Commemoration of Ellen Terry's eightieth birthday

(Shakespeare)

Monday, 27 February 1928

Those who take part will be for the most part members of the Terry family

Fred Terry, Marion Terry, Mabel Terry Lewis, - not to mention the two young Gielguds [John/Val], great-nephews of Ellen Terry, who are rapidly making a name for themselves on the stage.

includes scenes from:

'The Winter's Tale'

'A Midsummer Night's Dream'

'The Merchant of Venice'

'Hamlet'

'The Merry Wives of Windsor'

Oscar Wilde's Sonnet to Ellen Terry as Portia spoken by Henry Ainley

Our Birthday Greetings spoken by Sir Johnston Forbes-Robertson

A Message from Ellen Terry

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Sonnet to Ellen Terry as Portia

(Oscar Wilde)

Monday 27 February 1928 8-9

Ellen Terry
In Honour of her Eightieth Birthday

spoken by Henry Ainley

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Other Information

Henry Ainley

Cochran, Charles B., 1945, Showman Looks On, London: J.M. Dent & Sons Ltd.

175
I recalled to mind three other Hamlets I had seen in the same theatre [Haymarket]: those of John Barrymore [1925], Henry Ainley, and Godfrey Tearle. …
My outstanding recollection of Henry Ainley's performance is his magnificent elocution, and the rendering of the great soliloquies in his glorious years.

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Henry Ainley 1879-1945
Parker, 1939, 205-9
Born Leeds, 21 August 1879
He joined F.R. Benson, making his first appearance as a Messenger in 'Macbeth' and remained a member of his company for two years. His first London appearance was at the Lyceum on 15 February 1900 as Glo'ster in 'Henry V'. He was next engaged by George Alexander to play Paolo in 'Paolo and Francesca', at the St. James's Theatre, 6 March 1902. He next appeared at the same theatre as Noel le Solys in 'If I Were King', 30 August 1902.

Tuesday 27 July 1926 2LO London 9-9.30
'The Passing of Talma'
a tragi-comedy presented by Henry Ainley
(no author)
Talma - Henry Ainley
Dr. Place - Howard Rose
Mini Gerrard - Mary O'Farrell
The scene is paris in the autumn of 1826. The great actor, Talma, lies on his bed apparently dying. From out the piled-up cushions, one hardly sees more than his pointed nose; a bright yellow cotton night-cap with drawn green ribbon covers the bald sunken temples. The wax candles of the looking-glass are burnng; there are no other lights in the room. Before the fireplace stands Dr. La Place.

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(Wearing Index 1276 Actor, Manager, Pres)

20.8
Shakespeare, 'Julius Caesar' St. James's
9 January 1920 - 20 March 1920
83 performances
Marcus Antonius - Henry Ainley
Cassius - Milton Rosmer
Trebonius - Howard Rose
Decius Brutus - Ernest Milton
Marcus Brutus - Basil Gill
Casca - Claude Rains
Metellus Cimber - Henry Oscar
Artemidorus - Ernest Digges
Calpurnia - Esme Beringer
Portia - Lilian Braithwaite
Manager - Gilbert Miller, Henry Ainley

20.91
'Uncle Ned' (Douglas Murray) St. James's
27 March 1920 - 8 May 1920
49 performances
Edward Graham - Henry Ainley
Mears - Claude Rains / Ernest Digges
Gibson - Ernest Digges
Management - Gilbert Miller, Henry Ainley

20.118
'A Pantomime Rehearsal' (Cecil Clay)
St. James's 16 April 1920 one performance
Management - Gilbert Miller, Henry Ainley

20.268
'His Lady Friends' (Emile Nyitray and Frank Mandel from the novel by May Edginton)
St. James's 17 August 1920 - 11 December 1920
135 performances
Lucille Early - Athene Seyler
Management - Gilbert Miller, Henry Ainley

20.393
'Peter Pan' (J.M. Barrie)
St. James's 20 December 1920 - 31 January 1921
50 performances
James Hook - Henry Ainley

21.24
'The Tempest' (Shakespeare)
Aldwych 1 February 1921 - 12 March 1921
Alonso - Howard Rose
Prospero - Henry Ainley
Trinculo - Miles Malleson

21.148
'If' (Lord Dunsany)
Ambassadors 30 May 1921 - 29 October 1921
180 performances
John Beal - Henry Ainley
Bill - Henry Caine
Miralda Clement - Gladys Cooper / Madge Titheradge
Producer - Nigel Playfair

21.358
'Trilby' (Paul M. Potter ad of George Du Maurier)
Palace 19 December 1921 one performance
Svengali - Henry Ainley
Alexander McAlister - George Tully
Gecko - Gilbert Hare
Dodor - George Grossmith
Lorimer - Godfrey Tearle
Talbot Wynne - [D.] Lyn Harding
Manager Kaw - Thomas Weguilin
William Bagot - H.V. Esmond
Zouzou - Leslie Henson
Oliver - Basil S. Foster
Rev Thomas Bagot - Arthur Whitby
Trilby O'Ferrall - Phyllis Neilson-Terry
Mme Vinard - Rosina Filippi
Honorine - Meggie Albanesi
Mrs Bagot - Marion Terry
Angele - Athene Seyler

22.179
'The Dover Road' (A.A. Milne)
Haymarket
7 June 1922 - 13 January 1923
268 performances
Dominic - [E.] Allan Aynesworth
Staff - Donald Fergusson, Walter Lake
Mr. Latimer - Henry Ainley
Leonard - Nicholas Hannen
Nicholas - John Deverell
Staff - Joyce Kennedy, Kitty Strudwick
Anne - Nancy Atkin
Eustasia - Athene Seyler
Management - Frederick Harrison

23.123
'Oliver Cromwell' (John Drinkwater)
His Majesty's
29 May 9123 - 28 July 1923
71 performances
Aide - Felix Irwin
Surgeon - W. Edwards
John Hampden - [E.] Harcourt Williams
Henry Ireton - Milton Rosmer
Oliver Cromwell - Henry Ainley
Seth Tanner - Murrary Kinnell
Mr Stanley - Howard Rose
Sir Thomas Payne - S Alexander
Amos Tanner - [C.] Hayden Coffin
Member of Parliament, Gen. Fairfax - Douglas Jefferies
Speaker of the House of Commons, Col. Staines - J. Adrian Byrne
Bassett - Sydney Bland
Mayor of Ely - W.E. Langley
Col. Pemberton - H. Fisher White
Neal - Alexander Sarner
Charles I - William J. Rea
Mrs Cromwell - Irene Rooke
Elizabeth Cromwell - Clare Harris
Bridget Cromwell - Mary O'Farrell
Management - George Grossmith

23.222
'Hassan: And How He Came To Make The Golden Journey To Samarkand
(James Elroy Flecker)
arr for stage by Basil Deane
music - Frederick Delius
His Majesty's
20 September 1923 - 24 May 1924
282 performances
Hassan - Henry Ainley / Henry St. Barbe-West
Master of the Caravan, Selim - S. Esme Percy
Porter - Sydney Bland
Caliph - Malcolm Keen
Ishak - Leon Quartermaine
Watchman, Japhar - Frank Cochrane
Masrur - Edmund Willard
Rafi - Basil Gill
Chief of Police - Alfred Clark
Principal Jew, Captain of the Military - Tarver Penna
Chinese Philosopher, ali - Ivor Bernard
Abdu - Andrew Leigh
Chief Grocer, Herald - Douglas Burbridge
Beggar leaders - Nicholas Nadegin / David Hodder, Robert East
Prince of Basra, Chief Draper - Frank Vosper
Prince of Koniah - Osborn Adair
Caligraphist - Thomas Waters
Abu Nowas - Sydney Bland
Empress Irene's Ambassador - Vivian Carew
Prince of Damascus - Claude Delaval
Governor of Khorasan - Harrison Lawson
Wrestler - B[ert] E. Evremonds
Rajah of Upper Ganges, Old Man - C[harles] R. Stone
Dervish - [A.] Caton Woodville
Yasmin - Cathleen Nesbitt / Fay Compton / Isabel Jeans
Alder - Rita Page
Willow - Kitty McCoy
Juniper - Maureen Dillon
Tamarisk - Eileen Raven
Pervaneh - Laura Cowie / Fabia Drake
Woman - Dartrey
PLUS - Extras, Ballet
Management - George Grossmith, J.A.E. Malone

24.197
'The Ware Case' (George Pleydell [Bancroft]) from his novel
Adelphi
2 June 1924
one performance
among
Sir Herbert Ware - Gerald du Maurier
Eustace Ede - Ernest Thesiger
Footman - Leon Quartermaine
Public - Henry Ainley etc.

24.201
'London Life' (Arnold Bennett and Edward Knoblock)
Drury Lane
3 June 1924 - 5 July 1924
39 performances
among
Simon Blackshaw - Henry Ainley
Cpt. Maurice Oppletree - Edmond Breon
Management - Alfred Butt, Basil Dean

24.319
'The Fool' (Channing Pollock)
Apollo 18 September 1924 - 17 January 1925
138 performances
among
Daniel Gilchrist - Henry Ainley
Mrs Henry Gilliam - Dame May Whitty

25.79
'Iris' (Arthur Pinero)
Adelphi 21 March 1925 - 1 July 1925 150 performances
among
Frederick Maldonado - Henry Ainley
Iris Bellamy - Gladys Cooper
Pres - Henry Ainley, Gladys Cooper

25.127
'My Lady's Dress' (Edward Knoblock)
Adelphi 11 May 1925
One peformance
Among
Ivan - Henry Ainley

25.262
'The Moon and Sixpence' (Edith Ellis ad of Somerset Maugham's novel, 1919)
New 24 September 1925 - 28 November 1925
75 performances
among
Charles Strickland - Henry Ainley

25.367
'Quinneys'' (Henry Annersley Vachell)
New 2 December 1925 - 30 January 1926
73 performances
Joseph Quinney - Henry Ainsley

26.19
'Much Ado About Nothing' (Shakespeare)
New 5 February 1926 - 6 March 1926
36 performances
among
Benedick - Henry Ainley

26.63
'Prince Fazil' (B.P. Burton and Boyle Lawrence)
New 23 March 1926 - 26 June 1926
109 performances
Prince Fazil - Henry Ainley

26.387
'Macbeth' (Shakespeare)
Princes 24 December 1926 - 19 February 1927
74 performances
Macbeth - Henry Ainley / Hubert Carter

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played original part of Hassan in 'Hassan' in His Majesty's
br Tuesday 7 February 1933
'The Radio Times' 6 March 1925 p 484 became famous in a night in 'Paolo and Francesca'
in Sir George Alexander's production

1936 As You Like It film 96 mins
Henry Ainley - Exiled Duke
Elisabeth Bergner - Rosalind
Laurence Olivier - Orlando
Sophie Stewart - Celia
Henry Ainley - Exiled Duke
Leon Quart ermaine - Jacques
Mackenzie Ward - Touchstone
Richard Ainley - Sylvius
Felix Aylmer - Duke Frederick
Aubrey Mather - Corin
Austin Trevor - le Beau
J. Fisher White - Adam
John Laurie - Oliver
Dorice Fordred - Audrey
Stuart Robert son - Amiens
Peter Bull - William
Joan White - Phebe
Director Paul Czinner

As You Like It
Producer & Director: Paul Czinner
Composer: William Walton
Designer: Lazare Meerson
Costume designer: John Armstrong & Joe Strassner
Photography: Hal Rosson
Cast: John Laurie (Oliver), Laurence Olivier (Orlando), J. Fisher White (Adam), Felix Aylmer (Duke Frederick), Sophie Stewart (Celia), Elisabeth Bergner (Rosalind), Mackenzie Ward (Touchstone), Austin Trevor (Le Beau), Lionel Braham (Charles), Henry Ainley (Duke Senior), Stuart Robert son (Amiens), Leon Quart ermaine (Jaques), Aubrey Mather (Corin), Richard Ainley (Silvius), Joan White (Phebe), Dorice Fordred* (Audrey).
20th Century British Fox, 1936. Black & white. 96 min.
Video Yesteryear Recording, 1991. NTSC. English dialogues. No subtitles.

*Durice Fordred (Kenneth S. Rothwell & Annabelle Henkin Melzer, Shakespeare on Screen: An International Filmography and Videography, London, Mansell, 1990).

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