Phil Baker (comedian)

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Phil Baker
Born (1896-08-24)August 24, 1896
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, U.S.
Died November 30, 1963(1963-11-30) (aged 67)
Copenhagen, Denmark
Years active 1937-1960
Spouse(s) Peggy Cartwright (1912-2001)

Phil Baker (August 26, 1896 – November 30, 1963) was a popular American comedian and emcee on radio. Baker was also a vaudeville actor, composer, songwriter, accordionist and author.

Career

With Carmen Miranda and Alice Faye.



Baker went to school in Boston, and his first stage appearance was in a Boston amateur show. Baker began in vaudeville playing the piano for violinist Ed Janis, and he was 19 when he teamed with Ben Bernie for the vaudeville act, "Bernie and Baker."[1] This originally was a serious musical act with Baker on accordion and Bernie on violin but eventually ended up with comic elements. After breaking with Bernie shortly after World War I, Baker partnered with Sid Silvers up until 1928.

Baker went on to pursue a successful solo career. His solo act included him singing, playing the accordion, telling jokes and being heckled by a planted audience member called Jojo. With this act, Baker played the Palace Theatre in 1930 and 1931.[2]

In 1923, Baker appeared in an early DeForest Phonofilm short A Musical Monologue in which he played the accordion and sang. Bernie also appeared in a DeForest Phonofilm Ben Bernie and All the Lads featuring Bernie's band and pianist Oscar Levant. During World War I Baker served in the US Navy. Baker appeared in a number of Broadway musicals:

Baker appeared with Carmen Miranda in the musical The Gang's All Here (1943). Baker's likeness was drawn in caricature by Alex Gard for the walls of Sardi's, the New York City Theater District restaurant. That picture is now part of the collection of the New York Public Library.[3]

Radio

Radio Show Turned Film
On radio, he starred in his own series The Armour Jester on NBC. In the 1940s he appeared on Duffy's Tavern on Feb. 22, 1944, and was the host of the popular quiz show Take It or Leave It, which later changed its title to The $64 Question.

Baker composed many songs, including:

  • "Park Avenue Strut"
  • "Look At Those Eyes"
  • "Just Suppose"
  • "Antoinette"
  • "Strange Interlude"
  • "Humming a Love Song"
  • "Rainy Day Pal"
  • "Pretty Little Baby"
  • "Did You Mean It?"
  • "My Heaven on Earth"
  • "Invitation to a Broken Heart"

Death

Baker died on December 1, 1963 in Copenhagen, Denmark. He was married to Ingraad Erik, a Danish model, with whom he had two children, Philip and Lisa. Ingraad Erik Baker died in December 1997.

References

  1. ↑ Laurie, Joe, Jr. Vaudeville: From the Honky-tonks to the Palace. New York: Henry Holt, 1953. p. 86.
  2. ↑ Slide, Anthony. The Encyclopedia of Vaudeville. Westport, Connecticut, Greenwood Press, 1994. p. 21.
  3. ↑ The New York Public Library Inventory of Sardi's Caricatures

Phil Baker was born on August 24, 1896

External links

Authority control
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