Patric Curwen (14 December 1884 – 31 May 1949) was a British

stage Stage or stages may refer to: Acting * Stage (theatre), a space for the performance of theatrical productions * Theatre, a branch of the performing arts, often referred to as "the stage" * ''The Stage'', a weekly British theatre newspaper * Sta ...

and

film actor An actor or actress is a person who portrays a character in a performance. The actor performs "in the flesh" in the traditional medium of the theatre or in modern media such as film, radio, and television. The analogous Greek term is (), li ...

Biography

Curwen, son of John Spencer Curwen of the music publishing company, and grandson of

John Curwen John Curwen (14 November 1816 – 26 May 1880) was an English Congregationalist minister and diffuser of the tonic sol-fa system of music education created by Sarah Ann Glover. He was educated at Wymondley College in Hertfordshire, then Cowa ...

, founder of the Tonic sol-fa system, was educated at

Abbotsholme School Abbotsholme School is a co-educational independent boarding and day school. The school is situated on a 140-acre campus on the banks of the River Dove in Derbyshire, England near the county border and the village of Rocester in Staffordshire. I ...

in Derbyshire, then New College, Oxford. He studied acting under Rosina Filippi and started his career at the Haymarket Theatre in London in 1907, appearing in productions of ''

The Lyons Mail ''The Lyons Mail'' is a 1931 British historical mystery adventure film directed by Arthur Maude and starring John Martin Harvey, Norah Baring, and Ben Webster. It was based on the 1877 play '' The Lyons Mail'' by Charles Reade which in turn wa ...

'', '' Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde'' and '' The Bells'', among others. During

World War I 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 joined the Artists Rifles, then received a commission in the Royal Naval Volunteer Reserve. He served with the armoured car unit in France, but was moved to Naval Intelligence Division for health reasons, where he continued until 1920. He spent four years in India learning tea and coffee planting, then returned to work in England with the

Birmingham Repertory Theatre Birmingham Repertory Theatre, commonly called Birmingham Rep or just The Rep, is a producing theatre based on Centenary Square in Birmingham, England. Founded by Barry Jackson, it is the longest-established of Britain's building-based theatre ...

. From 1926 to 1928 he undertook an overseas tour, including visits to Australia and New Zealand, and on his return to England he continued to work as an actor in London in the years leading up to moving into film in 1931 and the start of his broadcasting career in 1934. He became well known as compère of the BBC programmes ''Scrapbook'' and ''Those Were The Days''. He died in 1949 at

Rondebosch Rondebosch is one of the Southern Suburbs of Cape Town, South Africa. It is primarily a residential suburb, with shopping and business districts as well as the main campus of the University of Cape Town. History Four years after the first Dutch s ...

Cape Town Cape Town ( af, Kaapstad; , xh, iKapa) is one of South Africa's three capital cities, serving as the seat of the Parliament of South Africa. It is the legislative capital of the country, the oldest city in the country, and the second largest ...

at the age of 64.

Selected filmography

*'' The Ringer'' (1931) *'' Loyalties'' (1933) *''

Department Store A department store is a retail establishment offering a wide range of consumer goods in different areas of the store, each area ("department") specializing in a product category. In modern major cities, the department store made a dramatic app ...

'' (1935) * '' Men of Yesterday'' (1936) * ''

There Was a Young Man ''There Was a Young Man'' is a 1937 British comedy film directed by Albert Parker and starring Oliver Wakefield, Nancy O'Neil and Clifford Heatherley. It was made at Wembley Studios as a quota quickie by Twentieth Century Fox.Wood p.97 Cast * O ...

'' (1937) *''

Return to Yesterday ''Return to Yesterday'' is a 1940 British comedy-drama film directed by Robert Stevenson and starring Clive Brook and Anna Lee. It was based on Robert Morley's play '' Goodness, How Sad''. The film was made at Ealing Studios. Synopsis A British ...

'' (1940) *''

The Man in Grey ''The Man in Grey'' is a 1943 British film melodrama made by Gainsborough Pictures; it is considered to be the first of a series of period costume dramas now known as the "Gainsborough melodramas". It was directed by Leslie Arliss and produce ...

'' (1943) *''

The Lamp Still Burns ''The Lamp Still Burns'' is a 1943 British drama film directed by Maurice Elvey and starring Rosamund John, Stewart Granger and Godfrey Tearle. Its plot concerns a woman architect who changes careers to become a nurse. It was based on the 1942 n ...

'' (1943) * ''

The Shipbuilders ''The Shipbuilders'' is a 1943 British drama film directed by John Baxter and starring Clive Brook, Morland Graham and Nell Ballantyne. The film is set in a Clyde shipyard in the build-up to the Second World War. It was made by British Nationa ...

'' (1943) *'' Strawberry Roan'' (1944) *''

Don't Take It to Heart ''Don't Take It to Heart'' is a 1944 British comedy film directed by Jeffrey Dell and starring Richard Greene, Alfred Drayton, Patricia Medina, Moore Marriott and Richard Bird. It was shot at the Riverside Studios in Hammersmith with sets de ...

'' (1944) *''

Give Me the Stars Give may refer to: making someone get or receive something from someone Places * Give, Denmark, a small town ** Give Municipality, a former municipality Music * ''Give'' (Balkan Beat Box album), 2012 album by Balkan Beat Box * ''Give'' (The Bad ...

'' (1945) *''

The Echo Murders ''The Echo Murders'' is a 1945 British thriller film directed by John Harlow and starring David Farrar and Dennis Price. It was one of two films directed by John Harlow in which David Farrar played Sexton Blake, the other being '' Meet Sexton ...

'' (1945) *'' They Knew Mr. Knight'' (1946) *''

Nothing Venture ''Nothing Venture'' is a 1948 British comedy family film directed by John Baxter and starring The Artemus Boys, Terry Randall, Patric Curwen and Michael Aldridge.Murphy p.41 Cast * The Artemus Boys as Themselves * Terry Randall as Diana Chaice ...

'' (1948)

References

External links

* * 1884 births 1949 deaths Male actors from London British male film actors British male television actors British male stage actors 20th-century British male actors People educated at Abbotsholme School {{UK-actor-stub