Buster Fiddess

Buster Fiddess (born Leslie Anderson 1914 – 14 January 1972) was an Australian comedian, best known for his work in vaudeville (1936–1958) and television variety shows (1957–1972). He was described as a "rubber-faced" actor, who "wore tails and walked like a mechanically wound-up man, with a straight back and straight, long, fair hair". in . In October of that year, Joshua Fiddes (aged 25) and Buster Leslie Fiddes (22), were working in Sydney at the notorious dance-cabaret Graham's Club ("a law unto itself") in Hunter Street. They were each fined £A50 for serving alcohol in an unlicensed premises. but may have been an attempt to improve their public profile. and were engaged on the Tivoli circuit during 1936–37 and at Sydney Trocadero in July 1937, and then other shows in rural New South Wales.

By December 1937 Buster Fiddes was working solo and advertised himself as "Australia's youngest and funniest comedian". From April to July 1938 he performed for George Sorlie's shows in Bathurst, Orange and Narromine in New South Wales and Mackay and Cairns, in Queensland. He was known from circus and "over the air" He worked as a vocalist and comedian with Billy Heaton's troupe, which toured Western Australia from July to August 1939, supported by his straight man, John Carfax. The Mullewa Mails reporter noticed, "The company was headed by [Fiddes], a young Australian comedian, who definitely has a future on the stage. His delivery and style are refreshingly novel and he shows twists of originality which should take him a long way." Cattach had been the ballet mistress with Billy Heaton's troupe earlier in that year. Fiddes was associated with fellow Tivoli comedian, George Wallace. From March to April 1945 the married couple both worked with Wallace in United Nations at Cremorne Theatre, Brisbane. Fiddes was bashed and his face cut in November 1945 in Sydney, by three would-be thieves – he was treated in hospital.

Fiddes joined Will Mahoney's Pleasure Bound revue at the Cremorne Theatre in July–August 1948. His performances included "Kiddington", a satirical mind reading act. The comedian relocated to London in 1953 and, for at least two years, he performed in Europe and the Middle East. According to Frank van Straten Fiddess was a "circuit favourite in revue and pantomime for twenty-two years" up to 1958. Jonathan Bollen observed, "[he] was a successful pantomime dame in that longstanding tradition of cross-dressed comedy which maintained its popularity as holiday entertainment for children." Fiddess became a regular on The Bobby Limb Show from 1959 to 1961.

In 1984 television critic Phillip Adams reflected on the lack of comedic development in Australian TV humour after the mid-1960s and cited Fiddess and Wallace as innovative examples of that era. Fiddess appeared in other TV variety programs, In Melbourne Tonight, The Mobil Limb Show (1961–1964) and Here's Dawn (1964–1965). Later he undertook non-comedic, cameo roles on various TV drama series, Homicide, Matlock Police (both 1971), Spyforce and Boney (both 1972). Fiddess portrayed Charlie Jones in the thriller feature film, Wake in Fright (or Outback, 1971) and Mr Crawley in children's drama-comedy Caravan Holiday (1972).

Fiddess had performed for allied troops in October 1970, South Vietnam during the Vietnam War: Veteran comedian Buster Fiddess was a big hit with a large group of troops when he performed at the 1st Australian Task Force Base (1ATF), at Nui Dat. He was a member of the Sydney Concert Party which toured Australian, and some American bases in the war zone this month. The concert party also included three female vocalists, Helen Noonan, Sylvia Raye and Mary-Jane Boyde and fourteen members of the Sydney ABC Show Band, with compère, Gordon Boyd.

Buster Fiddess died suddenly on 14 January 1972 at his home in Collaroy, New South Wales. A posthumous TV appearance in Carry On Spike in Australia was broadcast on Channel 9 on 20 March 1972. It was compèred by John Laws and starred Spike Milligan, supported by Ruth Cracknell and John Meillon. Fellow Tivoli performer Val Jellay recalled that Fiddess's "comedy combined travesty, disruption and visual gags".