George Edwards (Actor)
Encyclopedia
George Edwards was an Australian actor and producer.
Edwards was a pioneer of the radio serial in Australia. Prior to that he was a comedian, vaudeville artist, acrobatic dancer and stage performer. It is claimed that he changed his name from Harold Parks to George Edwards at the behest of Edward Branscombe, who was putting together an up-market act and did not want anyone associated with low-brow music hall, and that he took the name from English theatrical impressario George Edwards. He performed in a radio drama adaption of Robert Louis Stevenson's Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde
.
Edwards' first wife was Margaret Rose Wilson, whom he married on 6 August 1907. They had a daughter.
On 9 May 1925, he married Molly D Hughes in Sydney, and in 1929 was a featured entertainer on the Sydney Show Boat. Apparently she died.
His third wife was Helen Dorothy Malmgrom (born 22 August 1909), who had worked with him on the Sydney Showboat. She changed her name to Nell Stirling. They were married in Haberfield on 29 March 1934. Together they appeared in many live radio productions, including the long-running "Dad and Dave" series in which Edwards played Dad Rudd (and many other roles), and Stirling played Mabel(Dave's wife). Sumner Locke Elliott
wrote a number of radio plays for Edward's company.
Nell had a daughter from her first marriage, and one with Edwards, born in April 1941.
Edwards and Stirling were divorced in July 1948, and on 9 November she married her accountant, Alexander George Atwill. Nell died of an accidental overdose of carbitral
capsules on 10 November 1951 at her Vaucluse home.
Edwards married once more. His fourth wife was Coral Lansbury
, who had worked as a radio scriptwriter and actor. She became a notable English literature academic, and was the mother of Australian politician Malcolm Turnbull
. Edwards and Lansbury married in 1953 the year in which he died.
Lansbury subsequently gave birth to Malcolm Turnbull on 24 October 1954. In 1955, Coral Magnolia Edwards (née Lansbury) married Malcolm's father, Bruce Bligh Turnbull.
Edwards was a pioneer of the radio serial in Australia. Prior to that he was a comedian, vaudeville artist, acrobatic dancer and stage performer. It is claimed that he changed his name from Harold Parks to George Edwards at the behest of Edward Branscombe, who was putting together an up-market act and did not want anyone associated with low-brow music hall, and that he took the name from English theatrical impressario George Edwards. He performed in a radio drama adaption of Robert Louis Stevenson's Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde
Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde (radio)
Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde is a 1932 English language radio drama based on the same novel by Robert Louis Stevenson. This radio adaptation takes some liberties from Stevenson's novel, like Henry Jekyll being in his 20s rather than 40s as mentioned in the novel, and having an element of romance...
.
Edwards' first wife was Margaret Rose Wilson, whom he married on 6 August 1907. They had a daughter.
On 9 May 1925, he married Molly D Hughes in Sydney, and in 1929 was a featured entertainer on the Sydney Show Boat. Apparently she died.
His third wife was Helen Dorothy Malmgrom (born 22 August 1909), who had worked with him on the Sydney Showboat. She changed her name to Nell Stirling. They were married in Haberfield on 29 March 1934. Together they appeared in many live radio productions, including the long-running "Dad and Dave" series in which Edwards played Dad Rudd (and many other roles), and Stirling played Mabel(Dave's wife). Sumner Locke Elliott
Sumner Locke Elliott
Sumner Locke Elliott was an Australian novelist.-Biography:Elliott was born in Sydney to the writer Helena Sumner Locke and the journalist Henry Logan Elliott. His mother died of eclampsia one day after his birth...
wrote a number of radio plays for Edward's company.
Nell had a daughter from her first marriage, and one with Edwards, born in April 1941.
Edwards and Stirling were divorced in July 1948, and on 9 November she married her accountant, Alexander George Atwill. Nell died of an accidental overdose of carbitral
Carbitral
CarbamazepineBromoureides are sedative-hypnotics available primarily in Europe, including bromisovalum and carbromal .-References:...
capsules on 10 November 1951 at her Vaucluse home.
Edwards married once more. His fourth wife was Coral Lansbury
Coral Lansbury
-Parents and family:Coral Lansbury was born in the Melbourne suburb of St Kilda. Her parents were Oscar Vincent Stephen Lansbury and his wife, May . They were touring Australia in a production of the musical Showboat, and were stranded by the Great Depression...
, who had worked as a radio scriptwriter and actor. She became a notable English literature academic, and was the mother of Australian politician Malcolm Turnbull
Malcolm Turnbull
Malcolm Bligh Turnbull is an Australian politician. He has been a member of the Australian House of Representatives since 2004, and was Leader of the Opposition and parliamentary leader of the Liberal Party from 16 September 2008 to 1 December 2009.Turnbull has represented the Division...
. Edwards and Lansbury married in 1953 the year in which he died.
Lansbury subsequently gave birth to Malcolm Turnbull on 24 October 1954. In 1955, Coral Magnolia Edwards (née Lansbury) married Malcolm's father, Bruce Bligh Turnbull.
External links
- George Edwards at Australian Dictionary of BiographyAustralian Dictionary of BiographyThe Australian Dictionary of Biography is a national, co-operative enterprise, founded and maintained by the Australian National University to produce authoritative biographical articles on eminent people in Australia's history....
- entry by Coral LansburyCoral Lansbury-Parents and family:Coral Lansbury was born in the Melbourne suburb of St Kilda. Her parents were Oscar Vincent Stephen Lansbury and his wife, May . They were touring Australia in a production of the musical Showboat, and were stranded by the Great Depression... - Nell Stirling at Australian Dictionary of BiographyAustralian Dictionary of BiographyThe Australian Dictionary of Biography is a national, co-operative enterprise, founded and maintained by the Australian National University to produce authoritative biographical articles on eminent people in Australia's history....
- George Edwards at Australian Old Time radio site