Henry was 8'1" (not 7'9" as an earlier poster said). Sometimes, we piled into a Volkswagen bug with Henry's head and shoulders sticking out of the sun roof! I marched around in full clown makeup and regalia beating a large bass drum while Henry visited with the people. Great memories -- thanks!
reynoldsmpls 1 year ago 3
vaudeville for the win
beefflavoredchicken 1 year ago
I'd rather watch these three guys than most movies going today.. that's for sure. The cinema killed vaudeville and what has it left us?
SayNOtoCarrots 2 years ago 5
@SayNOtoCarrots vastly superior entertainment?
samgordon420 1 year ago
@samgordon420 Or mind control?
SayNOtoCarrots 1 year ago
"passed gas"???
Yuck!
stupidjunk878 2 years ago
Ah stupidjunk878, you live up well to your name. While I would love to explain how you have no idea how influential vaudeville was to comedy/entertainment today, I can see I would be wasting my breath, since you obviously have the i.q. of an arrogant fat-kidneyed cretin.
LaughingGeisha 1 year ago
I can't believe that people were actually laughing about these... :D
quashky 2 years ago
The olden days were rubbish.
stupidjunk878 2 years ago
This comment has received too many negative votes show
lame
RiemuhuorA 2 years ago
i like how the little guy does those pratfalls
brainjesus 2 years ago
He doesn't have too far to go.
drmoonrat 2 years ago
lol this is amazing. i have to do research on vaudeville for my jazz dance homework. thanks for putting this up. and cant help but say this......look how huge the big guys feet are!!!!! they are like the size of the little guy lol :)
amzigal94 2 years ago
wonderfuly entertaining video
TREVORLAMBERT 2 years ago 3
very funny the dance at minute 2.02!
mjsfreitas 2 years ago
This comment has received too many negative votes show
"Three mental midgets show you how to be a good soldier." Please change that description or I will give you one star rating.
This video (and I know nothing prior of the actors) shows three, talented, team-players. The giant suffers from "marfan's syndrome". He is sure to die soon. (I may have the name of the syndrome wrong) The little guy is a dwarf: again, because of his bad luck in genetics: he is doomed.
But LOOK at the quality of the act.
"mental midgets", no! They are geniuses.
MissOgeny 2 years ago
Look, people? Vaudeville was LIVE entertainment, on stage, for a quarter or half dollar.
IT DIED due to the advent of the talking film of 1929 (The Jazz Singer, 1927, was NOT the first talking film; it was an experiment that proved viability, only). VAUDEVILLE rapidly died, and was extinct by the WWII years.
My guesstimate: this clip dates from ca. 1936. Set design and lack of military dress are my clues. Historical experts can date this film more properly than myself.
MissOgeny 2 years ago
I appreciate your insight, but I don't change anything due to threats like a 1 star ratings
I don't care if it's PC or not, I am not concerned about offending the self-important.
CineGraphic 2 years ago 11
Actually, the little guy is not a dwarf, but a midget-he obviously doesn't suffer from dwarfism, which effects the long bones, causing the typical long body/short limbs appearance.
ukulelemike 2 years ago
midget means someone with dwarfism. there is many types of dwarfism and he has one of them.
colinrb13 2 years ago
No, a dwaerf is someone with dwarfism; a midget just lacks that which is needed to grow. Dwarfism effects the long bones, but the rest of the body is normal is size, hence large head hands, feet and torso, while a midget is more uniform in overall bady size.. Still, funny video, regardless. Having the three, tall, average, and short, working together both in concert and slapstick is very good. PC my eye-might as well outlaw Spike Jones, as he perfected this sort of thing.
ukulelemike 2 years ago
wow, wonderfuly informative mike! I enjoyed that emensly!
TREVORLAMBERT 2 years ago
anyone who is that age in a video from that time is sure to die soon.
colinrb13 2 years ago
Miss Ogeny, you posted:
"The giant suffers from "marfan's syndrome". He is sure to die soon." You are speaking of Henry Hite, (1915-1972). I remember this act, and his frequent appearences on television until the early 1970's.
Lowe ( the short fellow) was the oldest of the group. As I recall he was born in the early 'ninties. He lived a long life. The vaudeville three-act was a latecomer to the Variety stage. The big "Vaude" wheels were gone by the time that this act was formed
Vitanola 2 years ago 2
Lowe, Hite and Stanley made a pretty good thing in the "forites and early 'fifties playing the few remaining Presentation Houses, the County Fair circuit, the few surviving Chautaquas, and a little Circus time.
Vitanola 2 years ago 3
Glad to learn more about this funny trio. What happend to Stanley?
1947Desoto 2 years ago
I doubt they came up with the concept for this act. More likely a booker thought it'd be a great filler act between the cooch and assembled them. Mental midgets might be taking things to an extreme but so is calling them geniuses. They are at most, adequate performers. Nothing wrong with that.
velour99 2 years ago
@MissOgeny Henry Hites lived for 58 years which frankly isn't bad for that time span...
ToolofSociety 1 year ago
Actully they were known as "Lowe, Hite and Stanley". You can find quite a bit about them by doing a Google search. On thecircusblog(dot)com there is a photo of them.
bsgs98 2 years ago
These three were known as "Hite, Lowe and Stanley." Henry Hite was 7 ft. - 9 in. and was billed as the tallest man in the world. Of course Lowe was the midget and Stanley was normal height. They also appeared in the musical film "New Faces of 1937" which featured some big names such as Milton Berle, Harriet Hilliard, Benny Goodman and was the first film for Ann Miller, who was only 14 years old at the time.
bsgs98 2 years ago 11
Wow....Thanks for the info.....
It took nearly 18 thousand views, but now I know who these guys are. The opening title from this short was missing....When I have the time, I will edit the opening titles and re-up the entire clip.
CineGraphic 2 years ago 3
This has been flagged as spam show
@CineGraphic "Stanley" was my great uncle Freddy Hickey. I met him before he passed on. He was in very good standing with many performers such as Mickey Rooney. Donald O'Conner, Gene Kelly, Cookie Cook and many more. He and his partners were very well known and highly appreciated. Cheers, Tim Hickey
timtapshickey 11 months ago
@bsgs98 "Stanley" was my great uncle Freddy Hickey. I met him before he passed on. He was in very good standing with many performers such as Mickey Rooney. Donald O'Conner, Gene Kelly, Cookie Cook and many more. He and his partners were very well known and highly appreciated. Cheers, Tim Hickey
timtapshickey 11 months ago 2
Oh my! Thanks 4 posting this! I have always wanted to see these entire routines of classic vaudeville.
sloofuss 3 years ago
Not bad for an old vaudeville act. The little guy looks like Charlie Palatto. Can anyone confirm this?
spiritchsr1 3 years ago
Thanks for posting! That was from a time when people weren't so materialistic and selfish like nowadays...people knew how to laugh! People were better and more decent.
BoboBerlinsky 3 years ago 3
"stick out your hand" *slaps him in the face* hahahah...love it
sperdoj 3 years ago
I can't find any information on this trio. Does anyone know there story? Are they still alive? Were they really brothers?
1947Desoto 3 years ago
My copy of the film was missing the original opening titles, so I just called them The Cohen Bros. for the heck of it. From what I can figure out, the short guy was a clown.
CineGraphic 3 years ago
What film was this from?
1947Desoto 3 years ago
It was from a "soundie" that was missing the opening and ending titles. It was spliced onto a reel of other cool shorts that I bought many years ago. If you don't know what a "soundie" is, Google the term...there is plenty of info out there...
CineGraphic 3 years ago
I sure do know what a soundie is. I thought that term died by the mid-thirties when the silent movie went extinct. Or is that a "talkie" that I'm reffering to?
1947Desoto 3 years ago
It isnt from a film!!!!! A vaudville production is just a series of random acts of entertainment. They werent specific and didnt have a name besides whoever was acting, vaudvilles arent films.
iluvpolkadots23 3 years ago
How awesome was that?
tekubus 3 years ago
Classic!Thank you for this:oD
Chiarahh 3 years ago
Great footage
Harvey030547 3 years ago
How tall is tha tall one?
cyclos12 3 years ago
very
evilkieran 3 years ago
I guess Mrs. Cohen had big troubles finding brides for the three brothers..The Concord woulnd't take them (not even as an act and e-harmony did not exist at the time...Oy, just Catiskill reflections....
detectosoretes 4 years ago
And they certainly were not working the Chittlin' Circuit!
CineGraphic 4 years ago