Robert Inman (c. 1863 – 26 September 1940) was an actor from

Dunedin Dunedin ( ; mi, Ōtepoti) is the second-largest city in the South Island of New Zealand (after Christchurch), and the principal city of the Otago region. Its name comes from , the Scottish Gaelic name for Edinburgh, the capital of Scotland. Th ...

, New Zealand, who had a substantial career in Australia.

History

Inman was born in

, New Zealand, a son of Robert E. Inman who was a theatrical manager in Australia and dead by 1899. but of whom nothing more has come to light. He left New Zealand at age 17 to pursue a career on the stage. He was with Essie Jenyns' company 1887–1888, notably playing Romeo to Jenyns' Juliet at the Criterion Theatre, Sydney on 23 June 1888. Charles Holloway, too, was passing "younger" roles to Inman, and not regretting having done so. He also played: *

Mercutio Mercutio ( , ) is a fictional character in William Shakespeare's 1597 tragedy, ''Romeo and Juliet''. He is a close friend to Romeo and a blood relative to Prince Escalus and Count Paris. As such, Mercutio is one of the named characters in the p ...

for

Mrs Brown-Potter Mary Cora Urquhart or Cora Brown–Potter (May 15, 1857 – February 12, 1936) was an American actress who found success in London. Formerly a member of ''The Four Hundred (Gilded Age), The Four Hundred'' in New York'','' she was one of the first ...

and

Kyrle Bellew Harold Kyrle Money Bellew (28 March 1850 – 2 November 1911) was an English stage and silent film actor. He notably toured with Cora Brown-Potter in the 1880s and 1890s, and was cast as the leading man in many stage productions alongside ...

at the Theatre Royal; *Lord Fellamar in ''Joseph's Sweetheart'' for

Robert Brough Robert John Cameron Brough ARSA (1872 – 21 January 1905) was a Scottish painter born near Invergordon, Ross and Cromarty. Life He was born on 20 March 1872. at Garty Cottage, Kilmuir Easter, near Invergordon. His mother was Helen Brough, ...

and

Dion Boucicault Dionysius Lardner "Dion" Boucicault (né Boursiquot; 26 December 1820 – 18 September 1890) was an Irish actor and playwright famed for his melodramas. By the later part of the 19th century, Boucicault had become known on both sides of the ...

; *The title role in

Hamilton Aidé Charles Hamilton Aide (sometimes written as Aidé or Aïdé; 4 November 1826 – 13 December 1906) was "for many years a conspicuous figure in London literary society, a writer of novels, songs and dramas of considerable merit and popularity, ...

's comedy ''Dr Bill'' for James Williamson and

George Musgrove George Musgrove (21 January 1854 – 21 January 1916) was an English-born Australian theatre producer. Early life Musgrove was born at Surbiton, England, the son of Thomas John Watson Musgrove, an accountant, and his wife, Fanny Hodson, an act ...

; *Clifford Vaughan in ''Called Back''; Clifford Armytage, in ''

The Lights o' London ''The Lights o' London'' is a melodramatic play, by George R. Sims, first produced in London on 10 September 1881 at the Princess's Theatre, produced by and starring Wilson Barrett. The play was a hit, running for 226 nights, and was frequently ...

''; James Gordon, in ''Man to Man''; and Gideon Blake, in Pettit and Sims' ''In the Ranks'' for

George Rignold George Richard Rignold, born George Richard Rignall, (1839 – 16 December 1912) was an England, English-born actor, active in Britain and Australia. Early life Rignold was born in Birmingham, England. He was the son of William Rignall, an actor ...

. *David Englehart in Charles Darrell's ''When London Sleeps'', at the Theatre Royal, for Charles Holloway and

William Anderson William Anderson may refer to: Arts and entertainment * William Anderson (artist) (1757–1837), painter of marine and historical paintings * William Anderson (theatre) (1868–1940), Australian stage entrepreneur * William Anderson (1911–1986), ...

. He formed his own company September 1897 – April 1898, playing

Wilton Jones Gertrude Warden (1859–1925) was an English actress and writer, who wrote over 30 novels under her stage name, her name at birth being Gertrude Isobel Price and her married name Mrs John Wilton Jones. Life Warden began life as Gertrude Isobel P ...

' ''A Yorkshire Lass'', ''Dr Bill'',

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 ...

's ''Held By the Enemy'' and ''The Girl I Left Behind Me'' by

David Belasco David Belasco (July 25, 1853 – May 14, 1931) was an American theatrical producer, impresario, director, and playwright. He was the first writer to adapt the short story ''Madame Butterfly'' for the stage. He launched the theatrical career of m ...

and

Franklin Fyles Franklin may refer to: People * Franklin (given name) * Franklin (surname) * Franklin (class), a member of a historical English social class Places Australia * Franklin, Tasmania, a township * Division of Franklin, federal electoral divi ...

, including a four-month season in New Zealand.

20th century

He played in companies led by Charles Holloway 1905–1907; William Anderson 1908–1916; and

George Marlow George Marlow (24 September 1876 – 21 May 1939) (born Joseph Marks) was an Australian theatrical entrepreneur born in London of Jewish extraction, noted for bringing melodrama and pantomime to Sydney audiences in the early 1900s. His name has b ...

1909–1913. Inman acted in at least one film, ''

The Kelly Gang ''The Kelly Gang'' is an Australian feature-length film about the Australian bush ranger, Ned Kelly. The film was released in 1920, and is the second film to be based on the life of Ned Kelly, the first being ''The Story of the Kelly Gang'', re ...

'' (1920) as

Aaron Sherritt Aaron Sherritt (August 1854 – 26 June 1880) was an associate of the gang of outlaws led by Ned Kelly in Victoria, Australia. Personal life Aaron Sherritt was born in the Melbourne suburb of Prahran in August 1854, to Irish migrants John and ...

Family

Three generations of Robert Inman: House decorator Robert Ethelbert Inman ( – 31 March 1863) married Lydia, lived in Melbourne, had shop at 16

Swanston Street Swanston Street is a major thoroughfare in the centre of Melbourne, Victoria, Australia. It is one of the main streets of the Melbourne central business district and was laid out in 1837 as part of the original Hoddle Grid. The street vertically ...

. He died in Dunedin, New Zealand. *Melbourne theatrical manager Robert Inman ( – ) of whom only vague references have been found. Died before 1899. **Robert Ethelbert Inman (c. 1863 – 26 September 1940) married Maud Mary Appleton (1867 – 6 October 1948), daughter of Frederick Appleton in October 1892. Maud was an actress, appeared in ''

'' as Mrs Kelly. They had a home at

Hawthorn, Victoria Hawthorn is an inner suburb of Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, east of Melbourne's central business district, located within the City of Boroondara local government area. Hawthorn recorded a population of 22,322 at the 2021 census. Glenferrie ...

, later 22 Graylings Grove,

St Kilda, Victoria St Kilda is an inner seaside suburb in Melbourne, Victoria (Australia), Victoria, Australia, 6 km (4 miles) south-east of Melbourne's Melbourne City Centre, Central Business District, located within the City of Port Phillip Local governmen ...

. ***Adeline Ethelbert "Adele" Inman (1895 – 16 July 1981) married William Anstruther Fletcher on 8 December 1923. Adele, who played Kate Kelly in ''The Kelly Gang'', is frequently described as their only daughter, but there was another, Marjorie, who died young.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Inman, Robert 1860s births 1940 deaths 19th-century Australian male actors 20th-century Australian male actors Actors from Dunedin New Zealand male actors New Zealand emigrants to Australia