Bobby Howes
Encyclopedia
Bobby Howes, born as Charles Robert William Howes on 4 August 1895 in Battersea
, England
. His parents were Robert William Howes and Rose Marie Butler.
where he soldiered on the Western Front
. He suffered a German mustard gas attack but recovered and returned to the stage. He became a big hit with the breakout role-reversal comedy based on Cinderella
called Mr. Cinders
, opposite Binnie Hale
whom he starred opposite many times throughout their careers. He reprised his title role in Mr. Cinders in several different productions. He was a musical comedy star on the West End
primarily in the 1930s and 1940s, but had a full career on the stage throughout his life, also playing in Broadway theatre
, as well as in films until he retired in the late 1960s. He is the father of actress Sally Ann Howes
and Peter Howes from his marriage to Patricia Malone
.
During World War II
, he worked in the sub-basement of the London Control Room of the BBC
as a Senior Control Room Engineer on shift "D."
In the 1930s, he was with Van Phillips' Four Bright Sparks whose vocalists included Billy Milton
and Ray Starita. Four Bright Sparks recorded at least 60 sides. One of his most acclaimed roles was as the title role in the 1960 revival of Finian's Rainbow
.
One of his favorite pastimes and hobbies was carpentry.
He died on 27 April 1972 in London, England.
Battersea
Battersea is an area of the London Borough of Wandsworth, England. It is an inner-city district of South London, situated on the south side of the River Thames, 2.9 miles south-west of Charing Cross. Battersea spans from Fairfield in the west to Queenstown in the east...
, England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
. His parents were Robert William Howes and Rose Marie Butler.
Biography
He started his career in revues, but his career was interrupted for World War IWorld War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
where he soldiered on the Western Front
Western Front (World War I)
Following the outbreak of World War I in 1914, the German Army opened the Western Front by first invading Luxembourg and Belgium, then gaining military control of important industrial regions in France. The tide of the advance was dramatically turned with the Battle of the Marne...
. He suffered a German mustard gas attack but recovered and returned to the stage. He became a big hit with the breakout role-reversal comedy based on Cinderella
Cinderella
"Cinderella; or, The Little Glass Slipper" is a folk tale embodying a myth-element of unjust oppression/triumphant reward. Thousands of variants are known throughout the world. The title character is a young woman living in unfortunate circumstances that are suddenly changed to remarkable fortune...
called Mr. Cinders
Mr. Cinders
Mr. Cinders is a musical. The music is by Vivian Ellis & Richard Myers, and the libretto by Clifford Grey & Greatorex Newman. The story is an inversion of the Cinderella fairy tale with the gender roles reversed. The Prince Charming character has become a modern young and forceful woman, and Mr....
, opposite Binnie Hale
Binnie Hale
Binnie Hale was an English actress and musician. Both her father, Robert Hale and younger brother, Sonnie Hale were actors. She married West End actor Jack Raine, with whom she had one daughter....
whom he starred opposite many times throughout their careers. He reprised his title role in Mr. Cinders in several different productions. He was a musical comedy star on the West End
West End theatre
West End theatre is a popular term for mainstream professional theatre staged in the large theatres of London's 'Theatreland', the West End. Along with New York's Broadway theatre, West End theatre is usually considered to represent the highest level of commercial theatre in the English speaking...
primarily in the 1930s and 1940s, but had a full career on the stage throughout his life, also playing in Broadway theatre
Broadway theatre
Broadway theatre, commonly called simply Broadway, refers to theatrical performances presented in one of the 40 professional theatres with 500 or more seats located in the Theatre District centered along Broadway, and in Lincoln Center, in Manhattan in New York City...
, as well as in films until he retired in the late 1960s. He is the father of actress Sally Ann Howes
Sally Ann Howes
Sally Ann Howes is a British actress and singer, who currently holds dual British-American citizenship. Her career on stage, screen and television has spanned over six decades...
and Peter Howes from his marriage to Patricia Malone
Patricia Malone
Patricia "Pat" Malone was an English stage actress.Pat Malone was the daughter of a London theatrical director, Captain J.A.E. Malone and she began acting at an early age. She married actor/comedian/singer Bobby Howes and they had two children, the actress Sally Ann Howes and the musician Peter...
.
During World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
, he worked in the sub-basement of the London Control Room of the BBC
BBC
The British Broadcasting Corporation is a British public service broadcaster. Its headquarters is at Broadcasting House in the City of Westminster, London. It is the largest broadcaster in the world, with about 23,000 staff...
as a Senior Control Room Engineer on shift "D."
In the 1930s, he was with Van Phillips' Four Bright Sparks whose vocalists included Billy Milton
Billy Milton
-Selected filmography:* Young Woodley * The Man from Chicago * The Great Gay Road * Three Men in a Boat * Music Hath Charms * No Escape * Aren't Men Beasts! * Yes, Madam?...
and Ray Starita. Four Bright Sparks recorded at least 60 sides. One of his most acclaimed roles was as the title role in the 1960 revival of Finian's Rainbow
Finian's Rainbow
Finian's Rainbow is a musical with a book by E.Y. Harburg and Fred Saidy, lyrics by Harburg, and music by Burton Lane. The 1947 Broadway production ran for 725 performances. Several revivals and a 1968 film version followed. A Broadway revival ran from October 8, 2009 until January 17, 2010...
.
One of his favorite pastimes and hobbies was carpentry.
He died on 27 April 1972 in London, England.
Filmography
- Elixir do Diabo, O (1964)
- Watch it, Sailor! (1961) - as a Drunk (guest appearance)
- The Good CompanionsThe Good Companions (1957 film)The Good Companions is a 1957 British musical film directed by J. Lee Thompson and starring Eric Portman. It is based on the novel of the same name and is a remake of the 1933 film version.-Cast:* Eric Portman - Jess Oakroyd* Celia Johnson - Miss Trant...
(1957) - as Jimmy Nunn - Happy Go Lovely (1951) - as Charlie
- Murder In the Footlights (1951)
- The Trojan Brothers (1946) - as Benny Castelli
- Bob's Your Uncle (1942)
- Men With Whips (1939)
- Yes, Madam? (1939) - as Bill Quinton
- Sweet Devil (1938) - as Tony Brent
- Please Teacher (1937) - as Tommy Deacon
- Over the Garden Wall (1934) - as Bunny
- For the Love of Mike (1932) - as Bobby Seymour
- Lord BabsLord BabsLord Babs is a 1932 British comedy film directed by Walter Forde and starring Bobby Howes, Jean Colin and Pat Paterson. It was based on a play by Keble Howard...
(1932) - as Lord Basil 'Babs' Drayford - Third Time Lucky (1931) - as Rev. Arthur Fear
- The Guns of LoosThe Guns of LoosThe Guns of Loos is a silent British war film directed by Sinclair Hill and starring Henry Victor, Madeleine Carroll, and Bobby Howes.-Plot:A blind veteran of the First World War returns home to run his family's industrial empire....
(1928) - as Danny - On With The Dance (1927)
Television
- Douglas Fairbanks Presents "Point of View" - US airdate 14 May 1956 - episode 4.14[131] - Filmed at the British National Studios, Elstree, England
- Curtains For Harry (1955) - as Harry Bates - single episode show
- Out Of This World (1950) - Proposed series that had only one episode, 15 Nov 1950, Wed 8.30pm
- Such Is Life (1950) - played 'the little man struggling with his conscience' in this themed sketch series. 5 episodes, 30 mins each, 24 Apr-19 June 1950 - fortnightly Mon around 9pm
- Paging You (1946) - episode #4
Theatre
- Do Re Me (1961) - Prince of Wales Theatre, London - Opened October 12, 1961
- Finian's Rainbow (1961) - Blackpool Opera HouseWinter Gardens, BlackpoolThe Winter Gardens is a large entertainment complex in the town centre of Blackpool, Lancashire, England. It has twelve different venues, including a theatre, ballroom and conference facilities. Opened in 1878, it is a Grade II* listed building, incorporating various elements built between 1875 and...
, UK - March/April 1961 - Finian's Rainbow (1960) - BroadwayBroadway theatreBroadway theatre, commonly called simply Broadway, refers to theatrical performances presented in one of the 40 professional theatres with 500 or more seats located in the Theatre District centered along Broadway, and in Lincoln Center, in Manhattan in New York City...
- (revival performance) May 23, 1960 - Jun 1, 1960 - The Geese Are Getting Fat (1960) - Phoenix Theatre - 1960
- Finian's Rainbow (1958) - New Shakespeare Theatre, LiverpoolNew Shakespeare Theatre, LiverpoolThe New Shakespeare Theatre, Liverpool, was a theatre in that British city's Fraser Street. The theatre opened in 1888 under the proprietorship of Mr Ellis Brammall jun...
- with Shani WallisShani WallisShani Wallis is an English actress and singer.Wallis was born in Tottenham, London. Making her first stage appearance at the age of four, she later studied at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art on a scholarship... - Hide and Seek (1958) - London Hippodrome - with Cicely Courtneidge
- The Entertainer (1958) - Leeds Grand Theatre & Opera HouseGrand Theatre LeedsThe Grand Theatre is a theatre and Opera house in the centre of Leeds, West Yorkshire, England. It was designed by James Robinson Watson, chief assistant in the office of Leeds-based architect George Corson, and opened on 18 November 1878...
- July 1958 - Start From Scratch (1957) - Q TheatreQ TheatreThe Q Theatre, seating 490 in 25 rows with a central aisle, was opened in 1924 near Kew Bridge in west London by Jack and Beatie de Leon, and was one of a number of small, committed, independent theatre companies which included the Hampstead Everyman, the Arts Theatre Club and the Gate Theatre Studio...
, KewKewKew is a place in the London Borough of Richmond upon Thames in South West London. Kew is best known for being the location of the Royal Botanic Gardens, now a World Heritage Site, which includes Kew Palace...
(1956-1957 season) - with Glyn Dearman, Helen Christie; dir:Robert Henderson - Paint Your Wagon (1953) - at Her Majesty's TheatreHer Majesty's TheatreHer Majesty's Theatre is a West End theatre, in Haymarket, City of Westminster, London. The present building was designed by Charles J. Phipps and was constructed in 1897 for actor-manager Herbert Beerbohm Tree, who established the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art at the theatre...
, The HaymarketThe HaymarketHaymarket is a street in the St. James's district of the City of Westminster, London. It runs from Piccadilly Circus at the north to Pall Mall at the south...
– with daughter Sally Ann HowesSally Ann HowesSally Ann Howes is a British actress and singer, who currently holds dual British-American citizenship. Her career on stage, screen and television has spanned over six decades...
- production ran for 18 months - Harvey (1950's?) - Streatham Hill Theatre - 1950's?
- The Yellow Mask (1953) - His Majesty's Theatre
- Roundabout (1949) - three weeks, with Pat Kirkwood
- Four, Five, Six (1948) - with Binnie HaleBinnie HaleBinnie Hale was an English actress and musician. Both her father, Robert Hale and younger brother, Sonnie Hale were actors. She married West End actor Jack Raine, with whom she had one daughter....
- The Man In the Street (1947) - St. James Theatre, October 1947
- Here Come The Boys (1946) - Saville TheatreSaville TheatreThe Saville Theatre is a former West End theatre at 135 Shaftesbury Avenue in the City of Westminster. The theatre opened in 1931, and became a music venue during the 1960s, finally being converted to a cinema in 1970.-Theatre years:...
, Shaftesbury AvenueShaftesbury AvenueShaftesbury Avenue is a major street in central London, England, named after Anthony Ashley Cooper, 7th Earl of Shaftesbury, that runs in a north-easterly direction from Piccadilly Circus to New Oxford Street, crossing Charing Cross Road at Cambridge Circus....
- with Jack HulbertJack HulbertJohn Norman "Jack" Hulbert was a British actor, specialising primarily in comedy productions.-Biography:Born in Ely, Cambridgeshire, he was the elder and more successful brother of Claude. He was educated at Cambridge and appeared in many shows and revues, mainly with the Cambridge Footlights. He... - Cinderella (1944) (pantomime) - Winter Garden
- By Jupiter (1944) - Palace Theatre, ManchesterPalace Theatre, ManchesterThe Palace Theatre, Manchester, is one of the main theatres in Manchester, England. It is situated on Oxford Street, on the north-east corner of the intersection with Whitworth Street. The Palace and its 'sister' theatre the Manchester Opera House on Quay Street are operated by the same parent...
- show opened July 25, closed quickly - Let's Face It (Jerry Walker) - (1942) (musical) - London Hippodrome - show opened November 19 - 348 performances
- Shepherd's Pie (1941) (musical) - Leeds Grand Theatre & Opera House - April 1941, with Arthur RiscoeArthur Riscoe-Selected filmography:* Horatio's Deception * For Love of You * Public Nuisance No. 1 * Paradise for Two * Kipps -External links:...
, Richard HearneRichard HearneRichard Lewis Hearne, OBE was an English actor, comedian, producer and writer. He was famous for his stage and television character Mr Pastry.-Career:...
, Vera PearceVera Pearce-Filmography:* The Shepherd of the Southern Cross * Just My Luck * Yes, Mr. Brown * That's a Good Girl * So You Won't Talk * Royal Cavalcade * Heat Wave * Southern Roses...
and Raymond Newell - Halfway To Heaven (1940s) - Shaftesbury TheatreShaftesbury TheatreThe Shaftesbury Theatre is a West End Theatre, located on Shaftesbury Avenue, in the London Borough of Camden.-History:The theatre was designed for the brothers Walter and Frederick Melville by Bertie Crewe and opened on 26 December 1911 with a production of The Three Musketeers, as the New...
- A New Play by Harry Segall. With Bobby Howes, Bryan Matheson, J H Roberts, Maxwell Foster - Big Business (1940) - London Hippodrome
- All Clear (1939) - Queen's TheatreQueen's TheatreThe Queen's Theatre is a West End theatre located in Shaftesbury Avenue in the City of Westminster. It opened on 8 October 1907 as a twin to the neighbouring Gielgud Theatre which opened ten months earlier. Both theatres were designed by W.G.R...
, London, with Beatrice LillieBeatrice LillieBeatrice Gladys "Bea" Lillie was an actress and comedic performer. Following her 1920 marriage to Sir Robert Peel in England, she was known in private life as Lady Peel.-Early career:...
- revue that opened on December 20, 1939 - Bobby Get Your Gun (1938) - Adelphi TheatreAdelphi TheatreThe Adelphi Theatre is a 1500-seat West End theatre, located on the Strand in the City of Westminster. The present building is the fourth on the site. The theatre has specialised in comedy and musical theatre, and today it is a receiving house for a variety of productions, including many musicals...
- Opened October 7, 1938 - Hide and Seek (1937) - London Hippodrome - show opened October 14 - with Cicely CourtneidgeCicely CourtneidgeDame Esmerelda Cicely Courtneidge DBE was an English actress and comedienne. The daughter of the producer Robert Courtneidge, she was appearing in his productions in the West End, by the age of 16, and was quickly promoted from minor to major roles in his Edwardian musical comedies.After the...
- Please Teacher (1936) - London Hippodrome
- Christmas Mails 100 Years Ago (1935) - a comedic philatelic play by Nevile Stocken
- Yes Madam? (1934) - London Hippodrome - show opened September 27 - with Binnie HaleBinnie HaleBinnie Hale was an English actress and musician. Both her father, Robert Hale and younger brother, Sonnie Hale were actors. She married West End actor Jack Raine, with whom she had one daughter....
- He Wanted Adventure (Bobby Bramstone) - Saville Theatre - 1933
- Tell Her The Truth (Bobbie) - Saville Theatre - show opened June 14, 1932, 234 performances
- For The Love of Mike (1931) - Saville Theatre
- The Song of the Drum (Chips) - Theatre RoyalTheatre Royal, Drury LaneThe Theatre Royal, Drury Lane is a West End theatre in Covent Garden, in the City of Westminster, a borough of London. The building faces Catherine Street and backs onto Drury Lane. The building standing today is the most recent in a line of four theatres at the same location dating back to 1663,...
, Drury LaneDrury LaneDrury Lane is a street on the eastern boundary of the Covent Garden area of London, running between Aldwych and High Holborn. The northern part is in the borough of Camden and the southern part in the City of Westminster....
- 1931 - Nippy (1930) - London Hippodrome - with Binnie Hale - 1930
- Sons O' Guns (1930) - London Hippodrome - show opened June 26, 1930.
- Mr. Cinders (1930) - Streatham Hill Theatre - April 1930
- Mr. CindersMr. CindersMr. Cinders is a musical. The music is by Vivian Ellis & Richard Myers, and the libretto by Clifford Grey & Greatorex Newman. The story is an inversion of the Cinderella fairy tale with the gender roles reversed. The Prince Charming character has become a modern young and forceful woman, and Mr....
(1929) - Adelphi TheatreAdelphi TheatreThe Adelphi Theatre is a 1500-seat West End theatre, located on the Strand in the City of Westminster. The present building is the fourth on the site. The theatre has specialised in comedy and musical theatre, and today it is a receiving house for a variety of productions, including many musicals...
, London - 528 performances - Mr. Cinders (1928–1929) - London Hippodrome - with Binnie HaleBinnie HaleBinnie Hale was an English actress and musician. Both her father, Robert Hale and younger brother, Sonnie Hale were actors. She married West End actor Jack Raine, with whom she had one daughter....
, Ruth MaitlandRuth Maitland-Selected filmography:* The Faithful Heart * The Farmer's Wife * Bed and Breakfast * Aren't Men Beasts! * At the Villa Rose * The Second Mr. Bush * It Happened to One Man...
, Arthur ChesneyArthur ChesneyArthur Chesney was a British actor. He was the brother of the actor Edmund Gwenn and the cousin of the actor Cecil Kellaway.-Selected filmography:* The Lure of Crooning Water * Hindle Wakes * French Leave... - The Blue Train (1927) - Prince of Wales TheatrePrince of Wales TheatreThe Prince of Wales Theatre is a West End theatre on Coventry Street, near Leicester Square in the City of Westminster. It was established in 1884 and rebuilt in 1937, and extensively refurbished in 2004 by Sir Cameron Mackintosh, its current owner...
- 10 May 1927 - The Midnight Follies (bathing chorus) (1925) - Metropole - with Enid Stamp-Taylor and Eddie Childs
- Little Revues (1923–24) - West End
- Seasoned To Taste (1919–1920) - a burlesque written by Jack HyltonJack HyltonJack Hylton was a British band leader and impresario.He was born John Greenhalgh Hilton in the Great Lever area of Bolton, Lancashire, the son of George Hilton, a cotton yarn twister. His father was an amateur singer at the local Labour Club and Jack learned piano to accompany him on the stage...
as a vehicle for Tommy HandleyTommy HandleyThomas Reginald "Tommy" Handley was a British comedian, mainly known for the BBC radio programme ITMA . He was born at Toxteth Park, Liverpool in Lancashire....
and Bobby Howes, which opened at the end of 1919 and ran until early 1920, at the MetropolitanMetropolitan TheatreMetropolitan Theatre is an historic building at 252-272 Tremont Street in Boston, Massachusetts.The theater was built in 1923 by Blackall,Clapp & Whittemore and was added to the National Historic Register in 1980....
, Edgware Road.
Other live performances
- Royal Variety Command Performance - November 7, 1955, Victoria Palace
- A gala revue at Theatre Royal, Drury Lane to promote National Savings - 17 October 1948.
- R.A.F.A. Festival of Reunion - Sunday, September 22, 1946 - Royal Albert HallRoyal Albert HallThe Royal Albert Hall is a concert hall situated on the northern edge of the South Kensington area, in the City of Westminster, London, England, best known for holding the annual summer Proms concerts since 1941....
Discography
- Finian's Rainbow (1960)
- Paint Your Wagon (1953)
- She's My Lovely (1940s?)
- Yes, Madam (1934) — with Binnie HaleBinnie HaleBinnie Hale was an English actress and musician. Both her father, Robert Hale and younger brother, Sonnie Hale were actors. She married West End actor Jack Raine, with whom she had one daughter....
- I'm a one-man girl — with Binnie HaleBinnie HaleBinnie Hale was an English actress and musician. Both her father, Robert Hale and younger brother, Sonnie Hale were actors. She married West End actor Jack Raine, with whom she had one daughter....
, 78 from Mr. Cinders - The Blue Train (1927)
- Rudolf Friml in London (1923–30) — Derek OldhamDerek OldhamDerek Oldham was an English singer and actor, best known for his performances in the tenor roles of the Savoy Operas with the D'Oyly Carte Opera Company....
, Edith Day, Ethel Levey, Bobby Howes, Roy Royston, Dennis Kings, et al., from 78s.
Product endorsements
- Ardath Cigarette Cards, #28 of 50. Issued by Ardath Tobacco Co. in England.
- British Film Stars cigarette cards issued in England by W.A. & A.C. Churchman in 1934. He was card #14.