Billy "Single" Clifford - Vaudeville Comedian, Actor, Singer, Dancer, Impresario, Theatre Owner

Billy Clifford was his stage name. He was born William Clifford Shyrigh in 1869 in Urbana, Ohio. He died in Urbana in 1930. He was an American performer in the theatrical genre of variety entertainment called Vaudeville.

In 2009 The Ohio Historical Society erected a historical marker sumarizing Mr. Clifford's accomplishments and the history of the theatre he built in 1905. The marker was placed in Urbana, at the location of the theatre.

“A leading vaudevillian of his time, Clifford once performed with Buster Keaton and went on to act with the best troupes in New York City, Baltimore, Norfolk, Richmond, and Europe. Eventually, he created his own company of performers, including an all-girl orchestra,” says the marker.

This page digitally archives a collection of photographs, a theatre program, and advertising pieces found by Ed and Loretta Januska in a trunk they purchased in a flea market in the 1990s.

The indications are that Maud Charlotte, and perhaps also Lulu Charlotte, collected the items. It is stated on a note that they were Mr. Clifford’s nieces.

These images are in the public domain—no rights are reserved.

Click on any image to open a maximum-resolution copy.

“Fire destroyed the Clifford Theater years later, taking with it most of Clifford’s personal belongings.”

Cabinet card photograph (4¼ x 6½ inches)

A young Billy S. Clifford, Vaudeville performer — 12. Billy S. Clifford

McKecknie & Oswald, Toledo Ohio.

Cropped from 4 x 7¾ photograph pasted to 7½ x 11¾ matte

Vaudevillian Billy “Single” Clifford — 17. Billy “Single” Clifford

Feinberg Studio, 16 West 14th Street, New York

Cropped from 4 x 7¾ photograph pasted to 7½ x 11¾ matte

Feinberg Studio, 16 West 14th Street, New York

Cabinet card photograph (4¼ x 6½ inches)

Baker Art Gallery, Columbus, O.

Cabinet card photograph (5¼ x 7¼ inches)

Fowler, Philadelphia

Cropped from 4 x 7¾ photograph pasted to 7½ x 11¾ matte

Vaudevillian Billy S. Clifford — 19. Billy “Single” Clifford

Feinberg Studio, 16 West 14th Street, New York

Cabinet card photograph (5¼ x 7¼ inches)

Fowler, Philadelphia

Cabinet card photograph (4¼ x 6½ inches)

Flodin, Worcester Mass.

Cabinet card photograph (4¼ x 6½ inches)

Vaudevillians Billy “Single” Clifford and two other performers — 9. Billy “Single” Clifford with two other performers

Flodin, Worcester Mass.

This undated photograph is not captioned nor annotated. The names of the other two performers is not known.

Real photo postcard (3½ x 5½ inches)

Vaudevillians Billy S. Clifford and Three Others — 51. Billy S. Clifford and Family

Circa 1909

Billy Clifford in in the center. The others are likely his immediate family: His father Levi Shyrigh on the left, his brother Edward Clifford on the right, and his mother Sarah Shyrigh below. Alternatively, it could be his brother Levi on his left.

Postcard was addressed but never mailed to: “Miss Lulu Charlot, 2111 Seymour Ave, Cleveland Ohio.” On the left side: “Lulu,– Will send you more cards later on. Mother. September 17, 1909.” Written on the left margin facing out: “The picture on the out side is Cliffs Theatre.”

Photos of contemporary actors, singers and dancers.

Newsboy was a brand of chewing tobacco and Newsboy cards were given away as premiums at tobacconist shops and drug stores in the early 1890s.

Cabinet card photograph (4¼ x 6½ inches)

Actress Helen Bertram — 14. Helen Bertram

Newsboy, New York

Actress and singer in comic opera and musical theatre. —Wikipedia

Cabinet card photograph (4¼ x 6½ inches)

Actress Effie Chappie — 16. Effie Chappie

Newsboy, New York

Cabinet card photograph (4¼ x 6½ inches)

Estelle Clayton, Comic opera actor, singer and dancer — 6. Estelle Clayton

Newsboy, New York

Comic opera actor, singer and dancer. Writer of original comic opera librettos. —Broadway Photographs website

Cabinet card photograph (4¼ x 6½ inches)

Lyric Soprano Emma Eames — 5. Emma Eames

B. J. Falk, New York. 1892

(1865–1952) Dramatic soprano, later lyric soprano renowned for the beauty of her voice. She sang major lyric and lyric-dramatic roles in opera and had an important career in New York City, London and Paris during the last decade of the 19th century and the first decade of the 20th century. —Wikipedia

Cabinet card photograph (4¼ x 6½ inches)

Vaudevillian Charles A. Gardner — 2. Charles A. Gardner

Collins, New York

“The Sweet Singer”

Cabinet card photograph (4¼ x 6½ inches)

Comic opera singer and actress Marion Manola — 15. Marion Manola

Newsboy, New York

(1865–1914) Comic opera singer and actress. Widely popular on stage in the late 19th century, she transitioned to vaudeville in her later career. ... Manola famously objected to a surreptitious photograph taken of her on stage in tights. Her successful lawsuit against the photographer is cited in the influential law review article by Warren and Brandeis, "The Right to Privacy." —Wikipedia

Photograph (8 x 10 inches)

This could be Ida May Chadwick, an actress and buck-and-wing dancer.

Cabinet card photograph (4¼ x 6½ inches)

Newsboy, New York

Cabinet card photograph (4¼ x 6½ inches)

Newsboy, New York

Cabinet card photograph (4¼ x 6½ inches)

Newsboy, New York

Comedian, actor, playwright, author.

Following is a theatre program, a playbill, a number of advertising pieces, and two newspaper clippings.

Klaw & Earlanger N. O. Theatres Co. March 17, 1912.

31-46. Program for “The Girl, The Man and The Game?” playing at the Crescent Theatre in New Orleans the Week of March 17, 1912.

This is a sixteen page program, 7¾" x 10½", printed on newsprint. Click on the image to view a PDF copy of the program, which you can print out or save on your hard drive.

Clifford Theatre. April 27, 1912.

1. Playbill for “The Girl, The Man and The Game?” playing at the Clifford Theatre in Urbana, Ohio, the Week of April 27, 1912.

This is single sheet, approx. 5½"x 12". Click on the image to view a PDF copy of the playbill, which you can print out or save on your hard drive.

Oregon Theatre, Pendleton. October 18, 1912.

26-30. Illustrated brochure for “The Girl, the Man & the Game?” with reviews.

This is single sheet, 9"x 21", printed on both sides and folded in fourths to create 8 panels. A green tint is printed over black ink. Click on the image to view a PDF copy of the brochure, which you can print out or save on your hard drive.

Medford Theatre, Medford Oregon

20. Postcard front – A Scene from Billy “Single” Clifford’s “The Girl, The Man, & The Game?”

6¼"x 4". “14 bright catchy tuneful musical numbers 14” “Positive, laughing, fascinating, successful farce” “A superb cast & ‘that Girlie, Girlie, Beauty Chorus’”

Medford Theatre, Medford Oregon

21. Postcard address side – Coming to the Medford Theatre Wednesday, Nov. 15th

6¼"x 4". “The Favorite Comedian Billy “Single” Clifford. The Magical Facrical Treat of the Year-- THE Girl Man & Game? An alluring, bewitching fascinating farce with music”

22. Gummed envelope: King and Queen of Comedy, Billy S. Clifford — Maud Huth

6¼"x 4¾". “In the Comedy – A Corker — Now Laugh.”

It has been reported that Maud Huth was married to Billy Clifford for a time.

Blotter: Ad for The Baker Theatre in Portland Oregon

Baker Theatre, Portland Oregon, Nov. 5

23. Blotter: Billy “Single” Clifford Presents “Himself,” a Superb Cast, and that “Girlie, Girlie, Beauty Chorus”

9½"x 4", other side blank. “In the bewitchingly fascinating musical farce The Girl, the Man & the Game? Brimful of tuneful catchy songs, bright breezy comedy, ludricous situations, funny complications. Laughs Galore—not blushes.” “Use this to blot your letters. To blot away—The cares of a streneous day, to cure the blues, to drive away that tired feeling.” “See Billy ‘Single’ Clifford, Vaudeville’s brightest star. Hear Countess Leontine, the international song bird. Enjoy Mae Collins, the dantiest Soubrette, and 30 others. A positive laughing success.” “Baker Theatre Portland. Week commencing Nov. 5. Sun. matinee. Usual week day matinees. Special Election Day Mat.”

Stephens & Wildar

47. Advertising Card - picture side: Fragrant and Delicious (Once More)

5½"x 7½". Could one of Mr. Clifford’s players have posed for this image? Or his nieces?

Stephens & Wildar

48. Advertising Card - message side: Favorite Coffee”

5½"x 7½". “Ask your Grocer for Favorite Coffee, a combination of the finest grades of Java, Maracaibo, Santos and Rio, roasted and packed by Stephens & Widlar, importers and jobbers. Teas, Coffees and Spices, 108 and 110 St. Clair Street, Cleveland, Ohio.”

Princess Amusement Co. Inc.

24. Oversize postcard - address side: Billy Clifford and Maud Lambert “A Girl at the Helm”

11"x 7". “Coming Soon — The season’s biggest musical comedy direct from 6 months run at La Salle Theatre, Chicago. The Princess Amusement Co. (Inc.), Personal Direction of Mort H. Singer, will offer ‘A Girl at the Helm’ by Smith and Hubbell with Milly S. Clifford and Maude Lambert and big cast — Countess Olga von Hatzfeldt, Harry Brown, Florence Martin, Robert G. Pitkin, Bernhardt Niemeyer, Edward Beck Harry Fellows.” “Song Table: ‘In Walked Bill’ • ‘In My Little Runabout’ • ‘I Don’t Love You Well Enough for That’ • ‘The Long Green’ • ‘The Man I Marry Must Be a Man’ • ‘The Marriage Game’ • ‘The Ghost of Ragtime’ • ‘All I Want in the Wide World is You’ • ‘Not All but Nearly’ • ‘You Are All the World to Me’” “The Famous Challenge $10,000 Beauty Chorus” “Also presenting ‘A Stubborn Cincerella’ and ‘Honeymoon Trail’” “An Unparalleled Cast”

The postcard was addressed to Miss Maud Charlotte, 2111 Seymore Ave, Cleveland, Ohio. It has a one cent stamp cancelled in Chicago Ill. on Dec 17 at 10 AM.

Princess Amusement Co. Inc.

25. Oversize postcard - front: “A Girl at the Helm” A Musical Comedy Classic

11"x 7". “$10,000 Challange Beauty Chorus” “All Star Cast” “Six Months La Salle Theatre Chicago”

The (Denver) Daily News. September 21, 1911

59-60. Child Actors Come Before Judge In First Case Under New Law

“Some of the Girls Who No Longer Dare Call Themselves ‘Just Sixteen’.” Pencilled in are the names of the actors portrayed on this illustration: (left to right) Nadine, Patsy, Maud.

Click on the image to view a PDF copy of the article, which you can print out or save on your hard drive.

Newspaper clipping - source unknown

56-57. Billy Clifford at the Lyric Friday and Saturday

“Billy S. Clifford and a bevy of the fairest buds from Nature’s garden in the musical farcical success ‘The Girl, the Man, and the Game?’ ”

Click on the image to view a PDF copy of the article, which you can print out or save on your hard drive.

The following items were not part of the collection detailed above. They were submitted by others later.

This page was created and edited by J.J. Prats. Kindly send error reports, suggestions, or any additional items you may have of Mr. Clifford to me at this email address: [email protected].
This page is hosted in the United States of America.