Eddie Cantor 1892-1964

Eddie Cantor made his Broadway debut in 1917 with the Ziegfeld Follies. For several years, Cantor costarred in an act with African-American comedian Bert Williams, with both appearing in blackface. Cantor began making phonograph records in 1917, recording both comedy routines and popular songs. He soon became one of the most successful entertainers of his time, but the 1929 stock market crash left him deeply in debt. His bestselling book of humor and cartoons about his experience, Caught Short! A Saga of Wailing Wall Street, helped him rebound. He became a Hollywood star with the film version of Whoopee! (1930). Cantor is also remembered for having founded the March of Dimes with President Franklin D. Roosevelt.