H. Lane Bayliff

(b. Kensington, London, 06/04/1872 – d. Katoomba, New South Wales, **/**/1937). British-born actor. Though he started his working life in a position with the Bank of England, Henry William Lane Bayliff (usually credited either as H. Lane Bayliff or W. Lane Bayliff) , soon turned to the stage and between 1895 and 1914 he appeared in the provinces as well as in London’s West End in a wide range of plays. Between 1911 and 1918 he was also very active as a producer, notably at the Liverpool Playhouse. He appeared in at least two films in England before coming out to South Africa for a theatrical engagement in 1920, possibly joining Gertrude Elliott (Lady Forbes Robertson) who came to the country in 1921 and again in 1922. In 1923 he took the role of Captain John Lant in The Reef of Stars, the Joseph Albrecht version of the novel by H. De Vere Stacpoole. By the following year he was in Australia, where he settled and resumed his theatrical career. Once again he travelled the country and, for some time, was the business manager of the Allan Wilkie Shakespearean Company, which toured Australia for eight years. He also did radio work for the Australian Broadcasting Company/Commission. In 1934 he was the adjudicator of the Australian Women’s Weekly Screen Personality contest and between 1933 and 1937 he appeared in five films, three of them directed by Ken G. Hall.

(Notes There is some uncertainty about his date of birth. The International Motion Picture Almanac 1937-38 gives it as 6 April 1870, but FreeBMD, which transcribes official records, gives it as 1872. Also, while IMDb gives his year of death as 1938, a New South Wales Government website gives it as 1937.) (FO)

Sources

International Motion Picture Almanac 1937-38

Pike, Andrew & Cooper, Ross - Australian film 1900-1977: a guide to feature film production

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