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 | |
| Birth Date: | 19 January 1876 |
| Birth Place: | Washington, District of Columbia, United States |
| Occupation: | Vaudeville entertainer |
| Yearsactive: | 1867–1903 |
Heloise McCeney [3] was born on January 19, 1876, in Washington, D.C.,[4] the daughter of Robert and Anna (née Broom) McCeney.[5] Robert McCeney, a native of Washington D.C., served as secretary for the National Fair Association in Washington.[6] He died in San Leandro, California, on December 9, 1898, after a short bout with pneumonia.[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]
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. It was a civil ceremony, where New York Alderman, Hannon, performed the service. The couple honeymooned in Europe after the wedding. 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.