Actors - Harry Steppe

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	Actors - Harry Steppe

Harry Steppe (Abraham Stepner, March 1888 – November 22, 1934, at Bellevue Hospital in New York, New York) was a Jewish-American actor, comedian and hobo clown who worked in Vaudeville and Burlesque. Harry coined such terms as "Razzle Dazzle," "Top Banana" (the headliner or top act on the bill), and "Second Banana." As one of Bud Abbott's first partners, Harry introduced Bud to Lou Costello in 1934.

A Russian immigrant born to Orthodox Jewish parents, Harry was often billed as a Hebrew or Jewish-dialect comedian. His gags and skits were also performed by such well-known comedians as Phil Silvers, The Three Stooges, and Abbott and Costello. Harry penned the Pokomoko Routine ("Slowwwwly I turned, step by step, inch by inch...")," which was eventually performed by

The Three Stooges in the movie "Gents Without Cents" (1944)
Abbott and Costello in the movie "Lost in a Harem" (1944)
Lucille Ball
in the TV Show, "I Love Lucy" (1951), Season #1, Episode #19

Later on, Phil Silvers further popularized the term "Top Banana" in his 1954 film of the same name.

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