Jewish Displacement of Irish Americans in Vaudeville: The Role of Religious and Cultural Values

During the second half of the nineteenth century, Irish Americans had a prominent if not dominant position in commercial vaudeville, but by the second decade of the next century they had a minor position. This paper documents that decline and focuses on the role that anti-pleasure Irish Catholic teachings played in it. When commercial vaudeville moved away from Victorian standards, it dramatically changed the way it was viewed by practicing Catholics and Catholic organizations. By contrast, newer Jewish immigrants, coming from a culture that rejected Victorian standards, embraced commercial vaudeville and came to play a dominant role in its growth in the early twentieth century, and its transition to silent films.