Lawrence Randall Grossmith (29 March 1877 – 21 February 1944) was an English actor, the son of the

Gilbert and Sullivan Gilbert and Sullivan was a Victorian era, Victorian-era theatrical partnership of the dramatist W. S. Gilbert (1836–1911) and the composer Arthur Sullivan (1842–1900), who jointly created fourteen comic operas between 1871 and 1896, of which ...

performer

George Grossmith George Grossmith (9 December 1847 – 1 March 1912) was an English comedian, writer, composer, actor, and singer. His performing career spanned more than four decades. As a writer and composer, he created 18 comic operas, nearly 100 musical ...

and the brother of the actor-manager George Grossmith Jr. After establishing his career in

Edwardian musical comedy Edwardian musical comedy was a form of British musical theatre that extended beyond the reign of King Edward VII in both directions, beginning in the early 1890s, when the Gilbert and Sullivan operas' dominance had ended, until the rise of the A ...

in London from the first years of the 20th century until the First World War (except for a brief period in the U.S.), Grossmith left England on an extensive tour of the U.S. and Australia, playing in both musicals and non-musical plays. He continued his stage career in England and America from 1924. From 1933 until his death in 1944, he acted in films as well as on stage.

Life and career

Grossmith was born in London, the son of the actor

, famous for his roles in the

Savoy Operas Savoy opera was a style of comic opera that developed in Victorian England in the late 19th century, with W. S. Gilbert and Arthur Sullivan as the original and most successful practitioners. The name is derived from the Savoy Theatre, which im ...

, and Emmeline Rosa Noyce (1849–1905). His uncle was the actor

Weedon Grossmith Walter Weedon Grossmith (9 June 1854 – 14 June 1919), better known as Weedon Grossmith, was an English writer, painter, actor, and playwright best known as co-author of ''The Diary of a Nobody'' (1892) with his brother, music hall comedian ...

. He was educated at St Paul's College, Stony Stratford, London University School and

Shrewsbury School Shrewsbury School is a public school (English independent boarding school for pupils aged 13 –18) in Shrewsbury. Founded in 1552 by Edward VI by Royal Charter, it was originally a boarding school for boys; girls have been admitted into the ...

.Parker, pp. 396–397 He was intended for a career as an engineer, but, like his father, his uncle and his elder brother, George Grossmith Jr., he was drawn to the theatre. He made his stage debut, in 1896, as Robert in ''

Mam'zelle Nitouche ''Mam'zelle Nitouche'' is a Opérette vaudeville, vaudeville-opérette in three acts by Hervé (composer), Hervé. The libretto is by Henri Meilhac and Albert Millaud. This story of a respectable musician, transforming himself into a songwriter at ...

'' at the Court Theatre. In 1901 Grossmith played the title role in a stage adaptation of ''

Struwwelpeter ''Der Struwwelpeter'' ("shock-headed Peter" or "Shaggy Peter") is an 1845 German children's book by Heinrich Hoffmann. It comprises ten illustrated and rhymed stories, mostly about children. Each has a clear moral that demonstrates the disastr ...

'', a role very unlike the ''

flâneur () is a French noun referring to a person, literally meaning "stroller", "lounger", "saunterer", or "loafer", but with some nuanced additional meanings (including as a loanword into English). is the act of strolling, with all of its accom ...

'' roles with which his name later became associated. In 1904 Grossmith married

Coralie Blythe Coralie Blythe (born Caroline Maud Blyth; 28 January 1881 – 24 July 1928), was an English actress and singer, who is best remembered for her numerous postcard photos and her roles in Edwardian musical comedy. Although she never became a big s ...

, a star of

. Her brother was the dancer

Vernon Castle Vernon and Irene Castle were a husband-and-wife team of ballroom dancers and dance teachers who appeared on Broadway and in silent films in the early 20th century. They are credited with reviving the popularity of modern dancing. Castle was a st ...

. In the first years of the 20th century he became known for his appearances in

, in such West End shows as '' The White Chrysanthemum'' (1905) and ''

The Girl Behind the Counter ''The Girl Behind the Counter'' is an Edwardian musical comedy with a book by Arthur Anderson (dramatist), Arthur Anderson and Leedham Bantock, music by Howard Talbot and lyrics by Arthur Anderson (dramatist), Arthur Anderson (and additional lyr ...

'' (1906). In 1906 Grossmith and his wife Coralie Blythe were invited to go to New York by

Lew Fields Lew Fields (born Moses Schoenfeld, January 1867 – July 20, 1941) was an American actor, comedian, vaudeville star, theatre Management, manager, and Theatrical producer, producer. He was part of a comedy duo with Joe Weber (vaudevillian), Joe We ...

; taking Blythe's brother Vernon Castle with them. Later in 1906 the trio appeared at the

Herald Square Theatre The Herald Square Theatre was a Broadway theatre in Manhattan, New York City, built in 1883 and closed in 1914. The site is now a highrise designed by H. Craig Severance. History The Park Theatre opened in 1883 (also known as the New Park Theat ...

Broadway Broadway may refer to: Theatre * Broadway Theatre (disambiguation) * Broadway theatre, theatrical productions in professional theatres near Broadway, Manhattan, New York City, U.S. ** Broadway (Manhattan), the street **Broadway Theatre (53rd Stree ...

in the musical revue ''About Town''. He was back in London after this, appearing in ''

Havana Havana (; Spanish: ''La Habana'' ) is the capital and largest city of Cuba. The heart of the La Habana Province, Havana is the country's main port and commercial center.

'' (1908) and '' Are You There?'' (1913). In 1913 he went into management, taking over the

Savoy Theatre The Savoy Theatre is a West End theatre in the Strand in the City of Westminster, London, England. The theatre was designed by C. J. Phipps for Richard D'Oyly Carte and opened on 10 October 1881 on a site previously occupied by the Savoy P ...

."Mr. Lawrence Grossmith", ''The Times'', 25 February 1944, p. 7 In 1915 Grossmith and Blythe appeared in Reubens and

Kern KERN (1180 AM broadcasting, AM) is a commercial radio, commercial radio station city of license, licensed to Wasco, California, Wasco-Greenacres, California, and serving the Bakersfield metropolitan area. The station is owned by American General ...

's musical comedy ''Nobody Home'' on Broadway, which transferred to the Princess Theatre in 1916. Grossmith stayed in New York for some years before moving on to Australia and New Zealand, not returning to England until 1924. During these years he appeared in the musical comedies ''Flora Bella'' (1916) and ''Love o' Mike'' (1917). In the non-musical theatre his roles in this period included Major Lowndes in

Somerset Maugham William Somerset Maugham ( ; 25 January 1874 – 16 December 1965) was an English writer, known for his plays, novels and short stories. Born in Paris, where he spent his first ten years, Maugham was schooled in England and went to a German un ...

's ''Too Many Husbands'' (the American version of his ''Home and Beauty''). He returned to Broadway in 1928, appearing there in '' The Cat and the Fiddle'' (1931) and ''Call It a Day'' (1936). Grossmith made a silent film in 1914, ''The Brass Bottle''. From 1933 to 1944, he made several talking films, taking major roles in ''

Counsel's Opinion ''Counsel's Opinion'' is a 1933 British romantic comedy film starring Henry Kendall and Binnie Barnes. It was one of three films directed in Britain in the early 1930s by Canadian-American Allan Dwan and was an early production from Alexande ...

'' (1933), ''

Tiger Bay Tiger Bay ( cy, Bae Teigr) was the local name for an area of Cardiff which covered Butetown and Cardiff Docks. Following the building of the Cardiff Barrage, which dams the tidal rivers, Ely and Taff, to create a body of water, it is re ...

'' (1934), ''

Sing As We Go ''Sing As We Go'' is a 1934 British musical film starring Gracie Fields, John Loder and Stanley Holloway. The script was written by Gordon Wellesley and J. B. Priestley. Considered by many to be British music hall star Gracie Fields' finest ...

'' (1934), ''

Everything in Life ''Everything in Life'' is a 1936 British musical film directed by J. Elder Wills and starring Gitta Alpar, Neil Hamilton and Lawrence Grossmith. It was made at Highbury Studios.Wood p.90 An opera singer pretends to be poor in order to romanti ...

'' (1936), '' Silver Blaze'' (1937) ''

The Girl in the Taxi ''The'' () is a grammatical article in English, denoting persons or things already mentioned, under discussion, implied or otherwise presumed familiar to listeners, readers, or speakers. It is the definite article in English. ''The'' is the m ...

'' (1937) and ''

No Time for Comedy ''No Time for Comedy'' is a 1940 American comedy-drama film based on the play of the same name by S. N. Behrman, starring James Stewart, Rosalind Russell, Genevieve Tobin and Charlie Ruggles. Plot summary Gaylord Esterbrook (Stewart), a reporte ...

'' (1940).Lawrence Grossmith
on the

Internet Movie Database IMDb (an abbreviation of Internet Movie Database) is an online database of information related to films, television series, home videos, video games, and streaming content online – including cast, production crew and personal biographies, ...

, accessed 20 December 2009 Grossmith died on 21 February 1944 in Woodland Hills,

California California is a U.S. state, state in the Western United States, located along the West Coast of the United States, Pacific Coast. With nearly 39.2million residents across a total area of approximately , it is the List of states and territori ...

, and was buried beside his wife in Woodlawn Cemetery in New York City.Grossmith on the Woodlawn Cemetery website, accessed 20 December 2009

Selected filmography

*'' The Brass Bottle'' (1914) – Horace Ventmire *''

The Common Cause ''The Common Cause'' is a lost 1919 American silent comedy film directed and produced by J. Stuart Blackton and distributed by Vitagraph Company of America. It is based on a play, ''Getting Together'', by Ian Hay, J. Hartley Manners, and Percival ...

'' (1919) – Tommy Atkins *''A House Divided'' (1919) – Ben Baldwin *''

'' (1933) – Lord Rockburn *''

Cash In economics, cash is money in the physical form of currency, such as banknotes and coins. In bookkeeping and financial accounting, cash is current assets comprising currency or currency equivalents that can be accessed immediately or near-imm ...

'' (1933) – Joseph *''

Rolling in Money ''Rolling in Money'' is a 1934 British comedy film directed by Albert Parker and starring Isabel Jeans, Leslie Sarony and John Loder. It was made at Ealing Studios by the British subsidiary of Fox Film.Wood p.83 It was not a quota quickie l ...

'' (1934) – Duke of Braceborough *''

'' (1934) – Whistling Rufus *''

The Luck of a Sailor ''The Luck of a Sailor'' is a 1934 British romance film directed by Robert Milton and starring Greta Nissen, David Manners and Clifford Mollison. It was made at Elstree Studios.Wood p.78 Cast * Greta Nissen as Queen Helena * David Manners ...

'' (1934) – Silvius *''

The Private Life of Don Juan ''The Private Life of Don Juan'' is a 1934 British comedy-drama film directed by Alexander Korda and starring Douglas Fairbanks, Merle Oberon and Benita Hume. At the age of 51, it was the final role of Fairbanks, who died five years later. The f ...

'' (1934) – Pedo, Uncle of the Castle Girl, Who Knows Better *''

'' (1934) – Sir William Upton *'' It Happened in Paris'' (1935) – Bernard *''

'' (1936) – Lewis Radford *''

Men Are Not Gods ''Men Are Not Gods'' is a 1936 British film starring Miriam Hopkins and co-starring Gertrude Lawrence, Sebastian Shaw and Rex Harrison. It was a success in the UK when released largely due to the popularity of the two female stars Hopkins and L ...

'' (1936) – Stanley *''

Song of the Forge ''Song of the Forge'' is a 1937 British musical film directed by Henry Edwards and starring Stanley Holloway, Lawrence Grossmith and Eleanor Fayre. The screenplay concerns an elderly blacksmith who refuses assistance from his wealthy son in spi ...

'' (1937) – Den Dalton *'' Make-Up'' (1937) – Sir Edward Hutton *'' Silver Blaze'' (1937) – Sir Henry Baskerville *''

'' (1937) – Baron des Aubrais *''

Smash and Grab A smash and grab is a particular form of burglary or looting that involves smashing a barrier, usually a display window in a shop or a showcase, grabbing valuables, and then making a quick getaway, without concern for setting off alarms or creat ...

'' (1939) – Rankin *''

I'm from Missouri ''I'm from Missouri'' is a 1939 American comedy film directed by Theodore Reed and written by Duke Atteberry and Jack Moffitt. The film stars Bob Burns, Gladys George, Gene Lockhart, Judith Barrett, William "Bill" Henry and Patricia Morison. Th ...

'' (1939) – Colonel Marchbank *''

Captain Fury ''Captain Fury'' is a 1939 American Western film directed by Hal Roach. It is set in colonial Australia as one of Hollywood's few attempts to depict Australian history.' Plot In the 1840s, Captain Michael Fury (Brian Aherne) is an Irish patri ...

'' (1939) – Governor *''

All Women Have Secrets ''All Women Have Secrets'' is a 1939 American comedy film directed by Kurt Neumann and written by Agnes Christine Johnston. The film stars Virginia Dale, Joseph Allen, Jeanne Cagney, Peter Lind Hayes, Betty Moran and John Arledge. Also appeari ...

'' (1939) – Professor Hewitt *''

Opened by Mistake ''Opened by Mistake'' is a 1940 film starring Charlie Ruggles and Janice Logan. Plot Journalist buddies Jimmie Daniels and Buzz Nelson have decided to spend their vacation together at the Latonia horse race track on Yucatán, Mexico. Their plans ...

'' (1940) – Jarvis Woodruff *''

'' (1940) – Frank *''

Journey for Margaret ''Journey for Margaret'' is a 1942 American drama film set in London in World War II. It stars Robert Young and Laraine Day as a couple who have to deal with the loss of their unborn child due to a bombing raid. It is an adaptation of the book ...

'' (1942) – Minor role (uncredited) *''

Flesh and Fantasy ''Flesh and Fantasy'' is a 1943 American anthology film directed by Julien Duvivier and starring Edward G. Robinson, Charles Boyer, Robert Cummings, and Barbara Stanwyck. The making of this film was inspired by the success of Duvivier's previous ...

'' (1943) – Relative (uncredited) *''

Gaslight Gas lighting is the production of artificial light from combustion of a gaseous fuel, such as hydrogen, methane, carbon monoxide, propane, butane, acetylene, ethylene, coal gas (town gas) or natural gas. The light is produced either direct ...

'' (1944) – Lord Dalroy

Notes

References

External links

*
Photograph of Grossmith
on the

National Library of Australia The National Library of Australia (NLA), formerly the Commonwealth National Library and Commonwealth Parliament Library, is the largest reference library in Australia, responsible under the terms of the ''National Library Act 1960'' for "mainta ...

website *
Grossmith on the Complete Index to World Film
* {{DEFAULTSORT:Grossmith, Lawrence 1877 births 1944 deaths English male film actors English male stage actors English male silent film actors Male actors from London 19th-century English male actors 20th-century English male actors People educated at Shrewsbury School Burials at Woodlawn Cemetery (Bronx, New York)