Biography
Born in Adelaide, South Australia, Rene was the fourth of seven children of a Dutch Jew and an Anglo-Jewish wife. Named Henry van de Sluice (later spelt variously "van der Sluys"), he received a sketchy education at the Dominican Convent, a Christian Brothers school and Grote Street Public School. Aged 10 "Harry" won a singing competition at an Adelaide market and in 1905 appeared professionally in the pantomime, Sinbad the Sailor, at the Theatre Royal and later at the Tivoli, in a black face, singing and dancing act.
About 1905 the Sluice family moved to Melbourne, Harry (as he was called) was briefly an apprentice jockey and thereafter maintained a keen interest in racing. Despite his father's opposition, in July 1908 he secured an engagement with James Brennan's vaudeville at the Gaiety Theatre. Of medium height with a distinctly Jewish profile, with dark hair, a pale smooth complexion and large soulful brown eyes, 'Boy Roy' (his stage name) had an appealing pathos. Most of his spare time was spent studying the famous English music-hall comedians at Harry Rickards' Opera House. Unsuccessful in Melbourne, he appeared at Brennan's National Amphitheatre, Sydney in 1910 and had adopted the new stage name Roy Rene (Rene after a famous French clown). Later he joined J. C. Bain's suburban vaudeville in Sydney and toured New South Wales with bush companies.
Read more about this topic: Roy Rene
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