''Joy Bells'' was a
revue staged at the
London Hippodrome at the end of
World War I. It was devised by
Albert de Courville, with music and lyrics by H. G. Pether, Rupert Hazell,
Oliver Wallace,
Harold Weeks
Harold Taylor Weeks (March 28, 1893 – January 7, 1967) was an American jazz musician and composer from Seattle, Washington.
Biography
Weeks was born in Iowa, but is usually associated with Seattle, Washington where he grew up and attended Quee ...
and others. The revue opened on 25 March 1919, starring
George Robey, Fred Allandale,
Phyllis Bedells,
Anita Elson
Anita Elson (1898–1985) was an American dancer and singer who appeared in revues in New York City and London, England, in the early 20th century.
She performed in ''The Cohan Revue-(1916)'', a production of George M. Cohan. The show debuted a ...
,
Leon Errol,
Shirley Kellogg
Shirley Kellogg (born 27 May 1887 in Minneapolis, Minnesota) was an American actress and singer who found greater success in Britain than in America, mostly in revue.
Early life
She was born on 27 May 1887 in Minneapolis, Minnesota.
Career
She ...
and
Daphne Pollard. It ran for 723 performances.
Background
During the later half of the war and immediately thereafter, revues and musical comedies were in great demand; London hits during the period included ''
The Bing Boys Are Here
''The Bing Boys Are Here'', styled "A Picture of London Life, in a Prologue and Six Panels," is the first of a series of revues which played at the Alhambra Theatre, London during the last two years of World War I. The series included ''The Bing Bo ...
'' and ''
Zig-Zag!'' (both starring Robey), ''
Chu Chin Chow'', ''
Theodore & Co
''Theodore & Co'' is an English musical theatre, musical comedy in two acts with a book by H. M. Harwood and George Grossmith Jr. based on the French comedy ''Théodore et Cie'' by Paul Armont and Nicolas Nancey, with music by Ivor Novello and J ...
'', ''
The Happy Day
''The Happy Day'' is a musical comedy in two acts by Seymour Hicks, with music by Sidney Jones and Paul Rubens, and lyrics by Adrian Ross and Rubens. It was produced by George Edwardes's company (by the estate's executor, Robert Evett) and was ...
'', ''
The Maid of the Mountains'', ''
The Boy'' and ''
Yes, Uncle!''. The audiences wanted light and uplifting entertainment, and these shows delivered it.
Description and reception
Robey interpolated into ''Joy Bells'' two of his
music hall
Music hall is a type of British theatrical entertainment that was popular from the early Victorian era, beginning around 1850. It faded away after 1918 as the halls rebranded their entertainment as variety. Perceptions of a distinction in Bri ...
sketches: "No, No, No" centred on turning innocent, everyday sayings into suggestive and provocative maxims, and "The Rest Cure" told the story of a pre-op hospital patient who hears worrying stories of
malpractice from his well-meaning friends who visit him.
Reviews were generally warm, with Emilio Cecchi writing in the Italian newspaper ''La Tribuna'': "Robey, just by being Robey, makes us laugh until we weep. We do not want to see either Figaro or Othello; it is quite enough for Robey to appear in travelling costume and to turn his eyes in crab-like fashion from one side of the auditorium to another. Robey's aspect in dealing with his audience is paternal and, one might say, apostolic."
[Cecchi, Emilio. ''La Tribuna'', ''quoted'' in Wilson, p. 111.]
Songs
*Unfinished Melody
*Holiday Girls
*Goodbye, Khaki
*Oh, You Wonderful Bird
*Wishing for You
*My Cushion Girl
*Operatic Jazzing Ball
*Joy Bells
*I Mean to Say
*Doff
*The Story of My Life
Notes
References
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*
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1919 musicals
West End musicals
Revues
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