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Bert Bernard, originally Herbert James Maxwell from Boston, Massachusetts, began his entertainment career as a juvenile dancer on the American vaudeville stage and in musical comedies. In 1932, he partnered with George Bernard and changed his name to form the Bernard Brothers act. Their primarily dance-focused routine took them to Paris in 1938, where they performed at the Folies Bergère, and later that year to London. With the outbreak of WWII, the act paused as Bert served in the US Army Air Force, earning the Distinguished Flying Cross, while George continued performing, mainly with USO shows. After the war, they reunited and discovered their talent for lip-syncing and miming popular songs, adding a cross-dressing element to their act called 'Off the Record,' which quickly gained popularity. In 1948, they appeared in the Royal Variety Show alongside stars such as Danny Kaye, Bud Flanagan and Chesney Allen, Ted Ray, and a young Julie Andrews. French producer Ralph Baum cast them in the 1951 film Paris Nights, which was a major success in Europe. They briefly worked in Hollywood, starring in Gobs and Gals (1952), before returning to favored European venues. They became favorites at London's Palladium, performing in many variety shows throughout the early 1950s, while also making the Lido in Paris a regular venue. However, their act faced a setback in the mid-1950s when record companies denied permission to use copyrighted recordings. Despite this, they continued as comic dancers until George's death in 1967. Bert then returned to the US, performing in clubs for many years with a new partner who adopted the name Les Bernard. Throughout his career on stage and in film, and as a member of the Grand Order of Water Rats—a London-based charitable organization of entertainers including Bob Hope—Bert's legacy endures.
