Jack Popplewell
Encyclopedia
Jack Popplewell was an English
writer
and playwright
.
, West Riding of Yorkshire
. He published his first song in 1940, and his first play, Blind Alley was staged in London in 1953. Blind Alley, opened to positive reviews, and was later adapted to the cinema in Tread Softly, Stranger, released in 1958, and starring Diana Dors
and George Baker
. Popplewell owned Manor Farm, Churwell
, Leeds
, where he farmed rhubarb, later moving with his wife, Betty, and 2 daughters (Juliet and Vanessa) to Vaynol Gate, Morley, West Yorkshire
. He died in Bath.
Blind Alley (“Q” Theatre, Kew Bridge, London, 1953).
Dead on Nine (Westminster, 1955), starring Griffith Jones
, Hy Hazel and Andrew Cruickshank
.
Dear Delinquent (Westminster and Aldwych, 1957), starring David Tomlinson
, Anna Massey
and Patrick Cargill
.
A Day in the Life of . . . (Savoy, 1958), starring Naunton Wayne
and Alfred Marks
.
And Suddenly It's Spring (Duke of York's, 1959), starring Frank Lawton
, Yolande Donlan
and Margaret Lockwood.
Hocus-Pocus.
Policy for Murder (Duke of York's 1962).
Every Other Evening (Phoenix, 1963), starring Derek Farr
and Margaret Lockwood.
Busybody (Duke of York's, 1964), starring Irene Handl
.
Dead Easy (St Martin's, 1973), starring Irene Handl
.
Darling I'm Home (Windsor Theatre, 1970).
High Infidelity.
Adapted Harold Brighouse’s Hobson’s Choice into a musical.
, Gracie Fields
, Bing Crosby
, Geraldo (bandleader), Anne Shelton with Ambrose (bandleader)
and his Orchestra, and Beniamino Gigli
. His first published song, If I Should Fall in Love Again was winner of the News Chronicle
song contest in 1940. Other titles include My Girl's an Irish Girl recorded by Bing Crosby
, Tonight Beloved recorded by Gigli, Only You and Really and Truly.
Barraclough, R., Reekie, D. (2003). Morley Entertainers. Zodiac Publishing, London, U.K., 2003.
English people
The English are a nation and ethnic group native to England, who speak English. The English identity is of early mediaeval origin, when they were known in Old English as the Anglecynn. England is now a country of the United Kingdom, and the majority of English people in England are British Citizens...
writer
Writer
A writer is a person who produces literature, such as novels, short stories, plays, screenplays, poetry, or other literary art. Skilled writers are able to use language to portray ideas and images....
and playwright
Playwright
A playwright, also called a dramatist, is a person who writes plays.The term is not a variant spelling of "playwrite", but something quite distinct: the word wright is an archaic English term for a craftsman or builder...
.
Life
Popplewell was born and grew up in LeedsLeeds
Leeds is a city and metropolitan borough in West Yorkshire, England. In 2001 Leeds' main urban subdivision had a population of 443,247, while the entire city has a population of 798,800 , making it the 30th-most populous city in the European Union.Leeds is the cultural, financial and commercial...
, West Riding of Yorkshire
West Riding of Yorkshire
The West Riding of Yorkshire is one of the three historic subdivisions of Yorkshire, England. From 1889 to 1974 the administrative county, County of York, West Riding , was based closely on the historic boundaries...
. He published his first song in 1940, and his first play, Blind Alley was staged in London in 1953. Blind Alley, opened to positive reviews, and was later adapted to the cinema in Tread Softly, Stranger, released in 1958, and starring Diana Dors
Diana Dors
Diana Dors was an English actress, born Diana Mary Fluck in Swindon, Wiltshire. Considered the English equivalent of the blonde bombshells of Hollywood, Dors described herself as: "The only sex symbol Britain has produced since Lady Godiva."-Early life:Diana Mary Fluck was born in Swindon,...
and George Baker
George Baker (actor)
George Baker, MBE was an English actor and writer. He was best-known for portraying Tiberius in I, Claudius, and Inspector Wexford in The Ruth Rendell Mysteries.-Personal life:...
. Popplewell owned Manor Farm, Churwell
Churwell
Churwell is a small village in the City of Leeds metropolitan borough, West Yorkshire, England, between Leeds city centre and Morley. It is southwest of Leeds city centre and away from the Leeds United Elland Road Football Ground....
, Leeds
Leeds
Leeds is a city and metropolitan borough in West Yorkshire, England. In 2001 Leeds' main urban subdivision had a population of 443,247, while the entire city has a population of 798,800 , making it the 30th-most populous city in the European Union.Leeds is the cultural, financial and commercial...
, where he farmed rhubarb, later moving with his wife, Betty, and 2 daughters (Juliet and Vanessa) to Vaynol Gate, Morley, West Yorkshire
Morley, West Yorkshire
Morley is a market town and civil parish within the metropolitan borough of the City of Leeds, in West Yorkshire, England. It lies approximately south-west of Leeds city centre. Together with Drighlington, Gildersome, Churwell, Tingley and East/West Ardsley, the town had a population of 47,579 in...
. He died in Bath.
Plays
Mostly premiered in London’s West End, including:Blind Alley (“Q” Theatre, Kew Bridge, London, 1953).
Dead on Nine (Westminster, 1955), starring Griffith Jones
Griffith Jones
Griffith Jones may refer to:*Griffith Jones , Llanddowror, who established circulating schools in Wales*Griffith Jones , appointed to the Supreme Court of Pennsylvania in 1690, later Mayor of Philadelphia...
, Hy Hazel and Andrew Cruickshank
Andrew Cruickshank
Andrew John Maxton Cruickshank was a Scottish supporting actor, most famous for his portrayal of Dr Cameron in the long-running UK BBC television series, Dr Finlay's Casebook, which ran for 191 episodes from 1962 until 1971.-Life and career:Andrew Cruickshank was born to Andrew and Mary...
.
Dear Delinquent (Westminster and Aldwych, 1957), starring David Tomlinson
David Tomlinson
David Cecil MacAlister Tomlinson was an English film actor. He is primarily remembered for his roles as authority figure George Banks in Mary Poppins, fraudulent magician Professor Emelius Browne in Bedknobs and Broomsticks and as hapless antagonist Peter Thorndyke in The Love Bug.-Early life:Born...
, Anna Massey
Anna Massey
Anna Raymond Massey, CBE was an English actress. She won a BAFTA Award for the role of Edith Hope in the 1986 TV adaptation of Anita Brookner’s novel Hotel du Lac.-Early life:...
and Patrick Cargill
Patrick Cargill
Patrick Cargill was a British actor known for his role on the British television sitcom Father, Dear Father.-Career:...
.
A Day in the Life of . . . (Savoy, 1958), starring Naunton Wayne
Naunton Wayne
Naunton Wayne , was a British character actor, born in Llanwonno, South Wales. He was educated at Clifton College....
and Alfred Marks
Alfred Marks
Alfred Edward Marks OBE was a comic actor and comedian.-Biography:Marks was born as Ruchel Kutchinsky in Holborn, London. He left Bell Lane School at 14 and started in entertainment at the Windmill Theatre. He then served in the RAF as a Flight Sergeant in the Middle East where he arranged...
.
And Suddenly It's Spring (Duke of York's, 1959), starring Frank Lawton
Frank Lawton
Frank Lawton was an English actor, born Frank Lawton Mokeley. He was married to Evelyn Laye, with whom he acted several times including in My Husband and I .His parents were stage players Daisy May Collier and Frank Mokeley...
, Yolande Donlan
Yolande Donlan
Yolande Donlan is an American actress who has worked extensively in the United Kingdom.She is the daughter of James Donlan, who was a hard working character actor in Hollywood films of the 1930s...
and Margaret Lockwood.
Hocus-Pocus.
Policy for Murder (Duke of York's 1962).
Every Other Evening (Phoenix, 1963), starring Derek Farr
Derek Farr
Derrick Capel Farr was a British actor who appeared regularly in British films and television from 1938 until his death in 1986....
and Margaret Lockwood.
Busybody (Duke of York's, 1964), starring Irene Handl
Irene Handl
-Life:Irene Handl was born in Maida Vale, London, the daughter of an Austrian banker father and French mother. She took to acting at the relatively advanced age of 36, and studied at the acting school run by the sister of Dame Sybil Thorndike...
.
Dead Easy (St Martin's, 1973), starring Irene Handl
Irene Handl
-Life:Irene Handl was born in Maida Vale, London, the daughter of an Austrian banker father and French mother. She took to acting at the relatively advanced age of 36, and studied at the acting school run by the sister of Dame Sybil Thorndike...
.
Darling I'm Home (Windsor Theatre, 1970).
High Infidelity.
Adapted Harold Brighouse’s Hobson’s Choice into a musical.
Music
Published over 40 songs, recorded by, amongst others, Vera LynnVera Lynn
Dame Vera Lynn, DBE is an English singer-songwriter and actress whose musical recordings and performances were enormously popular during World War II. During the war she toured Egypt, India and Burma, giving outdoor concerts for the troops...
, Gracie Fields
Gracie Fields
Dame Gracie Fields, DBE , was an English-born, later Italian-based actress, singer and comedienne and star of both cinema and music hall.-Early life:...
, Bing Crosby
Bing Crosby
Harry Lillis "Bing" Crosby was an American singer and actor. Crosby's trademark bass-baritone voice made him one of the best-selling recording artists of the 20th century, with over half a billion records in circulation....
, Geraldo (bandleader), Anne Shelton with Ambrose (bandleader)
Ambrose (bandleader)
Benjamin Baruch Ambrose , known professionally as Ambrose or Bert Ambrose, was an English bandleader and violinist. Ambrose become the leader of a highly acclaimed English dance band, the Bert Ambrose & His Orchestra, in the 1930s.-Early life:Ambrose was born in the East End of London; his father...
and his Orchestra, and Beniamino Gigli
Beniamino Gigli
Beniamino Gigli was an Italian opera singer. The most famous tenor of his generation, he was renowned internationally for the great beauty of his voice and the soundness of his vocal technique. Music critics sometimes took him to task, however, for what was perceived to be the over-emotionalism...
. His first published song, If I Should Fall in Love Again was winner of the News Chronicle
News Chronicle
The News Chronicle was a British daily newspaper. It ceased publication on 17 October 1960, being absorbed into the Daily Mail. Its offices were in Bouverie Street, off Fleet Street, London, EC4Y 8DP, England.-Daily Chronicle:...
song contest in 1940. Other titles include My Girl's an Irish Girl recorded by Bing Crosby
Bing Crosby
Harry Lillis "Bing" Crosby was an American singer and actor. Crosby's trademark bass-baritone voice made him one of the best-selling recording artists of the 20th century, with over half a billion records in circulation....
, Tonight Beloved recorded by Gigli, Only You and Really and Truly.
External links
- http://www.nytimes.com/1996/11/28/arts/jack-popplewell-playwright-87.html?pagewanted=1 Anonymous. Obituary. New York Times. Thursday 28 November 1996.
- http://www.independent.co.uk/news/people/obituary-jack-popplewell-1354490.html Bennedick, A. Obituary: Jack Popplewell. Independent, Wednesday 27 November 1996.
Barraclough, R., Reekie, D. (2003). Morley Entertainers. Zodiac Publishing, London, U.K., 2003.