Bertram Wallis
Encyclopedia
Bertram Wallis was an English actor and singer known for his performances in plays, musical comedies
and operetta
s in the early 20th century, first as leading men and then in character roles. He also later appeared in several film roles.
, where he won the Parepa-Rosa gold medal and the Evill Prize.
After his studies, his first role was Amiens in George Alexander
's production of As You Like It
in 1896. Edward German
composed the music for the production, and Wallis's performance of his songs won praise: "Mr. Bertram Wallis as Amiens sings his solos so well as to quite justify Jacques's remark, 'More, I pr'y thee, more'." Soon afterwards, he played in Much Ado About Nothing
, his last production of a Shakespeare play.
In the early years of the 20th century, Wallis had his first successes on the musical stage. He sang in a five man act called "The Musketeers" music hall
at the Tivoli Theatre
in 1901. In 1902 he appeared in the musical comedy
Three Little Maids
at the Apollo Theatre
, with Lottie Venne
, Sybil Grey
and Edna May
. In 1904 he appeared with Kate Cutler
in The Love Birds. He then travelled to New York City to play in several Broadway
productions, including A Madcap Princess (1904), Princess Beggar (1907) and Miss Hook of Holland
(1907–08), with Christie MacDonald
.
After this, Wallis starred in a series of successful London musicals, often with Isabel Jay
or Jose Collins
, including King of Cadonia
(1908), Dear Little Denmark (1909) and The Balkan Princess
(1910). Playgoer magazine commented, "What a ... fine specimen of mankind is the Grand Duke Sergius as played by Mr. Bertram Wallis!" He next starred in The Count of Luxembourg
(1911). In 1911, Wallis temporarily left the musical stage to appear in a non-musical melodrama
, Beau Brocade at the Globe Theatre
, for which he won good notices.
, with Wallis heading the cast. In the same year, he was in Love and Laughter by Oscar Straus
: one reviewer commented, "Mr. Bertram Wallis, a little stouter than he used to be, is the handsome, brave and loving Prince." He returned to musical comedy in The Happy Day
(1916), the hit revue
Zig Zag! (1917) and A Southern Maid
(1920).
In the 1920s, the now mature Wallis began to play character parts, appearing with great success as Louis XV
in Madame Pompadour
(1923) by Leo Fall
, Frederick Lonsdale
and Harry Graham
, starring with Evelyn Laye
and Derek Oldham
. He then appeared in Blue Eyes (1928) and So This is Love (1929). He continued to play in the West End
in the 1930s. In 1935 he appeared with W. H. Berry
in a revival of Straus's A Waltz Dream. His last West End appearance was in Waltz Without End, produced by Jack Buchanan
in 1942.
Between the wars, Wallis also made a number of films, including The Cost of a Kiss (1917), as Lord Darlington; Victory and Peace (1918), as Bob Brierley; The Wandering Jew (1933/I), as Prince Bohemund; A Dream of Love (1938), as Liszt 'old'; Chips (1938), as Smuggler; A People Eternal (1939), as The English Prince; and Shipbuilders (1944), as Caven Watson.
Wallis died in London at the age of 78.
Edwardian Musical Comedy
Edwardian musical comedies were British musical theatre shows from the period between the early 1890s, when the Gilbert and Sullivan operas' dominance had ended, until the rise of the American musicals by Jerome Kern, Rodgers and Hart, George Gershwin and Cole Porter following World War I.Between...
and operetta
Operetta
Operetta is a genre of light opera, light in terms both of music and subject matter. It is also closely related, in English-language works, to forms of musical theatre.-Origins:...
s in the early 20th century, first as leading men and then in character roles. He also later appeared in several film roles.
Early years
Wallis was born in London. A huge man who stood almost 7 feet tall, he won the Westmorland Scholarship to study voice at the Royal Academy of MusicRoyal Academy of Music
The Royal Academy of Music in London, England, is a conservatoire, Britain's oldest degree-granting music school and a constituent college of the University of London since 1999. The Academy was founded by Lord Burghersh in 1822 with the help and ideas of the French harpist and composer Nicolas...
, where he won the Parepa-Rosa gold medal and the Evill Prize.
After his studies, his first role was Amiens in George Alexander
George Alexander
George Alexander may refer to:*George Alexander , British actor*George Alexander , mayor of Los Angeles*George T. Alexander , US Army soldier*George W...
's production of As You Like It
As You Like It
As You Like It is a pastoral comedy by William Shakespeare believed to have been written in 1599 or early 1600 and first published in the folio of 1623. The play's first performance is uncertain, though a performance at Wilton House in 1603 has been suggested as a possibility...
in 1896. Edward German
Edward German
Sir Edward German was an English musician and composer of Welsh descent, best remembered for his extensive output of incidental music for the stage and as a successor to Arthur Sullivan in the field of English comic opera.As a youth, German played the violin and led the town orchestra, also...
composed the music for the production, and Wallis's performance of his songs won praise: "Mr. Bertram Wallis as Amiens sings his solos so well as to quite justify Jacques's remark, 'More, I pr'y thee, more'." Soon afterwards, he played in Much Ado About Nothing
Much Ado About Nothing
Much Ado About Nothing is a comedy written by William Shakespeare about two pairs of lovers, Benedick and Beatrice, and Claudio and Hero....
, his last production of a Shakespeare play.
In the early years of the 20th century, Wallis had his first successes on the musical stage. He sang in a five man act called "The Musketeers" music hall
Music hall
Music Hall is a type of British theatrical entertainment which was popular between 1850 and 1960. The term can refer to:# A particular form of variety entertainment involving a mixture of popular song, comedy and speciality acts...
at the Tivoli Theatre
Tivoli Theatre
Tivoli Theatre is the name of a number of notable theatres:in Asia*Tivoli Theatre , Indiain Australia*Tivoli Theatre , Australia*Tivoli Theatre , Australiain Europa*Teatro Tívoli, Barcelona, Spain...
in 1901. In 1902 he appeared in the musical comedy
Edwardian Musical Comedy
Edwardian musical comedies were British musical theatre shows from the period between the early 1890s, when the Gilbert and Sullivan operas' dominance had ended, until the rise of the American musicals by Jerome Kern, Rodgers and Hart, George Gershwin and Cole Porter following World War I.Between...
Three Little Maids
Three Little Maids
Three Little Maids is an English musical by Paul Rubens with additional songs by Percy Greenbank and Howard Talbot. The story concerns three simple curate's daughters who go to London to earn their livings serving tea in a Bond Street tea shop...
at the Apollo Theatre
Apollo Theatre
The Apollo Theatre is a Grade II listed West End theatre, on Shaftesbury Avenue in the City of Westminster. Designed by architect Lewin Sharp for owner Henry Lowenfield, and the fourth legitimate theatre to be constructed on the street, its doors opened on 21 February 1901 with the American...
, with Lottie Venne
Lottie Venne
Lottie Venne was a British comedienne, actress and singer of the Victorian and Edwardian eras, who enjoyed a theatre career spanning five decades. Venne began her stage career in musical burlesque before moving into farce and comedy. She appeared in several works by each of F. C. Burnand and W. S...
, Sybil Grey
Sybil Grey
Sybil Grey was a British opera singer during the Victorian era best known for creating a series of minor roles in productions by the D'Oyly Carte Opera Company, including roles in several of the famous Gilbert and Sullivan operas, between 1880 to 1888...
and Edna May
Edna May
Edna May Pettie , known on stage as Edna May, was an American actress and singer. A popular postcard beauty, May was famous for her leading roles in Edwardian Musical Comedies.- Life and career :...
. In 1904 he appeared with Kate Cutler
Kate Cutler
Kate Ellen Louisa Cutler was an English singer and actress, known in the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries as an ingénue in musical comedies, and later as a character actress in comic and dramatic plays...
in The Love Birds. He then travelled to New York City to play in several Broadway
Broadway theatre
Broadway theatre, commonly called simply Broadway, refers to theatrical performances presented in one of the 40 professional theatres with 500 or more seats located in the Theatre District centered along Broadway, and in Lincoln Center, in Manhattan in New York City...
productions, including A Madcap Princess (1904), Princess Beggar (1907) and Miss Hook of Holland
Miss Hook of Holland
Miss Hook of Holland is an English musical comedy in two acts, with music and lyrics by Paul Rubens with a book by Austen Hurgon and Rubens. The show was produced by Frank Curzon and opened at the Prince of Wales Theatre on 31 January 1907, running for a very successful 462 performances...
(1907–08), with Christie MacDonald
Christie MacDonald
Christie MacDonald was a Canadian-American actress and opera singer. She was born in Pictou, Nova Scotia...
.
After this, Wallis starred in a series of successful London musicals, often with Isabel Jay
Isabel Jay
Isabel Jay was an English opera singer and actress, best known for her performances in soprano roles of the Savoy Operas with the D'Oyly Carte Opera Company and in musical comedies...
or Jose Collins
Jose Collins
Jose Collins was an English actress and singer celebrated for her performances in musical comedies and early motion pictures.-Life and career:...
, including King of Cadonia
King of Cadonia
King of Cadonia is an English musical in two acts with a book by Frederick Lonsdale, lyrics by Adrian Ross and Arthur Wimperis and music by Sidney Jones and Frederick Rosse. It opened at the Prince of Wales Theatre in London on 3 September 1908, produced by Frank Curzon, and ran for 333...
(1908), Dear Little Denmark (1909) and The Balkan Princess
The Balkan Princess
The Balkan Princess is a British musical in three acts by Frederick Lonsdale and Frank Curzon, with lyrics by Paul Rubens and Arthur Wimperis, and music by Paul Rubens. It opened at the Prince of Wales Theatre on 19 February 1910. The cast included Isabel Jay and Bertram Wallis...
(1910). Playgoer magazine commented, "What a ... fine specimen of mankind is the Grand Duke Sergius as played by Mr. Bertram Wallis!" He next starred in The Count of Luxembourg
The Count of Luxembourg
The Count of Luxembourg is an operetta in two acts with English lyrics and libretto by Basil Hood and Adrian Ross, music by Franz Lehár, based loosely on the German original, entitled "Der Graf von Luxemburg", which had premiered in Vienna in 1909....
(1911). In 1911, Wallis temporarily left the musical stage to appear in a non-musical melodrama
Melodrama
The term melodrama refers to a dramatic work that exaggerates plot and characters in order to appeal to the emotions. It may also refer to the genre which includes such works, or to language, behavior, or events which resemble them...
, Beau Brocade at the Globe Theatre
Gielgud Theatre
The Gielgud Theatre is a West End theatre, located on Shaftesbury Avenue in the City of Westminster, London, at the corner of Rupert Street. The house currently has 889 seats on three levels.-History:...
, for which he won good notices.
World War I and later years
In 1913, Wallis wrote the libretto for Betty's Little Joke, a musical comedietta in three acts, with music by Cola Robinson. It was staged at the PalladiumLondon Palladium
The London Palladium is a 2,286 seat West End theatre located off Oxford Street in the City of Westminster. From the roster of stars who have played there and many televised performances, it is arguably the most famous theatre in London and the United Kingdom, especially for musical variety...
, with Wallis heading the cast. In the same year, he was in Love and Laughter by Oscar Straus
Oscar Straus
Oscar Straus may refer to:*Oscar Straus , Viennese composer of operettas*Oscar Straus , United States Secretary of Commerce and Labor from 1906 to 1909...
: one reviewer commented, "Mr. Bertram Wallis, a little stouter than he used to be, is the handsome, brave and loving Prince." He returned to musical comedy in The Happy Day
The Happy Day
The Happy Day is an English musical comedy in two acts by Seymour Hicks, with music by Sidney Jones and Paul Rubens, and lyrics by Adrian Ross and Rubens. It was produced by George Edwardes's company and was directed by Evett. The musical opened at Daly's Theatre in London on 13 May 1916 and ran...
(1916), the hit revue
Revue
A revue is a type of multi-act popular theatrical entertainment that combines music, dance and sketches. The revue has its roots in 19th century American popular entertainment and melodrama but grew into a substantial cultural presence of its own during its golden years from 1916 to 1932...
Zig Zag! (1917) and A Southern Maid
A Southern Maid
A Southern Maid is an operetta in three acts composed by Harold Fraser-Simson, with a book by Dion Clayton Calthrop and Harry Graham and lyrics by Harry Graham and Harry Miller. Additional music was provided by Ivor Novello and George H. Clutsam, with additional lyrics by Adrian Ross and Douglas...
(1920).
In the 1920s, the now mature Wallis began to play character parts, appearing with great success as Louis XV
Louis XV of France
Louis XV was a Bourbon monarch who ruled as King of France and of Navarre from 1 September 1715 until his death. He succeeded his great-grandfather at the age of five, his first cousin Philippe II, Duke of Orléans, served as Regent of the kingdom until Louis's majority in 1723...
in Madame Pompadour
Madame Pompadour (operetta)
Madame Pompadour is an operetta in three acts, composed by Leo Fall with a libretto by Rudolf Schanzer and Ernst Friedrich Wilhelm Welisch. Conducted by the composer, It opened at the Berliner Theater in Berlin on September 9, 1922 and then at the Theater an der Wien in Vienna on March 2,...
(1923) by Leo Fall
Leo Fall
Leo Fall was an Austrian composer of operettas.-Life:Born in Olmütz , Leo Fall was taught by his father Moritz Fall , a bandmaster and composer, who settled in Berlin. The younger Fall studied at the Vienna Conservatory before rejoining his father in Berlin...
, Frederick Lonsdale
Frederick Lonsdale
Frederick Lonsdale was an English dramatist.-Personal life:Lonsdale was born Lionel Frederick Leonard in St Helier, Jersey, the son of Susan and John Henry Leonard, a tobacconist. He began as a private soldier and worked for the London and South Western Railway...
and Harry Graham
Harry Graham
Harry Edward Graham is a retired politician in Manitoba, Canada. He served as a Progressive Conservative member of the Legislative Assembly of Manitoba from 1969 to 1986....
, starring with Evelyn Laye
Evelyn Laye
Evelyn Laye, CBE was an English theatre and film actress.-Early years and career:Born as Elsie Evelyn Lay in Bloomsbury, London, Laye made her first stage appearance in August 1915 at the Theatre Royal, Brighton as Nang-Ping in Mr...
and Derek Oldham
Derek Oldham
Derek Oldham was an English singer and actor, best known for his performances in the tenor roles of the Savoy Operas with the D'Oyly Carte Opera Company....
. He then appeared in Blue Eyes (1928) and So This is Love (1929). He continued to play in the West End
West End theatre
West End theatre is a popular term for mainstream professional theatre staged in the large theatres of London's 'Theatreland', the West End. Along with New York's Broadway theatre, West End theatre is usually considered to represent the highest level of commercial theatre in the English speaking...
in the 1930s. In 1935 he appeared with W. H. Berry
W. H. Berry
William Henry Berry , always billed as W. H. Berry, was an English comic actor. After learning his craft in pierrot and concert entertainments, he was spotted by the actor-manager George Grossmith Jr., and appeared in a series of musical comedies in comic character roles. His greatest success was...
in a revival of Straus's A Waltz Dream. His last West End appearance was in Waltz Without End, produced by Jack Buchanan
Jack Buchanan
Walter John "Jack" Buchanan was a British theatre and film actor, singer, producer and director. He was known for three decades as the embodiment of the debonair man-about-town in the tradition of George Grossmith Jr., and was described by The Times as "the last of the knuts." He is best known in...
in 1942.
Between the wars, Wallis also made a number of films, including The Cost of a Kiss (1917), as Lord Darlington; Victory and Peace (1918), as Bob Brierley; The Wandering Jew (1933/I), as Prince Bohemund; A Dream of Love (1938), as Liszt 'old'; Chips (1938), as Smuggler; A People Eternal (1939), as The English Prince; and Shipbuilders (1944), as Caven Watson.
Wallis died in London at the age of 78.
External links
- List of London cast information, including several cast lists starring Wallis from 1902-1910
- List of London cast information, including several cast lists starring Wallis from 1920-1929
- Information about some of Wallis' appearances on Broadway
- Information about Wallis' early Shakespeare roles
- Photo of Wallis and Lily Elsie in The Count of Luxembourg
- Photo of Wallis and Isabel Jay in Dear Little Denmark
- http://myweb.tiscali.co.uk/stage2/produce/th-rvw014.htmlReview of The Balkan PrincessThe Balkan PrincessThe Balkan Princess is a British musical in three acts by Frederick Lonsdale and Frank Curzon, with lyrics by Paul Rubens and Arthur Wimperis, and music by Paul Rubens. It opened at the Prince of Wales Theatre on 19 February 1910. The cast included Isabel Jay and Bertram Wallis...
referring to Wallis]