# Bertram Wallis > Mediated Wiki article. Canonical URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/Bertram_Wallis > Markdown URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/Bertram_Wallis.md > Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bertram_Wallis > Source revision: 1348019421 > License: Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/) {{Short description|English actor and singer (1874–1952)}} {{EngvarB|date=August 2014}} {{Use dmy dates|date=August 2014}} [[File:Bertram-wallis-king-of-cadonia1.jpg|thumb|right|Wallis as Alexis in ''[King of Cadonia](/source/King_of_Cadonia)'', 1908]] '''Bertram Wallis''' (22 February 1874 – 11 April 1952) was an English actor and singer known for his performances in plays, [musical comedies](/source/Edwardian_musical_comedy) and [operetta](/source/operetta)s in the early 20th century, first as leading men and then in character roles. He also later appeared in several film roles. ==Early years== Wallis was born in London."Academical", ''The Musical Standard'', 6 July 1895, p. 14. He was the son of Frederick Augustus Wallis and Sarah Mary (née Williams).''Who Was Who in the Theatre: 1912-1976'', vol. 4 Q-Z, p. 2484; compiled from editions originally published annually by John Parker; this 1976 edition by Gale Research. A huge man who stood almost 7 feet tall, {{citation needed|date=July 2015}} he won the Westmorland Scholarship to study voice at the [Royal Academy of Music](/source/Royal_Academy_of_Music),"Royal Academy of Music", ''[The Musical Times](/source/The_Musical_Times)'', August 1895, p. 528. where he won the Parepa-Rosa gold medal and the Evill Prize."Academical", ''The Musical Standard'', 27 July 1895, p. 66. After his studies, his first role was Amiens in [George Alexander](/source/George_Alexander_(actor))'s production of ''[As You Like It](/source/As_You_Like_It)'' in 1896."As You Like It", ''The Theatre'', 1 January 1897, p. 37. [Edward German](/source/Edward_German) composed the music for the production, and Wallis's performance of his songs won praise: "Mr. Bertram Wallis as Amiens sings his solos so well as to quite justify Jacques's remark, 'More, I pr'y thee, more'.""Mr Edward German's Music to ''As You Like It''", ''The Musical Times'', 1 January 1897, p. 26. Soon afterwards, he played in ''[Much Ado About Nothing](/source/Much_Ado_About_Nothing)'', his last production of a [Shakespeare](/source/Shakespeare) play. In the early years of the 20th century, Wallis had his first successes on the musical stage. He sang in a five-man act called "The Musketeers" [music hall](/source/music_hall) at the Tivoli Theatre in 1901.''Judy'', 25 April 1901, p. 201. In 1902 he appeared in the [musical comedy](/source/Edwardian_musical_comedy) ''[Three Little Maids](/source/Three_Little_Maids)'' at the [Apollo Theatre](/source/Apollo_Theatre), with [Lottie Venne](/source/Lottie_Venne), [Sybil Grey](/source/Sybil_Grey) and [Edna May](/source/Edna_May)."Players and Playthings", ''Judy'', 11 June 1902, p. 284. In 1904 he appeared with [Kate Cutler](/source/Kate_Cutler) in ''The Love Birds''."Players and Playthings", ''Judy'', 2 March 1904, p. 729. He then travelled to New York City to play in several Broadway productions, including ''A Madcap Princess'' (1904), ''Princess Beggar'' (1907) and ''[Miss Hook of Holland](/source/Miss_Hook_of_Holland)'' (1907–08), with [Christie MacDonald](/source/Christie_MacDonald).{{citation needed|date=July 2015}} After this, Wallis starred in a series of successful London musicals, often with [Isabel Jay](/source/Isabel_Jay) or [José Collins](/source/Jos%C3%A9_Collins), including ''[King of Cadonia](/source/King_of_Cadonia)'' (1908), ''Dear Little Denmark'' (1909)"Casts of New Plays and Important Revivals", ''Era Almanack'', January 1910, p. 126. and ''[The Balkan Princess](/source/The_Balkan_Princess)'' (1910). ''Playgoer'' magazine commented, "What a ... fine specimen of mankind is the Grand Duke Sergius as played by Mr. Bertram Wallis!""The Balkan Princess", ''Playgoer and Society Illustrated'', March 1910, p. 236. He next starred in ''[The Count of Luxembourg](/source/The_Count_of_Luxembourg)'' (1911). In 1911, Wallis temporarily left the musical stage to appear in a non-musical [melodrama](/source/melodrama), ''Beau Brocade'' at the [Globe Theatre](/source/Gielgud_Theatre), for which he won good notices.Parker, Oscar, "The London Stage", ''English Illustrated Magazine'', February 1911, p. 475; and "The Theatre", ''Academy and Literature'', 4 February 1911, p. 138. ==World War I and later years== In 1913, Wallis wrote the libretto for ''Betty's Little Joke'', a musical comedietta in three acts, with music by Cola Robinson. It was staged at the [Palladium](/source/London_Palladium), with Wallis heading the cast."Casts of New Sketches", ''Era Almanack'', January 1913, p. 165. In the same year, he was in ''Love and Laughter'' by [Oscar Straus](/source/Oscar_Straus_(composer)): one reviewer commented, "Mr. Bertram Wallis, a little stouter than he used to be, is the handsome, brave and loving Prince."Mew, Egan, "Love and Laughter at the Lyric Theatre", ''Academy and Literature'', September 1913, p. 337. He returned to musical comedy in ''[The Happy Day](/source/The_Happy_Day)'' (1916), the hit [revue](/source/revue) ''Zig Zag!'' (1917) and ''[A Southern Maid](/source/A_Southern_Maid)'' (1920). In the 1920s, the now mature Wallis began to play character parts, appearing with great success as [Louis XV](/source/Louis_XV) in ''[Madame Pompadour](/source/Madame_Pompadour_(operetta))'' (1923) by [Leo Fall](/source/Leo_Fall), [Frederick Lonsdale](/source/Frederick_Lonsdale) and [Harry Graham](/source/Harry_Graham_(poet)), starring with [Evelyn Laye](/source/Evelyn_Laye) and [Derek Oldham](/source/Derek_Oldham)."Madame Pompadour", ''The Times'', 21 December 1923, p. 8. He then appeared in ''Blue Eyes'' (1928) and ''So This is Love'' (1929). He continued to play roles in West End theatres in the 1930s. In 1935 he appeared with [W. H. Berry](/source/W._H._Berry) in a revival of Straus's ''[A Waltz Dream](/source/A_Waltz_Dream)''."''A Waltz Dream'', Winter Garden Theatre", ''Saturday Review of Politics, Literature, Science and Art'', 12 January 1935, p. 56. His last West End appearance was in ''Waltz Without End'', produced by [Jack Buchanan](/source/Jack_Buchanan) in 1942."Cambridge Theatre, ''Waltz Without End''", ''The Times'', 30 September 1942, p. 6. Between the wars, Wallis also made a number of films, including ''[The Cost of a Kiss](/source/The_Cost_of_a_Kiss)'' (1917), as Lord Darlington; ''[Victory and Peace](/source/Victory_and_Peace)'' (1918), as Bob Brierley; ''The Wandering Jew'' (1933), as Prince Bohemund; ''A Dream of Love'' (1938), as Liszt 'old'; ''Chips'' (1938), as Smuggler; ''A People Eternal'' (1939), as The English Prince; and ''Shipbuilders'' (1944), as Caven Watson. Wallis died in London at the age of 78."Obituary", ''The Times'' 15 April 1952, p. 4. ==References== {{Reflist|2}} ==External links== * {{imdb name|0909244}} * [http://library.kent.ac.uk/library/special/icons/playbills/playdat1.htm List of London cast information, including several cast lists starring Wallis from 1902 to 1910] * [http://library.kent.ac.uk/library/special/icons/playbills/PLAYDAT3.htm List of London cast information, including several cast lists starring Wallis from 1920 to 1929] * {{IBDB name|63897}} * [https://web.archive.org/web/20060910170409/http://shakespeare.emory.edu/actordisplay.cfm?actorid=236 Information about Wallis' early Shakespeare roles] * [https://web.archive.org/web/20070312063144/http://www.slv.vic.gov.au/pictoria/a/1/2/doc/a12868.shtml Photo of Wallis and Lily Elsie in ''The Count of Luxembourg''] * [http://myweb.tiscali.co.uk/stage2/produce/th-rvw014.html Review] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160304083836/http://myweb.tiscali.co.uk/stage2/produce/th-rvw014.html |date=4 March 2016 }} of ''[The Balkan Princess](/source/The_Balkan_Princess)'' referring to Wallis {{authority control}} {{DEFAULTSORT:Wallis, Bertram}} Category:English male film actors Category:English male silent film actors Category:English male stage actors Category:English male singers Category:1874 births Category:1952 deaths Category:20th-century English male actors Category:Male actors from London --- Adapted from the Wikipedia article [Bertram Wallis](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bertram_Wallis) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bertram_Wallis?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.