The Palace Theatre, Manchester 1910 to 1920.

In December 1912  in the middle of a variety performance the Palace Theatre put on a short play called ‘The Loss of The Titanic‘ as well as a film of the National Picture News Weekly.  It must have been incredibly emotional as footage was shown of the sinking of the Titanic which had only happened a few months prior.

Sadly the Manchester Central Library Archives + do not have many programmes from the 1st World War period but in October 1914 there was a variety show with both Vesta Tilly and a Mr R Hardwick singing Patriotic Songs.

Did you know the song ‘It’s a long way to Tipporary‘  was the first hit song of World War One which was allegedly written for a 5-shilling bet in Stalybridge, Tameside by Harry Williams and Jack Judge in 1912.

Also on the same bill were husband and wife singing act, Amelia Stone and Armand Kalisz. Armand was a French  born silent film actor who died in Hollywood in 1941.

In 1916 there was a play called Potash and Perlmutter, written by Montague Glass who was a Mancunian along with co-writer, Charles Klein.  This play ran on Broadway prior to being performed in the UK. It was about two Jewish tailors who worked together in business in New York.

There was a panto ‘Cinderella’ put on in 1918, written by  Lauri Wylie, a renown playwright and his brother Julian. Julian was also known as ‘The King of Panto’ as well as being a famous producer in London.

They originated from Southport and co-wrote many panto’s in their time. I realise the below version of Cinderella isn’t the one they put on in 1918 but it’s an interesting version from 1899 in silent movie format.

In 1919 the play ‘Sleeping Partners’ which was written by the noted playwright and actor Seymour Hicks was performed.  He also starred in it alongside Isabel Elsom who later went on to become a famous Hollywood silent actress and in later years she appeared on Broadway and in several films with Jerry Lewis. She starred with him in ‘The Errand Boy’ in 1961 as shown in the below picture.