Stone, (Val) Fred (Andrew)

Stone, [Val] Fred [Andrew] (1873–1959), comic actor. Born in Valmont, Colorado, he was raised in Topeka and, with his brother, joined a circus as an acrobat for several years. While a member of Haverly's minstrels he met Dave [ David Craig] MONTGOMERY (1870–1917), a native of St. Joseph, Missouri. When the minstrel troupe was disbanded, the pair went into vaudeville as grotesquely made‐up acrobatic clowns. Their first Broadway appearance was in The Girl from Up There (1901). Subsequently they starred in The Wizard of Oz (1903), The Red Mill (1906), The Old Town (1910), The Lady of the Slipper (1912), and Chin‐Chin (1914). By the time of Montgomery's death they were indisputably America's most popular musical comedy team. On his own, Stone appeared in Jack o' Lantern (1917), Tip Top (1920), Stepping Stones (1923), Criss‐Cross (1926), Ripples (1930), and Smiling Faces (1932). All but the last two were huge hits. Later he appeared with only small success in a number of straight plays. Whether alone or with Montgomery, much of Stone's humor came from his comic acrobatics. His wife, Allene Crater, and daughter Dorothy were also popular performers. Autobiography: Rolling Stone, 1945.