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Elsie Janis and Basil Hallam
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Elsie Janis and Basil Hallam
Elsie Janis (March 16, 1889 February 26, 1956), American singer, songwriter, actress, and screenwriter. Entertaining the troops during World War I immortalized her as " the sweetheart of the AEF" (American Expeditionary Force). Inset is a picture of Basil Hallam, born Basil Hallam Radford (1889-1916), English actor and singer, best-known for his role of Gilbert the Filbert, Colonel of the Nuts in the 1915 revue, The Passing Show. Basil joined the Royal Flying Corps in the Army Kite Balloon Section. He died in August 1916 as his balloon drifted towards enemy lines and his parachute became entangled in the rigging. Elsie and Basil appeared together in The Passing Show and were rumoured to be engaged. The Tatler reports that the engagement had been denied. Date: 1916
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Media ID 14143256
© Illustrated London News Ltd/Mary Evans
Actors Actresses Basil Colonel Elsie Engagement Filbert Gilbert Hallam Janis Nuts Performers Personalities Radford Romance Singer Sweetheart Theatrical
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EDITORS COMMENTS
This evocative photograph captures the enigmatic romance between two celebrated performers of their time: Elsie Janis and Basil Hallam. Elsie Janis (1889-1956), an American singer, songwriter, actress, and screenwriter, was affectionately known as the 'sweetheart of the AEF' (American Expeditionary Force) for her tireless efforts in entertaining troops during World War I. Inset is a portrait of Basil Hallam (1889-1916), an English actor and singer, best-known for his role as Gilbert the Filbert, Colonel of the Nuts in the 1915 revue, The Passing Show. Their paths crossed on the stage of The Passing Show, and rumors of an engagement between the two theatrical personalities swirled in the press. However, The Tatler reported that the engagement had been denied. Basil, a daring Englishman, joined the Royal Flying Corps in the Army Kite Balloon Section. Tragically, he lost his life in August 1916 when his balloon drifted towards enemy lines, and his parachute became entangled in the rigging. This photograph serves as a poignant reminder of the intertwined lives of these two remarkable artists, whose careers and personal lives were forever linked by their time in The Passing Show. The image encapsulates the spirit of a bygone era, a time of hope, love, and loss during the tumultuous years of World War I.
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