George Clarke

George Clarke, born George Henry Broome (11 April 1886 – 21 December 1946) was an English comedian, prominent in music halls and musical revues from the 1910s to the mid-1940s. He began his career as child performer with his father, performing comic patter and dances. After his father's retirement from the stage in 1910 Clarke performed with another comedian, with whom he toured Australia and New Zealand in late 1911 and early 1912. Throughout the years of World War I into the 1920s, Clarke performed in revues in provincial and London theatres, many of them productions by the revue and vaudeville promoter Harry Day. He continued to perform until the mid-1940s in various theatrical productions, including three separate Royal Command Performances. Clarke played the lead roles in two films, performed in New York and toured in South Africa (on three occasions).

George Clarke's signature on-stage persona throughout his career was that of the 'dude comedian', impeccably dressed, often with a monocle and top hat, and delivering his comedic patter in an exaggerated upper-class accent. By the late-1920s Clarke had developed a comedy routine which involved him driving an Austin Seven car on stage, skilfully manoeuvred for dramatic and comedic effect. His car routine became Clarke's best-known comedy sketch, incorporated into a number of productions including Royal Command performances, a theatrical production in New York and a short film made in 1930.

Biography

Early life

George Henry Broome was born on 11 April 1886 at Bromley or Poplar (adjoining districts in inner-city East London), England, the son of George Thomas Broome and Selena (née Hewett). His father was an entertainer who had adopted the stage-name of 'George Clarke'. Young George began his career in about 1893-4 as a child performer alongside his father, appearing as "patter comedians and dancers" in British music halls and billed as 'George Clarke and His Half'. The young boy possibly made his stage debut at the Albert Hall Music Hall in 1894. In a summary of his career published in The Performer magazine in 1946, it was said of Clarke: "He was a master in the art of giving full rein to the most priceless verbal inanities, was always impeccably attired on the stage, and with his monocle typified the 'silly ass' character so vastly enjoyed by the average man in the street". In early 1911 Clarke and Mostol were engaged for a tour of Australia and New Zealand by the theatrical entrepreneur Harry Rickards, who had established a circuit of touring vaudeville acts in Australia, involving theatres he both owned and leased, known as the 'Tivoli circuit'. Rickard visited England each year for the purpose of visiting music halls to identify and engage acts for the Australian variety stage.

George Clarke married Isabelle Markey at Lambeth on 21 June 1911, a week before his departure for Australia. Isabelle was an actress who used the stage-name 'Mamie Watson'.

Australasian tour

George Clarke and Tom Mostol arrived at Adelaide from London aboard the steamer R.M.S. Mongolia and made their Australian debut on 5 August 1911 at Adelaide's Tivoli Theatre. After a fortnight in Adelaide the two comedians travelled to Sydney and made their first appearance at the Tivoli Theatre in Sydney on 19 August. A reviewer for a Sydney newspaper described their act: "Made up as dudes, they succeeded with their comedy dances and clever patter in keeping the audience in shrieks of laughter, while their exhibition of fine dancing fairly 'brought down the house'". Clarke and Mostol were featured in the programme of acts presented by Rickards at the Opera House in Melbourne from early October 1911.

From late-October 1911 Clarke and Mostol toured in New Zealand as part of The Harry Rickards' Tivoli Vaudeville Combination. Rickards' variety show performed in various theatres in New Zealand for two months. During January 1911 Clarke and Mostol returned to the Tivoli in Sydney and the Opera House in Melbourne. From early February 1912 Clarke and Mostol performed at the Melrose Theatre in Perth in a programme of vaudeville items and "animated pictures". A reviewer wrote that the pair "gave astonishing exhibitions of rapid dancing" and described their patter as "diverting", with a "freshness about some of their jokes that was distinctly pleasing". The comedy duo made their final Australian appearance on 19 February 1912.

Theatrical revues

In June 1913 Clarke played the character of 'Hon. G. P. Washington' in the revue Step This Way! at the Oxford Music Hall in Westminster, London. During 1914 Clarke toured with the company performing Hullo Everybody!, a production of the revue and vaudeville promoter Harry Day. Clark became a regular performer in revues produced by Harry Day throughout the war years and into the mid-1920s. He appeared in Here and There at the Empire Theatre in November 1917. In 1918 Clarke again appeared at the Hippodrome in Box o'Tricks. In about September that year he appeared in a production of Zig-Zag!, staged at the Folies Bergère in Paris.

During 1919 Clarke was a member of the touring company of the Harry Day musical comedy On the Wing, with Clarke and Isabelle Dillon in the leading roles. The production was a success and ended up playing in London's West End by the end of the year. In 1921 Clarke appeared in the revues Hullo Everybody! and Spangles, both Harry Day productions. By mid-April Radios was playing in the Empire Theatre in Bristol. In July 1924 it was reported that Clarke was both the manager and "chief comedian" of the revue.

George Clarke performed in the Harry Day revue Records during 1925. In February 1926 Clarke performed in Charles Gulliver's musical revue Palladium Pleasures at the Palladium Theatre.

In 1927-28 Clarke played the character of 'Harry Bassett' in a touring production of the musical Lido Lady (with songs by Richard Rodgers and Lorenz Hart). In 1928 he toured in Vogues and Vanities. Clarke may have begun to develop the sketch in the mid-1920s. One source describes him performing a routine in 1925 at the Palace Theatre in Plymouth which involved him driving "a brand new yellow Austin Seven car on the stage". Described as "the dapper little dude comedian", Clarke dared his infant daughter to bounce, "lest she broke the springs".

During 1929 Clarke played the lead role of 'Bertie Bundy', appearing with a monocle and minute moustache, in the musical comedy Darling! I Love You. The production was staged in principal variety theatres in England, including the Birmingham's Theatre Royal and the Birmingham Hippodrome. Clarke also performed his car routine as part of a vaudeville show at New York's Palace Theatre. A reviewer for Billboard magazine praised his performance: "George Clarke, British dude funster with a brand of comedy that knows no national lines, ran up the highest laugh score of the show in the post-intermission spot in his superclever skit, His New Car".

From 22 January 1930 Darling, I Love You was produced at the Gaiety Theatre in London. A reviewer for Variety gave the production a scathing review, describing it as "one of those silly imitations of the American method which London managers think are what the public wants", adding that "the humor is dreadful... and there is scarcely any personality in the show". George Clarke was described as a "provincial comedian" making "his first appearance as the leading comedian in London". The reviewer claimed Clarke suffered from nervousness, concluding" "I daresay he is more funny when he hasn't got so many nerves". In spite of the poor reviews Darling, I Love You ran for 147 performances until June 1930 at the Gaiety Theatre.

In 1930 Clarke and his wife Mamie Watson were the featured actors in the short comedy film His First Car (later titled I'll Take That One), directed by Monty Banks for Gordon Bostock Productions.

Later career

George Clarke performed in three Royal Command Performances at the London Palladium during his career: On the first occasion he performed his comedy sketch His First Car as part of the Royal Command variety performance in May 1930. At the Royal Command Performance in May 1932 he performed with Madge Aubrey in a comedy sketch called 'The Service Flat' (from the musical revue By George!), which involved the pair driving in the Austin Seven car. At the Royal Command Performance in May 1934 Clarke was part of an ensemble cast in a sketch entitled The Miller's Daughter, playing "a would-be actor roped into a professional company". In January 1931 Blue Roses commenced a season at the Gaiety Theatre in London. A reviewer described the production as "a light and bright show of the entirely conventional order". Clarke was described a "very amusing and finished comedian... who has several capital scenes and at least one brilliant dance". Nora Nicholson, who had a small part in the production, later commented: "We broke records on tour, but George, an enormous favourite in the provinces, somehow didn't go down with London audiences and our run at the Gaiety Theatre lasted a bare six weeks".

In February 1933 Clarke and fellow comedian Marriott Edgar were the lead roles in the musical revue By George! at the Victoria Palace Theatre. During 1933-34 he toured in a production of Here We Go Round. From November 1934 the production toured in South Africa.

George Clarke's home base was at 'The Weir House', Maidenhead Court in Maidenhead, county Berkshire.

In 1939 Clarke toured as 'George Lockwood' in It's That Man Again and as 'George Sterling' in Happy Birthday. At the time of his death, he was described by the Associated Press as the only vaudeville comedian to have "given three royal command performances".

Filmography

I'll Take That One (October 1930), Gordon Bostock Productions (short film). Here's George (December 1932), Thomas Charles Arnold Productions.