Richard W Craig Jr (1902-33) has been credited as one of the first modern stand-up comedians, telling jokes and funny stories on an empty stage without the benefit of baggy trousers or make-up. He was so good that the young Milton Berle is said to have shamelessly stolen large chunks of his act.
Highly-successful and well-loved in vaudeville, Craig made little impact in his few film appearances. Whether his full potential would have been realized remained an open question after his early death from tuberculosis.
In 1934, Craig contributed comic material to MGM’s Hollywood Party.
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