Biography
Born on 3 September 1891 in Oxford, Oxfordshire, England, Clifford Albyn Perry died in London on 8 December 1937. A performer of exceptional versatility, he took on numerous roles across the theatrical world. His appearance in the comedy His Little Widows during its 1919 London run attracted notice, yet his dancing earned the strongest acclaim. He served as choreographer for André Charlot’s The Wild Geese in 1920 and for the revue Pins And Needles the following year. In 1921 he also joined The Co-Optimists, where he performed the song ‘Swanee’. When that production returned in 1929, he shared directorial duties with Edwin Greenwood. Throughout the 1920s and 1930s he built his reputation in further London productions, among them Tip-Toes in 1926, whose music and lyrics came from George Gershwin and Ira Gershwin, as well as Lady Luck in 1927, So This Is Love in 1928, Love Lies in 1929, The Millionaire Kid in 1931, Sporting Love in 1934, and Over She Goes in 1936. Stanley Lupino wrote the last of these expressly to star in it, placing Cliff in a supporting part. Both actors reprised their performances in the 1938 screen adaptation prepared by Elizabeth Meehan and Hugh Brooks. The film preserves a sense of the stage presence that endeared Cliff to West End crowds. Any chance to reach a larger public ended when he fell gravely ill during the 1937 run of Crazy Days. His vocal approach survives on various anthologies, notably Fascinating Rhythm from Avid Records and Volume 2 of Pearl Records’ The Ultimate George Gershwin.