showbusiness

William James (Will) Mahoney (1894-1967), vaudevillian and theatre manager, was born on 5 February 1894 at Helena, Montana, United States of America. Will first performed on stage in 1902. He and Frank ('The Mahoney Bros') devised an act and eventually played on the vaudeville circuit. By 1914 they had toured North America and Mexico, and had visited Melbourne. Single-minded, and a perfectionist, Mahoney was said to be the highest-paid variety star in America, allegedly earning $5500 per week by the early 1930s. He and his partner Bob Geraghty worked in Britain in 1934-38. Their shows, Radio New York, Why Be Serious and Bats in the Belfry, featured an American artiste, Evie Hayes. She was aged 25 when Will married her on 26 March 1938 at the register office, Westminster, London. That year Frank Neil, managing director of the Tivoli vaudeville circuit in Australia, brought Mahoney, Hayes and Geraghty to Melbourne. Their first performance at the Tivoli Theatre on 22 August 1938 marked the beginning of seventeen successful tours of Australasia. As part of their contract, they appeared in Cinesound Productions Pty Ltd's 1939 film, Come Up Smiling (renamed Ants in his Pants). In January 1943 Mahoney joined Geraghty in the management of the Cremorne Theatre, Brisbane. Popular with American and Australian servicemen, the theatre attracted entertainers from overseas, among them Mahoney's friends Jack Benny, Bob Hope, Gary Cooper, Larry Adler and Artie Shaw. Following the end of World War II, variety shows attracted smaller audiences and the Cremorne began to lose money. In 1948 Mahoney closed his theatre and returned to the U.S.A. to revitalize his career. His reception was overwhelming and he was acclaimed as 'the most versatile variety artist in the world'. Accepting another Tivoli contract, he came back to Australia in April 1959. He and Evie settled in Melbourne, played in musicals, and taught young performers. They appeared together in Funny Girl in 1966 until Mahoney collapsed on stage in November. He died on 9 February 1967 in South Melbourne and was buried in Melbourne general cemetery; his wife survived him, as did the son of his first marriage and the daughter of his second. Local and international media paid tribute to the 'little American leprechaun with the laughing blue eyes, endearing smile, black bowler hat, and magic dancing feet'. Source: adb.anu.edu.au/biography/mahoney-william-james-will-11038

Thank you Vesna, I was wondering who he was ...

Fingers crossed someone will be able to provide information on these. How wonderful it would be for a family member to spot a loved one here!

The ride in the distance with the sailing boats is W Murphy's Sea on Land which was built in 1884.