Digby Bell (born Digby Valentine Bell; November 8, 1849 – June 20, 1917) was a popular

vaudeville Vaudeville (; ) is a theatrical genre of variety entertainment born in France at the end of the 19th century. A vaudeville was originally a comedy without psychological or moral intentions, based on a comical situation: a dramatic composition ...

entertainer and Broadway performer at the beginning of the 20th century.

Early life

Bell was born in

Milwaukee Milwaukee ( ), officially the City of Milwaukee, is both the most populous and most densely populated city in the U.S. state of Wisconsin and the county seat of Milwaukee County. With a population of 577,222 at the 2020 census, Milwaukee is ...

Wisconsin Wisconsin () is a state in the upper Midwestern United States. Wisconsin is the 25th-largest state by total area and the 20th-most populous. It is bordered by Minnesota to the west, Iowa to the southwest, Illinois to the south, Lake M ...

on November 8, 1849.

Performing career

Harvard Theatre Collection - Digby Bell TCS 1

Bell studied in Europe to become a concert singer, and became famous for his roles in comic musical productions, such as

Gilbert and Sullivan Gilbert and Sullivan was a Victorian era, Victorian-era theatrical partnership of the dramatist W. S. Gilbert (1836–1911) and the composer Arthur Sullivan (1842–1900), who jointly created fourteen comic operas between 1871 and 1896, of which ...

comic operas and with the

McCaull Comic Opera Company The McCaull Comic Opera Company, also called the McCaull Opera Comique Company, was an American theatral production company founded by Colonel John A. McCaull in 1880. The company produced operetta, comic opera and musical theatre in New York Cit ...

. His first starring role was in the musical ''Jupiter'' in 1892. He appeared many times with

Lillian Russell Lillian Russell (born Helen Louise Leonard; December 4, 1860 or 1861 – June 6, 1922), was an American actress and singer. She became one of the most famous actresses and singers of the late 19th and early 20th centuries, known for her beauty ...

in shows such as ''Princess Nicotine'', ''

The Queen of Brilliants ''The Queen of Brilliants'' is a comic opera in three acts with music by Edward Jakobowski and a libretto by Brandon Thomas. It was adapted from Jakobowski's German-language operetta ''Die Brillantett-Königin'', with a libretto by Theodore Tawbe ...

'' and ''

The Grand Duchess of Gerolstein ''The'' () is a grammatical article in English, denoting persons or things already mentioned, under discussion, implied or otherwise presumed familiar to listeners, readers, or speakers. It is the definite article in English. ''The'' is the m ...

''. He introduced the song '" The Man Who Broke the Bank at Monte Carlo". Bell gave a concert at Chickering Hall in New York City on April 26, 1878, that was favorably reviewed by the ''New York Times''. Much of Bell's later career was in nonmusical plays or vaudeville.

Notable stage appearances

Broadway appearances * ''The Begum'', Sep 21, 1887 - Dec 10, 1887, role - Myhnt-Jhuleep * ''The Hoosier Doctor'', Apr 18, 1898 - nknown role - Dr. Willow * ''Mr. Pickwick'', Jan 19, 1903 - May 1903, role - Sam Weller * ''The Education of Mr. Pipp'', Feb 20, 1905 - Apr 1905, role - J. Wesley Pipp * ''An International Marriage'', Jan 4, 1909 - Jan 1909 * ''The Debtors'', Oct 12, 1909 - Oct 1909, role - William Dorritt * ''

The Yeomen of the Guard ''The Yeomen of the Guard; or, The Merryman and His Maid'', is a Savoy Opera, with music by Arthur Sullivan and libretto by W. S. Gilbert. It premiered at the Savoy Theatre on 3 October 1888 and ran for 423 performances. This was the eleventh ...

'', Apr 19, 1915 - May 8, 1915, role - Chorus * ''The Sorcerer'', May 24, 1915 - Jun 5, 1915, role - Dr. Daly

Film appearances

* '' The Education of Mr. Pipp'' (1914) * ''

Father and the Boys ''Father and the Boys'' is a 1915 American silent comedy film directed by Joe De Grasse, written by Ida May Park, and co-starring Lon Chaney and Digby Bell. It is based on a popular 1908 Broadway play produced by Charles Frohman, called ''Fath ...

'' (1915)

Partial discography

1909 * The Tough Boy on the Right Field Fence * The Blind Boy in the Gallery * The Man Who Fanned Casey (A reply to 'Casey at the Bat'.) * Experiences of a Commuter * Day and Knight * A Discontented Egg

Personal life

Bell was married at least twice. His first wife, Lillian Brooks, divorced him in March 1883. He married his second wife,

Laura Joyce Bell Laura Joyce Bell (née Maskell; Gänzl, Kurt"From Wales to Broadway ... with Bells on!" Kurt of Gerolstein, 14 June 2018 6 May 1854 – 30 May 1904

(née Hannah Joyce Maskell), a day or so after his divorce from Brooks was finalized. Laura Joyce Bell died in New York in 1904. Bell was a fervent golfer and New York Giants baseball fan, as was his best friend and frequent co-star

DeWolf Hopper William DeWolf Hopper (March 30, 1858September 23, 1935) was an American actor, singer, comedian, and theatrical producer. A star of vaudeville and musical theater, he became best known for performing the popular baseball poem "Casey at the Bat". ...

Death

Bell died on June 20, 1917, in New York City. He is buried in Woodlawn Cemetery, Bronx, New York.

Filmography

*'' The Education of Mr. Pipp'' (1914) *''

'' (1915)

References

External links

*
Digby Bell in a recording of ''The Blind Boy in the gallery'' 1909'The Bright Stars of Yesterday-Digby Bell'
{{DEFAULTSORT:Bell, Digby 1849 births 1917 deaths 19th-century American male singers 19th-century American male actors American male stage actors Male actors from Milwaukee Vaudeville performers 20th-century American male actors Burials at Woodlawn Cemetery (Bronx, New York) 20th-century American male singers 20th-century American singers