James Cairns Bain 1870 - 1945

James Cairns Bain (1870 - 1946)

James Cairns Bain was born in Ipswich, QLD on 11 January 1870. He was the 3rd child and eldest son of James Bain and Elizabeth McPherson McFarlane

James attended Ipswich Grammar where he excelled as sports from an early age, with multiple news paper notices about both his running and rugby. He was captain of the barbarians rugby team.

In 1890 - at age 20 - he won the Barcaldine Handicap and on 1 January 1891 he won picnic day races in Ipswich sponsored by Railway Developer George Bashford (and hosted by his daughter Mary Emma) to launch the new line. Two days later on 3rd January he won a 10 pound Handicap race at the Ipswich

In 1892 he found himself party to a court case.... Tobacconist and ??? in Barcaldine. JC Bain and Co - Holland and McBride

By 1893 he is working as a clerk in Ipswich and in August that year - just after his 23th birthday - he married /wiki/spaces/HFHW/pages/2523599 in Ipswich. Mary Emma was well bred daughter of the Railway Contractor - George William Bashford and Sarah Starkey Fullelove.

It appears that (Mary was 5 months pregnant at the time of their marriage) Over the next few years they had 3 children:

James Bashford Bain - Born in December 1893 in Ipswich, QLD. Married Eva Mary Yates
Alma Bain - Born ????. Married Fred Dyer . Died ????.
Thomas Bain - Died 1904
Edward Bain - Born 1901. Died 1981

The same month his eldest son was born, James Snr registered into Western Star Lodge Handicap, where he received a 12 yd handicap. In early 1894 he was selected to play Rugby for QLD, and as part of the fund raising for the team to travel interstate, the team had a night at the Tivoli. James did a comedy act on the night and proved to be such a success he was quickly offered one night a week. On 19 May 1894 he is mentioned on a notice at the Gaiety Theatre. This later increased to a full week at the Tivoli, and then a week under Harry Rickards Management in Melbourne. At this time he was working for George Adams Tattersalls Sweep Promotion and subsequently Finney, Isles and Co - a furniture and drapery company located adjacent to the Gaiety Theatre. James experienced increasing success (acting as well as his comic routine) and was performing with increasing frequency as part of the Brisbane Variety Circuit at the Gaiety Theatre and Theatre Royal as well as fund raising gigs. In 1895 he premiered at the Tivoli in Sydney and continued to perform to acclaim with with the COGHILL BROS troupe in Brisbane. In late 1895 he received one of his only bad reviews whilst acting in Seymour Dickies production of the Gilbert and Sullivan show - The Sorcerer.

What was evident was that even at the young age of 25 James had a gambling problem and by the end of 1895 - the year his daughter Alma, was born - he was betting extensively on horse racing and cricket and football matches and borrowing money from a number of different sources - including his mother in law and his employer - Finney, Isles and Co. In Jan 1896 he held a a large show at the Brisbane OPERA HOUSE. The notice for the show indicated that it would be his last before travelling to London to perform. This did not eventuate. His gambling was increasing consuming large proportion of his income. He failed to make money from the show due to gambling debts. At the beginning of March, 1896, he decided become a full time performer and travelled to Sydney to perform with Harry Rickards Tivoli. Over the next years travelled extensively, performing at the Opera House in Melbourne, Hobart and some time in New Zealand with Mr Charles Godfrey before returning to Brisbane in early 1897.

In April 1897 he was declared insolvent, and a number of creditors, incl his previous employer Finney, Isles and Co and a Mr G H Perry, sought to press fraud charges, and a full transcript of the hearing was publishing in the Brisbane Courier on 6 April 1897. Justice Harding refused the charges, and James continued to perform in Brisbane with the Continental Vaudeville Company for the next six months - through until October 1897 his final insolvency examination was executed by Justice Cooper.

He recieved rave reviews this whole period, with the Brisbane Courier of 9 October 1897 noting that his last performance would be at the Saturday Shilling Concerts that evening. Shortly after this in November 1897 he contracted typhoid fever and recuperated at Ipwich. After his recovery he recommenced performing on 4 December 1897, and by early 1898 was being billed as as 'the young Australian comique' and became the most popular act on the Tivoli bill.

On 1 March 1898 a Benefit was held for him at pending his "departure from the colony" The benefit had been meant to be held on 21st February but was postponed due to an outbreak of dengue fever.  In the second half of 1898 he toured a small company of performers from Rickards Sydney Tivoli Company through WA, performing a stint at the Cremorne Theatre in Perth in June to August, and later seen in Albany on 10 September 1898.

It was during his period in Western Australia that his second son Thomas BAIN was born.

At the end of 1898 he intended to travel from Western Australia on to South Africa, where he had signed an an agreement with Messrs Hyman and Alexander of South Africa and upon finishing there he will continue the journey to London. In September 1898 we see notice of a Benefit for JC Bain, again with an announcement of his intent to go to London. The benefit was a huge success, but given that by June 1899 he was back in Brisbane with the CONTINENTAL VAUDEVILLE COMPANY, it appears unlikely that this actually occurred.

In August 1900 the Otago Witness announced that we would be touring a company of P R Dix's Gaiety performers to New Zealand. and would performing in Auckland, Wellington and Dunedin at Gaiety Company venues. A 2 April 1901 Greymouth NZ newspaper "Grey River Argus" it is noted that his performance at the Opera House that night is a flying visit with his 'Vaudeville Company' prior to departing for "America to accept an important engagement at the Orpheum Theatre in San Francisco". After returning from New Zealand he toured to South Australia with Harry Rickards Minstrel & Specialty Co., in August 1901

There is no further reference to James living or performing in Brisabne after 1901. We are uncertain as to whether Mary Emma and James divorced or whether he just left.

In the 6 September 1902 Evening Post it notes that "Jimmy Bain is contemplating a trip to South Africa and England! Has he given up that proposed trio to America." It appeas that he didnt go to South Africa, England or America, instead relocating to Tasmania. From 1903 to 1910 he lived in Tasmania. It appears that he arrived in early 1903 where he took over management of the Temperance Hall with his troupe of Gaiety Entertainers, with regular tours of New Zealand

A 26 August 1903 notice in the Otage Witness notes appearances of "Bain\'s Entertainers at Temperance Hall, Hobart" where he was using a "black-on-yellow roster. Artists on the bill at Temperance Hall, Hobart are: Gonzales Sisters, Neva Carr-Glynn, Smith Sisters, Diamond Duo, Baby Parkes, the Lentons, Sam Gale, Ernest Brinkmand and Stella Ranger"</li><li>An April 1904 notice in The Mercury notes that it was 12 months since he had first appeared.</li><li>On 18 May 1904 \'The Ghost Walk\' column from the Otago Witness notes that "Bain\'s Gaiety Entertainers at the Temperance Hall, Hobart, are not permitted to refer in any way to strong drinks. The management of the building will not (says \'Jacques\') allow the words \'whiskey\', \'beer\', \'brandy\' etc to be used on the stage"</li><li>By  1906 he is noted in an August Otago Witnesses as being a manager with over 5 companies and 100 artists</li><li>In 1908 he was noted as the manager of the National Ampitheatre in Hobart.</li></ul>Some time during this period he met and had a relationship with Ethel Hugg (a musician of note) who is referred to as Mrs Bain in newspaper reports from New Zealand in 1916 and with whom he had a daughter:<ul><li>Verna in about 1905.</li></ul>In 1910 he did a series of shows in Melbourne before moving to Sydney where he established his own suburban vaudeville includgin the Princess Theatre, Railway Square. The troup was called J. C. Bain\'s Vaudeville Entertainers. The troupe included a number of famous Australian performers including - Roy Rene (the famouse Mo) who was part of his troupe fro 1910 to 1914; Gladys Moncrieff

By 1912 he had 4 theatres in Sydney and the suburbs with other venues in Newcastle and Tasmania. and he is mentioned in the New York Clipper as "J C Bain with his heavy list of Australian artists and his four theatres in Sydney and suburbs is as solid as the proverbial rock. Despite his success in Australia and internationally it appears that James could not kick his gambling bug as evidenced by the following 1916 newspaper article from Greysmouth New Zealand

In 1916 he is back in New Zealand where he is mentioned in \'The Deadheads Diary" in the NZ Truth on 3 March<blockquote>" J C Bain who was probably the best known entertainer in Australia a decade or two ago has come back to the footlights again and is under the Fuller banner. Appearing with him is his eleven year old daughter "Little Verna" who is a really wonderful child dancer. J C Bain should have been free of the footlights for all time, but he started a war of attrition against the \'bookies\' about five years ago, and the \'bookies\' (as usual) have apparently won. Whereever the late John Norton touched during his last European tour he sent a postcard to Jimmy Bain and they form quite a collection."</blockquote>In late 1916 / early 1917 the family travelled to South Africa where Verna received massive acclaim. The family were meant to proceed on to London where Verna was booked at "The Palace" theatre. Unfortunately the Admiralty had banned to travel of women and children due to the war and the tour was postponed. The family travelled back to Australia, arriving back in Hobart on 4 April 1917 where they performed for two weeks with Fullers Vaudeville Compnay before finishing up on the 20th April.

After this the family travelled to New Zealand in 1918 where they performed to great acclaim for Fuller under the stage name "The Bains"

ON 1 June 1920 The Theatre Magazine notes - in their Who They Were and Where they Are section that "The lion comique Jim Bain has a Government job in Sydney"

In September 1920 Verna is noted as performing as one of the principles with the Tivoli Ballet at Rickards Sydney Tivoli Theatre and she was still with the Ballet in October 1922

In January 1924 he filed for Bankruptcy. He is noted as being a Theatrical Manager of Double Bay (Bankruptcy File No.23840)

From 1927 thru to 1931 he is intermittently noted as appearing on 2FC Radio in their programme Night session : "A programme or old-time danco music by the A.B.C. Band, Interspersed with numbers by Amy Ostlnga (contralto), John Warren (tenor), and Jim Bain (comedian)."

Interestingly it appears he reconciled with Mary Emma, because he is living with here during later census dates, and it appears that he lived out his final 20 odd years in Brisbane, dying at Brisbane Genera Hospital on May 29 1946.

<hr />Comedian, singer, manager. Born James C. Bain in Ipswich, ca. 1873. J. C. Bain started his career in variety as an amateur comic in Brisbane in the early 1890s. He made his first appearance with Harry Rickards at the Tivoli (Syd) in 1896 and formed Bain\'s Entertainers in Brisbane three years later. Bain appeared with most other leading organisations during the 1890s including the Cogill Brothers, the Continental Vaudeville Company and Percy St John. He operated a company in Hobart between 1903 and 1906 (in addition to a Tasmanian regional circuit) and later settled in Sydney, becoming James Brennan\'s general manager at the National Amphitheatre (ca.1908-11). Between 1911 and 1914 he ran a small circuit in Sydney that included the Princess Theatre. He also operated Bain\'s Theatrical Agency ca.1915-16. With daughter, Verna, he worked extensively in Australia and overseas. Between 1916 and 1920 Bain was associated in Australia with the Fullers, Dix-Baker (Hunter Valley), Birch and Carroll (Qld), Harry Sadler (Tasmania), Harry Clay and Andy Kerr (Gaiety Theatre, Syd). He returned to the stage in 1923 after several years spent in government employment, and in 1924 took over the lease of Wirth\'s Hippodrome (Sydney). Bain died in Brisbane on 24 May 1946.

One of the best known vaudeville managers in Australasia" (AV: 23 Oct. 1919, n. pag.), J. C. Bain was also regarded by his contemporaries as one of Queensland\'s most celebrated comedians and popular singers during the heyday of vaudeville. One Theatre magazine critic even proposed in 1923 that "for diversity in characterisation and versatility generally we have not the slightest hesitation in declaring Mr Bain… to be the greatest vaudeville comedian Australia has ever known" (June 1923, 10, 12). X-Ray\'s June 1914 article published in the same magazine provides further insights into a typical Bain performance:During the past month [I have] had the pleasure of hearing J. C. Bain sing before an exclusive gathering. Among the old favourites that he revived were "Signor Don Fitzcalligan," "The Laughing Madman," "Ada\'s Serenade," "I Haven\'t Told the Missus Up to Now," "Sitting on the Rocks When the Tide Comes In," "It Wouldn\'t Take a Lot of That to Upset Me," "If I Hadn\'t Been a Sunday School Teacher" and "The German Fifth." When on the Rickards circuit, Mr Bain sang "The Laughing Madman" for ninety performances at a stretch. Even more successful than this was his number "Sitting on the Rocks When the Tide Comes In." Mr Bain has a wonderful gift of characterisation. His props consist of half-a-dozen different hats and caps. He tosses on to his head a hat or cap in keeping with the song he is going to sing, and straightaway he becomes a Dutchman, a Scotsman, or and Irishman. He is equally at home in the three tongues. His facial expressions are as varied as they are marvelous. The world indeed lost a comedian of the very front rank when Mr Bain gave up the stage to become a manager (28).As a character comedian James Bain started out as a Brisbane amateur in the early 1890s while working in a day job as a quill driver. In 1895 he went to Sydney with a "crack football team" and performed a comedy/song routine at a Tivoli "sports night." Despite sending the audience hoarse and being offered an engagement by Harry Rickards, Bain apparently decided he wasn\'t quite ready for the big time and refused the offer. Although this report suggests it was three years before he had put together a satisfactory act (TT: Dec. 1909, n. pag.), his name can be found in December 1896 Tivoli advertisements. While an exact date is yet to be fixed for Bain\'s Tivoli debut, it has been ascertained that he appeared briefly with a number of companies playing seasons in Brisbane during 1896. These companies include: York and Jones Empire Minstrels, the Cogill Brothers, and Pollard\'s Lilliputian Opera Company. He was also on the bill of a benefit to Helen Gordon. By 1897 Bain\'s reputation was becoming well known further a field. Some critics suggested in later years that the ten year period spanning the turn of the decade was when his stage craft was at its peak.3 The Brisbane Courier notes in 1902, for example, that Bain was one of those performers "who only has to step before the curtain to score applause [and that] the fun was fast and furious whilst he held the boards" (27 Jan. 1902, 6).Bain appeared on the bills of a variety of organisations over the next few years including regular performances with Harry Rickards and a one off engagement with Kate Howarde. In early 1898 he began the first of many entrepreneurial endeavours, forming Bain\'s Entertainers for a season at Brisbane\'s Centennial Hall, followed by a Queensland regional tour. The company was certainly a reputable one, including as it did such notable performers as Carlton and Sutton, Stella Tracey (daughter of entrepreneur Dan Tracey), David Cope Jnr (son of the well-known music director/composer) and world renowned illusionist, Emile Lazern. It is possible that Bain left Australia for a brief period in 1898, traveling to London sometime around early April following his tour of Queensland (NM: 24 Mar. 1898, 2). In December that same year Bain appeared on a Harry Rickards bill at the Cremorne Theatre (Perth), possibly upon his return to Australia. After engagements in Sydney and Melbourne in early 1899 he returned to Brisbane, appearing with the Continental Vaudeville Company during its season at the Theatre Royal (c Aug.). That troupe included such notable performers as Harry Clay (also manager), Albert McKisson and Jack Kearns, Ida Rosslyn (aka Ida Tauchert) and Bob Bell (later an entrepreneur in his own right). A season with Percy St John\'s Empire Company (Bris) later in the year was followed in mid-January 1900 by another Rickards engagement at the Bijou Theatre (Melb). Bain continued with Rickards on a number of occasions through to 1902 when he again returned to Brisbane in early 1902 to take up another engagement with Percy St John at the Theatre Royal.While Bain\'s movements over the next year or so are unclear, sometime around 1903 he moved to Hobart and set up a semi-permanent company in Hobart. Bain\'s Entertainers continued to service the Tasmanian capital and several regional centres up until sometime around 1907. By 1906 he was running five companies, having opened up a regional Victorian circuit, which included Ballarat, Geelong and Bendigo. Bain later closed down his Tasmanian and Victorian companies and moved to Sydney where he took up a contract with James Brennan at the National Amphitheatre. By 1908/09 he was employed as the "Nash\'s" general manager in addition to part time performance duties. He remained with Brennan until April 1912 at which time he set up his own Sydney circuit. A little over a month after Bain\'s Advanced Vaudeville Entertainers opened for business, initially playing out of four venue operations - the Princess Theatre (city), Coliseum (Nth Syd), Coronation Theatre (Bondi Junction) and ACME Theatre (Rockdale) - he was tended a complimentary benefit by the Australian Vaudeville Artistes\' Federation (A.V.A.F.) for his services to the industry. As the Theatre notes, Mr Bain "has kept in employment on an average 80 Australian performers weekly [and in doing so] is regarded as the saviour of the A.V.A.F. in Sydney" (May 1912, 27). Leading Australian performers known to have been engaged by Bain over the next three years include: George Sorlie, Joe Rox, Ward Lear, Con Moreni, Billy Cass, Jack and Vera Kearns, Carlton Max, Ted Stanley, Sadie Gale, Arthur Tauchert, James Craydon, Maud Fanning (including Arthur Elliott and the Elliott Sisters), George Pagden, Johnny Gilmore, Maurice Chenoweth, and Shipp and Gaffney. The Theatre notes in 1912, too, that while Bain was not confining himself entirely to local performers (with recent overseas arrivals such as Nellie Kolle known to have been engaged), "any Australian who can deliver the goods can always rely on getting an opening with him at a most liberal salary" (Oct. 1912, 23). By 1914, however, Bain\'s changed his engagement policy, employing only members of the A.V.A.F.Around 1914, Bain\'s youngest daughter, Verna (born ca. 1905), began attracting the attention of critics and vaudeville agents. Billed as Little Verna, she was described by Australian Variety that year as one of Australia\'s finest exponents of the Genee school of Terpsichore. The situation for Bain around the time war broke out, however, was one of much difficulty. After being forced to reduce his Princess Theatre orchestra down to pianist, Will Farrell, Bain eventually closed down his operations and temporarily set up a theatrical agency at Inglis Chamber, 244 Pitt Street, Sydney. Over the next four years he and Verna appeared with a variety of Australian-based companies, including Dix-Baker (Victoria Theatre, Newcastle), the Fullers, Birch and Carroll (Qld). Although reduced to working for other companies after having spent several years in charge of his own, Bain refused to accept anything but quality engagements. During one Fuller\'s season in 1916, for example, he walked out of his contract after objecting to being asked to open a programme - a position deemed by most artists as the worst on a bill (TT: Nov. 1916, 49). All was apparently forgiven, however, as he was back with the company touring New Zealand later the following year.James C. BainTheatre Dec. 1909, 34.(Courtesy of the Fryer Library, U of Qld)In early 1917 he and Verna were engaged for a tour of South Africa, and upon their return to Australia found engagements with Harry Sadler (Hobart) and Harry Clay (Syd) before undertaking a tour of the East. The three month engagement was abandoned after six weeks, however, when Verna contracted a mild case of malaria while in Surabaya. After returning to Australia and spending some time in recuperation Verna traveled to New Zealand with her father to work the Fullers Dominion circuit. The pair later toured New Zealand briefly with Tom Pollard and returned to Australia playing the Birch and Carroll Queensland circuit once again, followed by another Fullers engagement, this time at the Empire Theatre (Bris).In 1919 Bain took up a position with Andy Kerr running the Gaiety Theatre (Syd), but that association does not appear to have lasted long despite much industry hype having surrounded the partnership. An advertisement in the Brisbane Courier indicates that he had signed up hypnotist Dr Raymond for a season at Brisbane\'s Elite Theatre in October 1921. Sometime after this venture, however, Bain retired from the industry for a few years, taking up a government position in Sydney. By May 1923 he was once again treading the boards as a comic, and the following year returned to management, taking over the reigns of Wirth\'s Hippodrome (Syd) beginning 2 August. He remained there through until sometime during the following year. One of his key signings during that period was Jack Kearns. While details of Bain\'s career from 1925 onwards have not yet been established, it is known that he was one of several veterans to appear on the final Sydney Tivoli Theatre programme, staged on 26 September 1929. Bain is believed to have returned to Brisbane in his retirement. He died there in 1946.Aside from his colourful career on the variety stage, J. C. Bain was known to have been an avid gambler, with a particular liking for horse racing. "One of the biggest and gamest bettors," records Australian Variety in 1916, "when  Queen of Scotts and Parisian won the Newmarket Cup double (about five years ago), Jimmy cleaned up £4,000 and in less than six months had done the lot! Bet? Jimmy would bet! He used to make some of those bookmakers sweat. And Lord help them if he picked three running! (7 June 1916, 17).4 Another report concerning Bain\'s betting victories notes that he backed Portrush and St Carwynne for £10,000 in the 1914 Epsom and Metro cups. Portrush duly won; St Carwynne was 3 to 1 and Jimmy would not lay off a bob! He still has the vouchers" noted Australian Variety (23 May 1917, 22).Regarded as a clever manager, in the same class as those like Harry Clay and Frank M. Clark, J. C. Bain was capable of using any tricks and devices possible to get the best out of his performers. Variety performer and occasional journalist, Redhead Wilson, recalls in 1917 that Bain would try to build the confidence of opening acts at his matinees - generally new and emerging artistes - by getting all the kids at the back to create a furor of noise. "Jimmy led the kids and kicked the loose barrier and encouraged the crowd with his head just over the top. Serios were his special delight, as they sang and danced themselves to a state of exhaustion, thinking what a tremendous hit they were and how Mr Bain would be pleased with their success. Sometimes they did as many as five and six songs and dances - all they knew - at the matinee but were hugely disappointed at night, and thought the audience were [sic] horrid!" Wilson also recalls that when Bain was running his operations in Hobart he employed a man, Andy Kirk, to note down any failures deemed the result of alcohol. "In those days," writes Wilson, we had many who were inclined to bend the elbow and Andy was kept pretty busy reporting. To be seen coming out of a hotel constituted an offence… and [Kirk] would then glue his eyes on the performer to observe the ill-effects oozing out."FURTHER REFERENCEWest, John. "J. C. Bain." CTTA: (1995), 79.X-Ray. "Month in Vaudeville." TT: June (1914), 28.<hr />',557184,2),(786546,