Max Bacon (actor)

Max David Bacon (1 March 1904, London, England, UK – 3 December 1969, London, England, UK) was a British actor, comedian and musician (drummer and occasional vocalist in Ambrose's band).[1] Although he was British-born, his comedic style centred on his pseudo-European, Yiddish accent and in his straight-faced mispronunciation of words.

Early life

Max Bacon had one sister, but no brothers. His father was one of three brothers who came from Katowice, then in Galicia in the Austro-Hungarian Empire. Two of the brothers left in 1901, Max's father came to London, his uncle Yochanan went to Moravia, to Ostrava (now in the Czech Republic). The family business was leather working. Max's cousin, Baruch, continued selling leather goods when he moved to Tel-Aviv, then in Palestine in 1938. In London, the family engaged in another traditional Bacon occupation, basket-weaving. They had the monopoly on the round baskets that the Covent Garden porters used to carry on their heads.

Before becoming a character actor, Max Bacon was one of the most significant drummers in Britain during the 1920s and 30s. Allegedly taught by the vocalist Harry Bentley (who also played drums). After a couple of years at the Florida Club with Ronnie Munro's band he began a very long association with Ambrose's Orchestra (the Rolls Royce of British Dance Bands). Max can be heard on hundreds of records by Ambrose as part of his incredible rhythm section and occasionally as "Yiddish" vocalist. He can also be seen in photographs of the band, presiding over the drum kit at the rear and top of the photograph. In the late 30s he had become well known enough to tour the halls in his own right and as part of a touring unit known as the Ambrose Octet with Evelyn Dall, Les Carew etc. Max was particularly associated with deft cymbal-work whipping up a storm in the many "speciality" instrumentals which are regarded by some as the pinnacle of British Jazz/swing between the wars. Cotton Picker's Congregation, Deep Henderson, man About Town, Night Ride are good examples.

Max Bacon lived in his later years at The White House, a hotel near Great Portland Street, London, still there and known as the Melia White House. He never married.

TV, theatre and filmography

References

  1. ↑ http://ftvdb.bfi.org.uk/sift/individual/102671

http://www.mgthomas.co.uk/dancebands/IndexPages/Musicians-index-B.htm

External links


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