Category: Uncategorized
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All Star cast for 1909 ‘All American Benefit’
Nothing could found on the performer John Deane, however, this was only half the cast. More on other performers in the cast to follow in next blog.
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Bert backs up criticism of London poverty with action..
Despite being engaged to perform before Royalty on July 21st 1909, Bert went ahead with the Benefit Concert to raise money for the children of London’s East End five days earlier. Bert’s benefit had a dual purpose – raise money for the waifs of the East End to have a day in the country with…
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Lord Rothschild’s interest in Bert’s East End remarks…..
Down the beach last month, I came across a very old paper back on the Rothschild family published in 1966. Turned out to be riveting read, what a family (5 Brothers / 5 Arrows) and what influence they wielded in banking in Europe and globally over hundreds of years and most likely still do. This…
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East End poverty – Bert calls it out.
Melbourne Jewish Herald on October 30 1908. (TROVE) Above story originated in the Paris edition of the New York Herald. That paper was largely targeted at American expatriates in Europe and was established in 1887 and published all the way through to 2013. Some of you seasoned travellers may remember it ! Did he actually…
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Tall Poppy Syndrome or something else ? …..
The previous post suggested the Australian newspapers were now happy to acknowledge Bert’s success. However, there were some back home happy to stick the boots in….. Perhaps this paragraph in the Bulletin two years 1911 later summed up the perennial issue of Australian’s failing to give credit to their own who go overseas and gain…
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Success has many fathers……..
Failure is an orphan…. so the quote goes. Australian press had largely ignored or not known about Bert’s success in the United States in the years 1905-1908. As we know, international news for domestic consumption came predominantly via cable almost exclusively out of London. When news was received that Bert was to entertain the Royals…
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Bert’s audacious ‘Royal moment’ 
We read in the prior post it was the Queen who put Bert at ease during his Royal performance at Stafford House in 1909 by tapping her shoe as Bert started drawing. Two years later Bert recounts the event with a journalist from the Melbourne Society newspaper ‘Table Talk’. Bert claimed he had met the…
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Royal warnings…..
Edward VII, the Playboy Prince was often known as ‘Edward the caresser’. He had married Danish-born Princess Alexandra in 1863, so they were not a young Royal couple when Bert appeared in front of them in July 21, 1909. Matter of fact Bertie (the King) died the following year. The number of women Bertie supposedly…
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Royal summons – July 1909
You will recall in the last post, Bert left London with a substantial booking to return in the peak summer season of 1909 to the Palace theatre. On his return he was to get another booking…….. Bert appeared before the Royals on the evening of July 21, 1909. How did he go? and more King…
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London without a booking…… 1908
Bert toured extensively across the major cities of the USA in 1906 and 1907 and in 1908 he took another chance, taking himself off to London……..
Bert Levy 