Category: Uncategorized
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Speaking of big wigs
Here is another member of the ‘Bert Levy Appreciation Society’ (BLAS) outside the Palace Theatre in London, the scene of Bert Levy’s breakthrough performances in 1909. This is the extremely talented Grace Louey, who like Owen from a week or two ago is a NIDA graduate in costume and set design. Grace has been in…
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Bert’s first feature in the Bendigonian
A month after arriving in Bendigo, he depicted its most famous and wealthiest identity, ‘Quartz King’ Sir George Lansell in a cheeky and risible sketch for the Bendigonian Supplement. This impudent representation of one of the richest men in the British Empire as well of other local notables, imbibed widespread affection among his readership.. What…
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Bert’s first sketches in Bendigo
Although hired as a reporter on the Music and Drama scene for the Bendigo Advertiser, Bert was keen to demonstrate his versatility by offering his sketch talent to the weekly supplement known as the Bendigonian. I’m told that in 1900 the Bendigonian had its own printing press (separate from the Addie) that enabled it to…
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Back to Bert’s time in Bendigo……. the Easter Fair 1900
Bert joined the Bendigo Advertiser in January 1900, and this is his first ‘Easter Fair’ feature story. Now, for ‘non Bendigonians’ this was a very big carnival held each year in aid of the hospital and ‘asylum’ as it was called. The fair started in 1871 and is still a big deal today. The mainstay…
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Final word on Bert’s London tour 1909
Bert was ‘never backward in coming forward’ and in criticising London and Continental theatre managers who ripped off visiting performers he not only took on a fight with them, he encountered some London newspaper criticism. ‘You can’t have a foreigner criticising our theatre managers’. Here are two reported in Australian papers.
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Bert’s warning to American actors ….
Organising a Benefit for London’s impoverished East End Children provided opportunity for Bert to further another good cause… By billing the Benefit concert as an ‘All American’ cast, he provided a platform for the many American entertainers who felt that they had been duped by their Theatre managers at other London Theatres. Although they would…
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Speaking of talent at the Palace Theatre
For those in the Bert Levy Appreciation Society (B.L.A.S) who thought the readership had more hair in the nasal and ear compartments than on top…. well to prove you all wrong, here is one of our younger London BLAS members…… We are still waiting for the other two BLAS members in London to send their…
Bert Levy 