Kitty Bluett (18 August 1916 - 27 July 1994) was an English-Australian actress and singer for radio, television and film. She played Ted Ray's wife on the

BBC The British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) is a British public service broadcaster headquartered at Broadcasting House in London, England. Originally established in 1922 as the British Broadcasting Company, it evolved into its current sta ...

radio show ''

Ray's a Laugh ''Ray's a Laugh'' was a British BBC Radio comedy series starring Ted Ray (comedian), Ted Ray which ran from 1949 to 1961. According to latter-day historians of the era, the show was "hugely popular with the British public" and "one of the major ...

'' from 1949 to 1961, the "longest running husband-wife radio show ever" with an estimated audience of 10 million. She appeared in several films, including ''

A Son Is Born ''A Son Is Born'' is a 1946 Australian melodrama directed by Eric Porter and starring Ron Randell, Peter Finch, John McCallum and Muriel Steinbeck. It was one of the few films made in Australia in the 1940s. The movie is particularly notable for f ...

'' (1946), alongside

Ron Randell Ronald Egan Randell (8 October 1918 – 11 June 2005) was an Australian actor. After beginning his acting career on the stage in 1937, he played Charles Kingsford Smith in the film '' Smithy'' (1946). He also had roles in '' Bulldog Drummond ...

. Bluett was the first female radio DJ in Australia.

Early life

Kitty Bluett was the third child of

vaudevillian Vaudeville (; ) is a theatre, theatrical genre of variety show, 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 comic ...

performer

Fred Bluett Frederick George Bluett (20 January 1876, Middlesex, London – 3 December 1942, Double Bay, New South Wales) was a London born vaudevillian and radio actor. Biography Bluett was the son of comedian and stage actor Frederick William Bluett, ...

and dressmaker Catherine (Katie) McKechnie. She had an older brother, Augustus "Gus" Bluett, a comedian, and a sister, Belle. When Bluett was 10 weeks old, her family moved to Australia. She attended school in Australia, New Zealand and South Africa, as her family moved around performing.

Australian career (1916-1948)

Bluett first appeared on stage aged two-and-a-half in her father's vaudeville act at the Sydney Tivoli theatre, when she played "Boy Scout No. 5". As a child, she learnt tap dancing, ballet, singing and impersonation. When she was 12 she began doing impressions of

Greta Garbo Greta Garbo (born Greta Lovisa Gustafsson; 18 September 1905 – 15 April 1990) was a Swedish-American actress and a premier star during Hollywood's Silent film, silent and early Classical Hollywood cinema, golden eras. Regarded as one of the g ...

and

ZaSu Pitts ZaSu Pitts (; January 3, 1894 – June 7, 1963) was an American actress who, in a career spanning nearly five decades, starred in many silent film drama film, dramas, such as Erich von Stroheim's 1924 epic ''Greed (1924 film), Greed'', along wi ...

. She performed as part of her father's act for 15 years. Between 1940 and 1948, Bluett appeared on the Australian stage and screen. For the radio she was a

Colgate-Palmolive The Colgate-Palmolive Company, commonly known as Colgate-Palmolive, is an American multinational corporation, multinational consumer products company headquartered on Park Avenue in Midtown Manhattan, New York City. The company specializes in ...

radio artist where her professional partner was

Dick Bentley Charles Walter "Dick" Bentley (14 May 1907 – 27 August 1995) was an Australian-born comedian and actor of radio, stage and screen. He starred with Jimmy Edwards in '' Take It From Here'' for BBC Radio. He was a staple of and pioneer of radio ...

. She appeared on the front cover of ''Radio Pictorial of Australia'' magazine in April 1940 and the front cover of ''The ABC Weekly'' in November 1940. A 1941 newspaper article called her "possibly the leading comedienne in Australia to-day."

Film

Radio

* 1937: ''A Cockney Cameo'' with Fred Bluett * 1940: ''Dr Davey, the Happiest Man on Earth'' Jack Davey's S'nday night show * 1940: ''Mirthquake'' * 1941: ''Out of the Bag'' with Dick Bentley and

Joy Nichols Joy Eileen Nichols (17 February 1925 – 23 June 1992) was an Australian-British comedian, actress and singer who also worked in the United States. She was best known as one of the stars of '' Take It From Here'' on BBC Radio. Biography Nichols ...

* 1941: ''Bachelor Mother'' for 2GB Radio Theatre * 1941: ''Melody Riddles'' with

Harry Dearth Harry Dearth (12 August 1908 – 7 July 1964) was an Australian actor and producer best known for his career in radio. He was one of the leading radio producers in Australia in the 1940s and 1950s. He also worked in television. Select credits *Whi ...

* 1941: ''Black Velvet'' at the Tivoli * 1941: ''The Cowboy and the Lady'' with Eric Bush and Pat Kennedy * 1942: ''Dithering with Davey'' with Jack Davey and

Betty Bryant Elizabeth Bryant Silverstein (; 27 June 19203 October 2005), better known as Betty Bryant, was a British-born Australian actress known for playing the lead character in ''Forty Thousand Horsemen''. Early life Bryant was born on 27 June 1920 in ...

* Early 1940s: ''Rhythm Inn'' with Don Baker * 1949: ''Meet the Girl Friend'' with John Bushelle In 1942 Bluett made front page news for a "risqué" on-air joke she made about "flimsy nightdresses" which led to the threat of her being removed from broadcasting. The Chief Radio Inspector had received complaints from the Good Film and Radio Vigilance League among others, and required Bluett to satisfactorily explain the joke, which she had made on ''Ladies First'', compered by Jack Davey. The case was dropped within weeks. Of the incident, Bluett was reported as saying, "I think it’' silly. If people are going to thin' that way and see double meanings, they shouldn’' listen."

Live performance

Bluett would often play the role of

soubrette A soubrette is a female minor stock character in opera and theatre, often a pert lady's maid. By extension, the term can refer generally to any saucy or flirtatious young woman. The term arrived in English from Provençal via French, and means " ...

(a 'saucy or flirtatious young woman’' in theatre productions. * 1933: ''

No, No, Nanette ''No, No, Nanette'' is a musical with a book by Otto Harbach and Frank Mandel based on Mandel's 1919 Broadway play ''My Lady Friends''; lyrics by Irving Caesar and Harbach; and music by Vincent Youmans. The farcical story centers on three coup ...

'', ''

Over She Goes ''Over She Goes'' is a 1937 British musical comedy film directed by Graham Cutts and starring Stanley Lupino, Claire Luce, Laddie Cliff, Gina Malo and Max Baer. It was based on a successful London stage play by Lupino, with music by Billy Mayer ...

'' and ''Swinging Along'' Dir. George Gee * 1936: ''The Jesters'' with her father, Fred Bluett * 1937: J. C. Williamson’' corps de ballet - she became a soloist in 1938 * 1938: ''No, No Nanette'' in Melbourne * 1939: Singer at Romano’' restaurant, Sydney * 1940: Singer at Century Theatre, Sydney with Desmond Tanner * 1941: ''Funny Side Up'' at Theatre Royal, Brisbane with Dick Bentley * 1941 ''Funny Side Frolics'' at His Majesty’' Theatre, Melbourne * 1942: ''

Point Valaine ''Point Valaine'' is a play by Noël Coward. It was written as a vehicle for Alfred Lunt and his wife Lynn Fontanne, who starred together in the original Broadway production in 1934. The play was not seen in Britain until 1944 and was not staged ...

'' by

Noël Coward Sir Noël Peirce Coward (16 December 189926 March 1973) was an English playwright, composer, director, actor, and singer, known for his wit, flamboyance, and what ''Time (magazine), Time'' called "a sense of personal style, a combination of c ...

Minerva Theatre, Sydney The Minerva Theatre was a theatre located in Orwell Street in Kings Cross, Sydney. Originally a live venue, it was converted to the Metro Cinema in 1950, before returning to live shows in 1969. It ceased operating as a theatre in 1979. From 201 ...

* 1943: ''Janie'' Dir.

Alec Coppel Alec Coppel (17 September 1907 – 22 January 1972) was an Australian-born screenwriter, novelist and playwright. He spent the majority of his career in London and Hollywood, specialising in light thrillers, mysteries and sex comedies. He is best ...

at Minerva Theatre, Sydney * 1944: ''The Patsy'' at

Theatre Royal, Sydney Theatre Royal Sydney (TRS) is a theatre in Sydney, Australia. Earlier theatres also called the Theatre Royal, on the same site, date back to 1833. The current building, designed by modernist architect Harry Seidler, was built in 1976 and has o ...

* 1949: ''Ice Vogues'' at The Stoll Dir. Tom Arnold

War service

Between 1943 and 1944, Bluett, together with

Gladys Moncrieff Gladys Lillian Moncrieff (13 April 1892 – 8 February 1976) was an Australian singer who was so successful in musical theatre and recordings that she became known as 'Australia's Queen of Song' and 'Our Glad'. Life and career Early years M ...

, Bebe Scott and Flo Patonhe, were the first women to travel to

New Guinea New Guinea (; Hiri Motu: ''Niu Gini''; , fossilized , also known as Papua or historically ) is the List of islands by area, world's second-largest island, with an area of . Located in Melanesia in the southwestern Pacific Ocean, the island is ...

to entertain the Australian troops. While she was there, the

American Marines The United States Marine Corps (USMC), also referred to as the United States Marines or simply the Marines, is the Marines, maritime land force service branch of the United States Department of Defense. It is responsible for conducting expedi ...

made her an honorary Lieutenant. In 1945 she appeared in ''Calling the Stars'' show, in support of the Fourth

Victory Loan The Canada Savings Bond () was an investment instrument offered by the Government of Canada from 1945 to 2017, sold between early October and December 1 of every year. It was issued by the Bank of Canada and was intended to offer a competitive int ...

. In 1952 she performed for R.A.A.F. Fighter Wing 78, based in Malta on garrison duties post-WWII. She also entertained troops stationed in Tripoli,

Cyrenaica Cyrenaica ( ) or Kyrenaika (, , after the city of Cyrene), is the eastern region of Libya. Cyrenaica includes all of the eastern part of Libya between the 16th and 25th meridians east, including the Kufra District. The coastal region, als ...

and the Suez Canal zone.

Hollywood

In March 1947 Bluett travelled to America for six months. Her final appearance in Australia before she left was at a variety show in aid of the

Miss Australia Miss Australia was an Australian beauty pageant held from 1908 until 2000. It was replaced by Miss World Australia from 2002, and Miss Universe Australia from 2004. From 1926 to 1991 the program operated as the Miss Australia Quest, after which ...

Quest in

Sydney Town Hall The Sydney Town Hall is a late 19th-century heritage-listed town hall building in the city of Sydney, the capital city of New South Wales, Australia, housing the chambers of the Lord Mayor of Sydney, council offices, and venues for meetings and ...

. Before leaving for the States she told an interviewer, "I feel completely frustrated in Australian radio. For some time, I have been relegated to straight roles. That’' not good for a comedienne." Although the trip was ostensibly a holiday, while she was in the States, Bluett appeared in the following: * A show with

Jack Benny Jack Benny (born Benjamin Kubelsky; February 14, 1894 – December 26, 1974) was an American entertainer who evolved from a modest success as a violinist on the vaudeville circuit to one of the leading entertainers of the twentieth century with ...

* ''Vacation from Marriage'' (Perfect Strangers), a play with

Van Heflin Emmett Evan "Van" Heflin Jr. (December 13, 1908 – July 23, 1971) was an American theatre, radio, and film actor. He played mostly character parts over the course of his film career, but during the 1940s had a string of roles as a leading man. ...

and

Valerie Hobson Babette Louisa Valerie Hobson (14 April 1917 – 13 November 1998) was a British actress whose film career spanned the 1930s to the early 1950s. Her second husband was John Profumo, a British government minister who became the subject of the Pro ...

* Two episodes of

Cecil B. DeMille Cecil Blount DeMille (; August 12, 1881January 21, 1959) was an American filmmaker and actor. Between 1914 and 1958, he made 70 features, both silent and sound films. He is acknowledged as a founding father of American cinema and the most co ...

’' ''

Lux Radio Theatre ''Lux Radio Theatre'', sometimes spelled ''Lux Radio Theater'', a old-time radio, classic radio anthology series, was broadcast on the Blue Network, NBC Blue Network (1934–35) (owned by the National Broadcasting Company, later predecessor of A ...

'' * A serial with

Henry Fonda Henry Jaynes Fonda (May 16, 1905 – August 12, 1982) was an American actor whose career spanned five decades on Broadway theatre, Broadway and in Hollywood. On screen and stage, he often portrayed characters who embodied an everyman image. Bo ...

* A play with

Lana Turner Julia Jean "Lana" Turner ( ; February 8, 1921June 29, 1995) was an American actress. Over a career spanning nearly five decades, she achieved fame as both a pin-up model and a film actress, as well as for her highly publicized personal life. ...

and

John Garfield John Garfield (born Jacob Julius Garfinkle; March 4, 1913 – May 21, 1952) was an American actor who played brooding, rebellious, working-class characters. He grew up in poverty in New York City. In the early 1930s, he became a member of ...

She also met

Ginger Rogers Ginger Rogers (born Virginia Katherine McMath; July 16, 1911 – April 25, 1995) was an American actress, dancer and singer during the Classical Hollywood cinema, Golden Age of Hollywood. She won an Academy Award for Best Actress for her starri ...

Esther Williams Esther Jane Williams (August 8, 1921 – June 6, 2013) was an American competitive swimmer and actress. She set regional and national records in her late teens on the Los Angeles Athletic Club swim team. Unable to compete in the 1940 Summer Ol ...

and

Maureen O'Hara Maureen O'Hara (; 17 August 1920 – 24 October 2015) was an Irish-born naturalized American actress who became successful in Hollywood from the 1940s through to the 1960s. She was a natural redhead who was known for playing passionate b ...

. She returned to Australia in September, "a bit disillusioned with Hollywood", but still returned to New York in 1948 to appear in a play.

England (1949-1963)

Bluett arrived in England on 1 January 1949 for a six-month holiday to visit her sister Belle, and to replace Belle in her brother-in-law

Jimmy Jewel James Arthur Thomas Jewel Marsh (4 December 1909 – 3 December 1995),Gifford, Denni''The Independent'', 5 December 1995. Note: This obituary wrongly gives the year of birth as 1912, which is contradicted by the Ben Warriss obituary. Retrie ...

's act for a short time. Bluett's intention was then to carry on to America. However,

had sent her details to the

while she was en route to England, and, within a week of arriving, she had signed a contract to appear in '' Ray’s a Laugh''. Before recording started, she squeezed in appearances in a number of shows including ''Caribbean Rhapsody'', ''

Variety Bandbox ''Variety Bandbox'' is a BBC Radio variety show transmitted initially in the General Forces Programme and then the Light Programme. Featuring a mixture of comic performances and music, the show helped to launch the careers of a number of leadi ...

'' and '' Henry Hall's Guest Night''. While living in London, Bluett mixed with the stars of the day. In 1951, while in Paris,

Humphrey Bogart Humphrey DeForest Bogart ( ; December 25, 1899 – January 14, 1957), nicknamed Bogie, was an American actor. His performances in classic Hollywood cinema made him an American cultural icon. In 1999, the American Film Institute selected Bogart ...

and

Hoagy Carmichael Hoagland Howard "Hoagy" Carmichael (November 22, 1899 – December 27, 1981) was an American musician, composer, songwriter, actor, author and lawyer. Carmichael was one of the most successful Tin Pan Alley songwriters of the 1930s and 1940s, a ...

cut off a foot of her hair to create a "chop cut".

''Ray's a Laugh'' (1949-1961)

Bluett played the long-running role of Ted Ray's wife, Kitty, a "resigned and intelligent spouse" on BBC radio show ''Ray's a Laugh'' from 1949 to 1961. She played the role "for so long that listeners believed Ray was married to Kitty" in real life. She appeared in all but one of the eleven series. In March 1950, Bluett was offered a role in a separate musical comedy at a "princely salary" but turned it down saying, "it would not be fair on the rest of the cast f ''Ray's a Laugh''to leave so suddenly." One London newspaper columnist called this "one of the most unselfish actions this column has ever had the pleasure of recording." Bluett was promoted to Ray's co-star in 1952. In 1954, the ''

Sydney Daily Telegraph ''The Daily Telegraph'', also nicknamed ''The Tele'', is an Australian tabloid newspaper published by Nationwide News Pty Limited (NWN), a subsidiary of News Corp Australia, itself a subsidiary of News Corp. It is published Monday through Satu ...

'' reported that, on the strength of her acting in ''Ray's a Laugh'', "the BBC… feels that Kitty Bluett will turn into a "British

Lucille Ball Lucille Désirée Ball (August 6, 1911 – April 26, 1989) was an American actress, comedian, producer, and studio executive. She was recognized by ''Time (magazine), Time'' in 2020 as one of the most influential women of the 20th century for h ...

''All My Eye and Kitty Bluett'' (1951)

In 1955, a spin-off show, ''All My Eye and Kitty Bluett'', was created specifically as a vehicle for her talents. It first aired on 7 June 1955. The cast of ''All My Eye...'' included

Stanley Baxter Stanley Livingstone Baxter (born 24 May 1926) is a retired Scottish actor, comedian, impressionist and author. Baxter began his career as a child actor on BBC Scotland and later became known for his British television comedy shows '' The Stanley ...

Terry Scott Terry Scott (born born Owen John Scott; 4 May 1927 – 26 July 1994) was an English actor and comedian who appeared in seven of the '' Carry On films''. He is also well known for appearing in the BBC1 sitcoms '' Happy Ever After'' and '' Terr ...

and

Patricia Hayes Patricia Lawlor Hayes (22 December 1909 – 19 September 1998) was an English character actress. She is best known for playing the titular Edna in the ''Play for Today'', ''Edna, the Inebriate Woman'' (1971), for which she won the British Ac ...

, and the script writers were Terry Nation and Dick Barry. The show was dropped after one series – called "a disaster" by Nation's biographer Jonathan Bignell – and Bluett returned to ''Ray's a Laugh'' for series seven.

Theatre

* 1949: Charity show at the

London Palladium The London Palladium () is a Grade II* West End theatre located on Argyll Street, London, in Soho. The theatre was designed by Frank Matcham and opened in 1910. The auditorium holds 2,286 people. Hundreds of stars have played there, many wit ...

, also featuring

Judy Garland Judy Garland (born Frances Ethel Gumm; June 10, 1922June 22, 1969) was an American actress and singer. Possessing a strong contralto voice, she was celebrated for her emotional depth and versatility across film, stage, and concert performance. ...

and

Danny Kaye Danny Kaye (born David Daniel Kaminsky; ; January 18, 1911 – March 3, 1987) was an American actor, comedian, singer, and dancer. His performances featured physical comedy, idiosyncratic pantomimes, and rapid-fire novelty songs. Kaye starred ...

* 1950: Bluett appeared in various music halls around London * 1951: Royal Show at the

Windsor Castle Windsor Castle is a List of British royal residences, royal residence at Windsor, Berkshire, Windsor in the English county of Berkshire, about west of central London. It is strongly associated with the Kingdom of England, English and succee ...

Christmas party alongside

Peter Sellers Peter Sellers (born Richard Henry Sellers; 8 September 1925 – 24 July 1980) was an English actor and comedian. He first came to prominence performing in the BBC Radio comedy series ''The Goon Show''. Sellers featured on a number of hit comi ...

Tony Hancock Anthony John Hancock (12 May 1924 – 25 June 1968) was an English comedian and actor. High-profile during the 1950s and early 1960s, he had a major success with his BBC series '' Hancock's Half Hour'', first broadcast on radio from 1954, ...

, Peter Madden and

Hattie Jacques Hattie Jacques (; born Josephine Edwina Jaques; 7 February 1922 – 6 October 1980) was an English comedy actress of stage, radio and screen. She is best known as a regular of the ''Carry On'' films, where she typically played strict, no-no ...

* 1953: ''An American Comic and Seventy Women'' charity revue with

Jackie Mason Jackie Mason (born Yacov Moshe Maza; ; June 9, 1928 – July 24, 2021) was an American stand-up comedian and actor. His 1986 one-man show ''The World According to Me!'' won a Special Tony Award, an Outer Critics Circle Award, an Ace Award, ...

. Other guests including

Vera Lynn Dame Vera Margaret Lynn (; 20 March 1917 – 18 June 2020) was an English singer and entertainer whose musical recordings and performances were very popular during World War II. She is Honorific nicknames in popular music, honorifically known ...

Betty Driver Elizabeth Mary Driver (20 May 1920 – 15 October 2011) was a British actress and singer, best known for her role as Betty Williams in the long-running ITV soap opera ''Coronation Street'', a role she played for 42 years from 1969 to 2011, app ...

and Anne Shelton * 1953: ''Joy Bells'' with Bunny Doyle at New Royal Theatre, Bournemouth * 1954: ''

Royal Command Performance A Royal Command Performance is any performance by actors or musicians that occurs at the direction or request of a reigning monarch of the United Kingdom. Although English monarchs have long sponsored their own theatrical companies and commis ...

'' alongside

Bob Hope Leslie Townes "Bob" Hope (May 29, 1903 – July 27, 2003) was an American comedian, actor, entertainer and producer with a career that spanned nearly 80 years and achievements in vaudeville, network radio, television, and USO Tours. He appeared ...

and

Laurence Olivier Laurence Kerr Olivier, Baron Olivier ( ; 22 May 1907 – 11 July 1989) was an English actor and director. He and his contemporaries Ralph Richardson and John Gielgud made up a trio of male actors who dominated the British stage of the m ...

* 1954: ''

Oliver! ''Oliver!'' is a stage musical, with book, music and lyrics by Lionel Bart. The musical is based upon the 1838 novel ''Oliver Twist'' by Charles Dickens. It premiered at the Wimbledon Theatre, southwest London in 1960 before opening in the W ...

'' at The Vic Bluett also held regular charity concerts in aid of the police force.

Television

Bluett did not appear frequently on television. In a 1951 interview, she said, "I don't like television very much. I don't like watching it. Rehearsals are very tedious. I find it confusing and unsatisfactory. It's neither one thing nor the other." She did, however, appear on the following TV programmes: * 1955: '' This Is Your Life'' dedicated to Ted Ray, as a guest * 1957: ''It Pays to be Ignorant''

BBC One BBC One is a British free-to-air public broadcast television channel owned and operated by the BBC. It is the corporation's oldest and flagship channel, and is known for broadcasting mainstream programming, which includes BBC News television b ...

with

Michael Bentine Michael Bentine (born Michael James Bentin; 26 January 1922General Register Office for England and Wales – Birth Register for the March Quarter of 1922, Watford Registration District, Reference 3a 1478, listed as "Michael J. Bentin", mother's ...

and

Harold Berens Harold Berens (born Isadore Harold Berenbaum; 4 March 1903 – 10 May 1995) was a British comedian and character actor. Biography He was born into a Jewish family in Glasgow, the son of a tailor, and grew up and was educated in Leeds, Harrog ...

* 1961: '' The Cheaters''

ITV ITV or iTV may refer to: Television TV stations/networks/channels ITV *Independent Television (ITV), a British television network and company, including: **ITV (TV network), a free-to-air national commercial television network in the United Kingd ...

* 1963: '' The Delo and Daly Show''

Other radio

Bluett became a

BBC Radio BBC Radio is an operational business division and service of the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) which has operated in the United Kingdom under the terms of a royal charter since 1927. The service provides national radio stations cove ...

DJ in 1951. About her role she said, "I'll pick my own records – swing, orchestral and so on – and there'll be plenty of quiet string music for elderly people. I think too many record programme arrangers forget all about them." Her radio appearances included: * 1949: ''Show Parade'' with

Bob Monkhouse Robert Alan Monkhouse (1 June 1928 – 29 December 2003) was an English comedian, television presenter, writer and actor. He was the host of television game shows including '' The Golden Shot'', '' Celebrity Squares'', '' Family Fortunes'' and ' ...

and

* 1950: ''You Ain't Heard Nothing Yet'' with

Bob Dyer Robert Neal Dyer OBE (22 May 1909 – 9 January 1984) was a Gold Logie-award-winning American-born vaudeville entertainer and singer, radio and television personality, and radio and television quiz show host who made his name in Australia. Dy ...

* 1951: ''First Person Plural'' with

Lloyd Berrell Lloyd Berrell (13 February 1926 – 30 December 1957) was a New Zealand actor who played Reuben "Roo" Webber in the original Sydney production of ''Summer of the Seventeenth Doll''. He worked extensively in Australian radio and theatre, appearin ...

* 1951: ''Radio Command Performance'' with

Frankie Howerd Francis Alick Howard (6 March 1917 – 19 April 1992), better known by his stage-name Frankie Howerd, was an English actor and comedian. Early life Howerd was born the son of a soldier Francis Alfred William (1887–1934)England & Wales, Deat ...

and Ted Ray * 1951: ''Variety Bandbox'' as part of the

Festival of Britain The Festival of Britain was a national exhibition and fair that reached millions of visitors throughout the United Kingdom in the summer of 1951. Labour Party cabinet member Herbert Morrison was the prime mover; in 1947 he started with the ...

* 1951: ''Hello Australia'' as part of

Australia Day Australia Day is the official national day of Australia. Observed annually on 26 January, it marks the 1788 landing of the First Fleet and raising of the Flag of Great Britain, Union Flag of Great Britain by Arthur Phillip at Sydney Cove, a ...

* 1953: British National Radio Show at

Earls Court Earl's Court is a district of Kensington in the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea in West London, bordering the rail tracks of the West London line and District line that separate it from the ancient borough of Fulham to the west, the ...

, alongside fellow Australians

Shirley Abicair Shirley Abicair (born 26 October 1930) is an Australian-born singer, musician, television personality, actress and author. In the 1950s and 60s, she was probably best known as an exponent of the zither. Early life Shirley Abicair was born in M ...

and

Anona Winn Anona Winn (born Anona Edna Wilkins, 5 January 1904 – 2 February 1994) was an Australian-born actress, broadcaster and singer, who spent most of her career in the UK. Career Born in Sydney, she studied at the Redland College For Girls in Syd ...

* 1953: ''It's Not Cricket'' with

Bill Kerr William Henry Kerr (10 June 1922 – 28 August 2014) was a British and Australian actor, comedian and vaudevillian. Born in South Africa, he started his career as a child actor in Australia, before emigrating to Britain after the Second World W ...

. Written:

Frank Muir Frank Herbert Muir (5 February 1920 – 2 January 1998) was an English comedy writer, radio and television personality, and raconteur. His writing and performing partnership with Denis Norden endured for most of their careers. Together they wr ...

and

Denis Norden Denis Mostyn Norden (born Denis Moss Cohen; 6 February 1922 – 19 September 2018) was an English comedy writer and television presenter. After an early career working in cinemas, he began scriptwriting during the Second World War. From 1948 t ...

* 1953: ''Australia Fair'' with Dick Bentley * 1953: ''All-Star Bill'' with

Maurice Chevalier Maurice Auguste Chevalier (; 12 September 1888 – 1 January 1972) was a French singer, actor, and entertainer. He is best known for his signature songs, including " Livin' In The Sunlight", " Valentine", " Louise", " Mimi", and " Thank Heaven f ...

and

Tessie O'Shea Teresa Mary "Tessie" O'Shea (13 March 1913 – 21 April 1995) was a Welsh entertainer and actress. Early life O'Shea was born at 61 Plantagenet Street in Riverside, Cardiff to newspaper wholesaler James Peter O'Shea, who had been a soldier a ...

* 1956: ''I Flew with Bismarck'' with Dick Bentley,

Miriam Karlin Miriam Karlin (23 June 19253 June 2011) was an English actress whose career lasted for more than 60 years. She was known for her role as Paddy in ''The Rag Trade'', a 1960s BBC and 1970s LWT sitcom, and in particular for the character's catchp ...

, Georgia Brown,

Graham Stark Graham William Stark (20 January 1922 – 29 October 2013) was an English comedian, actor, writer and director, known for his close, personal friendship with Peter Sellers, appearance in several The Pink Panther films and Victor/Victoria.

and

Harry Rabinowitz Harry Rabinowitz MBE (26 March 1916 – 22 June 2016) was a South African-British conductor and composer of film and television music. Born in Johannesburg, South Africa, he was the son of Israel and Eva Rabinowitz. He was educated at the Univ ...

. Writer: David Climie * 1955: ''Ladder to Fame'' co-compere with

Kenneth Horne Charles Kenneth Horne, generally known as Kenneth Horne (27 February 1907 – 14 February 1969), was an English comedian and businessman. He is perhaps best remembered for his work on three BBC Radio series: ''Much-Binding-in-the-Mars ...

, it was "a show for Australians – about Australians – and the success they are enjoying overseas!" * 1958: ''Saturday Night on the Light'' guest

Return to Australia (1963-1985)

Bluett returned to Australia with her husband and daughter in 1963. An article in ''

The Australian Women's Weekly ''The Australian Women's Weekly'', sometimes known simply as ''The Weekly'', is an Australian monthly women's magazine published by Are Media in Sydney and founded in 1933. For many years it was the number one magazine in Australia before bein ...

'' that year described Bluett as "a stalwart in any comedy sketch who can play straight "man" or comedienne at will." Her Australian performances included: * 1963: ''

Cat on a Hot Tin Roof ''Cat on a Hot Tin Roof'' is a 1955 American three-act play by Tennessee Williams. The play, an adaptation of his 1952 short story "Three Players of a Summer Game", was written between 1953 and 1955. One of Williams's more famous works and his ...

'' at Emerald Hill Theatre, Melbourne * 1963: '' The Delo and Daly Show'' Channel HSV7 * 1965: ''Away From it All'' radio guest

Personal life

Relationships

She married musician Walter "Wally" Robert Zepp Portingale at St John's Church, Darlinghurst, in June 1941. Portingale was a member of Jim Gerald's entertainment unit for the A.I.F.. They divorced in 1947, with Bluett saying he "objected to her following her profession soon after their marriage". The following year, she moved back to England and became a household name as a radio actor in Ray's a Laugh. She dated actor

for six years. They planned to marry but he moved to Hollywood and married actress Elaine Diana Maltzman instead. Randell's marriage to Maltzman did not last, and a year later Randell and Bluett reconciled and once again planned to marry. However Randell got engaged to

Amanda Blake Amanda Blake (born Beverly Louise Neill; February 20, 1929 – August 16, 1989) was an American actress best known for the role of the red-haired saloon proprietress "Miss Kitty Russell" on the Western television series ''Gunsmoke''. Along with ...

and shortly afterwards Bluett got engaged to circus performer Mickey Ashton, although they never married. As a radio star, Bluett's personal life was frequently reported in the news, to the point that in 1950 she said "My romances have become like a tennis match for the public. First their heads turn one way, then another as I try and make up my mind. It can have a very damaging effect on an artist." Bluett made headlines in 1954 when it was reported that her mother was a "romance breaker" which Bluett denied. In 1955, Bluett married Julian Jover (1926-2014), an acrobat and variety performer. They met while performing on the same bill at the

Birmingham Hippodrome The Birmingham Hippodrome is a theatre situated on Hurst Street in the Chinese Quarter of Birmingham, England. Although best known as the home stage of the Birmingham Royal Ballet, it also hosts a wide variety of other performances including v ...

. They had a daughter, Jody, born in 1958. They moved to Australia in 1963, where Jover became a successful children's TV producer. They divorced in 1980. Bluett returned to England in 1985 and died in Colchester.

Interests

Bluett was a "champion horsewoman" in jumping and cross-country. She received her first pony as a gift in 1936 from her brother Gus. In 1951 she said that her ambition was to "have a sort of ranch and breed horses in

Bowral Bowral () is the largest town in the Southern Highlands of New South Wales, Australia. It is south-west of Sydney and north-east of Canberra. It is the main business and entertainment precinct of the Wingecarribee Shire and the Southern Highl ...

." When she was living in London, she would go horse riding in

Rotten Row Rotten Row is a broad track running along the south side of Hyde Park in London. It leads from Hyde Park Corner to Serpentine Road. During the 18th and 19th centuries, Rotten Row was a fashionable place for upper-class Londoners to be seen ho ...

. Bluett was also "champion swimmer" over 100 and 440 yards, swimming as a pacemaker for visiting Australian swimming teams.

Discography

Bluett is credited on the following recordings:

Singles

* " Dearie" (1950) with Ted Ray * "You Can Count on Me" with Ted Ray (1950) * "

If I Knew You Were Comin' I'd've Baked a Cake "If I Knew You Were Comin' I'd've Baked a Cake" is a popular song written by Al Hoffman, Bob Merrill, and Clem Watts and published in 1950. In the U.S, the best known version of the song was recorded by Eileen Barton in January 1950. Joe Lip ...

" with Bill Kerr (1950) * "Let's Put Out the Lights" with Ted Ray (1951) * "Easy Come, Easy Go" / "What a Cute Little Hat" (1951) * "Six Times a Week and Twice on Sunday" (1951) * "Go to Sleep, Go to Sleep, Go to Sleep" (1951) * "Telephone Song" (1951)

Albums

* ''The Best of Mo'' with

Roy Rene Roy Rene (pron. ''reen''; born Henry van der Sluys, 15 February 189122 November 1954) was an Australian comedian and vaudevillian. As the bawdy character Mo McCackie, Rene was one of the most well-known and successful Australian comedians of th ...

("Mo") LP * ''Memories of Mo'' with Roy Rene (1985) LP She also performed with

Ted Heath Sir Edward Richard George Heath (9 July 1916 – 17 July 2005) was a British politician who served as Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from 1970 to 1974 and Leader of the Conservative Party from 1965 to 1975. Heath also served for 51 year ...

's band as a guest vocalist.

References

External links

* * * {{DEFAULTSORT:Bluett, Kitty 1914 births 1994 deaths British emigrants to the Colony of New South Wales Australian television actresses 20th-century Australian actresses Australian voice actresses Australian stage actresses People from Brixton Australian film actresses