Herbert Kelcey (October 10, 1856 – July 10, 1917) born Herbert Henry Lamb, was an English-born American stage and film actor.
Biography
Born in 1856 in London, Kelcey made his stage debut at
Brighton
Brighton () is a seaside resort and one of the two main areas of the City of Brighton and Hove in the county of East Sussex, England. It is located south of London.
Archaeological evidence of settlement in the area dates back to the Bronze A ...
, in 1877 and had his first appearance in London in 1880. He went to New York and first appeared at
Wallack's Theatre
Three New York City playhouses named Wallack's Theatre played an important part in the history of American theater, as the successive homes of the Repertory theatre, stock company managed by actors James William Wallack, James W. Wallack and hi ...
in 1882. He appeared in many society dramas. In the 1890s he formed a partnership with
Effie Shannon
Effie Shannon (May 13, 1867 – July 24, 1954) was an American stage and silent screen actress.
Biography
Shannon had a 60-year career as starring performer and later character actress. She began as a child actor appearing with John McCullou ...
that mimicked English husband-wife acting teams like the
Bancrofts and the
Kendals. In 1902 Kelcey became the second actor in America to play ''Sherlock Holmes'' after
William Gillette
William Hooker Gillette (July 24, 1853 – April 29, 1937) was an American actor-manager, playwright, and stage-manager in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. He is best remembered for portraying Sherlock Holmes on stage and in a 1916 ...
.
[''Who Was Who in the Theatre:1912-1976'', p.1,340 vol.3 I-P; compiled from annual editions originally published by John Parker, 1976-1978 editions by Gale Research]
Personal
Kelcey was married to actress
Caroline Hill
Caroline Lucreza Brook Hill (June 1845 – 1926) was an English actress. She began acting as a child in the company of Samuel Phelps and soon joined the company of J. B. Buckstone at the Haymarket Theatre. There she created roles in several new ...
from the 1870s to the early 1890s. Some film and theater sources claim he was later married to Shannon, whom he was in a theatrical partnership with, but there is no evidence they were ever married. Shannon had been married to
Henry Guy Carleton
Henry Guy Carleton (June 21, 1851 – December 10, 1910) was an American humorist, playwright, and journalist. He was best known for his comedic plays ''A Gilded Fool'' (1892) and '' The Butterflies'' (1894).Hart, James D. & Phillip LeiningerTh ...
from 1890-92 so she would've been free to marry Kelcey when they began their theatrical partnership. Kelcey died in 1917 and Shannon long outlived him. When she died in 1954 she was buried beside him in Saint Anns Cemetery in Sayville New York.
Selected plays
*''The Silver King'' (1883)
*''The Moth and the Flame'' (1893)
*''A Coat of Many Colors'' (1897)
*''My Lady Dainty'' (1901)
*''Manon Lescaut'' (1901)
*''Her Lord and Master'' (1902)
*''Taps'' (1904)
*''The Daughters of Men'' (1907)
*''The Learned Ladies'' (1911)
*''Years of Discretion'' (1912)
*''Children of Earth'' (1915)
*''Pollyanna'' (1916)
Filmography
*''
After the Ball'' (1914)
*''
The Sphinx
The Great Sphinx of Giza is a limestone statue of a reclining sphinx, a legendary creature, mythical creature with the head of a human, and the body of a lion. Facing directly from west to east, it stands on the Giza Plateau on the west bank of ...
'' (1916)
References
External links
*
*
pages to the actorportraits
archived)
Portraits
(University of Louisville)
New York Public Library, Billy Rose collection Herbert Kelcey Portraits
(University of Washington, Sayre collection)
{{DEFAULTSORT:Kelcey, Herbert
1856 births
1917 deaths
Male actors from London
English male actors
19th-century English male actors
English male stage actors