Arthur Williams (actor)

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Life and career

Arthur Williams was born in Islington. He was married to Emily Spiller and had a brother, Fred, who was also engaged in theatre and music hall. His nephew was the comic film actor, Fred Emney. Williams first went into business as a law stationer before beginning his stage career.

Early acting career

His first role was in 1861 as Alfred Martelli in "The Corsican Brothers" in Gravesend, in northwest Kent, England, at the age of 17. In 1867, he appeared in "The Carpenter of Rouen", by Joseph Stevens Jones and a stage version of "Oliver Twist" by Charles Dickens. After performing in local performances for seven years, he finally made his London stage debut at the St James's Theatre in 1868, where he played such roles as Thomas in "The Secret", Baron Factotum in a burlesque of "Sleeping Beauty", and Moses in "The School for Scandal". In 1871 he played at the Royalty Theatre in "Nell Gwynne", among other works. In 1875, he played Hoyley Smayle in "Sentenced to Death", a drama by George Conquest and Henry Pettit. This was followed in 1876 by Jonas Isaacs in "Queen's Evidence", a drama by George Conquest and H. Pettit. In 1877, he played Toby Daggs in "During her Majesty's Pleasure", a drama by Conquest and Pettit.

. [ [http://query.nytimes.com/mem/archive-free/pdf?_r=1&res=9905E4DE1538E033A25751C2A9669D94629FD7CF&oref=slogin NY Times article that includes a brief review of "Ariel"] ] In early 1886, he played the title role in a burlesque, "Oliver Grumble".

", beginning in 1886.cite news
author=
title=Arthur Williams, Comedian, Dies.
date=
work=New York Times
url=http://query.nytimes.com/gst/abstract.html?res=9B0DE4DF1239E333A25755C1A96F9C946496D6CF
accessdate=2008-08-08] In 1888, he appeared in "The Spitalfields Weaver" by Thomas Haynes Bayly. At the Gaiety Theatre, in 1889, he played Bardell V. Pickwick in Dickens' stage adaptation of his novel, "The Pickwick Papers". At the Britannia Theatre in 1889, he appeared in "The Harvest Storm", by Colin Henry Hazlewood. Also in 1889, at the Lyric Theatre, he created the role of Dinniver in "Doris". The same year, he also played Octavius Dell in "The Jackal", by E. B. Aveling, followed by Solomon and Stephens' "The Red Hussar", in which he created the role of Corporal Bundy.

Back at the Gaiety, in 1890, Williams played Captain Ziniga in Carmen up-to-Data. In 1891, he played as Sir Ludgate Hill in another Gaiety burlesque, "Cinder Ellen up too Late". In 1892, at the Theatre Royal, Drury Lane, he played Tom Blinker in "The Prodigal Daughter" and appeared in "Little Bo-Peep, Little Red Riding Hood & Hop O’ My Thumb", by Augustus Harris and John Wilton Jones. In 1893, he played Dick Chilton in "A Woman's Revenge", by Henry Pettit and Joshua Honeybun in "Black Domino" by Robert Buchanan and George Robert Sims.

Later years

From 1894-96, at the Gaiety, he created the role of Mr. Hooley in another hit, "The Shop Girl", and Drivelli in "The Circus Girl". In between, he played Bob Acres in "The Rivals" by Richard Brinsley Sheridan in 1895. From 1898 to 1901, he played at the Comedy Theatre with Sir Charles Hawtry in "Lord & Lady Algy", "The Cuckoo", as Penny in "An Interrupted Honeymoon", by F. Kinsey Peile, and the long-running "A Message from Mars", by Richard Ganthony, among other works. In 1902, he portrayed Dudley Mortimer in "The Broken Melody".

In 1902, he began a run of 700 performances as Mr. Pineapple in the hit musical "A Chinese Honeymoon". Following this, in 1904, he played Crookie Scrubs in "Sergeant Brue". In 1905, at the Haymarket Theatre, he appeared in "On the Love Path" and at Drury Lane, he was Baron Bluff in the pantomime. In 1906, at the Vaudeville Theatre, he created the role of Sir John Chaldicott in "The Belle of Mayfair" and appeared there in 1907 in "That Brute Simmonds". In 1908, at the Hicks Theatre, he was Joachim XIII in "A Waltz Dream". He then played his old role of Lurcher in a revival of "Dorothy". In 1909, at the Strand Theatre, he was Zopf in "The Merry Peasant". 1910 saw him creating the role of Cornelius Scroop in "The Girl in the Train". In 1911, he was Touchstone in "As You Like It", Sir Walter Raleigh in "The Critic" and Percival in "Sweet Nell of Old Drury" by Paul Kester, touring in the latter until 1913. He then appeared as Master Blakey in "Peg & the Prentice" and in 1914 was Jaikes in "The Silver King" and Perkyn Middlewick in "Our Boys".

In 1914, Williams wrote a memoir about his years in the theatre.

He died the following year at the age of 70, having played over 1,000 roles in his career.

Playwriting career

As a playwright, Williams wrote several farces, including "Leave it to Me" (1872, with Colin Henry Hazlewood, in which Williams also appeared on stage), "Funnibone's Fix" (1892 at the Britannia Theatre, in which Williams also appeared on stage), and "Oh! What a Day", as well as some dramas, including " Christmas Chimes" and "The Secret of a Life".

Notes

References

*cite news
author=
title=Arthur Williams, Comedian, Dies.
date=
work=New York Times
url=http://query.nytimes.com/gst/abstract.html?res=9B0DE4DF1239E333A25755C1A96F9C946496D6CF
accessdate=2008-08-08
*"Who's Who in the Theatre", 1916 pp. 685-86
*"The Theatre", v.XI, May 1888, p. 279

External links

* [http://library.kent.ac.uk/library/special/html/specoll/williams2.htm Information from the Templeman Library of the University of Kent at Canterbury]
* [http://library.kent.ac.uk/library/special/html/specoll/william.htm#point%2048 Links to numerous photos of Williams]
* [https://library.kent.ac.uk/library/special/html/specoll/WILLPOST.HTM Listing of a number of plays in which Williams appeared]