Bert Levy – Australia's first global Vaudeville star
What a cast….. The ‘All American’ artists in London Benefit
Report in ‘The Australian paper for Australians’ a Sydney newspaper that folded in 1919. Full declaration – No known relation…..yet Joseph Coyne (1867 – 1941) sometimes billed as Joe Coyne, was an American-born vaudevillian and musical comedy actor whose career spanned nearly 50 years, from 1883-1931. A popular performer in the U.S., he achieved major stardom in the role of Prince Danilo in George Edwardes‘ London adaptation of The Merry Widow, which led to other leading roles in Edwardian musical comedy and many other productions in London, New York, and Australia.Clara Evelyn by Malcolm Arbuthnot photogravure postcard print, 1900s National Portrait Gallery, London Advertisement for the Big City Four, 1915 (colour litho) by Iannelli, Alfonso (1888-1965); Private Collection.Flo Irwin, Canadian-born American performer. 1858 – 1930. Sister May Irwin became bigger star. Now sure how Lazern got on the “All American line up’. He was actually British born and had immigrated to NZ. He toured his companies through Australasia and the East up until the mid-1920s, mostly with his wife May McCrystal (pianist/entertainer). Lazern was renowned for his beer making trick in which audience members attempted to out drink his magic bottle ??Wilfred Van Norman Lucas (1871 – 1940) was a Canadian American stage actor who found success in film as an actor, director, and screenwriter. He made a name for himself performing in light and grand opera in America and abroad. The ventriloquism act of Arthur Prince (1881-1948) was novel in that it was naval. In an act called “Naval Occasions” he played a ship’s officer; his dummy “Jim” was a sailor. It was, needless to say, an unusual gimmick, oddly macho for a music hall act. Also interesting was the size of Jim, much larger than the conventional vent dummy. His feet actually touched the ground and he was seated next to Prince, rather than on his lap. Prince smoked a cigar while the act was performed, a difficult feat of coordination that truly made it seem that Jim was moving independently of the man who pulled the strings.Famous American skating performers , husband and wife. Helen Trix (1886 – 1951) was an American actress, dancer, singer, and song composer. The August 1906 edition of Edison Phonograph Monthly describes her as having a “clear, well modulated contralto voice”.
Bert Levy 
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