Bernard Delfont

Bernard Delfont, Baron Delfont (born Boris Winogradsky; 5 September 1909 – 28 July 1994) was a leading Russian-born British theatrical impresario. Life and career Delfont was born in Tokmak, Berdyansky Uyezd, Taurida Governorate, Russian Empire (now Ukraine), the second son of Isaac and Olga Winogradsky, a Jewish family. His brothers, Lew Grade and Leslie Grade, also entered show business and formed the Grade Organisation. Their sister, Rita Grade, later wrote a book about the family called My Fabulous Brothers. In 1912, the family moved to the East End of London and at age 12, Delfont left school and followed Lew into music halls and changed his name to Delfont to avoid confusion with his brother, forming a dance partnership with comic Hal Monty called The Delfont Boys. He later formed another dance partnership called Delfont & Toko. In 1937 he stopped dancing and again followed Lew in becoming an agent and impresario. During World War II Delfont became involved in the theatre with a tour of Room for Two in 1941 and then started staging shows in London from 1942 with Jam Tomorrow at the St Martin's Theatre. He entered theatrical management in 1949 and acquired theatres in the West End of London. He acquired the London Casino and converted the London Hippodrome into the Talk of the Town nightclub, bringing in entertainers such as Lena Horne, Shirley Bassey, Frank Sinatra, Eartha Kitt, Judy Garland, The Ink Spots, Sophie Tucker, Barbra Streisand, Sammy Davis Jr. and Laurel & Hardy and also secured the exclusive rights from Paul Derval to stage the Folies Bergère for the first time outside Paris. He also teamed up with former rival Val Parnell to acquire a lease on the Prince of Wales Theatre and stage shows at the London Palladium. He presented over 200 shows in London and New York City, including more than 50 musicals, such as the original productions of Little Me, Stop the World - I Want to Get Off, City Of Angels, Funny Girl and Sweet Charity. He also presented summer variety shows in over 20 towns across the UK, mainly seaside resorts.