Charles J. Ross

Charles Joseph "Charlie" Kelly (February 18, 1859 – June 15, 1918), known professionally as Charles J. Ross, was a Canadian-American entertainer, composer and theatrical producer who performed in vaudeville, burlesque, and on the stage. Ross and his wife, Mabel Fenton, became popular for their parodies of classical plays.

Ross was born Charles Joseph Kelly to William and Caroline (née Brown) Kelly at Montreal, Quebec, where his father was employed as a carpenter.

Ross began as a circus entertainer with P. T. Barnum before his stage debut on April 5, 1885, at Miner’s Bowery Theatre in Manhattan as a singer and impersonator. Next he performed with Herman’s Transatlantic in a variety act at the Atlantic Gardens Bowery Theater. Over the next few years, Ross would develop his talent as a farce comedian playing with vaudeville companies in New York and on the road.

Driftwood of the Stage, 1904

Ross married actress Ada Towne (known professionally as Mabel Fenton) on June 9, 1887, during a stopover at Deadwood, South Dakota amidst a vaudeville tour of the American West. The couple soon created the act Ross and Fenton and within two years became a staple of the Weber and Fields Company in New York performing their farce productions of classic and popular plays of the day. Ross later formed his own company and continued to perform well into the early decades of the twentieth century. The couple appeared in at least two films: Death of Nancy Sykes (1897) and How Molly Malone Made Good (1915).

Ross-Fenton Farm, circa 1900

In the late 1890s, Ross and his wife opened Ross Fenton Farm, a resort hotel in Asbury Park, New Jersey that also doubled as their primary residence. For a number of years, Ross Fenton Farm was a popular mecca for New York area artist and entertainers. Most of the resort burned to the ground in 1950. Some of the original houses are still standing, including the main house of Charles Ross and Mable Fenton.

Ross died on June 15, 1918, at Ross Fenton Farm after a long illness and failed operation. Ross' wife Mabel died on April 19, 1931, in Los Angeles at the age of 66. They are buried together at Glenwood Cemetery in West Long Branch, New Jersey.