Roy Rene and Mo were stage names of the comic Henry van der Sluys (Sluice) (1892-1954). With Nat Phillips, he formed a vaudeville duo known as 'Stiffy and Mo', adopting a distinctive white face and painted black beard and lisping catchphrases such as 'strike me lucky'. Strike Me Lucky (1934) was his only film. During the 1940s he starred in a popular radio series, McCackie Mansions. This work was made to advertise the Steve Spears play Young Mo at Sydney's Nimrod Theatre. The play, directed by Richard Wherrett, starred Garry McDonald AO (b. 1948), then at the height of his Norman Gunston success. Sharp intended the portrait to combine the features of Mo and McDonald in an image resembling a Japanese Kabuki print. As a poster, it became the signature image of the Nimrod company.
Gift of Richard Wherrett 1998. Donated through the Australian Government's Cultural Gifts Program.
© Martin Sharp/Copyright Agency, 2024
Richard Wherrett (1 portrait)
On one level The Companion talks about the most famous and frontline Australians, but on another it tells us about ourselves.
Artists Garry Shead and Martin Sharp recount their friendship and the creation of Martin's portrait.
An interview with Australian artist and collector of quirky artefacts, Martin Sharp.
