Born 150 Years Ago: Lillian Burkhart

Just a brief squib to mark the 150th anniversary of vaudeville performer Lillian Burkhart (1871-1958)

We first learned about this popular performer from Mari Lyn Henry, who is writing a book about one-act playlets in vaudeville. And that was entirely Burkhart’s metier. Originally from Alleghany, Pennsylvania, Burkhart originally studied to be a teacher, but by age 20 (1891) she had married stage actor Charles Dickson, and was touring vaudeville with such pieces as William Dean Howells’ “A Tale of the Mississippi”, and a routine wherein she impersonated a crying baby. Critics praised and she was called “the greatest comedienne in vaudeville.”

By 1903 Burkart was remarried to a wealthy businessman named George Goldsmith. The pair moved to Los Angeles, where, as Lillian Burkhart Goldsmith, she continued to perform on an amateur basis at charity, club, and social events for decades.

For more onthe history of vaudeville, consult No Applause, Just Throw Money: The Book That Made Vaudeville Famous, available at Amazon, Barnes and Noble, and wherever nutty books are sold.