Australian Variety Theatre Archive – Eleventh Year Highlights (2021-2022)

The Australian Variety Theatre Archive (AVTA) is a research website devoted to popular culture entertainment in the Australasian region between circa 1850 and the mid-1930s. This year, 2022, marks its eleventh year of publication.

The website went online on 10 May 2011, the 146th anniversary of the birth of Australian vaudeville entrepreneur Harry Clay. Since then the archive has published more than 3,222 new records. Many of the original entries have also been updated since 2016.

Two projects initiated in 2016-17 were continued during past twelve months. These were:

  1. Replacing all abbreviations in PDF biographies with full citation details; and
  2. Updating and reformatting all Biograhies (PDFs) and Research Notes (PDFs), while also adding new ones. The rapidly increasing availability of digitised resources – especially the Australian National Library’s digitised newspaper service, Trove – means that the traditional researched biography can now be out of date almost as soon as it is published. The Research Notes alternative therefore provides interim historical insights.

December 2021 also saw Dr Djubal and the Australian Variety Theatre Archive relocate from Brisbane (Qld) to Canberra (ACT).

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In addition to undertaking the two projects mentioned above, 22 new entries were published. This involved 20 new agent entries, and 13 new works entries,

Among the new entries are: Drysdale & Faye • Don Nicol • Billee Lockwood • Scott and Wallace • Billy Maloney’s Scandals [2] • Emerson & Wood’s Alabama Minstrels • Emerson’s Minstrels • U.S. Minstrels [1] & [2] • Guild Hall (Sydney) • Romantique Cabaret (Brisbane)

37 previously-published biographies (including research lists and chronologies), 14 sections/pages, and 9 research notes pdfs were updated, expanded and reformatted.

 

On 10 May 2022 the Australian Variety Theatre Archive comprised 1,574 agent entries (people, organisations, and miscellaneous industry activity); and 1,716 individual works entries (not counting revivals). To put this in perspective, that’s more than double the number of entries (up to and including 1935) currently recorded in AustLit: The Resource for Australian Literature, and at least five times as many Australian-written works identified by AusStage for the same period.* Both AustLit and AusStage are university-operated, multi-million dollar taxpayer-funded databases. The AVTA is a privately-operated resource that hasn’t cost Australian tax-payers a single cent.

* NB: AusStage also records non-Australian-written productions (or events) produced in this country, which makes it very difficult to isolate locally-written works. AustLit, on the other hand, focuses on Australian works only – albeit with some basic records identifying any international sources for Australian adaptations (these are not included in the comparison count as they can be easily identified in the database).

˚˚˚

Dr Clay Djubal would like to thank all those people who have contributed to the archive during the past 12 months. Without their help the AVTA would be much less enlightened.

He would also like to thank the 14,457 people who viewed pages on the site between 10 May 2019 and 10 May 2020. Of these 4,731 people investigated the Archive further, at an average of 3.04 pages per visit. The busiest month was August 2021, with 1,477 views and 415 visitors.

While visits from Australia were the most common during 2021/22, the AVTA was also accessed by people from the USA, Spain, the United Kingdom, Indonesia, China, New Zealand, India, Switzerland, and France.

 

Industry

Curtis Catarrh Cure

Practitioners:

George Burness • Bruce Drysdale • Drysdale & Faye • Phyllis Faye • Don Nicol • Billee Lockwood • Scott and Wallace • Sisters Phillips (Ethel and Hilda)

Theatres/Venues

Guild Hall (Sydney) • Romantique Cabaret (Brisbane)

Troupes:

Australian Entertainers • Billy Maloney’s Scandals [2] • Bruce Drysdale’s Citizen’s Concerts • California Minstrels • Christy’s Aerial Beauties • Combination Serenaders • Emerson & Wood’s Alabama Minstrels • Emerson’s Minstrels • Gaiety Vaudeville Co (Melbourne) • U.S. Minstrels [1] • U.S. Minstrels [2]

Published and Unpublished Texts: 

“Ted Holland” (poem, 1905) • “Mr Wally Edwards (poem, 1910)

Works

Farces: Barnum’s Twins (1885) • Circus Difficulties (1884) • How Do You Like It? (1884) •  Juvenile Party (1884) •  Katrina in Ireland (1884) • My Walking Photograph (1885) • Professor of Dancing (1885) • Uncle Edward’s Visit (1885) • Warm Night, A (1889) • Wanted A Nurse (1884) • Who Killed Him (1885)

Images

3 new images were also added to the AVTA during the year: Christy’s Minstrels • Wally Edwards • Billee Lockwood

 

Biographies, Film Production Notes and Research Lists (PDFs)

Practitioners/People/Companies/Troupes/Venues Bios/Industry: Ayala Champagne • Bondi Aquarium (Sydney) • Bonnington’s Irish Moss • Dr Sheldon’s • Freeman & Wallace • G.W. Hean • Harry Clay’s Theatrical Agency & Booking Office (Sydney) • Manly Chute (Sydney) • Rexona

Wally Edwards • Gilbert Emery • Ted Holland • Gerald Shaw • Gladys Shaw • Mary Connolly • Gerry Connolly • Keith Connolly • Wykeham & Preston

Mo & His Merrymakers • Snowdrop Minstrels (Rockhampton) • So and Sos [1] • So and So’s [2] • So and So’s [3] • Stanley MaKay’s Mammoth Panto Co • Stanley McKay’s No 1 Panto Co • State Entertainers • Swastika Players • Topics of 1925 • Town Topics [2] • Trilby Tourists • Verto’s Biotint & Novelty Co • Verto’s Vaudeville Co • Weston & Hussey’s Minstrels • Who’s Who Costume Revue Entertainers • World’s Entertainers [4]

Golden Gate Gardens (Sydney) • Guild Hall (Sydney)

Works

Farces: He Carries A Razor • Kiss in the Dark • Lawyer’s Clerk • Rival Artists

Research Notes

 Hamilton Continentals (Brisbane) • North’s Concerts (Melbourne) • Tivoli & Lyric Continentals (Brisbane) • Tivoli Continentals (Brisbane)

Sections/Pages

American Minstrel Show Collection • Austral Harmony • Bibliography • Concerts and Theatre Programs Collection (AWM) • Farces • Historical Insights • Hood Collection • Index 1 (People) • Index 2 (Misc) • Nat Phillips Collection – Fryer • Nat Phillips-Fryer Finding Aid • Texts: Published (Patter & Comedy Routines) • Texts: Published (Poetry, Prose & Short Stories) • Variety Timeline 1 [1800-1899] • Variety Timeline 2 [1900-2000s]

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The AVTA is another publication from

Published in: on November 15, 2022 at 5:39 am  Comments Off on Australian Variety Theatre Archive – Eleventh Year Highlights (2021-2022)  

Australian Variety Theatre Archive – Tenth Year Highlights (2020-2021)

The Australian Variety Theatre Archive (AVTA) is a research website devoted to popular culture entertainment in the Australasian region between circa 1850 and the mid-1930s. This year, 2020, marks its tenth year of publication.

The website went online on 10 May 2011, the 146th anniversary of the birth of Australian vaudeville entrepreneur Harry Clay. Since then the archive has published more than 3,200 new records. Many of these entries have also been updated since 2016.

Two projects initiated in 2016-17 were continued during past twelve months. These were:

  1. Replacing all abbreviations in PDF biographies with full citation details; and
  2. Updating and reformatting all Biograhies (PDFs) and Research Notes (PDFs), while also adding new ones. The rapidly increasing availability of digitised resources – especially the Australian National Library’s digitised newspaper service, Trove – means that the traditional researched biography can now be out of date almost as soon as it is published. The Research Notes alternative therefore provides interim historical insights.

˚˚˚

In addition to the above projects, 80 new entries were published. This involved 46 new agent entries, 28 new works entries, 1 new expanded biography, and 5 new research notes PDFs.

The new expanded biography was: Town Topics [2]

Among the other new entries are: Bobby Helpman (later Sir Robert Helpmann), Julius Grant, Frederick W. Weierter, Bailey and Grant, Robert Roberts, Edward Cahill, and Charlie Fanning’s Concert Co.

64 previously-published biographies (including research lists and chronologies), 25 theatrical works, and 7 research notes pdfs were updated and/or reformatted.

 

On 10 May 2021 the Australian Variety Theatre Archive comprised 1,554 agent entries (people, organisations, and miscellaneous industry activity); and 1,714 individual works entries (not counting revivals). To put this in perspective, that’s more than double the number of entries (up to and including 1935) currently recorded in AustLit: The Resource for Australian Literature, and at least five times as many Australian-written works identified by AusStage for the same period.* Both AustLit and AusStage are university-operated, multi-million dollar taxpayer-funded databases. The AVTA is a privately-operated resource that hasn’t cost Australian tax-payers a single cent.

* NB: AusStage also records non-Australian-written productions (or events) produced in this country, which makes it very difficult to isolate locally-written works. AustLit, on the other hand, focuses on Australian works only – albeit with some basic records identifying any international sources for Australian adaptations (these are not included in the comparison count as they can be easily identified in the database).

˚˚˚

Dr Clay Djubal would like to thank all those people who have contributed to the archive during the past 12 months. Without their help the AVTA would be much less enlightened.

He would also like to thank the 16,104 people who viewed pages on the site between 10 May 2019 and 10 May 2020. Of these 5,725 people investigated the Archive further, at an average of 2.85 pages per person. The busiest month was May 2020, with 2,190 views and 741 visitors.

While visits from Australia were the most common during 2020/21, the AVTA was also accessed by people from the USA, the UK, New Zealand, China, Canada, Switzerland, Germany, and Austria.

 

Entrepreneurs

P.A Howells

Historical Insights

“Memories of Perth’s Early Vaudeville” (1937) • “Vaudeville in England and Australia” (1926)

Industry

Jack Fanning • Julius Grant • William O’Sullivan

International Tourists

Harney & Haynes • Arthur Tinsley

Music Directors & Composers

William Butland • Frederick W. Weierter

Organisations and Partnerships

Bailey & Grant

Practitioners:

Edward Cahill • George P. Carey • Bobby Helpman • Louise Larson • Lee White & Clay Smith • Billee Lockwood • James Martin • Robert Roberts • Frank Stevens •  Tracey & Adson • Tracey & Stevens

Theatres/Venues

Arcadia Theatre (Lewisham, Sydney)

Troupes:

Alf Lawton’s All Nations Co • Town Topics [2] • Charlie Fanning’s Concert Co • Dan Tracey’s Vaudeville, Minstrel & Specialty Co • So & So’s [4] • Tracey & Adson’s Vaudeville, Comedy & Specialty Co • World’s Star Gaiety Co Ye • Olde Englyshe Fayre Co (WA, 1896/97)

Works

Farces:  Arrival of the California Mail • The Awkward Squad • Brown’s Clothes • Burnt Alive • Communication • Domestic Felicity • A Husband in a Fix • The Little Madcap • The Mischievous Nigger • Nan the No Good • A Night in a Coffee Palace • Patients • P.M. For a Day •  The Rifle Brigade • Sim Dipsey’s Arrival • The Tailor of Tamworth • Turning Head • Turning the Tables • Two Jim Crows • What Time Do You Have Lunch?

Published and Unpublished Texts: Billy Gifford (poem, 1912) • “Essie Clay” (poem, 1910) • “Jack Campbell” (poem, 1912) • “Julius Grant” (poem, 1907) • “Late John F. Sheridan, The” (poem, 1909) • “Our Libel Action: Comedian v Journalist (prose, 1913) • [Tis not so long since certain sages wrote…] (Garnet Walch poem, 1887) • “Wail from Fremamntle, A” (poem, 1898)

Research Notes (PDFs)

Julius Grant • Bobby Helpman • Theatre Royal, Coolgardie (WA) • Topics of 1925

Photographs

38 new photographs were also added to the AVTA during the year: Arthur Adams • Arthur Aldridge • Bailey & Grant (incl. Edmund Duggan) • Elton Black • Bill Butland • G.P. Carey • Victor Champion • The Chasers • Cremorne Theatre (Brisbane) • Essie Clay • Jack Fanning • Julius Grant • Bobby Helpman • Francis Hart • P.A. Howells • George A. Jones • Glanmore Jones • Sam Keenan • Alec Kellaway • Jack Kellaway • Sylvia Kellaway • Lee White & Clay Smith • Claire Lloyd • Billee Lockwood • Albert McKisson • Robert McLeish • Billy Maloney • Durham Marcel • Johnny Matlock • D.B. O’Connor • Robert Roberts • Vic Roberts • Ida Tauchert • Town Topics [1] • Town Topics [2] • Lou Weichard

 

Biographies, Film Production Notes and Research Lists (PDFs)

Practitioners/People/Companies/Troupes/Venues Bios/Industry: Arthur H. Adams • Arthur Aldridge • Apollo Music Hall [2] (Melbourne) • Arcadia Theatre [2] (St Kilda) •Tom Armstrong • Oscar Asche • J.C. Bancks • Elton Black • Fred Bluett • Grosvenor Bunster • The Chasers • Marcus Clarke • Harley Cohen • Walter H. Cooper • W.J. Curtis • Gallipoli Strollers [1] • Francis Hart • Jack Landow • Eva Lee • W.J. Lincoln • J.A. Lipman • Frank Reis • Town Topics [1] • Dan Tracey • Trilby Tourists • James H. White

Research Lists: AVTA Farce List (Genres) • Bibliography • Index 1 • Index 2 • International Tourists Index • Legitimate Music Theatre Index • Legitimate Music Theatre [1900-1935] • Works Index

Works Chronologies: 1833 • 1840 • 1841 • 1842 • 1843 • 1844 • 1845 • 1846 • 1847 • 1848 • 1849 1860 • 1861 • 1862 • 1863 • 1864 • 1865 • 1866 • 1867 • 1868 • 1869 • 1872

Works

Farces: Back Box Justice • Bloodless Duel • Casey the Fiddler • Dissection • A Dreadful Tragedy • Fracas • Hard to Kill • He Carries a Razor Rehearsal • He is Dead • He’s Dead. Who? • He Would be an Actor • Hurrah for Casey • I’ll Get You Something • The Indian Chief • Jack Sheppard Outdone • McGowan the Millionaire • Married Bliss • Oysters • Rehearsal • The Russian Count •  Thompson’s Dead • Un Coup Rasoir • The Untamed Savage

Variety: Don Juan (1948) • King Crispen (1847)

Research Notes

Beauford Merrymakers • Hussey, Kelly & Holly’s Celebrated Comedians • Kenna’s Empire Minstrels • Eva Lee • Robert McLeish • Billy Maloney • Frank Weston

Sections & Pages

Film & Vaudeville • Historical Insights • International Tourists: T

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The AVTA is another publication from

Published in: on June 11, 2021 at 5:26 am  Comments Off on Australian Variety Theatre Archive – Tenth Year Highlights (2020-2021)  

Australian Variety Theatre Archive Turns 10 Today: 10 May 2021

The Australian Variety Theatre Archive (AVTA) is a research website devoted to popular culture entertainment in the Australasian region between circa 1850 and the mid-1930s. Today, 10 May 2021 marks its tenth year of publication.

Coming soon: What happened in the AVTA over the previous 12 months. Here are some hints:

In no particular order:

Bobbie Helpman (later Sir Robert Helpmann) • Essie ClayJulius GrantIda Tauchert (aka Ida Kearns) • Johnny MatlockD.B. O’Connor

Stay tuned.

 

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The AVTA is another publication from

Published in: on May 10, 2021 at 2:37 am  Comments Off on Australian Variety Theatre Archive Turns 10 Today: 10 May 2021  

Australian Variety Theatre Archive – Ninth Year Highlights (2019-2020)

The Australian Variety Theatre Archive (AVTA) is a research website devoted to popular culture entertainment in the Australasian region between circa 1850 and the mid-1930s. This year, 2020, marks its ninth year of publication.

The website went online on 10 May 2011, the 146th anniversary of the birth of Australian vaudeville entrepreneur Harry Clay. Since then the archive has published more than 3,000 new records. Many of these entries have also been updated since 2016.

Two projects initiated in 2016-17 were continued during past twelve months. These were:

  1. Replacing all abbreviations in PDF biographies with full citation details; and
  2. Updating and reformatting all Biograhies (PDFs) and Research Notes (PDFs), while also adding new ones. The rapidly increasing availability of digitised resources – especially the Australian National Library’s digitised newspaper service, Trove – means that the traditional researched biography can now be out of date almost as soon as it is published. The Research Notes alternative therefore provides interim historical insights.

˚˚˚

In addition to the above projects, 114 new entries were also published. This involved 57 new agent entries, 28 new works entries, 9 new sections, 3 new expanded biographies, and 17 new research notes PDFs.

The three new expanded biographies are: Dudley GlassProf. Louis HaselmayerMoore Park Sandhills (Sydney).

Among the other new entries are Alf Latell (international tourist), Cass Mahomet (the “Indian Digger”), Will Wynand, Lulu Eugene, Marshall Palmer, Pierrot Entertainers, as well as nine Brisbane venues (mostly from the Northern Suburbs), and four Digger troupes.

62 previously-published biographies (including research lists and chronologies), 6 theatrical works, and 5 research notes pdfs were updated and/or reformatted.

On 10 May 2020 the Australian Variety Theatre Archive comprised 1,508 agent entries (people, organisations, and miscellaneous industry activity); and 1,686 individual works entries (not counting revivals). To put this in perspective, that’s more than double the number of entries (up to and including 1935) currently recorded in AustLit: The Resource for Australian Literature, and at least five times as many Australian-written works identified by AusStage for the same period.* Both AustLit and AusStage are university-operated, multi-million dollar taxpayer-funded databases. The AVTA is a privately-operated resource that hasn’t cost Australian tax-payers a single cent.

* NB: AusStage also records non-Australian-written productions (or events) produced in this country, which makes it very difficult to isolate locally-written works. AustLit, on the other hand, focuses on Australian works only – albeit with some basic records identifying any international sources for Australian adaptations (these are not included in the comparison count as they can be easily identified in the database).

˚˚˚

Dr Clay Djubal would like to thank all those people who have contributed to the archive during the past 12 months. Without their help the AVTA would be much less enlightened.

He would also like to thank the 16,804 people who viewed pages on the site between 10 May 2019 and 10 May 2020. Of these 5,764 people investigated the Archive further, at an average of 2.91 pages per person. The busiest month was September 2019 with 1,792 views and 545 visitors.

The AVTA was accessed by people from almost every country on the planet (notably absent was South America, Greenland, and some countries from the African and the Middle-Eastern regions). While Australia was naturally the dominant place of origin for these visitors, significant numbers of people also looked at the site from the USA, UK, New Zealand, Ireland, China, Canada, Spain, and Indonesia.

Pierrot Entertainers (Genres) • Regional Queensland: A Brief History

Entrepreneurs

Walter Fuller • Alex Gunn • Bossie Martoo • John Washington Smith

Genres

Pierrot Entertainers • Harry Primrose’s London Pierrots • Wyn Leslie’s Pierrots

Historical Insights

“Stray Leaves from the Diary of a Showman” (J.W. Smith)

Industry

Continentals • Prof. G.W. Gibson • Moore Park Sandhills • S.S. Decoy (Perth) • Tivoli Continentals (Brisbane) • Tivoli & Lyric Continentals (Brisbane)

International Tourists

Alf Latell

Music Directors & Composers

Dudley Glass

Organisations and Partnerships

John Fuller & Sons • Alex Gunn & Sons

Practitioners:

Lulu Eugene • Prof. Louis Haselmayer • Eva Lee • Billy Kershaw • Wyn Leslie • [Thomas] Lesso • Lesso & Rexo Cass Mahomet • Eileen & Gwen Moloney • Peggy Mortimer • Marshall Palmer • Harry Primrose • Rexo [2] • Theodore • Will Wynand

Theatres/Venues

Albion Public Hall (Brisbane) • Arcadia Theatre [2] (Ascot, Brisbane) • Crystal Palace Theatre (Windsor, Brisbane) • Elite Picture Gardens (Ascot, Brisbane) • Elite Picture Gardens (Wooloowin, Brisbane) • Great Varieties Hall (Coolgardie) • Hamilton Band Stand (Brisbane) • Hollywood Theatre (Greenslopes, Brisbane) • Martoo’s Grounds (Ipswich) • Martoo’s Olympia (Ipswich) • Royal Picture Theatre (Wooloowin, Brisbane) • Star Theatre (Kalinga, Brisbane) • Theatre Royal (Coolgardie) • Tivoli Gardens [3] (Hamilton, Brisbane)

Towns & States

Wanderer: A Winter Tour Through Queensland series (in Theatres & Venues: Regional Queensland page)

Troupes:

Digger Troupes: The Boomerangs • The Gum Leaves • Y.M.C.A. Returned Soldiers’ Concert Party [1] • Y.M.C.A. Returned Soldiers’ Concert Party [2]

Other: American Vaudeville Co • London Vaudeville Stars • Lynch Family Bellringers • Southern Cross Comedy Co

Works

Variety: Aladdin; Or, The Wonderful Lamp (1906) • Aladdin and His Wonderful Lamp (1909) • Ali Baba; Or, The Forty Thieves (1904) • Cinderella (1909) • Don Juan; Or, The Spectre on Horseback (1841) • Don Juan; Or, The Spectre on Horseback (1848) • The Fairy Queen; Or, The Charmed Arrow (1842) •  Fiend of the Wave; Or Harlequin and the Fairy of the Coral Rock (1844) • Harlequin and Little Bo-Peep; Or, The Old Woman Who Lived in a Shoe (1844) • Harlequin and the Fairy of the Lake (1844) • Harlequin and the Fairy of the Silver Star (1844) • Harlequin Turned Bumpkin; Or, The Village Ghost (1841) • The Lottery Ticket (1905) • The Magic Mirror; Or, The Hall of Statues (1844) • The Magic Wand; Or, The Genii of the Ring (1842) • Old King Cole and His Fiddlers Three (1847) • Robinson Crusoe; Or, Harlequin and the Frozen Regions (1843) • Robinson Crusoe; Or, The Bold Buccaneers (1843) • Sinbad the Sailor (1908) • Sparklets (1904)

 Published and Unpublished Texts: [Anet Samuels’ sandwich] (Charlie Vaude poem) • “Another Confession”  / “Forgiveness – For the Strollers” (poems) •  “Billy Gifford (An Old-time Advance Agent)” (poem) • “Early Bioscope Days in Victoria” (A.H. Gunn, 1926) • “Jack Kearns (The Well-known Vaudeville Comedian)” (poem) • [The rowdy dowdy club…] (anon poem) • “A Wasted Life” (Tom Armstrong, poem) • “Wise, Wise, Wise” (Harry Ross – lyrics)

Research Notes (PDFs)

Arcadia Theatre (Ascot, Brisbane) • Cheer-Oh Girls • Crystal Palace Theatre (Windsor, Brisbane) • Prof. G.W. Gibson • Eva Lee • Hamilton Continentals • Hamilton Band Stand (Brisbane) • Harry Primrose’s London Pierrots • Cass Mahomet • S.S. Decoy (Perth) • Star Theatre (Kalinga, Brisbane) • Bella Sutherland • Tivoli Continentals (Brisbane) • Tivoli & Lyric Continentals (Brisbane) • Tivoli Gardens & Theatre [1] (Hamilton, Brisbane) • Tivoli Gardens & Theatre [2] (Hamilton, Brisbane) • Wyn Leslie’s Pierrots

New Sections & Pages

Pierrot Entertainers (Genres) • Regional Queensland: A Brief History

Biographies, Film Production Notes and Research Lists (PDFs)

Practitioners/People/Companies/Troupes/Venues Bios/Industry: Steve Adson • W.M. Akhurst • Anzac Coves • Tom Armstrong • Australian Flying Corps Concert Party • Australasian Sketcher • Australian Variety • Fred Bluett • The Chasers • Maurice Chenoweth • Harley Cohen • Coo-ees • Everyone’s • Famous Diggers • John Fuller Snr • Fuller News • Gallipoli Strollers [1] • Bert Gilbert • Gum Leaves • International Tourists [W] • Kookaburras • W.J. Lincoln • J.A. Lipman • Lorgnette • Mechanics’ Institutes • Morris & Wilson • Alf ‘Redhead’ Wilson • Rege Robins • “Reminiscences of the Stage” (Valentine Day series) • Sentimental Blokes • Smart Set Diggers • Stage Lights • Sunbeam Panto Children • Sunshine Kiddies • Theatre Magazine • Tivoli Gardens, Hamilton (Brisbane) • Claude E. Webb • Weston & La Feuillade’s Minstrels

Research Lists: Bibliography •  Index 1 • Index 2

Works Chronologies: 1833 • 1840 • 1841 • 1842 • 1843 • 1844 • 1845 • 1846 • 1847 • 1848 • 1849 • 1900 • 1901 • 1902 • 1903 • 1904 • 1905 • 1906 • 1907 • 1908 • 1909

Works

Alice in Wonderland (1906) • The Fun Doctor (1905) • Little Red Riding Hood (1903) • Puss in Boots (1900) • Robinson Crusoe (1901) • Sinbad the Sailor (1904)

Research Notes

W.G. Alma •  Graphic of Australia  • Hamilton Bandstand (Brisbane) • Robert McLeish • Tivoli & Lyric Continentals

Sections & Pages

Australian Legitimate Music Theatre: 1840-1899 • Australian Legitimate Music Theatre: 1900-1935 • Historical Insights •  Media (Industry 2) • Music Publishers • Poetry, Prose and Short Stories [published] • Socio-Cultural Factors • Variety Timeline 1: 1840-1899 • Variety Timeline 2: 1900-1999 • Yakkas

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The AVTA is another publication from

Published in: on May 25, 2020 at 3:00 am  Comments Off on Australian Variety Theatre Archive – Ninth Year Highlights (2019-2020)  

“The Prince of Prestidigitators”: Prof. Louis Haselmayer

The Australian Variety Theatre Archive proudly presents…

a new biography of Austrian magician

Louis Haslemayer

Haslemayer, Louis - SLV

(1839-1885) Austrian-born magician, musician, necromancer, composer, animal and bird trainer, businessman, author.

Louis Haslemayer may not be remembered today as one of the great magicians of the nineteenth century, but audiences who saw him during his extensive international travels between 1865 and 1885 were left with no doubt that he was a prestidigitator of unparalleled inventiveness. As one Australian critic records in 1880: “Professor Haselmayer’s… entertainment throughout is really an illustration of science in so pleasant a garb that, under the idea of amusement, we are insensibly beguiled into obtaining knowledge.” Haselmeyer mounted his own tours through Australasia (1872-1875 and 1880-1882) and, unusually, spent much time in regional areas. He died in Vienna aged only 46 from complications that arose after having contracted malaria while in India in 1884.

Image: Courtesy of the W.G. Alma Collection, State Library of Victoria.

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Click below to go to the AVTA page containing the Professor’s biography.

<<Take me to Louis Haselmayer>>

Published in: on September 2, 2019 at 12:45 am  Comments Off on “The Prince of Prestidigitators”: Prof. Louis Haselmayer  

Australian Variety Theatre Archive – Eighth Year Highlights (2018-2019)

The Australian Variety Theatre Archive (AVTA) is a research website devoted to popular culture entertainment in the Australasian region between circa 1850 and the mid-1930s. This year, 2019, marks its eighth year of publication.

The website went online on 10 May 2011, the 146th anniversary of the birth of Australian vaudeville entrepreneur Harry Clay. Since then the archive has published more than 3,000 new records. Many entries have also been updated.

Two projects initiated in 2016-17 were continued during past twelve months. These were:

  1. Replacing all abbreviations in PDF biographies with full citation details; and
  2. Updating and reformatting all Biograhies (PDFs) and Research Notes (PDFs), while also adding new ones. The rapidly increasing availability of digitised resources – especially the Australian National Library’s digitised newspaper service, Trove – means that the traditional researched biography can now be out of date almost as soon as it is published. The Research Notes alternative therefore provides interim historical insights.

˚˚˚

In addition to the above projects, 32 new entries were also published. This involved twenty-five new agent entries, four new works entries, one new section, and two new Research Notes PDFs. Seventy-five biographies were updated and expanded, too. Among them are: George Wallace, W.H. Bent, Arthur Aldridge, Lawrence Campbell, Albert and Maude Bletsoe, Lester Brown and E.J. Carroll. Two previously published research notes pdfs were updated and/or reformatted.

On 10 May 2019 the Australian Variety Theatre Archive comprised 1,451 agent entries (people, organisations, and miscellaneous industry activity); and 1,658 individual works entries (not counting revivals). To put this in perspective, that’s more than double the number of entries (up to and including 1935) currently recorded in AustLit: The Resource for Australian Literature, and at least five times as many Australian-written works identified by AusStage for the same period.* Both AustLit and AusStage are university-operated, multi-million dollar taxpayer-funded databases. The AVTA is a privately-operated resource that hasn’t cost Australian tax-payers a single cent.

* NB: AusStage also records non-Australian-written productions (or events) produced in this country, which makes it very difficult to isolate locally-written works. AustLit, on the other hand, focuses on Australian works only – albeit with some basic records identifying any international sources for Australian adaptations (these are not included in the comparison count as they can be easily identified in the database).

˚˚˚

Dr Clay Djubal would like to thank all those people who have contributed to the archive during the past 12 months. Without their help the AVTA would be much less enlightened.

He would also like to thank the 18,534 people who viewed pages on the site between 10 May 2018 and 10 May 2019. Of these 6,280 people investigated the Archive further, at an average of 2.99 pages per person. The busiest month was June 2018 with 2,239 views and  782 visitors.

The AVTA was accessed by people from almost every country on the planet (notably absent were China, and some countries from the African and the Middle-Eastern regions). While Australia was naturally the dominant place of origin for these visitors, significant numbers of people also looked at the site from the USA, UK, New Zealand, France, Canada, Indonesia and Germany.

Public Halls • Warwick [Queensland Theatres]

Entrepreneurs

Barnett Levey

Industry

Masonic Halls

Organisations and Partnerships

Hisocks & Wilson • Wilson & Majeroni

Practitioners:

G.W. Desmond • Leslie Dix • Little Gulliver • Albert McKisson • Amy Rowe • Tubby Stevens

Scenic Artists

George Gordon

Theatres/Venues

C.Y.M.S. Hall (Warwick) • Hibernian Hall/Masonic Hall [2] (Warwick) • His Majesty’s Theatre (Warwick) • Masonic Hall [1] (Warwick) • Masonic Hall [3] (Warwick) • Olympia (Warwick) • The Stadium (Warwick) • Warwick Town Hall [2] • Warwick Town Hall [3]

Troupes:

English Glee and Burlesque Opera Co • Harry Borradale’s Sparklers • Trump Cards Revue Co  • Tubby Stevens’ Tit-Bits Revue Co

Works

Variety: Babes in the Wood (1892) • Cinderella (1931) • Robinson Crusoe (1897) • Stupid (1932)

 

Updated Biographies, Film Production Notes and Research Lists (PDFs)

Steve Adson • W.M. Akhurst • Arthur Aldridge • Anzac Coves • Verna Bain • S.S. Baldwin • Harry Barrington • Ike Beck • Syd Beck • James Bell • Madame Bell • W.H. Bent • Elton Black • The Bletsoes • Bletsoe’s Tabloid Musical Comedy Co • Fred Bluett • Harry Borradale • Bovis Bros • Martin C. Brennan • Lester Brown • Lawrence Campbell • Les Cannis • E.J. Carroll • Cheer-Oh Girls • N.H. Connolly • Claude Dampier • William Edgeley • Ted Gabriel • Alexander Habbe • G.W. Hean • Dick Heaney • Andy Kerr • Frank Levy • John Little • Harold T. Morgan • George Wallace

Fads & Fashion: Dance • Fads & Fashion: Flappers • Fads & Fashion: Physical Culture & Sports Crazes • Fads & Fashion: Technology

International Tourists: A • International Tourists: B • International Tourists: C • International Tourists: D • International Tourists: F • International Tourists: H • International Tourists: IJ • International Tourists: K • International Tourists: L • International Tourists: P • International Tourists: R • International Tourists: S • International Tourists: T • International Tourists: W

About • Site Map • Timeline 1 [1800-1899] • Timeline 2 [1900-1999] • Index 1 • Index 2

1890 • 1891 • 1892 • 1893 • 1894 • 1895 • 1896 • 1897 • 1898 • 1898 • 1899 1930 • 1931 • 1932 • 1933 • 1934 • 1935

Works Index

New Research Notes (PDFs)

  • New York Serenaders [1] • Olympia (Rockhampton, Qld)

Updated Research Notes

Golden Gate Gardens (Sydney) • Mechanics Institutes

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The AVTA is another publication from

Published in: on July 2, 2019 at 3:11 am  Comments Off on Australian Variety Theatre Archive – Eighth Year Highlights (2018-2019)  

Australian Variety Theatre Archive – Seventh Year Highlights (2017-2018)

The Australian Variety Theatre Archive (AVTA) is a research website devoted to popular culture entertainment in the Australasian region between circa 1850 and the mid-1930s. This year, 2018, marks its seventh year of publication.

The website went online on 10 May 2011, the 146th anniversary of the birth of Australian vaudeville entrepreneur Harry Clay. Since then the archive has published more than 3,000 new records. Many entries have also been updated.

Two projects initiated in 2016-17 were continued during past twelve months. These were:

  1. Replacing all abbreviations in PDF biographies with full citation details; and
  2. Updating and reformatting all Biograhies (PDFs) and Research Notes (PDFs), while also adding new ones. The rapidly increasing availability of digitised resources – especially the Australian National Library’s digitised newspaper service, Trove – means that the traditional researched biography can now be out of date almost as soon as it is published. The Research Notes alternative therefore provides interim historical insights.

˚˚˚

In addition to the above projects, 122 new entries were also added. This involved 60 new agent entries, 62 new works entries, and  2 new sections. All previously published research notes pdfs (55) were updated and/or reformatted. 8 new Research Notes PDFs were also published. Several biographies were updated and expanded, too, – notably Fred Bluett and Ella Airlie.

On 10 May 2018 the Australian Variety Theatre Archive comprised 1,426 agent entries (people, organisations, and miscellaneous industry activity); and 1,654 individual works entries (not counting revivals). To put this in perspective, that’s more than double the number of entries (up to and including 1935) currently recorded in AustLit: The Resource for Australian Literature, and at least five times as many Australian-written works identified by AusStage for the same period.* Both AustLit and AusStage are university-operated, multi-million dollar taxpayer-funded databases. The AVTA is a privately-operated resource that hasn’t cost Australian tax-payers a single cent.

* NB: AusStage also records non-Australian-written productions (or events) produced in this country, which makes it very difficult to isolate locally-written works. AustLit, on the other hand, focuses on Australian works  only – albeit with some basic records identifying any international sources for Australian adaptations (these are not included in the comparison count as they can be easily identified in the database).

 ˚˚˚

Dr Clay Djubal would like to thank all those people who have contributed to the archive during the past 12 months. Without their help the AVTA would be much less enlightened.

He would also like to thank the 22,606 people who visited the site between 10 May 2017 and 10 May 2018 (another new record). Of these 7,917 people investigated the Archive further, at an average of 2.62 pages per person. The busiest month was July 2017 with 2,271 visitors.

The AVTA was accessed by people from almost every country on the planet (notably absent were China, and some countries from the African and the Middle-Eastern regions). While Australia was naturally the dominant place of origin for these visitors, significant numbers of people also looked at the site from the USA, UK, New Zealand, France, Canada, Indonesia and Germany.

 

Radio & Variety • World War I

Film and Vaudeville

British Biograph Co [1] • Williamson’s Bio-Tableau

Industry

Charlie Vaude’s Sporting Globe Series • Laurence Halbert • Tom Liddiard

International Tourists

Mel B. Spurr

Organisations and Partnerships

Birch, Carroll & Coyle • Brooks Amusement Co

Practitioners:

Bluett & Mo • Louis Braham • Peter Brooks • Maggie Buckley • Tommy Clyde • Dinks & Trixie • Rus Garling • Reg Harrison • Minnie Hope • Josie Johnson • Ada Juneen • Claire Lloyd • Fred Monument • Cyril Northcote • Seyffer Twins • Elvie Stagpoole • The Sundowners • Will Watkins

 Practitioners: Other

Len Budrick

Radio & Variety

Four Bright Spirits • The Futurists • Harry Graham’s Snapshots • Radio Revellers •  Wal Rockley’s Old Time Minstrels

Revusical Ballets and Chorus’

Paul Stanhope Revue Co

Stage Characters

Billo and His Little Bit of Fluff

Theatres/Venues

Astley’s Amphitheatre (Melb) • Empire Theatre (Brunswick, Melb) • Opera House [2] (Melb) • Princess Theatre [1] (Melb) • Tivoli Theatre [2] (Sydney)

Troupes:

Ada Juneen’s English Burlesque & Comedy Co • Brooklyn Entertainers • Dandies of 1923 • The Follies [Hobart, 1920-1921] • Futurists [1] • Futurists [2] • Harry Ross Revue Co • Josie Johnson’s Pantomime Co • Josie Johnson Wonder Kids • Kelly and Leon’s Comedy Opera Co • Leon & Cushman’s Minstrels • Liddiard’s Lilliputians • Luxor Smilers • Merry Mascottes • Punchinellos [1] • Punchinellos [2] • The Radios • So and So’s [2] • Tait’s Variety Entertainers • Vaudeville Specialty Union

Works

Variety: The Bag (1926) • Bric-a-Brac (1919) • Count Ivanitch (1926) • Dixie Maid (1927) • The Doll-Makers (1923) • Explosions (1928)  • Here and Hereafter (1923) • Hoity Toity (1928) • In or Out (1920) • Mixed Bathers (1928) • Pot Pourri (1928) • Revueland (1923) • School Days (1919) • The Silver Slipper (1920) • Snip Snaps (1928) • Special Mixtures (1928) • The Spring of Gladness (1923) • Star Shells (1927) • Tip Top (1920) • Tumble Inn (1919) • 25 Whizz-Bangs (1927) • Vanity Fair (1919) • Yes and No (1920)

Film & Vaudeville: The Adventures of Algy (1925) • [Alfred Cunningham] • [Australian Talkie Shorts] • [The Dartos] (1901) • Getting Through (1929) • [Honi Soit – Five Minute Movie] • Hullo Marmaduke (1924) • [Jack Cannot] • Lindsay Kemble (1915) • Nice Goings on at Henley Beach (1914) • Percy Gets a Job (1912) • Percy’s First Holiday (1914) • Show Girl’s Luck (1931)

Radio & Variety: At the Farmer’s Ball (1927) • At the Old Bush Camp (1929) • Billy Maloney & His Scandals (1924) • Four Bright SpiritsThe Futurists (1927) • Harry Graham’s Snapshots (1928) • [Humphrey Bishop Revue] (1929) • Midnight at Maxim’s (1930) • [Mirth Quakers Revue] (1929) • Modern Costume Comedy (1930) • Now and Then: Sidelights on Old Sydney (1930) • Radio Revellers (1927) • Sundowners Radio Revue (1927) • [Sunshine Comedy Co Revue] (1930) • [Sydney Operatic Society Revue] (1929) • [untitled revue] 1930 • Wal Rockley’s Old-Time Minstrels (1930)

 Published and Unpublished Texts: “Forgiveness” (n/e) • “Miss Nellie Stewart…” (Finn, 1908) • “Mr Bill Noble…” (anon, 1913) • “Mr Harold Ashton (anon, 1912) • “Mr Tom Liddiard…” (anon, 1911) • “Pretty Pictures: Jack Campbell. (Of the Newtown Hippodrome)” (anon, 1912) • “Soldier Boy” (Phillips, 1918″) • “Sydney — Ninety-Nine” (Farrelly, 1940) • “Twenty Years Ago” (Bluett, 1920)

New Biographies (PDFs)

[Australian Talkie Shorts] (1929) • Getting Through (1929) • [Honi Soit Five Minute Movie] (1918) • Lindsay Kemp (1915) • So and So’s [1]

Updated Bios, Film Production Notes and Research Lists [rl] (PDFs)

A.R. Abbott • Adventures of Algy (1925) • An Interrupted Divorce (1917) • Ella Airlie • Fred Bluett • Jimmy Boyle • Jack Campbell • Charlie at the Sydney Show (1916) • Charlie Vaude Sporting Globe Series (1939-1940) • Cinesound Varieties (1934) • Diggers (1931) • Diggers in Blighty (1933) • Efftee Entertainers (1931-33) • Films Featuring Variety Practitioners [rl] • Alexander Habbe • Harmony Row (1934) • Hello Marmaduke (1924) • His Royal Highness (1934) • William Kinchela • Dot Mendoza • Oh What a Night (1932) • Show Business (1938) • Strike Me Lucky (1934) • Tivoli Celebrity Vaudeville • Variety Practitioners in Film [rl] • Fred C. Whaite • Who’s Who Costume Revue Entertainers

New Research Notes (PDFs)

A.E. Balnaves • Bluett & Mo • Len Budrick • Fred Monument • Nightingale Serenaders [1] • Punchinellos [1] • Punchinellos [2] • So and So’s [2] • So and So’s [3] • Reg Stoneham

Updated Research Notes

W.G. Alma • Alma’s All-Star Co • Apollo Hall (Melb) • Australasian Publicity Bureau • Mona Barlee • Bert Ralton & His Havana Band • George H. Birch • Oswald Bishop • Blondonette Lady Minstrels • British Bioscope Company • May Brooke • Frank Cane • Myra Carden • Billie Carlyle • Gilbert Emery • H. Florack • George Gibbons • Golden Gate Gardens (Syd) • Ben Goodson • Goodson Brothers • Nat Hanley • Charlie Horton • Frank Hussey • Joe Slater Publishing • Richard Kenna • Stanley A. Kilminster • Marie La Varre • Hal Lashwood • Tom Liddiard • Vaibin Louis • Robert McLeish • Lottie’s Royal Magnet Troupe • Lyceum Pictures • Eric Masters • Dot Mendoza • Fred Monument • Nightingale Serenaders • Cyril Northcote • Northcote Theatre (Melb) • North’s Concerts (Melb) • Lang Page •  “Banjo” Patterson • Prince of Wales Theatre [1] (Melb) • Punchinellos [1] • Punchinellos [2] • The Racoons • Joe Slater • Stampini • State Entertainers • Swastika Players • J. Harding Tucker • Frank Weston • Weston & Hussey’s Minstrels

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The AVTA is another publication from

Published in: on May 27, 2018 at 12:35 am  Comments Off on Australian Variety Theatre Archive – Seventh Year Highlights (2017-2018)  

Ike Delavale “The Assassin of Sorrow”

The Australian Variety Theatre Archive proudly presents…

a newly revised and updated biography of Australian comedian

IKE DELAVALE

Also known as Ernie Vockler, “Australia’s Charlie Chaplin of Vaudeville,” and Charles Delavale (of Delavale Brothers fame)

 

 

(1897-1968) Eccentric dancer, comedian, Charlie-Chaplin impersonator, actor, producer, writer, and manager.

Melbourne-born vaudevillian Ernest Charles Vockler carved out an extraordinarily-long career between ca. 1911 (as a juvenile comedian and dancer) and at least the mid-1950s  He found initial success in the 1910s as a Chaplin impersonator before firmly establishing himself as one of the country’s leading entertainers in two popular partnerships – the Delavale Brothers, and Delavale and Stagpoole. Known as “Ike” Delavale from 1923 onwards, he managed his own revue company during the 1920s and 1930s, and had toured for many years with soprano Maggie Buckley (1930-1940s). This later partnership also coincided with his new billing –  the “Assassin of Sorrow.”

Highly regarded as a revusical writer/director, troupe manager/proprietor, and radio celebrity, Delavale worked for most of the big Australian-based firms and had long associations with Harry Clay, Fullers’ Theatres, Les Shipp, Stanley McKay, and Bruce Carroll (Perth). He also toured New Zealand twice with the Delavale Brothers (1917 and 1919) and twice with Stanley McKay’s Gaieties (1935 and 1936).

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Click below to go to the AVTA page containing Ike’s biography.

<<Take me to Ike Delavale>>

Australian Variety Theatre Archive – Sixth Year Highlights (2016-2017)

The Australian Variety Theatre Archive (AVTA) is a research website devoted to popular culture entertainment in the Australasian region between circa 1850 and the mid-1930s. This year, 2017, marks its sixth year of publication.

The website went online on 10 May 2011, the 146th anniversary of the birth of Australian vaudeville entrepreneur Harry Clay. Since then the archive has published almost 3,000 new records. Many of these entries have also been updated.

 

Two priority projects were undertaken during the past twelve months to improve the AVTA. These have been completed.

  1. The hyperlinking of all people, troupes, and organisations mentioned in any online pages to their respective entries within the AVTA. Adding hyperlinks is now standard practice whenever a new entry is published.
  2. Replacing abbreviations for all references and citations to all PDFs published in the Works section (1840 to 1935), and adding hyperlinks to any newspaper reference digitised by the National Library of Australia (Trove). This is also now standard practice whenever a new production is added to any Works PDF.

Two additional projects initiated during the past 12 months will continue to be addressed over the 2017/2018 period.

  1. Replacing all abbreviations in PDF biographies with full citation details; and
  2. Creating more Research Notes PDFs. The rapidly increasing availability of digitised resources – especially the Australian National Library’s digitised newspaper service, Trove – means that the traditional researched biography can now be out of date almost as soon as it is published. The Research Notes alternative therefore provides interim historical insights.

˚˚˚

In addition to the above projects 170 new entries were also added. This involved 116 new agent entries and 54 new works entries. 9 new sections and 7 new Research Notes PDFs were also published. Several biographies were updated and expanded, too, – notably those connected to Ike Delavale.

On 10 May 2017 the Australian Variety Theatre Archive comprised 1,366 agent entries (people, organisations, and miscellaneous industry activity); and 1,592 individual works entries (not counting revivals). To put this in perspective, that’s more than double the number of entries (up to and including 1935) currently recorded in AustLit: The Resource for Australian Literature, and at least five times as many Australian-written works identified by AusStage for the same period.* Both AustLit and AusStage are university-operated, multi-million dollar taxpayer-funded databases. The AVTA is a privately-operated resource that hasn’t cost Australian tax-payers a single cent.

* NB: AusStage also records non-Australian-written productions (or events) produced in this country, which makes it very difficult to isolate locally-written works. AustLit, on the other hand, focuses on Australian works  only – albeit with some basic records identifying any international sources for Australian adaptations (these are not included in the comparison count as they can be easily identified in the database).

 ˚˚˚

Dr Clay Djubal would like to thank all those people who have contributed to the archive during the past 12 months. Without their help the AVTA would be much less enlightened.

He would also like to thank the 21,292 people who visited the site between 10 May 2016 and 10 May 2017 (a new record). Of these 7,425 people investigated the Archive further, at an average of 2.86 pages per person. The busiest month was April 2017 with 2,537 visitors.

The AVTA was accessed by people from almost every country on the planet (notably absent were some countries from the African and the Middle-Eastern regions). While Australia was naturally the dominant place of origin for these visitors, significant numbers of people also looked at the site from the USA, UK, New Zealand, France, Canada, Indonesia and Germany.

 

Adelaide • Brisbane • Darwin • Hobart/Launceston • Melbourne • Northern Territory • Perth • Sydney (Theatres/venues pages) and Historical Insights

Entrepreneurs:

Sidney Cook

Film and Vaudeville

An Interrupted Divorce • Charlie at the Sydney Show

Industry

Don Pictures (Darwin) • Lashwood & White Theatrical Agency • Lew Parks

Music Directors/Composers

Variety: H. Florack • Other: Oswald Anderson • John M. Dunn • George English • George English Jnr • C. W. MacCarthy • Isaac Nathan • W. Arundel Orchard • Hubert Russell

Organisations and Partnerships

Cole’s Variety’s • Cook’s Pictures • Kelly & Leon • Sadler & Kearns • Williamson & Musgrove

Practitioners:

Variety: Australian Sapphires • A. V. Barry • Elsie Bates • Vera Benson • Billy Wells & the Eclair Twins • Belle Bluett • Humphrey Bishop • Gus Bluett • Kitty Bluett • Rosie Bowie • Dot Browne • Sid Burchell • Ben Calvert • Joe Charles • Charles & Dani • Les Coney • Conrad Charlton • Gerry Connolly • Mike Connors • Harry Cremar • Emilie Dani • Dot Davis • Bert Delavale • Ern Delavale • Delavale & Vockler • Tom Delohery • Fanning & Devoe • Farrell & Gaffney • Stan “Stud” Foley • Lucy Fraser • Jim Gaffney • Hilda Gifford • Gifford Sisters • The Glory Girl • Hagan & Fraser • Lizzie Hastings • Florence Henderson • Charles Hugo • Jennings & Gerald • Keith & Witt • Jake Mack • C. Post Mason • Don G. Merle • Cliff O’Keefe • Fred Parsons • Frank Perryn • Peggy Pryde • Edna Ralston • Alf Rockley • Lily Rockley • Wal Rockley • Rockley Brothers • Edwin Shipp • Les Shipp • Maude Shipp • Minnie Shipp • Shipp & Gaffney • Sam Stern • Nell Stirling • Lily Vockler • Fred Witt

 Practitioners: Other:

Bill Ayr • Frank Ayrton • Bert Bailey • Dan Barry • A. E. Balnaves • John Cazabon • Peter Dawson • J. I. Hunt • Stanley A. Kilminster • June Mendoza • A. B. “Banjo” Paterson • Rita Pauncefort • Mascotte Ralston • J. Harding Tucker • Jack Ward (aka J. E. Ward) • Wilton Welch •

Theatres/Venues

Darwin Town Hall • Olympic Circus (Sydney) • Prince of Wales Theatre [1] (Melbourne) • Plaza Theatre (Northcote, Melbourne) • Queen’s Hall (Perth) • Scandinavian Music Hall (Sydney) • Stadium (Darwin) • St George’s Hall (Melbourne) • Yorketown Town Hall •

Troupes:

Dan Barry’s World-Wide Wonder Show • Clay’s Waxworks & Vaudeville Co • Florack’s Federal Minstrels • Lizzie Hastings’ Minstrels • Lizzie Hastings’ Picnic Party • Royal Strollers [2] • Shipp’s Entertainers/Minstrels • The Versatiles

Works

Variety: Aboard the Lugger (1927) • Ace High (1927) • After the Storm (1925) • At The Show (1924) • Bubble and Squeak (1925) • Coppers and Capers (1926) • Crackers (1926) • Criss Cross (1927) • The Diamond Palace (1924) • Dots and Spots (1927) • Fireworks (1926) • Good Catch (1934/radio) • Happy School Days (1924) • Heads and Tails (1924) • Heave Ho! (1926) • Hello, Princess (1932) •  His Wives (1926) • The Holiday Makers (1923) • In Arizona (1926) • Jack the Giant Killer (1924) • Kentucky Days (1926) • Little Bo-Peep (1929/radio) • Mother Hubbard (1925) • The Mystic Egg (1927) • Nobody Home (1924) • Now and Then (1934) • The Painters (1926) • Pete Wins Tatts (1925) • Prince Charming (1921) • Princess Yo-Yo (1933/radio) • P’s and Q’s (1925) • Puff Paste (1926) • Put and Take (1925) • The Revue Star ()1931) • Rin Tin (1927) • The Singing Girl (1930) • Sky High (1925) • Snappy Sydney (1933) • Stumps Drawn (1926) • The Telephone Girls (1913) • That’s That (1923) • The Two Scamps (1899) • Water Babies (1925) • What Is It? (1915) • Who’s Baby (1926) • Wiggy Wiggy (1927)

Legitimate: Faust and Gretchen (1883) • Lady Nora (1907) • The Mandarin (1896) • The Man in the Moon (1907) • The Merchant of Bassora (1917) • Singvoegelchen (1882) • Uller the Bowman (1909) • The Windmill (1891)

Film & Vaudeville:

An Interrupted Divorce (1917) • Charlie at the Sydney Show (1916)

New Biographies (PDFs):

An Interrupted Divorce (film) • Charlie at the Sydney Show (film) • Oswald Anderson • Dot Mendoza

New Research Notes (PDFs):

Ben Goodson • Stanley A. Kilminster • Hal Lashwood • Billy Maloney • Eric Masters • J. Harding Tucker • Prince of Wales Theatre [1] (Melbourne)

 

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The AVTA is another publication from

 

Published in: on June 11, 2017 at 6:26 am  Comments Off on Australian Variety Theatre Archive – Sixth Year Highlights (2016-2017)  
Tags: , , , , , ,

“Stiffy and Mo: Iconic Comedy Made their Debut 100 Years Ago”

Stiffy and Mo - closeup

On 8 July 1916 comedians Nat Phillips and Roy Rene stepped on to the stage of Sydney’s Princess Theatre, presenting their alter-egos Stiffy and Mo before an audience for the first time. By the end of their partnership 12 years later the pair had firmly cemented themselves as one of the country’s greatest ever comic duos. New research by Dr Clay Djubal (Australian Variety Theatre Archive) shows that Phillips and Rene were brought together while in Queensland at the end of June 1916, less than two weeks before their historic debut in a one act musical comedy (revusical) called What Oh Tonight.

Fuller Pantomime Scene [TT Jan1919, 7]

Roy Rene (Mo), Daisy Merritt (The Dame) and Nat Phillips (Stiffy) in Babes in the Wood, Grand Opera House, Sydney (1918-19). Source: Theatre Magazine Jan. (1919), 7.

The first truly urban Australian larrikin characters to be developed on the variety stage, Stiffy and Mo captured the Australian popular culture’s imagination at a time when the country was attempting to deal with the crisis of World War I, and particularly the Gallipoli campaign. Despite their Irish and Jewish heritage, Stiffy and Mo came to exemplify a developing Australian national identity. Whether they were policemen, shopwalkers, sailors, bell-boys, jockeys, soldiers, beauticians, orderlies, porters or even bullfighters, Stiffy and Mo were all about mateship, loyalty, egalitarianism, larrikin attitudes, practical joking, self-deprecation, and an outright refusal to bow to authority figures.

Stiffy - portrait

The story of Stiffy and Mo begins several years earlier when Nat Phillips, already a veteran of the Australian and international variety stages, began developing a stage character, Stiffy the rabbitoh, in sketches with his wife, Daisy Merritt. As he recalls in a 1919 interview: “Until I brought Stiffy on the scene the Australian low-life character – the larrikin – was always portrayed as a [London] coster…. I decided to try the experiment with the Sydney larrikin. Steele Rudd made Dave an Australian bush type. I determined to come nearer home and present a city type. I couldn’t have wished for greater success.”

Phillips and Rene toured their alter-egos relentlessly around Australia and New Zealand until late-1928, albeit with an 18 month break in the mid-1920s. During their time together the pair starred in more than 30 individual revusicals, featured in five pantomimes, and published a Book of Fun. When they reunited in 1927 Just It magazine said the event almost overshadowed the Duke and Duchess of York’s royal visit.

Roy and NatThe influence of Nat Phillips and Roy Rene on the Australian variety industry and the development of an Australia comedic tradition cannot be over-estimated. They not only played a significant role in developing and popularising the revusical genre in this country, but also established a precedent in comedy partnerships by doing away with the comic/straightman format. Their legacy can also be seen in a line of comedians to follow them, beginning with George Wallace and Jim Gerald, through to the television era (with partnerships like Graham Kennedy and Bert Newton, Hoges and Strop etc) and beyond.

If you’d like find out more about this iconic comedy duo click on the link below:

Stiffy and Mo

Scroll down to their entry in “Stage Characters” and click on ‘More details’ to access a PDF biography.
The Stiffy and Mo entry includes sound recordings, images, links, an engagements chronology, and a list known revusicals. You can also learn how new research has overturned a number of long-standing myths and historical errors relating to the partnership.

The University of Queensland’s Fryer Library holds the Nat Phillips Collection, 11 boxes of manuscripts (including four complete Stiffy and Mo scripts), photographs, sheet music and ephemera.

See also the Fryer’s blog celebrating the 100th anniversary of Stiffy and Mo’s debut.

Stiffy &amp; Mo Poster [Fabian]

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Additional images. Top: Theatre Magazine July (1919), n. pag. • Middle: (1) Nat Phillips as a porter, (2) Roy Rene and Nat Phillips – Nat Phillips Collection, Fryer Library • Bottom: Courtesy of Jon Fabian
Published in: on July 6, 2016 at 6:06 am  Comments Off on “Stiffy and Mo: Iconic Comedy Made their Debut 100 Years Ago”  
Tags: , , , , , , , , , , ,

Australian Variety Theatre Archive – Fifth Year Highlights (2015-16)

The Australian Variety Theatre Archive (AVTA) is a research website devoted to popular culture entertainment in the Australasian region between circa 1850 and 1930. This year, 2016, marks its sixth year of publication.

The website went online on 10 May 2011, the 146th anniversary of the birth of Australian vaudeville entrepreneur Harry Clay. Since then the archive has published more than 1,200 new records, while also updating many entries previously published.

During the past 12 months 137 new entries and 6 new sections were added, as were more than 30 Research Notes PDFs. This new initiative will for the time being replace the AVTA’s traditional expanded biographies. The increasing availability of digitised resources – especially the Australian National Library’s digitised newspaper service, Trove – now makes these expanded biographies out of date almost as soon as they are published.

Another initiative for 2015/16 and for the remainder of 2016 is to overhaul all records and pages within the AVTA. This will see include:

1. Creating hyperlinks to all currently digitised newspaper resources in Trove and elsewhere (where applicable); and
2. Reformatting all PDFs with full citation details (removing abbreviations)

It is anticipated that this project will be completed by January 2017

˚˚˚

Dr Clay Djubal would like to thank all those people who have contributed to the archive during the past 12 months. Without their help the AVTA would be much less enlightened.

He would also like to thank the 21,160 people who visited the site between 10 May 2015 and 10 May 2016. The busiest month was August 2015 with 2,203 visitors.
New to the AVTA

Celebrity Endorsements & Cross Promotion • Fads and Fashions: Technology • Film & Vaudeville • International Media • Showboats & Cruises • Schools of Arts

Entrepreneurs:

George E. Melrose • A. T. Richards • Charles Sudholz

Fads & Fashion

Coin-in-the-Slot Machines • Salome Dance

Film and Vaudeville

British Biograph Co • Williamson’s Bio-Tableau

Industry

Ayala Champagne • Bambury & White • Bonnington’s Irish Moss • Harold Ashton • Cato & Co • Charles L. Devereaux • Dr Sheldon’s • Freeman & Wallace • G. W. Hean • Andy Hosking • Madison’s Budget  •  S.S. Gippsland • The Player • Product Placement • Rexona • S.S. Rose • A. C. White • White-Cane Agency

Industry: Trans-Oceanic Circuits

Loew’s Vaudeville Circuit •  Orpheum Circuit (USA) • Port Louis Theatre (Mauritius) • United Booking Office of America (USA)

International Tourists

Arthur Albert [UK] •  Alcase-Lorraine • Paul Kinko • Lampini Bros • World’s Entertainers [1]

Music Directors/Composers

J. P. Knowles • R. W. Oyston

Organisations and Partnerships

Amusu Vaudeville • Williamson, Lee & Rial

Practitioners:

Mons. Henry Abdy • Billy & Pearl Akarman • Molly Ambrose • Amusu Duo • Arthur Albert • Joe Archer • Austral Trio [1] • Austral Trio [2] • Doris Baker • Norman Bambury • Heather Belle • Al Bruce •  Charles Bryant • Eileen Capel • Myra Carden • Herbert Cato • Ken Collie • Congo Minstrel [1] • Congo Minstrel [2] •  Congo Minstrel [3] • Piccaninny Congo Minstrel • Keith Connolly • Mary Connolly • Bert Corrie • Corrie & Baker • Corrie & Verne • Freda Cuthbert  • Harriet Gordon • Charley Horton • Elsie Hosking • J. P. Hydes • Jackson & Pagden • Vivie Keeling • James E. Kitts • Madame Lampino • Charles Lawrence • Ward Lear • Ward Lear Jnr • McKisson & Kearns • Murray Masculin • Prince Masculin • The Mintons • George Pagden • Pagden & Stanley • Cleo Rinaldo • Joseph Rinaldo • Gerald Shaw • Gladys Shaw • Harry Shine • Phil Smith • Kitty Stanley • Joe Verne

Practitioners: Other

 Mona Barlee • Henry Deering • Olly Deering • Marie La Varre

Stage Characters

Hank Dinkumflater • Lanky & Bulky

Theatres

Albert Theatre (Geelong) • Huon Mechanics’ Institute (Franklyn) • Mechanics’ Institute (Geelong) • Royal Dramatic Hall • Theatre Royal (Geelong)

Troupes: Other:

Al Bruce and His Rosebuds • Bain & Lawton’s Vaudeville Co • Bryant’s All-Star Novelty Co • Clark & Shine’s All-Star Co • Congo Minstrels • A Day in Dogtown Co • Devereaux’s World’s Biotint Entertainers • Diamond Variety Co • English Pierrot Entertainers • Frivolities of 1935 • Gay Crusaders • Hill’s World’s Entertainers • League of Notions • London Bioscope Co • Loyola’s Magnet Variety Troupe • Myra Carden’s Magnet Co • New York Serenaders [1] • New York Serenaders [2] • O’Donnell & Ray’s Pantomime Co • Old Time Minstrels [1929] • Richards’ Entertainers • Royal Magnet Combination Troupe • Royal Magnet Variety Troupe [2] • Shaw’s Entertainers • Sudholz’s Bio-Tableau & World’s Entertainers • World’s Animatograph Co • Veterans of Variety [1] • World’s Entertainers [2] • World’s Entertainers [3] • World’s Entertainers & Animatograph Co • World’s Star Entertainers • World’s Vaudeville Co

Works

Variety: Beauty and the Beast (1858) • Cafe de Jazz (1924) • Crispin, King of the Cobblers (1847) • Emigration; Or, Harlequin in California (1849) • Fe Fi Fo Fum; Or, Jack the Giant Killer (1849) • Harlequin and the Enchanted Egg (1842) • Harlequin and the Evil Spirit of Wye (1841) •  Harlequin and the Talking Bird (1844) •  Harlequin and the Three Wishes (1849) • Harlequin Greek (1849) • Harlequin Tom, the Piper’s Son (1847) • Humpty Dumpty; Or, Harlequin and the Fairy of the Enchanted Egg (1846) • Jack and the beanstalk (1848) • Lanky and Bulky as Farmers (1918) • Lanky and Bulky in Paris (1918) • Mother Bunch, the Fairy of the Lake and Palace of the Blazing Star (1847) • Mother Hubbard and Her Dogs (1849) • Old Woman Who Lived in a Shoe (1849) • Puss in Boots (1848) • The Red Gnome of the Ruby Mines (1848) • Red Riding Hood (1920) • Rich Girl, Poor Girl (1921) • Tom Tom the Piper’s Son (1846) • Transportation, and the Demon Discord (1847) • Vogues of 1935

 

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Published in: on June 25, 2016 at 9:26 am  Comments Off on Australian Variety Theatre Archive – Fifth Year Highlights (2015-16)  
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Australian Variety Theatre Archive – Fourth Year Highlights (2014-15)

The Australian Variety Theatre Archive (AVTA) is a research website devoted to popular culture entertainment in the Australasian region between circa 1850 and 1930. This year, 2015, marks its fifth year of publication.

The website went online on 10 May 2011, the 146th anniversary of the birth of Australian vaudeville entrepreneur Harry Clay. Since then the archive has published more than 1100 new records, while also updating many entries previously published.

The goal for the past 12 months, to publish one entry a day, was exceeded by 38, with 403 new entries added to the AVTA.

Dr Clay Djubal would like to thank all those people who have contributed to the archive during the past 12 months. Without their help the AVTA would be much less enlightened.

He would also like to thank the 18,852 people who have visited the site between 10 May 2014 and 10 May 2015. The busiest month was August 2014 with 1,966 visitors.
New to the AVTA

2014/15 also saw the introduction of two new sections:

Film and Vaudeville

Revusical Ballets & Chorus

Entrepreneurs:

Vincent M. Beebe • George H. Birch • Dan Clifford • Frank Hussey • George H. Jones • Robert McLeish • Graham Mitchell • George Stephenson • Frank Weston

Fads & Fashion

American Box Ball • Ball Punching • The Mutoscope • Netball • Push Ball

Industry

  1. M. Dinsdale • Will Andrade [1] • Will Andrade [2] • Australasian Publicity Bureau • Australian Melodist • Australian Musical Productions Pty Ltd • Henry Benjamin • Board & Residence Establishments • Clifton Gardens (Mosman, Sydney) • Valentine Day • Dreamland (St Kilda, Melb) • Eastern Vaudeville Agency • Goodson Bros • Goodson Pictures • Green Room Club (Melb) • Green Room Club (Perth) • Huon Mechanics Institute (Tas) • North’s Concerts (Melb) • Prince’s Court (Melb) • R.S.L. Concert parties • Sidelines • Joe Slater • Joe Slater Publishing • Snowy Sturgeon • E. Totten • Val Morgan Advertising Contractor • White City (Perth) • Wonderland City (Sydney)

Industry: Trans-Oceanic Circuits

Pantages (USA) • Sullivan & Considine (USA)

International Tourists

Charles Backus • Backus Minstrels • Emil Biermann • Paul Cinquevalli • Frank Dix • W. C. Fields • George Gibbons • Harry Houdini • Harry Lauder • Sable Minstrels • Eugen Sandow • Chung Ling Soo

Music Directors/Composers

May Brook • Kenneth L. Duffield • Hal Dyson • Lou Weichard • F. Wynne Jones

 Music Directors/Composers [Other]

 Herbert De Pinna • H. T. Harrison • Willy Redstone • Reginald Stoneham

Orchestras & Bands

Flying Squadron Orchestra (Rockhampton)

Organisations & Partnerships

All-Star Vaudeville • Austral Picture Co • Australian Musical Productions Pty Ltd • British Bioscope Co (Rockhampton) • Delohery, St John and Holland • Dix’s Gaiety Co • Efftee Film productions • Empire Theatre Ltd • Lyceum Pictures Ltd • Mount Morgan Amusement Co • North’s Concerts • North’s vaudeville Co • Olympia Amusement Co • Weston & La Feullade

Practitioners:

Percy Abbott • Dan Agar • Armstrong & Howarth • Armstrong & Phillips • Armstrong & Rose Armstrong & Verne • Chic Arnold • Sam Babicci • Billy Barlow • Bob Bell • Bert Ralton & His Havana Band • Bridges Trio • Jack Bryant • May Bryant • • BryantTom Buckley • Buckley & Holly • Mae Busch • William Busch • Frank Cane (aka Kavello) • Vera Carew • Billie Carlyle • Denis Carney • Carr-Glynn, Neva [1] • Carr-Glynn, Neva [2] • Daisy Chard • Nat Clifford • Maud Courtney • Colin Croft • Finlay Currie [aka Mr C] • George Dean • Sam Dearin • Dora De Vere • Leonard Doogood • Driscoll Bros • Ethiopian Serenaders [1] • Nellie M. Ferguson • Ferry the Frog • Buster Fiddes • Johnny Gardner • Johnny Gilmore • Ben Goodson • Syd Hollister • Charles Holly • Mabs Howarth • Dot Ireland • Jarvis & Campbell • Essie Jennings • Keith’s Syncopating Jesters • Keating & Ross • Sylvia Kellaway • Annette Kellermann • Willie Kerr • Jantz Kohlman • Kohlman & Gardner • Page Lang • Hal Lashwood • Emil Lazern • Minnie Love • Edna McCall • George McCall • Val Mack • Durham Marcel • Maud Courtney & Mr C • Clement May • Carl Mehden • Harry Mehden • Page Lang Entertainers • Paragon Trio • “Banjo” Patterson • Queenie Paul • Tommy Peel • W. S. Percy • Peter Piccini • Alexander Poe • Victor Prince • Reg Quarterly • Grace Quine • The Racoons • Molly Raynor • Ada Reeve • Goodie Reeve • Maurice Rooklyn • The Three Ruddles • Lynn Smith • Lynn Smith’s Royal Jazz Band • Ernest Nicholls Doc Rowe & Mystic Mora • Terrt Scanlon • Joe Small • Stampini • Marjorie Streeter Pain • “Tassie” Tole • Tom Katz & His Saxophone Band • Madam Verto • Percy Verto • The Tyrells • George Wallace Jnr • Ward & Sherman • Matador A. Zigomar/Zigomars

Practitioners: Other

Peter Finch • John Gavin • Alf J. Goulding • J. A. Lipman • Vaiben Louis • Louise Lovely • Albert Lucas • Dot Mendoza • Gladys Moncrieff • Marietta Nash • Tal Ordell • Arthur Stignant • Dion Titheradge • Ronald Whelan • Byrl Walkley • Howett Worster

Repositories

American Minstrels Shows Collection (Houghton Library) • Concerts and Theatre Programs Collection (AWM)

Stage Characters

Bluey & Dopey • Little Hermie • Mutt and Chop

Theatres

Academy of Music (Launceston) • Albert Hall (Adelaide) • Albert Hall (Brisbane) • Albert Hall [2] (Brisbane) • Alexandra Hall (Toowoomba) • Apollo Hall [2] (Melbourne) + Eastern Arcade • Arcadia (Rockhampton) • Austral Gardens (Adelaide) • Austral Hall (Toowoomba) • Centennial Hall (Moss Vale) • Central Hall / Queen’s Hall [2] (Adelaide) • Coliseum (Rockhampton) • Dale Street Vaudeville Hall (Port Adelaide) • Earl’s Court [2] (Rockhampton) • Empire Theatre (Adelaide) • Empire /Star Theatre (Port Adelaide) • Empire Picture Theatre (Bowral) • Exhibition Gardens (Adelaide) • Golden Gate Gardens (Sydney) • Goodsons’ Promenade Concert Grounds (Rockhampton) • Mack’s Theatre Royal (Moss Vale) • Majestic Theatre (Launceston) • Manchester Unity Hall (Charters Towers) • Northcote Theatre (Melb) • Oddfellows’ Hall (Charters Towers) • Olympia (Rockhampton) • Olympia Skating Rink (Charters Towers) • Palais Royal (Adelaide) • Port Adelaide Town Hall (Port Adelaide) • Port Theatre (Port Adelaide) • Prahran Town Hall (Melb) • Prince of Wales Theatre (Charters Towers) • Queen’s Theatre (Adelaide) • Queen’s Hall [1] (Adelaide) • Rex Theatre (Fortitude Valley, Brisbane) • Rivoli Theatre, Camberwell (Melb) • Royal Assembly Rooms (Toowoomba) • Royal Victoria Theatre (Adelaide) • School of Arts [1] (Brisbane) • School of Arts [2] (Brisbane) • School of Arts (Charters Towers) • School of Arts (Millchester, Charters Towers) • School of Arts [1] (Mt Morgan) • School of Arts [2] (Mt Morgan) • School of Arts [3] (Mt Morgan) • School of Arts [1] (Toowoomba) • Stadium / Olympia Theatre Strand Theatre / Tivoli Theatre (Rockhampton) • Temperance Hall (Hobart) • Theatre Royal [1] (Melb) • Theatre Royal (Rockhampton) • Tivoli Gardens (Adelaide) • Tivoli Theatre (Adelaide) • Toowoomba Town Hall [1] • Toowoomba Town Hall [2] • Walhalla Hall (Toowoomba) • Walker’s Store (Toowoomba) • Wintergarden (Rockhampton)

Towns

Albany (WA) • Boulder (WA) • Bowral (NSW) • Charters Towers (Qld) • Eastern Goldfields (WA) • Fremantle (WA) • Kalgoorlie (WA) • Moss Vale (NSW) • Newcastle (NSW) • Rockhampton (Qld) • Toowoomba (Qld)

Troupes

Digger Troupes:  Amateur Frolics Co • Australian Dandies • Australian Flying Corps Concert Party • The Beaufort Merrymakers • Black Diamonds Costume Comedy Co • Blue Dandies • Blue Diamonds • Cheer-Oh Girls • Dum Dum Dinkums • The Empties • Field Artillery Pirates • Flying Kangaroos • Green Diamonds • The Kangaroos [2] • Kangaroos Koncert Kompany • Kookaburras [3] • The Merrymakers • The Night Birds • The Perhams Stars • Serenaders • The Tropical Troubadours • The Wattle Birds • Whizz-bangs • The Wombats

Other:  Ada Reeve Vaudeville Co (Perth, 1924) • Australian Bushranging Bio & Specialty Co • Australian Minstrel Co • Baltimore Minstrels [1] • Baltimore Minstrels [2] • Barlow, Bromley, Buckley & Holly • Billy Cass Revue Co • Billy Maloney’s New Ideas • Billy Maloney’s Scandals [1] • Billy Maloney’s Scandals [2] • Biograph and Trans-Atlantic Entertainers • Blondenette Lady Minstrels • Boley’s Minstrels • Bosley Vaudeville Co • Buckley & Gardner Minstrels • Buckley & Holly’s Pleasure Party • The Cameos • Campbell’s Minstrels [1] • Campbell’s Minstrels [2] • Christy’s Minstrels [1] • Christy’s Original Sable Opera Troupe • Cosmopolitan Band and Coloured Opera Troupe • Ethiopian Serenaders [2] • Gibbons’ Minstrels • Hussey, Kelly & Holly’s Celebrated Comedians • Jones’s Huge Surprise Party • Jones’s Mammoth Moving Theatre • Kenna’s Empire Minstrels • K-Nuts • La Feuillade, Peel & Weston’s Christy Minstrels • Lawton, Dearin & Sayers’ Troubadours • Lawton and Dearin’s Federal Minstrels & Comiques • Lottie Magnet Variety Troupe • Mutoscope Biotint Co • Nightingale Serenaders [1] • Nightingale Serenaders [2] • 1925 Minstrels (Perth) • Old Time Nigger Minstrels [1] • Old Time Nigger Minstrels [1] • Paragon Bellringers • Polite Vaudeville & Minstrels Co • Priddy’s Electric Marvels & Mammoth Specialty Combination • The Revellers • Royal Magnet Variety Troupe • Sam Dearin’s Minstrels & Comiques • Smith, Brown and Collins Minstrels • So & So’s (Perth) • So and So’s Costume Comedy Co (Adel) • Stanley McKay’s Gaieties • State Entertainers • Swastika Players • Ted Tutty Vaudeville Co • T.O.M.C.A.T.S. (Charters Towers) • Topics of 1925 • Verto Vaudeville Co • Vert’s Biotint & Novelty Co • The Wanderers • Weichard’s International Vaudeville Stars • Weston & Hussey’s Minstrels • Weston & La Feuillade’s Minstrels • William Anderson’s London Vaudeville Stars • Will’s Surprise Party • Ye Olde Nigger Minstrels • Young Australia League (Y.A.L.)

Works

Variety:  Aladdin (1914) • Babes in the Wood (1929) • Carrie on Carrie (1918) • Combien (1919) • Demons of the Deep (1922) • Dick Whittington (1917) • Dick Whittington Up to Date (1919) • Dolly’s Dilemma (1918) • Fiddle De Dee (1933) • Flying Colours (1933) • Fortune Hunting (1918) • Fun Rays (1934) • Gay Paree (1934) • Gee Whiz (1934) • Goody Two Shoes (1880) • HMS Pin-A-4 (in Black) [2] (1882) • Laughter Unlimited (1934) • Oddments (1934) • Oh Baby (1934) • The Radio Girl (1926) • Saucy Suzie (1899) • She’s Crazy About You (1934) • Sky High (1934) • Something Different (1934) • Snap (1925) • Tons of Money (1924) • While the Billy Boils (1919)

 Legitimate:  Australia First (1914)

 Film & Vaudeville:  Cinesound Varieties (1934) • Efftee Entertainers (1931-33) • Harmony Row (1933) • His Royal Highness (1932) • Show Business (1938) • Strike Me Lucky (1934)

 

 

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Published in: on June 1, 2015 at 11:55 pm  Comments Off on Australian Variety Theatre Archive – Fourth Year Highlights (2014-15)  
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Australian Variety Theatre Archive – Third Year Highlights (2013-14)

The Australian Variety Theatre Archive is a research website devoted to popular culture entertainment in the Australasian region between circa 1850 and 1930. This year, 2014, marks its fourth year of publication.

The AVTA went online on 10 May 2011, the 146th anniversary of the birth of Australian vaudeville entrepreneur Harry Clay. Since then the archive has published more than 700 new records, while also updating many entries previously published.

In the past 12 months more than 250 new entries have been added to the AVTA.

Dr Clay Djubal would like to thank all those people who have contributed to the archive during the past 12 months. Without their help the AVTA would be much less enlightened.

He would also like to thank the 17,290 people who have visited the site between 10 May 2013 and 10 May 2014. The busiest month was August 2013 with 1,822 visitors.

New to the AVTA

2013/14 also saw the introduction of four new sections:

Fads & Fashions

International Tourists

Orchestras & Bands

Works Legitimate

Entrepreneurs:

Nellie Chester • Arthur Garner • Joe Lashwood • G.B. L. Lewis • Marino Lucas • Orpheus McAdoo • George Marlow • Jack O’Donnell • Charles Pollard • James Pollard • Tom Pollard • Happy Harry Salmon • Beaumont Smith • Hugh J. Ward • George Willoughby • Joseph Wyatt

Fads & Fashion

Apache Dance • The Charleston • Clog Dancing • The Tango • Vampire Dance

Industry

Australian Vaudeville Artists’ Federation • Coogee Palace Aquarium • Dalton’s Vaudeville Agency • Footlights • Freemasons • John L. Goodman • Green Room • Hoyts • J. Albert & Son • Just It • Lashwood & Royley’s Star Vaudeville Agency • “Old Programmes” • Frank O’Sullivan• J.J. O’Sullivan • Pas • “Peeps at People” • “Reminiscences of the Stage’ • Sir Joseph Banks Pavilion & Pleasure Grounds • “The Strutter’s Page” • Spencer’s Royal Polytechnic • Summer Continentals • Talma Photographic Studios • Tivoli Tango Teas • Union Theatres • Claude H. Whaite • Zenda

Industry: Trans-Oceanic Circuits

Bandmann Circuit • Grand Theatre (Noumea)

International Tourists

Cyril “Tiny” Douglas • Andrew MacCunn • Sydney Nelson • Jack O’Hagan • Will Quintrell • Bert Rache • T. W. Rhodes • Joe Somers • Charles Von Der Mehden

Orchestras & Bands

Charleston Super Six Symphonists • National Orchestra (Syd) • Will Quintrell & His Tivolians • Royal Squadron Syncopators • Tiny Douglas’s Varsity Boys

Organisations & Partnerships

Fuller-Brennan • Harwood, Stewart, Hennings & Coppin • Coppin, Hennings & Greville • Macmahon Brothers • O’Donnell & Ray • Beaumont Smith & Leslie Hoskins • Wyatt & Knight

Practitioners:

Francie Adler • Mary Andrews • Hilda Attenboro • Yvonne “Fifi” Banvard • Les Bates • Nellie Black • Black Family • Billie C. Brown • Brull & Hemsley • Lawrence Campbell • Jack Cannot • Carlton & Surron • Billy Cass • The Cottiers • Walter C. Cottier • Cusko’s Monkeys • Alice Davenport • Ralph de Tisne • Edgley & Dawe • John Dobbie • Arthur Elliott • Violet Elliott (1) • Violet Elliot (2) • Frank Emery • Era Comedy Four • Pat Finn • Four Ethiopian Serenaders • Charles Fredricksen • Dave Gardner • George Gardner • Joey Gougenheim • Arthur Hemsley • Frank L. Haining • Lola Hunt • The Jazz Band • Ida Jarvis • John Juan • Jules Garrison and His Roman Maids • George Lauri •Lindsay Kemble • Winifred La France • La Milo • Ernest Lauri • Alf Lawton • Bobby Le Brun • Les Theirs • Alf G. Lumsden • Kyrle McAllister • Polly McLaren • Eddie & Decima McLean • Esmee McLennan • A. E. Martin • Carrie Moore • Con Moreni • Maybelle Morgan • Nelson Family • Newmans (Val & Lottie) • Lily Octavia • Octavia & Warne • Odiva& Her Seals • Vera Pearce • Peare Sisters • Olga Pennington • Daphne Pollard • Harry “Snub” Pollard • Pollard family • Harry Quealy • Bert Ray • Billy Romaine • Joe Rox • Dorothy Rudder • Harry Scales • Bebe Scott • Ron Shand • John F. Sheridan • Charles L. Sherman • Clara Spencer • Hector St Clair • Elsa Sylvaney • Athol Tier • Joe Valli • Bert Warne • Ada Walker • Whimsical Walker (2) USA • George H. Ward • Dave Warne • Warne & Davenport • Albert Whelan • Carden Wilson

Practitioners: Other

Walter Bentley • Ella Carrington • John Cosgrove • J. R. Greville • Aggie Kelton • Blanche Lewis • Mrs G.B.W. Lewis (aka Rose Edouin) • Eduardo Majeroni • John “Jack” Ralston • Wybert Reeve • George Rignold • Charles H. Taylor

Repositories

Nat Phillips Collection • Hood Collection

Scenic Artists

John Little • Rege Robins • John Hennings • William Pitt (Snr)

Theatres

Albert Hall (Launceston) • Bijou Theatre (Launceston) • Burlington Picture Grounds (Sydney) • National Theatre (Launceston) • Princess Theatre (Fremantle) • Princess Theatre (Launceston) • Rosebery Theatre (Sydney) • Royal Olympic Theatre (Launceston) • Theatre Royal (Hobart) • Royal Victoria (Sydney) • Theatre Royal (Launceston) • White’s Assembly and Concert Rooms (Adelaide)

Troupes

All Diggers Co • Arthur Hemsley’s Dandies • Buffalo Female Minstrels • Ella Carrington’s Stray Leaves Combination • Ernest Hogan’s Genuine Negro Co • Fisk Jubilee Singers • F. Gayle Wyer’s Bandbox Revue Co • Fitzgerald’s All-Stars • Follies of Pleasure • Fullers’ American Revue Co • Harry Cogill’s New Musical Comedy Co • McAdoo’s Georgia Minstrels & Alabama Cakewalkers • Pollards Lilliputian Opera Co [1] • Pollards Lilliputian Opera Co [2] • Pollards Juvenile Opera Co [3] • Royal Pantomime Company • So and So Costume Comedy Co • Snapshots Revue Co • Th’ Drolls

Works

Quang Fong Fa (1846) • Harlequin Jack Sprat (1846) • The Hag of the Raven Forest (1846) • Harlequin Shrove Tuesday (1849) • King Pippin (1849) • The Fairy of the Golden Regions (1849) • Blue Bell in Fairyland (1908) • Robinson Crusoe (1908) • Aladdin (1914) • Babes in the Wood (1929)

 

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Published in: on May 11, 2014 at 12:01 am  Comments Off on Australian Variety Theatre Archive – Third Year Highlights (2013-14)  
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What’s New in the Australian Variety Theatre Archive: April 2014

The Australian Variety Theatre Archive  has recently published four new pages.

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Fads and Fashions

Fads & Fashions banner

Provides insights into aspects of popular culture production that were influenced by or which in turn influenced the Australian variety stage. Includes dances, flappers, tango teas, sporting and physical culture fads etc.

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International Tourists

International Tourists

Presents overviews and/or historical data relevant to significant and influential oversees practitioners whose association with Australia (and New Zealand) was brief.

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Orchestras and Bands

Orchestras & Bands banner

A section focusing on music ensembles, including orchestras, pit bands and jazz bands, that provided accompaniment to various forms of variety theatre production – notably vaudeville, burlesques, revues, revusicals.

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Works: Legitimate

Legitimate Music Theatre

Operas, operettas, plays with music and other Australian-written “legitimate” music theatre works that were written by dramatists, librettists and composers who had an association with variety theatre. Also includes works which catered fro the broader public but which are not generally considered popular culture.

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Published in: on March 29, 2014 at 2:31 am  Comments Off on What’s New in the Australian Variety Theatre Archive: April 2014  
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“2013 Marks 100 Years of Hub History”

Media Release - Hub [banner]

Iconic Newtown theatre The Hub is 100 years old this year according to an independent website devoted to this country’s early entertainment industry. Formerly known as the Bridge Theatre, the building is also thought to be the last purpose-built vaudeville theatre still standing in New South Wales. Until now very few factual details about the theatre’s glory days under the control of vaudeville entrepreneur, Harry Clay, have been available.

Dr Clay Djubal, founder of the Australian Variety Theatre Archive, and great-great-great nephew of the venue’s original owner, explains that much of the published history of the building has in fact been cobbled together and recycled from a number of pseudo-research sources. “Apart from the numerous errors,” he says, “none of these publications have come close to recognising the pivotal role Clay’s Newtown headquarters played in relation to either his  career or as part of the broader industry.”

Clay 2aAs one of the country’s leading training organisations for emerging performers, Clay’s operations were vital to industry expansion during the 1910s, a period which saw the local variety industry reach its peak popularity. Indeed, two of the biggest names of the era, Roy “Mo” Rene and George Wallace were both associated with the Bridge Theatre during that decade.

Much of the information contained in the Bridge/Hub Theatre biography is derived from a 1998 Master of Arts thesis Dr Djubal completed on his famous uncle. In 2012 he began further research which has resulted in significant new insights. Among the facts most commonly misrepresented are the theatre’s origins. “Most sources claim that Harry Clay took over the Newtown Hippodrome, with dates ranging from 1908 to 1911. Council records and the media of the day prove that he actually built the theatre in partnership with Newtown alderman/Mayor Harold T. Morgan. It opened for business on 19 July 1913,” says Dr Djubal.

The Bridge Theatre entry can be accessed at: http://ozvta.com/theatres-a-f/

While the Australian Variety Theatre Archive focuses on the pre-1930s industry, Dr Djubal also provides details relating to his uncle’s theatre beyond 1939 – the year its name was changed to The Hub. “I feel I owe it to Harry to try and establish the facts,” says Dr Djubal. “Without him I might never have taken the path of an historian. But more importantly, as the acknowledged ‘friend of the Australian performer,’ he should be accorded the level of recognition his peers no doubt believed he deserved.” The theatre’s 100th anniversary seems a fitting time to do this.”

The Australian Variety Theatre Archive extends on the research undertaken during the course of Dr Djubal’s 2005 Ph D thesis. The site went public on 10 May 2011, the 146th anniversary of Harry Clay’s birth. Dr Djubal is especially keen to hear from descendants of vaudeville performers involved in the early Australian variety industry.

Bridge Theatre - Clay

For further details contact Dr Clay Djubal

 Email: c.djubal@uq.edu.au

Published in: on February 5, 2013 at 10:40 pm  Comments Off on “2013 Marks 100 Years of Hub History”  
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Australian Variety Theatre Archive – Second Year Highlights (2012-13)

The Australian Variety Theatre Archive is a research website devoted to popular culture entertainment between circa 1850 and 1930. This year, 2013, marks its third year of publication.

The AVTA went online on 10 May 2011, the 146th anniversary of the birth of Australian vaudeville entrepreneur Harry Clay. Since then the archive has published more than 450 new records , while also updating a large majority of the entries which were available at the start .

Dr Clay Djubal would like to thank all those people who have contributed to the archive during the past 12 months. Without their help the AVTA would be much less enlightened.

He would also like to thank the 15,727 people who have visited the site between 10 May 2012 and 10 May 2013. The busiest month was October 2012 with 1,352 visitors.

New to the AVTA

AUSTRALIAN VARIETY AND POPULAR CULTURE ENTERTAINMENT: TIMELINE

Includes significant births, deaths, theatre openings,  and troupe, practitioner and industry activity from the early 1800s to the 1990s.

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Entrepreneurs:

William Anderson • J. Billin • James Brennan • Dan Carroll • Sir Benjamin Carroll • John Fuller (Jnr) • Will Harris • Jack Landow  • George R. Lawrence • John Lazar • Samuel Lazar • Hugh D. McIntosh • Frank Reis

Practitioners:

Harry Abdy • Anderson Sisters • James Bell • Madame Bell • Harry Burgess • “Tiki” Carpenter • Carlton Chase • Essie Clay • Kate Clay • Harley Cohen • Connors & Paul • Connors & Witt • James Craydon • Lettie Craydon • Marshall Crosby • Claude Dampier • Harry de Robeck • Hosea Easton • Nell Fleming • Walter George • Claude Golding • Syd James • George A. Jones • Clara Keating • Alf J. Lawrance • Fred Leslie • Levante • J. Martini • Morris & Wilson • Alf Moynham • Slade Murray • Blanche Murray • Flo Murray • Charlie Pope • Pope & Sayles • Bert Ray • Irving Sayles • Ivy Schilling • W. Billy Speed • Harry Taylor • Three Starrs • Ed Warrington • Les Warton • Fred Whitlow • Charles Zoli

Industry:

African Theatres Trust • Australasian Sketcher with Pen and Pencil • Bondi Aquarium • The Manly Chute • John J. Liddy • Mendelssohn’s Photographic Studio • Ramos and Ramos • Summer Continentals (Bris)

Composers/Music Directors:

Marsh Little • Harold Middleton • Bert Rache • Evan Senior • Charles Zwar

Troupes:

Anzac Coves • Australian Eleven Minstrel & Variety Co • Blythe Waterland’s Serenaders • Coo-ees, The • Gallipoli Strollers (1) • Gallipoli Strollers (2) • Georgia Minstrels (1) • Georgia Minstrels (2) • Graham Mitchell’s Jesters • Graham Mitchell’s Serenaders • Hugo’s Buffalo Minstrels • Issues Comedy Co • Jasper’s Pantomime Company • Kookaburras • Lawton and Leslies’ All Nations Co • London Revels • Madge Cloherty’s Celebrities • Matsa Vaudeville Co • Palais Royal Cabaret & Vaudeville Co • Richard Shafto’s Revels • Royal Strollers • Sentimental Blokes • Serenaders, The [1936] • Slade Murray’s Gaiety Burlesque Co • Smart Set • Smart Set Diggers • Snowdrop Minstrels • Sunbeam Pantomime Children • Sunshine Kiddies • Tivoli Frolics • Trilby Tourists • Vital & Electric Sparks • Walter George Sunshine Players • World’s Entertainers

Organisations:
Brennan’s Amphitheatres Ltd • Con-Paul Theatres • Fuller-Ward • Jones & Lawrence • Frank Levy
• Pugliese Enterprises • Stephenson and Linley

Industry:

African Theatres Trust • Australasian Sketcher with Pen and Pencil • Bondi Aquarium • The Manly Chute • John J. Liddy • Mendelssohn’s Photographic Studio • Ramos and Ramos • Summer Continentals (Bris)

Theatres:

Academy of Music (1879-84; Adelaide) •  Academy of Music / Bijou Theatre: No 1 (Melb) • Academy of Music / Gaiety Theatre (Syd) • Adelphi Theatre / Grand Opera House / Tivoli Theatre: No 2 (Syd) • Albany Town Hall (WA) • Albert Hall / Gaiety Theatre (Bris) • Bijou Theatre / Theatre Royal (Boulder, WA) • Bijou Theatre [2] (Melb) • Bohemia Theatre (Bris) • Coliseum Theatre (Nth Syd) • Cremorne Gardens (Albany, WA) • Cremorne Gardens / Cremorne Theatre (Bris) • Cremorne Gardens / Cremorne Theatre / Palace Theatre (Perth) •Cremorne Theatre and Gardens (Kalgoorlie, WA) • Dutton Park Garden Theatre (Bris) • Earl’s Court (Rockhampton, Qld) • Eden Gardens (Manly, NSW) • Enmore Theatre (Enmore, Syd) • Gaiety Theatre (Melb) • Garden Theatre (Darlinghurst, Syd) Haymarket Theatre (Melb) • Hippodrome / Royal Pictures / Empire (Adel) • Hippodrome / Capital Theatre (Syd) • King’s Theatre (Adel) • King’s Theatre (Melb) • Lawler’s Music Hall / Sydney Music Hall (Syd) • Lyric Theatre (St Kilda, Melb) • Majestic Theatre (Newtown, Syd) • Manchester Unity Hall (Newtown, Syd) • Mason’s Concert Hall / Victoria Theatre / Royal Victoria / Queensland Theatre (Bris) Melrose Gardens / Melrose Theatre / Prince of Wales (Perth) • Olympia Gardens / Theatre (Perth) • Olympic Theatre (Melb) • Opera House [1] / Prince of Wales Opera House / Her Majesty’s Opera House / Alhambra Palace of Varieties (Melb) • Opera House / Kelly and Leon’s Opera House (Syd) • Polytechnic Hall / Novelty Theatre / Duke’s Theatre / Hall of Science / Nugget Theatre / Cottier’s Theatre (Melb) • Princess Theatre (Melb) • Shaftesbury Theatre / Luxor Theatre / Tivoli (Perth) • St George’s Hall (Newtown, Syd) • Theatre Royal (Bris) • Theatre Royal (Melb) • Theatre Royal (Perth) • Tivoli Gardens and Theatre (Hamilton, Bris) • Tivoli Gardens / Her Majesty’s Theatre (Kalgoorlie, WA) • Tivoli Theatre [1] (Syd) • Trocadero (Newtown, Syd) • Varieties, The / Australia Hall / Opera Comique (Melb) • Victoria Theatre (Newcastle, NSW) • Victory Theatre (Marrickville, Syd)

Works:

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The AVTA also published two new pages:

Industry: Transoceanic Circuits and Troupes: Juvenile Companies.

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The AVTA is another publication from

Published in: on January 23, 2013 at 1:29 am  Comments Off on Australian Variety Theatre Archive – Second Year Highlights (2012-13)  
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World War I Digger Troupes and Concert Parties

The Australian Variety Theatre Archive
announces a new page on its website:

Troupes: Digger Companies

This page is dedicated to Australian and New Zealand military concert parties which operated during World War One, along with the returned soldier companies (Digger troupes) which toured the Commonwealth professionally for a decade or more following the Armistice in 1918.

For details go to:

http://ozvta.com/troupes-digger-companies/

Gallipoli Strollers [SYM 25 Dec 1918, 14]

The Gallipoli Strollers (1918)

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Now accompanying previous AVTA entries for

Pat Hanna’s “Famous Diggers” and the Smart Set Diggers

are:

The Anzac Coves

The Coo-ees

The Gallipoli Strollers

The Kookabuuras

and

The Sentimental Blokes

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Coming Soon

The Mademoiselle Mimi Diggers

Australian Variety Theatre Archive Now 1 Year Old

The Australian Variety Theatre Archive, a research website devoted to popular culture entertainment between circa 1850 and 1930, is now in its second year.

The AVTA went online on 10 May 2011, the 146th anniversary of the birth of Australian vaudeville entrepreneur Harry Clay. Since then the archive has published more than 200 new records and several dozen expanded biographies, while also updating a large majority of the entries which were available at the start .

Dr Clay Djubal would like to thank all those people who have contributed to the archive during the past 12 months. Without their help the entries would be much less enlightened.

He would also like to thank the 12,548 people who have visited the site between 10 May 2011 and 10 May 2012. The busiest day was April Fool’s Day 2012 (644 hits), which is interesting… if a little mystifying!?

Entrepreneurs:
Herbert Boland • Percy Dix (below) • F.E. Hiscocks • C.F. and Humbert Pugliese • Ernest C. Rolls •  Frank Smith • Alfred Wyburd

Practitioners:
Arthur Aldridge • Professor S. S. Baldwin • Syd Beck • Bovis Bros • Fred Davys • Ada Delroy (below) • Faust Family • Effie Fellows • Sam and Sadie Gale • Charles Holt • Arnold Jarvis • Daisy Jerome • Clara Keating • Winifred La France • Stella Lamond • Joe Lawman • Alf J. Lawrence • Little Verlie • Levante (Les Cole) • Morris & Wilson • Slade Murray • Hector Napier • Frank Neil • Leonard Nelson • Ernest Pitcher • Harry Ross • Madeline Rossiter • The Stagpooles • Reg “Kangaroosta” Thornton • Dan Thomas • Winnie Trevail • Priscilla Verne • Alf “Redhead” Wilson • Wykeham and Preston

Composers/Music Directors:
Victor Champion • Owen Conduit • Nicholas La Feuillade • Luscombe Searelle • Fred Whaite (below) • Jessie Gray • W. Hamilton Webber

Troupes:
Ada Delroy Co  • Baldwin’s Butterfly Co • Charles Godfrey Vaudeville Co • Classics of 1923 • Elite Burlesque Revue Co • Gallipoli Strollers (below) • The Globetrotters • Graham Mitchell’s Serenaders • Hicocks’ Federal Minstrels • Hugo’s Buffalo Minstrels • Madge Cloherty’s Celebrities • The Royal Strollers • Smart Set Diggers • Sunbeam Pantomime Children

Gallipoli Strollers [SYM 25 Dec 1918, 14]

Organisations:
Brennan’s Amphitheatres Ltd • Fullers Theatres (below) • Jones & Lawrence • Holland & St John • J. & N. Tait • Pugliese Enterprises

Industry:
Australian Variety Artists Association • Fuller News •  Everyone’s • Mendelssohn’s Photographic Studios • Lilian Ross (below) • Ye Olde Englyshe Fayre • Harry Clay’s Annual NSW/Queensland Waxworks, Comedy and Vaudeville Tours, 1901-18, 1927, 1929 • Theatre Magazine

Theatres:
Alhambra Theatre (Syd) • Arcadia Theatre (St Kilda) • Bondi Aquarium (below)  Coliseum Theatre (Nth Syd) • Cremorne Gardens (Perth) • Eden Gardens (Manly) • Empire Theatre (Bris) • Gaiety Theatre (Melb) • Palace Gardens (Bris) • Princess Theatre (Syd) • Royal Standard (Syd) • Theatre Royal (Charters Towers)

Works:
Among the new works entered have been more than 30 new revusicals and revues from Nat Phillips Whirligigs (ca. 1929-1932), as well as three radio musicals from 1931. Two of these – On the Air (Evan Senior) and The Tin Soldier (Fred Whaite) were the first Australian works to  be written especially for radio.

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The AVTA also published two articles in its Mixed Bag Monograph Series.

These are:

For the Duration’: Australian One Act Musical Comedies and the Fashioning of an Imagined National Identity between 1914 and 1918“ by Clay Djubal ( No 1, 25 June 2011)

Harry Leston: A Versatile Showman“ by Loreley Morling (No 2, 25 April 2012)

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The AVTA is another publication from

Australian Variety Theatre Archive – Now Online

About banner 3b

Dr Clay Djubal proudly announces that the Australian Variety Theatre Archive, a new research website devoted to popular culture entertainment between circa 1850 and 1930, is now online.

Coming Attractions / Recent Additions
is a post page that will announce recent updates and forthcoming entries

The first post is due for publication following the AVTA’s official launch in late June 2011.

The AVTA is another publication from

Published in: on May 12, 2011 at 12:47 am  Comments Off on Australian Variety Theatre Archive – Now Online  
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