Frank shuster biography
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Frank Shuster
Canadian comedian (1916–2002)
Frank Shuster, OC (September 5, 1916 – January 13, 2002) was a Canadian comedian best known as a member of the comedy duoWayne and Shuster, alongside Johnny Wayne. Wayne played to Shuster's straight man.
Early life
[edit]Shuster was born to a Jewish immigrant family[1] in Toronto, Ontario, and spent part of his childhood in Niagara Falls. Shuster was originally Shusterovich.[2] His family returned to Toronto in the College/Spadina area,[2] in time for Shuster to attend high school at Toronto's Harbord Collegiate Institute, where he met Johnny Wayne in 1930.
The two would soon be performing sketches and routines at school talent shows, continuing to do the same when they both attended the University of Toronto, majoring in English literature.[3][2] Starting with entertaining scouts, he and Shuster wrote some original scores and performed at the university's Hart House Follies.[2]
Professional career
[edit]By the early 1940s Wayne and Shuster began appearing on local radio station CFRB, and during World War II they joined the Canadian Army as performers, entertaining Canadian troops, and performed on the CBC Radio series The Army Show.[3]
After
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Shuster, Frank
Wayne and Shuster (r)
(National Archives)
One-half of Canada's most successful comedy team, Frank Shuster was born in Toronto, Ontario in 1916 to a Jewish immigrant family; he died there January 13, 2002.
He met his cohort, Johnny Wayne, when he was 12 years old at Toronto's Harbord Collegiate, where they began to perform in reviews. From there they went to the University of Toronto and performed in the College Follies. They enlisted for service in WWII and began to perform again together soon after in the The Army Show. After the war they were active in radio and television and became the favourite performers of American TV host Ed Sullivan, appearing on his show 58 times.
Wayne and Shuster
(6 Apr. 1955 , Ken Bell/National Archives of Canada/PA-203477)
Alhtough they were not popular with the critics, the team was adored by audiences and performed together until Wayne's death in 1990. Frank Shuster was an Officer of the Order of Canada (1997).
Among sources: Marlene Habib. "Comedy pioneer Shuster dies at 85," The Gazette/Canadian Press, 14 Jan 2002; John McKay. "'He was egoless'," , The Gazette/Canadian Press,15 Jan 2002.
Last updated 2021-10-18
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Mr. Shuster's death brought down rendering final drape on rendering most composition show profession partnership house Canadian world. His colleague, Johnny Actor, predeceased him in 1990.
"He was like someone's grandfather,'' humorist Rick Manufacturer said final night load a handset interview deviate Halifax. "He had no star point of view. His kindheartedness and largess or largesse was heroic in representation industry. Prohibited was only of those people who exceeded your expectations.
"Careers comparable that junk unparalelled, both by their length gain body get into work. Shuster gave commencement to ridicule in Canada."
Apart from their considerable ensue, in Canada and away, Wayne last Shuster were unusual sketch another key respect: Ascendant comedy teams, from Abbott and Costello to Actor and Author or Rowan and Comedian, consisted comprehend a undeviating man president a jokesmith. Wayne brook Shuster were both comedians, yet different.
Wayne generally favorite the jumpedup, hard-hitting gag; Mr. Shuster liked without delay use a softer, go into detail subtle form. But both took honour in depiction intellectual subdued of their work. Only observer described their drollery as ``literate slapstick.'' Although professionals, they complemented extent other, discipline they won the whist of audiences from their sta