Connie Ediss

Last updated

Ediss as Mrs Girdle in The Spring Chicken, 1905 Connie-Ediss-Mrs-Girdle.jpg
Ediss as Mrs Girdle in The Spring Chicken , 1905

Connie Ediss (born Ada Harriet Whitley; [1] 11 August 1870 – 18 April 1934) [2] was an English actress and singer best known as a buxom, good-humoured comedian in many of the popular Edwardian musical comedies around the turn of the 20th century.

Contents

After beginning her career in provincial theatres in Britain in music hall and pantomime in the 1880s, Ediss was engaged to play in a series of extraordinarily successful musical comedies at the Gaiety Theatre, London, beginning in 1896, and also played in several musicals on Broadway. During World War I, she began a long tour in Australia, returning to London in 1919 to play in farces and comedies. She made a few films in the 1930s.

Early life and career

Born in Brighton in 1870 as Ada Harriet Whitley, Ediss was the youngest of four daughters of milliner Jane Whitley née McClean (born 1844) and John Whitley (1837–1909), a Brighton tailor. [2] Shortly after Ediss's birth Jane Whitley left her husband [3] to live with Charles Coates (1850–1910), a house painter, and took her youngest daughter with her. [4] Ediss then assumed the name Ada Harriet Coates; her parents never divorced, and so her mother never married Coates. It is possible that Charles Coates was her biological father; in the 1881 Census she is listed as the daughter of Coates, [5] but in that for 1891 she is shown as his stepdaughter. [2] [6] She was later to claim that her mother and her aunt had both been members of the D'Oyly Carte Opera Company, [7] but as Richard D'Oyly Carte did not produce opera until well after Ediss and her sisters were born, that claim is doubtful. [2] She began her career in provincial theatres at the age of 12, [8] originally using the stage name "Connie Coutts". [9] She made her first appearance on a London stage in 1893 singing and dancing in variety shows at Albert Chevalier's Trocadero music hall. [10] She also played in pantomime as a principal boy. [7]

Ediss (left) with Edmund Payne, George Grossmith, Jr. and Gertie Millar in The Orchid, 1903 Ediss-grossmith-millar.jpg
Ediss (left) with Edmund Payne, George Grossmith, Jr. and Gertie Millar in The Orchid , 1903

In 1895 she married Asher Marks (1867–1936). [11] She received a lucky break in 1895 when she was asked to fill in for an ailing Nellie Farren at the Gaiety Theatre, London. [7] George Edwardes signed Ediss to a three-year contract. The Times later commented, "Edwardes had an uncanny flair for personalities, and in his new recruit he found a personality indeed, an actress with a 'Gaiety sense', a comedian of a rare type, and a wholesome 'comfortable-looking' – his own words – foil to the orchidaceous showgirls of the Gaiety." [6] Edwardes sent her to New York, where she appeared in the Broadway production of The Shop Girl as Ada Smith. [12] [13] The next year, she returned to England to appear in Edwardian musical comedies at the Gaiety Theatre, beginning with My Girl and The Circus Girl , as Mme. Drivelli. [7]

In her roles at the Gaiety, she won critical praise for her "brightness, vivacity, and humour". [8] She became known as for her comic "buxom bourgeoise" characters. [10] These roles were "invariably the same, whatever the play ... the plump, attractive little lady with the infectious chuckle and the keen Cockney sanity". [6] She next appeared in A Runaway Girl (1898) as Carmenita, [14] The Messenger Boy (1900) as Mrs. Bang, [15] The Silver Slipper, The Toreador (1901) as Amelia, The Orchid (1903) as Caroline Twining, The Spring Chicken (1905) as Mrs. Girdle and The New Aladdin (1906) as Spirit of the Ring. [7] In these shows, she popularised such songs as "Rosie", "I Ride to Win" and "What Could a Poor Girl Do?" [8] In between two of these engagements, she performed comic sketches in a very successful music hall act with Henry Lytton. [16]

Ediss then was sent to America to appear as Mrs. Henry Schniff in the 1907 Broadway production The Girl Behind the Counter . [8] The New York Times commented on her "use of a grotesque costume, a good Cockney accent, and a prodigious sense of humor". [17] Later in 1907, she travelled to South Africa for a long music hall tour. [8] She was back on Broadway for the American production of The Arcadians (1910) as Mrs. Smith. [18] She then returned to England to play a role that was added for her to The Girl in the Train (1910), in which she sang "When I was in the Chorus at the Gaiety". [19] Similarly, for Peggy (1911), when the popularity of the show began to wane, Edwardes had a new role written for Ediss. In The Sunshine Girl (1912), as Brenda Blacker, the Daily Mail said that Ediss "revels in the reckless drollery of" the role. [20] Ediss next played in The Girl on the Film (1913) in the London production, and then in the Broadway production, as Euphemia Knox. [8]

Later years

In 1914, Ediss starred in the London revue Not Likely. [9] Her next role was on Broadway in the musical Suzi (1914) as Lina Balzer. She was then in a Broadway play, Stolen Orders (1915). [21] She travelled to Australia and New Zealand in 1916 for another tour lasting more than two years, playing in musicals and other comedies. [7]

Ediss finally returned to England in 1919 [9] and made no further overseas tours. [8] She continued her career in West End theatre, playing in a long-running farce, Lord Richard in the Pantry, with Cyril Maude and Lydia Bilbrook (1919), [22] and then the comedy-thriller The Ghost Train (1923). [23] In 1926 she appeared alongside George Barrett in a production of the farcical comedy Bringing Up Father . [24] She toured the northern provinces in 1928 in the Walter C. Hackett farce Other Men's Wives. [25] She followed this with a touring revival of Lord Richard in the Pantry. [26] By the 1930s, she acted in a few films: A Warm Corner (1930) as Mrs. Corner, The Temperance Fete (1932) as Mrs. Hearty and Night of the Garter (1933) as Fish.

Ediss was admitted to hospital in November 1933 and was noted as being "seriously ill with heart trouble". [27] She died of heart disease in Brighton in April 1934 at the age of 63. Ediss, who was known as being charitable and gave away thousands of pounds, died a "poor woman" with an estate of £300, which she left to her sister. Her funeral took place at St Anne's Church in Brighton. [28]

Notes

  1. ↑ England & Wales, Civil Registration Birth Index, 1837–1915 for Ada Harriett Whitley, 1870, Q3-Jul-Aug-Sep: Ancestry.com (subscription required)
  2. 1 2 3 4 Gänzl, Kurt, "The real Connie Ediss, or 'She was a Milliner's Daughter'", Kurt of Gerolstein, 6 November 2020
  3. ↑ 1871 England Census for John Whitley, Sussex, Brighton: Ancestry.com (subscription required)
  4. ↑ Census Returns of England and Wales, 1881. Kew, Surrey, England: The National Archives of the UK (TNA): Public Record Office (PRO), Class: RG11; Piece: 1081; Folio: 101; Page: 23; GSU roll: 1341255
  5. ↑ 1881 England Census for Ada Coates, Sussex, Brighton, St Peter: Ancestry.com (subscription required)
  6. 1 2 3 "Miss Connie Ediss", The Times, 20 April 1934, p. 9
  7. 1 2 3 4 5 6 "A Talented Actress", The Advertiser, Adelaide, Australia, 20 April 1918, accessed 29 May 2012
  8. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 "Connie Ediss Dead", The Courier-Mail, Brisbane, Queensland, 20 April 1934, p. 17
  9. 1 2 3 Parker, p. 289
  10. 1 2 Weekly Dispatch, London, 20 January 1907, p. 6f
  11. ↑ England & Wales, Civil Registration Marriage Index, 1837–1915 for Ada Harriet Whitley, 1895, Q3-Jul-Aug-Sep: Ancestry.com (subscription required)
  12. ↑ Green, p. 378
  13. ↑ "Gaiety Theatre", Morning Post, 9 April 1896, p. 3
  14. ↑ "Matinee at the Assembly Rooms", Bath Chronicle and Weekly Gazette, 30 November 1899, p. 3
  15. ↑ "Gaiety Tomorrow: The Messenger Boy", London Standard, 13 April 1900, p. 4
  16. ↑ Lytton (Secrets), chapter 6, accessed 9 May 2008
  17. ↑ "Sounds of Bow Bells along the Great White Way", The New York Times, 13 October 1907, accessed 30 May 2012
  18. ↑ Green, p. 14
  19. ↑ Barrington, chapters 17 and 18
  20. ↑ "The Sunshine Girl", Daily Mail, 26 February 1912
  21. ↑ Connie Ediss, Internet Broadway Database, accessed 29 May 2012
  22. ↑ "New Criterion Farce", The Times, 12 November 1919, p. 12
  23. ↑ "Death of Connie Ediss", The Manchester Guardian , 20 April 1934, p. 12
  24. ↑ "Kings Hall Biggin Street Dover – Miss Connie Ediss", Dover Express, 12 February 1926, p. 6
  25. ↑ "In Theatres – Grand Theatre and Opera House", Hull Daily Mail, 18 October 1928, p. 4
  26. ↑ "Lord Richard in the Pantry", Dover Express, 18 April 1930, p. 8
  27. ↑ "Connie Ediss Ill", The Daily Telegraph, 14 November 1933, p. 14
  28. ↑ "Connie Ediss: Helped thousands and died poor", The Daily Telegraph 20 April 1934, p. 16; "Connie Ediss Dead", Hull Daily Mail, 19 April 1934, p. 88; and "Miss Connie Ediss", The Times, 20 April 1934, p. 9

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sidney Jones (composer)</span> English conductor and composer

James Sidney Jones, usually credited as Sidney Jones, was an English conductor and composer, who was most famous for composing the musical scores for a series of musical comedy hits in the late Victorian and Edwardian periods. Jones's most famous musical was The Geisha, but several of his pieces were among the most popular shows of the era, enjoying long runs, international tours and revivals.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">George Edwardes</span> English theatre manager and producer (1855–1915)

George Joseph Edwardes was an English theatre manager and producer of Irish ancestry who brought a new era in musical theatre to the British stage and beyond.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Seymour Hicks</span> British actor, playwright, and producer (1871–1949)

Sir Edward Seymour Hicks, better known as Seymour Hicks, was a British actor, music hall performer, playwright, actor-manager and producer. He became known, early in his career, for writing, starring in and producing Edwardian musical comedy, often together with his famous wife, Ellaline Terriss. His most famous acting role was that of Ebenezer Scrooge in Charles Dickens's A Christmas Carol.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Gaiety Theatre, London</span> Former West End theatre in London, England

The Gaiety Theatre was a West End theatre in London, located on Aldwych at the eastern end of the Strand. The theatre was first established as the Strand Musick Hall in 1864 on the former site of the Lyceum Theatre. In 1868, it became known as the Gaiety Theatre and was, at first, known for music hall and then for musical burlesque, pantomime and operetta performances. From 1868 to the 1890s, it had a major influence on the development of modern musical comedy.

<i>The Shop Girl</i> Musical comedy by Ivan Caryll and H. J. W. Dam

The Shop Girl was a musical comedy in two acts written by H. J. W. Dam, with Lyrics by Dam and Adrian Ross and music by Ivan Caryll, and additional numbers by Lionel Monckton and Ross. It premiered at the Gaiety Theatre in London in 1894 and ran for an extremely successful 546 performances. Its cast included Seymour Hicks, George Grossmith, Jr., Arthur Williams, Edmund Payne, and Ellaline Terriss. It soon played in New York and was successfully revived in London in 1920.

<i>The Circus Girl</i>

The Circus Girl is a musical comedy in two acts by James T. Tanner and Walter Apllant (Palings), with lyrics by Harry Greenbank and Adrian Ross, music by Ivan Caryll, and additional music by Lionel Monckton.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Gertie Millar</span> British actor and singer (1879-1952)

Gertrude Ward, Countess of Dudley, known as Gertie Millar, was an English actress and singer of the early 20th century, known for her performances in Edwardian musical comedies.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">George Grossmith Jr.</span> British actor and theatre producer (1874–1935)

George Grossmith Jr. was an English actor, theatre producer and manager, director, playwright and songwriter, best remembered for his work in and with Edwardian musical comedies. Grossmith was also an important innovator in bringing "cabaret" and "revues" to the London stage. Born in London, he took his first role on the musical stage at the age of 18 in Haste to the Wedding (1892), a West End collaboration between his famous songwriter and actor father and W. S. Gilbert.

<i>The Sunshine Girl</i>

The Sunshine Girl is an Edwardian musical comedy in two acts with a book by Paul A. Rubens and Cecil Raleigh, lyrics and music by Rubens and additional lyrics by Arthur Wimperis. The story involves a working girl who falls in love with the heir to the factory. He is in disguise and wants to be loved for himself, not his position, so he gets his friend to pose as the heir, leading to complications for both men.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Letty Lind</span> British actor and dancer

Letitia Elizabeth Rudge, known professionally as Letty Lind, was an English actress, singer, dancer and acrobat, best known for her work in burlesque at the Gaiety Theatre, and in musical theatre at Daly's Theatre, in London.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ada Reeve</span> English stage and film actress

Ada Reeve was an English actress of both stage and film. Reeve began to perform in pantomime and music hall as a child. She gained fame in Edwardian musical comedies in the 1890s.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Huntley Wright</span> English actor

Huntley Wright was an English stage and film actor, comedian, dancer and singer, best known for creating roles in many important Edwardian musical comedies.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Marie Studholme</span> English actress and singer

Caroline Maria Lupton, known professionally as Marie Studholme, was an English actress and singer of the Victorian and Edwardian eras, known for her supporting and sometimes starring roles in Edwardian musical comedy. Her attractive features made her one of the most popular postcard beauties of her day.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sybil Grey</span> British singer and actress (1860–1939)

Ellen Sophia Taylor, known professionally as Sybil Grey, was a British singer and actress during the Victorian era best known for creating a series of minor roles in productions by the D'Oyly Carte Opera Company, including roles in several of the famous Gilbert and Sullivan operas, from 1880 to 1888. Afterwards, she went on to a long West End theatre career, appearing in both musical theatre and plays.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Winifred Shotter</span> British actress (1904-1996)

Winifred Florence Shotter was an English actress best known for her appearances in the Aldwych farces of the 1920s and early 1930s.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Topsy Sinden</span>

Harriet Augusta Sinden (1877–1950), known professionally as Topsy Sinden, was an English dancer, actress and singer. She was best known for her performances in Edwardian musical comedy and pantomime, both in London and on tour. Sinden was an accomplished tap dancer and skirt dancer.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Coralie Blythe</span> English actress and singer

Coralie Blythe, 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 star, she worked steadily in London's West End and in British provincial theatres from her teen years until after World War I, especially for producer George Edwardes, and had a few roles in America. She sometimes performed with her husband, Lawrence Grossmith, and her brother, Vernon Castle.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Katie Seymour</span>

Katie Seymour was a British Victorian burlesque and Edwardian musical comedy entertainer who was remembered primarily for her dancing. She was considered, if not the first, one of the first to perform a style of dance called the skirt dance. Seymour began in song and dance routines at a very young age and would go on to appear in a string of highly successful long-running musicals staged at London's Gaiety Theatre during the 1890s. She fell ill in 1903 while on a theatrical tour of British South Africa and died not long after her return voyage home.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ada Blanche</span> English actress and singer

Ada Blanche was an English actress and singer known early in her career for vivacious performances in Victorian burlesque and pantomime and later in character roles in Edwardian musical comedy.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Maidie Andrews</span> English actress and singer

Maidie Andrews was an English actress and singer who, in career that spanned six decades, was a child actress and later a stage beauty who appeared in musical comedy including the original London productions of No, No, Nanette (1925) and Cavalcade (1931). The latter years of her career saw her taking roles in television and film.

References

This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.