Max Bacon (actor) explained
Max David Bacon (1 March 1904, London, England – 3 December 1969, London, England) was a British actor, comedian and musician (drummer and occasional vocalist in Ambrose's band).[1] [2] Although he was British-born, his comedic style centred on his pseudo-European, Yiddish accent and in his straight-faced mispronunciation of words.
Biography
Bacon's father came from a leather-working family to London from Katowice, then in Galicia in the Austro-Hungarian Empire.[3] In London, his father worked as a basket-weaver.
Before becoming a character actor, Bacon was a drummer in Britain during the 1920s and 1930s.[3] He was taught by the vocalist and drummer Harry Bentley. After a couple of years at the Florida Club with Ronnie Munro's band he began a long association with Ambrose's Orchestra, with whom he recorded as drummer and occasionally as Yiddish vocalist.[4] [5] In the late 1930s he had become well known enough to tour the halls in his own right and as part of a touring unit known as the Ambrose Octet with Evelyn Dall, among others.[6]
He lived in his later years at The White House, a hotel near Great Portland Street, London, now known as the Melia White House, in Albany Street. He never married.
Partial filmography
- Soft Lights and Sweet Music (1936) - Himself
- Calling All Stars (1937) - Himself
- Kicking the Moon Around (1938) - Gus
- King Arthur Was a Gentleman (1942) - Maxie
- Miss London Ltd. (1943) - Romero
- Bees in Paradise (1944) - Max Adler
- Give Us the Moon (1944) - Jacobus
- Cuckoo College (1949, TV Movie) - English Master
- The Gambler and the Lady (1952) - Maxie
- Take a Powder (1953) - Maxie
- The Diary of Anne Frank (London theatre production 1955)
- Together Again (1957, TV Series)
- Musical Playhouse (1959, TV Series) - Bookmaker
- William Tell (1959, TV Series) - Cobbler
- The Crowning Touch (1959) - Bemberger
- No Hiding Place (1959, TV Series) - Charlie Locke
- Educating Archie (1959, TV Series)
- The Entertainer (1960) - Charlie Klein
- The Rag Trade (1961, TV Series) - Mr. Conway
- Play It Cool (1962) - Lotus Proprietor
- Ghost Squad (1963, TV Series) - Sam
- Love Story (1963, TV Series) - Mr Rosen
- Z-Cars (1964, TV Series) - Nagle
- The Eyes of Annie Jones (1964) - Publican Hoskins
- Crooks in Cloisters (1964) - Bookmaker
- Gideon's Way (1964, TV Series) - Bookie Thompson
- Theatre 625 (1965-1966, TV Series) - Green / Herbert Fink
- The Sandwich Man (1966) - Chef
- Privilege (1967) - Julie Jordan
- The Whisperers (1967) - Mr. Fish
- The Wednesday Play (1967, TV Series) - Coldshead
- Chitty Chitty Bang Bang (1968) - Orchestra Leader
- The Nine Ages of Nakedness (1969) - Yossel (segment "The Egyptians")
- Detective (1969, TV Series) - Aaronson
- Along the Way (1972) - (final film role)
References
- Web site: Max Bacon. British Film Institute. 15 October 2019. https://web.archive.org/web/20121023040315/http://ftvdb.bfi.org.uk/sift/individual/102671. 23 October 2012. dead.
- Web site: Max Bacon. Aveleyman.com.
- Web site: Archived copy . 13 December 2019 . 13 December 2019 . https://web.archive.org/web/20191213120732/https://www.jewishlivesproject.com/profiles/max-bacon . dead .
- Web site: Musicians index B. Mgthomas.co.uk.
- Web site: Rediscovering The East End's Yiddisher Jazz Scene. November 9, 2018. Londonist.com.
- Book: Tracy, Sheila. Talking Swing: The British Big Bands. April 22, 2011. Random House. 9781780570044. Google Books.
External links
