Charles Pierce 1987

Charles Pierce's connection to San Francisco history is easily lost due to his larger than life personality and his talent. By the time I moved here in the 1980s, I mistakenly thought of him a community icon, but not as someone whose career was strongly linked with the city.

Pierce was born in Watertown, New York in 1926 and began radio work before moving to the West Coast. In 1946 he became a student at the Pasadena Playhouse, where he studied acting. The first few years of his career found him at loose ends, struggling for a direction.

In the early '50s he saw a performance by Arthur Blake, a popular female impersonator who interpreted Hollywood stars like Bette Davis. Pierce wrote material for Blake, but it was rejected. Blake's loss was our gain - Pierce went on to begin performing at Café La Vie in Altadena on September 27, 1954 and never looked back.

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