Guide to the Guide to programs and related material regarding Albert Whelan
Whelan
National Library of Australia View Catalogue Record
Collection Summary
- Title
- Programs and related material regarding Albert Whelan
- Date Range
- September 1897 - September 1958
- Collection Number
- Whelan
- Extent
- 61 items
- Language of Materials
- English
- Repository
- Printed Collections
Introduction
Scope and Contents
Printed materials in the PROMPT collection include programs and printed ephemera such as brochures, leaflets, tickets, etc. Theatre programs are taken as the prime documentary evidence of a performance. The list is based on imperfect holdings, and is updated as gaps in the Library's holdings are filled. Unless otherwise stated, all entries are based on published programs in the PROMPT collection.
Preferred Citation
Acknowledgement of use this material should refer to the Ephemera PROMPT collection.
Citation of items from this collection should include references to author's/organisation's name, date, item title, Publisher and place of publication.
Example: J.C. Williamson (Firm). & Theatre Royal (Adelaide, S.A.). 1950, Gilbert & Sullivan opera season [theatre program] : The gondoliers J. C. Williamson Ltd [Adelaide]
Related Materials
The National Library's collection also includes a digitised playbill [https://nla.gov.au/nla.cat-vn5809216] and a biographical clippings file [https://nla.gov.au/nla.cat-vn683820].
Further material is also available through Trove [https://trove.nla.gov.au/] and the National Library catalogue [https://catalogue.nla.gov.au/].
Arrangement
Programs in the National Library' PROMPT collection are arranged chronologically. All except one of the programs currently held are for performances in England and Northern Ireland. The Australian program is first listed, as it is the earliest program held.
Biographical / Historical
Albert Whelan (5 May 1875 – 19 February 1961), was an Australian popular singer and entertainer, who was prominent in the English music hall during the first half of the 20th century.Whelan was born in Melbourne, Australia, in 1875. Early in his career Whelan moved to Western Australia, where he found fame as a singer and dancer, entertaining the miners working the gold fields. At the turn of the 20th century, he emigrated to Britain, making his debut in a novelty dance act at the Empire, Leicester Square. He rapidly honed his act, and settled on a style which varied little over his career, although his ability to update the content of his act ensured his career was both long and successful, lasting well into his eighties. Whelan was acknowledged as one of the first entertainers to have a signature tune, appearing on-stage (and exiting at the end of his act) whistling Robert Vollstedt's waltz from Die Lustige Brüder (The Jolly Brothers). Immaculately dressed in bow tie and tails, he sang, danced and played the piano. He was an excellent mimic and adapted easily to changing vocal styles.His recording career spanned the first half of the 20th century, from The Whistling Bowery Boy in 1905 to his final recordings made in 1960. He also had minor roles in a number of British films of the 1930s and 1940s. His son was the pianist Gordon Whelan.He was the subject of This Is Your Life in 1957, when he was surprised by Eamonn Andrews at the BBC Television Theatre.
Item Descriptions
Series. Programmes, September 1897 - September 1958
61 itemsHer Majesty's Theatre, Melbourne, Victoria; The French Maid (Item)
Whelan as Alphonse. Newspaper style program.
The London Music Hall, London, England; [Variety], 26 August 1907 (Item)
Whelan as "The Australian Entertainer".
Empire Palace, London, England; [Variety], 18 December 1911 (Item)
Fragment of programme showing cast list.
Finsbury Park Empire, London, England; [Variety], 28 June 1915 (Item)
Whelan as "The Australian Entertainer". Cast includes Oscar Asche and Lily Brayton.
The Palace, Shaftsbury Ave, London, England; [Variety], December 1916 (Item)
Whelan as "The Australian Entertainer".
The Victoria Palace, London, England; [Variety show], 10 June 1918 (Item)
Whelan as the "Australian Entertainer".
The Victoria Palace, London, England; [Variety show], 22 December 1918 (Item)
Whelan as the "Australian Entertainer".
Nottingham Empire, Nottingham, England/ Moss' Empires Ltd; [Variety], 22 June 1925 (Item)
Whelan as "The Australian".
Finsbury Park Empire Theatre, London; The Review of Variety, 22 March 1926 - 18 October 1926 (Item)
Whelan as "the Australian". One copy dated 22 March, one copy dated 18 October.
Ardwick Theatre, Manchester, England; [Variety], 11 June 1928 (Item)
Whelan as the "Australian Entertainer".
Nottingham Empire, Nottingham, England; Moss' Empires Ltd; [Variety Show], 1 April 1929 (Item)
Whelan as "the Australian". Program stamped "balcony program. Price One Penny".
Kingston Empire, Surrey, England; King shot syndicate and Mr Stanley Watson present… ; [Variety Show], 20 July 1931 (Item)
Whelan as "The Australian". 2 programs.
Manchester Hippodrome, England; [Variety], 19 October 1931 (Item)
Whelan as the "Popular Australian Entertainer".
Victoria Palace, London, England; [Variety], 30 November 1931 (Item)
Whelan as the "Popular Australian Entertainer".
Birmingham Hippodrome, Birmingham, England; [Variety], 29 May 1933 (Item)
Whelan as the "Popular Australian Entertainer".
Victoria Palace Theatre, London, England; John Southers presents: Stage Stars - Screen Stars - Variety Stars in Modern Variety, 12 February 1934 (Item)
Whelan as "Your Favourite Whistling Entertainer". Magazine programme.
Garrick Theatre, London, England; Modern and Old Time Music Hall, 5 March 1934 (Item)
Whelan as the "World Famous Australian Entertainer". Garrick Theatre magazine programme no 993.
Lewisham Hippodrome, London, England; [Variety], 12 March 1934 (Item)
Whelan as the "Celebrated Australian Entertainer".
London Pavilion, London, England; Non Stop Variety, 2 April 1934 (Item)
Whelan as the "Well-Known Australian Entertainer". London Pavilion magazine programme no. 997.
Wimbledon Theatre, London, England; Robinson Crusoe, 26 December 1935 (Item)
Pantomime stars including Whelan.
Chiswick Empire Theatre, London, England; Varieties, 5 September 1938 (Item)
Whelan as "The Famous Broadcaster".
Pol born Empire, London, England; [Variety show], 17 April 1939 (Item)
Whelan as "The Popular Broadcaster".
Kingston Empire, Surrey, England; [Variety show], 18 December 1939 (Item)
Whelan as "The Modern the Broadcaster".
Winter Gardens, Morecombe, England; Aladdin, 24 December 1941 - 3 January 1942 (Item)
Whelan as Abanzar.
Golders Green Hippodrome, London, England; Mayfair Follies, 11 August 1941 (Item)
Whelan as the "Famous Entertainer".
Wood Green Empire, London, England; [Variety], 26 February 1945 (Item)
Whelan as the "Popular Broadcaster".
Camberwell Palace, London, England; [Variety], 2 September 1946 (Item)
Whelan as the "BBC Popular Entertainer".
Bristol Hippodrome, Bristol, England; [Variety], 9 June 1947 (Item)
Whelan as the "Public Broadcaster".
London Coliseum, London, England; Grand Concert in Aid of Newsvendors Benevolent and Provident Institution, 16 November 1947 (Item)
Produced by John Sharman. Whelan as the "famous Australian Entertainer". Souvenir Program.
Wolverhampton Hippodrome, Wolverhampton, England; [Variety], 8 December 1947 (Item)
Whelan as the "Public Broadcaster".
Manchester Hippodrome, Manchester, England; [Variety], 6 September 1948 (Item)
Whelan as the "Popular Broadcaster".
Theatre Royal, Exeter, England; Cliff Gwilliam presents: Mother Goose, 27 December 1948 (Item)
Whelan as Quong Ho.
Theatre Royal, Exeter, England; Cliff Gwilliam presents… : Mother Goose, 29 December 1948 (Item)
Whelan as Quong Ho. Program signed by Edward J Wood who played as Demon of the Grotto.
Colosseum, Charing Cross, London, England; E Division of Metropolitan Police Athletic Club presents… : Grand Charity Concert, 24 April 1949 (Item)
Whelan as "Comedian and Whistler".
Butlin Theatre, Skegness, England; Celebrity Concert, 5 June 1949 (Item)
Whelan as the "The Famous Australian Star".
Kensington Empire, London, England; [Variety], 24 April 1950 (Item)
Whelan as the "Public Broadcaster".
Palladium, London, England; Sponsored by the News of the world in conjunction with the rats revels society: Variety cavalcade at the Palladium, 19 November 1950 (Item)
BBC in the Light Programme. A celebration of 100 years of the British Music Hall by the Grand Order Water Rats and the Grand Order of Lady Ratlings.
Plaza Theatre, Worthing, England; Grand Variety Programme, 16 July 1951 (Item)
Whelan presenting "My hat – My stick – My gloves!".
Newcastle Empire, Newcastle, England; Do You Remember?, 13 August 1951 (Item)
Whelan as the "Australian Entertainer" and introduces Buster Keaton.
Lewisham Hippodrome, London, England; Do You Remember?, 10 September 1951 (Item)
Whelan as the "Australian Entertainer".
Chiswick Empire, London, England; [Variety Show] (Item)
Manager, Harry Harbour. Whelan as "The Australian Entertainer".
Grand Theatre, Southhampton, England; Do You Remember?, 14 July 1952 (Item)
Whelan as "the broadcaster" and the inventor of the signature tune.
The Metropolitan Theatre, London, England; Do You Remember?, 3 November 1952 (Item)
Whelan introduced as the inventor of the signature tune.
The Grand Theatre, Bolton, England; Bernard Delafont presents: Tops of the Bill, 24 November 1952 (Item)
Whelan as "originator of the signature tune".
Empire Theatre, Belfast, Northern Ireland; [Variety], 25 October 1954 (Item)
Whelan as the "Australian Broadcaster".
Empress Theatre, Brixton, London, England; [Variety], 30 January 1956 (Item)
Whelan as the "Famous Entertainer". Includes ticket for stalls at 4 shillings.
The Coliseum, London, England; Testimonial Concert to Sam Harbour in recognition to his 30 years with the Coliseum (1926 - 1956), 25 March 1956 (Item)
Vaudeville acts include Joy Nichols, Winifred Atwell, Benny Hill.
The Coliseum, London, England; A Gala Concert, 27 May 1956 (Item)
Stars from the Water Rats including Whelan.