Joey Rardin

Biography

Known professionally as Joey Rardin, Joseph Herman Rardin's career began after graduating Ohio University. He worked extensively in vaudeville in the mid-1930s and was featured in theatres and on radio with famous dance bands in the big band era. In vaudeville he played alongside stars such as Benny Fields, the The Nicholas Brothers, Vilma Ebsen and Buddy Ebsen. He was a featured act with the orchestras of Ben Bernie, Sammy Kaye, Al Donahue, Arthur Jarrett and Sonny Dunham. In addition to comedy, dancing and singing, Rardin's specialty was comic impersonations and imitations of musical instruments. He was sometimes referred to as a "one man band." Rardin also had a special talent for impersonating James Cagney. In 1941, according to the N.Y. Post, he was on the bill with headliner Benny Fields at the Loew's State Theatre. As part of his act, Rardin did a scene from James Cagney's Angels with Dirty Faces (1938). In 1944 the Philadelphia Enquirer said that Joey Rardin "...virtually stopped the show with a brightly turned song and comedy routine, ranging from musicals instruments and automobile horns to a George M. Cohan medley and an amusing version of 'Casey Jones'." A 1940 newspaper story reported that Rardin had worked in motion pictures as a stand-in for James Cagney. After to moving to California he became Entertainment Director for Matson Lines "White Fleet" of ocean liners, which included the S.S. Mariposa, Monterey and the Lurline. He worked on South Pacific cruises up until his death in 1972.