Hi Derek Here's a bio from the 1930 edition of the Who's Who (sorry it's taken a few days for me to get round to doing) MELVILLE, Frederick, dramatic author and manager; b Swansea, 1876; s of Andrew Melville, for many years manager of the Standard Theatre; m Jane Eyre; at the age of ten was office-boy, with his father at the Queen's and Grand Theatres, Birmingham; in Jan 1889, was engaged at the Grand, Birmingham, of which his father was then lessee; was an actor for several years, and played in a number of melodramas; is the author of "Her Forbidden Marriage", 1904; "The Ugliest Woman on Earth", 1905; "The Beast and the Beauty", 1905; "Married to the Wrong Man", 1908; "The Bad Girl of the Family", 1909; "The Monk and the Woman", 1912; "Monte Cristo" (with Walter Melville), 1912; co-lessee and manager, with his brother Walter, of the Lyceum, since 1909, and of the Prince's Theatre, since 1911. Address: Lyceum Theatre, Strand, WC2. Quite by chance, I also came across the following on e-bay the other day (I tend to keep an eye on it for any programs of interest that might have my father in them): http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=2189254059&category=921 &rd=1 (it's a set of 4 postcards of "Married to the Wrong Man") There's also a bio of Walter Melville in the 1930 edition. Let me know if you'd like that too. All the best -- Neal ----- Original Message ----- From: "derekive" <derek@ive999.fsnet.co.uk> To: <THEATRE-UK-L@rootsweb.com> Sent: Friday, August 22, 2003 1:10 PM Subject: [THEATRE-UK] Bad Girl of the family by Fredk Melville > Hi everyone, I have just acquired 6 postcards of a play called "The Bad Girl of the Family" by Frederick Melville. > I have found out the following information:- > > It was first put on at The Elephant and Castle 4th Oct 1909 and then at Aldwych Theatre from 27 Dec 1909. It lasted for 452 performances. The author was Frederick Melville who died 5 Apr 1938 aged 62. He left £314,228 in his will. (Info from Whos Who in the Theatre) > > Someone called D'Arcy Kelway played Jerry Holmes in the play from Dec 1909 until Oct 1910 (he was formerly with the D'Oyly Carte). > > I found the following site > > http://library.kent.ac.uk/library/special/html/specoll/badlist.htm > > but currently the links don't work. > > There was a Waltz used in the play which was written by E Friedman. The pictures on the sheet music show Mr George Marlow, Miss Ethel Buckley and Miss Nellie Fergusson. See the following > > http://nla.gov.au/nla.mus-an10835029 > > > can anyone add any further information? > > regards > Derek Ive >

Hi Neal, many thanks for the information, it wasn't in my 1947 version of Who Who in the Theatre. I would like the info on Walter as well if possible please. Thankyou also for the ebay info, I've put in a bid. If you let me know who you're father was. I'll keep my eyes open. I'm always looking at ebay and the net. Thanks again. regards Derek ----- Original Message ----- From: Neal Dench <ndench@tinyworld.co.uk> To: <THEATRE-UK-L@rootsweb.com> Sent: Wednesday, August 27, 2003 5:29 AM Subject: Re: [THEATRE-UK] Bad Girl of the family by Fredk Melville Hi Derek Here's a bio from the 1930 edition of the Who's Who (sorry it's taken a few days for me to get round to doing) MELVILLE, Frederick, dramatic author and manager; b Swansea, 1876; s of Andrew Melville, for many years manager of the Standard Theatre; m Jane Eyre; at the age of ten was office-boy, with his father at the Queen's and Grand Theatres, Birmingham; in Jan 1889, was engaged at the Grand, Birmingham, of which his father was then lessee; was an actor for several years, and played in a number of melodramas; is the author of "Her Forbidden Marriage", 1904; "The Ugliest Woman on Earth", 1905; "The Beast and the Beauty", 1905; "Married to the Wrong Man", 1908; "The Bad Girl of the Family", 1909; "The Monk and the Woman", 1912; "Monte Cristo" (with Walter Melville), 1912; co-lessee and manager, with his brother Walter, of the Lyceum, since 1909, and of the Prince's Theatre, since 1911. Address: Lyceum Theatre, Strand, WC2. Quite by chance, I also came across the following on e-bay the other day (I tend to keep an eye on it for any programs of interest that might have my father in them): http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=2189254059&category=921 &rd=1 (it's a set of 4 postcards of "Married to the Wrong Man") There's also a bio of Walter Melville in the 1930 edition. Let me know if you'd like that too. All the best -- Neal ----- Original Message ----- From: "derekive" <derek@ive999.fsnet.co.uk> To: <THEATRE-UK-L@rootsweb.com> Sent: Friday, August 22, 2003 1:10 PM Subject: [THEATRE-UK] Bad Girl of the family by Fredk Melville > Hi everyone, I have just acquired 6 postcards of a play called "The Bad Girl of the Family" by Frederick Melville. > I have found out the following information:- > > It was first put on at The Elephant and Castle 4th Oct 1909 and then at Aldwych Theatre from 27 Dec 1909. It lasted for 452 performances. The author was Frederick Melville who died 5 Apr 1938 aged 62. He left £314,228 in his will. (Info from Whos Who in the Theatre) > > Someone called D'Arcy Kelway played Jerry Holmes in the play from Dec 1909 until Oct 1910 (he was formerly with the D'Oyly Carte). > > I found the following site > > http://library.kent.ac.uk/library/special/html/specoll/badlist.htm > > but currently the links don't work. > > There was a Waltz used in the play which was written by E Friedman. The pictures on the sheet music show Mr George Marlow, Miss Ethel Buckley and Miss Nellie Fergusson. See the following > > http://nla.gov.au/nla.mus-an10835029 > > > can anyone add any further information? > > regards > Derek Ive >

Hi Derek Here's the bio for Walter: MELVILLE, Walter, author, actor, and theatrical manager; b London 874; s of Andrew Melville, for many years manager of the Standard Theatre; m Eva Dare; in Jan 1889, entered his father's office at the Grand Theatre, Birmingham; was subsequently business-manager of the same house; author of numerous well-known melodramas, including "The Worst Woman in London", "A Girl's Cross Roads", "The Girl Who Lost Her Character", "The Girl Who Took The Wrong Turning", "The Girl Who Wrecked His Home", "The Female Swindler", "A Disgrace To Her Sex", "That Wretch Of A Woman", "A World Of Sin", "On His Majesty's Service", "The Great World Of London", "The Beggar Girl's Wedding", "The Sins of London", "The Shop-Soiled Girl", "The Female Hun"; has managed the Aldwych Theatre, and from 1909, in conjunction with his brother Frederick, the Lyceum Theatre; in Dec 1911, opened the New Prince's Theatre, which, in conjunction with his brother, he had built. Address: Lyceum Theatre, Strand, WC2. I think the theme running through both his and his brother's plays is hilarious, though I wonder whether many women of the day did. They were probably shocking to Victorian/Edwardian audiences, and provided a much needed moral lesson :-) Was Eva Dare, to whom he was married, related to the Dare sisters (Phyllis and Zena), I wonder? Cheers -- Neal ----- Original Message ----- From: "derekive" <derek@ive999.fsnet.co.uk> To: <THEATRE-UK-L@rootsweb.com> Sent: Wednesday, August 27, 2003 7:03 PM Subject: Re: [THEATRE-UK] Bad Girl of the family by Fredk Melville > Hi Neal, many thanks for the information, it wasn't in my 1947 version of > Who Who in the Theatre. I would like the info on Walter as well if possible > please. Thankyou also for the ebay info, I've put in a bid. If you let me > know who you're father was. I'll keep my eyes open. I'm always looking at > ebay and the net. > > Thanks again. > regards > Derek > ----- Original Message ----- > From: Neal Dench <ndench@tinyworld.co.uk> > To: <THEATRE-UK-L@rootsweb.com> > Sent: Wednesday, August 27, 2003 5:29 AM > Subject: Re: [THEATRE-UK] Bad Girl of the family by Fredk Melville > > > Hi Derek > > Here's a bio from the 1930 edition of the Who's Who (sorry it's taken a few > days for me to get round to doing) > > MELVILLE, Frederick, dramatic author and manager; b Swansea, 1876; s of > Andrew Melville, for many years manager of the Standard Theatre; m Jane > Eyre; at the age of ten was office-boy, with his father at the Queen's and > Grand Theatres, Birmingham; in Jan 1889, was engaged at the Grand, > Birmingham, of which his father was then lessee; was an actor for several > years, and played in a number of melodramas; is the author of "Her Forbidden > Marriage", 1904; "The Ugliest Woman on Earth", 1905; "The Beast and the > Beauty", 1905; "Married to the Wrong Man", 1908; "The Bad Girl of the > Family", 1909; "The Monk and the Woman", 1912; "Monte Cristo" (with Walter > Melville), 1912; co-lessee and manager, with his brother Walter, of the > Lyceum, since 1909, and of the Prince's Theatre, since 1911. Address: Lyceum > Theatre, Strand, WC2. > > Quite by chance, I also came across the following on e-bay the other day (I > tend to keep an eye on it for any programs of interest that might have my > father in them): > > http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=2189254059&category=921 > &rd=1 > > (it's a set of 4 postcards of "Married to the Wrong Man") > > There's also a bio of Walter Melville in the 1930 edition. Let me know if > you'd like that too. > > All the best > > -- > Neal > > ----- Original Message ----- > From: "derekive" <derek@ive999.fsnet.co.uk> > To: <THEATRE-UK-L@rootsweb.com> > Sent: Friday, August 22, 2003 1:10 PM > Subject: [THEATRE-UK] Bad Girl of the family by Fredk Melville > > > > Hi everyone, I have just acquired 6 postcards of a play called "The Bad > Girl of the Family" by Frederick Melville. > > I have found out the following information:- > > > > It was first put on at The Elephant and Castle 4th Oct 1909 and then at > Aldwych Theatre from 27 Dec 1909. It lasted for 452 performances. The author > was Frederick Melville who died 5 Apr 1938 aged 62. He left £314,228 in his > will. (Info from Whos Who in the Theatre) > > > > Someone called D'Arcy Kelway played Jerry Holmes in the play from Dec 1909 > until Oct 1910 (he was formerly with the D'Oyly Carte). > > > > I found the following site > > > > http://library.kent.ac.uk/library/special/html/specoll/badlist.htm > > > > but currently the links don't work. > > > > There was a Waltz used in the play which was written by E Friedman. The > pictures on the sheet music show Mr George Marlow, Miss Ethel Buckley and > Miss Nellie Fergusson. See the following > > > > http://nla.gov.au/nla.mus-an10835029 > > > > > > can anyone add any further information? > > > > regards > > Derek Ive > > > > >

Hi Derek Some more on Frederick Melville. I knew it would come to me eventually. Ever since your first posting, the name has been nagging at me because I knew that it was familiar. I'd looked through all Dad's programs and not found a thing, so concluded that maybe it was something I'd seen at my Mum's house. And then it came to me, actually, had been quite literally staring me in the face. I have a few posters of my Dad's framed in our dining room. I'd already looked through them, but you know how much writing some of these old posters have. And there it was: Brixton Theatre - Two minutes from Brixton Railway Station Lessee and manager: Fredk Melville Monday, Feb 20th, and every evening at 7.45 Finest performances on any stage of a new and original play about modern life entitled His Child Wife By Frank Lindo and Arthur Skelton ..." (A title, indeed, worthy of Fred and Walter!) This was in 1910. I don't think the Brixton Theatre is mentioned in the Who's Who. But there's more. I looked through some brief notes I'd taken about my Dad's memoirs, and found I'd written down his name, twice. I looked up the references, and, briefly, here's what I found: For two weeks -- Oct 23rd and Oct 30th 1922, my Dad was in a farce called "Here Comes the Bride" by Arthur Shirley, at the Brixton Theatre. To get the part, he had to go and see Fred M at the Lyceum. So Fred M obviously still had the Brixton Theatre in 1922. Skip to just over a year later, and there's another story about both the Melvilles. If you'll indulge me, I'll tell it in my Dad's own words, because it's quite amusing: --- During this tour, I had a letter from Fred Melville saying "How much do you want to play Pantomime? Possibly in Brixton." I knew more or less what salaries would be at Brixton, so I replied saying £30 a week, and quite expecting to be knocked down to £25. I was invited to call at the Lyceum and was ushered up to the office where Fred introduced me to Walter, his brother. "Let's see, what was it you were asking Harry?" (He always called me Harry Weldon) "£30" I replied. "Oh yes. 30. Hmm. Well I think I'd better have a contract made out for him now, don't you Walter?" Walter nodded. He got on the phone to the lower office and in a few minutes up came a contract. "Now, if you'd sign here." I looked at the contract. "But this is for the Lyceum Theatre, London" I gasped. "Well, where did you think it was for?" "You said Brixton" I replied. "I said POSSIBLY Brixton, " he retorted with a grin. I paused. "Well, you'll have a much better dressing room here" he said. It was no use arguing. I had taken too much for granted, so I signed on the dotted line, and they knew as well as I did that if they hadn't mentioned Brixton it would have cost them another £20 a week --- The pantomime ended up being Jack and the Beanstalk, with Sybil Arundale, Dick Henderson, George Jackley, and Sybil Coulthurst. I have lots of memorabilia from that panto, including a few backstage photos, and it looked like he didn't have too bad a time in the end ;-) I think that's all I have on the Melvilles, but hope it's been useful. By the way, you asked, and I forgot to tell you, Dad's name was Bertram Dench. Definitely NOT Harry Weldon! (Where did that come from, I wonder?!) Hope you're successful in your bid on e-bay. Cheers -- Neal ----- Original Message ----- From: "derekive" <derek@ive999.fsnet.co.uk> To: <THEATRE-UK-L@rootsweb.com> Sent: Wednesday, August 27, 2003 7:03 PM Subject: Re: [THEATRE-UK] Bad Girl of the family by Fredk Melville > Hi Neal, many thanks for the information, it wasn't in my 1947 version of > Who Who in the Theatre. I would like the info on Walter as well if possible > please. Thankyou also for the ebay info, I've put in a bid. If you let me > know who you're father was. I'll keep my eyes open. I'm always looking at > ebay and the net. > > Thanks again. > regards > Derek

And one final thing (which maybe you knew about). I've just discovered that the Templeman Library at the University of Kent is home to the Melville Collection. You can find out about it at http://library.kent.ac.uk/library/special/html/specoll/mel2s.htm which has a wealth of information about the Melvilles. Isn't Google a wonderful thing :-) Cheers -- Neal Broadband from an unbeatable £19.99! http://www.tiscali.co.uk/products/broadband/index2.html?code=ha-nl-11ac