Bert Tracey was a British

silent film A silent film is a film with no synchronized recorded sound (or more generally, no audible dialogue). Though silent films convey narrative and emotion visually, various plot elements (such as a setting or era) or key lines of dialogue may, when ...

and talkie actor. He also directed one film, ''

Boots! Boots! ''Boots! Boots!'' is a 1934 British comedy film directed by Bert Tracy and starring George Formby, Beryl Formby, and Arthur Kingsley. It was made by Blakeley's Productions, Ltd. (later Mancunian Films) at the Albany Studios in London.Richards ...

'', in 1934 which marked the film debut of George Formby as an adult. Tracy was born on June 16, 1889, in Manchester, England. He acted in 47 silent films including The Kentucky Derby (1922) and Law or Loyalty (1926).

Career in America

Tracey was a Music Hall veteran who had gone to America in 1913 with

Stan Laurel Stan Laurel (born Arthur Stanley Jefferson; 16 June 1890 – 23 February 1965) was an English comic actor, writer, and film director who was one half of the comedy double act, duo Laurel and Hardy. He appeared with his comedy partner Oliver Ha ...

and

Charlie Chaplin Sir Charles Spencer Chaplin Jr. (16 April 188925 December 1977) was an English comic actor, filmmaker, and composer who rose to fame in the era of silent film. He became a worldwide icon through his screen persona, the Tramp, and is consider ...

with the Fred Karno Troupe where they worked as actors in shorts for the Kalem Company. By 1914 he was working with

Oliver Hardy Oliver Norvell Hardy (born Norvell Hardy; January 18, 1892 – August 7, 1957) was an American comic actor and one half of Laurel and Hardy, the double act that began in the era of silent films and lasted from 1926 to 1957. He appeared with his c ...

in a string of slapstick comedies.

Return to England

He returned to England in 1927. In 1933 he met up with

Laurel and Hardy Laurel and Hardy were a British-American Double act, comedy duo act during the early Classical Hollywood cinema, Classical Hollywood era of American cinema, consisting of Englishman Stan Laurel (1890–1965) and American Oliver Hardy (1892–19 ...

at Manchester's Midland Hotel. As there were no suitable studios in Manchester, this meeting lead to the rental of a film studio in London where Bert was able to lend technical support to their productions in England . In October, 1953 Laurel and Hardy, both in ill health, returned to the Vaudeville lifestyle on their final British tour. They hired their old friend Bert Tracey to be their dresser.

Selected filmography

Actor * '' The Sacrifice of the Spillway'' (1913) * ''

The Daddy of Them All ''The Daddy of Them All'' is a 1914 American silent comedy film featuring Oliver Hardy. Plot Ezra, a father with a large family, hears about a competition being held by the County Welfare Society for the largest family. Excited by the prosp ...

'' (1914) * ''

Back to the Farm ''Back to the Farm'' is a lost 1914 silent comedy short film that co-starred Oliver "Babe" Hardy and Herbert "Bert" Tracy. Written by Will Louis and produced by the Lubin Manufacturing Company of Pennsylvania, the short was filmed in Jackson ...

'' (1914) * ''

Sea Dogs The sea, connected as the world ocean or simply the ocean, is the body of salty water that covers approximately 71% of the Earth's surface. The word sea is also used to denote second-order sections of the sea, such as the Mediterranean Sea, ...

'' (1916) * ''

A Day at School A, or a, is the first letter and the first vowel of the Latin alphabet, used in the modern English alphabet, the alphabets of other western European languages and others worldwide. Its name in English is ''a'' (pronounced ), plural ''aes'' ...

'' (1916) * ''

Royal Blood A royal descent is a genealogy, genealogical Kinship and descent, line of descent from a past or present monarch. Both geneticists and genealogists have attempted to estimate the percentage of living people with royal descent. From a genetic ...

'' (1916) * ''

A Dumbwaiter Scandal A, or a, is the first letter and the first vowel of the Latin alphabet, used in the modern English alphabet, the alphabets of other western European languages and others worldwide. Its name in English is ''a'' (pronounced ), plural ''aes'' ...

'' (1919) * ''

The Kentucky Derby The Kentucky Derby is a horse race held annually in Louisville, Kentucky, United States, almost always on the first Saturday in May, capping the two-week-long Kentucky Derby Festival. The competition is a Grade I stakes race for three-year ...

'' (1922) * ''

Law or Loyalty ''Law or Loyalty'' is a 1926 silent film A silent film is a film with no synchronized Sound recording and reproduction, recorded sound (or more generally, no audible dialogue). Though silent films convey narrative and emotion visually, vari ...

'' (1926) * '' Warned Off'' (1930) * ''

Holidays with Pay ''Holidays with Pay'' is a 1948 British comedy film directed by John E. Blakeley and starring Frank Randle, Tessie O'Shea and Dan Young. The film follows the Rogers family as they go on holiday to Blackpool and enjoy a series of adventures. P ...

'' (1948) Director * ''

'' (1934)
IMDb Poster of Boots! Boots! directed by Bert Tracey

References

External links

Year of birth unknown Year of death unknown English male film actors English film directors English male silent film actors 20th-century British male actors Male actors from Manchester {{UK-film-actor-stub