William Theodore Block 1888- 1962 AKA Shorty de Witt

 

This story follows another of my vaudeville relatives Willam Theodore Bloch or Block also known as Shorty deWitt.

Shorty and his burlesque partner Lillian 1905- The Evening Star 16/1/1905

Years ago, I discovered the Bloch/ Block family. A first cousin, three times removed, named Katherine Murphy, had married a man named Theodore Bloch in Glasgow, Scotland. Theodore was from Germany. They had a couple of daughters, and soon moved to Chicago, where they added seven more children to their family.

A couple of DNA matches caught my eye, and my search started. Chicago was full of German people making new homes. It had the added interest of Theodore coming via Glasgow. see a previous story written in 2018 https://robynandthegenies.blogspot.com/2018/07/from-dungannon-tyrone-to-chicago-via.html

The German families seemed to get along in Chicago quite nicely, and I began to flesh them out. One child stood out. He was in theatre, and I love a vaudevillian. And there is grease paint running in the veins of the Murphys.

The child was named William Theodore Bloch later Block. He was Chicago born to Theodore and C(K)atherine in 1888. Further investigation showed that he was born with dwarfism, a feature which probably made him popularly expoited on the stage and would be totally outrageously discriminatory these days *.

By 1905, he had been working in theatre for about four years. By then he was 17 years of age, William was performing in New York as part of a burlesque team, “Shorty and Lillian DeWitt”.

                    Report of Shortys "abduction " case

His father, Theodore arrived from Chicago in 1905, charging that Lillian and her husband Louis Ulmer had abducted his infant son. At this stage, William was 17 years old and three feet 9 inches tall. Lillian and Lewis counterclaimed that he had been contracted with the consent of his parents. They claimed to have taught him the art of mimicry and dancing, and he was able to now work as a co-partner.

Some may have thought that his age and disability made him simple and or less than capable. Perhaps his parents, Theodore and Catherine, were being a little bit overprotective. At the court case, young William claimed that he was not being held against his will and that he lived with the Ulmers. He was earning $40 per month, and he sent $35 per month to his father who by then was an aging carpenter.

He also claimed that his father wanted him back to put him on the stage himself and possibly make more money. His father Theodore admitted that his son had been sending nearly all his wages to him for four years and that it was his mother Catherine or Katherine who was (probably fretting), wanting him home. The case was sent to a referee and the result is unknown.

After this discovery it was found that William had been living with Lillian's family (Schols) for some time as an adopted son aged 13 and at school. The family were from  musical entertainment background. By the time of the court case in the 1905 census he is living with Lillian, her husband Lew, 7 month old daughter and her now retired parents. He is listed as a boarder and Actor.  (Lillian died in 1911 from what looks like a burst appendix.)

1905 census - click to enlarge

His World War One Registration Card shows William working for Marcus Leow as a performer in New York. Marcus founded Leow's Theatrical Enterprises, New York City. With World War One, the focus of American entertainment shifted from vaudeville to movies at about this time.

In 1910, Loew had acquired another production house…think MGM. His business grew from a New York theatre circuit presenting vaudeville and early moving pictures.

The registration card claims he has no disability and that he is supporting his mother and father. The World War I draft describes himself as medium, grey-eyed, brown hair, and short. Presumably his height would have precluded him from army service.

A Review in "Variety" 4/4/1914

A "Variety" review appeared in April 1914 which tells of his teaming up with Grace Stewart. " The act was a small sized riot , due principally to the knockabout work of Shorty who is bowled over in grotesque fashion by Miss Stewart."

  In 1918 he and partner Maybelle Gunther performed at Reading. He was described as “Shorty is one of the best-known Lilliputians* on stage and ranks head and shoulders not in physique but in talent over most of the other little people on stage.”  Under the name of Dewitt and Gunther they had their own stage setting and did a “melange of comedy, singing and talk.”

At the end of World War I, on the 26th of October 1918, He married his fellow artist Mabel Grace Gunther, who had been performing with him as Shorty DeWitt and Mabel Gunther in “A Pint and a Half of Fun.” Mabel was of normal height. They had a child, June Block, in 1920 in New York. June lived until 1934, dying in San Diego. It is not known if she suffered from Dwarfism.

One of his characters around 1919 was Jeff, as in “Mutt and Jeff” who amused with nimble antics and created much mirth.  Their routine had brilliant dialogue, a score of tuneful musical numbers, and some sumptuous musical production.

In a review of his show which was called “Youthful Follies”at the Columbia Burlesque  in 1924 he and Maybelle are among the acts receiving wonderful plaudits.

Advertising for thr "Youthful Follies"

In one scene Maybelle appeared in a bathing suit number with dancing girls for a fitting and cleverly lit finale for Part 1. In Part 2  “Shorty deWitt” was described as the most “likeable appearing midget *we have seen on any stage.” Then with Maybelle they “sang, talked and danced and what they said was “fully encored.”

The end of a marriage

In 1927, Mabel had sought a divorce from William, charging him with infidelity. In newspaper reports of the divorce there was much ado about their comparative heights. William was ordered to pay $20 a week to Mabel for alimony. Mabel went on to marry Rolf Rodefer Pryor only months after the divorce.

After his divorce, he is seen living with his brother George and sister, the widowed Elizabeth Daly, and her family in the 1930 census and despite the early depression years and the downturn of live theatre he lists his profession as being an actor in the Theatre.

Draft information WW2

The WWII draft records him as 3 feet 9 inches, 90 pounds, blonde hair with hazel eyes and light complexion. William Theodore's WW2 registration card shows him working for the WPA Theatrical Project in Boston. The WPA, The Works Project Administration, WPA, was established by Franklin D. Roosevelt in 1935 as part of the New Deal Capital's attempt to combat the Depression.

This included the Federal Theatre Project, FTP, an attempt to offer work to theatrical professionals. It was established on 27 August 1935. Over 100 theatre productions took place in 22 different states. Many of these were given free in schools and community centres.

Other outstanding theatre people served as regional directors. Although performers were only paid $22.73 a week, the FWP employed some of America's most talented artists. The WPA Theatre Project was to assist the homeless and penniless performers.

Not a lot is known about Shorty, Bill, Dewitt, William in the intervening years. People described him as a giant among show people. His cute personality, button nose, and sparkling blue eyes, and his dancing feet brought him fame and fortune in the 1920s and beyond he performed in various parts of America and reputedly in Europe. People remembered his side splitting stunts and humour. He was still well known and respected by the time of his death.

It appears when he died aged 74 in late 1962, he was with little finances. In the last 10 years of life, he had failing health. However, people had seen him out and about, walking his two cocker spaniels for many years. After they succumbed to old age, Shorty devoted his attention to tropical fish and his cat.

With ill health, he was taken to hospital on the 14th of October 1962, but died after an emergency stomach operation. Destined to be buried in a pauper’s grave, some old-time vaudevillians banded together and sought out an old friend of William's, who had known him for 30 years. This friend was a Mrs. Marcia Van Nordstan who had been a dancer and singer back in the day.

She checked out his finances and found he received a $40 a month social security pension and a $38 per month old age stipend. She contacted the Actors Guild, which donated a grave for Shorty, and the funeral home made the final arrangements without requiring compensation. Thanks to these actions, he received a grand farewell, which he well deserved.

Vaudevillians band together

Authors note *  In this day and age, the terms used in the newspaper reviews would be offensive and derogatory. We have moved on since the 1920s.This story remembers the life and times  of a vaudevillian as many are undocumented due to the decline in this form of entertainment. No offense or ridicule is intended.