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audiences therefore saw a trio called Stiffy, Mo and 'Erb. When the company opened at the
Fullers' Theatre, Sydney, in mid-March, however, it featured only Stiffy and Mo. Once again 'Stiffy and Mo' broke box-office records wherever they appeared, including a tour of New Zealand. A number of historians have recorded the New Zealand tour as Stiffy and Mo's last time together on stage, but research undertaken in the early-2000s has revealed that the pair actually played their final season together at Fullers' Theatre, Sydney between 1 and 7 December 1928. The following night Rene opened at the same theatre with his own company, Mo and his Merrymakers. Nat Phillips travelled to Melbourne, opening at the Bijou Theatre on 10 December with a re-formed Whirligigs (featuring 'Stiffy and 'Erb').
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a comedian and a producer. For the first show, a revusical written by
Phiilips with the title, 'What Oh Tonight', he called his off-sider 'Sol.' Rene was not particularly struck with the name, and at the last moment took advice from the Princess Theatre's stage manager, Bill Sadler. The name 'Mo' thereafter became his alter-ego. 'Stiffy and Mo' were an instant success. After the Princess Theatre season ended they moved to the Grand Opera House, playing feature parts in the pantomime spectacular
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wife and son). Citing evidence from research into the
Fullers' theatrical operations, from interviews with Sadie Gale and Sam Van der Sluice, and evidence from Rene himself, as well as an analysis of how the story came to be blindly accepted by historians, they demonstrate that the two key factors in disbanding the Phillips/Rene act were the latter's expiring contract, and their need to have a break after ten exhausting years.
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Theatres was due to expire and he chose not to renew it. Phillips subsequently remained at the
Majestic for another two months, initially as solo comedian before elevating Joe Mullaney from the ensemble to temporarily create 'Stiffy and Joe.' Then after briefly trialing 'Oscar the Aussie' and 'Percy the Pom' (with Harry Harry Huley as 'Percy') he eventually settled on Stiffy and 'Erb (Jack Kellaway) in early-1926.
365:(as Bluett and Mo). They initially played seasons in Sydney and Melbourne, before undertaking a national tour, which included Brisbane and Adelaide. Their act comprised at least two sketches - the most popular being 'The Admiral and the Sailor' (aka Fun on the High Sea), which had Mo as the admiral and Bluett as a "jolly tar" who resents the commands of his superior. The other sketch was called 'Oxford Bags'.
428:, who had successfully opened low-priced, weekly-change variety at the New Haymarket Theatre, Sydney. By 1932 the Connors had taken over the Melbourne Tivoli and converted the old Sydney Opera House to the new Tivoli, where Rene and Jim Gerald continued to appear after the Connors sold out in mid-1933.
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In April 1929 Rene accepted an engagement from Clay’s Bridge
Theatre Company to tour its Sydney circuit. He and Sadie Gale, a member of the Merrymakers, married in Sydney on 3 July that same year. Barely a month later the couple took a re-formed Merrymakers troupe through Northern New South Wales and
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Accessed 13 September. 2023. NB: The long-held, and often-repeated story that Rene was sacked by
Phillips for making vulgar jokes about Adelaide's nude statues, has been identified as a myth by an Australian variety theatre historian, Dr Clay Djubal, and actor Jon Fabian (a longtime friend of Rene's
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In July 1916, Rene teamed up with comedian Nat
Phillips to form the partnership 'Stiffy and Mo.' The pair made its debut at Sydney's Princess Theatre on 8 July 1916. Phillips had been developing his Stiffy the Rabbitoh character for several years on the Fullers' circuit, where he was engaged as both
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at night. While performing on 7 January 1930 Rene collapsed from peritonitis. Somewhat surprisingly, the symptoms had first started to manifest towards the end of the
Queensland tour, but once back in Melbourne Rene had been too busy to seek medical help. He was immediately rushed to hospital where
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In late-January 1927 Rene re-signed with
Fullers' Theatres (for one year) and the following month joined his former partner in Brisbane. Phillips was at that time playing a season the Empire Theatre with his Whirligigs Company (featuring Stiffy and 'Erb). For the remainder of the season Brisbane
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Nat
Phillips' Tabloid Musical Comedy Company (later known as Nat Phillips' Stiffy and Mo Company) toured the Fullers' Australasian vaudeville circuit continuously until mid-July 1925. Although only half-way through their season at Adelaide's Majestic Theatre, Roy Rene's contract with Fullers'
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s storyline centres on the friendship between Mo McIsaac, who is broke and behind in his rent, and Miriam, a young girl who claims to be an orphan, but who is in fact the runaway daughter of a rich aristocrat. The title is in reference to one of Rene’s vaudeville catch-phrases.
445:. Film was not his medium, however, as rapport with a live audience was essential to his comedy, and this is partly reflected in its poor acceptance by critics and lower than expected box-office return. Ken G. Hall's direction has also been criticised.
261:, Rene was the fourth of seven children of Dutch and English Jewish parents. Named Henry van de Sluice (later spelt variously "van der Sluys"), aged 10 "Harry" won a singing competition at an Adelaide market and in 1905 appeared professionally in the
562:. Lecherous, leering and ribald, he epitomized the Australian "lair", always trying to "make a quid" or to "knock off a sheila", yet some of his funniest moments were when he was being "posh", as in his outrageous parody, with Sadie, of
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theatrette in Sydney; his much-acclaimed "McCackie Mansion" segment was a highlight. Living at 13 Coffin Street, "Mo" was the suburban householder whose life was made miserable by relatives, neighbours and friends. He later appeared in
286:, Harry (as he was called) was briefly an apprentice jockey and thereafter maintained a keen interest in racing. Despite his father's opposition, in July 1908, he secured an engagement with James Brennan's vaudeville at the
290:. Of medium height, with dark hair, a pale smooth complexion and large soulful brown eyes, 'Boy Roy' (his stage name) had an appealing pathos. Most of his spare time was spent studying the famous English
321:. He developed his unique style and perfected the black and white make-up which became his trademark. Returning to Sydney in November 1915, he joined Albert Bletsoe's revue company at the
424:' suburban theatres in Sydney, followed by a brief vaudeville season in New Zealand, but the Fullers were disbanding their revue companies. In April 1931 Rene joined Connors and his wife
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Accessed 13 September. 2023. NB 1: Rene's alter-ego did not become known as 'Mo McCackie' until 1946. NB 2: 'What Oh Tonight' was later renamed 'The Beauty Parlour' (among other titles)
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at the King's Theatre. Three weeks after the start of the King's Theatre season, the couple joined a number of the other cast members in presenting matinee productions of
361:(starring opposite American comedian Harry Green). The play had seasons in both Melbourne and Sydney. In May 1926 Rene made his Tivoli circuit debut in partnership with
468:. In 1935–36, in partnership with Connors and Paul, he appeared in variety in Sydney and Melbourne, then returned to the Tivoli at the instigation of English producer
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On 29 March 1917 at St Stephen's Presbyterian Church, Sydney, Henry van der Sluice married an actress Dorothy Davis; childless, they were divorced in May 1929.
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915:"'What Oh Tonight': The Methodology Factor and Pre-1930s Australian Variety Theatre (With a Special Focus on the One Act Musical Comedy, 1914-1920)"
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Following his departure from the Stiffy and Mo company Rene went on to appear with outstanding success in a straight play,
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After the conclusion of the Queensland tour, Rene and Gale travelled to Melbourne to appear in Frank Neil's production of
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UQ eSpace. Clay Djubal. Ph D Diss. The University of Queensland, 2005. Chapter 6 focuses on the Stiffy and Mo revusicals.
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he almost died. Following his operation he remained in hospital until 15 April.
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Rene played to packed houses, but his contract was not renewed in 1945.
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353:'Give and Take' / 'Bluett and Mo' / 'Stiffy' and 'Mo' (1926-1928)
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website. Includes extensive list of radio and film appearances.
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Rene briefly returned to the stage in 1949 in the revue,
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National Film and Sound Archive: 'The Sailors' on the
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Turning to radio in 1946, Rene signed a contract with
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937:. Sound Recording. This recording was added to the
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597:played Roy Rene/Mo in the 1977 theatre production
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547:. He was survived by his wife, son and daughter.
404:Roy Rene returned to the theatre in mid-1930 for
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721:"Nat Phillips' Tabloid Musical Comedy Company"
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805:https://www.ausstage.edu.au/pages/event/6044
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472:. By early 1939 Rene was in conflict with
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984:Australian people of Dutch-Jewish descent
637:Strine and Australian Slang – Lair to Loo
532:, again capturing a nationwide audience.
241:Learn how and when to remove this message
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282:Around 1905, the Sluice family moved to
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830:(ghostwritten by Elizabeth Lambert and
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420:. Rene and Sadie resorted to a tour of
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558:, as a comic genius in the company of
774:. Australian Variety Theatre Archive.
739:. Australian Variety Theatre Archive.
723:. Australian Variety Theatre Archive.
702:. Australian Variety Theatre Archive.
685:. Australian Variety Theatre Archive.
664:. Australian Variety Theatre Archive.
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615:George Wallace (Australian comedian)
456:Early the next year, Rene played in
271:, at the Theatre Royal and later at
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1004:20th-century Australian male actors
587:The memory of Rene lives on in the
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909:Australian Variety Theatre Archive
851:National Library of Australia News
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605:, and on television in the 1980s.
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416:, but business was bad because of
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528:in 1951 and, in 1952, starred in
385:regional Queensland for Clay’s.
770:Clay Djubal (22 December 2014).
751:Vagg, Stephen (18 August 2019).
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431:In 1934 he made his only film,
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681:Clay Djubal (27 April 2011).
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535:Rene died of atherosclerotic
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329:'Stiffy' and 'Mo' (1916-1925)
37:Bronze statue of Roy Rene in
16:Australian actor and comedian
1014:Burials at Rookwood Cemetery
999:Australian male stage actors
943:Sounds of Australia registry
776:Accessed 13 September. 2023.
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735:Clay Djubal (9 April 2011).
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719:Clay Djubal (9 April 2011).
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698:Clay Djubal (9 April 2011).
649:Sounds of Australia registry
496:with a live audience at the
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979:Jewish Australian comedians
847:"In the company of Chaplin"
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541:Kensington, New South Wales
279:, singing and dancing act.
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857:(12): 7–10. Archived from
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700:"Nat Phillips' Whirligigs"
396:, while also appearing in
380:/ Tivoli Years (1929-1945)
317:, who engaged him to tour
994:Male actors from Adelaide
969:Australian male comedians
875:Article published in the
466:Apollo Theatre, Melbourne
323:Fullers' National Theatre
259:Colony of South Australia
156:. As the bawdy character
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753:"Australian Movie Stars"
737:"Mo and His Merrymakers"
1019:Comedians from Adelaide
873:"Performers: Roy Rene."
791:5 December 1998 at the
41:, Adelaide. Created by
823:Melb: Heinemann, 1973.
511:It Pays to be Ignorant
1024:Jewish male comedians
530:The New Atlantic Show
310:with bush companies.
300:National Amphitheatre
786:What is Freemasonry?
583:Legacy and influence
552:Dame Sybil Thorndike
418:the Great Depression
215:improve this section
861:on 5 February 2012.
177:Sounds of Australia
171:, was added to the
150:Henry van der Sluys
56:Henry van der Sluys
462:Rhapsodies of 1935
179:registry in 2011.
907:Biography at the
772:"Strike Me Lucky"
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494:Calling the Stars
490:Colgate-Palmolive
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964:1954 deaths
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895:"Roy Rene."
877:Laughterlog
826:Rene, Roy.
564:Noël Coward
439:Ken G. Hall
374:Merrymakers
363:Fred Bluett
319:New Zealand
169:The Sailors
158:Mo McCackie
110:Occupations
953:Categories
921:"Roy Rene"
832:Max Harris
683:"Roy Rene"
621:References
556:Jack Benny
507:Jack Davey
484:Radio star
474:Frank Neil
336:The Bunyip
315:Ben Fuller
292:music-hall
277:black face
273:the Tivoli
63:1891-02-15
589:Mo Awards
577:Freemason
575:He was a
503:Cavalcade
464:, at the
443:Cinesound
412:, at the
284:Melbourne
263:pantomime
202:does not
183:Biography
139:1901–1952
103:Australia
945:in 2011.
926:Ausstage
789:Archived
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524:for the
410:Pot Luck
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304:Roy Rene
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