Harrison Owen
Encyclopedia
Albert John Owen known as Harrison Owen, was an Australian playwright, novelist, poet, and journalist.
from 1912 to 1919. From the basis of his earlier work, the chief of editing for the Melbourne Herald J. E. Davidson appointed him as the newspaper's drama critic and author of the Peerybingle Papers, a regular mixture of light verse and prose. Soon afterwards he took over its Under the Clocks column.
Although Owen spent most of his life as a daily journalist, his creative flair was never jeopardized. Throughout his life he published most of his poetic writings and stories. His first novel The Mount Marunga Mystery
was published in 1919. He released a collective of his satirical and verse poetry from The Bulletin in 1923, entitled Tommyrot Rhymes for Children and Grown-ups who Ought to Know Better.
With many of his Bulletin workmates, Owen co-founded the now defunct Australian Authors' and Writers' Guild in 1915.
From 1920, Owen moved to London and worked as a freelance journalist. From 1921 to 1932 he worked as a leader-writer for the Daily Sketch
and also produced a weekly feature for John Bull
until 1940. In this period he was active as a dramatist. The first of his three plays to be performed in London, The Gentleman in Waiting (1925) arrived with a mixed response—reviews varied from 'witty' and 'diverting' to 'prolix' and 'banal', with a general consensus that the piece was over-literary. His second play, The Happy Husband (1927), with Charles Laughton
and Madge Titheradge
was very successful and subsequently toured to New York, Paris and Vienna
. In 1931, the play was filmed as Uneasy Virtue
. Owen's next play, Doctor Pygmalion (1932), with Ronald Squire
and Gladys Cooper
, was also a success and productions in Melbourne, Sydney and Amsterdam
followed its London season. In 1940 Owen published The Playwright's Craft.
Owen returned to Melbourne in 1940. His regular reviews for the Melbourne Herald reflected both his passion for the theatre and his intimate knowledge of its workings. He became a leader-writer for The Sun News-Pictorial
and wrote a Saturday column, Merely my Prejudice. At first a witty, anecdotal reflection on human foibles, it came increasingly to express his delight in the uses and abuses of the English language
and the depth and diversity of his literary interests. The name of the column, with its nice mixture of diffidence and self-assertion, anticipated the tone, and reflected the writer. Nettie Palmer had written in 1928: 'There was always a curious modesty about Harrison Owen … “I'm just a young man from Geelong”, he used to say'.
He retired in 1955, although he published in the Melbourne Herald in 1957 a series of articles, Down Memory Lane. Predeceased by his wife, and childless, Owen died of Cerebrovascular disease
at St Kilda East on 30 May 1966 and was cremated.
Career
Owen became a prolific contributor of poetry and local news articles to The BulletinThe Bulletin
The Bulletin was an Australian weekly magazine that was published in Sydney from 1880 until January 2008. It was influential in Australian culture and politics from about 1890 until World War I, the period when it was identified with the "Bulletin school" of Australian literature. Its influence...
from 1912 to 1919. From the basis of his earlier work, the chief of editing for the Melbourne Herald J. E. Davidson appointed him as the newspaper's drama critic and author of the Peerybingle Papers, a regular mixture of light verse and prose. Soon afterwards he took over its Under the Clocks column.
Although Owen spent most of his life as a daily journalist, his creative flair was never jeopardized. Throughout his life he published most of his poetic writings and stories. His first novel The Mount Marunga Mystery
The Mount Marunga Mystery
The Mount Marunga Mystery is a murder mystery first published in 1919 by Australian author Harrison Owen about the mysterious death of a fraudulent businessman in a rural township's five-star hotel...
was published in 1919. He released a collective of his satirical and verse poetry from The Bulletin in 1923, entitled Tommyrot Rhymes for Children and Grown-ups who Ought to Know Better.
With many of his Bulletin workmates, Owen co-founded the now defunct Australian Authors' and Writers' Guild in 1915.
From 1920, Owen moved to London and worked as a freelance journalist. From 1921 to 1932 he worked as a leader-writer for the Daily Sketch
Daily Sketch
The Daily Sketch was a British national tabloid newspaper, founded in Manchester in 1909 by Sir Edward Hulton.It was bought in 1920 by Lord Rothermere's Daily Mirror Newspapers but in 1925 Rothermere offloaded it to William and Gomer Berry The Daily Sketch was a British national tabloid newspaper,...
and also produced a weekly feature for John Bull
John Bull
John Bull is a national personification of Britain in general and England in particular, especially in political cartoons and similar graphic works. He is usually depicted as a stout, middle-aged man, often wearing a Union Flag waistcoat.-Origin:...
until 1940. In this period he was active as a dramatist. The first of his three plays to be performed in London, The Gentleman in Waiting (1925) arrived with a mixed response—reviews varied from 'witty' and 'diverting' to 'prolix' and 'banal', with a general consensus that the piece was over-literary. His second play, The Happy Husband (1927), with Charles Laughton
Charles Laughton
Charles Laughton was an English-American stage and film actor, screenwriter, producer and director.-Early life and career:...
and Madge Titheradge
Madge Titheradge
Madge Titheradge was an actress, born into a theatrical family in Melbourne, Australia.-Biography:Her father was the English-born actor George Sutton Titheradge, and the eleven-year-old Madge had already done stage work with Australia's Brough-Boucicault and Bland Holt companies when the family...
was very successful and subsequently toured to New York, Paris and Vienna
Vienna
Vienna is the capital and largest city of the Republic of Austria and one of the nine states of Austria. Vienna is Austria's primary city, with a population of about 1.723 million , and is by far the largest city in Austria, as well as its cultural, economic, and political centre...
. In 1931, the play was filmed as Uneasy Virtue
Uneasy Virtue
Uneasy Virtue is a 1931 British comedy film directed by Norman Walker and starring Fay Compton, Edmund Breon, Francis Lister, Donald Calthrop and Garry Marsh...
. Owen's next play, Doctor Pygmalion (1932), with Ronald Squire
Ronald Squire
Ronald Squire was an English character actor.Born in Tiverton, Devon, England, he spent his early acting career in Liverpool repertory theatre in light comedy roles, before moving on to films...
and Gladys Cooper
Gladys Cooper
Dame Gladys Constance Cooper, DBE was an English actress whose career spanned seven decades on stage, in films and on television....
, was also a success and productions in Melbourne, Sydney and Amsterdam
Amsterdam
Amsterdam is the largest city and the capital of the Netherlands. The current position of Amsterdam as capital city of the Kingdom of the Netherlands is governed by the constitution of August 24, 1815 and its successors. Amsterdam has a population of 783,364 within city limits, an urban population...
followed its London season. In 1940 Owen published The Playwright's Craft.
Owen returned to Melbourne in 1940. His regular reviews for the Melbourne Herald reflected both his passion for the theatre and his intimate knowledge of its workings. He became a leader-writer for The Sun News-Pictorial
The Sun News-Pictorial
The Sun News-Pictorial, commonly known as The Sun, was a morning daily tabloid newspaper in Melbourne, Australia established in 1922 and closed in 1990.It was part of The Herald and Weekly Times Ltd stable of Melbourne newspapers...
and wrote a Saturday column, Merely my Prejudice. At first a witty, anecdotal reflection on human foibles, it came increasingly to express his delight in the uses and abuses of the English language
English language
English is a West Germanic language that arose in the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms of England and spread into what was to become south-east Scotland under the influence of the Anglian medieval kingdom of Northumbria...
and the depth and diversity of his literary interests. The name of the column, with its nice mixture of diffidence and self-assertion, anticipated the tone, and reflected the writer. Nettie Palmer had written in 1928: 'There was always a curious modesty about Harrison Owen … “I'm just a young man from Geelong”, he used to say'.
He retired in 1955, although he published in the Melbourne Herald in 1957 a series of articles, Down Memory Lane. Predeceased by his wife, and childless, Owen died of Cerebrovascular disease
Cerebrovascular disease
Cerebrovascular disease is a group of brain dysfunctions related to disease of the blood vessels supplying the brain. Hypertension is the most important cause; it damages the blood vessel lining, endothelium, exposing the underlying collagen where platelets aggregate to initiate a repairing process...
at St Kilda East on 30 May 1966 and was cremated.