The enigmatic Bobbie de Lys was a female impersonator and singer who made a name for himself in the Jazz Age of the 1920s and 1930s and was described as a ‘wonderful male prima donna.’ Little is known about him except a few adverts in the The Stage periodical and a series of stunning postcards published in the mid-1920s.
A while ago I acquired a few delightful costume sketches sighed ‘Gene’ and dating from the 1920s. Further research has revealed that the artist was named Gene Boshko – but who was Gene or Gene Boshko?
More interesting commentary about the Dolly Sisters and Mr Selfridge, in advance of the last series of the ITV show, Mr Selfridge is unveiled this time from the Daily Star.
A new sampler showing some of the content of the book The Dolly Sisters in Pictures is available now
The commentary about the Dolly Sisters and Mr Selfridge, in advance of the last series of the ITV show, has started already with the latest feature from The Mail on Sunday.
‘Two more electric personalities it has never been my fate to meet. They radiated personal magnetism, vibrant energy or whatever you like to call it and any revue benefited enormously by their presence on the stage… On the stage and off the Dolly sisters were unique.’ Charles B. Cochran
‘You can’t tell one apart from the other. In conversational ability they are as entertaining as they are with their tootsies. No prettier, smarter, clever people were born than these two girls… the most charming tots on the American stage…. they have proven themselves a box office asset… greater things will be heard…’ Unidentified 1916
‘It must be admitted that the chief fascination of the twin Dollies lies not so much in the grace of their dancing, nor in the charm of their personalities, nor in the naiveté of this manner, nor yet the quaintness of their accents – sufficient as are all of these – but rather in the amazing duplicity of Nature’ Margaret Burr in Theatre Magazine May 1916
