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OLIVER
WAKEFIELD
1909
- 1956
Schauspieler / Actor
Oliver Wakefield, "The Voice of Inexperience,
" has been described as an English comedian with an American sense of humor.
A master of droll, unfinished sentences and pithy remarks, Oliver Wakefield
has a brilliant faculty for biting sarcasm and sage observations of human
foibles. While seeming to spout nonsense, he nevertheless leaves the audience
with an overall impression that, like "The Melancholy Dane", he has "method
in his madness." This specialist in making nonsense sound philosophical
- and vice versa - was born to be a comedian. Who else in the world can
stand before an audience and announce, truthfully, that he was born in
Zululand, South Africa? Only another Zululander, and at last count there
weren't very many Zulu comedians making the rounds in show business. Following
his unusual beginning, Oliver remained on the Dark Continent long enough
to get a formal education, then journeyed to England and an acting job
with a Shakespearean repertory company. From there he went to the Royal
Academy of Dramatic Arts for further study. While studying he developed
a new style of humor and very quickly established himself in nightclubs
and music hall circles as a very clever and versatile comedian. He has
the distinction of being the first Resident Comedian on the B.B.C., and
was also a pioneer in British T.V. He starred and played feature roles
for Warner Brothers and Gainsborough Pictures opposite such top-flight
British performers as Gracie Fields, Anne Crawford, Glynis Johns and Patricia
Roc, and appeared regularly at the Savoy, The Berkeley, The Ritz, Cafe
de Paris, and other clubs. He was booked to open at the Rainbow Room in
New York three weeks after the out break of the war, but chose to remain
in England and joined the R.A.F. After the war, Oliver Wakefield returned
to show business, playing for a full year in Melbourne and Sydney, Australia.
This was followed by a 52 week radio series for the Australian Broadcasting
Commission. Returning to the United States in 1952 he was immediately booked
into the Blue Angel in New York, where he re-established himself in the
American scene as a definite British asset. He delighted audiences at Blue
Angel, Number One Fifth Avenue, Ruban Bleu, and Bon Soir and has made successful
appearances on the All Star Revue, Kate Smith, Steve Allen and many other
guest appearances. His Last Broadway appearance was in the Bette Davis
Revue, "TWO'S COMPANY" at the Alvin Theatre in New York. It is difficult
to describe Oliver Wakefield's act. It has often been said that his grasp
of current affairs is only exceeded by his inability to express them. He
makes a very good-looking appearance, wearing a distinguished handlebar
moustache; he impresses one as a typical English gentlemen --, which he
is: He writes his own material. With extreme nonchalance he tells us that
"Britain has built herself up from nothing to a state of extreme poverty,
" and makes one share his confidence that "They will get an American loan
even if they have to borrow the money." In Canada apart from appearing
frequently for CBS on the Frigidair T.V. Show he played a record breaking
fourteen weeks at Montreal's smart "Ruby Foos" and also had his own T.V.
Panel Show "Make a Match." With his additional Motion Picture and Dramatic
background we close this biography with a quote from Variety "Wakefield
seems strong for any medium."
There Was a Young Man (37) French Leave (37) Shipyard
Sally (39) The Briggs Family (40) George and Margaret (40) The Peterville
Diamond (42) Let the People Sing (42)
Here is a rare original signed picture about 5
x 7 (Format ca. A5) Price in Euro 19.-- |
