Edwina Barry
RETURN TO INDEX
Born Name:
Edwina Barry
Born Date: July 3, 1886
Born Place: Boston, Massachusetts
Died Date: July 9, 1988
Died Place: Los Angeles, California
Occupations: Vaudeville performer, comedian
Brief Biography: Edwina Barry was a celebrated American vaudeville performer and comedian whose career spanned several decades and continents, eventually earning her the title of the "world's oldest vaudevillian".
Early Life and Education:
Born on July 3, 1886, in Boston, Massachusetts, Barry was the daughter of Edward Barry, a Shakespearean scholar and manager of the Howard Theatre. She was educated at the Sisters of Notre Dame Convent and received theatrical training from her brother, Jimmy Barry, a playwright and director.
Vaudeville Career:
Barry began her career in stock companies, often playing "boy" parts and ingénue roles before landing her first starring role in the 1908 production of Faust.
The Home Breaker: From 1909 to 1915, she toured with her own company, starring in the comic sketch "The Home Breaker" as Dotty Plumdaffy, a mischievous servant girl.
International Tours: During World War I and into the 1920s, Barry performed across Europe, South Africa, Australia, and Asia, including stops in India, China, and Japan.
Legacy: She shared the billing with vaudeville legends such as Sophie Tucker, Eddie Cantor, and Al Jolson.
Personal Life and Later Career:
Barry's personal life was marked by adventure and instability. In 1920, she reportedly married mentalist Fred Rochon (billed as "Peerless Pendleton"), who reportedly deserted her multiple times during their 28-year marriage. For a decade, she even set aside her own career to act as his assistant. In the 1940s, Barry worked as a talk radio show host and columnist in Shanghai, China, narrowly escaping before the Communist takeover. Upon returning to the U.S., she settled in Los Angeles and worked as a librarian for the U.S. Navy before retiring.
Born Date: July 3, 1886
Born Place: Boston, Massachusetts
Died Date: July 9, 1988
Died Place: Los Angeles, California
Occupations: Vaudeville performer, comedian
Brief Biography: Edwina Barry was a celebrated American vaudeville performer and comedian whose career spanned several decades and continents, eventually earning her the title of the "world's oldest vaudevillian".
Early Life and Education:
Born on July 3, 1886, in Boston, Massachusetts, Barry was the daughter of Edward Barry, a Shakespearean scholar and manager of the Howard Theatre. She was educated at the Sisters of Notre Dame Convent and received theatrical training from her brother, Jimmy Barry, a playwright and director.
Vaudeville Career:
Barry began her career in stock companies, often playing "boy" parts and ingénue roles before landing her first starring role in the 1908 production of Faust.
The Home Breaker: From 1909 to 1915, she toured with her own company, starring in the comic sketch "The Home Breaker" as Dotty Plumdaffy, a mischievous servant girl.
International Tours: During World War I and into the 1920s, Barry performed across Europe, South Africa, Australia, and Asia, including stops in India, China, and Japan.
Legacy: She shared the billing with vaudeville legends such as Sophie Tucker, Eddie Cantor, and Al Jolson.
Personal Life and Later Career:
Barry's personal life was marked by adventure and instability. In 1920, she reportedly married mentalist Fred Rochon (billed as "Peerless Pendleton"), who reportedly deserted her multiple times during their 28-year marriage. For a decade, she even set aside her own career to act as his assistant. In the 1940s, Barry worked as a talk radio show host and columnist in Shanghai, China, narrowly escaping before the Communist takeover. Upon returning to the U.S., she settled in Los Angeles and worked as a librarian for the U.S. Navy before retiring.