Marriott Edgar
   HOME

TheInfoList



OR:

Marriott Edgar (5 October 1880 – 5 May 1951), born George Marriott Edgar in
Kirkcudbright Kirkcudbright ( ; sco, Kirkcoubrie; gd, Cille Chùithbeirt) is a town, parish and a Royal Burgh from 1455 in Kirkcudbrightshire, of which it is traditionally the county town, within Dumfries and Galloway, Scotland. The town lies southwest of C ...
, Scotland, was a British poet, scriptwriter and comedian, best known for writing many of the
monologue In theatre, a monologue (from el, μονόλογος, from μόνος ''mónos'', "alone, solitary" and λόγος ''lógos'', "speech") is a speech presented by a single character, most often to express their thoughts aloud, though sometimes a ...
s performed by
Stanley Holloway Stanley Augustus Holloway (1 October 1890 – 30 January 1982) was an English actor, comedian, singer and monologist. He was famous for his comic and character roles Stanley Holloway on stage and screen, on stage and screen, especially t ...
, particularly the ''Albert'' series. In total he wrote sixteen monologues for Holloway, whilst Holloway himself wrote only five.


Family background

Edgar's great grandfather was
James Henry Marriott James Henry Marriott (1799 – 25 August 1886) was a New Zealand theatre manager, actor, entertainer, playwright, songwriter, engraver, optician and bookseller. He was born in London, England, and arrived in New Zealand three years after the ...
. His parents were Jane (also known as Jenny; ''née'' Taylor), born in London in 1856, and Richard Horatio Marriott Edgar (1847–1894), only son of
Alice Marriott Alice Sheets Marriott (October 19, 1907 – April 17, 2000) was an American entrepreneur and philanthropist. She was married to J. Willard Marriott, founder of the hospitality company Marriott Corp. Early life and career Marriott was born in ...
(1824–1900), proprietress of the Marriott family theatre troupe. Richard was born in Manchester (then Lancashire), near Christmas 1847 as Richard Horatio Marriott; both his two sisters, Adeline Marriott (b. 1853) and Grace Marriott (b. 1858) were also born in Lancashire, all three out of wedlock. Later all three took the surname of their mother's husband, Robert Edgar, whom she married in 1856. Richard and Jane married in March 1875, with Richard being unaware that he had fathered an illegitimate namesake son, Richard Horatio Edgar Wallace, with widowed actress Mrs Mary Jane "Polly" Richards, after a brief sexual encounter. Polly, having invented an obligation in London to hide her pregnancy, gave birth in secret on 1 April 1875, almost a month after Richard and Jenny married. This son became the famous journalist, novelist, playwright and screenplay writer,
Edgar Wallace Richard Horatio Edgar Wallace (1 April 1875 – 10 February 1932) was a British writer. Born into poverty as an illegitimate London child, Wallace left school at the age of 12. He joined the army at age 21 and was a war correspondent during th ...
. Richard and Jenny Taylor's children were Alice Marriott Edgar (b. 1876, London), twins Richard and Jennifer Marriott Edgar (b. 1878, London), after whose births the family moved to Scotland, where George was born on 5 October 1880, then returning to London, where Joseph Marriott Edgar was born in 1884 and Adeline Alice Edgar in 1886.


Early career

George Marriott Edgar was a performer, poet and writer. He began his career as a scene-painter, but from 1907 until his death, he was known to the public as a comedian who played
pantomime dame A pantomime dame is a traditional role in British pantomime. It is part of the theatrical tradition of ''travesti'' portrayal of female characters by male actors in drag. Dame characters are often played either in an extremely camp style, or else ...
s. During 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 fightin ...
he served with the
Royal Sussex Regiment The Royal Sussex Regiment was a line infantry regiment of the British Army that was in existence from 1881 to 1966. The regiment was formed in 1881 as part of the Childers Reforms by the amalgamation of the 35th (Royal Sussex) Regiment of Foot ...
and the Mechanical Transport, and afterwards he toured Australia, New Zealand and South Africa with his dame act. In 1929, he joined the cast of ''
The Co-Optimists ''The Co-Optimists'' is a stage variety revue that opened in London on 27 June 1921. The show was devised by Davy Burnaby. The piece was a co-operative venture by what ''The Times'' called "a group of well-known musical comedy and variety artists ...
'' and worked with
Stanley Holloway Stanley Augustus Holloway (1 October 1890 – 30 January 1982) was an English actor, comedian, singer and monologist. He was famous for his comic and character roles Stanley Holloway on stage and screen, on stage and screen, especially t ...
.Cary Ginell on Stanley Holloway at classicsonline.com
At the start of the 1930s they went to Hollywood, where Edgar – who had dropped his first name for the professional appellation Marriott Edgar – met his half-brother Edgar Wallace.


Monologues

Holloway was already enjoying some success with the monologue format, with such classics as ''Sam, Pick Oop Tha' Musket''. Edgar asked him if he had heard a story about a couple who had taken their son to the zoo, only to see the lad eaten by a lion. Holloway had indeed heard the story, and shortly afterwards Edgar supplied him with a script. ''The Lion and Albert'' became one of Holloway's most popular pieces, one of many he recorded beginning in 1930. The lion of the poem is named "Wallace", which was the name of the first African lion to be bred in Britain, living from 1812 until 1838, and his name became a popular one for lions. Edgar gave the poem the title ''The Lion and Albert'', but some later performances and re-publications used the form ''Albert and the Lion''. A pub on Blackpool Promenade also uses the latter form. The monologues were designed to be spoken rhythmically with piano accompaniment, which in many cases was also composed by Edgar.for examples see The texts were published by Francis, Day & Hunter Ltd. during the 1930s in three collections. All were illustrated by John Hassall, many of whose lively images also became classics. Edgar's compositions were *''Albert 'Arold and Others'' – performed by
Stanley Holloway Stanley Augustus Holloway (1 October 1890 – 30 January 1982) was an English actor, comedian, singer and monologist. He was famous for his comic and character roles Stanley Holloway on stage and screen, on stage and screen, especially t ...
and Marriott Edgar **''The Lion and Albert'': Albert swallowed by a lion in the menagerie of
Blackpool Tower Blackpool Tower is a tourist attraction in Blackpool, Lancashire, England, which was opened to the public on 14 May 1894. When it opened, Blackpool Tower was the List of tallest buildings in the British Empire and the Commonwealth, tallest man m ...
**''Runcorn Ferry'' (''Tuppence per Person per Trip''), set in
Runcorn Runcorn is an industrial town and cargo port in the Borough of Halton in Cheshire, England. Its population in 2011 was 61,789. The town is in the southeast of the Liverpool City Region, with Liverpool to the northwest across the River Mersey. ...
**''Three Ha'pence a Foot'', featuring an argument with
Noah Noah ''Nukh''; am, ኖህ, ''Noḥ''; ar, نُوح '; grc, Νῶε ''Nôe'' () is the tenth and last of the pre-Flood patriarchs in the traditions of Abrahamic religions. His story appears in the Hebrew Bible (Book of Genesis, chapters 5– ...
**''The Battle of Hastings'', an account of the
Battle of Hastings The Battle of Hastings nrf, Batâle dé Hastings was fought on 14 October 1066 between the Norman-French army of William the Conqueror, William, the Duke of Normandy, and an English army under the Anglo-Saxons, Anglo-Saxon King Harold Godw ...
**''Marksman Sam'', featuring Stanley Holloway's creation Sam Small **''Albert and the 'Eadsman'', set in the
Tower of London The Tower of London, officially His Majesty's Royal Palace and Fortress of the Tower of London, is a historic castle on the north bank of the River Thames in central London. It lies within the London Borough of Tower Hamlets, which is separa ...
**''The Return of Albert'' (''Albert Comes Back''), sequel to ''The Lion and Albert'' **''Goalkeeper Joe'', set in
Wigan Wigan ( ) is a large town in Greater Manchester, England, on the River Douglas, Lancashire, River Douglas. The town is midway between the two cities of Manchester, to the south-east, and Liverpool, to the south-west. Bolton lies to the nor ...
**''Gunner Joe'', at the
Battle of Trafalgar The Battle of Trafalgar (21 October 1805) was a naval engagement between the British Royal Navy and the combined fleets of the French and Spanish Navies during the War of the Third Coalition (August–December 1805) of the Napoleonic Wars (180 ...
**''The Jubilee Sov'rin'', the awkward loss of a
sovereign ''Sovereign'' is a title which can be applied to the highest leader in various categories. The word is borrowed from Old French , which is ultimately derived from the Latin , meaning 'above'. The roles of a sovereign vary from monarch, ruler or ...
commemorating
Queen Victoria Victoria (Alexandrina Victoria; 24 May 1819 – 22 January 1901) was Queen of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland from 20 June 1837 until Death and state funeral of Queen Victoria, her death in 1901. Her reign of 63 years and 21 ...
's
Diamond Jubilee A diamond jubilee celebrates the 60th anniversary of a significant event related to a person (e.g. accession to the throne or wedding, among others) or the 60th anniversary of an institution's founding. The term is also used for 75th annivers ...
**''The Magna Charter'', the signing of
Magna Carta (Medieval Latin for "Great Charter of Freedoms"), commonly called (also ''Magna Charta''; "Great Charter"), is a royal charter of rights agreed to by King John of England at Runnymede, near Windsor, on 15 June 1215. First drafted by the ...
**''Little Aggie'', an elephant *''Albert and Balbus and Samuel Small'' – written and performed by Marriott Edgar **''The 'Ole in the Ark'', a necessary repair to
Noah's Ark Noah's Ark ( he, תיבת נח; Biblical Hebrew: ''Tevat Noaḥ'')The word "ark" in modern English comes from Old English ''aerca'', meaning a chest or box. (See Cresswell 2010, p.22) The Hebrew word for the vessel, ''teva'', occurs twice in t ...
**''Sam's Racehorse'', an unfortunate purchase **''George and the Dragon'', an unhelpful pub landlady **''The Recumbent Posture'', a linguistic misunderstanding **''The Channel Swimmer'', an attempt on the
English Channel The English Channel, "The Sleeve"; nrf, la Maunche, "The Sleeve" (Cotentinais) or ( Jèrriais), (Guernésiais), "The Channel"; br, Mor Breizh, "Sea of Brittany"; cy, Môr Udd, "Lord's Sea"; kw, Mor Bretannek, "British Sea"; nl, Het Kana ...
**''Asparagus'', a cautionary tale **''Uppards'', a
Lancashire Lancashire ( , ; abbreviated Lancs) is the name of a historic county, ceremonial county, and non-metropolitan county in North West England. The boundaries of these three areas differ significantly. The non-metropolitan county of Lancashi ...
version of
Longfellow Henry Wadsworth Longfellow (February 27, 1807 – March 24, 1882) was an American poet and educator. His original works include "Paul Revere's Ride", ''The Song of Hiawatha'', and ''Evangeline''. He was the first American to completely transl ...
's famous poem ''
Excelsior Excelsior, a Latin comparative word often translated as "ever upward" or "even higher", may refer to: Arts and entertainment Literature and poetry * "Excelsior" (Longfellow), an 1841 poem by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow * ''Excelsior'' (Macedo ...
'' **''Joe Ramsbottom'', a farmer and the squire **''Burghers of Calais'', retelling the story of
the Burghers of Calais ''The Burghers of Calais'' (french: Les Bourgeois de Calais) is a sculpture by Auguste Rodin in twelve original castings and numerous copies. It commemorates an event during the Hundred Years' War, when Calais, a French port on the English Cha ...
**''Balbus'' (''The Great Wall of China''), a fantasy based on the Latin textbook example: "
Balbus Balbus is Latin for "stammerer", and may refer to: * Quintus Lucilius Balbus (fl. 100 BC), Stoic philosopher mentioned in the works of Cicero * Marcus Atius Balbus, grandfather of the Roman emperor Augustus * Lucius Cornelius Balbus (consul 40 BC) ...
built a wall" **''Jonah and the Grampus'', the story of
Jonah Jonah or Jonas, ''Yōnā'', "dove"; gr, Ἰωνᾶς ''Iōnâs''; ar, يونس ' or '; Latin: ''Ionas'' son of Amittai, is a prophet in the Hebrew Bible and the Quran, from Gath-hepher of the northern kingdom of Israel in about the 8th cent ...
*''Normans and Saxons and Such – some Ancient History'' **''Canute the Great 1017–1035'', about
Cnut the Great Cnut (; ang, Cnut cyning; non, Knútr inn ríki ; or , no, Knut den mektige, sv, Knut den Store. died 12 November 1035), also known as Cnut the Great and Canute, was King of England from 1016, King of Denmark from 1018, and King of Norwa ...
**''William Rufus 1087–1100'', about
William II of England William II ( xno, Williame;  – 2 August 1100) was King of England from 26 September 1087 until his death in 1100, with powers over Normandy and influence in Scotland. He was less successful in extending control into Wales. The third so ...
**''Queen Matilda 1100–1135'', about
Empress Matilda Empress Matilda ( 7 February 110210 September 1167), also known as the Empress Maude, was one of the claimants to the English throne during the civil war known as the Anarchy. The daughter of King Henry I of England, she moved to Germany as ...
**''The Fair Rosamond 1154–1189'', about
Rosamund Clifford Rosamund Clifford (before 1150 – ), often called "The Fair Rosamund" or "Rose of the World" (Latin: ''rosa mundi''), was a medieval English noblewoman and mistress of Henry II, King of England, who became famous in English folklore. Life ...
**''Richard Cœur-de-Lion 1189–1199'', about
Richard I of England Richard I (8 September 1157 – 6 April 1199) was King of England from 1189 until his death in 1199. He also ruled as Duke of Normandy, Aquitaine and Gascony, Lord of Cyprus, and Count of Poitiers, Anjou, Maine, and Nantes, and was ...
**''Henry the Seventh 1485–1509'', about
Henry VII of England Henry VII (28 January 1457 – 21 April 1509) was King of England and Lord of Ireland from his seizure of the crown on 22 August 1485 until his death in 1509. He was the first monarch of the House of Tudor. Henry's mother, Margaret Beaufort ...
''The Lion and Albert'' and ''The Return of Albert'' have been translated into German under the titles ''Der Löwe und Albert'' and ''Albert kommt wieder, na klar!'' respectively. ''The Lion and Albert'' has been performed as a two-part song of eighteen verses to an Irish folk tune by Kathy Hampson's Free Elastic Band. In 1991,
BBC Radio 4 BBC Radio 4 is a British national radio station owned and operated by the BBC that replaced the BBC Home Service in 1967. It broadcasts a wide variety of spoken-word programmes, including news, drama, comedy, science and history from the BBC' ...
broadcast a series of eight programmes entitled ''Marriott's Monologues'', with a different monologist in each programme performing Marriott's monologues with piano accompaniment and discussing the monologues. The monologists included Dame
Thora Hird Dame Thora Hird (28 May 1911 – 15 March 2003) was an English actress and comedian, presenter and writer. In a career spanning over 70 years, she appeared in more than 100 film and television roles, becoming a household name and a Briti ...
,
Betty Driver Elizabeth Mary Driver, (20 May 1920 – 15 October 2011) was a British actress and singer, best known for her role as Betty Williams in the long-running ITV soap opera, ''Coronation Street'', a role she played for 42 years from 1969 to 2011, ap ...
,
Les Dawson Leslie Dawson Jr. (2 February 1931 – 10 June 1993) was an English comedian, actor, writer, and presenter, who is best remembered for his deadpan style, curmudgeonly persona and Mother-in-law joke, jokes about his mother-in-law and wife. Earl ...
,
Roy Hudd Roy Hudd, OBE (16 May 1936 – 15 March 2020) was an English comedian, actor, presenter, radio host, author and authority on the history of music hall entertainment. Early life Hudd was born in Croydon on 16 May 1936 to Evalina "Evie" (née ...
,
Kenneth Waller Kenneth Waller (5 November 1927 – 28 January 2000) was an English actor. He was known for portraying Grandad in '' Bread'' and Old Mr. Grace in ''Are You Being Served?'' Early life Kenneth Waller was born in Lowerhouses Huddersfield, York ...
,
Peter Goodwright Peter Goodwright (12 May 1936 – 2 November 2020) was an English comedic impressionist. He appeared on the ITV impressions show '' Who Do You Do?'' in the 1970s. Goodwright was born in Haslington, Cheshire. Career Goodwright has been referred t ...
,
Bernie Clifton Bernie Clifton (born Bernard M. Quinn, 30 April 1936) is a British comedian and entertainer, known for his work with his orange ostrich puppet costume Oswald the Ostrich. Early life Clifton was born on 30 April 1936 in St Helens, Lancashire, wh ...
and
Roy Castle Roy Castle (31 August 1932 – 2 September 1994) was an English dancer, singer, comedian, actor, television presenter and musician. In addition to being an accomplished jazz trumpet player, he could play many other instruments. Following a vers ...
.


Film scriptwriting

Edgar worked for
Gainsborough Pictures Gainsborough Pictures was a British film studio based on the south bank of the Regent's Canal, in Poole Street, Hoxton in the former Metropolitan Borough of Shoreditch, north London. Gainsborough Studios was active between 1924 and 1951. The com ...
between 1936 and 1944, as a scriptwriter for a number of British films (mostly comedies) such as: * ''
Here's George ''Here's George'' is a 1932 British comedy film directed by Redd Davis and featuring Pat Paterson, Syd Crossley and Merle Tottenham. It was adapted by Marriott Edgar from his own play ''The Service Flat''. It was shot at Cricklewood Studios as a q ...
'' (1932) * '' Rolling Home'' (1935) *''
Windbag the Sailor ''Windbag the Sailor'' is a 1936 British comedy film directed by William Beaudine and starring Will Hay. The film marked the first appearance of Hay with Graham Moffatt and Moore Marriott acting as his straight men, however both Moffatt and Ma ...
'' (1936) *''
Oh, Mr Porter! ''Oh, Mr Porter!'' is a 1937 British comedy film starring Will Hay with Moore Marriott and Graham Moffatt and directed by Marcel Varnel. While not Hay's commercially most successful (although it grossed £500,000 at the box office – equal to a ...
'' (1937) * ''
O-Kay for Sound ''O-Kay for Sound'' is a 1937 British comedy film directed by Marcel Varnel and starring the Crazy Gang troupe of comedians. After falling on hard times the members of the Crazy Gang are busking on the streets of London. However, they are hired ...
'' (1937) *''
Good Morning, Boys ''Good Morning, Boys!'' is a 1937 British comedy film directed by Marcel Varnel and featuring Will Hay, Graham Moffatt, Martita Hunt, Lilli Palmer and Peter Gawthorne. It was made at the Gainsborough Studios in Islington. The film marked the fir ...
'' (1937) *''
Said O'Reilly to McNab ''Said O'Reilly to McNab'' is a 1937 British comedy film directed by William Beaudine and starring Will Mahoney, Will Fyffe and Ellis Drake. It was made at Islington Studios by Gainsborough Pictures.Wood p.96 The film's sets were designed by t ...
'' (1937) *''
Convict 99 ''Convict 99'' is a 1938 British comedy film directed by Marcel Varnel and starring Will Hay, Moore Marriott, Graham Moffatt and Googie Withers. Plot Incompetent Dr Benjamin Twist (Will Hay) is dismissed from his job as headmaster at St. Micha ...
'' (1938) *''
Alf's Button Afloat ''Alf's Button Afloat'' is a 1938 British comedy film directed by Marcel Varnel and starring Bud Flanagan, Chesney Allen, Jimmy Nervo, Alastair Sim and Peter Gawthorne. In the film, the Crazy Gang go to sea, where one of them discovers a butto ...
'' (1938) *''
Old Bones of the River ''Old Bones of the River'' is a comedy film released in 1938 starring British actor Will Hay with Moore Marriott and Graham Moffatt and directed by Marcel Varnel, based on the characters created by Edgar Wallace. The film is a spoof of the 1935 m ...
'' (1938) *''
Ask a Policeman ''Ask a Policeman'' is a 1939 British comedy film directed by Marcel Varnel and starring Will Hay, Moore Marriott and Graham Moffatt. The plot sees Will Hay playing a policeman at the Turnbotham Round police force. The force hasn't arrested anyb ...
'' (1939) *''
The Frozen Limits ''The Frozen Limits'' is a 1939 British comedy western film directed by Marcel Varnel and starring Jimmy Nervo, Bud Flanagan, Teddy Knox, Chesney Allen and Charlie Naughton a group of entertainers commonly known as The Crazy Gang.Mayer p.14 ...
'' (1939) *''
Charley's (Big-Hearted) Aunt ''Charley's (Big-Hearted) Aunt'' is a 1940 British comedy film directed by Walter Forde, starring Arthur Askey and Richard Murdoch as Oxford 'scholars'. The film is one of many to be based on the 1892 Victorian farce ''Charley's Aunt'' by Brando ...
'' (1940) *''
Band Waggon ''Band Waggon'' was a comedy radio show broadcast by the BBC from 1938 to 1940. The first series featured Arthur Askey and Richard Murdoch, Richard "Stinker" Murdoch. In the second series, Askey and Murdoch were joined by Syd Walker, and the thir ...
'' (1940) *''
Where's That Fire? ''Where's That Fire?'' is a 1940 British comedy film, produced by Twentieth Century Fox, directed by Marcel Varnel and starring Will Hay, Moore Marriott and Graham Moffatt. It was the last film Will Hay made with his most famous comic foils, Mo ...
'' (1940) *'' The Ghost Train'' (1941) *''
Gasbags ''Gasbags'' is a 1941 British comedy film directed by Walter Forde and Marcel Varnel and starring The Crazy Gang as well as Moore Marriott. The film was a morale-booster in the early part of the Second World War. Production It was shot at the ...
'' (1941) * '' Hi Gang!'' (1941) *'' I Thank You'' (1941) *''
Back-Room Boy ''Back-Room Boy'' is a 1942 British comedy film directed by Herbert Mason, produced by Edward Black for Gainsborough Pictures and distributed by General Film Distributors. The cast includes Arthur Askey, Googie Withers, Graham Moffatt and Moor ...
'' (1942) *''
King Arthur Was a Gentleman ''King Arthur Was a Gentleman'' is a 1942 British, black-and-white, comedy, musical film, directed by Marcel Varnel and starring Arthur Askey. It was produced by Edward Black and Maurice Ostrer for Gainsborough Pictures. Synopsis Set during W ...
'' (1942) *''
Miss London Ltd. ''Miss London Ltd.'' is a 1943 British, black-and-white, comedy, musical, war film, directed by Val Guest and starring Arthur Askey and Evelyn Dall. It was produced by Edward Black, Maurice Ostrer, Fred Gunn and Gainsborough Pictures. Plot ...
'' (1943) *''
Bees in Paradise ''Bees in Paradise'' is a 1944 British musical comedy film directed by Val Guest and starring Arthur Askey, Anne Shelton and Peter Graves. It was produced by Edward Black at Gainsborough Pictures. Co-written by director Val Guest and comic Mar ...
'' (1944)


Marriage and family

Edgar married Mildred Williams in
Brentford Brentford is a suburban town in West London, England and part of the London Borough of Hounslow. It lies at the confluence of the River Brent and the Thames, west of Charing Cross. Its economy has diverse company headquarters buildings whi ...
in 1904. They had a son, Hindle (1905–1985), who was an actor. Edgar died in
Battle, East Sussex Battle is a small town and civil parish in the local government district of Rother in East Sussex, England. It lies south-east of London, east of Brighton and east of Lewes. Hastings is to the south-east and Bexhill-on-Sea to the south. Batt ...
, on 5 May 1951. He was 70 years old.


References


External links

* * *
MonologuesMore Marriott Edgar monologuesPlay by Marriott Edgar on Great War Theatre website
{{DEFAULTSORT:Edgar, Marriott 1880 births 1951 deaths People from Kirkcudbright English male poets 20th-century English poets 20th-century English male writers British male screenwriters 20th-century British screenwriters Pantomime dames 20th-century English comedians