at 218 eg Fh of : i —IN eNGLaNo WITH GROWING SUCCESS ee er RCs sae a major change occurred for Be 2a in 1912 when her sister Muriel ol quit her music training" and married a local merchant and politician Jack Burnett without her parents’ permission. Mrs. Lillie was not pee and took Muriel to France to renew | her music training. But the threat of war forced them instead to” “gland where Bea, with mone | from father, soon joined them. cae hard (eer followed a as Bea te ‘, Pe Sout work in the rerio t | , es og. 1aje 8, : oe : Oo, : 7 a en) a ry met Get y BEA’S CAREER BLOSSOMS Finally, in August 1914, on the day that war was declared in Europe, Bea Lillie was given her first contract by the man who would guide her for the next twenty years. At £15/week Andre Charlot added herto his London revue in which she sang a coy number, “/ Want a Toy Soldier”. Music hall entertaining was not an easy life, but Bea was.a quick study. She wasn’t great at learning lines but was great at reading an audience. She learned to turn mistakes to her advantage and throw out double-entendres with Style. A simple pillbox hat became her stylistic cliche. Bea made her London, West End debut in 1914 in a show called “Not Likely!” Another dozen London shows and revues followed. By the end of the year Bea. had begun to establish herself. Photo by Yousuf Karsh COBOURG MUSEUM