3. John Huston

Before he directed “The Maltese Falcon,” John Huston traveled with his father and mother to different Vaudeville shows. When his parents divorced at age 7, he continued traveling with his father to learn the ropes of entertaining audiences. Clearly his experiences worked, because Huston became one of the greatest character actors of all-time.

2. Ginger Rogers

Legendary on-screen dancer Ginger Rogers won a Charleston contest at age 14 in 1925, and then performed on the Vaudeville circuit until she was 17. When given a choice between acting or dancing, Rogers was always a dancer first.

1. Fred Astaire

Rogers’s most enduring on-screen collaborator, Fred Astaire, perfected his art on Vaudeville as a child touring with his sister, Adele. As an adult looking back at his vaunted career, Astaire said the only thing he found challenging about his profession was the Vaudeville part of his life because his performances never improved.

Take a look at Astaire dancing to a contemporary mash-up of “Uptown Funk”ยป
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