Second Banana

[nq:1]I would look this up if I knew where to look. Can anyone tell me who coined the phrase "second banana" and of whom it was first said?[/nq]
'Top banana' was a US show biz term for the star comedian in a show. So 'second banana' was someone who supported the star. OED has cites from the 50s but undoubtedly the terms were in use in burlesque before that. They graduated to being used in gene

[nq:2]I would look this up if I knew where to ... "second banana" and of whom it was first said?[/nq]
[nq:1]'Top banana' was a US show biz term for the star comedian in a show. So 'second banana' was someone ... terms were in use in burlesque before that. They graduated to being used in general hierarchical contexts - businesses etc.[/nq]
Thanks.

[nq:1]I would look this up if I knew where to look. Can anyone tell me who coined the phrase "second banana" and of whom it was first said?[/nq]
Banana fans often credit "top banana" and "second banana" to comedian Harry Steppe, who was active in the 1920s and used them in his act. He may have used "first banana" instead of "top banana". Johnny Mercer and Phil Silvers popularized the terms fur

[nq:2]I would look this up if I knew where to ... "second banana" and of whom it was first said?[/nq]
[nq:1]Banana fans often credit "top banana" and "second banana" to comedian Harry Steppe, who was active in the 1920s and ... their musical "Top Banana" (1954). Whether the terms are original with Steppe is unknown, so far as I can tell.[/nq]
I Googled "top banana" steppe and came up with