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Adele Dixon (born Adela Helena Dixon; 3 June 1908 – 11 April 1992) was an English actress and singer. She sang at the start of regular broadcasts of the BBC Television Service on 2 November 1936. After an early start as a child actress, and training at the
Royal Academy of Dramatic Art The Royal Academy of Dramatic Art (RADA; ) is a drama school in London, England, that provides vocational conservatoire training for theatre, film, television, and radio. It is based in the Bloomsbury area of Central London, close to the Senat ...
, she became a member of the
Old Vic Old or OLD may refer to: Places *Old, Baranya, Hungary *Old, Northamptonshire, England * Old Street station, a railway and tube station in London (station code OLD) *OLD, IATA code for Old Town Municipal Airport and Seaplane Base, Old Town, Ma ...
, from 1928 to 1930, appearing in a wide range of roles, predominantly in
Shakespeare William Shakespeare ( 26 April 1564 – 23 April 1616) was an English playwright, poet and actor. He is widely regarded as the greatest writer in the English language and the world's pre-eminent dramatist. He is often called England's natio ...
's plays, but also those of Sheridan,
Molière Jean-Baptiste Poquelin (, ; 15 January 1622 (baptised) – 17 February 1673), known by his stage name Molière (, , ), was a French playwright, actor, and poet, widely regarded as one of the greatest writers in the French language and worl ...
and Shaw. Her performance in her first singing role so impressed the composer
Richard Addinsell Richard Stewart Addinsell (13 January 190414 November 1977) was an English composer, best known for film music, primarily his '' Warsaw Concerto'', composed for the 1941 film '' Dangerous Moonlight'' (also known under the later title ''Suicide S ...
, that he secured her the leading role in the West End adaptation of Priestley's ''
The Good Companions ''The Good Companions'' is a novel by the English author J. B. Priestley. Written in 1929, it follows the fortunes of a concert party on a tour of England. It is Priestley's most famous novel and established him as a national figure. It won ...
'' in 1931. After she left the Old Vic in 1930, Dixon played occasionally in non-musical plays, but, in general, her career was on the musical stage, starring in shows by
Jerome Kern Jerome David Kern (January 27, 1885 – November 11, 1945) was an American composer of musical theatre and popular music. One of the most important American theatre composers of the early 20th century, he wrote more than 700 songs, used in ove ...
, Cole Porter,
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 ...
and others. Later, she became well known for her appearances 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 ...
. Her last appearance, before she retired, was in the West End musical ''Belinda Fair'' in 1949.


Life and career


Early Years

Dixon was born in London, a
Cockney Cockney is an accent and dialect of English, mainly spoken in London and its environs, particularly by working-class and lower middle-class Londoners. The term "Cockney" has traditionally been used to describe a person from the East End, or ...
, the daughter of a coach maker, Frederick Dixon, and his wife Elizabeth (née Barrett) Dixon.Adele Dixon, ''The Times'', 30 April 1992, p. 15 She studied at the
Italia Conti Academy of Theatre Arts The Italia Conti Academy of Theatre Arts is a performing arts conservatoire based in Woking, England. It was founded in 1911 by Italia Conti, an actress. The first production at Italia Conti Academy was the play '' Where the Rainbow Ends''. F ...
as a child, and was cast in her first professional part as the First Elf in ''
Where the Rainbow Ends ''Where the Rainbow Ends'' is a children's play, originally written for Christmas 1911 by Clifford Mills and John Ramsey. The incidental music was composed by Roger Quilter. ''Where the Rainbow Ends'' is a fantasy story which follows the journe ...
'' in December 1921. After further roles as a child actress, she won a scholarship to the
Royal Academy of Dramatic Art The Royal Academy of Dramatic Art (RADA; ) is a drama school in London, England, that provides vocational conservatoire training for theatre, film, television, and radio. It is based in the Bloomsbury area of Central London, close to the Senat ...
, where she studied for two years under the direction of Kenneth Barnes.Gaye, pp. 544–55 In her late teens, she was already playing leading adult parts, and, in 1927, she went on a tour to Egypt with Robert Atkins's company, playing Olivia in ''
Twelfth Night ''Twelfth Night'', or ''What You Will'' is a romantic comedy by William Shakespeare, believed to have been written around 1601–1602 as a Twelfth Night's entertainment for the close of the Christmas season. The play centres on the twins Vi ...
'', Jessica in ''
The Merchant of Venice ''The Merchant of Venice'' is a play by William Shakespeare, believed to have been written between 1596 and 1598. A merchant in Venice named Antonio defaults on a large loan provided by a Jewish moneylender, Shylock. Although classified as ...
'', Mariana in '' Measure for Measure'' and Bianca in '' Othello''. In August 1928, Dixon married Ernest Schwaiger, a leading jeweller, their marriage lasting until his death in 1976. They had no children. The month after her wedding, Dixon joined the
Old Vic Old or OLD may refer to: Places *Old, Baranya, Hungary *Old, Northamptonshire, England * Old Street station, a railway and tube station in London (station code OLD) *OLD, IATA code for Old Town Municipal Airport and Seaplane Base, Old Town, Ma ...
company for two seasons. Her roles were mainly Shakespearean – thirteen such, including Hecate in '' Macbeth'' (with
John Laurie John Paton Laurie (25 March 1897 – 23 June 1980) was a Scottish actor. In the course of his career, Laurie performed on the stage and in films as well as television. He is perhaps best remembered for his role in the sitcom '' Dad's Army'' (19 ...
in the title role) in the first season, and Olivia to the
Hamlet ''The Tragedy of Hamlet, Prince of Denmark'', often shortened to ''Hamlet'' (), is a tragedy written by William Shakespeare sometime between 1599 and 1601. It is Shakespeare's longest play, with 29,551 words. Set in Denmark, the play depicts ...
of the rising star
John Gielgud Sir Arthur John Gielgud, (; 14 April 1904 – 21 May 2000) was an English actor and theatre director whose career spanned eight decades. With Ralph Richardson and Laurence Olivier, he was one of the trinity of actors who dominated the Brit ...
in the second. She also played in works by Sheridan,
Molière Jean-Baptiste Poquelin (, ; 15 January 1622 (baptised) – 17 February 1673), known by his stage name Molière (, , ), was a French playwright, actor, and poet, widely regarded as one of the greatest writers in the French language and worl ...
and Shaw, but the role that shaped the course of her later career was her first singing part, the Sleeping Beauty, in ''Adam's Opera'' by
Clemence Dane Clemence Dane CBE is the pseudonym of Winifred Ashton (21 February 1888 – 28 March 1965), an English novelist and playwright. Life and career After completing her education, Dane went to Switzerland to work as a French tutor, but returned h ...
with music by
Richard Addinsell Richard Stewart Addinsell (13 January 190414 November 1977) was an English composer, best known for film music, primarily his '' Warsaw Concerto'', composed for the 1941 film '' Dangerous Moonlight'' (also known under the later title ''Suicide S ...
. The piece was not especially well received, but the composer was impressed. After leaving the Old Vic Company in 1930, Dixon was cast at Addinsell's instigation in a West End musical role, JBPriestley's ''
The Good Companions ''The Good Companions'' is a novel by the English author J. B. Priestley. Written in 1929, it follows the fortunes of a concert party on a tour of England. It is Priestley's most famous novel and established him as a national figure. It won ...
'', adapted for the stage by the author and
Edward Knoblock Edward Knoblock (born Edward Gustavus Knoblauch; 7 April 1874 – 19 July 1945) was a playwright and novelist, originally American and later a naturalised British citizen. He wrote numerous plays, often at the rate of two or three a year, of whic ...
, with music by Addinsell. Dixon was given the starring female role, Susie, opposite Gielgud as Inigo. The piece ran for nearly a year in 1931 and 1932. In 1931, Dixon made her first film, in the role of Consuelo Pratt in ''
Uneasy Virtue ''Uneasy Virtue'' is a 1931 British comedy film directed by Norman Walker and starring Fay Compton, Edmund Breon, Francis Lister, Donald Calthrop, and Garry Marsh. It was produced by British International Pictures and shot at the company's El ...
''. It was one of only two films she made in the 1930s, the other being ''Calling the Tune'' (1936), in which she played Julia Harbord.


1930s – West End and Broadway

During the rest of the 1930s Dixon starred in the West End, and occasionally on tour, in a wide range of roles. For the most part she played in musicals, but an exception was
Ian Hay Major General John Hay Beith, CBE MC (17 April 1876 – 22 September 1952), was a British schoolmaster and soldier, but is best remembered as a novelist, playwright, essayist, and historian who wrote under the pen name Ian Hay. After rea ...
's farce ''Orders is Orders'' in 1932. More characteristic were her singing roles in musical shows such as ''Wild Violets'' (1933), ''Give me a Ring'' by
Guy Bolton Guy Reginald Bolton (23 November 1884 – 4 September 1979) was an Anglo-American playwright and writer of musical comedies. Born in England and educated in France and the US, he trained as an architect but turned to writing. Bolton preferred ...
and others (1933) and Oscar Hammerstein and
Jerome Kern Jerome David Kern (January 27, 1885 – November 11, 1945) was an American composer of musical theatre and popular music. One of the most important American theatre composers of the early 20th century, he wrote more than 700 songs, used in ove ...
's '' Three Sisters'' (1934). In the last, the weak score and lyrics fatally damaged the show, despite the efforts of
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 on stage and screen, especially that of Alfred P. Doolittle in ''My F ...
and other cast members; ''
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'' (f ...
'' observed, "Miss Adele Dixon unfailingly provides what the play chiefly lacks – swiftness, economy and glamour. In 1935, Dixon starred as Hope Harcourt in the London production of Cole Porter's ''
Anything Goes ''Anything Goes'' is a musical with music and lyrics by Cole Porter. The original book was a collaborative effort by Guy Bolton and P. G. Wodehouse, heavily revised by the team of Howard Lindsay and Russel Crouse. The story concerns madcap ant ...
''. The following year she was the first woman to perform on British television, singing a specially-commissioned song "Television" (or "Bringing Television to You") at the official launch of
BBC #REDIRECT BBC #REDIRECT BBC Here i going to introduce about the best teacher of my life b BALAJI sir. He is the precious gift that I got befor 2yrs . How has helped and thought all the concept and made my success in the 10th board exam. ...
...
television from Alexandra Palace on 2 November 1936. Although, dance band singer Helen McKay was the first singer on high-definition television in test transmissions to RadiOlypmia in August of that same year. Television as a medium did not greatly appeal to Dixon, and she let it be known that she much preferred the radio. In September 1936, she was one of the stars of the Stanley Lupino-Laddie Cliff West End musical comedy, ''Over She Goes'' at the Saville Theatre. Running 246 performances, it was a hit. it finally closing on 22 May 1937. Adele Dixon played the romantic role of Pamela and, with Eric Fawcett as her lover Lord Harry Drewsden, introduced the charming Fox Trot number, "I Breathe on Windows", (music by Billy Mayerl, lyrics by Desmond Carter and Frank Eyton). In the 1938 film version of ''Over She Goes'', the number was done by
Claire Luce Claire Luce (October 15, 1903 – August 31, 1989) was an American stage and screen actress, dancer and singer. Among her few films were ''Up the River'' (1930), directed by John Ford and starring Spencer Tracy and Humphrey Bogart in their ...
and John Wood. At the start of regular broadcasts of the BBC Television Service on 2 November 1936, Dixon performed the song "Television" live on its launch programme, accompanied by the
BBC Television Orchestra The BBC Television Orchestra (1936–1939) was a broadcast orchestra founded in 1936 by conductor, violinist and composer Hyam Greenbaum and led by Boris Pecker. Hyam Greenbaum's wife Sidonie Goossens was the first solo harpist with the Orchest ...
with conductor Hyam Greenbaum. In 1937, Dixon made her New York debut as Claudette in the ''Between the Devil'' by
Howard Dietz Howard Dietz (September 8, 1896 – July 30, 1983) was an American publicist, lyricist, and librettist, best remembered for his songwriting collaboration with Arthur Schwartz. Biography Dietz was born in New York City. He attended Columbia Colle ...
and
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 Nov ...
. Despite a starry cast – Dixon's co-stars were
Jack Buchanan Walter John Buchanan (2 April 1891 – 20 October 1957) was a Scottish theatre and film actor, singer, dancer, producer and director. He was known for three decades as the embodiment of the debonair man-about-town in the tradition of George G ...
and
Evelyn Laye Evelyn Laye (née Elsie Evelyn Lay; 10 July 1900 – 17 February 1996) was an English actress who was active on the London light opera stage, and later in New York and Hollywood. Her first husband, actor Sonnie Hale, left her for Jessie Ma ...
– the piece ran for only 93 performances, from 22 December 1937 to 12 March 1938. Returning to London, Dixon starred in '' The Fleet's Lit Up'' (1938), with a book by Guy Bolton, Fred Thompson and Bert Lee and music and lyrics by
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 ...
. Brown, Ivor. "The Fleet's Lit Up", ''The Observer'', 21 August 1938, p. 11 This was her last show before the
Second World War World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposi ...
.


1940s and later years

In 1941, Dixon appeared with
Robertson Hare John Robertson Hare, OBE (17 December 1891 – 25 January 1979) was an English actor, who came to fame in the Aldwych farces. He is remembered by more recent audiences for his performances as the Archdeacon in the popular BBC sitcom, ''All Ga ...
and
Alfred Drayton Alfred Drayton (1 November 1881 – 26 April 1949) was a British stage and film actor. Drayton worked in a brewery when he was 18 but having a good deal of amateur dramatics experience decided to go on stage. His first appearance on stage was ''T ...
in the film of
Ben Travers Ben Travers (12 November 188618 December 1980) was an English writer. His output includes more than 20 plays, 30 screenplays, 5 novels, and 3 volumes of memoirs. He is best remembered for his long-running series of farces first staged in the ...
' '' Banana Ridge''; she did not return to musicals until 1944. In the intervening years, she played a range of roles. Her straight parts included Portia in ''The Merchant of Venice'' (1942), and Irene in
Eric Linklater Eric Robert Russell Linklater CBE (8 March 1899 – 7 November 1974) was a Welsh-born Scottish poet, fiction writer, military historian, and travel writer. For ''The Wind on the Moon'', a children's fantasy novel, he won the 1944 Carnegie Meda ...
's ''Crisis in Heaven'' (1944) directed by GieIgud, but, in the main, she was a pantomime star in the war years, appearing in London and the provinces. Dixon's last film was the 1947 drama '' Woman to Woman'' as Sylvia Anson to
Douglass Montgomery Robert Douglass Montgomery (also credited as Kent Douglass; October 29, 1909 – July 23, 1966) was an American film actor. Early years The son of Chester Montgomery, a jeweler, Montgomery graduated from Los Angeles High School. Career ...
's David Anson. In 1948, she appeared on Broadway again, together with Jack Buchanan. This time they played in Sacha Guitry's comedy ''Don't Listen Ladies!'', which was no more successful than ''Between the Devil'' had been. The following year, she scored what ''The Times'' described as a major personal hit in the title role of her last West End musical, ''Belinda Fair'' by Eric Maschwitz and Jack Strachey. Dixon retired after the run of ''Belinda Fair''. She and her husband were a devoted couple, and his death in 1976 was a blow from which she never wholly recovered. She died of
pneumonia Pneumonia is an inflammatory condition of the lung primarily affecting the small air sacs known as alveoli. Symptoms typically include some combination of productive or dry cough, chest pain, fever, and difficulty breathing. The severi ...
at the age of 83 in
Manchester Manchester () is a city in Greater Manchester, England. It had a population of 552,000 in 2021. It is bordered by the Cheshire Plain to the south, the Pennines to the north and east, and the neighbouring city of Salford to the west. The t ...
, on 11 April 1992.


Notes


References

* *


External links


BBC: Opening Night, November, 1936
{{DEFAULTSORT:Dixon, Adele 1908 births 1992 deaths Actresses from London Singers from London English film actresses English musical theatre actresses English stage actresses History of television in the United Kingdom 20th-century English actresses 20th-century English singers Deaths from pneumonia in England Alumni of the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art 20th-century English women singers