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Thomas Currier Vaudeville Collection

Creator:
Currier, Thomas, 1906-1986  Search this
Currier, Terrence P.  Search this
Granville, Bonita  Search this
Warner, H.B.  Search this
Names:
Ryan, Irene  Search this
Zides, Max  Search this
Extent:
0.5 Cubic feet (2 boxes)
Type:
Collection descriptions
Archival materials
Programs
Motion pictures (visual works)
Correspondence
Clippings
Scrapbooks
Scripts (documents)
Date:
1928-1986.
Summary:
Thomas Currier (1906-1986) and his partner Max Zides (1904-1975) formed the radio, vaudeville, night club and television song and patter duo known as Hum (Zides) and Strum (Currier). The collection documents the career of Currier and Zides as Hum and Strum.
Scope and Contents note:
This collection of memorabilia documents the career of Thomas C. Currier, known as Strum in the radio duo Hum and Strum. The collection is arranged chronologically and is comprised predominately of publicity photographs, news clippings, radio programs, and minimal correspondence (three items). There are autographed photographs of vaudeville performers including one of a young Irene Noblette Ryan who in her later career appeared as Granny on the CBS television program, The Beverly Hillbillies. There is an autographed photograph of former Speaker of the House of Representatives, United States Congress, Tip O'Neill. A scrapbook documenting Currier's career, started and kept by his wife Helen, includes news clippings, ticket stubs, and one photograph. There is a script of the radio drama Hitler's Children (1943); it is autographed by Bonita Granville and H.B. Warner on the reverse of page twenty-two. A theatre program from the Maine Civic Theatre is autographed by actor Michael Whalen. There are two magazines: Radio and Television Mirror, and TV Radio Mirror. There is one reel of 16mm film featuring Hum and Strum. There are a few news articles featuring Thomas's sons, Tommy and Terrance.
Arrangement:
The collection is aranged into one series.

Series 1: Memorabilia, 1928-1986
Biographical/Historical note:
Thomas C. Currier was born July 27, 1906, in Boston, Massachusetts. He attended the High School of Commerce in Boston. Currier reportedly met Max Zides in a music publisher's office. They formed their act, Hum and Strum, in 1924 singing standards and comedy songs while playing ukulele and piano. They performed on the radio, initially WGI in Medford Hillside, Massachusetts, and later WBZ in Boston. By 1928 they were one of the acts featured in the catalogue of the White Entertainment Bureau billed as The Hum and Strum Boys. In a 1929 listeners' poll they were rated third behind radio personalities Rudy Vallee and Amos 'n Andy. They were featured with Guy Lombardo and the Royal Canadians, Glenn Miller's Orchestra and others.

Currier and Zides moved into vaudeville performing on the bill at the Boston Lowe's State Theater, The Orpheum and eventually the famed Palace Theater on Time's Square in New York City. In 1928 they toured the RKO vaudeville circuit through the United States and Canada with Mildred Hunt, star of Roxie's Gang. The act continued working in radio, both in Boston and nationally, over the National Broadcasting Company (NBC) network. They were credited as the first team to use a public address system. They are cited as having mentored George Burns and Gracie Allen and comedian Phil Silvers and they have been credited as the inventors of the "jingle" or singing commercial. They performed radio commercials for such varied products as Marshmallow Fluff and Sieberling Tires. The duo occasionally appeared as the Oxiton Twins, Oxi and Ton, twin clowns promoting Oxiton, a patent medicine for sore gums and mouth.

Currier and Zides moved to Cleveland, Ohio in 1933-1934 and continued their radio career on station WATM. During World War II, they entertained troops overseas with the United Service Organization (USO). They performed many benefits and charity functions during their career. In 1947, the duo began their work in television with the DuMont network in New York City. They also appeared on WBZ-TV in Boston. By 1955 they were doing eight television shows a week on WJAR-TV in Providence, Rhode Island. They had their own music show and appeared on Breakfast at the Sheraton, Tip Top Circus, and Weekend in New England. The act lasted thirty-five years until 1958. They reunited briefly in 1959 in Ft. Lauderdale, Florida, where both had moved their families to retire. Zides then returned to Brookline, Massachusetts, ending their career for good. Currier continued performing as a solo act.

Currier was Roman Catholic and Max Zides was Jewish, and when asked about their pairing in 1955, Currier replied, "We believe that racial and religious hatreds are the dark glasses of the soul that blot a man's vision and make him unable to see character and vision in others."

Currier married Helen Mary Egan and had two children: Thomas C. Currier and Terrence P. Currier. His son Terrence became a professional actor. Currier lived in both the Hough's Neck and Merrymount areas of Quincy and later in Braintree, Massachusetts. The elder Currier moved to Ft. Lauderdale during his retirement and later moved to Reston, Virginia to be near family. Max Zides died in Boston in February 1975. Thomas Currier died on July 2, 1986 in Fairfax, Virginia, and was buried in Braintree, Massachusetts.
Provenance:
Collection donated in 2007 by Thomas Currier's son, Terrence P. Currier.
Restrictions:
Collection is open for research but one film is stored off-site and special arrangements must be made to work with it. Contact the Archives Center for information at archivescenter@si.edu or 202-633-3270.
Rights:
Collection items available for reproduction, but the Archives Center makes no guarantees concerning copyright restrictions. Other intellectual property rights may apply. Archives Center cost-recovery and use fees may apply when requesting reproductions.
Topic:
Vaudeville  Search this
Genre/Form:
Programs
Motion pictures (visual works) -- 20th century
Correspondence -- 20th century
Clippings
Scrapbooks -- 20th century
Scripts (documents)
Citation:
Thomas Currier Vaudeville Collection, 1928-1986, Archives Center, National Museum of American History.
Identifier:
NMAH.AC.1120
See more items in:
Thomas Currier Vaudeville Collection
Archival Repository:
Archives Center, National Museum of American History
GUID:
https://n2t.net/ark:/65665/ep8db568e1c-43d0-4ae3-be05-4532d500599a
EDAN-URL:
ead_collection:sova-nmah-ac-1120
Online Media:

No Time At All; Time (To Believe In Each Other)

Recording artist:
Ryan, Irene  Search this
Composer:
Crewe, Bob  Search this
Shatkin, Alan  Search this
Schwartz, Stephen  Search this
Manufacturer:
Motown  Search this
Physical Description:
vinyl (overall material)
Measurements:
overall: 7 in; x 17.78 cm
Object Name:
Sound Recording
Date made:
1972
Credit Line:
The Sam DeVincent Collection of American Sheet Music
ID Number:
2000.3053.3919
Catalog number:
2000.3053.3919
Nonaccession number:
2000.3053
Label number:
M 1221F
See more items in:
Culture and the Arts: Entertainment
Data Source:
National Museum of American History
GUID:
http://n2t.net/ark:/65665/ng49ca746a8-d1c8-704b-e053-15f76fa0b4fa
EDAN-URL:
edanmdm:nmah_1026906

Granny's Mini-Skirt; Bring On the Show

Recording artist:
Ryan, Irene  Search this
Maker:
Nashville Hollywood  Search this
Nashwood  Search this
Measurements:
overall: 7 in; x 17.78 cm
Object Name:
Sound Recording
Place made:
United States: Tennessee, Nashville
ID Number:
1996.0320.02954
Collector/donor number:
8549
Maker number:
NWMS-100
Accession number:
1996.0320
Catalog number:
1996.0320.02954
See more items in:
Culture and the Arts: Entertainment
Data Source:
National Museum of American History
GUID:
http://n2t.net/ark:/65665/ng49ca746aa-5601-704b-e053-15f76fa0b4fa
EDAN-URL:
edanmdm:nmah_1193629

On performativity [Elizabeth Carpenter, editor] ; contributing authors, Philip Auslander, Elizabeth Carpenter, Eric Crosby, Peter Eleey, Dorothea von Hantelmann, Shannon Jackson, Bartholomew Ryan, Irene V. Small

Issuing body:
Walker Art Center  Search this
Editor:
Carpenter, Elizabeth 1965-  Search this
Author:
Auslander, Philip 1956-  Search this
Crosby, Eric 1980-  Search this
Eleey, Peter  Search this
Hantelmann, Dorothea von  Search this
Jackson, Shannon 1967-  Search this
Ryan, Bartholomew 1976-  Search this
Small, Irene  Search this
Author:
Online Scholarly Catalogue Initiative  Search this
Physical description:
1 online resource illustrations (chiefly color)
Type:
Catalogs
Catalogues
Place:
Minnesota
Minneapolis
Date:
2014
21st century
21e siècle
Topic:
Arts, Modern  Search this
Arts  Search this
Performance art  Search this
Art de la performance  Search this
Data Source:
Smithsonian Libraries
EDAN-URL:
edanmdm:siris_sil_1118646

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