Smith, Joe, 1884-1981

The comedy team of Smith and Dale, composed of partners, Joe Smith (real name, Joseph Sultzer, 1884-1981) and Charlie Dale (real name, Charles Marks, 1881-1971) became one of vaudeville's most famous and successful acts, later translating many of their most popular sketches to other media and serving as a source of inspiration for Neil Simon's play, The Sunshine Boys.

The two first met as teenagers in New York City in 1898 and would remain a team for the next seventy-three years. Influenced by popular comedy teams such as Weber and Fields, the two adopted the name Smith and Dale after being offered a discount on a set of business cards commissioned, but never picked up by an act of that name. At one stage Smith and Dale were also part of a variety act known as the Avon Comedy Four, but as a team, Smith and Dale were to become major stars in vaudeville, and their sketches, which included School Days, The Tax Examiner, and Dr. Kronkhite and His Only Living Patient, were nationally famous. Once vaudeville was displaced by other forms of popular entertainment, however, Smith and Dale lost their place as headlining stars. They made periodic appearances on radio and television, recreating their old routines until Dale's death in 1971. Smith continued making public appearances and performing comedy, including many recordings for Dial-a-Joke, until his own death.

From the description of Smith and Dale papers, 1903-1981. (New York Public Library). WorldCat record id: 84671689

When vaudeville was the primary form of public entertainment in America, Smith and Dale were among its most important stars. As they traveled across the country, audiences enjoyed their many signature comedy sketches, in which a simple relationship, such as doctor / patient or teacher / student, would serve as the basis for a dizzying stream of jokes, ranging from the silly to the philosophical.

Smith and Dale met as teenagers in New York City in 1898. Smith was born Joseph Sultzer in 1884 and Dale was born Charles Marks in 1881. As they told it throughout their professional lives, they had each rented bicycles for the afternoon and accidentally crashed them into each other. As they dragged their damaged bicycles back to the shop where they had both rented them, the two boys argued and insulted each other. When they arrived at the shop, the owner heard them arguing, told them they sounded like the comedy team Weber and Fields and lent them a tandem bike for free, on the condition that they stop fighting and get to know one another. They soon discovered a shared interest in performing, decided to join forces and remained a team for the next seventy-three years.

Once they began seeking work in vaudeville, they needed cards to identify them and their act. When they went to commission cards from a printer, they saw he was offering a steep discount on cards for “Smith and Dale”, an act that had never picked up the cards they had commissioned. Upon learning the price of new cards, Sultzer and Marks became Smith and Dale on the spot.

The team joined forces with two other young men to create a variety act known as The Avon Comedy Four. Smith and Dale incorporated their comedy sketches and after some musical numbers by Harry Goodwin and Irving Kaufman, all four joined together for a musical comedy finale.

Smith and Dale became major stars in vaudeville, and their sketches were nationally famous. Audiences around the country knew and loved School Days, The Tax Examiner and Dr. Kronkhite and His Only Living Patient, among others. The nature of vaudeville suited Smith and Dale very well. They were perfectionists, preferring to hone their material until it was exactly as they wanted it. Traveling the vaudeville circuit from coast to coast allowed them to perfect their sketches without any concern about repeating themselves.

Once vaudeville was rendered extinct by the double blow of network radio and talking pictures, Smith and Dale lost their place as headlining stars. They continued to work and were always popular and well-remembered, but the new media did not lend themselves to perfectionism. Once a sketch had been aired on radio or, later, television, it could not be repeated the next time. Mass media consumed material infinitely faster than vaudeville had, and Smith and Dale had no interest in competing at that pace. They made periodic appearances on radio and television, recreating their old sketches until Dale’s death in 1971. Smith continued making public appearances and performing comedy, including many recordings for Dial-a-Joke, until his death in 1981.

Neil Simon’s play, The Sunshine Boys, which told the story of a vaudeville team’s reunion, was loosely based on Smith and Dale’s professional history. Unlike Simon’s volatile Lewis and Clark, however, Smith and Dale were quite close throughout their partnership.

From the guide to the Smith and Dale papers, 1903-1981, (The New York Public Library. Billy Rose Theatre Division.)