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Dan was born in London, England where his parents had been music hall entertainers. He made his debut at the Cosmotheca Music Hall in Paddington when he was billed as Little George, the Infant Wonder, Contortionist and Posturer.
In the 1880s he became probably the most popular music hall act in England, performing in up to 20 shows a night. He was a very good clog dancer and actually became World Champion Clog Dancer in 1880. When audiences began to turn away from that, he set about creating various characters, includes dames, a policeman, a Spanish bandit, a fireman and a hairdresser. His monologues with the audience, particularly the You know Mrs. Kelly?... routine, increased his stardom. He proved to be so popular that he even entertained royalty at Sandringham, later earning him the nickname the King’s Jester.
In 1896 he was hired by Augustus Harris , manager at the Drury Lane to appear in pantomime productions that included Jack and the Beanstalk, Babes in the Wood and Mother Goose. In virtually all of these production he played the dame.
In 1902 Leno suffered a mental breakdown and died soon after. His funeral was a huge public occasion, the biggest funeral for an actor or comedian since the death of David GarrickDavid Garrick ( February 19, 1717 January 20, 1779) was an English actor, dramatist and theatre manager, and a pupil and friend of Dr. David Garrick was born in Hereford, England and educated, like Johnson, at Lichfield. Johnson later taught him the class.
Dan Leno remains an important figure in the development of comedyComedy is the use of humor in the performing arts. It also means a performance that relies heavily on humor. The term originally comes from theater, where it simply referred to a play with a happy ending, in contrast to a tragedy. The humor, once an incid in the late 19th century. Along with the likes of similar music hall stars such as Marie LloydMatilda Alice Victoria Wood ( February 12, 1870 October 7, 1922, was a British music-hall singer. In her teens she adopted the name Marie Lloyd and quickly became one of the most famous of British Music Hall singers and comediennes. Her first major succes, Albert Chevalier and George Robey , legendary masters of mirth such as Charlie ChaplinFor the Jamaican musician named Charlie Chaplin, see Charlie Chaplin (singer). Sir Charles "Charlie" Spencer Chaplin ( April 16, 1889 December 25, 1977) was the most famous actor in early to mid Hollywood cinema, and later also a notable director. His pri, Buster KeatonJoseph Francis "Buster" Keaton ( October 4, 1895 February 1, 1966) was a popular and influential American silent-film comic actor and filmmaker. His trademark was physical comedy while keeping a deadpan expression on his face at all times, which earned hi and Laurel and HardyStan Laurel and Oliver Hardy were the members of the most famous comedy duo in film history. Stan Laurel Stan Laurel ( June 16, 1890 February 23, 1965) was born Arthur Stanley Jefferson in Ulverston, Lancashire (now Ulverston, Cumbria), England. Laurel be owe a debt to him and the enduring humour from this period.
Leno, Dan Leno, Dan