Basil Hallam

Doris Lytton as Effie and Basil Hallam as Archie in Cosmo Hamilton's The Blindness of Virtue (1913).

Basil Hallam (3 April 1889 – 20 August 1916), born Basil Hallam Radford, was an English actor and singer best known for the character of Gilbert the Filbert in The Passing Show.

Hallam was born 3 April 1888 at 55 Marine Parade, Brighton, Sussex, England. The youngest son and child of Walter Thomas Hindmarsh Radford, Ship & Insurance Broker merchant, (1845-1927) and Ann Louisa Maria Radford (Nee Wulff) of Hillside (1847-1924). He was the youngest of 6 siblings: Annie Marguerite (1874-1943), Walter Guy (1875-1947), Ethel May (1880-?), Archibald Campbell (1881-1958) and Maurice Clive (1884-1915). He was baptised on 23 May 1888 in Hendon St Mary, England. He was educated at Charterhouse School and Oxford and Boys Preparatory Boarding school, Meads, Eastbourne. On 2 April 1911 he resided at 25 Park Crecent, St Marylebone, London, England. He began his career in Shakespearean parts with Herbert Beerbohm Tree's company in 1908. He had an early success as Archie Graham in Cosmo Hamilton's The Blindness of Virtue, opposite Doris Lytton as Effie. He appeared in New York City with Billie Burke in Mrs. Dot.[1]

He created the character of a privileged young "knut", Gilbert the Filbert, for The Passing Show (1914), the original revue of that title by Herman Finck, which opened at the Palace Theatre, London, on 20 April 1914. He also recorded the song of the same name for the HMV label on 4 June 1914. The song can be heard on a 2012 release by the Diversions record label, The Finck Album, sung by Mart Sander.

Before entering service for World War I with the Royal Flying Corps, he fell in love with Elsie Janis, with whom he had starred in The Passing Show of 1915.[2] They set up home in Liverpool.[3]

Hallam died age 28 on August 20 1916 in Calais, Pas-de-Calais, Nord-Pas-de-Calais in WW1 during the Battle of the Somme[4] [5] He is buried in the Couin British Cemetery.[6]

References

  1. ↑ "Basil Hallam Killed; Vaudeville Star Well Known Here Meets Death at the Front", The New York Times, 23 August 1916, p. 2
  2. ↑ Howard, William F. "The Sweetheart of the A.E.F." Archived 6 July 2011 at the Library of Congress Web Archives, New York Archives magazine, Winter 2005, Volume 4, Number 3, accessed 1 November 2012
  3. ↑ "Echoes of the Day", Liverpool Echo, 25 August 1916, p. 3
  4. ↑ "British Legion", Exeter and Plymouth Gazette, 8 July 1929, p. 2
  5. ↑ "How Basil Hallam Died", Western Daily Press, 24 August 1916, p. 8
  6. ↑ Casualty Details for Basil Hallam Radford, Commonwealth War Graves Commission.org, accessed 1 November 2012
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