George Wallace (Australian comedian)

George Wallace (Australian comedian)

George Wallace (4 June, 1895 - 19 October, 1960), was an Australian comedian, vaudevillian and film star. He was one of the most successful Australian comedians of the 20th Century.

History

He was born at Aberdeen, New South Wales and died at Kensington, New South Wales, Wallace was one of Australia's great comedians. His career spanned four decades from the 1920s to the 1960s and encompassed stage, radio and film. Ken G. Hall who directed him in several of his films called George Wallace the finest Australian comedian he had known.

The story goes that Wallace was born in a tent in the middle of winter in the New England region of New South Wales, the midwife reputedly fed the newborn baby hot porridge to help him survive the freezing temperatures. George turned the resultant damage to his vocal cords to his advantage and his raucous voice soon became part of the trademark for the "Boy From Bullamakanka". In the 1920s he appeared as part of a duo with 'Dinks' Patterson named Dinkus and Onkus. The pair danced and sang, and for someone who looked like a wharfie (with his barrel chest and short legs) Wallace was surprisingly acrobatic and light on his feet, and the public loved him for his slapstick style and everyman appeal.

Turning solo, Wallace was soon snapped up by the Fuller Circuit in Sydney and from there he moved to the Tivoli. By the 1930s he was considered one of the "Big Three" in comedy. He wrote all of his own scripts and in 1945 even penned a song which was to become a World War II standard "A Brown Slouch Hat with The Side Turned Up". The 1930s saw George turn his talents to film. He starred in "His Royal Highness" (1932); "Harmony Row" (1933); "A Ticket in Tatts" (1934); "Let George Do It" (1938); wrote the script for and starred in "Gone to the Dogs" (1939). These were all comedies directed by Ken G. Hall or Frank W. Thring. The drama "Rats of Tobruk" (1944) followed, then "Wherever She Goes" (1953).

Legacy and influence

George Wallace has been the subject of a recent documentary "Funny By George: The George Wallace Story" [cite web | year = 2000 | url = http://www.abc.net.au/documentaries/programs/2000/funnybygeorge.htm | title = Funny By George - The George Wallace story | work = ABC TV documentaries | publisher = Australian Broadcasting Corporation | accessdate = 2007-11-14] and a stage show about his life.

George Wallace had one child, George Wallace Jnr, who became a famous comedian in his own right. George Jnr's television show, Theatre Royal, which emanated from Brisbane, Australia, won a coveted Logie Award in 1962 and 1963.

ee also

* Roy Rene

References and Credits

* Bridges Nancye "Curtain Call" Cassell AUstralia. ISBN 0-7269-0465-1
* "Funny By George: The George Wallace Story", Director Don Percy, Writing Credits Jim Murphy, Australia 1999.
* "Falling On My Left Ear: A Show About George Wallace". Writer/Director Mary-Anne Gifford. 2002.

External links

* [http://www.laughterlog.com/Personalities/per-gwallace.HTM Laughterlog.com] Complete radio and film list


Wikimedia Foundation. 2010.

Игры ⚽ Поможем написать курсовую

Look at other dictionaries:

  • George Wallace (disambiguation) — George Wallace may refer to:*George Wallace (1919–1998), Governor of Alabama and a former candidate for President of the United States *George Wallace, Jr. (born 1951), American politician, son of Governor George Wallace, and former Alabama State …   Wikipedia

  • George Stevenson Wallace — (* 4. Juni 1895 in Aberdeen, New South Wales; † 19. Oktober 1960 in Sydney) war ein australischer Komiker und Schauspieler. Leben Wallace entstammte einer Komödiantenfamile. Sein Großvater Pipeclay Wallace war ein irischer Komiker, sein Vater… …   Deutsch Wikipedia

  • Wallace (surname) — NOTOC Wallace is a surname, of Scottish origin (see Clan Wallace), and may refer to:People* Alfred Russel Wallace, British naturalist and biologist, who identified the Wallace Line and co discovered natural selection * Andy Wallace (producer) *… …   Wikipedia

  • Wallace — /ˈwɒləs/ (say woluhs) noun 1. Alfred Russel, 1823–1913, English naturalist, explorer, and author; influenced and worked with Charles Darwin. 2. George Stevenson, 1894–1960, Australian stage, radio, and film comedian. 3. Sir William, c. 1272–1305 …  

  • Roy Rene — (15 February 1891 – 22 November 1954), born Henry van der Sluys, was an Australian comedian and vaudevillian. As the bawdy character Mo McCackie, Rene was one of the most well known and successful Australian comedians of the 20th… …   Wikipedia

  • October 19 — << October 2011 >> Su Mo Tu We Th Fr Sa 1 …   Wikipedia

  • 1963 — This article is about the year 1963. For other uses, see 1963 (disambiguation). Millennium: 2nd millennium Centuries: 19th century – 20th century – 21st century Decades: 1930s  1940s  1950s  – 1 …   Wikipedia

  • 1972 — This article is about the year 1972. Millennium: 2nd millennium Centuries: 19th century – 20th century – 21st century Decades: 1940s  1950s  1960s  – 1970s –  1980s   …   Wikipedia

  • List of Jewish actors and actresses — The list is currently organized chronologically, listing people by decade of birth. NOTOC 1990s 1980s 1970s 1960s 1950s 1940s 1930s 1920s 1910s 1900s 1890s 1880s 1870s 1860s 1850s 1840s 1830s 1820s 1810s 1750s infinity1990s*Jonah Bobo (1997–)… …   Wikipedia

  • Deaths in 2003 — Contents 1 January 2003 2 February 2003 3 March 2003 4 A …   Wikipedia

Share the article and excerpts

Direct link
… Do a right-click on the link above
and select “Copy Link”