Frank Fay (comedian)
Vaudeville's highest-paid headliner who pioneered stand-up comedy.
Frank Fay, born Francis Anthony Donner in San Francisco to Irish Catholic parents, was a vaudeville, film, and stage comedian who pioneered what became known as stand-up comedy. He took his stage name because he felt his birth name was unsuitable. As a child, he performed in Victor Herbert’s operetta *Babes in Toyland*. By the 1920s, he was vaudeville’s top earner at $17,500 a week, often headlining New York’s Palace Theatre. His act, which involved telling jokes and stories in a carefully rehearsed but seemingly casual style, was widely analyzed for its timing and delivery. He also worked in partnerships such as Dyer & Fay and Fay Fay & Co., and later became a successful revue and nightclub master of ceremonies, a form he arguably invented. He appeared frequently on radio and had a small role as an MC in the 1937 film *Nothing Sacred*.
Fay’s career declined due to his abrasive personality, narcissism, bigotry, and alcoholism. The American Vaudeville Museum noted that even sober he was dismissive and unpleasant, and most contemporaries disliked him. Fred Allen joked that the last time he saw Fay, “he was walking down Lover’s Lane, holding his own hand.” Actor Robert Wagner called him “one of the most dreadful men in the history of show business,” citing his drunkenness, anti-Semitism, and abuse of his first wife, actress Barbara Stanwyck. Milton Berle, who was Jewish, said Fay’s friends “could be counted on the missing arm of a one-armed man”; Berle once hit Fay with a stage brace after Fay called him a “little kike” from the wings. Comedy writer Milt Josefsberg recalled Fay referring to other comedians as “Jew bastards.” Jack Benny disliked him both personally and professionally, noting Fay rarely updated his act and treated audiences with contempt.
Fay’s film career began with the talkie era. Warner Bros. cast him as MC in the 1929 all-star revue *Show of Shows*, then in the Technicolor musical *Under a Texas Moon* (1930), where he sang the theme song. He followed with *Bright Lights* (1930) and *The Matrimonial Bed* (1930), a Pre-Code comedy. He was typically cast as a debonair lover and included risqué jokes about sex and homosexuality. However, public interest in musicals waned in 1931, and his film *God’s Gift to Women* (1931) had its musical numbers cut for American release. His pre-Code humor clashed with the conservative mood of the Great Depression, and his performances no longer earned rave reviews. He tried producing his own film in 1932.
One of Fay’s enduring routines, performed into the 1950s, involved analyzing the “senseless” lyrics of popular songs, such as “Tea for Two,” mocking the logic of the words. This did not endear him to songwriters. He is best known today as Barbara Stanwyck’s first husband and for playing Elwood P. Dowd in the 1944 Broadway play *Harvey*.
- field
- Vaudeville, film, stage, radio
- nationality
- American
- known_for
- Pioneer of stand-up comedy, role of Elwood P. Dowd in Harvey, first husband of B
Verified Timeline
Quick Facts
- Birth Name
- Francis Anthony Donner
- Birth Date
- 1891-11-17
- Birth Place
- San Francisco, California, U.S.
- Death Date
- 1961-09-25
- Death Place
- Santa Monica, California, U.S.
- Resting Place
- Calvary Cemetery, Los Angeles
- Years Active
- 1918–1955
- Spouse
- Frances White · April 1917 · June 1917 · reason=div / Barbara Stanwyck · 1928 · 1935 · end=div / Lee Buchanan / (m. 19??; div. 19??)
- Children
- 1
Facts from the source article.
Lore & Background
Frank Fay was born in San Francisco, California, to Irish Catholic parents. He took the professional name Frank Fay after concluding that his birth name was not suitable for the stage. As a child, he appeared in Victor Herbert's operetta Babes in Toyland. He enjoyed considerable success as a variety artist starting around 1918, telling jokes and stories in a carefully planned "off the cuff" manner that was very original for the time. He was one of the most analyzed comedians, with his timing and delivery praised. During the 1920s, Fay was vaudeville's highest-paid headliner, earning $17,500 a week. He often played the Palace Theatre in New York City, sometimes once a month. One of his most enduring routines, which he performed as late as the 1950s, was taking a popular song and analysing the "senseless" lyrics. For example, he dissected "Tea for Two": "Picture you, upon my knee." (This guy just owns one chair?) "Just tea for two and two for tea, me for you, and you for me, alone" So, here's the situation: the guy just has one chair, but enough tea for two, so he has two for tea. If anyone else shows up, he shoots 'em!
Reader's Guide
Frank Fay's significance lies in his pioneering role in stand-up comedy, with a carefully planned 'off the cuff' style that was original for its time. However, his legacy is complicated by his notorious narcissism, bigotry, and alcoholism. According to the American Vaudeville Museum, 'even when sober, he was dismissive and unpleasant, and he was disliked by most of his contemporaries.' Former vaudevillian and radio star Fred Allen remarked, 'The last time I saw him he was walking down Lover's Lane, holding his own hand.' Actor Robert Wagner wrote that Fay was 'one of the most dreadful men in the history of show business. Fay was a drunk, an anti-Semite, and a wife-beater, and Barbara [Stanwyck] had had to endure all of that.' Comedy writer Milt Josefsberg recalled that 'Fay referred to other comedians as "Jew bastards."' Jack Benny did not like Frank Fay personally or professionally: 'When he appeared in vaudeville he rarely changed his act or polished it. He never bothered to remove jokes or lines that were dated. His attitude toward the audience was, "You people are lucky enough to see the great Frank Fay no matter what I do."' In January 1946, a rally of white supremacists gathered at Madison Square Garden for a pro-Fascist event called 'The Friends of Frank Fay', organized by Franco supporters and members of the Ku Klux Klan, with reported attendance ranging from 18,000 to 20,000 people.
Did You Know?
- Frank Fay earned $17,500 a week in the 1920s, making him vaudeville's highest-paid headliner.
- He played the role of Elwood P. Dowd in the 1944 Broadway play Harvey by Mary Coyle Chase.
- In January 1946, a pro-Fascist rally called 'The Friends of Frank Fay' was held at Madison Square Garden, organized by Franco supporters and the Ku Klux Klan, with 18,000 to 20,000 attendees.
- Fay was declared legally incompetent in the late 1950s.
- He died on September 25, 1961, at age 69, of a ruptured abdominal aorta.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why is Frank Fay called 'the first stand-up' comedian?
He is credited with being the pioneer who established the model of a single comic delivering jokes and stories directly to a live audience, before that format became an industry standard. His solo vaudeville act laid the groundwork for what we now call stand-up comedy.
What happened to Frank Fay's career after the 1920s?
A mix of his confrontational, abrasive personality and his outspoken right-wing political positions steadily eroded his public appeal. By the later decades of his life he had slipped into relative obscurity despite his earlier stardom.
What is Frank Fay's connection to Barbara Stanwyck?
He was the first husband of the iconic actress Barbara Stanwyck, a marriage that eventually ended in divorce. This personal link is one of the most frequently cited biographical facts when fans research his life.
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