Bert Tracey was a British

silent film A silent film is a film without 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, w ...

and

talkie A sound film is a motion picture with synchronized sound, or sound technologically coupled to image, as opposed to a silent film. The first known public exhibition of projected sound films took place in Paris in 1900, but decades passed befo ...

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.Richa ...

'', in 1934 which marked the film debut of

George Formby George Formby, (born George Hoy Booth; 26 May 1904 – 6 March 1961), was an English actor, singer-songwriter and comedian who became known to a worldwide audience through his films of the 1930s and 1940s. On stage, screen and record he ...

as an adult. Tracy was born on June 16, 1889, in

Manchester Manchester () is a city and the metropolitan borough of Greater Manchester, England. It had an estimated population of in . Greater Manchester is the third-most populous metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, with a population of 2.92&nbs ...

, 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 went to the United States in 1913 with

Stan Laurel Stan Laurel ( ; born Arthur Stanley Jefferson; 16 June 1890 – 23 February 1965) was an English comic actor, director and writer who was in the comedy double act, duo Laurel and Hardy. He appeared with his comedy partner Oliver Hardy in 107 sh ...

and

Charlie Chaplin Sir Charles Spencer Chaplin (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 considered o ...

with the Fred Karno Troupe. They worked as actors in shorts for the

Kalem Company The Kalem Company was an early American film studio founded in New York City in 1907. It was one of the first companies to make films abroad and to set up winter production facilities, first in Florida and then in California. Kalem was sold to V ...

. 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 ...

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 during the early Classical Hollywood cinema, Classical Hollywood era of American cinema, consisting of Englishman Stan Laurel (1890–1965) and American Oliver Hardy (1892–1957) ...

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'' (1914) * ''

Back to the Farm The human back, also called the dorsum (: dorsa), is the large Posterior (anatomy), posterior area of the human body, rising from the top of the buttocks to the back of the neck. It is the surface anatomy, surface of the body opposite from the c ...

'' (1914) * '' Sea Dogs'' (1916) * ''

A Day at School A, or a, is the first letter and the first vowel letter of the Latin alphabet, used in the modern English alphabet, and others worldwide. Its name in English is '' a'' (pronounced ), plural ''aes''. It is similar in shape to the Ancient ...

'' (1916) * ''

Royal Blood A royal descent is a genealogical 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 perspective, the number of unp ...

'' (1916) * '' A Dumbwaiter Scandal'' (1919) * ''

The Kentucky Derby The Kentucky Derby () is an American Grade I stakes race run at Churchill Downs in Louisville, Kentucky. The race is run by three-year-old Thoroughbreds at a distance of . Colts and geldings carry and fillies . Held annually on the first ...

'' (1922) * '' Law or Loyalty'' (1926) * ''

Warned Off ''Warned Off'' is a 1930 British silent film directed by Walter West and starring Tony Wylde, Chili Bouchier and Queenie Thomas. It was made at Cricklewood Studios. Cast * Tony Wylde - Frank Cuthbert * Chili Bouchier - Florrie Greville * ...

'' (1930) * ''

Holidays with Pay ''Holidays with Pay'' is a 1948 British second feature ('B') comedy film directed by John E. Blakeley and starring Frank Randle, Tessie O'Shea and Dan Young. It was written by Randle, Blakeley, Mavis Compston and Harry Jackson. The film follo ...

'' (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 British comedy film directors English male silent film actors 20th-century English male actors Male actors from Manchester 1889 births Slapstick comedians British music hall performers {{UK-film-actor-stub