Joe Smith
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Born Name:
Joseph Sultzer
Born Date: February 16, 1884
Born Place: Manhattan, New York City
Died Date: February 22, 1981
Died Place: Englewood, New Jersey
Occupations: Vaudeville comedian
Brief Biography: Joe Smith was widely regarded as half of the celebrated comedy duo Smith & Dale. Alongside his lifelong partner Charles Dale, Smith became a cornerstone of early American entertainment, pioneering routines that shaped the future of double-act comedy.
Early Life and Partnership:
Sultzer grew up in the Jewish ghettos of the Lower East Side. In 1898, a teenage Joe literally ran into Charles Marks (later Charles Dale) during a bicycle collision. The two struck up a conversation, established an immediate rapport, and decided to form a comedy act. They took the name "Smith & Dale" because a local printer offered them a cheap deal on a surplus stack of business cards originally printed for a different, dissolved act.
Rise to Vaudeville Stardom:
Smith & Dale quickly became the quintessential vaudeville male two-act. Joe Smith played the "straight man" with a deep, pessimistic voice, while Dale countered as a high-pitched, wheedling character.
The Avon Comedy Four: In 1902, they partnered with singers Irving Kaufman and Harry Goodwin to create a highly successful touring variety group.
Headlining Europe: By 1909, the duo headlined the very first all-American variety bill to tour Europe.
The Dr. Kronkite Sketch: Their most famous masterpiece was the "Dr. Kronkite" routine. It popularized classic, rapid-fire wordplay such as: "Doctor, it hurts when I do this." / "Don't do that!"
Transition to Film and Television:
As vaudeville declined, Smith & Dale successfully transitioned to the screen. Starting in 1929, they began making films in Hollywood for major studios like Warner Brothers, 20th Century Fox, and Paramount Pictures. Decades later, they found a completely new generation of fans by performing their timeless routines on The Ed Sullivan Show.
Legacy and "The Sunshine Boys":
The remarkable 73-year partnership between Joe Smith and Charles Dale inspired playwright Neil Simon to write his famous Broadway play and subsequent 1975 movie, The Sunshine Boys. While the fictional characters in the play famously hated each other off-stage, the real-life Smith and Dale remained incredibly close friends until Dale's death in 1971.
Born Date: February 16, 1884
Born Place: Manhattan, New York City
Died Date: February 22, 1981
Died Place: Englewood, New Jersey
Occupations: Vaudeville comedian
Brief Biography: Joe Smith was widely regarded as half of the celebrated comedy duo Smith & Dale. Alongside his lifelong partner Charles Dale, Smith became a cornerstone of early American entertainment, pioneering routines that shaped the future of double-act comedy.
Early Life and Partnership:
Sultzer grew up in the Jewish ghettos of the Lower East Side. In 1898, a teenage Joe literally ran into Charles Marks (later Charles Dale) during a bicycle collision. The two struck up a conversation, established an immediate rapport, and decided to form a comedy act. They took the name "Smith & Dale" because a local printer offered them a cheap deal on a surplus stack of business cards originally printed for a different, dissolved act.
Rise to Vaudeville Stardom:
Smith & Dale quickly became the quintessential vaudeville male two-act. Joe Smith played the "straight man" with a deep, pessimistic voice, while Dale countered as a high-pitched, wheedling character.
The Avon Comedy Four: In 1902, they partnered with singers Irving Kaufman and Harry Goodwin to create a highly successful touring variety group.
Headlining Europe: By 1909, the duo headlined the very first all-American variety bill to tour Europe.
The Dr. Kronkite Sketch: Their most famous masterpiece was the "Dr. Kronkite" routine. It popularized classic, rapid-fire wordplay such as: "Doctor, it hurts when I do this." / "Don't do that!"
Transition to Film and Television:
As vaudeville declined, Smith & Dale successfully transitioned to the screen. Starting in 1929, they began making films in Hollywood for major studios like Warner Brothers, 20th Century Fox, and Paramount Pictures. Decades later, they found a completely new generation of fans by performing their timeless routines on The Ed Sullivan Show.
Legacy and "The Sunshine Boys":
The remarkable 73-year partnership between Joe Smith and Charles Dale inspired playwright Neil Simon to write his famous Broadway play and subsequent 1975 movie, The Sunshine Boys. While the fictional characters in the play famously hated each other off-stage, the real-life Smith and Dale remained incredibly close friends until Dale's death in 1971.