Sidney Bracey
Encyclopedia
Sidney Bracey was an Australian-born American film actor. After a stage career in Australia, on Broadway
and in Britain, he appeared in 321 films between 1909
and 1942
.
, Australia under the name Sidney Bracy, later changing the spelling of his last name. He was the son of Welsh tenor
Henry Bracy
and English actress Clara T. Bracy
. His aunt was actress Lydia Thompson
.
He began his stage career in Australia in the 1890s, with the J. C. Williamson
's comic opera companies. On Broadway, in 1900, he appeared as Yussuf in The Rose of Persia
at Daly's Theatre in New York. He then moved to England, appearing as Moreno in the musical comedy
The Toreador
at the Gaiety Theatre, London
in June 1901. He next joined the D'Oyly Carte Opera Company
on tour in Britain, playing Terence O'Brian in The Emerald Isle
from September 1901 to May 1902. He then left the D'Oyly Carte, continuing his stage career in Britain. He appeared in Amorelle at London's Comedy Theatre in 1904, The Winter's Tale
in 1904-05, and A Persian Princess at Queen's Theatre in 1909.
Back on Broadway, in 1912, he played as Sir Guy of Gisborne in a revival of Reginald de Koven
's Robin Hood
at the New Amsterdam theatre, followed by Rob Roy at the Liberty Theatre in 1913. He then moved into film acting, making first silent films and then "talkies", until his death in 1942. Early in his film career, he wrote and directed a silent movie called Sid Nee's Finish (Tannhauser Film Corp., 1914), in which he played the title character. In 1916, he changed the spelling of his last name to "Bracey". Silent film authority Diane MacIntyre gave this description of him: "Bracey, a stately looking character man, was in big demand for authority like roles; such as movie directors, bosses and, most of the time, the most respectable and poised butler in all of Hollywood. He was thin, dark haired and had an earnest, yet sober, face that could break into a look of wide-eyed exasperation."
Bracy died in Hollywood, California in 1942, aged 64.
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...
and in Britain, he appeared in 321 films between 1909
1909 in film
The year 1909 in film involved some significant events.-Events:*Matsunosuke Onoe, who would become the first superstar of Japanese cinema, appears in his first film, Goban Tadanobu.*James Joyce opens the Volta, the first cinema in Dublin....
and 1942
1942 in film
The year 1942 in film involved some significant events, in particular the release of a film consistently rated as one of the greatest of all time, Casablanca.-Events:...
.
Life and career
He was born in MelbourneMelbourne
Melbourne is the capital and most populous city in the state of Victoria, and the second most populous city in Australia. The Melbourne City Centre is the hub of the greater metropolitan area and the Census statistical division—of which "Melbourne" is the common name. As of June 2009, the greater...
, Australia under the name Sidney Bracy, later changing the spelling of his last name. He was the son of Welsh tenor
Tenor
The tenor is a type of male singing voice and is the highest male voice within the modal register. The typical tenor voice lies between C3, the C one octave below middle C, to the A above middle C in choral music, and up to high C in solo work. The low extreme for tenors is roughly B2...
Henry Bracy
Henry Bracy
Henry Bracy was a Welsh tenor who is notable as the creator of the role of Prince Hilarion in the Gilbert and Sullivan comic opera Princess Ida. Bracy was often a lead tenor within the operettas in which he appeared. He was married to actress Clara T. Bracy, the sister of Lydia Thompson...
and English actress Clara T. Bracy
Clara T. Bracy
Clara T. Bracy was an English stage and silent film actress.-Life and career:Bracy was born Clara Thompson in London, England. Her father was Philip Thompson , and her mother was Eliza . Her father owned the Sheridan Knowles, a public house in London...
. His aunt was actress Lydia Thompson
Lydia Thompson
Lydia Thompson, born Eliza Hodges Thompson , was an English dancer, actress and theatrical producer....
.
He began his stage career in Australia in the 1890s, with the J. C. Williamson
J. C. Williamson
James Cassius Williamson was an American actor and later Australia's foremost theatrical manager, founding J. C. Williamson Ltd....
's comic opera companies. On Broadway, in 1900, he appeared as Yussuf in The Rose of Persia
The Rose of Persia
The Rose of Persia; or, The Story-Teller and the Slave, is a two-act comic opera, with music by Arthur Sullivan and a libretto by Basil Hood. It premiered at the Savoy Theatre on 29 November 1899, closing on 28 June 1900 after a profitable run of 211 performances...
at Daly's Theatre in New York. He then moved to England, appearing as Moreno 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...
The Toreador
The Toreador
The Toreador is an Edwardian musical comedy in two acts by James T. Tanner and Harry Nicholls, with lyrics by Adrian Ross and Percy Greenbank and music by Ivan Caryll and Lionel Monckton. It opened at the Gaiety Theatre in London, managed by George Edwardes, on 17 June 1901 and ran for an...
at the Gaiety Theatre, London
Gaiety Theatre, London
The Gaiety Theatre, London was a West End theatre in London, located on Aldwych at the eastern end of the Strand. The theatre was established as the Strand Musick Hall , in 1864 on the former site of the Lyceum Theatre. It was rebuilt several times, but closed from the beginning of World War II...
in June 1901. He next joined the D'Oyly Carte Opera Company
D'Oyly Carte Opera Company
The D'Oyly Carte Opera Company was a professional light opera company that staged Gilbert and Sullivan's Savoy operas. The company performed nearly year-round in the UK and sometimes toured in Europe, North America and elsewhere, from the 1870s until it closed in 1982. It was revived in 1988 and...
on tour in Britain, playing Terence O'Brian in The Emerald Isle
The Emerald Isle
The Emerald Isle; or, The Caves of Carrig-Cleena, is a two-act comic opera, with music by Arthur Sullivan and Edward German, and a libretto by Basil Hood. It premiered at the Savoy Theatre on 27 April 1901, closing on 9 November 1901 after a run of 205 performances...
from September 1901 to May 1902. He then left the D'Oyly Carte, continuing his stage career in Britain. He appeared in Amorelle at London's Comedy Theatre in 1904, The Winter's Tale
The Winter's Tale
The Winter's Tale is a play by William Shakespeare, originally published in the First Folio of 1623. Although it was grouped among the comedies, some modern editors have relabelled the play as one of Shakespeare's late romances. Some critics, among them W. W...
in 1904-05, and A Persian Princess at Queen's Theatre in 1909.
Back on Broadway, in 1912, he played as Sir Guy of Gisborne in a revival of Reginald de Koven
Reginald de Koven
Henry Louis Reginald De Koven was an American music critic and prolific composer, particularly of comic operas.-Biography:...
's Robin Hood
Robin Hood (comic opera)
Robin Hood is a comic opera by Reginald De Koven , Harry B. Smith and Clement Scott . The story is based on the Robin Hood legend, during the reign of King Richard I . The opera was composed in Chicago, Illinois during the winter of 1888-1889.Robin Hood was first performed at the Chicago Opera...
at the New Amsterdam theatre, followed by Rob Roy at the Liberty Theatre in 1913. He then moved into film acting, making first silent films and then "talkies", until his death in 1942. Early in his film career, he wrote and directed a silent movie called Sid Nee's Finish (Tannhauser Film Corp., 1914), in which he played the title character. In 1916, he changed the spelling of his last name to "Bracey". Silent film authority Diane MacIntyre gave this description of him: "Bracey, a stately looking character man, was in big demand for authority like roles; such as movie directors, bosses and, most of the time, the most respectable and poised butler in all of Hollywood. He was thin, dark haired and had an earnest, yet sober, face that could break into a look of wide-eyed exasperation."
Bracy died in Hollywood, California in 1942, aged 64.
Selected filmography
- The Invisible RayThe Invisible Ray (1920 serial)The Invisible Ray is a 1920 science fiction film serial directed by Harry A. Pollard. The film is considered to be lost. After a mineralologist discovers the ray with extraordinary powers, a group of scientists seek to use it for a criminal scheme.-Cast:...
(19201920 in filmThe year 1920 in film involved some significant events.-Events:* November 27 - The Mark of Zorro, starring Douglas Fairbanks opens.-Top grossing films :-Films released in 1920:U.S.A. unless stated*The $1,000,000 Reward...
) - Crazy to MarryCrazy to MarryCrazy to Marry is a 1921 comedy film starring Fatty Arbuckle.-Cast:* Roscoe 'Fatty' Arbuckle - Dr. Hobart Hupp* Lila Lee - Annabelle Landis* Laura Anson - Estrella De Morgan* Edwin Stevens - Henry De Morgan* Lillian Leighton - Sarah De Morgan...
(19211921 in film-Top grossing films :-Films released in 1921:U.S.A. unless stated*$10,000 Under a Pillow, silent film directed by Frank Moser*The Ace of Hearts, silent film directed by Wallace Worsley*Across the Divide, silent film directed by John Holloway...
) - The Radio KingThe Radio KingThe Radio King is a 1922 adventure film serial directed by Robert F. Hill. The film is considered to be lost.-Cast:* Roy Stewart - Bradley Lane* Louise Lorraine - Ruth Leyden* Sidney Bracey - Marnee* Albert J. Smith - Renally...
(19221922 in film-Events:* June 11 - United States première of Robert J. Flaherty's Nanook of the North, the first commercially successful feature length documentary film....
) - The Social BuccaneerThe Social BuccaneerThe Social Buccaneer is a 1923 film serial directed by Robert F. Hill.-Cast:* Jack Mulhall - Jack Norton* Margaret Livingston - Princess Elise* William Welsh - Raymond Norton* Harry De Vere - Harvey Vail* Wade Boteler - Madison Ames...
(19231923 in film-Events:*April 15 - Lee De Forest demonstrates the Phonofilm sound-on-film system at the Rivoli Theater in New York with a series of short musical films featuring vaudeville performers.-Top grossing films :-Films released in 1923:U.S.A...
) - The Courtship of Miles StandishThe Courtship of Miles Standish (1923 film)The Courtship of Miles Standish was an ambitious and costly historical silent film produced by and starring Charles Ray.The film was based on the famous Henry Wadsworth Longfellow poem The Courtship of Miles Standish. This movie famously bankrupted Ray costing him his life savings garnered from...
(1923) - Her Night of RomanceHer Night of RomanceHer Night of Romance is a 1924 silent film, written by Hanns Kräly, and directed by Sidney Franklin-Synopsis:American millionaire Samuel C. Adams, brings his daughter, Dorothy, to England to see a specialist about her heart trouble. So that she won't be hounded by press and fortune hunters, Dorothy...
(19241924 in film-Events:* Entertainment entrepreneur Marcus Loew gained control of Metro Pictures, Goldwyn Pictures Corporation and Louis B. Mayer Pictures to create Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer...
) - A Slave of FashionA Slave of FashionA Slave of Fashion was a 1925 American silent romantic comedy film directed by Hobart Henley. The film stars Norma Shearer. Joan Crawford had an early uncredited role as a mannequin. The film is considered lost. -Plot:...
(1925) - The Merry WidowThe Merry Widow (1925 film)The Merry Widow is a 1925 American silent MGM romantic drama film and black comedy directed and written by Erich von Stroheim. The film stars Mae Murray, John Gilbert and Roy D'Arcy. Joan Crawford and Clark Gable had uncredited roles in the film....
(19251925 in film-Events:*November 5: The Big Parade holds its Grand Premier*December 30: premier of Ben-Hur the most expensive silent film ever made costing 4-6 million dollars -Top grossing films :...
) - A Bankrupt HoneymoonA Bankrupt HoneymoonA Bankrupt Honeymoon is a 1926 silent comedy film featuring Oliver Hardy.-Cast:* Harold Goodwin as Harold Pembroke* Shirley Palmer as Shirley Lee* Oliver Hardy as A taxi driver * Frank Beal as A drunk* Harry Dunkinson...
(19261926 in film-Events:*August - Warner Brothers debuts the first Vitaphone film, Don Juan. The Vitaphone system used multiple 33⅓ rpm disc records developed by Bell Telephone Laboratories and Western Electric to play back audio synchronized with film....
) - Show PeopleShow PeopleShow People is a 1928 comedy silent film directed by King Vidor. The movie was a starring vehicle for actress Marion Davies and actor William Haines and included notable cameo appearances by many of the film personalities of the day, including stars Charlie Chaplin, Douglas Fairbanks, William S....
(19281928 in film-Events:Although some movies released in 1928 had sound, most were still silent.* July 28 - Lights of New York is released by Warner Brothers. It is the first "100% Talkie" feature film, in that dialog is spoken throughout the film...
) - Children of PleasureChildren of PleasureChildren of Pleasure is a 1930 American MGM musical comedy film directed by Harry Beaumont originally released with Technicolor sequences. It was adapted from Crane Wilbur's stage success of 1929 The Song Writer.-Plot:...
(1930) - Outside the LawOutside the Law (1930 film)Outside the Law is a crime film directed by Tod Browning and starring Edward G. Robinson. It is a remake of the 1920 film of the same name, also directed by Browning.-Cast:* Edward G...
(19301930 in film-Events:* November 1: The Big Trail featuring a young John Wayne in his first starring role is released in both 35mm, and a very early form of 70mm film and was the first large scale big-budget film of the sound era costing over $2 million. The film was praised for its aesthetic quality and realism...
) - The Lion and the LambThe Lion and the Lamb-Cast:* Walter Byron as Dave* Carmel Myers as Inez* Raymond Hatton as Muggsy* Montagu Love as Professor Tottie* Miriam Seegar as Madge* Charles K. Gerrard as Bert * Will Stanton as Ruebin* Charles Wildish as First Lascar...
(1931) - Shanghaied LoveShanghaied Love-Cast:* Richard Cromwell as The Boy* Sally Blane as Mary Swope* Noah Beery as Captain 'Black Yankee' Angus Swope* Willard Robertson as Newman* Sidney Bracey as The Rat* Richard Alexander as Eric* Ed Brady as Fitzgibbons* Erville Alderson as Deaken...
(1931) - What! No Beer?What! No Beer?What! No Beer? is a 1933 comedy film starring Buster Keaton and Jimmy Durante, and directed by Edward Sedgwick. The studio had also paired Keaton and Durante as a comedy team during this period in The Passionate Plumber and Speak Easily....
(1933) - Second ChildhoodSecond Childhood (film)Second Childhood is a 1936 Our Gang short comedy film directed by Gus Meins. It was the 144th Our Gang short that was released.-Plot:...
(19361936 in filmThe year 1936 in film involved some significant events.-Events:*May 29 - Fritz Lang's first Hollywood film Fury, starring Spencer Tracy and Bruce Cabot, is released.*November 6 - first Porky Pig animated cartoon...
) - Three Smart BoysThree Smart BoysThree Smart Boys is a 1937 Our Gang short comedy film directed by Gordon Douglas.It was the 153rd Our Gang short that was released.-Plot:...
(19371937 in filmThe year 1937 in film involved some significant events, including the Walt Disney production of the first full-length animated film, Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs.- Events :*April 16 - Way Out West premieres in the US....
) - Merrily We LiveMerrily We LiveMerrily We Live is a 1938 comedy film directed by Norman Z. McLeod. It stars Constance Bennett and Brian Aherne and features Ann Dvorak, Bonita Granville, Billie Burke, Tom Brown, Alan Mowbray, Clarence Kolb and Patsy Kelly. The film was produced by Hal Roach for Hal Roach Studios, and was...
(19381938 in filmThe year 1938 in film involved some significant events.-Events:*January — MGM announces that Judy Garland would be cast in the role of "Dorothy" in the upcoming Wizard of Oz motion picture. Ray Bolger is cast as the "Tinman" and Buddy Ebsen is cast as the "Scarecrow". At Bolger's insistence,...
) - My BillMy BillMy Bill is a 1938 drama film starring Kay Francis as a poor widow raising four children. It was based on the play Courage by Tom Barry.-Cast:*Kay Francis as Mary Colbrook*Bonita Granville as Gwendolyn Colbrook*John Litel as John C...
(19381938 in filmThe year 1938 in film involved some significant events.-Events:*January — MGM announces that Judy Garland would be cast in the role of "Dorothy" in the upcoming Wizard of Oz motion picture. Ray Bolger is cast as the "Tinman" and Buddy Ebsen is cast as the "Scarecrow". At Bolger's insistence,...
) - Devil's IslandDevil's Island (1939 film)Devil's Island is a 1939 prison film directed by William Clemens and starring Boris Karloff.-Cast:* Boris Karloff - Dr. Charles Gaudet* Nedda Harrigan - Madame Helene Lucien* James Stephenson - Colonel Armand Lucien* Adia Kuznetzoff - Pierre Leroux...
(19391939 in filmThe year 1939 in motion pictures can be justified as being called the most outstanding one ever, when it comes to the high quality and high attendance at the large set of the best films that premiered in the year .- Events :Motion picture historians and film often rate...
)