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I promised you more on Elsa Davis. I didn't even have to research her. In fact, what I have is a very special guest post from her nephew. I hope he writes that book!
Gillian
Frances Edna Davis (1907-1989) aka Edna Davis, Edna Isaacs, Edna Laszloffy and Elsa Phar Lap Davis.
Edna Davis was my aunty. She lived next to my grandmother in Vale Street St Kilda where I often stayed in school holidays. She would call me in for a lemonade, sit me down and ask "What does the family say about me, do they think I'm meshugeneh?" Often a penny would be offered for further information, and with Luna Park so close, I soon learned the lucrative art of false evidence.
Was she crazy? She was an entertainer for over 70 years on the stage, radio, television and on the theatre-restaurant scene in Melbourne. She was a composer whose work was played for Royalty, at official functions and on the Russian hit parade! She appeared in films. She married John Isaacs, brother of Sir Isaac, the former Governor General and Chief Justice of Australia with whom she was involved in litigation for many years. She was a "friend" of the Russians resulting in a keen interest by ASIO. She loved animals and hated doctors!
Edna Davis commenced her career in entertainment as a young girl around 1916, playing the xylophone and piano at various venues in Melbourne. In 1921 she was joined by her five year old sister Olga (my mother). "Baby Olga and Edna Davis" featured at the Tivoli, at picture shows, and other venues in Melbourne, Sydney and Brisbane.
In 1929 they travelled to London with their mother to perform. On the way they played in Cairo for a month. The real reason for the trip probably being the separation and subsequent divorce of their parents.
As a composer, Edna Davis wrote a number of marches which were received for public performances, including the "Centenary March" played for the Duke of Gloucester as he sailed up Port Philip Bay, the "Queen Elizabeth March" played for the Queen Mother at the Flemington Races, the "West-Gate Bridge March" played at the Bridge opening, and the "1980 Underground Railway March" played by the RAAF band at the opening of the Queen Elizabeth Plaza in 1980.
With her second husband, Fred Laszloffy, she composed "Under a Sputnik With You" which was a smash hit in Russia in 1959. She wrote several other pieces for the Russian market, and became a keen supporter of the Russian system. She won a "Lenin Medal" for a piece she wrote about his life. As a result of this interest, Edna and Fred had ASIO files covering a 10 year period.
In the 1970's and 80's Elsa worked the Melbourne theatre/restaurant scene at venues such as Barbeque Inn, Harbourside Inn, Flying Trapeze, Shangri La Showroom to name a few, and had a number of television appearances on popular shows with hosts such as Mike Walsh, Ernie Sigley, Mary Hardy and Don Lane. She also appeared in several films including Paul Cox's "Cactus".
Aside from her career as an entertainer, Edna had a long and active legal "career".
In 1938 Edna Davis married John Isaacs, brother of Sir Isaac Isaacs (Governor General and Chief Justice of the High Court). After John's death, Edna was involved for a decade in legal battles with Sir Isaac who systematically ensured that there was no inheritance for Edna. He spent the last years of his life fighting Edna, and even had the wedding ring given to her by John reclaimed, since he claimed it was his mothers and on loan to Edna. Finally, to shut her up, he had her declared a vexatious litigant and his actions left Edna penniless.
In 1961, Edna (through her husband Fred Laszloffy) tried to sue the Gas and Fuel Corporation, Metters and Myers for 64,000 pounds, alleging leaking gas from their gas heater resulted in loss of creative output and income. They lost, and Fred was also declared a vexatious litigant - the only husband and wife to be so declared in Australia!
Edna's last "legal performance" was in 1988, when she unsuccessfully tried to sue Peter Weiniger and "The Age" for $1,000,000 for defamation - they dared to have called her an "ageless excentric".
Edna's legal wrangles have recently been the subject of an excellent PhD thesis by Simon Smith. This is a very brief summary and Edna's complete story may eventually be the subject of a book.
Alan Leary
March 2009
Gillian
Frances Edna Davis (1907-1989) aka Edna Davis, Edna Isaacs, Edna Laszloffy and Elsa Phar Lap Davis.
Edna Davis was my aunty. She lived next to my grandmother in Vale Street St Kilda where I often stayed in school holidays. She would call me in for a lemonade, sit me down and ask "What does the family say about me, do they think I'm meshugeneh?" Often a penny would be offered for further information, and with Luna Park so close, I soon learned the lucrative art of false evidence.
Was she crazy? She was an entertainer for over 70 years on the stage, radio, television and on the theatre-restaurant scene in Melbourne. She was a composer whose work was played for Royalty, at official functions and on the Russian hit parade! She appeared in films. She married John Isaacs, brother of Sir Isaac, the former Governor General and Chief Justice of Australia with whom she was involved in litigation for many years. She was a "friend" of the Russians resulting in a keen interest by ASIO. She loved animals and hated doctors!
Edna Davis commenced her career in entertainment as a young girl around 1916, playing the xylophone and piano at various venues in Melbourne. In 1921 she was joined by her five year old sister Olga (my mother). "Baby Olga and Edna Davis" featured at the Tivoli, at picture shows, and other venues in Melbourne, Sydney and Brisbane.
In 1929 they travelled to London with their mother to perform. On the way they played in Cairo for a month. The real reason for the trip probably being the separation and subsequent divorce of their parents.
As a composer, Edna Davis wrote a number of marches which were received for public performances, including the "Centenary March" played for the Duke of Gloucester as he sailed up Port Philip Bay, the "Queen Elizabeth March" played for the Queen Mother at the Flemington Races, the "West-Gate Bridge March" played at the Bridge opening, and the "1980 Underground Railway March" played by the RAAF band at the opening of the Queen Elizabeth Plaza in 1980.
With her second husband, Fred Laszloffy, she composed "Under a Sputnik With You" which was a smash hit in Russia in 1959. She wrote several other pieces for the Russian market, and became a keen supporter of the Russian system. She won a "Lenin Medal" for a piece she wrote about his life. As a result of this interest, Edna and Fred had ASIO files covering a 10 year period.
In the 1970's and 80's Elsa worked the Melbourne theatre/restaurant scene at venues such as Barbeque Inn, Harbourside Inn, Flying Trapeze, Shangri La Showroom to name a few, and had a number of television appearances on popular shows with hosts such as Mike Walsh, Ernie Sigley, Mary Hardy and Don Lane. She also appeared in several films including Paul Cox's "Cactus".
Aside from her career as an entertainer, Edna had a long and active legal "career".
In 1938 Edna Davis married John Isaacs, brother of Sir Isaac Isaacs (Governor General and Chief Justice of the High Court). After John's death, Edna was involved for a decade in legal battles with Sir Isaac who systematically ensured that there was no inheritance for Edna. He spent the last years of his life fighting Edna, and even had the wedding ring given to her by John reclaimed, since he claimed it was his mothers and on loan to Edna. Finally, to shut her up, he had her declared a vexatious litigant and his actions left Edna penniless.
In 1961, Edna (through her husband Fred Laszloffy) tried to sue the Gas and Fuel Corporation, Metters and Myers for 64,000 pounds, alleging leaking gas from their gas heater resulted in loss of creative output and income. They lost, and Fred was also declared a vexatious litigant - the only husband and wife to be so declared in Australia!
Edna's last "legal performance" was in 1988, when she unsuccessfully tried to sue Peter Weiniger and "The Age" for $1,000,000 for defamation - they dared to have called her an "ageless excentric".
Edna's legal wrangles have recently been the subject of an excellent PhD thesis by Simon Smith. This is a very brief summary and Edna's complete story may eventually be the subject of a book.
Alan Leary
March 2009