Stanley Richard Lupino Hook (15 June 1893 – 10 June 1942), known professionally as Stanley Lupino, was an English actor, dancer, singer, librettist, director and short story writer. During the 1930s, Lupino appeared in a successful series of musical comedy films, often based on his already popular stage shows.

Career

Lupino was a member of the celebrated theatrical

Lupino family The Lupino family () is a British theatre family which traces its roots to an Italian émigré of the early 17th century. The "Lupino" name is derived from two unrelated families: *the original Luppino or Lupino family, seventeenth century emigre ...

. His father was the actor George Lupino. He was the brother of actor

Barry Lupino George Barry Lupino-Hook (7 January 1884 – 26 September 1962) was an English comedian and film actor, and a notable Pantomime dame. He was the brother of the actor and comedian Stanley Lupino, the father of the actress Antoinette Lupino, and ...

(1884–1962) and the father of

Ida Lupino Ida Lupino (4 February 1918Recorded in ''Births Mar 1918'' Camberwell Vol. 1d, p. 1019 (Free BMD). Transcribed as "Lupine" in the official births index – 3 August 1995) was an English-American actress, singer, director, writer, and producer. T ...

. Lupino began his career as an

acrobat Acrobatics () is the performance of human feats of balance, agility, and motor coordination. Acrobatic skills are used in performing arts, sporting events, and martial arts. Extensive use of acrobatic skills are most often performed in acro ...

. He made his first stage appearance at the age of 6 as a monkey in ''King Klondyke''. After prize fighting for a while, he toured with the Albert and Edmunds troupe of acrobats, the Brother Luck and other vaude units. In 1910 he appeared in ''Dick Whittington'', and 4 years later was signed by his brother, Barry, for a role in ''Sleeping Beauty''. He first became known as a

music hall Music hall is a type of British theatrical entertainment that was popular from the early Victorian era, beginning around 1850. It faded away after 1918 as the halls rebranded their entertainment as variety. Perceptions of a distinction in Bri ...

performer and played in

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-speaking ...

s at the

Theatre Royal Drury Lane The Theatre Royal, Drury Lane, commonly known as Drury Lane, is a West End theatre and Grade I listed building in Covent Garden, London, England. The building faces Catherine Street (earlier named Bridges or Brydges Street) and backs onto Dru ...

. In 1917 he played Rono in '' Arlette'' by

Austen Hurgon Austen Hurgon (1867 – 24 June 1942) was an actor, singer, theatre director and librettist for several successful Edwardian musical comedies of the 1900s and 1910s. Early life Born as Richard Cornelius Horgan in London in 1867 to Irish par ...

and

George Arthurs George Arthurs (13 April 1875 – 14 March 1944) was an English songwriter, playwright, composer, author and screenwriter who contributed lyrics to several successful musical comedies such as ''The Belle of Mayfair'' (1906), ''Havana'' (190 ...

at the

Shaftesbury Theatre The Shaftesbury Theatre is a West End theatre, located on Shaftesbury Avenue, in the London Borough of Camden. Opened in 1911 as the New Prince's Theatre, it was the last theatre to be built in Shaftesbury Avenue. History The theatre was d ...

. In 1920 and 1921 he appeared in Wylie &

Tate Tate is an institution that houses, in a network of four art galleries, the United Kingdom's national collection of British art, and international modern and contemporary art. It is not a government institution, but its main sponsor is the U ...

pantomimes at

Sheffield Sheffield is a city status in the United Kingdom, city in South Yorkshire, England, whose name derives from the River Sheaf which runs through it. The city serves as the administrative centre of the City of Sheffield. It is Historic counties o ...

and

Cardiff Cardiff (; cy, Caerdydd ) is the capital and largest city of Wales. It forms a principal area, officially known as the City and County of Cardiff ( cy, Dinas a Sir Caerdydd, links=no), and the city is the eleventh-largest in the United Kingd ...

with

Daisy Burrell Daisy Burrell (born Daisy Isobel Eaglesfield Ratton; 16 June 1892 – 10 June 1982) was a British stage actress and Edwardian musical comedy performer who also appeared as a leading lady in silent films and in pantomime. In 1951 she appeared i ...

. He appeared with

Elsie Janis Elsie Janis (born Elsie Bierbower, March 16, 1889 – February 26, 1956) was an American actress of stage and screen, singer, songwriter, screenwriter and radio announcer. Entertaining the troops during World War I immortalized her as "Forces ...

in ''Hello, America'' and wrote the words for ''Hold My Hand''. Lupino wrote and performed in several shows, including ''

Phi-Phi ''Phi-Phi'' is an opérette légère in three acts with music by Henri Christiné and a French libretto by Albert Willemetz and Fabien Solar. The piece was one which founded the new style of French comédie musicale, the first to really use the la ...

'' (1922) and ''From Dover Street to Dixie'' (1923) at the

London Pavilion The London Pavilion is a building on the corner of Shaftesbury Avenue and Coventry Street on the north-east side of Piccadilly Circus in London. It is currently a shopping arcade and part of the Trocadero Centre. Early history The first buildi ...

. In 1926-'27 he appeared on Broadway in ''Naughty Riquette'' and ''The Nightingale'', returning to England to play at the Gaiety Theatre in London, including ''Love Lies'' (1929), ''Hold My Hand'' (1932), and ''

Sporting Love ''Sporting Love'' is a musical written by Stanley Lupino with music by Billy Mayerl, lyrics by Desmond Carter and Frank Eyton. Produced by Lupino, it opened at the Gaiety Theatre, London on 31 March 1934 and ran for 302 performances, closing o ...

'' (1934), which ran for 302 performances. He also wrote and starred in ''So this is Love'' (1929) at Drury Lane and ''The Love Race''. He also performed extensively for

BBC Radio BBC Radio is an operational business division and service of the British Broadcasting Corporation (which has operated in the United Kingdom under the terms of a royal charter since 1927). The service provides national radio stations covering th ...

. Later, he turned to screenwriting and films, although he also continued on stage in works like ''

The Fleet's Lit Up ''The Fleet's Lit Up'' is a musical comedy first staged in London in 1938 with music and lyrics by Vivian Ellis and a book by Guy Bolton, Fred Thompson and Bert Lee. It ran for 191 performances at the London Hippodrome from August 1938 to Febr ...

'' (1939) and '' Lady Behave'' (1941) which co-starred

Sally Gray Constance Vera Browne, Baroness Oranmore and Browne (''née'' Stevens; 14 February 1915 – 24 September 2006), commonly known as Sally Gray, was an English film actress of the 1930s and 1940s. Her obituary in ''The Irish Times'' described he ...

. Lupino wrote a short novel ''Crazy Days'' which was published by Herbert Jenkins Ltd in 1932 and his autobiography ''From the Stocks to the Stars: An Unconventional Autobiography'' which was published in 1934. In 1945, his 'How to Become a Comedian' was published. He is buried in

Lambeth Cemetery Lambeth Cemetery is a cemetery in Tooting, in the London Borough of Wandsworth. It is one of three cemeteries owned by Lambeth London Borough Council, the others being West Norwood Cemetery and Streatham Cemetery. History Like nearby Streatham C ...

, London. On 16 February 2016 a commemorative blue plaque was erected to Stanley Lupino and his daughter

by the theatre charity

The Music Hall Guild of Great Britain and America The Music Hall Guild of Great Britain and America and the Theatre and Film Guild of Great Britain and America is a registered theatre charity and non-profit making theatre organisation based in London. The Guild's patrons include Brian Croucher ...

at the house where Ida was born in Herne Hill."Stanley Lupino Commemorated"
London Remembers. Retrieved 10 September 2018.

Filmography

Actor

* '' Love Lies'' (1931) * ''

The Love Race ''The Love Race'' is a 1931 British comedy film directed by Lupino Lane and starring Stanley Lupino, Jack Hobbs and Dorothy Boyd. It was adapted from Stanley Lupino's own play of the same name and was produced by British International Pictures ...

'' (1931) * '' Sleepless Nights'' (1932) * '' You Made Me Love You'' (1933) * ''

King of the Ritz ''King of the Ritz'' is a 1933 British musical film directed by Carmine Gallone and Herbert Smith and starring Stanley Lupino, Betty Stockfeld and Hugh Wakefield. A separate French-language version '' King of the Hotel'' was made, with Stoc ...

'' (1933) * '' Facing the Music'' (1933) * '' Happy'' (1933) * '' Honeymoon for Three'' (1935) * '' Cheer Up'' (1936) * ''

'' (1937) * '' Hold My Hand'' (1938) * ''

Over She Goes ''Over She Goes'' is a 1937 British musical comedy film directed by Graham Cutts and starring Stanley Lupino, Claire Luce, Laddie Cliff, Gina Malo and Max Baer. It was based on a successful London stage play by Lupino, with music by Billy Maye ...

'' (1938) * ''

Lucky to Me ''Lucky to Me'' is a 1939 British musical comedy film directed by Thomas Bentley and starring Stanley Lupino, Phyllis Brooks and Barbara Blair. It was based on Lupino's own 1928 stage show ''So This is Love'' which he had co-written with actor ...

'' (1939)

Writer

* ''Love Lies'' (1931) * ''You Made Me Love You'' (1933) * ''Facing the Music'' (1933) * ''Happy'' (1933) * ''Honeymoon for Three'' (1935) * ''

'' (1937) * ''Hold My Hand'' (1938) * ''Over She Goes'' (1938) * ''Lucky to Me'' (1939) * '' Don't Give Up'' (1947)

Producer

* ''Love Lies'' (1931) * ''The Love Race'' (1931) * ''Honeymoon for Three'' (1935) * ''Cheer Up'' (1936)

References

External links

* * *
Photo of Lupino
*
''Over She Goes'' (1937)
* * * * * *
Mentions several Lupino worksStanley Lupino on Great War Theatre
{{DEFAULTSORT:Lupino, Stanley 1893 births 1942 deaths English male film actors Music hall performers English male stage actors 20th-century English male actors Burials at Lambeth Cemetery