James Barton

James Barton was an actor whose career began in the vaudeville era, moved on to Broadway, and ended in television and film. He was born in 1890 in New Jersey and died in 1962 in New York at 72.

Barton was an Irish-American vaudeville performer famous for his blackface acts. He grew up around the performing arts, with both his parents, as well as some extended family, in the industry, and started to pick up the trade when he was only two years old. He was starting in a family act by the age of seven. At age 8 he picked up his signature style watching George Walker and Bert Williams at Scollay Square’s Old Howard Theater.

In his teens, Barton continued to perform with his family, before striking off on his own as a vaudevillian, dabbling in everything from ice-skating to bicycling. Then, in his mid-20’s, he traveled to Columbia to perform as a dancing comedian in burlesque shows. 

Finally, in 1923, Barton got his big break in Dew Drop Inn at Broadway’s Astor Theatre, replacing the recently deceased Bert Williams. Barton performed fourteen dance routines in the show, all in blackface makeup, and won critical acclaim. His career in New York also took him to various dancing venues, and to Harlem, where he danced to Duke Ellington and Cab Calloway at segregated clubs. 

In the 1930’s Barton left live dancing behind to star in Broadway shows and films (where his performances are best preserved for us today). His unique blend of Irish and African American dancing styles, and his skill as a comedian and improvisor, brought a brand new style to American stages. He ended his career making films and appearing on various television programs.