David Craig Montgomery was born in St. Joseph (March 21,1870 – April 20, 1917). In 1887 he was given a juvenile role in Smokey Moke at a local variety beer hall called Streskbiner’s Garden. At a young age he practiced a routine in his back yard and learned to become a dancer and a cartoonist. He put on his song and dance routine at various local venues and people enjoyed it. He played for some years in St. Joseph and Kansas City then found work in Denver and surrounding mining towns, where he first met Fred Stone. Stone was an acrobat and tightrope walker. While in Denver he was offered a job with the J.H. Haverly’s minstrel company. He traveled with the group and while in Texas met again Fred Stone and they became partners. This was the start of a 22 year partnership. They did a song and dance routine, and Stone did an acrobatic act of his own. They toured with Gus Hill’s vaudeville company and gave excellent imitations of real politicians which kept the audience laughing and applauding. In 1898 they played in London, England and their vaudeville act was a great success.

Montgomery and Stone were offered to appear on Broadway in 1901 in The Girl From Up There. In 1901, Montgomery and Stone were hired to appear in The Wizard Of Oz. Montgomery played the Tin Man and Stone played the Scarecrow. Their physical antics and comic made them both stars. The show ran in New York for a year then toured the US until 1905.

Montgomery had many successes in musical comedy and vaudeville. He died unexpectedly in Chicago in 1917. He was 47.