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Moss Empire Jubilee 1949 taken from The Stage Year-book of 1950
The London Palladium
The year 1949 has been the golden jubilee of the Moss Empires Limited., which was founded on December 15th 1899. Exactly one month later the Hippodrome, the company’s first West End theatre, was opened on January 15th 1900, with a variety, circus and water spectacular, entitled, “Giddy Ostend.” In 1900 the Palladium was opened and was destined to become the “mecca” of variety artistes in England. It was mainly due to Sir Edward Moss, the company’s founder and first chairman, that Variety became a great and popular entertainment. With him on the board were Richard Thornton, Sir (then Mr.) Oswald Stoll and frank Allan. The present chairman is Prince Littler, with Val Parnell as managing director, and the directors are Reginald Broomhead, T. Fleming Birch, F.C.A., Stewart Cruikshank, Emile Littler, Charles Gulliver, S.H. Newsome and David Simpson (secretary) and the late Walter Payne,O.B.E., and A. Stuart Cruikshank, who died towards the end of the year, were also members of the board. Evidence of the company’s successful activites can be found in its records, which show that since the imposition of the Entertainments Tax in 1916, Moss Empires, Ltd., has paid to the Inland Revenue no less than £8,000,000.
Note; in terms of 2017 values one might conclude £800,000,000.
Royal Variety Performance, 1949 London Coliseum. The Stage revue.
The opening and closing spectacles such as the opening Piccadilly Circus, full of life; the thrilling first half finale, that glorious H.M.S. Amethyst scene; the touch of the Scottish Highlanders the ‘Brigadoon’ excerpt, and the finale with the whole Company cheering the Royal Party, will not soon be forgotten.
And the artists, for long in one’s memory will remain, the pluck of Johnny Lockwood, carrying on being funny after accidentally his nose to bleed, the whirling acrobatics of Les Charlivels, the brilliant artistry of Joy Nichols, the ‘crazy’ comedy of Michael Bentine, the fine singing of Bill Johnson, the excellent impressions of Peter Cavanagh, the superb but different dancing of Marilyn High-tower, Elsa and Walde, Peggy Ryan and Ray McDonald and the Tiller Girls, the inimitable humour of Reg. Dixon, the Seven Ashtons (Australian) springboard speciality, the homely fun of Wilfred Pickles, the new act of Dolores Grey, the eccentricities of Borrah Minevitch’s Harmonica Rascals, Maurice Chavalier, Noele Gordon’s delightful singing of modern and old favourites, and Ted Ray’s always infectious humour.
The whole evening was a triumphant one for Prince Litler, Harry Marlow, Sam Harbour and Alec Shanks, who produced it.
The Moss Empire Nottingham early 1950s. Sandow Sisters trapeze speciality.
