Clemence Dane

CBE The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is a British order of chivalry, rewarding contributions to the arts and sciences, work with charitable and welfare organisations, and public service outside the civil service. It was established o ...

is the

pseudonym A pseudonym (; ) or alias () is a fictitious name that a person or group assumes for a particular purpose, which differs from their original or true name ( orthonym). This also differs from a new name that entirely or legally replaces an individu ...

of Winifred Ashton (21 February 1888 – 28 March 1965), an English

novelist A novelist is an author or writer of novels, though often novelists also write in other genres of both fiction and non-fiction. Some novelists are professional novelists, thus make a living writing novels and other fiction, while others aspire to ...

and

playwright A playwright or dramatist is a person who writes plays. Etymology The word "play" is from Middle English pleye, from Old English plæġ, pleġa, plæġa ("play, exercise; sport, game; drama, applause"). The word "wright" is an archaic English ...

Life and career

After completing her education, Dane went to Switzerland to work as a French tutor, but returned home after a year. She studied art in London and Germany. After the

First World War World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, the United States, and the Ottoman Empire, with fighti ...

, she taught at a girls' school and began writing. She took the pseudonym "Clemence Dane" from the church,

St Clement Danes St Clement Danes is an Anglican church in the City of Westminster, London. It is situated outside the Royal Courts of Justice on the Strand. Although the first church on the site was reputedly founded in the 9th century by the Danes, the curren ...

on the

Strand, London Strand (or the Strand) is a major thoroughfare in the City of Westminster, Central London. It runs just over from Trafalgar Square eastwards to Temple Bar, where the road becomes Fleet Street in the City of London, and is part of the A4 ...

. Her first novel, '' Regiment of Women,'' written in 1914, was a study of life in a girls' school. Michael Cox and Jack Adrian, ''The Oxford Book of Historical Stories''. Oxford;

Oxford University Press Oxford University Press (OUP) is the university press of the University of Oxford. It is the largest university press in the world, and its printing history dates back to the 1480s. Having been officially granted the legal right to print books ...

, 1994. (p.436). In 1919 she wrote ''Legend'', the story of a group of acquaintances who debate the meaning of a dead friend's life and work. Dane's 1921 play, '' A Bill of Divorcement'', tells the story of a daughter who cares for her deranged father and faces the fact that his mental illness may be hereditary. The smash hit play was adapted for the screen three times, using the same title as the play: a silent film in 1922, a 1932 film starring

Katharine Hepburn Katharine Houghton Hepburn (May 12, 1907 – June 29, 2003) was an American actress in film, stage, and television. Her career as a Hollywood leading lady spanned over 60 years. She was known for her headstrong independence, spirited perso ...

and

John Barrymore John Barrymore (born John Sidney Blyth; February 14 or 15, 1882 – May 29, 1942) was an American actor on stage, screen and radio. A member of the Drew and Barrymore theatrical families, he initially tried to avoid the stage, and briefly att ...

, and a 1940 film starring Maureen O’Hara and

Adolphe Menjou Adolphe Jean Menjou (February 18, 1890 – October 29, 1963) was an American actor. His career spanned both silent films and talkies. He appeared in such films as Charlie Chaplin's ''A Woman of Paris'', where he played the lead role; Stanley Ku ...

. Dane began writing screenplays as well as novels. In 1933-1934 she travelled to Hollywood on a contract with RKO and returned again in 1937-8 and in 1947 after the war. In England she worked with Alexander Korda. She co-wrote the screenplay for ''

Anna Karenina ''Anna Karenina'' ( rus, «Анна Каренина», p=ˈanːə kɐˈrʲenʲɪnə) is a novel by the Russian author Leo Tolstoy, first published in book form in 1878. Widely considered to be one of the greatest works of literature ever writte ...

'', starring

Greta Garbo Greta Garbo (born Greta Lovisa Gustafsson; 18 September 1905 – 15 April 1990) was a Swedish-American actress. Regarded as one of the greatest screen actresses, she was known for her melancholic, somber persona, her film portrayals of tragic c ...

and ''Fire over England'' based on the novel by A.E.W. Mason, starring a young

Laurence Olivier Laurence Kerr Olivier, Baron Olivier (; 22 May 1907 – 11 July 1989) was an English actor and director who, along with his contemporaries Ralph Richardson and John Gielgud, was one of a trio of male actors who dominated the British stage ...

and

Vivian Leigh Vivien Leigh ( ; 5 November 1913 – 8 July 1967; born Vivian Mary Hartley), styled as Lady Olivier after 1947, was a British actress. She won the Academy Award for Best Actress twice, for her definitive performances as Scarlett O'Hara in '' Go ...

. The pinnacle of Dane's success was winning an

Academy Award The Academy Awards, better known as the Oscars, are awards for artistic and technical merit for the American and international film industry. The awards are regarded by many as the most prestigious, significant awards in the entertainment ind ...

with

Anthony Pelissier Harry Anthony Compton Pelissier (27 July 1912 – 2 April 1988) was an English actor, screenwriter, producer and director. Biography Pelissier was born in Barnet and came from a theatrical family. His parents were the theatre producer H. G. ...

for the film '' Perfect Strangers'', released in the United States as ''Vacation from Marriage'', starring

Robert Donat Friedrich Robert Donat (18 March 1905 – 9 June 1958) was an English actor. He is best remembered for his roles in Alfred Hitchcock's '' The 39 Steps'' (1935) and '' Goodbye, Mr. Chips'' (1939), winning for the latter the Academy Award for ...

and

Deborah Kerr Deborah Jane Trimmer CBE (30 September 192116 October 2007), known professionally as Deborah Kerr (), was a British actress. She was nominated six times for the Academy Award for Best Actress. During her international film career, Kerr won a ...

as a married couple transformed by their experiences in the Second World War. Dane, at the age of 30, was one of the women eligible to vote for the first time under the

Representation of the People Act 1918 The Representation of the People Act 1918 was an Act of Parliament passed to reform the electoral system in Great Britain and Ireland. It is sometimes known as the Fourth Reform Act. The Act extended the franchise in parliamentary elections, als ...

. Her opinions on ''The Women's Side'' were published in 1926 and she argued that women should do more with their freedom. She compared the modern girl's choices with the popular gambling card game

Speculation In finance, speculation is the purchase of an asset (a commodity, goods, or real estate) with the hope that it will become more valuable shortly. (It can also refer to short sales in which the speculator hopes for a decline in value.) Many ...

Jane Austen Jane Austen (; 16 December 1775 – 18 July 1817) was an English novelist known primarily for her six major novels, which interpret, critique, and comment upon the British landed gentry at the end of the 18th century. Austen's plots oft ...

Mansfield Park ''Mansfield Park'' is the third published novel by Jane Austen, first published in 1814 by Thomas Egerton. A second edition was published in 1816 by John Murray, still within Austen's lifetime. The novel did not receive any public reviews unt ...

. She wrote for '' Time and Tide'' and was a member of the

Six Point Group The Six Point Group was a British feminist campaign group founded by Lady Rhondda in 1921 to press for changes in the law of the United Kingdom in six areas. Aims The six original specific aims were: # Satisfactory legislation on child assault; ...

. Dane's 1931 novel '' Broome Stages'' followed the fortunes of an acting family from the time of Queen Anne to the present. ''Broome Stages'' became a surprise bestseller. Dane and

Helen de Guerry Simpson Helen de Guerry Simpson (1 December 1897 – 14 October 1940) was an Australian novelist and British Liberal Party politician. Youth and education Simpson was born in Sydney into a family that had been settled in New South Wales for over 100 ...

, both members of the

Detection Club The Detection Club was formed in 1930 by a group of British mystery writers, including Agatha Christie, Dorothy L. Sayers, Ronald Knox, Freeman Wills Crofts, Arthur Morrison, Hugh Walpole, John Rhode, Jessie Rickard, Baroness Emma Orczy, R. ...

, wrote three detective novels together featuring their creation Sir John Saumarez. The first, '' Enter Sir John'', was filmed 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 ...

in 1930 as ''

Murder! ''Murder!'' is a 1930 British thriller film co-written and directed by Alfred Hitchcock and starring Herbert Marshall, Norah Baring and Edward Chapman. Written by Hitchcock, his wife Alma Reville and Walter C. Mycroft, it is based on the 19 ...

'' and in a German- language version as ''Mary''. Dane contributed to the Club's serials '' The Scoop'' and ''

The Floating Admiral ''The Floating Admiral'' is a collaborative detective novel written by fourteen members of the Detection Club in 1931. The twelve chapters of the story were each written by a different author, in the following sequence: Canon Victor Whitechurch ...

''. Dane's '' The Arrogant History of White Ben'' (1939) is a

dystopia A dystopia (from Ancient Greek δυσ- "bad, hard" and τόπος "place"; alternatively cacotopiaCacotopia (from κακός ''kakos'' "bad") was the term used by Jeremy Bentham in his 1818 Plan of Parliamentary Reform (Works, vol. 3, p. 493) ...

n novel set in a politically unstable near future. Dane's last play, '' Eighty in the Shade'' (1959) was written for and starred her friend,

Dame Sybil Thorndike Dame Agnes Sybil Thorndike, Lady Casson (24 October 18829 June 1976) was an English actress whose stage career lasted from 1904 to 1969. Trained in her youth as a concert pianist, Thorndike turned to the stage when a medical problem with her ...

. Early in her career, Dane had been on stage under the pseudonym Diana Cortis. She made her a début in H. V. Esmond’s ‘Eliza Comes to Stay’ but gave up to write her first novel in 1914. Years after Dane expressed an interest in returning to acting, and her friend

Noël Coward Sir Noël Peirce Coward (16 December 189926 March 1973) was an English playwright, composer, director, actor, and singer, known for his wit, flamboyance, and what ''Time'' magazine called "a sense of personal style, a combination of cheek and ...

wrote the part of Madame Arcati, the eccentric medium in ''

Blithe Spirit Blithe Spirit may refer to: * ''Blithe Spirit'' (play), a 1941 comic play written by Noël Coward * ''Blithe Spirit'' (1945 film), a British comedy film based on the play * ''Blithe Spirit'' (2020 film), a British-American comedy film based on th ...

'' for her. The National Portrait Gallery contains two works by Dane, both of Coward. One is an oil painting and the other is a bronze bust. The gallery also contains a portrait of Dane by Frederic Yates. According to Arthur Marshall, she was famous for her indecent, though entirely innocent, remarks. "The physical side of life had passed her by, together with the words, slang and otherwise, that accompany it. Time and again she settled for an unfortunate word or phrase. Inviting Noël Coward to lunch during the war, when food was difficult, she boomed encouragement down the telephone; 'Do come! I've got such a lovely cock.' ('I do wish you'd call it a hen', Noel answered). To use correctly, in a literary sense, the words 'erection', 'tool' and 'spunk' was second nature to her. When wishing to describe herself as being full of life and creative energy, she chose, not really very wisely, the word 'randy'." In 1955, Dane edited the ''Novels of Tomorrow'' series for publisher Michael Joseph. This was a series of science fiction novels featuring such authors as

John Wyndham John Wyndham Parkes Lucas Beynon Harris (; 10 July 1903 – 11 March 1969) was an English science fiction writer best known for his works published under the pen name John Wyndham, although he also used other combinations of his names ...

Robert Sheckley Robert Sheckley (July 16, 1928 – December 9, 2005) was an American writer. First published in the science-fiction magazines of the 1950s, his many quick-witted stories and novels were famously unpredictable, absurdist, and broadly comical. ...

, and Cyril M. Kornbluth. Dane also wrote a book on the history of Covent Garden (where she lived for a number of years) titled ''London has a Garden and'' published in 1964. By the time of her death in London, on 28 March 1965, Dane had written more than 30 plays and 16 novels.

Novels and plays

* '' Regiment of Women'' (1917) * ''First the Blade: A Comedy of Growth'' (1918) * ''Legend'' (1919) * '' A Bill of Divorcement'' (1921) * ''Will Shakespeare: An Invention in Four Acts'' (1921) * ''Shivering Shocks or The Hiding Place'' (published in ''The Graphic Christmas Number'', 1922) - a play for boys sometimes misattributed to

Agatha Christie Dame Agatha Mary Clarissa Christie, Lady Mallowan, (; 15 September 1890 – 12 January 1976) was an English writer known for her 66 detective novels and 14 short story collections, particularly those revolving around fictiona ...

* ''Naboth's Vineyard: A Piece in Three Acts'' (1925) * ''Granite'' (1926) * ''The Women's Side'' (1926) * ''The Babyons'' (1927) * ''The Dearly Beloved of Benjamin Cobb'' (1927) - short story''Classic English Short Stories'', Oxford University Press, 1956 * ''Mariners'' (1927) * ''Adam’s Opera: The Text of a Play'' (1928) * '' Enter Sir John'' (1928) (with Helen Simpson) * ''Third Person Singular'' (1928) * ''The King Waits'' (1929) * ''Printer's Devil'', published in US as ''Author Unknown'' (1930) (with Helen Simpson) * '' Broome Stages'' (1931) * ''Theater Royale'' (1931) * '' Re-enter Sir John'' (1932) (with Helen Simpson) * ''Julia Newberry's Diary'' (1933) * ''Come of Age: The Text of a Play in Music and Words'' (1934) (with Richard Addinsell) * ''Moonlight is Silver: A Play in Three Acts'' (1934) * ''Wild Decembers: A Play in Three Acts'' (1932) * ''Edmond Rostand's L'aiglon'' (1934) * ''The Amateur Gentleman: From the Novel By Jeffery Farnol'' (1936) * ''The Moon Is Feminine'' (1938) * ''Hebbel's Herod and Mariamne'' (1938) * ''The Arrogant History of White Ben'' (1939) * ''The Lion and the Unicorn. A Play in Three Acts'' (1943) * ''He Brings Great News'' (1946) * ''Bonny Prince Charlie'' (1948) (with Dorothy Middleton) * ''The Flower Girls'' (1954) * '' Eighty in the Shade'' (1959) *''

Marriage Lines ''Marriage Lines'' is a British television sitcom first broadcast between 1963 and 1966. The series gave Richard Briers and Prunella Scales, its lead stars, a significant boost in their careers. At first titled ''The Marriage Lines'', the prog ...

'' (1949) * ''The Godson: A Fantasy'' (1964)

Non fiction

* '' Claude Houghton: Appreciations'' (with

Hugh Walpole Sir Hugh Seymour Walpole, Commander of the Order of the British Empire, CBE (13 March 18841 June 1941) was an English novelist. He was the son of an Anglican clergyman, intended for a career in the church but drawn instead to writing. Among th ...

) * ''London has a Garden'' (1964)

Notes

External links

*
Clemence Dane
at

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Clemence Dane
Timeline at Crossmediaresearch
Clemence Dane
at Fantastic Fiction *
Clemence Dane
at Golden Age of Detection Wiki * *
Clemence Dane
at Institute for English Studies * * * {{DEFAULTSORT:Dane, Clemence 1888 births 1965 deaths English women novelists English women dramatists and playwrights British women screenwriters English crime fiction writers English mystery writers English historical novelists English short story writers Members of the Detection Club Best Story Academy Award winners British women short story writers Women mystery writers Women historical novelists English science fiction writers 20th-century English novelists 20th-century English dramatists and playwrights 20th-century English women writers 20th-century British short story writers Writers of historical fiction set in the early modern period 20th-century English screenwriters

Life and career

Novels and plays

Non fiction

Notes

Further reading

External links