Early 20th Century Queen Bert Savoy

Bert Savoy

In the early years of the 20th century female impersonation on stage was an accepted art form. Most of us have heard of the famous impersonator Julian Eltinge whose onstage persona was based on style and feminine allure without anything bawdy or flamboyant. Mr. Eltinge appeared on Broadway and in several films, most of them silent. He took great care to maintain a “manly man” image off stage, even getting into fights with people who thought dressing like a lady might mean he was a homosexual.

The other side of the female impersonation coin was Bert Savoy. Savoy was loud, bawdy, flamboyant and delivered his lines with a “leer and a swish.” And he didn’t care who knew he was a swish. Savoy could be considered the Jackie Beat of his day. Savoy was all all for camping it up whether on stage or off.

The screen siren and sex symbol Mae West is reputed to have adapted her famous walk from Bert Savoy’s and his catch phrases, “You must come along,” “I’m glad you asked me,” and  “You must come over,” were turned into West’s “Come up and see me sometime.”

Savoy and his stage partner Jay Brennan worked all over the country and made a number of appearances on Broadway. Their last appearance in a big production in New York City was 1920‘s The Greenwich Village Follies.

In 1923 Savoy’s career came to a tragic and dramatic end when he and another vaudevillian were walking on Long Beach, Long Island. A thunderstorm had developed and it’s reported that just before the fatal lighting strike Savoy had commented about the thunder, saying, “Mercy, ain’t Miss God cutting up something awful?”

Jay Brennan found another performer to impersonate Savoy impersonating a woman and the act carried on till the mid 1930s.

Tags: Bert Savoy, featured, History, impersonation

Category: Drag Queen, Impersonation