Obituary in Variety Magazine:
Arthur Blake, 70, headliner and nightclub performer/ impressionist noted for his female impersonations dies March 24th of a heart attack in Fort Lauderdale.
Born Arthur Blakely Clark in Altoona PA, his nightclub act included a wide repertoire of impersonations of Bette Davis, Carmen Miranda, Edna Mae Oliver, Katherine Hepburn et al.
He also did an impersonation of Eleanor Roosevelt, leading to an invitation to perform for her and FDR at the White House. Among his most famous male impersonations was one of James Stewart.
Blake also worked as an emcee on ocassion and was on the bill at the Cocoanut Grove nightly in Boston at the time of the famous fire.
Additionally he appeared in several films including "All About Eve" and "Now Voyager". Noteworthy accomplishment was performing regularly for 20 years at the Crown & Anchor Club Provincetown Mass.
There are no survivors.
ARTHUR BLAKE, a native Pennsylvanian, attended Culver Military Academy as a youngster. His early love being art, he then majored in Industrial Design at the Pratt Institute. After graduating, he designed for several large New York textile firms. It was during this period that he unwittingly began molding his career; a career that was destined to take him to London, New York, Chicago, New Orleans, Las Vegas, Los Angeles, and numerous other cities, and make him the most sought-after and best loved artist in the field of impersonations. Arthur enjoyed performing and his friends enjoyed watching him. Wherever he went: parties, dinners, any type of social gathering, friends and relatives looked forward eagerly to his hilarious impersonations of well-known personalities. After much urging by friends, he tried putting his talents to work professionally. First a job at Spivys Roof on New Yorks smart east side (where the careers of the great Liberace and many others were cradled). From there, his Voices rocketed him to stardom almost overnight. He followed Frank Sinatra into the Rio Bamba club in New York; he played the Roxy, also in New York; the Empire Room at the Palmer House in Chicago; the Roosevelt Hotel in New Orleans; the Thunderbird Hotel in Las Vegas; the Mocombo in Hollywood. Playing the London Palladium five times, he became the only American actor ever to be asked back for a return engagement the same season. He has also appeared in several major motion pictures, the most notable being Cyrano de Bergerac. To sum it up, he is considered by critics throughout the world as being Tops in the field of impersonations.
Arthur Blake, 70, headliner and nightclub performer/ impressionist noted for his female impersonations dies March 24th of a heart attack in Fort Lauderdale.
Born Arthur Blakely Clark in Altoona PA, his nightclub act included a wide repertoire of impersonations of Bette Davis, Carmen Miranda, Edna Mae Oliver, Katherine Hepburn et al.
He also did an impersonation of Eleanor Roosevelt, leading to an invitation to perform for her and FDR at the White House. Among his most famous male impersonations was one of James Stewart.
Blake also worked as an emcee on ocassion and was on the bill at the Cocoanut Grove nightly in Boston at the time of the famous fire.
Additionally he appeared in several films including "All About Eve" and "Now Voyager". Noteworthy accomplishment was performing regularly for 20 years at the Crown & Anchor Club Provincetown Mass.
There are no survivors.
ARTHUR BLAKE, a native Pennsylvanian, attended Culver Military Academy as a youngster. His early love being art, he then majored in Industrial Design at the Pratt Institute. After graduating, he designed for several large New York textile firms. It was during this period that he unwittingly began molding his career; a career that was destined to take him to London, New York, Chicago, New Orleans, Las Vegas, Los Angeles, and numerous other cities, and make him the most sought-after and best loved artist in the field of impersonations. Arthur enjoyed performing and his friends enjoyed watching him. Wherever he went: parties, dinners, any type of social gathering, friends and relatives looked forward eagerly to his hilarious impersonations of well-known personalities. After much urging by friends, he tried putting his talents to work professionally. First a job at Spivys Roof on New Yorks smart east side (where the careers of the great Liberace and many others were cradled). From there, his Voices rocketed him to stardom almost overnight. He followed Frank Sinatra into the Rio Bamba club in New York; he played the Roxy, also in New York; the Empire Room at the Palmer House in Chicago; the Roosevelt Hotel in New Orleans; the Thunderbird Hotel in Las Vegas; the Mocombo in Hollywood. Playing the London Palladium five times, he became the only American actor ever to be asked back for a return engagement the same season. He has also appeared in several major motion pictures, the most notable being Cyrano de Bergerac. To sum it up, he is considered by critics throughout the world as being Tops in the field of impersonations.
Obituary in Variety Magazine:
Arthur Blake, 70, headliner and nightclub performer/ impressionist noted for his female impersonations dies March 24th of a heart attack in Fort Lauderdale.
Born Arthur Blakely Clark in Altoona PA, his nightclub act included a wide repertoire of impersonations of Bette Davis, Carmen Miranda, Edna Mae Oliver, Katherine Hepburn et al.
He also did an impersonation of Eleanor Roosevelt, leading to an invitation to perform for her and FDR at the White House. Among his most famous male impersonations was one of James Stewart.
Blake also worked as an emcee on ocassion and was on the bill at the Cocoanut Grove nightly in Boston at the time of the famous fire.
Additionally he appeared in several films including "All About Eve" and "Now Voyager". Noteworthy accomplishment was performing regularly for 20 years at the Crown & Anchor Club Provincetown Mass.
There are no survivors.
ARTHUR BLAKE, a native Pennsylvanian, attended Culver Military Academy as a youngster. His early love being art, he then majored in Industrial Design at the Pratt Institute. After graduating, he designed for several large New York textile firms. It was during this period that he unwittingly began molding his career; a career that was destined to take him to London, New York, Chicago, New Orleans, Las Vegas, Los Angeles, and numerous other cities, and make him the most sought-after and best loved artist in the field of impersonations. Arthur enjoyed performing and his friends enjoyed watching him. Wherever he went: parties, dinners, any type of social gathering, friends and relatives looked forward eagerly to his hilarious impersonations of well-known personalities. After much urging by friends, he tried putting his talents to work professionally. First a job at Spivys Roof on New Yorks smart east side (where the careers of the great Liberace and many others were cradled). From there, his Voices rocketed him to stardom almost overnight. He followed Frank Sinatra into the Rio Bamba club in New York; he played the Roxy, also in New York; the Empire Room at the Palmer House in Chicago; the Roosevelt Hotel in New Orleans; the Thunderbird Hotel in Las Vegas; the Mocombo in Hollywood. Playing the London Palladium five times, he became the only American actor ever to be asked back for a return engagement the same season. He has also appeared in several major motion pictures, the most notable being Cyrano de Bergerac. To sum it up, he is considered by critics throughout the world as being Tops in the field of impersonations.
Arthur Blake, 70, headliner and nightclub performer/ impressionist noted for his female impersonations dies March 24th of a heart attack in Fort Lauderdale.
Born Arthur Blakely Clark in Altoona PA, his nightclub act included a wide repertoire of impersonations of Bette Davis, Carmen Miranda, Edna Mae Oliver, Katherine Hepburn et al.
He also did an impersonation of Eleanor Roosevelt, leading to an invitation to perform for her and FDR at the White House. Among his most famous male impersonations was one of James Stewart.
Blake also worked as an emcee on ocassion and was on the bill at the Cocoanut Grove nightly in Boston at the time of the famous fire.
Additionally he appeared in several films including "All About Eve" and "Now Voyager". Noteworthy accomplishment was performing regularly for 20 years at the Crown & Anchor Club Provincetown Mass.
There are no survivors.
ARTHUR BLAKE, a native Pennsylvanian, attended Culver Military Academy as a youngster. His early love being art, he then majored in Industrial Design at the Pratt Institute. After graduating, he designed for several large New York textile firms. It was during this period that he unwittingly began molding his career; a career that was destined to take him to London, New York, Chicago, New Orleans, Las Vegas, Los Angeles, and numerous other cities, and make him the most sought-after and best loved artist in the field of impersonations. Arthur enjoyed performing and his friends enjoyed watching him. Wherever he went: parties, dinners, any type of social gathering, friends and relatives looked forward eagerly to his hilarious impersonations of well-known personalities. After much urging by friends, he tried putting his talents to work professionally. First a job at Spivys Roof on New Yorks smart east side (where the careers of the great Liberace and many others were cradled). From there, his Voices rocketed him to stardom almost overnight. He followed Frank Sinatra into the Rio Bamba club in New York; he played the Roxy, also in New York; the Empire Room at the Palmer House in Chicago; the Roosevelt Hotel in New Orleans; the Thunderbird Hotel in Las Vegas; the Mocombo in Hollywood. Playing the London Palladium five times, he became the only American actor ever to be asked back for a return engagement the same season. He has also appeared in several major motion pictures, the most notable being Cyrano de Bergerac. To sum it up, he is considered by critics throughout the world as being Tops in the field of impersonations.
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