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Finding Aid for the Harry Pilcer papers, 1911-1940s
1941
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Title: Harry Pilcer papers
Collection number: 1941
Contributing Institution:
UCLA Library Special Collections
Language of Material:
English
Physical Description:
1.0 linear ft.
(2 boxes and 1 flat box)
Date (inclusive): 1911-1940s
Abstract: Harry Pilcer was an American dancer and entertainer. The collection consists of papers and photographs pertaining to his life
and career, particularly the time he spent partnering with Gaby Deslys, the French dancer and actress.
Physical location: Stored off-site at SRLF. Advance notice is required for access to the collection. Please contact UCLA Library Special Collections
for paging information.
Creator:
Pilcer, Harry, 1885-1961
Open for research. STORED OFF-SITE AT SRLF. Advance notice is required for access to the collection. Please contact UCLA Library
Special Collections for paging information.
Restrictions on Use and Reproduction
Property rights to the physical object belong to the UC Regents. Literary rights, including copyright, are retained by the
creators and their heirs. It is the responsibility of the researcher to determine who holds the copyright and pursue the copyright
owner or his or her heir for permission to publish where The UC Regents do not hold the copyright.
[Identification of item], Harry Pilcer papers (Collection 1941). UCLA Library Special Collections, Charles E. Young Research
Library, UCLA.
Harry Pilcer was born in 1885 in New York and debuted on Broadway when he was 14 years old. He was an American dancer and
entertainer who spent a good deal of time in France. He was known through his partnership with Gaby Deslys, who was a well-known
French actress and dancer in the early 1900s. Together, they popularized a dance named after Deslys, called The Gaby Glide.
Pilcer's stage credits include
Vera Violetta (1911),
Stop! Look! Listen! (1915),
Laissez-Les Tomber (1917) and
Pins and Needles (1922). He also appeared in the films
Her Triumph (1915) and
Infatuation (1918). After Deslys's death in 1920, Pilcer partnered with the French dancer Mistinguett for ten years. In 1930, he began
working as master of ceremonies and entertainer at French casinos owned by Francois Andre and remained a popular entertainer
in France throughout the 1930s. He was a choreographer for and appeared in the film
The Razor's Edge (1946). Pilcer continued to work as an entertainer until his death in 1961.
The collection consists of photographs, correspondence, writings, and ephemera related to the career of entertainer and dancer
Harry Pilcer. The bulk of the material represents Pilcer's partnership with French dancer and actress Gaby Deslys. The photographs
include images of Deslys and Pilcer alone and together as well as what appear to be personal photographs of Pilcer and others.
The correspondence is primarily letters, notes and telegrams to Pilcer; a number of the telegrams and notes are from Deslys.
The writings include typescript and holograph versions of a story that appears to be about Pilcer and to some degree his association
with Deslys. The small amount of ephemera includes invoices billed to Pilcer, music and other miscellany. Additionally there
are two employment contracts. A small portion of the collection is in French.
Arranged in the following series:
- Photographs
- Contracts
- Correspondence
- Writings
- Ephemera
UCLA Catalog Record ID:
6982571
Subjects and Indexing Terms
Deslys, Gaby, 1881-1920.
Pilcer, Harry, 1885-1961 --Archives.
Dancers--Archives.
Photographs.