Someone appearing on TV meant that they'd likely worked their way up through the ranks: doing school plays, regional theater, and embarrassing commercials, until finally, they honed their skills, The greatest boon to the great entertainment of the past was vaudville. There were thousands of live shows a day, all across the US. Every one needing many live performers to do their stuff.
The humor of Will Rogers, the dancing of Fred Astare and hundreds more, were the best that the crucible that vaudville produced.
With live vaudville dead, entertainment is slowly dying, as the generations of imitators slowly drift away from the best there ever was.
Re: "The greatest boon to the great entertainment of the past was vaudeville. There were thousands of live shows a day, all across the US. Every one needing many live performers to do their stuff."
Just the other day I equated the current democrat situation to a bad vaudeville show. They should all wear zoot suits and feather boas.