Leedham Bantock (born Ernest Leedham Sutherland Bantock; 18 May 1870 – 16 October 1928) was a British singer,

Edwardian musical comedy Edwardian musical comedy was a form of British musical theatre that extended beyond the reign of King Edward VII in both directions, beginning in the early 1890s, when the Gilbert and Sullivan operas' dominance had ended, until the rise of the Am ...

actor, early

film director A film director controls a film's artistic and dramatic aspects and visualizes the screenplay (or script) while guiding the film crew and actors in the fulfilment of that vision. The director has a key role in choosing the cast members, ...

dramatist 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 ...

and

screenwriter A screenplay writer (also called screenwriter, scriptwriter, scribe or scenarist) is a writer who practices the craft of screenwriting, writing screenplays on which mass media, such as films, television programs and video games, are based. ...

. In 1912 he became the first actor to portray

Father Christmas Father Christmas is the traditional English name for the personification of Christmas. Although now known as a Christmas gift-bringer, and typically considered to be synonymous with Santa Claus, he was originally part of a much older and unrela ...

in film.Washington, Richard
"Santa @ the Movies: The Timeline"
KringleQuest.com, accessed 26 May 2019

Early life

Bantock was born at 12 Granville Place in

Marylebone Marylebone (usually , also , ) is a district in the West End of London, in the City of Westminster. Oxford Street, Europe's busiest shopping street, forms its southern boundary. An ancient parish and latterly a metropolitan borough, it m ...

in London. He was one of eight children of Sophia Elizabeth ''née'' Ransome (1843–1909) and George Granville Bantock (1836–1913), a Scottish surgeon and gynaecologist who was at one time President of the Royal Gynaecological Society.Hadden, J. Cuthbert, 1913, ''Modern Musicians'', Boston: Le Roy Phillips; London & Edinburgh:

T. N. Foulis T. N. Foulis was a British publisher founded in Edinburgh in 1903. During its first ten years, the firm became well known for producing "highly original, beautifully illustrated books",

, pp. 42–46 His brothers included the composer

Sir Granville Bantock Sir Granville Ransome Bantock (7 August 186816 October 1946) was a British composer of classical music. Biography Granville Ransome Bantock was born in London. His father was an eminent Scottish surgeon.Hadden, J. Cuthbert, 1913, ''Modern Musi ...

(1868–1946) and Claude Ronald Bantock (1875–1921), who had a successful career in musical theatre in Australia.1881 England Census Record for Ernest Leedham Sutherland Bantock Bantock's father was a remote and stern figure in his childhood and a man of strict principle in his work who challenged

Joseph Lister Joseph Lister, 1st Baron Lister, (5 April 182710 February 1912) was a British surgeon, medical scientist, experimental pathologist and a pioneer of antiseptic surgery and preventative medicine. Joseph Lister revolutionised the craft of ...

in a famous scientific debate over surgical disinfectant and eventually proved his case at some cost to his reputation. However, Bantock's mother, "Bessie", created an affectionate atmosphere in their home, allowing her children to play cricket in the corridors and keeping a menagerie of animals in the house including snakes and a monkey. Her three sons inherited their artistic temperament from her. With his brother Granville, Bantock wrote a couple of music hall songs that met with some success.Budd, Vincent. "A Brief Introduction to the Life and Work of Sir Granville Bantock"
The Bantock Society, accessed 14 April 2019

Theatre career

bass-baritone A bass-baritone is a high-lying bass or low-lying "classical" baritone voice type which shares certain qualities with the true baritone voice. The term arose in the late 19th century to describe the particular type of voice required to sing thre ...

, Bantock played Sharp in ''The Married Bachelor'' (1890) at the

Adelphi Theatre The Adelphi Theatre is a West End theatre, located on the Strand in the City of Westminster, central London. The present building is the fourth on the site. The theatre has specialised in comedy and musical theatre, and today it is a receiv ...

and Peter Poddleson in ''The Refugees'' (1891) at the Opera Comique before appearing in the London companies of

George Edwardes George Joseph Edwardes (né Edwards; 8 October 1855 – 4 October 1915) was an English theatre manager and producer of Irish ancestry who brought a new era in musical theatre to the British stage and beyond. Edwardes started out in theatre ma ...

for 20 years in secondary roles in a string of musicals including Marius/Fill-up the Good in ''Joan of Arc'' (1891) at the Gaiety Theatre, Harry Fitzwarren in '' A Gaiety Girl'' (1893), James Cripps in '' An Artist's Model'' (1895), Arthur Cuddy in ''

The Geisha ''The Geisha, a story of a tea house'' is an Edwardian musical comedy in two acts. The score was composed by Sidney Jones to a libretto by Owen Hall, with lyrics by Harry Greenbank. Additional songs were written by Lionel Monckton and James ...

'' (1896), The Emperor in ''

San Toy ''San Toy, or The Emperor's Own'' is a "Chinese" musical comedy in two acts, first performed at Daly's Theatre, London, on 21 October 1899, and ran for 768 performances (edging out the same composer's ''The Geisha'' as the second longest run ...

'' (1894), Tubby Bedford in ''

The School Girl ''The School Girl'' is an Edwardian musical comedy, in two acts, composed by Leslie Stuart (with additional songs by Paul Rubens) with a book by Henry Hamilton and Paul M. Potter, and lyrics by Charles H. Taylor and others. It concerns a F ...

'' (1903), Douglas Verity in '' A Country Girl'' (1902), Boobhamba in ''

The Cingalee ''The'' () is a grammatical Article (grammar), article in English language, English, denoting persons or things already mentioned, under discussion, implied or otherwise presumed familiar to listeners, readers, or speakers. It is the definite ...

'' (1904) and Colonel Leyton in '' Lady Madcap'' (1906), as well as in America and Australia where he played Hopkins in ''

In Town ''In Town'' is a musical comedy written by Adrian Ross and James T. Tanner, with music by F. Osmond Carr and lyrics by Ross. The plot of ''In Town'', though thin, is a smart tale of backstage and society intrigue.Gänzl, Kurt"Edwardes, George Jos ...

'', Bertie Boyd in '' The Shop Girl'', Dawson in '' Gentleman Joe'' and Sir Lewis in '' A Gaiety Girl''. Bantock also worked as both a director (including for

Marie Lloyd Matilda Alice Victoria Wood (12 February 1870 – 7 October 1922), professionally known as Marie Lloyd (), was an English music hall singer, comedian and musical theatre actress. She was best known for her performances of songs such as "Th ...

's only appearance in musical theatre ''The ABC'' (1898)) and as an author and dramatist, collaborating with Howard Talbot on the books for such musical comedies as ''

The Girl Behind the Counter ''The Girl Behind the Counter'' is an Edwardian musical comedy with a book by Arthur Anderson and Leedham Bantock, music by Howard Talbot and lyrics by Arthur Anderson (and additional lyrics by Percy Greenbank).The White Chrysanthemum ''The White Chrysanthemum'' is an English musical in three acts by Arthur Anderson (dramatist), Arthur Anderson and Leedham Bantock, with lyrics by Anderson and music by Howard Talbot. First produced at the Tyne Theatre, Newcastle, 23 April 1904 ...

'' (1905) and ''

The Belle of Brittany ''The Belle of Brittany'' is an Edwardian musical comedy in two acts set in 'Daffodil Time' in rustic 18th-century Brittany. It premiered at the Queen's Theatre in London on 24 October 1908. The music is by Howard Talbot and Marie Horne, to ...

'' (1908) which, like ''The Girl Behind the Counter'', proved to be successful in Britain and abroad.Leedham Bantock
British Musical Theatre at the Gilbert and Sullivan Archive, accessed 14 April 2019 Gänzl, Kurt, ''Encyclopedia of the Musical Theatre'', Second edition. Three volumes. New York: Schirmer Books (2001) Other works on which Bantock worked as a librettist include '' The Three Kisses'' (1907) with Talbot and

Percy Greenbank Percy Greenbank (24 January 1878 – 9 December 1968) was an English lyricist and librettist, best known for his contribution of lyrics to a number of successful Edwardian musical comedies in the early years of the 20th century. His older broth ...

; ''

A Persian Princess ''A Persian Princess'' is an oriental-themed Edwardian musical comedy in two acts, with a book by Leedham Bantock and P. J. Barrow, lyrics by Percy Greenbank and music by Sidney Jones, with additional numbers by Marie Horne. It premiered on 27 ...

'' (1909) with Sidney Jones and Percy Greenbank, and ''Physical Culture'' (1917) with Harold Simpson. On 1 December 1899 Bantock was initiated as a Freemason.

Film career

In 1912 Bantock became the first actor to be identified to have played

Santa Claus Santa Claus, also known as Father Christmas, Saint Nicholas, Saint Nick, Kris Kringle, or simply Santa, is a legendary figure originating in Western Christian culture who is said to bring children gifts during the late evening and overnigh ...

, in a film titled ''

'', which he also wrote and co-directed. From 1913 to 1915 Bantock was the Managing Director of Zenith Films Ltd, for whom he worked in

silent film A silent film is a film with no synchronized Sound recording and reproduction, recorded sound (or more generally, no audible dialogue). Though silent films convey narrative and emotion visually, various plot elements (such as a setting or era) ...

s as an actor, director and writer, writing and directing ''

Ivanhoe ''Ivanhoe: A Romance'' () by Walter Scott is a historical novel published in three volumes, in 1819, as one of the Waverley novels. Set in England in the Middle Ages, this novel marked a shift away from Scott’s prior practice of setting st ...

'' (1913); directing and acting in '' Scrooge'' (1913) and directing '' David Garrick'' (1913), ''The Shopsoiled Girl'' (1915), ''The Beggar Girl's Wedding'' (1915) and ''The Veiled Woman'' (1917).

Marriage

In 1917 in Barnet in

Middlesex Middlesex (; abbreviation: Middx) is a historic county in southeast England. Its area is almost entirely within the wider urbanised area of London and mostly within the ceremonial county of Greater London, with small sections in neighbourin ...

he married Gaiety Theatre chorus girl Laura May Peacock (1886-1968) and with her had two sons: Paul Leedham Bantock (1921–1942) killed while serving as a Pilot Officer with the

Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve The Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve (RAFVR) was established in 1936 to support the preparedness of the U.K. Royal Air Force in the event of another war. The Air Ministry intended it to form a supplement to the Royal Auxiliary Air Force (RAuxAF) ...

during

World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the World War II by country, vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great power ...

; and Granville Ransome Bantock (born 1925).

Later years

In his later years Bantock was the General Manager of the Lyceum Theatre in London and for which he wrote the annual

pantomime Pantomime (; informally panto) is a type of musical comedy stage production designed for family entertainment. It was developed in England and is performed throughout the United Kingdom, Ireland and (to a lesser extent) in other English-speakin ...

,Granville Bantock and the Actors' Orphanage
The Noël Coward Society, accessed 14 April 2019 including that for ''The Sleeping Beauty'' (1920), ''Robinson Crusoe'' (1922), ''Jack and the Beanstalk'' (1923), ''The Forty Thieves'' (1924), ''Dick Whittington'' (1925) and ''Queen of Hearts'' (1927). He lived in a modest terraced house at 19 Beaumont Avenue in

Richmond Richmond most often refers to: * Richmond, Virginia, the capital of Virginia, United States * Richmond, London, a part of London * Richmond, North Yorkshire, a town in England * Richmond, British Columbia, a city in Canada * Richmond, California, a ...

in Surrey, where he died in 1928, aged 58, leaving just £140 10s 4d to his wife in his will.England & Wales, National Probate Calendar (Index of Wills and Administrations), 1861–1941 for Ernest L. S. Bantock By 1930 this sum was gone, causing financial hardship for his widow and sons and, on the advice of her late husband's brother Granville, after whom her youngest son was named, she put her two sons into the

Actors' Orphanage The Actors' Orphanage was started in 1896 and established as the Actors' Orphanage Fund in 1912. The fund continues but the orphanage closed in 1958. History The charity was started in 1896 by "Kittie" Carson and Mrs Clement Scott The first buil ...

at Langley Hall in order to take in lodgers. Her sons remained there for at least eight years.

Filmography

Film director

*''Seymour Hicks and Ellaline Terriss'' (1913)Leedham Bantock
on the

British Film Institute The British Film Institute (BFI) is a film and television charitable organisation which promotes and preserves film-making and television in the United Kingdom. The BFI uses funds provided by the National Lottery to encourage film production, ...

database *''

'' (1913) starring Lauderdale Maitland as

Filmography for Leedham Bantock

(BFI) database *'' Scrooge'' (1913) starring

Seymour Hicks Sir Edward Seymour Hicks (30 January 1871 – 6 April 1949), better known as Seymour Hicks, was a British actor, music hall performer, playwright, actor-manager and producer. He became known, early in his career, for writing, starring in and ...

and Ellaline Terriss''Scrooge''
(1913), BFI *'' David Garrick'' (1913) starring Seymour Hicks and Ellaline Terriss *''A Motorcycle Elopement'' (1914) *''Always Tell Your Wife'' (1914) *''A Patriotic English Girl'' (1914) *'' Kismet'' (1914) - film of the 1911 play starring Oscar Asche and Lily Brayton *''From Flower Girl to Red Cross Nurse'' (1915) *''A Prehistoric Love Story'' (1915) starring Hicks and Terriss *''A Daughter of England'' (1915) *''The Beggar Girl's Wedding'' (1915) *''The Girl of My Heart'' (1915) *''The Girl Who Took the Wrong Turning'' (1915) *''The Shopsoiled Girl'' (1915) *''The Veiled Woman'' (1917)

Screenwriter

*''Mephisto'' (1912), directed by Alfred de Manby and

F. Martin Thornton Floyd Martin Thornton (often credited as F. Martin Thornton, November 4, 1884 – April 1, 1956) was an American screenwriter and film director active in the United Kingdom in the 1910s and 1920s. He also directed films for the Natural Color Kin ...

*''

'' (1912), directed by Walter R. Booth, R. H. Callum and Thornton *''

'' (1913), also directed by Bantock *''The Tempter'' (1913), directed by Callum and Thornton

Film actor

*''

'' (1912), directed by Walter R. Booth, Callum and Thornton *'' Scrooge'' (1913), also directed by Bantock *''The Tempter'' (1913), directed by Callum and Thornton

References

External links

* *
''Physical Culture'' by Leedham Bantock and Harold Simpson on Great War Theatre
{{DEFAULTSORT:Bantock, Leedham 1870 births 1928 deaths People from Marylebone English bass-baritones 19th-century British male singers 20th-century British male singers Singers from London English male stage actors English male silent film actors Male actors from London 19th-century English male actors 20th-century English male actors English male film actors English male dramatists and playwrights British film directors Silent film directors English Freemasons