Leslie Hutchinson
Encyclopedia
Leslie Arthur Julien Hutchinson, known as "Hutch" (born Gouyave
, Grenada
, 7 March 1900, died London
, England
, 18 August 1969) was one of the biggest cabaret stars
in the world during the 1920s
and 1930s
.
in 1900 to George Hutchinson and Marianne (née Turnbull), he took piano lessons as a child. He moved to New York City in his teens, originally to take a degree in medicine as he won a place due to his high aptitude, and began playing the piano and singing in bars. He then joined a black band led by Henry "Broadway" Jones, who often played for white millionaires such as the Vanderbilt
s, attracting the wrath of the Ku Klux Klan
. In 1924 he left America for Paris, where he had a residency in Joe Zelli's club and became a friend and lover of Cole Porter
. He was for some time the highest paid star in Britain
and was one of the biggest stars during the twenties and thirties in the UK.
"Hutch" might have been secretly bisexual and was alleged to have had relationships with Ivor Novello
, Merle Oberon
, and actress Tallulah Bankhead
--an openly bisexual Golden Age Hollywood actress. The rumours include affairs with Edwina Mountbatten and members of the British Royal Family
which supposedly led to his social ostracism and the destruction of his professional career. Such rumours pertaining to an affair with a senior Royal just after the end of WW2, are hinted to in the 2008 film 'The Bank Job' with it posited that the character 'Martine Love' played by Saffron Burrows is indeed that Royal stealing her own photographs to be able to ensure the future of a lineage descended from her and Hutch's lovechild. It was not unusual for signs on guest houses to read 'no Irish, no blacks, no dogs' thus possession of such pictures allowed the Royal to protect against those accurséd courtiers, and indeed one of her descendents is now an internationally renowned singer/songwriter with success in her own right.
Encouraged by his lover Edwina Mountbatten, he came to England
in 1927 to perform in a Rodgers and Hart
musical, and soon became the darling of society
and the population in general. "Hutch" was a favourite singer of the then Prince of Wales
(later King Edward VIII
). He was regularly heard on air with the BBC
. One of his greatest hits was "These Foolish Things
". He was a much-loved wartime
entertainer.
As well as being a friend and lover of Cole Porter, he recorded several of his songs, including "Begin the Beguine
" and Porter's list song "Let's Do It (Let's Fall in Love)", to which he supposedly made up some 70 new verses.
He married Ella Byrd, a woman of African, English, and Chinese ancestry, in 1923 or 1924 in New York City.http://www.dailymail.co.uk/femail/article-1085883/The-royal-gigolo-Edwina-Mountbatten-sued-claims-affair-black-singer-Paul-Robeson-But-truth-outrageous-.html Their daughter, Lesley Bagley Yvonne, was born on 9 April 1926. Hutch would go on to sire six further children to five different mothers. Gordon was born in August 1928, Gabrielle in September 1930, Gerald and Chris in 1948, and Graham (Chris' full brother) in 1953, and Emma in April 1964.
Leslie Hutchinson suffered from ill-health in his later years and died from pneumonia
on 19 August 1969. Only 42 people attended his funeral.
Gouyave
Gouyave is the third-largest fishing town in Grenada Gouyave is the third-largest fishing town in Grenada Gouyave is the third-largest fishing town in Grenada (behind the capital, St. George's, with a population of 4,378. It is located on the west coast of the Grenada and is the capital of the...
, Grenada
Grenada
Grenada is an island country and Commonwealth Realm consisting of the island of Grenada and six smaller islands at the southern end of the Grenadines in the southeastern Caribbean Sea...
, 7 March 1900, died London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
, 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...
, 18 August 1969) was one of the biggest cabaret stars
Cabaret
Cabaret is a form, or place, of entertainment featuring comedy, song, dance, and theatre, distinguished mainly by the performance venue: a restaurant or nightclub with a stage for performances and the audience sitting at tables watching the performance, as introduced by a master of ceremonies or...
in the world during the 1920s
1920s
File:1920s decade montage.png|From left, clockwise: Third Tipperary Brigade Flying Column No. 2 under Sean Hogan during the Irish Civil War; Prohibition agents destroying barrels of alcohol in accordance to the 18th amendment, which made alcoholic beverages illegal throughout the entire decade; In...
and 1930s
1930s
File:1930s decade montage.png|From left, clockwise: Dorothea Lange's photo of the homeless Florence Thompson show the effects of the Great Depression; Due to the economic collapse, the farms become dry and the Dust Bowl spreads through America; The Battle of Wuhan during the Second Sino-Japanese...
.
Career
Born in GrenadaGrenada
Grenada is an island country and Commonwealth Realm consisting of the island of Grenada and six smaller islands at the southern end of the Grenadines in the southeastern Caribbean Sea...
in 1900 to George Hutchinson and Marianne (née Turnbull), he took piano lessons as a child. He moved to New York City in his teens, originally to take a degree in medicine as he won a place due to his high aptitude, and began playing the piano and singing in bars. He then joined a black band led by Henry "Broadway" Jones, who often played for white millionaires such as the Vanderbilt
Vanderbilt family
The Vanderbilt family is an American family of Dutch origin prominent during the Gilded Age. It started off with the shipping and railroad empires of Cornelius Vanderbilt, and expanded into various other areas of industry and philanthropy...
s, attracting the wrath of the Ku Klux Klan
Ku Klux Klan
Ku Klux Klan, often abbreviated KKK and informally known as the Klan, is the name of three distinct past and present far-right organizations in the United States, which have advocated extremist reactionary currents such as white supremacy, white nationalism, and anti-immigration, historically...
. In 1924 he left America for Paris, where he had a residency in Joe Zelli's club and became a friend and lover of Cole Porter
Cole Porter
Cole Albert Porter was an American composer and songwriter. Born to a wealthy family in Indiana, he defied the wishes of his domineering grandfather and took up music as a profession. Classically trained, he was drawn towards musical theatre...
. He was for some time the highest paid star in Britain
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
and was one of the biggest stars during the twenties and thirties in the UK.
"Hutch" might have been secretly bisexual and was alleged to have had relationships with Ivor Novello
Ivor Novello
David Ivor Davies , better known as Ivor Novello, was a Welsh composer, singer and actor who became one of the most popular British entertainers of the first half of the 20th century. Born into a musical family, his first successes were as a songwriter...
, Merle Oberon
Merle Oberon
Merle Oberon was an Indian-born British actress best known for her screen performances in The Scarlet Pimpernel and The Cowboy and the Lady . She began her film career in British films as Anne Boleyn in The Private Life of Henry VIII . She travelled to the United States to make films for Samuel...
, and actress Tallulah Bankhead
Tallulah Bankhead
Tallulah Brockman Bankhead was an award-winning American actress of the stage and screen, talk-show host, and bonne vivante...
--an openly bisexual Golden Age Hollywood actress. The rumours include affairs with Edwina Mountbatten and members of the British Royal Family
British Royal Family
The British Royal Family is the group of close relatives of the monarch of the United Kingdom. The term is also commonly applied to the same group of people as the relations of the monarch in her or his role as sovereign of any of the other Commonwealth realms, thus sometimes at variance with...
which supposedly led to his social ostracism and the destruction of his professional career. Such rumours pertaining to an affair with a senior Royal just after the end of WW2, are hinted to in the 2008 film 'The Bank Job' with it posited that the character 'Martine Love' played by Saffron Burrows is indeed that Royal stealing her own photographs to be able to ensure the future of a lineage descended from her and Hutch's lovechild. It was not unusual for signs on guest houses to read 'no Irish, no blacks, no dogs' thus possession of such pictures allowed the Royal to protect against those accurséd courtiers, and indeed one of her descendents is now an internationally renowned singer/songwriter with success in her own right.
Encouraged by his lover Edwina Mountbatten, he came to 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...
in 1927 to perform in a Rodgers and Hart
Rodgers and Hart
Rodgers and Hart were an American songwriting partnership of composer Richard Rodgers and the lyricist Lorenz Hart...
musical, and soon became the darling of society
Upper class
In social science, the "upper class" is the group of people at the top of a social hierarchy. Members of an upper class may have great power over the allocation of resources and governmental policy in their area.- Historical meaning :...
and the population in general. "Hutch" was a favourite singer of the then Prince of Wales
Prince of Wales
Prince of Wales is a title traditionally granted to the heir apparent to the reigning monarch of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and the 15 other independent Commonwealth realms...
(later King Edward VIII
Edward VIII of the United Kingdom
Edward VIII was King of the United Kingdom and the Dominions of the British Commonwealth, and Emperor of India, from 20 January to 11 December 1936.Before his accession to the throne, Edward was Prince of Wales and Duke of Cornwall and Rothesay...
). He was regularly heard on air with 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...
. One of his greatest hits was "These Foolish Things
These Foolish Things
These Foolish Things is a 1973 album by Bryan Ferry, containing cover versions of standard songs. It was his first solo effort, still being Roxy Music's lead singer...
". He was a much-loved wartime
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...
entertainer.
As well as being a friend and lover of Cole Porter, he recorded several of his songs, including "Begin the Beguine
Begin the Beguine
"Begin the Beguine" is a song written by Cole Porter . Porter composed the song at the piano in the bar of the Ritz Hotel in Paris. In October 1935, it was introduced by June Knight in the Broadway musical Jubilee produced at the Imperial Theatre in New York City.-Music:The beguine music and dance...
" and Porter's list song "Let's Do It (Let's Fall in Love)", to which he supposedly made up some 70 new verses.
He married Ella Byrd, a woman of African, English, and Chinese ancestry, in 1923 or 1924 in New York City.http://www.dailymail.co.uk/femail/article-1085883/The-royal-gigolo-Edwina-Mountbatten-sued-claims-affair-black-singer-Paul-Robeson-But-truth-outrageous-.html Their daughter, Lesley Bagley Yvonne, was born on 9 April 1926. Hutch would go on to sire six further children to five different mothers. Gordon was born in August 1928, Gabrielle in September 1930, Gerald and Chris in 1948, and Graham (Chris' full brother) in 1953, and Emma in April 1964.
Leslie Hutchinson suffered from ill-health in his later years and died from pneumonia
Pneumonia
Pneumonia is an inflammatory condition of the lung—especially affecting the microscopic air sacs —associated with fever, chest symptoms, and a lack of air space on a chest X-ray. Pneumonia is typically caused by an infection but there are a number of other causes...
on 19 August 1969. Only 42 people attended his funeral.
Filmography
- Actor:
- Big Business (1930) .... Pianist
- Beloved Impostor (1936)
- Brass MonkeyBrass Monkey (film)Brass Monkey is a British crime drama film directed by Thornton Freeland, starring Carroll Levis, formerly a radio variety show host, and American actress Carole Landis...
(1948) (aka Lucky Mascot) (as Leslie A. Hutchinson) .... Hutch - The Treasure of San Teresa (1959) (aka Hot Money Girl (UK) (US), aka Long Distance (US), aka Rhapsodie in Blei (West Germany)) (as Hutch) .... Piano Player at Billie's
- Soundtrack:
- Big Business (1930) (performer: "Always Your Humble Slave")
- Brass Monkey (1948) (aka Lucky Mascot) (performer: "To-Morrow's Rainbow")
- As self:
- Cock o' the North (1935)
- StarlightStarlight (TV series)Starlight was an early British television programme, one of the first regular series to be shown on the BBC Television Service in the 1930s...
(1936) TV series - Happidrome (1943) (uncredited)
Cultural references
- Evelyn WaughEvelyn WaughArthur Evelyn St. John Waugh , known as Evelyn Waugh, was an English writer of novels, travel books and biographies. He was also a prolific journalist and reviewer...
satirised him, or is at least believed to have satirised him, as Chokey in Decline and FallDecline and FallDecline and Fall is a novel by the English author Evelyn Waugh, first published in 1928. It was Waugh's first published novel; an earlier attempt, entitled The Temple at Thatch, was destroyed by Waugh while still in manuscript form. Decline and Fall is based in part on Waugh's undergraduate years...
.
- Kenneth WilliamsKenneth WilliamsKenneth Charles Williams was an English comic actor and comedian. He was one of the main ensemble in 26 of the Carry On films, and appeared in numerous British television shows, and radio comedies with Tony Hancock and Kenneth Horne.-Life and career:Kenneth Charles Williams was born on 22 February...
performed an impersonation of him at Mingaladon RAF station in 1947.
- On 25 November 2008, Channel 4Channel 4Channel 4 is a British public-service television broadcaster which began working on 2 November 1982. Although largely commercially self-funded, it is ultimately publicly owned; originally a subsidiary of the Independent Broadcasting Authority , the station is now owned and operated by the Channel...
TV in the UK showed a documentary on his life called High Society's Favourite Gigolo.
External links
- Leslie Hutchinson at the Internet Movie DatabaseInternet Movie DatabaseInternet Movie Database is an online database of information related to movies, television shows, actors, production crew personnel, video games and fictional characters featured in visual entertainment media. It is one of the most popular online entertainment destinations, with over 100 million...
- Hutch Sings Gershwin & Porter CD from Past Perfect