All biographies should be considered incomplete – with research ongoing.
Check the individual PDF pages for “Last Updated” citation details.
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STELLA LAMOND
(1909-1973) Comedian, musician, entertainer, actor.
Cast as one of the babes in the Fullers pantomime Babes in the Wood, Stella Lamond later toured with the Sunbeam Pantomime Children for six years (billed as “woop woop girl”). After going solo in 1928 she joined Nat Phillips’ Whirligigs. After working with comedian Joe Lawman for almost a decade, Lamond and her second husband Max Reddy toured their own Follies company for some 15 years.
- More details
- Stella Lamond in Homicide : Clip 1 [YouTube]
- Stella Lamond in Homicide : Clip 2 [YouTube]
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JOE LAWMAN
(1909-1977) Comedian, singer, pantomime dame.
Joe Lawman started out as a child clog dancer, and later worked for Clay’s Theatres before making his Tivoli debut in 1930. After playing Nat Phillips’ off-sider in the Whirligigs Co, he spent almost a decade touring with Stella Lamond. A popular Tivoli comedian and pantomime dame during the war years, Lawman and his second wife, Joy Robbins worked in the UK for ten years, beginning 1945.
- An expanded biography is due in early 2013.
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ALF J. LAWRANCE
Songwriter/pianist/singer.
Alf. J. Lawrance wrote and/or collaborated on hundreds of songs between 1914 and the late 1930s. Many of these were included in pantomimes, revues, revusicals and follies and films. He first came to Australia in 1914 with his wife, singer Violet Carmen, with an act billed as Carmen and Lawrence. In the early to mid-1920s he partnered singer Nell Crane before going solo.
- An expanded biography is due in early 2013.
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BERT LE BLANC
(1884-1974) American-born Hebrew comic, musical comedy actor, singer, revusical producer, film actor.
One of the pioneers of the Australian revusical, Bert Le Blanc and Jake Mack (as Ike and Morris) rivalled Nat Phillips and Roy Rene (Stiffy and Mo) in the 1910s and early 1920s. A favourite with audiences through his larrikin persona (despite portraying a heavily-accented Jew), Le Blanc came to Australia in 1913 with the American Burlesque Company and remained for the rest of his life.
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LANCE LENTON
(1854 – 1900) Minstrel comedian/writer/ librettist/songwriter/ journalist
Lance Lenton established his reputation as a Negro and Dutch character comedian in the mid to late 1870s before turning to writing(including songs, sketches, burlesques and pantomimes). Among the artists to have had hits with his songs were F.M. Clark, Slade Murray, Horace Bent and Will Whitburn. Although in demand as both a comedian and dramatic actor Lenton retired from performing in the late-1880s to work as a journalist.
- More details coming in early 2013
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FRED LESLIE
(ca. 1882 – ) Dancer, singer, choreographer, producer, actor.
Fred Leslie first appeared on the stage with his father and uncle (the Leslie Brothers). After establishing his reputation as dancer in vaudeville he joined J. C. Williamson’s in 1901 appearing in musical comedies, revues and pantomimes. He later formed a dance partnership with Ivy Shilling that was a hit in both Australia and the UK. Leslie continued to work in Britain as a dancer/ choreographer up until the late 1940s.
- More details coming in early 2013.
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LEVANTE / THE GREAT LEVANTE
(aka Levant / Les Cole / Magician Cole)
(1892 – 1978) Magician.
Regarded as one of the world’s greatest magicians, Les Cole began learning magic in his early teens before touring an escapology act as Levante. In 1927 he and his wife and daughter left Australia to tour the east and Europe before moving to Great Britain where he gradually expanded his show into a revue extravaganza. He returned to Australia in 1940 and continued touring until the late 1950s.
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LITTLE VERLIE
![Little Verlie 1a [TT July 1919, 9]](http://ozvta.files.wordpress.com/2011/04/little-verlie-1a-tt-july-1919-9.jpg)
(ca. 1904-1991) Child acrobat, contortionist, balance and pose artist.
The adopted child of Lillian Ross, a leading teacher of juvenile vaudeville performers, Little Verlie became one Australia’s premiere contortion and posing acts during the 1910s and early 1920s. With another of Ross’s adopted children, Wee Darrell, she also toured South Africa in 1917/18. She also worked under the names La Petite Verlie and Little Winsome.
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