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.

  • La Belle Titcomb
    (ca. 1900)
  • La Belle Titcomb
    (ca. 1900)
    NYPL Digital Collection
  • La Belle Titcomb in 1909
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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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