London Calling!
Encyclopedia
London Calling! was a musical revue, produced by André Charlot
with music and lyrics by Noël Coward, which opened at London's Duke of York's Theatre
on September 4, 1923. It is famous for being Noël Coward's first publicly produced musical work and for the use of a 3-D stereoscopic shadowgraph
as part of its opening act. The revue's song "Parisian Pierrot", sung by Gertrude Lawrence
, was Coward's first big hit and became one of his signature tunes.
in Christmas 1922, when Coward presented a musical outline of a new project involving himself and Lawrence, to benefactor, Edward William Bootle Wilbraham, 3rd Earl of Lathom, who was also a friend of André Charlot. Lathom had liked it and approached Charlot to produce it. Charlot's West End musical production Rats, which premiered on 21 February 1923 at the Vaudeville Theatre
, also starred Lawrence. At first Charlot did not have Coward in mind for performing in London Calling!, but Coward used his contractual right of veto to turn down all other suggestions for leading man. Charlot gave way and paid him a wage of ₤40 a week with the success of the show.
The revue featured 25 sketches, skits, songs and dance routines, with choreographic assistance by Fred Astaire
who was working in London's Shaftesbury Theatre
with his sister Adele
at the time. Astaire taught Coward tap-dancing at the nearby Guildhall School of Music. West End
's leading lady Gertrude Lawrence made her singing debut with Coward's musical works, an association that would continue throughout their careers. Lawrence had previously worked with him on the Liverpool
production of Gerhart Hauptmann
's play Hannele in 1913.. The revue sketches made light of London society at the time, with one sketch called "The Swiss Family Whittlebot" poking fun at The Sitwells
, known for their avant-garde poetry and ideas..
The revue ran for 367 performances. Charlot was developing a new production entitled André Charlot's London Revue of 1924 and had replaced Lawrence with singer Joyce Barbour in January 1924, at which point the production was nearing the end of its 5-month run. Coward's next project was the controversial play The Vortex
(1924).
Other numbers performed:
's patented 3-D shadowgraph
process, which required the patrons to wear special colour-tinted glasses. American inventor Hammond had earlier developed a Teleview
sequential viewing system for use as part of the successful productions of the Ziegfeld Follies
(1907–1931).. Its use influenced producer André Charlot, who was in the United States at the time of the Follies, to attempt something similar in Europe. Because the patent did not have immediate effect in foreign countries, Hammond was unable to collect any royalties from the production of London Calling!. With the success of the show, Charlot became referred to as "the British Ziegfeld", a title he loathed.
Apart from the influence between productions on the use of shadowgraph, the first song title mentioning the medium of radio was in the Ziegfeld Follies of 1922. The name of the song was "Listening on Some Radio". The phrase "London Calling!" was also the call sign of BBC Radio in London (2LO), which began transmitting in 1922.
André Charlot
André Eugene Maurice Charlot was a French impresario known primarily for the highly successful musical revues he staged in London between 1912 and 1937...
with music and lyrics by Noël Coward, which opened at London's Duke of York's Theatre
Duke of York's Theatre
The Duke of York's Theatre is a West End Theatre in St Martin's Lane, in the City of Westminster. It was built for Frank Wyatt and his wife, Violet Melnotte, who retained ownership of the theatre, until her death in 1935. It opened on 10 September 1892 as the Trafalgar Square Theatre, with Wedding...
on September 4, 1923. It is famous for being Noël Coward's first publicly produced musical work and for the use of a 3-D stereoscopic shadowgraph
Shadowgraph
Shadowgraph is an optical method that reveals non-uniformities in transparent media like air, water, or glass. It is related to, but simpler than, the schlieren and schlieren photography methods that perform a similar function...
as part of its opening act. The revue's song "Parisian Pierrot", sung by Gertrude Lawrence
Gertrude Lawrence
Gertrude Lawrence was an English actress, singer and musical comedy performer known for her stage appearances in the West End theatre district of London and on Broadway.-Early life:...
, was Coward's first big hit and became one of his signature tunes.
Background and productions
The basis of London Calling! began at the Swiss resort of DavosDavos
Davos is a municipality in the district of Prättigau/Davos in the canton of Graubünden, Switzerland. It has a permanent population of 11,248 . Davos is located on the Landwasser River, in the Swiss Alps, between the Plessur and Albula Range...
in Christmas 1922, when Coward presented a musical outline of a new project involving himself and Lawrence, to benefactor, Edward William Bootle Wilbraham, 3rd Earl of Lathom, who was also a friend of André Charlot. Lathom had liked it and approached Charlot to produce it. Charlot's West End musical production Rats, which premiered on 21 February 1923 at the Vaudeville Theatre
Vaudeville Theatre
The Vaudeville Theatre is a West End theatre on The Strand in the City of Westminster. As the name suggests, the theatre held mostly vaudeville shows and musical revues in its early days. It opened in 1870 and was rebuilt twice, although each new building retained elements of the previous...
, also starred Lawrence. At first Charlot did not have Coward in mind for performing in London Calling!, but Coward used his contractual right of veto to turn down all other suggestions for leading man. Charlot gave way and paid him a wage of ₤40 a week with the success of the show.
The revue featured 25 sketches, skits, songs and dance routines, with choreographic assistance by Fred Astaire
Fred Astaire
Fred Astaire was an American film and Broadway stage dancer, choreographer, singer and actor. His stage and subsequent film career spanned a total of 76 years, during which he made 31 musical films. He was named the fifth Greatest Male Star of All Time by the American Film Institute...
who was working in London's Shaftesbury Theatre
Shaftesbury Theatre
The Shaftesbury Theatre is a West End Theatre, located on Shaftesbury Avenue, in the London Borough of Camden.-History:The theatre was designed for the brothers Walter and Frederick Melville by Bertie Crewe and opened on 26 December 1911 with a production of The Three Musketeers, as the New...
with his sister Adele
Adele Astaire
Lady Charles Cavendish , better known as Adele Astaire, was an American dancer and entertainer. She was Fred Astaire's elder sister. Her birthdate was often given as 1897 or 1898, but the 1900 U.S...
at the time. Astaire taught Coward tap-dancing at the nearby Guildhall School of Music. West End
West End theatre
West End theatre is a popular term for mainstream professional theatre staged in the large theatres of London's 'Theatreland', the West End. Along with New York's Broadway theatre, West End theatre is usually considered to represent the highest level of commercial theatre in the English speaking...
's leading lady Gertrude Lawrence made her singing debut with Coward's musical works, an association that would continue throughout their careers. Lawrence had previously worked with him on the Liverpool
Liverpool
Liverpool is a city and metropolitan borough of Merseyside, England, along the eastern side of the Mersey Estuary. It was founded as a borough in 1207 and was granted city status in 1880...
production of Gerhart Hauptmann
Gerhart Hauptmann
Gerhart Hauptmann was a German dramatist and novelist who received the Nobel Prize in Literature in 1912.-Life and work:...
's play Hannele in 1913.. The revue sketches made light of London society at the time, with one sketch called "The Swiss Family Whittlebot" poking fun at The Sitwells
The Sitwells
The Sitwells , from Scarborough, North Yorkshire, were three siblings, who formed an identifiable literary and artistic clique around themselves in London in the period roughly 1916 to 1930...
, known for their avant-garde poetry and ideas..
The revue ran for 367 performances. Charlot was developing a new production entitled André Charlot's London Revue of 1924 and had replaced Lawrence with singer Joyce Barbour in January 1924, at which point the production was nearing the end of its 5-month run. Coward's next project was the controversial play The Vortex
The Vortex
The Vortex is a play by the English writer and actor Noël Coward. The story focuses on sexual vanity and drug abuse among the upper classes. The play was Coward's first great commercial success....
(1924).
Original cast
- Noėl Coward
- Gertrude Lawrence
- Maisie Gay
- Eileen Molyneux
- Tubby Edlin (comedian)
- Jessie MatthewsJessie MatthewsJessie Matthews, OBE was an English actress, dancer and singer of the 1930s, whose career continued into the post-war period.-Early life:...
(chorine)
Songs
(In the order listed in The Lyrics of Noël Coward, pp. 5–18):- Tamarisk Town (Coward) – Gertrude Lawrence
- Other Girls (Coward) – Noël Coward and chorus
- When My Ship Comes Home
- Carrie (Coward) – Gertrude Lawrence
- There's Life in the Old Girl Yet (Coward) – Maisie Gay and chorus
- Russian Blues (Coward) – Gertrude Lawrence and chorus
- Prenez Garde, Lisette (Coward) – Maisie Gay
- Sentiment (Philip Braham and Coward) – Noël Coward
- Parisian Pierrot (Coward) – Gertrude Lawrence
- What Love Means to Girls Like Me (Coward) – Maisie Gay
- When We Were Girls Together (Coward) – Maisie Gay and chorus
- Spanish Grandee (Coward) – Noël Coward
Other numbers performed:
- Temperamental Honeymoon (Coward) – Noël Coward and chorus
- You Were Meant for Me (Eubie BlakeEubie BlakeJames Hubert Blake was an American composer, lyricist, and pianist of ragtime, jazz, and popular music. In 1921, Blake and long-time collaborator Noble Sissle wrote the Broadway musical Shuffle Along, one of the first Broadway musicals to be written and directed by African Americans...
and Noble SissleNoble SissleNoble Sissle was an American jazz composer, lyricist, bandleader, singer and playwright.-Early life:...
) – sung as a final duet between Coward and Lawrence
Shadowgraph and connections with radio
The opening act of London Calling! utilised Laurens HammondLaurens Hammond
Laurens Hammond , was an American engineer and inventor. His inventions include, most famously, the Hammond organ, the Hammond Clock, and the world's first polyphonic musical synthesizer, the Novachord.- Youth :...
's patented 3-D shadowgraph
Shadowgraph
Shadowgraph is an optical method that reveals non-uniformities in transparent media like air, water, or glass. It is related to, but simpler than, the schlieren and schlieren photography methods that perform a similar function...
process, which required the patrons to wear special colour-tinted glasses. American inventor Hammond had earlier developed a Teleview
Teleview
Teleview was a process for producing stereoscopic motion pictures, invented in 1922 by Cornell University graduates Laurens Hammond and William F. Cassidy...
sequential viewing system for use as part of the successful productions of the Ziegfeld Follies
Ziegfeld Follies
The Ziegfeld Follies were a series of elaborate theatrical productions on Broadway in New York City from 1907 through 1931. They became a radio program in 1932 and 1936 as The Ziegfeld Follies of the Air....
(1907–1931).. Its use influenced producer André Charlot, who was in the United States at the time of the Follies, to attempt something similar in Europe. Because the patent did not have immediate effect in foreign countries, Hammond was unable to collect any royalties from the production of London Calling!. With the success of the show, Charlot became referred to as "the British Ziegfeld", a title he loathed.
Apart from the influence between productions on the use of shadowgraph, the first song title mentioning the medium of radio was in the Ziegfeld Follies of 1922. The name of the song was "Listening on Some Radio". The phrase "London Calling!" was also the call sign of BBC Radio in London (2LO), which began transmitting in 1922.