- R. C. Sherriff
Infobox Writer
name = R. C. Sherriff
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birthname = Robert Cedric Sherriff
birthdate =6 June 1896
birthplace =Hampton Wick ,Middlesex [UK Public Records Office, BDM Certificates]
deathdate =13 November 1975
deathplace =Kingston upon Thames [UK Public Records Office, BDM Certificates]
occupation =playwright andscriptwriter
nationality = British
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period = 1929 - 1968
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notableworks = Journey's End
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portaldisp =Robert Cedric Sherriff (
6 June 1896 –13 November 1975 ) was an Englishplaywright andscriptwriter , best known for his play "Journey's End ".Early life
Sherriff was born in
Hampton Wick ,Middlesex [UK Public Records Office, BDM Certificates] . He was the only child of Herbert Hankin Sherriff, insurance clerk, and his wife, Constance, daughter of Charles Winder, ofIver ,Buckinghamshire [UK Public Records Office, BDM Certificates] . Educated atKingston Grammar School inKingston upon Thames , he worked in aninsurance office as a clerk (from 1914) and as an insurance adjuster (1918 to 1928) at Sun Insurance Company, London. Sherriff served (1915 to 1918) as acaptain in the 9thEast Surrey Regiment inWorld War I , serving atVimy andLoos . He was severely wounded atPasschendaele nearYpres in 1917. [Sherriff, No Leading Lady, p 33] He was decorated with an MC during the war. [UK Public Records Office]Early plays
He first wrote a play to help Kingston Rowing Club raise money to buy a new boat. His seventh play, "
Journey's End ", was written in 1928 and published in 1929 and was based on his experiences in the war. It was performed twice, first on9 December 1928 , by theIncorporated Stage Society at theApollo Theatre , directed byJames Whale and with the 21 year oldLaurence Olivier in the lead role. In the audience wasMaurice Browne who produced it at theSavoy Theatre where it was performed for two years from 1929.Sherriff studied at
New College, Oxford from 1931 to 1934. He was a fellow of theRoyal Society of Literature and theSociety of Antiquaries .Award nominations
Sherriff was nominated along with
Eric Maschwitz andClaudine West for an Academy award for writing an adapted screenplay for "Goodbye, Mr. Chips" which was released in 1939. His 1955 screenplays, "The Dam Busters" and "The Night My Number Came Up" were nominated for best British screenplay BAFTA awards.Bibliography
Sherriff's "No Leading Lady: An Autobiography" was first published in 1968.
References and sources
* Sherriff, Robert Cedric, "No leading lady: an autobiography", Victor Gollancz Ltd, London, 1968. ISBN 575001550
*External links
* [http://www.bbc.co.uk/radio4/arts/pip/ayrei/ The Man from Esher and his Theatre of War]
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