George Wallace (Australian comedian)
Encyclopedia
George Wallace was an Australia
n comedian
, vaudevillian and film star. He was one of the most famous and successful Australian comedians on stage and screen in the twentieth century.
, and died at Kensington, New South Wales
. His career as one of Australia's most popular comedians spanned four decades from the 1920s to 1960 and encompassed stage, radio and film. Ken G. Hall
, who directed him in two films, wrote in his autobiography that George Wallace was 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 reportedly fed the newborn baby hot porridge to help him survive the freezing temperatures. George later 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 Dinks 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 Theatre circuit. By the 1920s he was considered to be one of the "Big Three" most popular performers in Australian comedy. He wrote all of his own scripts and in 1945 penned a song that 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 five films, all comedies. Three of these, His Royal Highness
(1932), Harmony Row
(1933) and A Ticket in Tatts
(1934), were directed by F. W. Thring for Thring's company, Efftee Film Productions. The other two, Let George Do It
(1938) and Gone to the Dogs
(1939), were directed by Ken G. Hall
for Cinesound Productions
. Wallace's contributions to these films extended beyond his performances. He developed the concepts for His Royal Highness, Harmony Row and A Ticket in Tatts by drawing on his stage revues, and co-wrote Let George Do It
and Gone to the Dogs
. Wallace's other film work included a 1932 short film, "Oh! What a Night!", which he is said to have directed unofficially. In later years, he was seen in supporting roles in two dramatic films, The Rats of Tobruk
(Charles Chauvel, 1944, Australia) and Wherever She Goes
(Michael Gordon, 1953, USA/Australia).
, these films provide some support for the claim that George Wallace is Australia's equivalent of Charles Chaplin. Yet Wallace's work was more original than this comparison suggests; he did not simply emulate Chaplin and his comedy films were not mere copies of Hollywood movies.
In his physical presentation as well as his performance style, George Wallace differed from international stars of slapstick comedy. For instance, his clothing and speech allude to an Australian working-class type and contrast with Charles Chaplin's mock-dapper Tramp persona. The fact that Wallace's performances combine tap-dancing with pratfalls makes him unusual among film comedians anywhere. Moreover, Wallace's films prefigure developments in Hollywood comedy. An example is the fictional country of Betonia in His Royal Highness, which predates satirical depictions of fictional nations in such celebrated films as The Marx Brothers
' Duck Soup (1933) and Charles Chaplin's The Great Dictator
(1940). Other aspects of Wallace's films that are relatively unusual for the period are the comedic treatment of haunted houses in Harmony Row and Gone to the Dogs and scientific experimentation in Gone to the Dogs, which emphasize the resourcefulness of Australian filmmaking in the face of Hollywood's international dominance.
George Wallace's transition from stage to screen parallels the career progressions of many internationally famous vaudeville performers in a period when movies' popularity was eclipsing live theatre. However, the financially struggling Australian film industry of the 1920s and 1930s provided fewer opportunities than Hollywood did. Although Wallace continued to work after World War Two, with a successful career in radio and on stage as well as occasional film roles, his film career never returned to its 1930s peak. This was undoubtedly influenced by factors outside his control, such as F. W. Thring's death in 1936 and Cinesound Productions
' decision to cease feature film production in 1940. Indeed, the films that Wallace stars in defy the fact that the Australian film industry was already struggling to survive. These films continue to be a high point of Australian screen comedy.
, Paul Hogan
and the Frontline (Australian TV series)
team. Unlike many Australian comedies made before World War II
, Wallace's films do not celebrate the bush as "the essence of Australianness". Instead, these films are significant for reflecting Australian comedy's movement away from the bush to emphasise urban settings, which would become more prevalent in later Australian comedy. However, the full significance of Wallace's films in relation to later Australian screen comedy is perhaps yet to be understood.
In recent decades, George Wallace has been the subject of a documentary film, Funny By George: The George Wallace Story and a stage show about his life, Falling On My Left Ear: A Show About George Wallace.
George Wallace had one child, George Leonard Wallace (George Wallace Jnr.), who became a famous comedian in his own right. He had considerable success on television in the late 1950s and 1960s. George Wallace Jnr's television show, Theatre Royal, which originated in Brisbane
, won a Logie Award
in 1962 and 1963.
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
n comedian
Comedian
A comedian or comic is a person who seeks to entertain an audience, primarily by making them laugh. This might be through jokes or amusing situations, or acting a fool, as in slapstick, or employing prop comedy...
, vaudevillian and film star. He was one of the most famous and successful Australian comedians on stage and screen in the twentieth century.
History
He was born George Stevenson Wallace at Aberdeen, New South WalesAberdeen, New South Wales
Aberdeen is a small town in the upper Hunter Valley region of New South Wales, Australia, in Upper Hunter Shire. It is located about 12 kilometres north of Muswellbrook on the New England Highway. Aberdeen is named after Aberdeen, Scotland. At the 2006 census, Aberdeen had a population of...
, and died at Kensington, New South Wales
Kensington, New South Wales
Kensington is a suburb in south-eastern Sydney, in the state of New South Wales, Australia. Kensington is located 6 kilometres south-east of the Sydney central business district, in the local government area of the City of Randwick, in the Eastern Suburbs region...
. His career as one of Australia's most popular comedians spanned four decades from the 1920s to 1960 and encompassed stage, radio and film. Ken G. Hall
Ken G. Hall
Kenneth George Hall, AO OBE , better known as Ken G. Hall, was an Australian film director, considered one of the most important figures in the history of the Australian film industry.-Early years:...
, who directed him in two films, wrote in his autobiography that George Wallace was 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
New South Wales
New South Wales is a state of :Australia, located in the east of the country. It is bordered by Queensland, Victoria and South Australia to the north, south and west respectively. To the east, the state is bordered by the Tasman Sea, which forms part of the Pacific Ocean. New South Wales...
. The midwife reportedly fed the newborn baby hot porridge to help him survive the freezing temperatures. George later turned the resultant damage to his vocal cords to his advantage and his raucous voice soon became part of the trademark
Trademark
A trademark, trade mark, or trade-mark is a distinctive sign or indicator used by an individual, business organization, or other legal entity to identify that the products or services to consumers with which the trademark appears originate from a unique source, and to distinguish its products or...
for the "Boy From Bullamakanka". In the 1920s he appeared as part of a duo with 'Dinks' Patterson named Dinks 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
Slapstick
Slapstick is a type of comedy involving exaggerated violence and activities which may exceed the boundaries of common sense.- Origins :The phrase comes from the batacchio or bataccio — called the 'slap stick' in English — a club-like object composed of two wooden slats used in Commedia dell'arte...
style and everyman
Everyman
In literature and drama, the term everyman has come to mean an ordinary individual, with whom the audience or reader is supposed to be able to identify easily, and who is often placed in extraordinary circumstances...
appeal.
Turning solo, Wallace was soon snapped up by the Fuller circuit in Sydney
Sydney
Sydney is the most populous city in Australia and the state capital of New South Wales. Sydney is located on Australia's south-east coast of the Tasman Sea. As of June 2010, the greater metropolitan area had an approximate population of 4.6 million people...
and from there he moved to the Tivoli Theatre circuit. By the 1920s he was considered to be one of the "Big Three" most popular performers in Australian comedy. He wrote all of his own scripts and in 1945 penned a song that was to become a World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
standard, "A Brown Slouch Hat with The Side Turned Up".
The 1930s saw George turn his talents to film. He starred in five films, all comedies. Three of these, His Royal Highness
His Royal Highness (1932 film)
His Royal Highness is a 1932 Australian film directed by F.W. Thring, also known as His Loyal Highness...
(1932), Harmony Row
Harmony Row (1933 film)
Harmony Row is a 1933 Australian musical comedy starring popular stage comedian George Wallace.-External links:* in the Internet Movie Database* at Australian Screen Online...
(1933) and A Ticket in Tatts
A Ticket in Tatts (1934 film)
A Ticket in Tatts is a 1934 musical comedy starring popular stage comedian George Wallace as an accident-prone stablehand. It was the last of three films Wallace made for F. W. Thring.-Cast:*George Wallace*Frank Harvey-External links:...
(1934), were directed by F. W. Thring for Thring's company, Efftee Film Productions. The other two, Let George Do It
Let George Do It (1938 film)
Let George Do It is a 1938 comedy starring popular stage comedian George Wallace. It was the first of two films Wallace made for Ken G. Hall at Cinesound Productions, the other one being Gone to the Dogs...
(1938) and Gone to the Dogs
Gone to the Dogs (1939 film)
Gone to the Dogs is a 1939 comedy vehicle starring George Wallace. It was the second of two films he made for director Ken G. Hall, following Let George Do It .-Synopsis:...
(1939), were directed by Ken G. Hall
Ken G. Hall
Kenneth George Hall, AO OBE , better known as Ken G. Hall, was an Australian film director, considered one of the most important figures in the history of the Australian film industry.-Early years:...
for Cinesound Productions
Cinesound Productions
Cinesound Productions Pty Ltd was one of Australia's first feature film production companies. Established in June 1932, Cinesound developed out of a group of companies centred around Greater Union Theatres, that covered all facets of the film process, from production, to distribution and...
. Wallace's contributions to these films extended beyond his performances. He developed the concepts for His Royal Highness, Harmony Row and A Ticket in Tatts by drawing on his stage revues, and co-wrote Let George Do It
Let George Do It (1938 film)
Let George Do It is a 1938 comedy starring popular stage comedian George Wallace. It was the first of two films Wallace made for Ken G. Hall at Cinesound Productions, the other one being Gone to the Dogs...
and Gone to the Dogs
Gone to the Dogs (1939 film)
Gone to the Dogs is a 1939 comedy vehicle starring George Wallace. It was the second of two films he made for director Ken G. Hall, following Let George Do It .-Synopsis:...
. Wallace's other film work included a 1932 short film, "Oh! What a Night!", which he is said to have directed unofficially. In later years, he was seen in supporting roles in two dramatic films, The Rats of Tobruk
The Rats of Tobruk
The Rats of Tobruk was the name given to the soldiers of the garrison who held the Libyan port of Tobruk against the Afrika Corps, during the Siege of Tobruk in World War II...
(Charles Chauvel, 1944, Australia) and Wherever She Goes
Wherever She Goes
Wherever She Goes is a 1951 Australian feature film that tells the early part of the life story of pianist Eileen Joyce.-Synopsis:Eileen Joyce is born on the Tasmanian coast and becomes fascinated with music after hearing a man named Daniel play a mouth organ...
(Michael Gordon, 1953, USA/Australia).
Films
The five feature films that Wallace starred in are among the few surviving examples of his work. As the most sustained series of Australian comedian comedies produced before World War IIWorld War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
, these films provide some support for the claim that George Wallace is Australia's equivalent of Charles Chaplin. Yet Wallace's work was more original than this comparison suggests; he did not simply emulate Chaplin and his comedy films were not mere copies of Hollywood movies.
In his physical presentation as well as his performance style, George Wallace differed from international stars of slapstick comedy. For instance, his clothing and speech allude to an Australian working-class type and contrast with Charles Chaplin's mock-dapper Tramp persona. The fact that Wallace's performances combine tap-dancing with pratfalls makes him unusual among film comedians anywhere. Moreover, Wallace's films prefigure developments in Hollywood comedy. An example is the fictional country of Betonia in His Royal Highness, which predates satirical depictions of fictional nations in such celebrated films as The Marx Brothers
Marx Brothers
The Marx Brothers were an American family comedy act, originally from New York City, that enjoyed success in Vaudeville, Broadway, and motion pictures from the early 1900s to around 1950...
' Duck Soup (1933) and Charles Chaplin's The Great Dictator
The Great Dictator
The Great Dictator is a comedy film by Charlie Chaplin released in October 1940. Like most Chaplin films, he wrote, produced, and directed, in addition to starring as the lead. Having been the only Hollywood film maker to continue to make silent films well into the period of sound films, this was...
(1940). Other aspects of Wallace's films that are relatively unusual for the period are the comedic treatment of haunted houses in Harmony Row and Gone to the Dogs and scientific experimentation in Gone to the Dogs, which emphasize the resourcefulness of Australian filmmaking in the face of Hollywood's international dominance.
George Wallace's transition from stage to screen parallels the career progressions of many internationally famous vaudeville performers in a period when movies' popularity was eclipsing live theatre. However, the financially struggling Australian film industry of the 1920s and 1930s provided fewer opportunities than Hollywood did. Although Wallace continued to work after World War Two, with a successful career in radio and on stage as well as occasional film roles, his film career never returned to its 1930s peak. This was undoubtedly influenced by factors outside his control, such as F. W. Thring's death in 1936 and Cinesound Productions
Cinesound Productions
Cinesound Productions Pty Ltd was one of Australia's first feature film production companies. Established in June 1932, Cinesound developed out of a group of companies centred around Greater Union Theatres, that covered all facets of the film process, from production, to distribution and...
' decision to cease feature film production in 1940. Indeed, the films that Wallace stars in defy the fact that the Australian film industry was already struggling to survive. These films continue to be a high point of Australian screen comedy.
Legacy and influence
Wallace's films with F. W. Thring formed a precedent for later comedians to move from the stage and television to feature films; examples are Barry HumphriesBarry Humphries
John Barry Humphries, AO, CBE is an Australian comedian, satirist, dadaist, artist, author and character actor, best known for his on-stage and television alter egos Dame Edna Everage, a Melbourne housewife and "gigastar", and Sir Les Patterson, Australia's foul-mouthed cultural attaché to the...
, Paul Hogan
Paul Hogan
Paul Hogan, AM is an Australian actor best known for his role as Michael "Crocodile" Dundee from the Crocodile Dundee film series, for which he won a Golden Globe award.-Early life and career:...
and the Frontline (Australian TV series)
Frontline (Australian TV series)
Frontline is an Australian comedy television series which satirised Australian television current affairs programmes and reporting. It ran for three series of 13 half-hour episodes and was broadcast on ABC TV in 1994, 1995 and 1997.-Production:...
team. Unlike many Australian comedies made before World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
, Wallace's films do not celebrate the bush as "the essence of Australianness". Instead, these films are significant for reflecting Australian comedy's movement away from the bush to emphasise urban settings, which would become more prevalent in later Australian comedy. However, the full significance of Wallace's films in relation to later Australian screen comedy is perhaps yet to be understood.
In recent decades, George Wallace has been the subject of a documentary film, Funny By George: The George Wallace Story and a stage show about his life, Falling On My Left Ear: A Show About George Wallace.
George Wallace had one child, George Leonard Wallace (George Wallace Jnr.), who became a famous comedian in his own right. He had considerable success on television in the late 1950s and 1960s. George Wallace Jnr's television show, Theatre Royal, which originated in Brisbane
Brisbane
Brisbane is the capital and most populous city in the Australian state of Queensland and the third most populous city in Australia. Brisbane's metropolitan area has a population of over 2 million, and the South East Queensland urban conurbation, centred around Brisbane, encompasses a population of...
, won a Logie Award
Logie Award
The TV Week Logie Awards are the Australian television industry awards, which have been presented annually since 1959. Renamed by Graham Kennedy in 1960 after he won the first 'Star Of The Year' award, the name 'Logie' awards honours John Logie Baird, a Scotsman who invented the television as a...
in 1962 and 1963.
Filmography
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1931 | George Wallace, Australia's Premier Comedian | Short film | |
| 1931 | Oh, What a Night! | Short film | |
| 1932 | His Royal Highness His Royal Highness (1932 film) His Royal Highness is a 1932 Australian film directed by F.W. Thring, also known as His Loyal Highness... |
Tommy Dodds | Also credited as writer |
| 1933 | Harmony Row Harmony Row (1933 film) Harmony Row is a 1933 Australian musical comedy starring popular stage comedian George Wallace.-External links:* in the Internet Movie Database* at Australian Screen Online... |
Tom 'Dreadnought' Wallace | Also credited as writer |
| 1934 | A Ticket in Tatts A Ticket in Tatts (1934 film) A Ticket in Tatts is a 1934 musical comedy starring popular stage comedian George Wallace as an accident-prone stablehand. It was the last of three films Wallace made for F. W. Thring.-Cast:*George Wallace*Frank Harvey-External links:... |
Also credited as writer | |
| 1938 | Let George Do It Let George Do It (1938 film) Let George Do It is a 1938 comedy starring popular stage comedian George Wallace. It was the first of two films Wallace made for Ken G. Hall at Cinesound Productions, the other one being Gone to the Dogs... |
Joe Blake | |
| 1939 | Gone to the Dogs Gone to the Dogs (1939 film) Gone to the Dogs is a 1939 comedy vehicle starring George Wallace. It was the second of two films he made for director Ken G. Hall, following Let George Do It .-Synopsis:... |
George | Also credited as writer |
| 1944 | The Rats of Tobruk The Rats of Tobruk (1944 film) The Rats of Tobruk is a 1944 Australian film directed by Charles Chauvel. The film follows three drover friends who enlist in the Australian Army together during World War II. Their story is based on the siege of the Libyan city of Tobruk in North Africa by Rommel's Afrika Korps... |
Barber of Tobruk | |
| 1951 | Wherever She Goes Wherever She Goes Wherever She Goes is a 1951 Australian feature film that tells the early part of the life story of pianist Eileen Joyce.-Synopsis:Eileen Joyce is born on the Tasmanian coast and becomes fascinated with music after hearing a man named Daniel play a mouth organ... |
Stage manager |
Other references
- Bertrand, Ina. Australian Film Studies: Efftee Productions, La Trobe University Centre for the Study of Educational Communication and Media, Bundoora, 1977. ISBN 0858161141.
- Bridges, Nancye. Curtain Call. Cassell. ISBN 0-7269-0465-1
- Funny By George: The George Wallace Story, Director Don Percy, Writing Credits Jim Murphy, Australia 1999.
- Pike, Andrew, and Ross Cooper. Australian Film 1900-1977: A Guide to Feature Film Production. Oxford University Press and Australian Film Institute, Melbourne, 1980. ISBN 0195542134.
External links
- George Wallace at Australian Dictionary of BiographyAustralian Dictionary of BiographyThe Australian Dictionary of Biography is a national, co-operative enterprise, founded and maintained by the Australian National University to produce authoritative biographical articles on eminent people in Australia's history....
- Laughterlog.com Complete radio and film list
- George Wallace at Australian Screen OnlineAustralian Screen OnlineAustralian Screen Online is an on-line database operated by the Australian National Film and Sound Archive. It provides information about and excerpts from a wide selection of Australian feature films, documentaries, television programs, newsreels, short films, animations, and home-movies. It also...
- George Wallace at Live Performance Australia Hall of Fame
- George Wallace Australian theatre credits at AusstageAusstageAusStage is an online database which records information about live performances in Australia. It provides records of productions from the beginnings of theatre in Australia up to today...
- George Wallace at the National Film and Sound ArchiveNational Film and Sound ArchiveThe National Film and Sound Archive is Australia’s audiovisual archive, responsible for developing, preserving, maintaining, promoting and providing access to a national collection of audiovisual materials and related items...
- Detailed biography of George Wallace at AustLit (subscription required)