La Belle Titcomb

Heloise McCeney (January 19, 1876 – after 1920), stage name La Belle Titcomb, was an American vaudeville performer known as The Parisian Dancer on Horseback.[1] Her act usually had her riding upon a white horse while singing operatic arias.[2]

La Belle Titcomb
NYPL Digital Collection
Born(1876-01-19)January 19, 1876
Washington, District of Columbia, United States
OccupationVaudeville Entertainer
Years active1867–1903

Biography

Heloise McCeney [3] was born on January 19, 1876 in Washington, D.C.,[4] the daughter of Robert and Anna (née Broom) McCeney.[3] Robert McCeney, a native of Washington D.C., served as secretary for the National Fair Association in Washington.[3] He died in San Leandro, California on December 9, 1898 after a short bout with pneumonia.[5] Her mother died five years later on February 27, 1903, and was interred at Rock Creek Cemetery in Washington D.C.,[6] as was her father and a younger brother, Robert, who died in 1884. McCeney also had a half-brother, Charles, from her mother's previous marriage.[7]

McCeney had a diamond tooth[8] and her act was described by the El Paso Herald in 1909 as "an equestrian act of such a thrilling nature that a reporter couldn't put it all on paper."[9]

Marriages

Heloise McCeney's first marriage was to a San Francisco dentist, Charles B. Titcomb. Her second marriage, to Waine Weinerbet (his last name was given as "McEinbett" in a contemporary New York Times article) ended in divorce on May 13, 1910,[10] in Chicago on the grounds of "extreme cruelty."[11]

Her third marriage was to fellow vaudeville performer Nat M. Wills on May 23, 1910.[11] It was a civil ceremony, where New York Alderman, Hannon, performed the service.[11] The couple honeymooned in Europe after the wedding.[11] Upon their divorce four years later, she received a substantial alimony settlement which led to a legal battle to have the amount reduced after Wills married actress May Day (actress).[12]

Titcomb kept her married name after their divorce and listed herself as a widow after Wills died in 1917.[13] La Belle Titcomb continued to perform all over the world, though scant record of her exists after 1920.

References

  1. The New York Times –Jan. 15, 1910
  2. Slide, Anthony. The Vaudevillians: a Dictionary of Vaudeville Performers. (New York: Arlington House, 1981).
  3. 1880 US Census Records
  4. U.S. Passport Application
  5. The Oakland Tribune – December 21, 1898
  6. Find a Grave.com
  7. U.S. Passport Application dated July 26, 1918
  8. "Clipped From The Los Angeles Times". Her Diamond Tooth this Actress Lost. 1905-06-23. p. 13. Retrieved 2020-03-17 via Newspapers.com.
  9. "Girl with the Diamond Tooth". El Paso Herald. 1909-04-14. p. 9. Retrieved 2020-03-17 via Newspapers.com.
  10. "Nat Wills Weds Heloise Titcombe. - View Article - NYTimes.com" (PDF). New York Times. 1910-05-24. Retrieved 2013-10-19.
  11. Wills and Wife Off for Europe (1910-05-24). "Clipped From The Washington Times". The Washington Times. p. 13. Retrieved 2020-03-17 via Newspapers.com.
  12. "LIGHTS OF PARAGUAY GLOW AT WALDORF - G. L. Rickard, Returned Ranchman, Shows Worm and Bug-like Living Dynamos. GREEN AND RED LIGHTS Like Tiny Railroad Train and Automobile Moving in the Dark - Natives Use Them for Candles. - View Article - NYTimes.com" (PDF). New York Times. 1915-04-14. Retrieved 2013-10-19.
  13. "Ancestry.com". Search.ancestry.com. Retrieved 2013-10-19.
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