Cyril Joseph Trimnell-Ritchard (1 December 1898 – 18 December 1977),
[ known professionally as Cyril Ritchard, was an Australian stage, screen and television actor, and director. He is best remembered today for his performance as ]Captain Hook
Captain James Hook is a fictional character and the main antagonist of J. M. Barrie's 1904 play ''Peter Pan; or, the Boy Who Wouldn't Grow Up'' and its various adaptations, in which he is Peter Pan's archenemy. The character is a pirate capta ...
in the Mary Martin
Mary Virginia Martin (December 1, 1913 – November 3, 1990) was an American actress and singer. A muse of Rodgers and Hammerstein, she originated many leading roles on stage over her career, including Nellie Forbush in '' South Pacific'' (194 ...
musical production of ''Peter Pan
Peter Pan is a fictional character created by Scottish novelist and playwright J. M. Barrie. A free-spirited and mischievous young boy who can fly and never grows up, Peter Pan spends his never-ending childhood having adventures on the mythi ...
''. In 1945, he played Gabriele Eisenstein in '' Gay Rosalinda'' at the Palace theatre in London, a version of Strauss's ''Die Fledermaus
' (, ''The Flittermouse'' or ''The Bat'', sometimes called ''The Revenge of the Bat'') is an operetta composed by Johann Strauss II to a German libretto by Karl Haffner and Richard Genée, which premiered in 1874.
Background
The original ...
'' by Erich Wolfgang Korngold
Erich Wolfgang Korngold (May 29, 1897November 29, 1957) was an Austrian-born American composer and conductor. A child prodigy, he became one of the most important and influential composers in Hollywood history. He was a noted pianist and compo ...
in which he appeared with Peter Graves
Peter Graves (born Peter Duesler Aurness; March 18, 1926 – March 14, 2010) was an American actor. He was best known for his role as Jim Phelps in the CBS television series ''Mission: Impossible (1966 TV series), Mission: Impossible'' from 1967 ...
. The show was conducted by Richard Tauber
Richard Tauber (16 May 1891 – 8 January 1948) was an Austrian tenor and film actor.
Early life
Richard Tauber was born in Linz, Austria, to Elisabeth Seifferth (née Denemy), a widow and an actress who played soubrette roles at the local theat ...
and ran for almost a year.
Life and career
Ritchard was born in the Sydney
Sydney ( ) is the capital city of the state of New South Wales, and the most populous city in both Australia and Oceania. Located on Australia's east coast, the metropolis surrounds Sydney Harbour and extends about towards the Blue Mountain ...
suburb of Surry Hills
Surry Hills is an inner-city suburb of Sydney, in the state of New South Wales, Australia. Surry Hills is immediately south-east of the Sydney central business district in the local government area of the City of Sydney. Surry Hills is surroun ...
,[ one of five siblings born to Sydney-born parents: Herbert Trimnell-Ritchard, a Protestant grocer, and Margaret, sometimes called "Marguerite" ( Collins), a Roman Catholic, in whose faith the children were raised. Educated by the Jesuits at St Aloysius' College, Cyril studied medicine at ]University of Sydney
The University of Sydney (USYD), also known as Sydney University, or informally Sydney Uni, is a public research university located in Sydney, Australia. Founded in 1850, it is the oldest university in Australia and is one of the country's si ...
until he abandoned his career in medicine in 1917 and decided to become an actor.
Dance teacher Minnie Hooper suggested Ritchard team up with one of her dancers, Madge Elliott, but Madge rejected him because he couldn't dance. Two years later, after a practice waltz, Madge and Cyril realized they were a team, and they went on a dancing tour of New Zealand.[
Madge and Cyril appeared in '']Yes, Uncle!
''Yes, Uncle!'' is a musical comedy by Austen Hurgon and George Arthurs, with music by Nat D. Ayer and lyrics by Clifford Grey (who also wrote ''The Bing Boys are Here'' and the following series of highly successful reviews). The story is based o ...
''[ and '' Going Up'', both in 1918. They then went their separate ways. Ritchard shared an apartment with ]Walter Pidgeon
Walter Davis Pidgeon (September 23, 1897 – September 25, 1984) was a Canadian-American actor. He earned two Academy Award for Best Actor nominations for his roles in '' Mrs. Miniver'' (1942) and ''Madame Curie'' (1943). Pidgeon also starred in ...
in New York while he appeared there, and Madge made her first West End appearance in 1925. Ritchard joined her in London and they reestablished the dancing partnership. In 1927 Laddie Cliff
Laddie Cliff (3 September 1891–8 December 1937) was a British dancer, choreographer, actor, producer, writer, and director of comedy, musical theatre and film. He was noted for his versatility. His many London West End theatre appearances and ...
booked them to star in ''Lady Luck'' at the Carlton Theatre
The Carlton Theatre was a London West End dual-purpose theatre-cum-cinema built in 1927 for Adolph Zukor's Paramount Pictures. It continues in use as a cinema and is now called Empire Haymarket.
It was designed by Frank Verity and Sam Bever ...
in 1927.[
In 1932 they returned to Australia where they were a hit. They appeared in a number of musicals, including ''Blue Roses''. Their swan song performance in Australia][ was their wedding ceremony at ]St Mary's Cathedral, Sydney
The Cathedral Church and Minor Basilica of the Immaculate Mother of God, Help of Christians (colloquially, St Mary's Cathedral) is the cathedral church of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Sydney and the seat of the Archbishop of Sydney, curre ...
, in September 1935. There were said to be 5,000 onlookers at the wedding; Madge's four-yard £400 veil had a starring role.[
]
''Peter Pan''
Ritchard achieved star status in 1954 as Captain Hook
Captain James Hook is a fictional character and the main antagonist of J. M. Barrie's 1904 play ''Peter Pan; or, the Boy Who Wouldn't Grow Up'' and its various adaptations, in which he is Peter Pan's archenemy. The character is a pirate capta ...
in the Broadway production of ''Peter Pan
Peter Pan is a fictional character created by Scottish novelist and playwright J. M. Barrie. A free-spirited and mischievous young boy who can fly and never grows up, Peter Pan spends his never-ending childhood having adventures on the mythi ...
'' starring Mary Martin
Mary Virginia Martin (December 1, 1913 – November 3, 1990) was an American actress and singer. A muse of Rodgers and Hammerstein, she originated many leading roles on stage over her career, including Nellie Forbush in '' South Pacific'' (194 ...
, who shared the same birthday as Ritchard (1 December). For his work in the show, he received a Tony Award
The Antoinette Perry Award for Excellence in Broadway Theatre, more commonly known as the Tony Award, recognizes excellence in live Broadway theatre. The awards are presented by the American Theatre Wing and The Broadway League at an annual cer ...
as Best Featured Actor in a Musical.
Both Ritchard and Martin starred in the NBC
The National Broadcasting Company (NBC) is an American English-language commercial broadcast television and radio network. The flagship property of the NBC Entertainment division of NBCUniversal, a division of Comcast, its headquarters are l ...
television productions of the musical, beginning with a live color telecast in 1955. The television version was well-received, and Ritchard reprised his role in 1956 and 1960.
Additional Roles
In 1958, he starred in the Cole Porter
Cole Albert Porter (June 9, 1891 – October 15, 1964) was an American composer and songwriter. Many of his songs became standards noted for their witty, urbane lyrics, and many of his scores found success on Broadway and in film.
Born to ...
CBS
CBS Broadcasting Inc., commonly shortened to CBS, the abbreviation of its former legal name Columbia Broadcasting System, is an American commercial broadcast television and radio network serving as the flagship property of the CBS Entertainm ...
television musical ''Aladdin''. In 1959, he won his second Tony Award, for Best Actor in a Play, for “The Pleasure of His Company.”
He appeared onstage in ''The Roar of the Greasepaint – The Smell of the Crowd
''The Roar of the Greasepaint – The Smell of the Crowd'' is a musical with a book, music, and lyrics by Leslie Bricusse and Anthony Newley. The musical is best known for introducing the standards "A Wonderful Day Like Today", "Who Can I Turn T ...
'' (1965), with Anthony Newley
Anthony Newley (24 September 1931 – 14 April 1999) was an English actor, singer, songwriter, and filmmaker. A "latter-day British Al Jolson", he achieved widespread success in song, and on stage and screen. "One of Broadway's greatest leadin ...
, and ''Sugar
Sugar is the generic name for sweet-tasting, soluble carbohydrates, many of which are used in food. Simple sugars, also called monosaccharides, include glucose, fructose, and galactose. Compound sugars, also called disaccharides or double ...
'' (1972). He was also a Broadway director: ''The Happiest Girl in the World
''The Happiest Girl in the World'' is a musical with a book by Fred Saidy and Henry Mayers, lyrics by E.Y. Harburg, and music taken from the works of Jacques Offenbach.
Based on the comedy ''Lysistrata'' by Aristophanes and tales of Greek mythol ...
'' (1961) (in which he also appeared), ''Roar Like a Dove'' (1964) and ''The Irregular Verb to Love'' (1963) (in which he also appeared).
His film appearances include the role of the villain in Alfred Hitchcock
Sir Alfred Joseph Hitchcock (13 August 1899 – 29 April 1980) was an English filmmaker. He is widely regarded as one of the most influential figures in the history of cinema. In a career spanning six decades, he directed over 50 featur ...
's early talkie
A sound film is a motion picture with synchronized sound, or sound technologically coupled to image, as opposed to a silent film. The first known public exhibition of projected sound films took place in Paris in 1900, but decades passed before ...
'' Blackmail'' (1929) and much later in the Tommy Steele
Sir Thomas Hicks (born 17 December 1936), known professionally as Tommy Steele, is an English entertainer, regarded as Britain's first teen idol and rock and roll star.
After being discovered at the 2i's Coffee Bar in Soho, London, Steele reco ...
vehicle ''Half a Sixpence
''Half a Sixpence'' is a 1963 musical comedy based on the 1905 novel ''Kipps'' by H. G. Wells, with music and lyrics by David Heneker and a book by Beverley Cross. It was written as a vehicle for British pop star Tommy Steele.
Background
...
'' (1967).
Ritchard also appeared regularly on a variety of television programs in the late 1950s and 1960s. For example, he appeared as a mystery guest on ''What's My Line?'' on the 22 December 1957 episode of the popular Sunday night CBS
CBS Broadcasting Inc., commonly shortened to CBS, the abbreviation of its former legal name Columbia Broadcasting System, is an American commercial broadcast television and radio network serving as the flagship property of the CBS Entertainm ...
-TV program. In the 1950s Ritchard played the comic lead in Jacques Offenbach's operetta '' La Perichole'' at the Metropolitan Opera
The Metropolitan Opera (commonly known as the Met) is an American opera company based in New York City, resident at the Metropolitan Opera House at Lincoln Center, currently situated on the Upper West Side of Manhattan. The company is oper ...
in New York City. Later Ritchard served as a guest panelist on the Met's radio quiz show, where he was referred to as Sir Cyril, although he was never knighted. His wife, Madge Elliott, died of cancer in 1955 in New York.
Death
Shortly before he died, Ritchard performed as the voice of Elrond
Elrond Half-elven is a fictional character in J. R. R. Tolkien's Middle-earth legendarium. Both of his parents, Eärendil and Elwing, were half-elven, having both Men and Elves as ancestors. He is the bearer of the elven-ring Vilya, the Ring of ...
in the Rankin/Bass
Rankin/Bass Animated Entertainment (founded and formerly known as Videocraft International, Ltd. and Rankin/Bass Productions, Inc.) was an American production company located in New York City, and known for its seasonal television specials, usual ...
television production of ''The Hobbit
''The Hobbit, or There and Back Again'' is a children's fantasy novel by English author J. R. R. Tolkien. It was published in 1937 to wide critical acclaim, being nominated for the Carnegie Medal and awarded a prize from the ''N ...
''. Ritchard lived at The Langham, an apartment house in New York.
He suffered a heart attack on 25 November 1977, while appearing as the narrator in the Chicago touring company of ''Side by Side by Sondheim
''Side by Side by Sondheim'' is a musical revue featuring the songs of Broadway and film composer Stephen Sondheim. Its title is derived from the song "Side by Side by Side" from '' Company''.
History
The musical had its origins when David ...
''. He died on 18 December 1977 in Chicago, aged 79.[Pace, Eric]
"Cyril Ritchard, 79, Dies in Coma; Was Actor, Singer and Director"
''The New York Times
''The New York Times'' (''the Times'', ''NYT'', or the Gray Lady) is a daily newspaper based in New York City with a worldwide readership reported in 2020 to comprise a declining 840,000 paid print subscribers, and a growing 6 million paid ...
''. 19 December 1977. He was buried beside his wife at Saint Mary's Cemetery in Ridgefield, Connecticut
Ridgefield is a town in Fairfield County, Connecticut, United States. Situated in the foothills of the Berkshire Mountains, the 300-year-old community had a population of 25,033 at the 2020 census. The town center, which was formerly a borough ...
, near his rural home.[ His funeral mass was celebrated by Archbishop ]Fulton Sheen
Fulton John Sheen (born Peter John Sheen, May 8, 1895 – December 9, 1979) was an American bishop of the Catholic Church known for his preaching and especially his work on television and radio. Ordained a priest of the Diocese of Peoria in ...
.[ He and Madge had a baby boy who died in infancy in 1939.
]
Filmography
* '' Piccadilly'' (1929) as Victor Smiles
* '' Blackmail'' (1929, directed by Alfred Hitchcock
Sir Alfred Joseph Hitchcock (13 August 1899 – 29 April 1980) was an English filmmaker. He is widely regarded as one of the most influential figures in the history of cinema. In a career spanning six decades, he directed over 50 featur ...
) as The Artist
* ''Just for a Song
''Just for a Song'' is a 1930 British musical film directed by Gareth Gundrey and starring Lillian Hall-Davis, Roy Royston and Constance Carpenter. It was made at Islington Studios.Wood p.67 Some singing and dancing sequences were photograph ...
'' (1930) as Craddock
* '' Symphony in Two Flats'' (1930) as Leo Chavasse
* '' Service for Ladies'' (1932) as Sir William Carter (uncredited)
* '' Danny Boy'' (1934) as John Martin
* '' The Show Goes On'' (1937) as Jimmy
* '' It's a Grand Old World'' (1937) as Brain
* '' I See Ice'' (1938) as Paul Martine
* ''Dangerous Medicine
''Dangerous Medicine'' is a 1938 British crime film, directed by Arthur B. Woods and starring Elizabeth Allan and Cyril Ritchard. It is now classed as a lost film.The Winslow Boy
''The Winslow Boy'' is an English play from 1946 by Terence Rattigan based on an incident involving George Archer-Shee in the Edwardian era. The incident took place at the Royal Naval College, Osborne.
Background
Set against the strict c ...
'' (1948) as Cyril Ritchard
* '' Woman Hater'' (1948) as Reveller (uncredited)
* '' The Daydreamer'' (1966) as The Sandman (voice)
* ''Half a Sixpence
''Half a Sixpence'' is a 1963 musical comedy based on the 1905 novel ''Kipps'' by H. G. Wells, with music and lyrics by David Heneker and a book by Beverley Cross. It was written as a vehicle for British pop star Tommy Steele.
Background
...
'' (1967) as Harry Chitterlow
* '' Hans Brinker'' (1969, TV movie) as Mijnheer Kleef
* '' The Enchanted World of Danny Kaye: The Emperor's New Clothes'' (1972, TV movie) as Emperor Klockenlocher (voice)
* '' Tubby the Tuba'' (1975) as The Frog (voice)
* '' Captain Kangaroo 1975'' as a World Traveler
* '' The First Christmas: The Story of the First Christmas Snow'' (1975, TV short) as Father Thomas (voice)
* ''The Hobbit
''The Hobbit, or There and Back Again'' is a children's fantasy novel by English author J. R. R. Tolkien. It was published in 1937 to wide critical acclaim, being nominated for the Carnegie Medal and awarded a prize from the ''N ...
'' (1977, TV movie) as Elrond (voice, final film role)
Radio appearances
References
External links
*
*
Biography of Ritchard
{{DEFAULTSORT:Ritchard, Cyril
1898 births
1977 deaths
Australian male film actors
Australian male musical theatre actors
Australian male stage actors
Australian male television actors
Australian Roman Catholics
Donaldson Award winners
Male actors from Sydney
Tony Award winners
People educated at St Aloysius' College (Sydney)
University of Sydney alumni
20th-century Australian male actors
Australian expatriate male actors in the United States
20th-century Australian male singers