Hap Ward
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John Thomas O'Donnell, better known by his stage name Hap Ward,[1] (July 1868, Philadelphia – January 3, 1944, New York City) was an American comedian, dancer, and actor who is best remember as one half of the vaudeville comedy duo Ward and Vokes.[2] Ward and Vokes toured widely in a series of musicals and vaudeville entertainments from 1894 through 1911. After this, Ward worked in other stage works without Vokes and starred in several films made from 1918 through 1929.
Life and career
Born John Thomas O'Donnell in Philadelphia, Hap Ward began his career in the theatre as a dancer.[1] He formed a comedic partnership with the actor Harry Vokes in 1884, and the pair first achieved fame performing in theaters owned by the impresario Tony Pastor in which they excelled at portraying the tramps Harold and Percy; original characters they created which they portrayed in numerous stage works. These included the musicals A Run On the Bank (1895), The Governors (1898), The Floor Walkers (1900), The Head Waiters (1901), A Pair of Pinks (1905), The Promoters (1910), and The Trouble Makers (1911). The tramp characters of Harold and Percy generated comedy by behaving with gentlemanly manners of a higher social class while appearing like homeless vagrants. Ultimately these characters evolved from being unambitious tramps affecting upper class manners into "wealthy layabouts".[1]
The Floor Walkers toured to Broadway's Grand Opera House for performances in 1900 and again in 1901. This work also starred sisters Margaret and Lucy Daly; the latter of whom was married to Hap Ward.
References
Citations
- ^ a b c Fisher, p. 602
- ^ "JOHN (HAP) WARD; Former Vaudeville Comedian Teamed With Harry Vokes". The New York Times. January 4, 1944. p. 17.
Bibliography
- Fisher, James (2023). Historical Dictionary of Vaudeville. Rowman & Littlefield Publishers. ISBN 9781538113356.
External links
- Hap Ward at IMDb
- Hap Ward at the Internet Broadway Database