More Rochester Trivia

Silent movie vamp Theda Bara and the Lone Ranger's sidekick Jay Silverheels "Tonto" attended East high school here in the 1900’s.

Mickey Rooney, whose real name was Joe Yule, Jr., began his career here on the stage of Rochester’s Gayety Theater one winter night in 1923 at the age of 3 with his father.

Betty Davis claimed she was fired from a theater stock group in Rochester by director George Cukor.

Bud Abbot made his stage debut as a straight man in a comedy time at Rochester's Corinthian Theater managed by his brother. 

Amos Jacobs, aka Danny Thomas, was a star basketball player for the Lewis Street Center team and attended East high school.

Issur Danielovich, aka Kirk Douglas, worked in a steel mill here before his movie career started to earn money for college. He almost married Peggy from Rochester in 1937.

Foster Brooks, Robert Forster, & Mimi Kennedy all began their careers in shows for Rochester Community Players which is the oldest community theater group in NY State.

Musician Cab Calloway was born in Rochester in 1907, Mitch Miller in 1911, and Chuck Mangione in 1940.

Dr. Francis Tumuelty, a herbal medicine quack, buried in Holy Sepulchre Cemetery in Rochester was suspected of being Jack the Ripper.