One for the old-timers/music-history buffs?

Road to Bali - the opening number is a song about "Chester the Trombone King" - was that just a piece made for the movie, or an old Vaudevillian skit? Did it have any basis in the music of the day? who was he? Normally I don't ask this many questions in one, but I'm really curios (been thinking about adding that number to my own vaudeville routine - do as the vaudevillians did...steal, steal, steal, and if there's a beef, take it up at the Patterson's office)