The Co-Optimists
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''The Co-Optimists'' is a stage variety
revue A revue is a type of multi-act popular theatrical entertainment that combines music, dance, and sketches. The revue has its roots in 19th century popular entertainment and melodrama but grew into a substantial cultural presence of its own duri ...
that opened in London on 27 June 1921. The show was devised by
Davy Burnaby George Davy Burnaby (7 April 1881 – 18 April 1949) was a British actor who appeared in more than thirty films between 1929 and 1948. He was born in Buckland, Hertfordshire and made his screen debut in the 1929 film ''The Devil's Maze''. He die ...
. The piece was a co-operative venture by what ''
The Times ''The Times'' is a British daily national newspaper based in London. It began in 1785 under the title ''The Daily Universal Register'', adopting its current name on 1 January 1788. ''The Times'' and its sister paper ''The Sunday Times'' (fou ...
'' called "a group of well-known musical comedy and variety artists" presenting "an all-star '
pierrot Pierrot ( , , ) is a stock character of pantomime and '' commedia dell'arte'', whose origins are in the late seventeenth-century Italian troupe of players performing in Paris and known as the Comédie-Italienne. The name is a diminutive of ''P ...
' entertainment in the West-end." It opened at the small
Royalty Theatre The Royalty Theatre was a small London theatre situated at 73 Dean Street, Soho. Established by the actress Frances Maria Kelly in 1840, it opened as Miss Kelly's Theatre and Dramatic School and finally closed to the public in 1938.
and soon transferred to the much larger
Palace Theatre Palace Theatre, or Palace Theater, is the name of many theatres in different countries, including: Australia *Palace Theatre, Melbourne, Victoria *Palace Theatre, Sydney, New South Wales Canada *Palace Theatre, housed in the Robillard Block, Mo ...
. The show ran initially for 500 performances; it was completely rewritten and revived at regular intervals to keep it fresh. The final edition, beginning in November 1926 and closing on 4 August 1927, was the 13th version. ''The Co-Optimists'' provided an early platform for the comedy actor and singer
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 brought him wider notice throughout the UK. In 1929, the revue was made into a
feature film A feature film or feature-length film is a narrative film (motion picture or "movie") with a running time long enough to be considered the principal or sole presentation in a commercial entertainment program. The term ''feature film'' originall ...
with the same name, again starring Holloway. In December 1926,
Lee DeForest Lee de Forest (August 26, 1873 – June 30, 1961) was an American inventor and a fundamentally important early pioneer in electronics. He invented the first electronic device for controlling current flow; the three-element " Audion" triode v ...
filmed Betty Chester singing "Pig-Tail Alley" in a
short film A short film is any motion picture that is short enough in running time not to be considered a feature film. The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences defines a short film as "an original motion picture that has a running time of 40 minutes ...
, ''Betty Chester, the Well-Known Co-Optimist Star'', made in his
Phonofilm Phonofilm is an optical sound-on-film system developed by inventors Lee de Forest and Theodore Case in the early 1920s. Introduction In 1919 and 1920, Lee De Forest, inventor of the audion tube, filed his first patents on a sound-on-film process, ...
sound-on-film process.


Music and lyrics

Melville Gideon Melville J. Gideon (May 21, 1884, New York City – November 11, 1933, London) was an American composer, lyricist and performer of ragtime music, composing many themes for hit Broadway musicals including ''The Co-Optimists'' and ''The Beauty Spot ...
,
Clifford Grey Clifford Grey (5 January 1887 – 25 September 1941) was an English songwriter, librettist, actor and screenwriter. His birth name was Percival Davis, and he was also known as Clifford Gray. Grey contributed prolifically to West End and Br ...
,
Irving Berlin Irving Berlin (born Israel Beilin; yi, ישראל ביילין; May 11, 1888 – September 22, 1989) was a Russian-American composer, songwriter and lyricist. His music forms a large part of the Great American Songbook. Born in Imperial Russi ...
,
Philip Braham Philip Braham (18 June 1881 – 2 May 1934) was an English composer of the early twentieth century, chiefly associated with theatrical work. From 1914, he composed music for such musicals and revues as ''Theodore & Co'' (1916) and '' London Call ...
,
Vivian Ellis Vivian John Herman Ellis, CBE (29 October 1903 – 19 June 1996) was an English musical comedy composer best known for the song "Spread a Little Happiness" and the theme " Coronation Scot". Life and work Ellis was born in Hampstead, London in 1 ...
,
William Helmore Air Commodore William Helmore CBE, PhD, MS., FCS, F.R.Ae.S. (1 March 1894 – 18 December 1964) was an engineer who had a varied and distinguished career in scientific research with the Air Ministry and the Ministry of Aircraft Production duri ...
, Ivy St Helier,
Laddie Cliff Laddie Cliff (3 September 1891–8 December 1937) was a British dancer, choreographer, actor, producer, writer, and director of comedy, musical theatre and film. He was noted for his versatility. His many London West End theatre appearances and ...
,
Austin Melford Austin Melford (1884—1971) was a British screenwriter and film director. He was the older brother of actor Jack Melford. Partial filmography Director * ''Car of Dreams'' (1935) * ''Oh, Daddy!'' (1935) * ''Radio Lover'' (1936) Screenwriter * '' ...
,
Greatrex Newman Greatrex Newman (3 July 1892 – 27 January 1984) was an English writer, song-writer and screenwriter. He was born in Manchester, England and died in Eastbourne Eastbourne () is a town and seaside resort in East Sussex, on the sout ...
,
Arthur Schwartz Arthur Schwartz (November 25, 1900 – September 3, 1984) was an American composer and film producer, widely noted for his songwriting collaborations with Howard Dietz. Biography Early life Schwartz was born in Brooklyn, New York City, on Novem ...
, Clifford Seyler.


Stage artists

George K. Arthur Arthur George Brest (27 January 1899 – 30 May 1985), known professionally as George K. Arthur, was an English actor and producer, born in Aberdeen, Scotland,. He appeared in more than 50 films between 1919 and 1935, and is best known as t ...
,
Davy Burnaby George Davy Burnaby (7 April 1881 – 18 April 1949) was a British actor who appeared in more than thirty films between 1929 and 1948. He was born in Buckland, Hertfordshire and made his screen debut in the 1929 film ''The Devil's Maze''. He die ...
, Betty Chester,
Charles Childerstone Charles Childerstone (3 July 1872 – 29 May 1947) was an English operatic tenor and actor who after a career on the stage including a period with the D'Oyly Carte Opera Company from 1896 to 1903 later had a career on the music halls and in f ...
, Gilbert Childs,
Laddie Cliff Laddie Cliff (3 September 1891–8 December 1937) was a British dancer, choreographer, actor, producer, writer, and director of comedy, musical theatre and film. He was noted for his versatility. His many London West End theatre appearances and ...
, Mimi Crawford,
Melville Gideon Melville J. Gideon (May 21, 1884, New York City – November 11, 1933, London) was an American composer, lyricist and performer of ragtime music, composing many themes for hit Broadway musicals including ''The Co-Optimists'' and ''The Beauty Spot ...
,
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 ...
,
Mary Leigh Mary Leigh (née Brown; 1885–1978) was an English political activist and suffragette. Life Leigh was born as Mary or Marie Brown in 1885. She was born in Manchester and was a schoolteacher until her marriage to a builder, surnamed Leigh. She j ...
, Elsa MacFarlane,
Austin Melford Austin Melford (1884—1971) was a British screenwriter and film director. He was the older brother of actor Jack Melford. Partial filmography Director * ''Car of Dreams'' (1935) * ''Oh, Daddy!'' (1935) * ''Radio Lover'' (1936) Screenwriter * '' ...
,
Phyllis Monkman Phyllis Monkman (8 January 1892 – 2 December 1976) was a British stage and film actress.Moore p.56 She was married to the entertainer Laddie Cliff. In the early years of her career, she was often partnered on stage by Jack Buchanan and appeare ...
,
Herbert Mundin Herbert Thomas Mundin (21 August 1898 – 5 March 1939) was an English character actor. He was frequently typecast in 1930s Hollywood films like ''The Adventures of Robin Hood'' as an older cheeky eccentric, a type helped by his jowled feature ...
,
Elsie Randolph Elsie Randolph (9 December 1904 – 15 October 1982) was an English actress, singer and dancer. Randolph was born and died in London. She is best remembered for her partnership with Jack Buchanan in several stage and film musicals. She also app ...
,
Cyril Ritchard Cyril Joseph Trimnell-Ritchard (1 December 1898 – 18 December 1977), known professionally as Cyril Ritchard, was an Australian stage, screen and television actor, and director. He is best remembered today for his performance as Captain Hook in ...
, Babs Valerie, Clifford Witley.


Film artists

Davy Burnaby George Davy Burnaby (7 April 1881 – 18 April 1949) was a British actor who appeared in more than thirty films between 1929 and 1948. He was born in Buckland, Hertfordshire and made his screen debut in the 1929 film ''The Devil's Maze''. He die ...
,
Phyllis Monkman Phyllis Monkman (8 January 1892 – 2 December 1976) was a British stage and film actress.Moore p.56 She was married to the entertainer Laddie Cliff. In the early years of her career, she was often partnered on stage by Jack Buchanan and appeare ...
, Gilbert Childs,
Laddie Cliff Laddie Cliff (3 September 1891–8 December 1937) was a British dancer, choreographer, actor, producer, writer, and director of comedy, musical theatre and film. He was noted for his versatility. His many London West End theatre appearances and ...
,
Melville Gideon Melville J. Gideon (May 21, 1884, New York City – November 11, 1933, London) was an American composer, lyricist and performer of ragtime music, composing many themes for hit Broadway musicals including ''The Co-Optimists'' and ''The Beauty Spot ...
,
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 ...
, Betty Chester, Elsa MacFarlane, Peggy Petronella, and Harry S. Pepper.


References


External links


The Co-Optimists on British Pathé news
*
''Betty Chester, the Well-Known Co-Optimist Star'' at IMDB


The Guide to Musical Theatre - List of artists and credits
''The Co-Optimists'' at NY Times Movies page
{{DEFAULTSORT:Co-Optimists, The Revues 1921 musicals