| Frederick Hallen | |
|---|---|
Frederick Hallen - NYPL Digital Collection - (Estimated Birth Date) |
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| Born | December 31, 1859 Montreal, Canada |
| Died | February 28, 1920 (aged 60) New York City, New York, U.S.A. |
| Occupation | Vaudeville Entertainer |
Frederick Hallen (1859–1920) was a Canadian-born vaudeville entertainer who found popularity on the American stage. Born in Montreal, Canada around 1859,[1] Hallen began touring the vaudeville circuit as early as 1880 with his American wife Enid Hart, as Hallen and Hart. A year or so before her death in 1890 at the young age of 32,[2] he teamed up with Joseph Hart (I), also as Hallen and Hart, and found success touring for a number of seasons with Hart's musical comedies, Later On and The Idea.[3] After Hallen and Hart went their separate ways, Hallen and his second wife, Mollie (also spelled Molly) Fuller, a Chicago-born actress who played leading roles in Later On and The Idea, formed Hallen and Fuller and went on to be a headlining vaudeville act .[4][5] Hallen and Fuller became well known for their performances in short comedic plays and skits that they brought to vaudeville houses across North America for nearly a quarter century.[6]
Fredeick Hallen died of stomach cancer on the 28th of February, 1920 at his residence in New York's Palace Hotel. Two months earlier he had fallen ill during an engagement in Toronto, Canada and was later told his condition was terminal. Hallen was survived by his wife, Mollie.[1]
Not long after her husband’s death Mollie Fuller lost her eyesight. With the help of friends she returned to the stage in 1922 to appear in the playlet Twilight.[7] After producer Edward Franklin Albee II learned she was living in impoverished conditions in Chicago he had her brought back to New York where he asked writer Blanche Merrill (1895–1966) to write the piece for her.[8]
Before her vaudeville days Fuller was on the legitimate stage in productions like the libretto Adonis, by Edward E. Rice and William Gill and Edward E. Rice’s Evangeline, in which she stepped in to replace Fay Templeton when the actress was unable to go on stage.[9]
Mollie Fuller passed away at around the age of 68 in Hollywood, California on the 5th of January, 1933. At the time of her death she was receiving assistance from The Troupers, a national vaudeville players association. Her funeral expenses were handled by the National Vaudeville Artist organization.[10]