Brilliant cartoonist Emile Mercier ( 1901 - l981) illustrated this popular early dance song offer which undoubtedly produced a generation of knock-kneed girls with wonky ankles , long before modern misses began to injure themselves in rugby league and Aussie Rules.
Born on Noumea of French parents, Emile came to Sydney at the age of 21, joined the Julian Ashton Art School and showed great talent as a black and white artist.
He went on to produce many humorous cartoons depicting the Aussie way of life for Australian publications, some of which were in advertising campaigns , like the one shown above, in a theatre program for the musical play Rose Marie , a romance of the Canadian Rockies, at Her Majesty's Theatre ,Sydney.
The Australian Dictionary of Biography says fellow cartoonists maintained his works were due to his "natural Gallic naughtiness ". He regularly contributed to the International Salon of Cartoons which exhibited in the Montreal International Pavilion of Humour, Canada.
Late in life he suffered from Parkinson's disease . One of many famous drawings was for Shrdlu Gravy , oft spread in his cartoons , including one on a wall which ordered Post No Shrdlu .
