Home
Bert Williams (1874-1922); George Walker (1873-1911); and Aida Overton Walker (1870-1914)
vaudeville actors, c. 1908
photo by Hall Studios
George
Walker (right) and Egbert Austin Williams (below) were a vaudeville comedy
team and had one of the most renowned and successful stage partnerships
in American theatrical history. They started in separate careers and decided
to team up when they met in San Francisco in the early 1890s. Their first
success came when they billed themselves "The Two Real Coons." This was
at a time when minstrel shows featuring white actors in black face were
popular. Williams and Walker pioneered a new kind of "black" humor and eventually
developed their own company. With musicals shows such as "Clorindy, the
Origin of the Cakewalk," "Sons of Ham," "Bandana Land," and "In Dahomey,"
they opened the door for other African-American actors, singers, dancers
and musicians and redefined the boundaries of legitimate Negro theater.
Additionally, their efforts were a big influence on the development of American
musical comedy theater.
George Walker, dancer and singing
comedian, was in charge of planning, staging and promoting the company.
He was deeply interested in the business side of show business. He married
Aida Overton (right), who was an accomplished dancer and actress. She
performed with The Black Patti Troubadours and met George Walker in 1898
when they both posed for a cigarette advertisement. She went on to become
the leading lady and soubrette in the Williams and Walker Company, starring
in the cakewalk exhibitions and several of their important productions.
After her husband became too ill to perform, Aida O. Walker often dressed
up in his costumes and played his role in "Bandana Land," the last production
of the Williams and Walker Company. She went on to perform with the Smart
Set Company which played on Broadway. Her last performance was a touring
variety show produced by The Frogs, a professional organization of show
people, founded by her late husband and ten others. She died in 1914 at
the age of 34.
Bert Williams, comedian, singer, dancer, composer, never reached his full potential on stage. He was caught in the stereotypical role of the bumbling fool in blackface, but gained recognition long after his death as one of the most important comedians in American popular theater. He was also the first and only African American to be featured in the Ziegfeld Follies along with such notable stars as W.C. Fields, George M. Cohan, Fannie Brice, Eddie Cantor and Ed Wynn.
"In Dahomey" was the idea of George Walker. He wanted to use the African elements of the American Negro background as the theme of the show. Although he and Williams didn't know much about Africa, they wanted to try something new. Will Marion Cook composed the music and Paul Lawrence Dunbar and Alex Roger wrote the lyrics. On February 18, 1903, it was the first full-length black musical comedy that played on Broadway at the New York Theater. The show later traveled to England and the cast performed at the Shaftesbury Theater in London and later at Buckingham Palace in a royal command performance for the birthday party of the Prince of Wales. Some of the songs Williams and Walker made famous are: "I'm a Jonah Man," "I May Be Crazy but I Ain't No Fool," "I Wants to be a Actor Lady," "Miss Hannah from Savannah," "Bon Bon Buddy," and "Nobody."