C.V. Becker

(b. Fauresmith, 08/02/1881 - d. Johannesburg, 21/03/1933). Professionally, Clarence (Clarry) Vivian Becker was an attorney and a founding partner of Wertheim Becker, a Johannesburg law firm that still exists today. But he was clearly a man of many talents. A C.V. Becker is credited as playing one of two Cape Town detectives in The Vulture’s Prey (1922), the film directed by Dick Cruikshanks and William Bowden. Ralph Trewhela refers to C.V. Becker as being responsible for some of the earliest sound recordings in South Africa (1908), describing him as an attorney who specialised in “humorous monologues”. In fact, his name also comes up on the website of the Centre for the History and Analysis of Recorded Music at the University of London.

In addition he was involved in amateur theatre. In March 1918 he staged an amateur production of Dandy Dick for the Mayoress’ Charity Fund at the Palladium Theatre, while in 1925 he produced the play The Geisha for the Johannesburg Operatic and Dramatic Society. In 1928-1929 he was one of the three Vice Presidents of the Johannesburg Repertory Players. For them he also was Shylock in The Merchant of Venice on the occasion of the Johannesburg Shakespeare Tercentenary Celebration in 1916, as well as Sir Toby Welch in Twelfth Night a few months before. Finally, Becker wrote the book “With the Springboks in England, 1906-1907: a press record of the tour”, a publication which is now considered rare. He was survived by his widow, Hilda May (née Silcock) (1885-1966), two sons and one daughter. The actress Gaenor Becker is his granddaughter. (FO)

(Note: In the Stage & Cinema of 16 March 1918 there is a reference to a Councillor C.V. Becker and the captain of the 1920 Transvaal Currie Cup team had the same name.)