NextBackYou can gather from now that my main interest has been variety, comedy, music and band music, I have never followed, or been involved in the activities, of the legitimate theatre or the local operatic societies, although I have in my possession a near complete record of the plays etc.
Next came someone, who in my opinion was the most professional manager that the theatre has had during my lifetime, I refer of course to Jack Leuty, 1947 -
Upon his death, I was asked to do and obituary for him for the Stage Newspaper, copy attached, I made one small error, a short time afterwards I had phone call from Bernard Cribbins to say that he did not appear at the Palace.
Jack tried every type of entertainment, and I remember his twice nightly variety shows with great enjoyment. One that comes to mind is one headed by a virtually unknown cockney comic call Sam Kern whose gimic was that he could put his tongue out and touch his chin. His real claim to fame however is that in the Express Dairies, in the Edgeware Road in London, when he was unemployed and starving he composed, on the back of a Woodbine Packet the song Mary From the Dairy, which he sold the sole rights to the great Max Miller who paid him the sum of £4 and it became Maxie’s signature tune.
It was during this period that a very good looking young crooner topped a variety bill his name was Alan Clive, he had recently made his first record which was on sale in the window of Spencer’s music shop, which was a little distance up from the theatre in Alcester Street, where you could be served by a very pleasant manager named Elsie Griffin, on the one side of the record was the song Confidentially and on the reverse side You’re Breaking My Heart, I clearly remember on newspaper critic remarking “Confidentially Mr Clive, You’re Breaking My Heart”
During Jack Luety’s tenure a café was introduced in a small room off the stairway to the circle. It was run by Bert Maries, who had a sweet shop directly across the road from where Rileys now stands.
It was during this period show presented by comedian Tubby Bennett came and was so successful that he stayed for six weeks and did a different show every week, I sat in the café and was witness to the business arrangements between Jack and himself, I can remember the smell of this pipe tobacco now it was lovely.
