The list of actors who have played Superman is a long one
and includes the likes of Christopher Reeve, George Reeves, Kirk Alyn, Henry
Cavill, Tim Daly, and Bud Collyer. One
name you’ve probably never seen on such a list is Lee Royce, who is said to
have replaced Bud Collyer in the Fleischer/Famous Studios series of Superman
cartoons. It’s only recently that Royce
has been recognized as a Superman actor, since he received no credit in the
cartoons and had little history as a voice actor.
This is a follow-up to my previous post, Who
Played Clark Kent in the Fleischer/Famous Studios Superman Cartoons?, in
which I laid out the evidence in support of the notion that Royce replaced Bud
Collyer as the voice of Clark Kent/Superman.
Now I’m going to dig deeper into the actor, his background, and his
career.
Lee Royce was never what you'd call a star, and his work was mostly limited
to vaudeville/burlesque and nightclubs. As
noted, he did some voice acting for Fleischer/Famous Studios and appeared in
one live action short comedy film, which unfortunately is lost. Though primarily a singer, he doesn’t appear
to have ever made a record, so we’ll probably never know exactly what his
crooning sounded like. According to
reviews, he had a powerful baritone voice (though his repertoire was a bit stodgy,
with songs like Old Man River and Over There), and he was a solid
entertainer. He also made a good master
of ceremonies, handled comedic straight man duties well, and was tall and handsome
and popular with the ladies. But famous
he wasn’t, and he’s languished in obscurity for many years. With this post, I hope to remedy that.
Personal Details
To start with, we have three items to introduce into evidence: (1) Royce’s World War II draft registration card, (2) his obituary from the Philadelphia Inquirer dated December 31, 1992, and (3) information from the website Find a Grave. Right off the bat, we see something startling: rather than “Lee Royce,” his real name was Martin Levy.
Levy sounds like a Jewish name, and sure enough, Royce/Levy is buried in Har Nebo, a Jewish cemetery in Philadelphia. This is significant, because to date and to my knowledge, Royce is the only Superman actor who, like the character’s creators Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster, was Jewish. (Update 10/2/2023: Brian McKernan, who runs a fine Facebook group called Bob Holiday: Broadway's Superman, informs me that Holiday was Jewish. That means Royce isn't the only Jewish actor to play the character, but he was certainly the first. And of course, David Corenswet, who is Jewish, has been cast as Superman in an upcoming movie.)
We see from the draft registration card, dated January 6,
1941, that Royce was born May 12, 1907 in Philadelphia, that his then-current
address was the Mark Twain Hotel in Hollywood, that his mother Elizabeth Levy
lived at 2030 North 32nd Street in Philadelphia, that his occupation
was “Self-Employed (Theatrical),” and that he was six feet tall, weighed 195
pounds, and had a scar on his upper lip.
We learn from Levy/Royce’s obituary that he died on December 27, 1992. He also graduated from Girard College in Philadelphia, performed on Broadway and at the Catskills, Cuba, and London. During World War II, he went to England and performed in USO shows (which suggests he didn’t serve in the military). The obituary also says he retired to his home town of Philadelphia around the early 1970s and was survived by his daughter Elizabeth (presumably named after his mother) and a brother. He also had a long-time partner, Ruth “Ritsie” Zacharia.
Ruth Zacharia
A notice in the Philadelphia Daily News, dated May 19, 1993,
lists Ruth Zacharia as the executrix of Levy’s estate.
According to the Social Security Death Index, Zacharia was
born December 15, 1921 and died April 3, 2002.
She was the widow of
Victor Zacharia, who died in 1981, and her maiden name was Weinberger.
An article about a neighborhood dispute in the July 12, 1979
issue of the Philadelphia Inquirer includes a photo of Ruth Zacharia.
Family and Education
If we look at the 1910 U.S. federal census, we see
three-year-old Martin with his father Jacob, mother Lizzie (Elizabeth), and
four-year-old brother Bennie (Benjamin).
At the time, Jacob was a tailor in a factory. He and Lizzie were Russian immigrants, and both
spoke Yiddish (as did all of the heads of household on their street).
The 1920 census shows us Martin, age 12, as a student at
Girard College in Philadelphia (though he’s listed as an “inmate!”). We learned previously from Martin’s obituary
that he had attended this school.
Girard College was a boarding school for boys, each of whom
received a full scholarship. The only
requirements were that the boy be fatherless, white, and show academic
promise. Though religion wasn’t
important (Jews were welcome), the school had a hard and fast rule against
admitting anyone who wasn’t white – a requirement that got them into trouble
after Brown v. Board of Education in 1954. The fatherless requirement suggests that
Martin’s father died sometime between 1910 and 1920.
And by jove, by jing, by Strauss is the thing, we find that Jacob Levy died in November 1915
and is buried in the same cemetery - Har Nebo - as Martin.
Ruth Schore
Prior to his relationship with Ruth Zacharia, Martin Levy was married to Ruth Schore, the mother of his daughter Elizabeth. In the New York City index of marriage licenses, we find that Levy and Schore were married in 1955 in Queens.
Ruth Levy’s obituary tells us that she was Martin Levy’s wife, Elizabeth Levy’s mother, had a sister Mabel Schore, and died March 18, 1982. She was buried at Har Nebo Cemetery.
Thanks to the generosity of Eileen S. Sklaroff, President Emerita of the Female Hebrew Benevolent Society, we have a photo of Ruth Levy’s gravestone at Har Nebo, which shows not only Ruth’s death date but her birth date as well: March 1, 1912.
The 1915 New York state census lists the Schore family living in the Bronx: Kolman, age 35, an insurance agent; his wife Ida, age 35; and daughters Mabel, age 6, and Ruth, age 3. Kolman and Ida were born in Russia, while Mabel and Ruth were born in the U.S. (“Kolman” was probably more correctly spelled “Kalman,” as we’ll see later.)
The 1920 U.S. federal census shows that same family, living at 1415 Fulton Avenue in the Bronx. Kolman is listed as “Max,” age 40, whose occupation is “real estate;” Ida is also age 40; while Mabel and Ruth are 10 and 7, respectively.
In the 1925 New York state census, the Schore family is still living at 1415 Fulton Avenue. Kolman, age 44, is a “real estate broker;” while Ida, Mabel, and Ruth are age 44, 16, and 13, respectively.
In 1930, the Schores are now living at 490 St. Paul’s Place in the Bronx. Kolman (spelled “Kulman”), age 50, is a life insurance agent; Ida, Mabel, and Ruth are 50, 21, and 18, respectively. The latter two work in a hat factory. Ruth is a bookkeeper.
According to Find a Grave, Kalman Max Schore died January 24, 1931 and is buried at Riverside Cemetery in Saddle Brook, New Jersey.
In the 1940 U.S. federal census, Mabel, Ruth, and Ida are living at 1605 Walton Avenue in the Bronx. Ruth is still a bookkeeper.
1950 finds the three women still living at 1605 Walton Avenue. Mabel, age 36, is a trimmer in a millinery factory, while Ruth, age 34, is an office manager in a ladies sportswear factory. We learn that Ida was born in Lithuania, which at the time was part of the Soviet Union.
Ida Schore’s naturalization application provides a lot of additional information. We learn that her name was originally Chaja Cooper, that she was born October 25, 1880 in Shavel, Lithuania (which at the time of her birth was part of Russia), and that she arrived in New York on September 15, 1895. Her husband Kalman Schore was born July 15, 1880 in Kyiv, Ukraine (which at the time of his birth was part of Russia), arrived in New York on July 17, 1905, and died on January 24, 1931 in Los Angeles. Ida and Kalman were married on February 25, 1908 in New York. They had two daughters, Mabel, born March 16, 1909 and Sylvia, born March 2, 1912, both in New York City. Sylvia is almost certainly the same person as Ruth, even though their birth dates differ by a day.
The index of births in the Bronx lists Sylvia Schore and gives her birth date as March 4, 1912, which slightly differs from the dates on Ruth’s gravestone and on Ida Schore’s naturalization application.
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According to his obituary, after graduating from Girard College, Lee Royce launched straight into his career as an entertainer. Let’s take a look at that career.
Quick Note on What’s Included
In general (with a few exceptions), I’ve tried to stick to
appearances that I can verify, through news articles, reviews, or advertisements. Royce undoubtedly made many other appearances
that are unverifiable and not listed here.
In those days, theater and nightclub engagements tended to last a
week. Dates listed are for opening
day/night.
Lee Royce on Broadway
According to an item in the February 11, 1942 issue of the Miami
News, Royce appeared in nine Broadway musicals.
The item then lists the shows.
If this claim is accurate, he was uncredited, because his
name doesn’t appear anywhere in the Internet
Broadway Database. Listed below are eight
of the nine shows mentioned and the dates they ran. (The ninth, “White Horse Inn,” ran a couple
of years later and is listed further down below.) Royce likely wasn’t with these shows for their
entire runs, but we don’t know exactly what dates he was.
1923, 1924, 1925, 1926, 1928, 1930, 1931, 1932, 1940 – Earl
Carroll’s Vanities
11/30/1926 – 10/1927 – Casino Theatre, NYC – The Desert Song
10/10/1927 – 11/1927 – Century Theatre, NYC – The Desert
Song
11/02/1927 – 01/07/1928 – Imperial Theatre, NYC – The Desert
Song
04/25/1927 – 02/25/1928 – Belasco Theatre, NYC – Hit the
Deck
09/19/1928 – 12/14/1929 – Imperial Theatre, NYC – The New
Moon
11/26/1929 – 08/09/1930 – Imperial Theatre, NYC – Sons O’
Guns
01/29/1931 – 03/1931 – Majestic Theatre, NYC – The Student
Prince
12/26/1931 – 01/14/1933 – Music Box Theatre, NYC, 46th
Street Theatre, NYC - Of Thee I Sing
05/15/1933 – 06/10/1933 – Imperial Theatre, NYC – Of Thee I
Sing
10/21/1933 – 01/06/1934 – Imperial Theatre, NYC – Let ‘Em
Eat Cake
September 16, 1934 – New Empire Theatre, Newark, NJ – “Cocktails
of 1934”
The first verifiable trace of Royce I’ve found is at the age
of 27 with the Supreme Burlesque Circuit, a chain of theaters that featured
vaudeville/burlesque entertainment.
There were comedians, singers, dancers, acrobats, jugglers, and the
biggest draw of all, attractive young women in scanty outfits. The company would travel around to the
various theaters in the chain, or “circuit,” presenting the same show at each
theater until the material had worn out and it was time for a new show.
A 1935 article lists the following theaters as belonging to
the Supreme Circuit:
Billy Minksy’s Republic Theater, New York, NY
Park Theater, Boston, MA
Capitol Theater, Albany, NY
New Empire, Newark, NJ
Shubert Theater, Philadelphia, PA
Palace Theater, Baltimore, MD
Million Dollar Pier, Miami Beach, FL
This September 1934 article lists Lee Royce as one of the
entertainers at the New Empire Theatre in Newark, New Jersey and describes the
Supreme Circuit as “newly formed.”
September 24, 1934 - Shubert Theatre, Philadelphia, PA – “Cocktails
of 1934”
This was the Schubert Theatre’s first show of the season and
the first-ever produced there by the Supreme Circuit. “Cocktails of 1934” consisted of two acts and
thirty-one scenes. Royce sang “Moon
Song.”
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December 17, 1934 – Capitol Theater, Albany, NY – “Fads
and Fashions”
December 24, 1934 – Shubert Theatre, Philadelphia, PA –
“Fads and Fashions”
December 31, 1934 – Variety Theatre, Pittsburgh, PA – “Fads and Fashions”
January 6, 1935 – Palace Burlesque, Baltimore, MD – “Fads
and Fashions”
Lee Royce and Edna Mae appear to have had the same
publicist, as two notices in The Billboard in January 1935 include both
of their names. There’s also a
suggestion that they’re a team. Both are
mentioned as being with the Supreme Circuit.
February 5, 1935 – Billy Minksy’s Republic Theater, New
York, NY – “Sweet and Pretty”
February 10, 1935 – Billy Minksy’s Brooklyn Burlesque,
Brooklyn, NY – “Let’s Go”
February 17, 1935 - Palace Burlesque, Baltimore, MD –
“Harlem Scandals”
March 17, 1935 - Billy Minksy’s Brooklyn Burlesque,
Brooklyn, NY – “Dazzling Dames”
April 18, 1936 – NBC Blue Network, New York, NY – Radio Program
The 15-minute broadcast featured singing by Royce and
contralto Lorraine Barnett.
April 24, 1936 – WMCA Radio, New York, NY - “Spotlight
Varieties” Radio Program
This 25-minute show was hosted by Happy Lewis on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays. Royce was featured on Mondays and Fridays.
October 1, 1936 – Center Theatre, New York, NY – “White
Horse Inn”
“White Horse Inn” was a major production starring William
Gaxton and Kitty Carlisle. The play was
first presented in Berlin in 1930 with a different cast and had proven quite
successful in Europe, especially London.
The New York staging ran until April 10, 1937. Lee Royce sang in the chorus and received no
billing.
According to the New York Daily News, during “White Horse
Inn’s” run Royce was given a screen test by Warner Bros. (which apparently didn’t
result in a contract). The claim that he
attended the University of Pennsylvania conflicts with his obituary, which says
he graduated from Girard College and then launched into his show biz career.
August 31, 1937 - Warinanco Park, Roselle, NJ – American
Legion Demonstration
At this demonstration, sponsored by the American Legion,
30,000 people listened to an address about “Americanism Versus Communism.” The program also included a slate of
entertainers, including Lee Royce, described in the below article as a “vocalist
over WJZ,” a New York radio station.
December 15, 1937 – State Theatre, Hartford, CT – “All
Headliner Stage Show” with Joe Besser
On this date, Royce first joined comedian Joe Besser as the
latter’s straight man, and the pair wowed audiences for years. The Meridien Daily Journal called the
act, “the liveliest skit in years,” and Royce was singled out by the Hartford
Courant for his singing of “Old Man River” and “The World Is Mine.” Besser is best known as one of the Three
Stooges in the late 1950s but had a successful career for decades before that.
January 27, 1938 – New York, NY – “Cuckoorancho” film
short with Joe Besser
Filmed from January 27 to February 1, 1938, this Columbia short
starred Besser and Royce, along with Charles Master and Lolita Cordoba. It was released March 20, 1938 and is
believed to be a lost film.
February 5, 1938 – Colonial Theater, Dayton, OH – “St.
Mortiz Ice Carnival” with Joe Besser
April 11, 1938 – Majestic Theater, Paterson, NJ – “Red
Hot Jamboree” with Joe Besser
Besser, according to the The Morning Call, is “ably
assisted by Lee Royce, who sings several songs in a pleasing baritone.”
May 13, 1938 – Fox Tower, Kansas City, MO – “Oh, You’re
Crazy” with Joe Besser
The Kansas City Star explains, “Joe Besser and Lee
Royce have an act called, ‘Oh, You’re Crazy.’
The turn opens in a dignified manner and then veers to slapstick, the
medium in which it continues until its end.”
Besser and Royce’s act was garnering such good reviews that
they started entertaining offers from overseas.
June 4, 1938 – Arrival in Plymouth, England with Joe
Besser
Besser and Royce, and Besser’s wife Erna (Ernie) set sail
from New York on May 27, 1938, arriving in Plymouth, England eight days later,
before heading on to London.
June 6, 1938 – London Palladium, London, England with Joe
Besser
This was one of the high points in the careers of both
Besser and Royce. “The Palladium
attracted record crowds during our two weeks there,” beamed Besser. “In fact, so many people were turned away
that the theater owner held us over for three more weeks!” It was Besser’s first appearance in a foreign
country and may have been Royce’s, as well.
In any case, Royce would return to England many times in his career, and
it became a second home.
The author of an Evening Standard review not only
panned Besser and his partner but also got the name of the theater wrong,
calling it the Trocadero, when in fact, Besser and Royce were appearing at the
Palladium on the date in question.
June 20, 1938 – Palace Theatre, London, England – “International
Week” with Joe Besser
Besser and Royce followed up their Palladium triumph with successful
shows at a couple of other London theaters.
June 27, 1938 – Holborn Empire, London, England with Joe
Besser
July 18, 1938 – Joe Besser Arrival in New York
Joe and his wife Ernie left Southampton, England on July 13,
1938 aboard the Queen Mary and arrived five days later in New York.
November 24, 1938 – Lee Royce Arrival in New York
Lee, under his real name Martin Levy, left Southampton,
England on November 19, 1938 aboard the Normandie and arrived five days later
in New York. The passenger list gives
his birth year as 1905, rather than the correct one of 1907, but the month and
day (May 12) are accurate.
December 2, 1938 – Brooklyn Strand Theater, Brooklyn, NY
– “Giant 10 Star Show” with Joe Besser
Just over a week after returning from England, Royce was
back with Joe Besser and appearing in Brooklyn.
January 27, 1939 – Rivera Theatre, Brooklyn, NY – “WHN Refugee
Theatre of the Air” with Joe Besser
In addition to entertainers Gus Van and Joe Besser, this
show featured performers who were refugees from Europe (mostly Jews escaping
Nazi Germany but some Catholics and Protestants, as well). The “Refugee Theatre of the Air” had been
appearing on WHN radio on Friday nights for a couple of months.
Though panning the show overall, Variety thought, “Besser
is a comedy smash with his zany delivery, getting sock singing support from
straight-man Lee Royce.”
March 10, 1939 – RKO Boston, Boston, MA – “RKO Variety
Show” with Joe Besser
The reviewer for the Boston Globe called Besser a “corpulent
zanny [sic] with a squeaky voice” and Royce “a personable young man who sings
well.”
May 12, 1939 – Memorial Auditorium, Burlington, VT - Mt.
Sinai Shrine “Mammoth Entertainment and Broadway Revue”
Royce takes a break from Joe Besser to appear solo in a show
sponsored by the Mt. Sinai Temple Shrine.
According to the Shrine’s “illustrious potentate,” the organization had “decided
to stage this event to give not only the Shrine but also the general public an
opportunity of seeing a show of a magnitude seldom if ever seen before in
Burlington, and at the same time, to assist in our public and charitable work.”
June 15, 1939 – Loew’s State Theater, New York, NY – N.T.G.
Presents “Broadway Hilarities”
Royce is once again solo, briefly joining this stage show presented
by promoter Nils Thor Granlund (who worked for the Loew’s theater chain) and headlined
by French-Canadian actress/singer Fifi D’Orsay.
Future Oscar and Emmy Award winner Art Carney is listed on the bill just
above Royce.
June 23, 1939 – Lyric Theatre, Indianapolis, IN – “Oh, You’re
Crazy” with Joe Besser
This show was headlined by trumpeter/singer Johnnie “Scat”
Davis, a native of Indiana, famous for introducing the song “Hooray for
Hollywood” in the movie Hollywood Hotel (1937).
The Indianapolis News had praise for Royce, stating
that Joe Besser is “assisted by Lee Royce, who unexpectedly turns out to be a
first rate singer.”
An item in Dorothy Kilgallen’s gossip column (probably
planted by a press agent) hints at a romance between Lee Royce and “London lass”
Gwen Turner. One can speculate that
Royce met Turner during his stint in London the previous year.
August 19, 1939 – Oriental Theatre, Chicago, IL with Joe
Besser
According to Variety, “Besser works hard and shrewdly
for the variety audience, getting laughs out of mugging, material and delivery. Royce comes through on his own with the vocal
exercise.”
November 30, 1939 – Flatbush Theatre, Brooklyn, NY with Joe
Besser
January 18, 1940 – Hollywood Cabaret Restaurant, New
York, NY – “Glamor Girl Revue”
In another solo turn, Royce takes over as master of ceremonies at this swanky dinner club.
March 9, 1940 – Stratford Theater, Chicago, IL – “5 Big
Acts” with Joe Besser
From The Billboard: “Joe Besser and his familiar ‘Aw,
you crazy you’ turn is a tempting dish for this house. He warmed up the audience almost immediately
after his entrance and with his swell straight, Lee Royce, had them
howling. Royce stayed over to warble Donkey
Serenade and Old Man River with a show-stopping baritone voice.”
March 22, 1940 – Downtown Theatre, Oakland, CA – “Easter
Show” with Joe Besser
April 3, 1940 – Orpheum Theatre, Los Angeles, CA – “La
Conga Fiesta” with Joe Besser
As the Los Angeles Times explains, “Joe Besser and Lee
Royce do some clowning which seems to please the customers.” This was likely Lee Royce’s last appearance
with Joe Besser.
April 19, 1940 – The Music Box, San Francisco, CA
Royce assumes the MC duties at the Music Box, described as “S.
F.’s Gayest Theater Cafe.” The San
Francisco Examiner calls Royce “the New York musical comedy guy who looks
like Robert Taylor and sings like nobody’s business…he’s an eighteen cylinder
smoothie; just call him ‘Rolls.’” The Music
Box was owned by famous fan dancer Sally Rand and later became known as The
Great American Music Hall (which still exists today).
August 26, 1940 - Palacio de Bellas Artes, Mexico City,
Mexico – A. B. Marcus Show
Here’s where Royce begins a long association with the A. B.
Marcus Show, a burlesque outfit that traveled the world.
The video below was recorded in May 1937 in Wellington, New
Zealand. It has no sound and was several
years before Lee Royce joined, but it will give you an idea of what a Marcus
Show looked like.
https://www.ngataonga.org.nz/search-use-collection/search/F50391/
In addition, a program for this very performance exists in
the National Library of New Zealand. A
description of the program reads:
“The Marcus Show. (With photos of Helen Palmer, Gwendolynn
Smythe-Smythe, Agnes McCaffery, Josephine Hamilton, Holly Innocence, Bobby
Huguenot, Imogene Howe, Ruth Sechrist, Alice Bellew). New Opera House
Wellington. 8 May 1937 (1 programme); Grand opera House Wellington. 8 May 1937
(Programme - 2 copies)”
The National Library of New Zealand site is here:
Regarding the Marcus Show’s 1940 Mexico engagement, the Variety
reviewer says this is the ninth week of a Mexico City tour, with two more to
go, followed by a week in Puebla, Mexico and a stint at the Cine Alkazar in
Havana, Cuba.
According to this article, the troupe was still in Havana on
November 28, 1940.
_Thu__Nov_28__1940_.jpg)
December 6, 1940 – Arrival in Miami
Using his stage name on the ship’s manifest, Royce left
Havana along with his Marcus Show cast mates on December 5, 1940 aboard the S.S.
Florida and arrived the next day in Miami.
December 25, 1940 – Dipson’s 20th Century,
Buffalo, NY – Marcus Show “Continental Revue”
January 3, 1941 - Lyric Theatre, Indianapolis, IN -
Marcus Show
January 6, 1941 – Martin Levy Draft Registration Card
Here's that draft registration card again, this time in its proper place in the chronology.
With the expectation that the U.S. would eventually enter
World War II, President Roosevelt signed into law the Selective Training and
Service Act, which required all American men aged 21 to 45 to go to a polling
place on October 16, 1940 and register for the draft. Since Royce was busy touring Latin America with
the Marcus Show on that date, it’s likely that he registered sometime after
returning to the U.S. On the card, Royce
gave his address as the Mark Twain Hotel in Hollywood. The Selective Service board in Los Angeles received
it on January 6, 1941.
January 10, 1941 – Oriental Theatre, Chicago, IL – A. B.
Marcus Show “Continental Revue”
January 17, 1941 - Minnesota Theatre, Minneapolis, MN -
A. B. Marcus Show “A Night at the Moulin Rouge”
January 31, 1941 - Fox Theater, St. Louis, MO – A. B. Marcus
Show “Continental Revue”
February 12, 1941 - State Theatre, Hartford, CT - Marcus
Show “La Vie Paree”
March 30, 1941 - Strand Theater, Lansing, MI - Marcus
Show “Continental Revue”
April 3, 1941 - Strand Theater, Lansing, MI - Marcus Show
“La Vie Paree”
April 28, 1941 - Civic Theatre, Portland, ME - Greater
Marcus Show “La Vie Paree”
May 26, 1941 - Lyric Theatre, Fitchburg, MA - A. B.
Marcus Show “Continental Revue”
June 8, 1941 - Paramount Theatre, Long Branch, NJ – A. B.
Marcus Show “Continental Revue”
June 16, 1941 - State Theatre, Harrisburg, PA - Marcus
Show “La Vie Paree”
September 5, 1941 - Maryland Theatre, Cumberland, MD -
Marcus Show “La Vie Paree”
September 13, 1941 - New Bradford Theatre, Bradford, PA -
Marcus Show “Continental Revue”
September 15, 1941 - Drake Theatre, Oil City, PA - Marcus
Show “Revue Continental”
September 24, 1941 - Florentine Gardens, Los Angeles, CA
- N.T.G. “Gayeties of 1942”
Royce is back with the N.T.G. troupe at a Los Angeles
cabaret restaurant. The Los Angeles
Times calls him “exceptional male talent,” “tall, dark and handsome,” and
says he “hails from the New York stage.”
As we’ve seen, Royce’s participation in Broadway shows was probably
limited to the chorus, certainly without any billing.
December 17, 1941 - Ohio Theatre, Mansfield, OH - Marcus
Show “Revue Continental”
December 19, 1941 - Bill Jordan's Bar of Music, Miami
Beach, FL
Royce is back to playing nightclubs, this time in Miami
Beach.
Columnist Jack Kofoed reveals how women feel about Royce’s
singing.
January 26, 1942 - Auditorium Theatre, Malden, MA -
Marcus Show
It seems likely that, despite his name appearing in this Massachusetts
newspaper display ad for the Marcus Show, Royce wasn’t actually there, since he
was currently in the middle of a run at Bill Jordan’s place in Miami Beach.
March 19, 1942 - Jimmie's, Miami, FL
Royce moves over to a different nightclub, less than 10
miles away. The Miami News
describes him as “a singer who has performed in several well-known Broadway
musical comedies, as well as in European spots before the war broke out. He is one of the best vocalists presented at
Jimmie’s in many weeks.”
April 9, 1942 - Jimmie's, Miami, FL
Royce adds master of ceremonies to his singing duties.
Jack Kofoed reports that Royce supplies voices for Max Fleischer’s
Superman and Popeye cartoons. Fleischer’s
studio was located in Miami.
July 10, 1942 - Yacht Club, Pittsburgh, PA – “Laffs-A-Cookin'”
Little Jackie Heller was a vaudeville entertainer who became
a nightclub proprietor. In 1942, he
presented a new musical revue called “Laffs-A-Cookin’” that starred Ralph
(Cookie) Cook and featured Lee Royce, who doubled as singer and emcee. Despite an ad claiming that the show was
bound for New York, it instead moved to Chicago.
August 8, 1942 - Stratford Theater, Chicago, IL – “Laffs-A-Cookin'”
“Laffs-A-Cookin’” moves to Chicago (along with Lee Royce) for
a very brief two-day run.
August 20, 1942 - Capitol Theater, Madison, WI - Ada
Leonard
In this show, headlined by Ada Leonard and Her All-American Girl
Orchestra, Royce was part of a comedy duo, but unfortunately, the review doesn’t
mention who Royce’s partner was. “The
comedy pair (one of the men was named Lee Royce) got off to a good start,”
wrote reviewer William L. Doudna, “but stalled through the last five minutes or
so, which wasn’t a good idea.”
December 2, 1942 - Civic Ice Arena, Seattle, WA - 12th
Annual Shrine Ice Carnival
This was a four-day event, lasting through December 5th. Royce doubled as singer and announcer.
December 4, 1942 - Colosimo's, Chicago, IL – “Laffs-A-Cookin'”
“Laffs-A-Cookin’” gives it another try, this time at Colosimo’s,
but gets a bad review from Variety.
Plenty of show here,” writes reviewer Sam Honigberg, “but most of it,
this time is pretty bad.” He goes on to
say, “Top non-comedy entertainer is Lee Royce, who knows how to use his fine
baritone voice. If he would only bring
his songs up to date. His set included The
World Is Mine Tonight, Wagon Wheels and Old Man River.” This time, the show lasted a bit longer – at least
three weeks.
Colosimo’s was notorious for being founded by “Big Jim”
Colosimo, known as Chicago’s first mob boss, who was gunned down in his own
restaurant in 1920.
December 31, 1942 – Roxy Theatre, Atlanta, GA – A. B. Marcus
Presents “New Year’s Eve Midnight Show”
Lee Royce rejoins the Marcus Show for a New Year’s Eve
performance in Atlanta. The Marcus Show had
played the first week of a months-long run at the Roxy on Christmas Day 1942,
but as Variety has Lee Royce playing at Colosimo’s in Chicago during
that time, I haven’t listed it here.
“Roy Rogers” receives billing just below Lee Royce, but it’s
unlikely that this is the famous cowboy singer/actor of the same name. The “real” Roy Rogers was by this time a big
western movie star, and in public appearances typically got top billing.
January 1, 1943 – Roxy Theatre, Atlanta, GA – A. B. Marcus
Presents “La Vie Paree”
The Marcus Show continued its run at the Roxy until March
26, presenting a different show each week.
January 8, 1943 – Roxy Theatre, Atlanta, GA – A. B. Marcus
Presents “Crazy Capers”
I’ve been unable to verify that Royce appeared on this particular
week, but since it’s possible/likely, I’ve listed it here.
January 15, 1943 - Roxy Theatre, Atlanta, GA – A. B. Marcus
Presents “Yankee Doodles of 1943”
Royce’s appearance this week is verified.
January 22, 1943 - Roxy Theatre, Atlanta, GA – A. B. Marcus
Presents “Deep South Revue”
Royce’s appearance this week is verified.
January 29, 1943 – Roxy Theatre, Atlanta, GA – A. B. Marcus
Presents “Fiesta”
Royce’s appearance this week is verified. According to the Atlanta Journal, “the
ebullient baritone” gave “a stentorian rendition of ‘Begin the Beguine.’”
February 5, 1943 – Roxy Theatre, Atlanta, GA – A. B. Marcus
Presents “Merry-Go-Round of 1943”
Royce’s appearance this week is unverified.
February 12, 1943 – Roxy Theatre, Atlanta, GA – A. B. Marcus
Presents “Music Box Revue”
Royce’s appearance this week is unverified.
February 19, 1943 – Roxy Theatre, Atlanta, GA – A. B. Marcus
Presents “Folies des Femmes”
Royce’s appearance this week is unverified.
February 26, 1943 – Roxy Theatre, Atlanta, GA – A. B. Marcus
Presents “Youth and Beauty”
Royce’s appearance this week is unverified.
March 5, 1943 – Roxy Theatre, Atlanta, GA – A. B. Marcus
Presents “Circus Daze”
Royce’s appearance this week is unverified.
March 12, 1943 – Roxy Theatre, Atlanta, GA – A. B. Marcus
Presents “Artists and Models”
Royce’s appearance this week is verified. The Atlanta Journal tells us that, “Lee
Royce, the Marcus baritone, got an enthusiastic response to his rendition of ‘Road
to Mandalay.’”
March 19, 1943 – Roxy Theatre, Atlanta, GA – A. B. Marcus
Presents “Pretty Baby”
Royce’s appearance this week is verified. He was the emcee of this show.
March 26, 1943 - Roxy Theatre, Atlanta, GA – A. B. Marcus
Presents “So Long”
Royce’s appearance is verified. This is the final performance in the Marcus
Show’s long run in Atlanta. The display
ad says the run has lasted 15 weeks, but since it started on Christmas Day 1942,
by my count, that’s 13 weeks. Royce
received one of his best reviews for this performance. “If any of the performers could be singled
out for special mention,” wrote the Atlanta Constitution, “it would be
Lee Royce, who presented a stirring medly of old songs, none the least of which
are ‘Over There’ and ‘My Buddy.’ This
act, well timed and well presented, drew a tremendous hand from the audience.”
April 2, 1943 - Oriental Theatre, Chicago, IL – A.B. Marcus
“All New Roadshow”
The Marcus troupe takes a brief detour to Chicago before
returning to Atlanta. This Billboard review contains one of the most detailed descriptions of a Marcus show. And of course, Royce is mentioned: “Lee
Royce, handsome baritone, scores with sure-fire World War I songs.”
April 23, 1943 - Roxy Theatre, Atlanta, GA - A. B. Marcus
Presents “Easter Parade”
Marcus returns to Atlanta to a favorable response: “A jam-up
show, one of Marcus’ best here…a packed house (in spite of the damp weather)
applauded loudly and long.”
April 30, 1943 - Roxy Theatre, Atlanta, GA - A. B. Marcus
Presents “The Girl in the Moon”
After this week, the Marcus Show continued in Atlanta for a
couple more months, through June 24. Royce
may have stayed on to the end of the run, but I have no confirmation of that. In any case, this appears to have been Royce’s
final run with the Marcus Show.
August 5, 1943 – Ambassador Theatre, St. Louis, MO – “Tons
O’ Fun!”
Billy House, who had recently been with Olsen and Johnson’s Hellzapoppin’
show, headlines this similar stage revue.
September 3, 1943 - Mayfair Theatre, Dayton, OH – “Burlesk”
With Scarlet Knight
Royce joins a new burlesque troupe, this time headlined by
dancer Scarlet Knight.
October 8, 1943 - Gayety Theatre, Cincinnati, OH – “Bare
Facts”
This show is headlined by dancer Eleanor Sheridan and comedian
Kenny Brenna.
November 29, 1943 – Fort Leonard Wood, MO – USO Show
Royce now begins a stint with the USO, providing
entertainment for the troops. According
to The Billboard, this engagement was to last six months. Royce performs the duties of straight man, emsee,
and “in his own act” – presumably as a singer.
Also in the cast is clown Tommy “Bozo” Snyder (birthname Thomas Foster Bleistein). Information from here on is sketchy, as USO
shows were rarely mentioned in civilian newspapers. In February 1944, The Billboard
reported that Royce was headed for overseas USO units.
June 1, 1944 - Aircraft 2335, Borinquen Field, Puerto
Rico to Miami, FL
On this date, Royce, along with five other civilians – including
fellow USO entertainer Tommy “Bozo” Snyder (Bleistein) – flew from an Army Air
Force base in Puerto Rico to Miami. We
can speculate that they were entertaining the troops at the base. According to Wikipedia, the 4th Tactical
Reconnaissance Squadron (72d Reconnaissance Group) was assigned to Borinquen
Field at the time.
October 1944 – England
On October 14, 1944, The Billboard reports that Lee Royce
and Tommy “Bozo” Snyder are in England.
September 10, 1945 - Arrival in New York
Returning from another USO tour abroad, Royce left Southampton,
England on September 5, 1945 aboard the S.S. Queen Mary and arrived five days
later in New York. World War II had
officially ended on September 2nd.
April 1946 – United States, USO Hospital Circuit Tour
The Billboard reports that Royce and Bozo Snyder will
be doing a tour of stateside hospitals for the USO.
June 1946 – Overseas – “Hellzapoppin’”
The Billboard reports that Royce and comedian Lou
Ascol are headed “overseas” for a production of “Hellzapoppin’.”
August 2, 1946 - S.S. Queen Mary, New York to Southampton
Royce left New York aboard the S.S. Queen Mary on July 28, 1946 and arrived five days later in Southampton, England.
October 15, 1946 - Manchester Hippodrome, Manchester,
England – “Your Blackpool Favourites”
Royce begins a late 1940s period of playing mostly British
music halls.
April 12, 1947 - BBC Light Programme, “Variety Band-Box”
Radio Show
April 15, 1947 - BBC Light Programme, “Round the Halls”
Radio Show
This show was broadcast from the Empire Theatre in Croydon.
May 6, 1947 - Tivoli Theatre, Hull, England – “Here's
That Gang Again”
Royce tours the music halls in a show called “Here’s That
Gang Again” starring comedian Duggie Wakefield.
The Daily Mail states, “An American singer, Lee Royce, lacks neither
power nor expression in his songs.” From
at least as far back as 1937, Wakefield typically had a “gang” of three cutups with
him in his live shows and movies, originally Billy Nelson, Chuck O’Neil, and Jack
Butler. By 1947, Roy Jeffries had
replaced Butler.
May 16, 1947 - Pavilion Theatre, Liverpool, England – “Here's That Gang Again”
May 26, 1947 - Dudley Hippdrome, Dudley, England – “Here's
That Gang Again”
July 24, 1947 - S.S. America, Arrival in New York
Royce left Southampton, England on July 18, 1947 aboard the
S.S. America and arrived six days later in New York.
January 23, 1948 - Swan Club, Philadelphia, PA – “The
Show of Shows”
Back home in his native Philadelphia, Royce appears at a nightclub
with headliner Herkie Styles.
December 24, 1948 - Colonial Inn, Hallandale, FL – “Minsky's
Follies”
Harold Minksy, son of Minky’s Follies founder Abe Minsky,
brings his style of burlesque entertainment from New York to Florida. Lee Royce is there to take part in the fun.
April 1, 1949 - Club Monte Carlo, Miami, FL – “Monte
Carlo Follies”
Following the success of Minksy’s Follies at the Colonial
Inn, competing Club Monte Carlo lured away several of Minky’s entertainers,
including Royce, for its own Monte Carlo Follies. “If you remember Lee from the Follies revue, you’re
in for a surprise” says the Miami News, “because, while he was a straight
man in the comedy bits at Colonial Inn, he’s revealed at the Monte Carlo as a
baritone of truly excellent quality…his show opening renditions of ‘Donkey
Serenade’ and ‘Because’ are great, and he sings them feelingly and well.”
Dick Lowe, of the Miami News, relates a story of how
Lee Royce got his first big break in show biz.
Tales like this should usually be taken with a grain of salt.
May 31, 1949 - American Overseas Airlines, New York to
London
June 27, 1949 - Theatre Royal, Chatham, England
Royce is billed as “America’s Most Popular Radio Singing
Star,” which is a pretty big stretch.
July 16, 1949 - BBC Television – “Music-Hall”
This television program starred comic actor Eric Barker, a name
familiar to British radio, TV, and movie audiences of the 1940s and ‘50s. It’s the earliest known appearance by Lee
Royce on television.
September 5, 1949 - Empire Theatre, Glasgow, Scotland -
Ben Blue Show
Royce joins American comedian Ben Blue for a tour of the
music halls.
September 12, 1949 - Hippodrome, Birmingham, England -
Ben Blue Show
Royce is singled out for praise by the Evening Despatch:
“Chief applause last night…was reserved for the powerful singing of American
Lee Royce.”
September 19, 1949 - Finsbury Park Empire Theatre,
London, England - Ben Blue Show
September 26, 1949 - Empire Theatre, Nottingham, England
- Ben Blue Show
“Lee Royce had a fine reception for his personality singing,”
wrote the Nottingham Evening Post.
February 2, 1950 - S.S. America, Arrival in New York
Royce left Southampton, England on January 26, 1950 aboard
the S.S. America and arrived a week later in New York.
April 6, 1950 – U.S. Federal Census
The 1950 census shows Royce living with his mother in
Philadelphia.
February 10, 1951 - S.S. America, Departure from New York
February 17, 1951 - S.S. America, Arrival in Southampton
March 12, 1951 - Empire Sunderland, Sunderland, England –
“It's a Great Laugh”
Royce joins the cast of “It’s a Great Laugh,” a stage show
starring American-born film actor Bonar Colleano (who was based in the U.K.) and
Jack Watson (known as “Hubert” in a comedy duo with his father Nozmo King). The title appears to be a play on the name of
a recent BBC radio show, “It’s a Great Life,” that had starred Colleano.
April 2, 1951 - Hippodrome, Birmingham, England – “It's a
Great Laugh”
As reported in the Evening Despatch, “Lee Royce, billed
as ‘America’s Personality Singer,’ puts plenty of verve into his work, and Eve
Eacott joins him in melodious duets.” Robert
Moreton, a regular on the very popular radio show Educating Archie,
replaces Jack Watson in the cast. (In a
sad sidenote, neither Colleano nor Moreton lived past the age of 35.)
April 27, 1951 - Empire Theatre, Liverpool, England – “It's
a Great Laugh”
The Evening Times enjoyed “much top-note singing by
Eve Eacott and Lee Royce.”
May 21, 1951 - Manchester Hippodrome, Manchester, England
– “It's a Great Laugh”
“Baritone Lee Royce, also an American, and Eve Eacott offer
pleasing musical interludes,” writes the Manchester Evening News.
June 24, 1951 - Coventry Hippodrome, Coventry, England -
Ethel Revnell Show
Royce receives a favorable review from the Coventry
Evening Telegraph: “The leavening of American talent into home-brewed
variety bills – noticed with appreciation recently – continues with the
inclusion in the bill of Lee Royce, American singer with a powerful and pleasing
voice, who is encored enthusiastically on his first appearance in Coventry.” Ethel Revnell first achieved fame in a comedy
duo with Gracie West in the 1930s but went solo after West retired in 1946. Royce had appeared on the same bill with
Revnell and West in 1938 at the London Palladium, when he was with Joe Besser.
July 12, 1951 - Assembly Hall, Tunbridge Wells, England –
“Music For The Millions”
Royce joins Bonar Colleano again, this time for a different
show at the Assembly Hall in Tunbridge Wells.
While the program was praised, it wasn’t well-attended, with fewer than
100 people in the audience.
July 16, 1951 - Bristol Hippodrome, Bristol, England -
Bonar Colleano
Royce appears in yet another show headlined by Bonar
Colleano. The Bristol Evening Post
had nice things to say about him. “American
singer Lee Royce,” it noted, “gets a big ovation for a brand of singing that is
a good deal superior to that of some of his more publicized fellow-countrymen
who have preceded him in Bristol.”
July 23, 1951 - Coventry Hippodrome, Coventry, England – “All-Star
Variety” with Ethel Revnell and Bonar Colleano
This time Ethel Revnell and Bonar Colleano team up to
headline the show at the Coventry Hippodrome.
The Birmingham Post opined, “Throughout the programme the accent
is on quality.”
October 1, 1951 - S.S. America, Arrival in New York
Royce left Southampton, England on September 25, 1951 aboard
the S.S. America and arrived six days later in New York.
January 13, 1953 - Beth-El Synagogue Auditorium, Camden,
NJ - Junior and Senior Sisterhoods of Beth-El Synagogue Annual Donor Luncheon
In the last public performance I’ve been able to find by Lee
Royce, the singer appears as part of a luncheon event at a local synagogue. Though Philadelphia (where Royce lived) and
Camden are in different states, they’re just across the Delaware River from
each other, a mere minutes away by car.
April 21, 1954 – Death of Elizabeth Levy
Lee’s mother died in 1954 and is buried at Har Nebo
Cemetery, where both Lee and his father are buried. The death certificate was signed by Lee’s
older brother Bennie.
