Albie van der Byl

Albie van der Byl (1900-1960) was an occasional stage and film actor.

Biography

Albert Daniel van der Byl was born on 10 November 1900 to William van der Byl and his wife Debora Susanna Malan. His father was a farmer and from 1897 to 1907 was the owner of the Muratie Wine Estate in Stellenbosch. Albie came to acting relatively late in life and, in fact, when he married Kathleen Maria Theodora Johnson in Ladismith in 1926, he was said to be a railway engineer. When, in 1934, their daughter was born, his profession was again given as engineer. He died on 22 December 1960. His wife died in Durban on 3 November 1992.

Contribution to theatre and film

In the early 1940’s he became a member of the Pretoria Repertory Theatre and acted in such plays as Twelfth Night (1940) and What Every Woman Knows (1941). After Myles Bourke became the commanding officer of the Union Defence Force Entertainment Unit, Van der Byl succeeded him as Chairman. In addition he acted for the Marda Vanne Company in Jeannie (1942) and Mademoiselle (1942). During this time he was often referred to as Dr. Albie van der Byl.

His first film appearance appears to have been in a war-time informational short made by African Film Productions. In The Nation’s Food (1945) he is an officer of the Food Control Board who explains the problem of food shortages to an aggrieved housewife, played by Hermien Dommisse. This was followed by roles in Hans-die-Skipper (Bladon Peake/1952), Inspan (uncredited) (Bladon Peake/1953), Vadertjie Langbeen (Pierre de Wet/1955), Matieland! (Pierre de Wet/1955) and Paul Krüger (Werner Grünbauer/1956).