Actor-Manager's Death

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXV, Issue 22949, 29 January 1938, Page 14 (Supplement)

Actor-Manager's Death

MANY SUCCESSFUL PLAYS The English vaudeville theatre suffered a severe loss in the death last month of Laddie Cliff, comedian and manager. He brought a new type of entertainment to the theatre, and certainly art original style of comedy. His long and successful partnership with Stanley I.upino must be something of a record. They appeared together more than 2000 times in 17 years. Laddie Cliff was also responsible for the famous series of musical shows with "Lore" in their titles which survived a period of seven years or more. They began with "So This is Love," at the Winter Garden in 1928, followed by "Love Lies," at the Gaiety; then "The Love Race," and finally, after three years, "Sporting Love." Close upon this came "Over She Goes" at the Saville, and, inspired by its success. Laddie Cliff banked all his savings on "Crazy Days," produced at the Shaftesbury about three months ago. It ran for eight or nine weeks. It was following his work on this last production that Cliff became ill.

Cliff's real name was Clifford Albyn Perry. He made his first appearance in a concert party at Lerwick, in the Shetlands, at the age of six; at nine he played in "Bluebeard" at the Crystal Palace. From tours in America and Australia, he came back to London for "The Bing Girls," served in the war, and later was iii ffiXhe Co-Optimists."