Violet Elliott (born Violet Zara Hargrave; 26 February 1899 – 20 May 1977), who was known in Britain as Chick Elliott, was an Australian comedian, singer and actress.
Early life and career
She was born in
Melbourne
Melbourne ( , ; Boonwurrung language, Boonwurrung/ or ) is the List of Australian capital cities, capital and List of cities in Australia by population, most populous city of the States and territories of Australia, Australian state of Victori ...
, the daughter of Arthur Hargrave — a New Zealand-born comedian and acrobat who used the stage name Arthur Elliott — and his wife Maud Fanning. The family toured widely in Australia and New Zealand as part of
variety
Variety may refer to:
Arts and entertainment Entertainment formats
* Variety (radio)
* Variety show, in theater and television
Films
* ''Variety'' (1925 film), a German silent film directed by Ewald Andre Dupont
* ''Variety'' (1935 film), ...
revue
A revue is a type of multi-act popular theatre, theatrical entertainment that combines music, dance, and sketch comedy, sketches. The revue has its roots in 19th century popular entertainment and melodrama but grew into a substantial cultural pre ...
s, and Violet (credited as Violet Elliott) joined the shows from a young age, performing with her parents and sisters. From about 1913, she largely performed a solo act, combining comic routines and singing, and from the late 1910s onward toured Australia as a solo performer, often performing in
blackface
Blackface is the practice of performers using burned cork, shoe polish, or theatrical makeup to portray a caricature of black people on stage or in entertainment. Scholarship on the origins or definition of blackface vary with some taking a glo ...
make-up as a
'coon' singer, and appearing in
pantomime
Pantomime (; informally panto) is a type of musical comedy stage production designed for family entertainment, generally combining gender-crossing actors and topical humour with a story more or less based on a well-known fairy tale, fable or ...
s. In the 1920s, she featured in several Australian films, and on radio.
["Violet Elliott (2)", ''Australian Variety Theatre Archive'']
Retrieved 6 January 2023
Work in Britain
In 1930 she moved to Britain, where she was known as Chick (or Chic) Elliott in order to avoid confusion with another actress of a similar name. She continued to perform as a blackface act in touring variety shows, and as a
stand-up comedian
Stand-up comedy is a performance directed to a live audience, where the performer stands on a stage and delivers humorous and satirical monologues sometimes incorporating physical acts. These performances are typically composed of rehear ...
in an
evening gown
An evening gown, evening dress or gown is a long dress usually worn at formal occasions. The drop ranges from Ballerina skirt, ballerina (mid-calf to just above the ankles), Tea length, tea (above the ankles), to Skirt length, full-length. S ...
. She worked in musical comedies, revues and operettas, and appeared in the 1942 British film, ''
Asking for Trouble
''Asking for Trouble'' is a 1942 British comedy film directed by Oswald Mitchell and starring Max Miller, Carole Lynne and Wilfrid Hyde-White. Its plot follows a fishmonger who takes up bookmaking to earn extra cash.
Cast
* Max Miller as Di ...
''. She appeared in ''
Merrie England'' at the
Princes Theatre, followed by a show, ''The Kid from Stratford'', with
Arthur Askey
Arthur Bowden Askey (6 June 1900 – 16 November 1982) was an English comedian and actor. Askey was known for his short stature (5' 2", 1.58 m) and distinctive horn-rimmed glasses, and his playful humour incorporating improvisation an ...
, until 1948.
[
]
Personal life and death
In the 1950s, she returned to live in Australia. She was married twice. She died in Randwick, New South Wales
Randwick is a suburb in the Eastern Suburbs of Sydney, in the state of New South Wales, Australia. Randwick is located 6 kilometres south-east of the Sydney central business district and is the administrative centre for the local government ar ...
in 1977 at the age of 78.[
]
References
External links
*
1899 births
1977 deaths
Blackface minstrel performers
{{Australia-comedian-stub