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Joseph George McParlane (also spelled McFarlane and McPharlane; August 13, 1885 – May 29, 1967), known as Joe Valli, was a Scottish-Australian actor who worked in
vaudeville Vaudeville (; ) is a theatrical genre of variety entertainment which began in France in the middle of the 19th century. A ''vaudeville'' was originally a comedy without psychological or moral intentions, based on a comical situation: a drama ...
and
film A film, also known as a movie or motion picture, is a work of visual art that simulates experiences and otherwise communicates ideas, stories, perceptions, emotions, or atmosphere through the use of moving images that are generally, sinc ...
s. He had a long-running
vaudeville Vaudeville (; ) is a theatrical genre of variety entertainment which began in France in the middle of the 19th century. A ''vaudeville'' was originally a comedy without psychological or moral intentions, based on a comical situation: a drama ...
partnership with
Pat Hanna George Patrick "Pat" Hanna (born 18 March 1888 in Whitianga, New Zealand – 24 October 1973 in Ampthill, Bedfordshire, England) was a New Zealand-born film producer, he was a soldier of the First World War who entertained post-war audienc ...
as "Chic and Joe".


Biography

Valli was born in Glasgow, the son of engineer Joseph McParlane and Agnes Gill. He worked as an builder and engineer before working in entertainment. In 1914 he enlisted in the army. Valli toured Australia in 1916 in a comedy ''Tickets Please'' with Harry Clay and the Royal Follies. He returned home in 1917 but emigrated to Australia after World War One. Valli made his film debut in ''Diggers'' and appeared in sixteen more features after that. In 1941 he was in the AIF Entertainment Unit. An operation on his throat in 1948 rendered him unable to speak, effectively ending his career. Reports from this time said he was destitute. A fund raiser was held for him in August 1948. Valli went to live at Actors' Equity Benevolent Fund's settlement at
Sussex Inlet Sussex Inlet is a town in the South Coast region of New South Wales, Australia. The town lies on the west bank of the waterway called Sussex Inlet, which divides New South Wales from the Jervis Bay Territory. The town lies within the City of Sho ...
, where he worked as a caretaker. In 1952 Valli was reported living on
Dangar Island Dangar Island is a forested island, in area, in the Hawkesbury River, on the northern outskirts of Sydney, New South Wales, Australia. Dangar Island is a suburb of Hornsby Shire and as at the 2021 census had a population of 313, which swells ...
in the Hawkesbury. He wrote in to a quiz show ''Strike it Rich'' asking for a chance to win a stove and was successful with
Vic Seixas Elias Victor Seixas Jr. ( ;
''Los Angeles Times''.
August 30, 1923 – July 5, 2024 ...
representing Joe. He died in
Waterloo, New South Wales Waterloo is an Southern Sydney, inner southern suburb of Sydney, New South Wales, Australia. Waterloo is located three kilometres (1.9 mi) south of the Sydney central business district and is part of the Local government in Australia, loca ...
, of myocardial degeneration . Valli's son, Jim McFarlane, also did some acting.


Theatre credits

*''Tickets Please'' (1916) *the New Zealand Famous Diggers (1921–22) - touring Australia and New Zealand *toured US late 1923 (August-Oct) *Hanna's Famous Diggers (1923–31) *''The Cedar Tree'' (1934) *''Jolly Roger'' (1935) *''Home Brew'' (1935)


Selected filmography

* ''
Diggers The Diggers were a group of religious and political dissidents in England, associated with a political ideology and programme resembling what would later be called agrarian socialism.; ; ; Gerrard Winstanley and William Everard (Digger), Will ...
'' (1931) * ''
Waltzing Matilda "Waltzing Matilda" is a song developed in the Australian style of poetry and folk music called a bush ballad. It has been described as the country's "unofficial national anthem". The title was Australian slang for travelling on foot (waltzing ...
'' (1933) * '' Diggers in Blighty'' (1933) * ''
Heritage Heritage may refer to: History and society * A heritage asset A heritage asset is an item which has value because of its contribution to a nation's society, knowledge and/or culture. Such items are usually physical assets, but some countries also ...
'' (1935) * ''
The Flying Doctor ''The Flying Doctor'' is a 1936 Australian-British drama film directed by Miles Mander and starring Charles Farrell, Mary Maguire and James Raglan. The Royal Flying Doctor Service of Australia operate in the Australian Outback. Noted as Aust ...
'' (1936) * '' Orphan of the Wilderness'' (1936) * '' Tall Timbers'' (1937) * '' Let George Do It'' (1938) * '' Typhoon Treasure'' (1938) * ''
Dad Rudd, MP ''Dad Rudd, M.P.'' is a 1940 comedy that was the last of four films made by Ken G. Hall starring Bert Bailey as Dad Rudd. It was the last feature film directed by Hall prior to the war and the last made by Cinesound Productions, Bert Bailey and F ...
'' (1940) * ''
Forty Thousand Horsemen ''Forty Thousand Horsemen'' (aka ''40,000 Horsemen'') is a 1940 Australian war film directed by Charles Chauvel. The film tells the story of the Australian Light Horse (mounted rifleman as distinct from cavalry) which operated in the desert at t ...
'' (1940) * '' Racing Luck'' (1941) * ''
The Power and the Glory ''The Power and the Glory'' is a 1940 novel by British author Graham Greene. The title is an allusion to the doxology often recited at the end of the Lord's Prayer: "For thine is the kingdom, the power, and the glory, forever and ever, amen." ...
'' (1941) *'' 100,000 Cobbers'' (1942) * ''
The Rats of Tobruk The Rats of Tobruk were soldiers of the Australian-led Allied garrison, as well as the Polish Independent Carpathian Rifle Brigade that held the Libyan port of Tobruk against the Afrika Corps, during the Siege of Tobruk in World War II. The si ...
'' (1944) * ''
Harvest Gold ''Harvest Gold'' is a 1945 Australian industrial film about a farmer who clings to old methods of production. Synopsis The film explores various aspects of mechanical farming, from clearing the land to harvesting, and deals with the clash of at ...
'' (1945) * '' Smithy'' (1946) *''
Eureka Stockade The Eureka Rebellion was a series of events involving gold miners who revolted against the British administration of the colony of Victoria, Australia, during the Victorian gold rush. It culminated in the Battle of the Eureka Stockade, wh ...
'' (1949)


Select radio

*''The Digger Show'' (1940)


References


External links

*
Joe Valli
at Ausstage 1885 births 1967 deaths Male actors from Glasgow Scottish emigrants to Australia Australian male film actors Scottish vaudeville performers Australian vaudeville performers {{Australia-actor-stub