Dora Lindsay Explained

Dora Lindsay
Birth Place:Glasgow
Occupation:Comedian, entertainer

Dora Lindsay (born before 1890 – died after 1944[1]) was a Scottish comedian and singer in the early twentieth century.

Early life and education

Lindsay was from Glasgow, the daughter of a publisher father and a poet mother. Her grandfather, Louis Lindsay, was also a stage performer, described as a "celebrated Negro comedian" (meaning that he impersonated Black people in his act).[2] [3] [4]

Career

Lindsay was a comedian and singer with the Anderson's Star Musical Company by 1903,[5] and in Scottish music hall revues and pantomime productions In the 1910s and 1920s.[6] [7] [8] She was often seen in a double act with comedian Bret Harte (not the writer), where the "droll couple" humor rested on the class differences between their accents.[9] [10] "Dora was a wee woman with a complete mastery of the intricacies and nuances of Glasgow working-class speech," explained one theatre historian.[11] [12] She performed as Mother Goose at the Glasgow Pavilion in 1920 and 1921.[13] [14] One of her signature songs was "Ah'm nut a can, Ah'm Dorothy Ann".[15] She appeared in several short silent films made in Scotland.[16] She was compared to Harry Lauder and Marie Lloyd by critics.[17]

Lindsay toured internationally in 1923 and 1924.[18] "She is a born humorist, with remarkable knowledge of character impersonation," said a 1923 report in Australia.[19] She later moved to Australia, and performed comedic songs in Scottish-themed entertainments on stage and radio,[20] through the 1930s,[21] [22] [23] and into the 1940s.[24] [25] She toured with the Long Tack Sam company in New Zealand in 1936.[26] She wrote the words and music to a song, "Anzac" (1939).[27]

Notes and References

  1. News: 1945-06-21 . Home Service Club . Propeller . 2023-09-21 . Trove.
  2. News: 1923-04-29 . Dora Lindsay– Dame; Wee Lassie from Glasgow . Sun . 2023-09-21 . Trove.
  3. News: 1875-01-08 . City Hall Grand Comic Concert (advertisement) . 1 . Glasgow Herald . 2023-09-21 . Newspapers.com.
  4. News: 1887-07-30 . Death of Mr. Louis Lindsay, the Comedian . 3 . The Bridge of Allan Gazette . 2023-09-21 . Newspapers.com.
  5. News: 1903-10-31 . Anderson's Star Musical Company . 5 . The Strathearn Herald . 2023-09-21 . Newspapers.com.
  6. News: 1919-01-25 . The Hamilton Hippodrome . 3 . Hamilton Advertiser . 2023-09-21 . Newspapers.com.
  7. News: 1924-02-16 . Dora Lindsay, Famous Comedienne . 16 . The Daily Telegraph . 2023-09-21 . Newspapers.com.
  8. News: 1922-04-08 . Entertainments; Aidrie Hippodrome . 6 . The Airdrie and Coatbridge Advertiser . 2023-09-21 . Newspapers.com.
  9. News: 1919-05-13 . Tivoli: 'It's a Walk-Over' . 3 . Hull Daily Mail . 2023-09-21 . Newspapers.com.
  10. Book: Mackie, Albert David . Talking Glasgow . 1978 . Belfast : Blackstaff Press . Internet Archive . 978-0-85640-169-5 . 80.
  11. Book: Ewan . Elizabeth L. . Biographical Dictionary of ScottishWomen . Innes . Sue . Reynolds . Sian . Pipes . Rose . 2007-06-27 . Edinburgh University Press. 75–76 . 978-0-7486-2660-1 . en.
  12. Book: Albert D. Mackie . The Scotch Comedians . 1973 . 100-102. Internet Archive.
  13. News: 1921-01-10 . A Regular 'Dame' . 16 . Daily Record . Newspapers.com. 2023-09-20.
  14. News: 17 January 1921 . A Rich Creation . 14 . Daily Record and Mail . September 21, 2023 . The British Newspaper Archive, via The Wikipedia Library.
  15. Book: Mackie, Albert David . The illustrated Glasgow glossary : awra words awragirra . 1984 . Belfast : Blackstaff Press . Internet Archive . 978-0-85640-304-0 . 10.
  16. Book: Cloy, David . Scotland in silent cinema : a commemorative catalogue to accompany the Scottish Reels programme at the Pordenone Silent Film Festival, Italy, 1998 . 1998 . Glasgow : Scottish Screen . Internet Archive . 978-0-9525857-7-0 . 7.
  17. News: 2 February 1926 . Dora Lindsay at the Victoria . 11 . Dundee Evening Telegraph . September 20, 2023 . The British Newspaper Archive, via The Wikipedia Library.
  18. News: 1923-04-22 . Star Acts at Fullers'; Dora Lindsay and the Meurs . Sunday Times . 2023-09-21 . Trove.
  19. News: 22 December 1923 . Screen Scene . 24 . Adelaide Saturday Journal . September 21, 2023 . NewspaperArchive.com.
  20. News: 1934-09-27 . Changes at Theatre Royal: Nellie Kolle's Farewell, Dora Lindsay Joins Company . Telegraph . 2023-09-21 . Trove.
  21. News: 1931-09-14 . Dora Lindsay Coming to Mudgee . Mudgee Guardian and North-Western Representative . 2023-09-21 . Trove.
  22. News: 1935-05-27 . Frank Hatherley at Grenfell . 2 . The Grenfell Record and Lachlan District Advertiser . 2023-09-21 . Newspapers.com.
  23. News: 1938-08-11 . Rockdale Scottish Concert . 8 . The Propeller . 2023-09-21 . Newspapers.com.
  24. News: 1943-04-01 . Concert at Sutherland . Propeller . 2023-09-21 . Trove.
  25. News: 1941-11-08 . Scottish Comedienne . Courier-Mail . 2023-09-21 . Trove.
  26. https://natlib.govt.nz/records/23220931?search%5Bi%5D%5Bname_authority_id%5D=-215554&search%5Bpath%5D=items Poster for 1936 Long Tack Sam production in Wellington, New Zealand
  27. Web site: Anzac [music] / words & music by Dora Lindsay]. 2023-09-20 . Catalogue, National Library of Australia . en.

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