George Grossmith Jr. - Revision history

Kurt at 04:39, 20 February 2023

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	~~{{Short description\|British actor and theatre producer (1874–1935)}}~~
	~~{{Use dmy dates\|date=July 2021}}~~
	~~{{Use British English\|date=June 2012}}~~
	{{Infobox person		{{Infobox person
	\| name = George Grossmith Jr.		\| name = George Grossmith Jr.
	\| image = GGrosmithJR1.jpg		\| image = GGrosmithJR1.jpg
	~~\| image_size =~~
	\| caption = Grossmith (right), with [[Edmund Payne]] in 1907		\| caption = Grossmith (right), with [[Edmund Payne]] in 1907
	\| birth_date = {{birth date\|1874\|5\|11\|df=y}}		\| birth_date = {{birth date\|1874\|05\|11\|df=y}}
	\| birth_place = [[Haverstock\|Haverstock Hill]], London, England		\| birth_place = [[Haverstock\|Haverstock Hill]], London, England
	\| death_date = {{death date and age\|1935\|6\|6\|1874\|5\|11\|df=y}}		\| death_date = {{death date and age\|1935\|6\|6\|1874\|5\|11\|df=y}}

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External links

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	* {{YouTube\|9FTrse3vww4\|Audio clip of Grossmith singing "Murders"}} from ''[[To-Night's the Night (musical)\|To-Night's the Night]]'' (1914)		* {{YouTube\|9FTrse3vww4\|Audio clip of Grossmith singing "Murders"}} from ''[[To-Night's the Night (musical)\|To-Night's the Night]]'' (1914)
	*[https://www.greatwartheatre.org.uk/db/person/856/ Plays by George Grossmith] at Great War Theatre		*[https://www.greatwartheatre.org.uk/db/person/856/ Plays by George Grossmith] at Great War Theatre

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	{{DEFAULTSORT:Grossmith Jr, George}}		{{DEFAULTSORT:Grossmith Jr, George}}

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Early career

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	Grossmith left the musical stage for about three years, appearing in straight comedies, but he returned in 1898 to take over in the musical ''Little Miss Nobody'' and then as Mark Antony in the burlesque, ''Great Caesar'' (1899), which Grossmith had written with [[Paul Rubens (composer)\|Paul Rubens]]. The piece was not successful, but he wrote another (also unsuccessful piece), ''The Gay Pretenders'' (1900), in which he included roles for both himself and his famous father, that played at the [[Globe Theatre (Newcastle Street)\|Globe Theatre]] with a cast also including [[John Coates (tenor)\|John Coates]], [[Frank Wyatt (singer)\|Frank Wyatt]], [[Letty Lind]] and [[Richard Temple (opera singer)\|Richard Temple]].<ref>''The Times'', 12 November 1900, p. 13, col. G</ref>		Grossmith left the musical stage for about three years, appearing in straight comedies, but he returned in 1898 to take over in the musical ''Little Miss Nobody'' and then as Mark Antony in the burlesque, ''Great Caesar'' (1899), which Grossmith had written with [[Paul Rubens (composer)\|Paul Rubens]]. The piece was not successful, but he wrote another (also unsuccessful piece), ''The Gay Pretenders'' (1900), in which he included roles for both himself and his famous father, that played at the [[Globe Theatre (Newcastle Street)\|Globe Theatre]] with a cast also including [[John Coates (tenor)\|John Coates]], [[Frank Wyatt (singer)\|Frank Wyatt]], [[Letty Lind]] and [[Richard Temple (opera singer)\|Richard Temple]].<ref>''The Times'', 12 November 1900, p. 13, col. G</ref>

	[[File:Sunshinegirl1.jpg\|~~left~~\|thumb\|upright\|Grossmith and [[Phyllis Dare]] in ''[[The Sunshine Girl]]'']]		[[File:Sunshinegirl1.jpg\|RIGHT\|thumb\|upright\|Grossmith and [[Phyllis Dare]] in ''[[The Sunshine Girl]]'']]
	Grossmith then returned to Edwardes's company as leading comedian, touring in ''Kitty Grey'', and then starred in the [[Gaiety Theatre, London\|Gaiety Theatre]]'s hit ''[[The Toreador]]'' (1901). Grossmith supplied some of his own lyrics ("Archie") but scored his biggest hit with Rubens's song "Everybody's Awfully Good to Me." He then played in ''[[The School Girl]]'' (1903) and subsequently toured America in the piece, but he mostly remained at the Gaiety for the next dozen years, starring in a number of hits and becoming one of the biggest stars of the [[Edwardian]] era. His roles in these hits included The Hon. Guy Scrymgeour in ''[[The Orchid]]'' (1903), Gustave Babori in ''[[The Spring Chicken]]'' (1905), Genie of The Lamp in ''[[The New Aladdin]]'' (1906), Otto, the prince, in ''[[The Girls of Gottenberg]]'' (1907), Hughie in ''[[Our Miss Gibbs]]'' (1909), Auberon Blowand in ''[[Peggy (musical)\|Peggy]]'' (1911) and Lord Bicester in ''[[The Sunshine Girl]]'' (1912). He often performed together with diminutive comic [[Edmund Payne]].<ref name=obit/> From 1904, he was a [[Freemasonry\|Freemason]].<ref>He joined the Green Room Lodge No. 2957 on 6 April 1904, an actors' lodge which included [[Leedham Bantock]], [[Fred Terry]] and [[Gerald du Maurier]] among its members. See [https://search.ancestry.co.uk/cgi-bin/sse.dll?indiv=1&dbid=60620&h=824439&tid=&pid=&usePUB=true&_phsrc=qzP1016&_phstart=successSource George Grossmith Jr.], United Grand Lodge of England Freemason Membership Registers, 1751–1921, Ancestry.com {{subscription}}</ref>		Grossmith then returned to Edwardes's company as leading comedian, touring in ''Kitty Grey'', and then starred in the [[Gaiety Theatre, London\|Gaiety Theatre]]'s hit ''[[The Toreador]]'' (1901). Grossmith supplied some of his own lyrics ("Archie") but scored his biggest hit with Rubens's song "Everybody's Awfully Good to Me." He then played in ''[[The School Girl]]'' (1903) and subsequently toured America in the piece, but he mostly remained at the Gaiety for the next dozen years, starring in a number of hits and becoming one of the biggest stars of the [[Edwardian]] era. His roles in these hits included The Hon. Guy Scrymgeour in ''[[The Orchid]]'' (1903), Gustave Babori in ''[[The Spring Chicken]]'' (1905), Genie of The Lamp in ''[[The New Aladdin]]'' (1906), Otto, the prince, in ''[[The Girls of Gottenberg]]'' (1907), Hughie in ''[[Our Miss Gibbs]]'' (1909), Auberon Blowand in ''[[Peggy (musical)\|Peggy]]'' (1911) and Lord Bicester in ''[[The Sunshine Girl]]'' (1912). He often performed together with diminutive comic [[Edmund Payne]].<ref name=obit/> From 1904, he was a [[Freemasonry\|Freemason]].<ref>He joined the Green Room Lodge No. 2957 on 6 April 1904, an actors' lodge which included [[Leedham Bantock]], [[Fred Terry]] and [[Gerald du Maurier]] among its members. See [https://search.ancestry.co.uk/cgi-bin/sse.dll?indiv=1&dbid=60620&h=824439&tid=&pid=&usePUB=true&_phsrc=qzP1016&_phstart=successSource George Grossmith Jr.], United Grand Lodge of England Freemason Membership Registers, 1751–1921, Ancestry.com {{subscription}}</ref>

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en>Ssilvers: Just a redirect to ''The Bing Boys Are Here''.

2022-07-09T16:23:00Z

Just a redirect to ''The Bing Boys Are Here''.

New page

{{Short description|British actor and theatre producer (1874–1935)}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=July 2021}}
{{Use British English|date=June 2012}}
{{Infobox person
| name = George Grossmith Jr.
| image = GGrosmithJR1.jpg
| image_size =
| caption = Grossmith (right), with [[Edmund Payne]] in 1907
| birth_date = {{birth date|1874|5|11|df=y}}
| birth_place = [[Haverstock|Haverstock Hill]], London, England
| death_date = {{death date and age|1935|6|6|1874|5|11|df=y}}
| death_place = [[Haverstock|Haverstock Hill]], London, England
| occupation = Theatrical producer, actor, playwright and songwriter
| spouse = [[Rudge Sisters|Adelaide Astor]]
| parents = [[George Grossmith]] and Emmeline Rosa Noyce
| signature =
}}

'''George Grossmith Jr.''' (11 May 1874 – 6 June 1935) was an English actor, theatre producer and [[Actor-manager|manager]], director, playwright and songwriter, best remembered for his work in and with [[Edwardian musical comedies]]. Grossmith was also an important innovator in bringing "cabaret" and "[[revue]]s" to the London stage. Born in London, he took his first role on the musical stage at the age of 18 in ''[[Haste to the Wedding]]'' (1892), a [[West End theatre|West End]] collaboration between his famous [[George Grossmith|songwriter and actor father]] and [[W. S. Gilbert]].

Grossmith soon became an audience favourite playing "dude" roles. Early appearances in musicals included [[George Edwardes]]'s hit ''[[A Gaiety Girl]]'' in 1893, and ''[[Go-Bang]]'' and ''[[The Shop Girl]]'' in 1894. In 1895, Grossmith left the musical stage, instead appearing in straight comedies, but after a few years he returned to performing in musicals and [[Victorian burlesque]]s. Early in the new century, he had a string of successes in musicals for Edwardes, including ''[[The Toreador]]'' (1901), ''[[The School Girl]]'' (1903), ''[[The Orchid]]'' (1903), ''[[The Spring Chicken]]'' (1905), ''[[The New Aladdin]]'' (1906), ''[[The Girls of Gottenberg]]'' (1907), ''[[Our Miss Gibbs]]'' (1909), ''[[Peggy (musical)|Peggy]]'' (1911), ''[[The Sunshine Girl]]'' (1912) and ''[[The Girl on the Film]]'' (1913). The lanky Grossmith was often comically paired with the diminutive [[Edmund Payne]]. At the same time, he developed a reputation as a co-writer of musicals and revues, usually adding jokes.

Grossmith established himself as a major producer, together with [[Edward Laurillard]], of such hits as ''[[To-Night's the Night (musical)|Tonight's the Night]]'' (1914), ''[[Theodore & Co]]'' (1916) and ''[[Yes, Uncle!]]'' (1917). He wrote the long-running revue series that began with ''[[The Bing Boys Are Here]]'' (1916), scheduling these projects around his naval service in [[World War I]]. He then produced ''[[Eastward Ho]]!'' (1919) and produced, co-wrote, directed and sometimes starred in, ''[[Kissing Time]]'' (1919), ''[[A Night Out (musical)|A Night Out]]'' (1920), ''[[Sally (musical)|Sally]]'' (1921), ''[[The Cabaret Girl]]'' (1922), ''[[The Beauty Prize]]'' (1923) and ''[[Primrose (musical)|Primrose]]'' (1924), many of these featuring [[Leslie Henson]]. He also continued to appear in other producers' shows, including ''[[The Naughty Princess]]'' (1920) and ''[[No, No, Nanette]]'' (1925).

Later, he performed in such pieces as ''[[Princess Charming (operetta)|Princess Charming]]'' (1926) and appeared in at least ten films for London Film Productions Ltd., among other films, in the 1930s. He produced ''[[The Land of Smiles]]'' and ''[[Cavalcade (play)|Cavalcade]]'' (both in 1931), and in 1933, he played Touchstone in a production of ''[[As You Like It]]''.

==Life and career==
[[File:Grossmith and Son.png|right|thumb|220px|"The Firm of [[George Grossmith|Grossmith]] and Son"]]
George Grossmith was born in [[Haverstock|Haverstock Hill]], London, the eldest son of the writer and [[Gilbert and Sullivan]] star [[George Grossmith]], and his mother was Emmeline Rosa, née Noyce. His grandfather was also named "George Grossmith", and even though he was the third George Grossmith, he was credited on stage as "George Grossmith Jnr". His brother was the actor [[Lawrence Grossmith]].

Grossmith studied at [[University College School]] in London, and in Paris, and his parents hoped that he would follow an army career, but that was not to be. In 1895, Grossmith married [[Victorian burlesque|burlesque]] and musical comedy actress Gertrude Elizabeth "Cissie" Rudge (1873–1951), whose stage name was Adelaide Astor, and who was one of five actress [[Rudge Sisters]]. [[Letty Lind]] was the most famous of these. Grossmith and his wife had three children, Ena Sylvia Victoria (1896–1944), who became a stage and film actress; George (1906–c.2000), who became a theatrical manager; and Rosa Mary (1907–1988; she married Col. Edward Harry George 1904–1957, and they had three sons, including [[John C. G. George]]).<ref name=Ganzl>Gänzl, Kurt. "Grossmith, George (1874–1935)" in the ''Oxford Dictionary of National Biography'', Oxford University Press (2004) [http://www.oxforddnb.com/view/article/33591, retrieved 21 Oct 2007]</ref>

Grossmith was known for "speaking" songs and for his easy comic grace on stage.<ref name=obit>Obituary in ''The Times'', 7 June 1935; p. 9</ref> He was tall and gangling, with a "face hardly less extraordinary than his curious legs and a humour as unctuous as his father's at his best."<ref>Hicks, Seymour ''Hicks: Twenty-Four Years of an Actor's Life'' (1910), p. 188</ref>

===Early career===
Grossmith's first role in a musical was at the age of 18 in a small comic role in his father's collaboration with [[W. S. Gilbert]], ''[[Haste to the Wedding]]''. He next appeared in several small comic roles, including in ''The Baroness'' (1892).

Grossmith's breakthrough came in ''[[Morocco Bound]]'' (1893), where he made the most of the small role of Sir Percy Pimpleton by adding ad-libbed sight and word gags, becoming an audience favourite and establishing his style of playing aristocratic "silly-ass" or "dude" roles.<ref name=obit/><ref name=Berger>Berger, Leon. "Grossmith, George Jr.", ''[[The New Grove Dictionary of Music and Musicians]]'', Oxford University Press (2nd edition, 2001)</ref> This was followed by appearances in ''[[Go-Bang]]'' (1894 as Augustus Fitzpoop) and in [[George Edwardes]]'s production of ''[[A Gaiety Girl]]'' (1893 as Major Barclay). He also played in ''Pick-me-up'' at the [[Trafalgar Square Theatre]] in 1894 with [[Jessie Bond]] and [[Letty Lind]].<ref>Cruickshank, Graeme. "The Life and Loves of Letty Lind" in ''The Gaiety'', Issue 22, Summer 2007</ref> Edwardes then hired Grossmith to create the part of Bertie Boyd in the hit musical ''[[The Shop Girl]]'' (1894). The 21-year-old actor wrote the lyrics to his character's hit song "Beautiful, bountiful Bertie", which he popularised in both London and New York.<ref>{{cite book|last=Green| first=Stanley| title=Encyclopedia of the Musical Theatre| year=1991| publisher=Da Capo Press|location=Cambridge, Massachusetts| isbn=9780306801136| page=[https://archive.org/details/trent_0116403559523/page/378 378]| url=https://archive.org/details/trent_0116403559523|url-access=registration}}</ref> He eventually appeared in some 20 Edwardes shows, often interpolating his own songs into the shows.<ref name=Berger/>

Grossmith left the musical stage for about three years, appearing in straight comedies, but he returned in 1898 to take over in the musical ''Little Miss Nobody'' and then as Mark Antony in the burlesque, ''Great Caesar'' (1899), which Grossmith had written with [[Paul Rubens (composer)|Paul Rubens]]. The piece was not successful, but he wrote another (also unsuccessful piece), ''The Gay Pretenders'' (1900), in which he included roles for both himself and his famous father, that played at the [[Globe Theatre (Newcastle Street)|Globe Theatre]] with a cast also including [[John Coates (tenor)|John Coates]], [[Frank Wyatt (singer)|Frank Wyatt]], [[Letty Lind]] and [[Richard Temple (opera singer)|Richard Temple]].<ref>''The Times'', 12 November 1900, p. 13, col. G</ref>

[[File:Sunshinegirl1.jpg|left|thumb|upright|Grossmith and [[Phyllis Dare]] in ''[[The Sunshine Girl]]'']]
Grossmith then returned to Edwardes's company as leading comedian, touring in ''Kitty Grey'', and then starred in the [[Gaiety Theatre, London|Gaiety Theatre]]'s hit ''[[The Toreador]]'' (1901). Grossmith supplied some of his own lyrics ("Archie") but scored his biggest hit with Rubens's song "Everybody's Awfully Good to Me." He then played in ''[[The School Girl]]'' (1903) and subsequently toured America in the piece, but he mostly remained at the Gaiety for the next dozen years, starring in a number of hits and becoming one of the biggest stars of the [[Edwardian]] era. His roles in these hits included The Hon. Guy Scrymgeour in ''[[The Orchid]]'' (1903), Gustave Babori in ''[[The Spring Chicken]]'' (1905), Genie of The Lamp in ''[[The New Aladdin]]'' (1906), Otto, the prince, in ''[[The Girls of Gottenberg]]'' (1907), Hughie in ''[[Our Miss Gibbs]]'' (1909), Auberon Blowand in ''[[Peggy (musical)|Peggy]]'' (1911) and Lord Bicester in ''[[The Sunshine Girl]]'' (1912). He often performed together with diminutive comic [[Edmund Payne]].<ref name=obit/> From 1904, he was a [[Freemasonry|Freemason]].<ref>He joined the Green Room Lodge No. 2957 on 6 April 1904, an actors' lodge which included [[Leedham Bantock]], [[Fred Terry]] and [[Gerald du Maurier]] among its members. See [https://search.ancestry.co.uk/cgi-bin/sse.dll?indiv=1&dbid=60620&h=824439&tid=&pid=&usePUB=true&_phsrc=qzP1016&_phstart=successSource George Grossmith Jr.], United Grand Lodge of England Freemason Membership Registers, 1751–1921, Ancestry.com {{subscription}}</ref>

Grossmith co-wrote the successful ''[[Havana (Edwardian musical)|Havana]]'' (1908), while he moved to another Edwardes theatre to play Count Lothar in ''[[A Waltz Dream]]''. Grossmith was given writing credits for some of the Gaiety pieces, usually adaptations from French comedies (like ''The Spring Chicken'') or collaborations with other writers (such as ''The Girls of Gottenberg''), but he wrote the libretto to ''Peggy'' on his own. His contributions in collaborative pieces were primarily to add in jokes. He adapted ''[[The Dollar Princess]]'' (1909) for America (but not London) and also co-wrote some of London's earliest "revues", including the ''Rogues and Vagabonds'', ''Venus'', ''Oh! Indeed'', [[Empire, Leicester Square|Empire Theatre's]] ''Hullo ... London!'' (1910), ''Everybody's Doing It'', ''Kill That Fly!'', ''Eight-pence a Mile'', and ''Not Likely''. In addition to his writing and performing, he sometimes directed these musicals and revues.<ref name=Ganzl/>

===Peak producing years===
In 1913, Grossmith starred in ''[[The Girl on the Film]]'' first in London and then in New York, where he joined with [[Edward Laurillard]], who had earlier produced his musical ''The Love Birds'', to produce plays and musicals. Grossmith established himself as a major producer with Laurillard, bringing ''Potash and Perlmutter'', by Montague Glass, to London in 1914 for a long run at the [[Sondheim Theatre|Queen's Theatre]]. They then produced the successful ''[[To-Night's the Night (musical)|Tonight's the Night]]'', based on the farce ''Pink Dominoes'', first at the [[Shubert Theatre (Broadway)|Shubert Theatre]] in New York in 1914 and then moved it to the [[Gaiety Theatre, London]] in 1915. Grossmith played The Hon. Dudley Mitten.<ref>{{cite news|title=English Actors Arrive |date= 13 December 1914|work=[[The New York Times]]| quote=George Grossmith heads company... | url=https://timesmachine.nytimes.com/timesmachine/1914/12/13/100122161.pdf| page=14 |access-date=2008-08-09}}</ref><ref>Howarth, Paul. [https://www.gsarchive.net/AMT/tonight/index.html "''To-Night's the Night''"], American Musical Theatre pages at the Gilbert and Sullivan Archive, 15 April 2017, retrieved 5 July 2020</ref>

[[File:GirlOnTheFilm001.jpg|right|thumb|with [[Emmy Wehlen]] in ''[[The Girl on the Film]]'']]
Back at the Gaiety Theatre, Grossmith wrote, produced and starred in the hit ''[[Theodore & Co]]'' (1916), based on a French comedy. Edwardes had died in 1915, however, and Grossmith was dissatisfied with the offer of the new management under Alfred Butt and [[Robert Evett]], the executor of Edwardes's estate, and so he left the Gaiety and produced three successes, ''Mr Manhattan'', ''[[Arlette (musical)|Arlette]]'' (1917), and ''[[Yes, Uncle!]]'' (1917) elsewhere. His ''Oh! Joy (the British adaptation of [[Oh, Boy! (musical)|Oh, Boy!]], 1917)'' was also successful. He also wrote the tremendously successful revue series, ''[[The Bing Boys Are Here]]'' (1916), ''The Bing Girls are There'' (1917) and ''The Bing Boys on Broadway'' (1918).<ref name=Berger/> Grossmith fitted his work on all these productions around his naval service in [[World War I]].

Grossmith and Laurillard built their own theatre, the [[New London Theatre|Winter Garden]], on the site of an old [[music hall]] in [[Drury Lane]]. They opened the theatre in 1919 with Grossmith and [[Leslie Henson]] starring in ''[[Kissing Time]]'' (1919, with a star-studded cast, a book by [[P.G. Wodehouse]] and [[Guy Bolton]] and music by [[Ivan Caryll]]), followed by ''[[A Night Out (musical)|A Night Out]]'' (1920). Grossmith and Laurillard also became managers of the [[Apollo Theatre]] in 1920 (they had produced ''The Only Girl'' there in 1916 and ''Tilly of Bloomsbury'' there in 1919).<ref>[http://www.nimaxtheatres.com/nimax/apollo-theatre Apollo Theatre] {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100413191022/http://www.nimaxtheatres.com/nimax/apollo-theatre |date=13 April 2010 }}. Click History tab for information about Grossmith's management of the theatre. Retrieved 15 April 2010</ref> But expanding their operation caused Grossmith and Laurillard to end their partnership, with Grossmith retaining control of the Winter Garden.<ref name=Ganzl/>

Grossmith partnered with Edwardes's former associate, J. A. E. Malone, to produce a series of mostly adaptations of imported shows at the Winter Garden from 1921 to 1926:<ref name=Berger/> ''[[Sally (musical)|Sally]]'' (1921), ''[[The Cabaret Girl]]'' (1922, with book by Wodehouse and music by [[Jerome Kern]]), ''[[The Beauty Prize]]'' (1923, with Wodehouse and Kern), a revival of ''[[To-Night's the Night (musical)|Tonight's the Night]]'' (1923), ''[[Primrose (musical)|Primrose]]'' (1924, with music by [[George Gershwin]]), ''Tell Me More'' (1925, with words by Thompson and music by George Gershwin)<ref>''Tell Me More'' review in ''The Times'', 27 May 1925, p. 14</ref> and ''Kid Boots'' (1926 with music by Harry Tierney),<ref>''Kid Boots'' review in ''The Times'' 3 February 1926, p. 12</ref> many of them featuring [[Leslie Henson]]. Grossmith co-wrote some of the Winter Garden pieces, directed many of his own productions and starred in several, notably as Otis in ''Sally''. Several of the later productions lost money, and Grossmith and Malone ended the partnership.<ref name=Ganzl/>

Grossmith also co-produced [[Oscar Asche]]'s conception of ''[[Eastward Ho]]!'' (1919),<ref>''Eastward Ho!'' review in ''The Times'', 10 September 1919, p. 8</ref> ''Baby Bunting'' (both in 1919) and ''Faust on Toast'' (1921) at other theatres during this period. At the same time, in the early 1920s, while appearing less frequently in his own Winter Garden shows, he continued to appear in other shows, including ''[[The Naughty Princess]]'' (1920), the title role in a revival of ''[[The Gay Lord Quex (play)|The Gay Lord Quex]]'' (1923) and as Billy Early in the original British production of ''[[No, No, Nanette]]'' (1925).<ref name=Berger/> Around this time, Grossmith also worked as a programme adviser to the [[BBC]], particular involved in comedy programming.<ref name=Berger/> He also negotiated on behalf of the BBC with theatre managers over their boycott on songs from plays, when provincial theatre managers had threatened to cancel tour contracts if excerpts from the new plays had already been broadcast by the BBC.<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.radiotimesbacknumbers.com/si/19755.html |title=Grossmith, George 1925 article, "Radio the Rival," written as Programme Advisor to the BBC |access-date=27 October 2007 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110715150112/http://www.radiotimesbacknumbers.com/si/19755.html |archive-date=15 July 2011 |url-status=dead }}</ref>

[[File:Goodoldgaietyhis00holluoft 183.jpg|right|thumb|upright|Grossmith onstage at the Gaiety Theatre]]
In their joint memoir ''[[Bring on the Girls!]]'', [[P.G. Wodehouse]] and [[Guy Bolton]] relate a story about Grossmith holding auditions for ''Primrose''. The young model-dancer-actress [[Sylvia Hawkes]] auditioned:
{{quote|
"Must I sing, Mr Grossmith?"

"Yes, Sylvia, you must. All of you have to sing if you want jobs as showgirls in ''Primrose''. The [[George Gershwin|Gershwin]] score demands it."

"Oh very well," she replied petulantly, and, going down to the floats she handed over a piece of music to the pianist in the pit. The piano struck a chord.

:"[[God Save the King|God save our gracious King]],
:Long live our noble King,
:God save the King."

Grossmith, a strict observer of ritual, rose and stood at attention. His minions rose and stood at attention. Guy, on his way to announce his arrival, stood at attention. As the anthem came to the normal stopping point, George started to sit down, but there is more, much more of the fine old chorale than is generally known. James Carey is credited with a three-stanza version; in another version [[John Bull (composer)|John Bull]] ... has expressed the same sentiment in his own way; while [[James Oswald (composer)|James Oswald]] ... also got into the act. A printing is extant giving them all. Sylvia Hawkes sang them all. The pianist stopped playing, but that didn't stop Sylvia. They wanted her to sing, did they? Well, sing she would. Of course no one dared to call a halt. The national anthem is sacrosanct – especially if you're an actor-manager clinging to the hope of a belated [[knighthood]].<ref>Wodehouse and Bolton, ''[[Bring on the Girls!]]'' (1953), Chapter 13, section 3</ref>}}

===Later years and legacy===
[[File:Gaietyprogramm.jpg|right|thumb|Part of the programme for the Old Gaiety's farewell performance, 1903]]
After 1926, Grossmith stopped producing, but he continued to perform, playing King Christian in [[Albert Szirmai]]'s ''[[Princess Charming (operetta)|Princess Charming]]'' (1926) for producer [[Robert Courtneidge]] in New York, and Britain in ''The Five o'Clock Girl'' and ''Lady Mary'' (1928). In New York in 1930, and later in London (where it flopped), he starred in Ralph Benatzky's ''My Sister and I'' (aka ''Meet My Sister''). He also appeared in at least ten films for [[London Films]] in the 1930s.<ref name=Ganzl/> During a brief sojourn in Hollywood, he appeared in several films produced at the Fox Studios, including ''[[Women Everywhere]]'' (1930), for which he also supplied the story, and ''[[Are You There? (film)|Are You There?]]'' (1930).<ref>{{cite news |title=Fox Signs George Grossmith |url=https://pqasb.pqarchiver.com/latimes/access/371132142.html?dids=371132142:371132142&FMT=ABS&FMTS=ABS:AI&type=historic&date=Jan+14,+1930&author=&pub=Los+Angeles+Times&desc=FOX+SIGNS+GEORGE+GROSSMITH&pqatl=google |quote=George Grossmith, famous British producer and actor, has come to Hollywood... |work=[[Los Angeles Times]] |date=14 January 1930 |access-date=2010-06-06 | first=Grace | last=Kingsley}}</ref>

In 1931–32, Grossmith was appointed managing director of the [[Theatre Royal, Drury Lane]], producing ''[[The Land of Smiles]]'' and ''[[Cavalcade (play)|Cavalcade]]'', but he resigned in 1932 to devote himself to cinema.<ref name=obit/> In the 1930s, Grossmith appeared in (and wrote the screenplay, in two cases, for) a number of films. In 1933, he played Touchstone in a production of ''[[As You Like It]]'' in the [[Open Air Theatre, Regent's Park]].<ref>''[[The Times]]'', 20 June 1933, p. 14</ref> Also in 1933, he wrote a memoir called ''G. G.'' The following year, he played Horner in ''[[The Country Wife]]'' at the [[Ambassadors Theatre (London)|Ambassadors Theatre]].<ref name=Berger/>

According to musical theatre writer [[Andrew Lamb (writer)|Andrew Lamb]], Grossmith
:played a particular part in introducing American songs and American musical shows into the British musical theatre. It was George Grossmith Jr., who danced the [[cakewalk]] in ''The Toreador'' in 1901, who as lyricist and performer gave [[Jerome Kern]] an entree into the London theater in 1906, and who introduced "They Didn't Believe Me" to London in ''To-Night's the Night''... (1915). It was he who co-authored those Empire and Alhambra revues that introduced [[ragtime]] song to London and he, too, who, as coproducer, gave Kern his first joint composer billing in London with ''Theodore & Co.'' in 1916, presented ''Oh, Joy!'' in 1919, and commissioned ''The Cabaret Girl'' and ''The Beauty Prize'' from Kern and ''Primrose'' from Gershwin. And, finally, it was he who made one of his last appearances in that London production of ''No, No, Nanette'' that preceded the New York opening.<ref>Lamb, Andrew. [https://www.jstor.org/stable/3052183 "From Pinafore to Porter: United States-United Kingdom Interactions in Musical Theater, 1879–1929"], ''American Music, Vol. 4, No. 1'', British-American Musical Interactions (Spring, 1986), pp. 34–49, University of Illinois Press, retrieved 18 September 2008</ref>

The Wodehouse scholar Norman Murphy believes that Grossmith was the inspiration for [[Bertie Wooster]].<ref>Hastings, Chris and Beth Jones. [http://docs.newsbank.com/openurl?ctx_ver=z39.88-2004&rft_id=info:sid/iw.newsbank.com:UKNB:DSTC&rft_val_format=info:ofi/fmt:kev:mtx:ctx&rft_dat=11E0C805610E20B0&svc_dat=InfoWeb:aggregated5&req_dat=102CDD40F14C6BDA "The real-life Jeeves, Wooster and master of Blandings Castle finally unmasked"], ''[[The Sunday Telegraph]]'', 6 January 2008</ref>

Grossmith died in a London nursing home at the age of 61.<ref name=obit/><ref>{{cite news |title=George Grossmith, British Actor, Dies. |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1935/06/07/archives/george-grossmith-british-actor-dies-versatile-comedian-son-of-the.html |work=[[The New York Times]]|page=25 |date=7 June 1935 |access-date=2010-06-06 }}</ref> He never received his promised knighthood.<ref name=Berger/>

==Filmography==
[[File:GGJrLamb.gif|right|thumb|upright|Grossmith in ''[[Our Miss Gibbs]]'']]
;As an actor
*''A Gaiety Duet'' (1909) .... Honourable Hugh
*''The Argentine Tango and Other Dances'' (1913)
*''[[Women Everywhere]]'' (1930) .... Aristide Brown
*''[[Those Three French Girls]]'' (1930) .... Earl of Ippleton
*''[[Are You There? (film)|Are You There?]]'' (1930) .... Duke of St. Pancras (aka ''Exit Laughing'' (USA))
*''[[Service for Ladies]]'' (1932) .... Mr. Westlake (aka ''Reserved for Ladies'' (USA))
*''[[Wedding Rehearsal]]'' (1932) .... Earl of Stokeshire
*''[[The Man with the Hispano (1933 film)|The Man with the Hispano]]'' (1933) (as Georges Grossmith) .... Lord Oswill (aka ''The Man in the Hispano-Suiza'' (USA))
*''[[L'Épervier]]'' (1933) .... Erik Drakton (aka ''Amoureux, Les'' (France))
*''[[The Girl from Maxim's]]'' (1933) .... The general
*''[[The Lady of Lebanon (1934 film)|The Lady of Lebanon]]'' (1934) .... Le colonel Hobson
*''Princess Charming'' (1934) .... King of Aufland

;As composer
*''Women Everywhere'' (1930) (lyrics: "All the Family")

;As screenwriter
*''[[Women Everywhere]]'' (1930) (story)
*''Wedding Rehearsal'' (1932) (story)

==Notes==
{{reflist}}

==References==
*Gänzl, Kurt. ''The British Musical Theatre'' (Macmillan Press, 1986)
*Gänzl, Kurt. ''The Encyclopedia of the Musical Theatre'' (2nd ed., 2001, Schirmer)
*{{cite book|last=Grossmith|first=George|year=1933|title=GG|location=London|publisher=Hutchinson}}
*{{cite book|last=Naylor|first=S|year=1913|title=Gaiety and George Grossmith|url=https://archive.org/details/gaietygeorgegros00nayluoft|location=London|publisher=Stanley Paul}}

== External links ==
* [https://www.gsarchive.net/british/authors/grossmith.html Biography of Grossmith]
* {{IBDB name|id=43227}}
* {{IMDb name|id=0003420}}
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20070311044417/http://library.kent.ac.uk/library/special/icons/playbills/PLAYDAT3.htm Information about Grossmith credits]
* {{YouTube|9FTrse3vww4|Audio clip of Grossmith singing "Murders"}} from ''[[To-Night's the Night (musical)|To-Night's the Night]]'' (1914)
*[https://www.greatwartheatre.org.uk/db/person/856/ Plays by George Grossmith] at Great War Theatre

{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Grossmith Jr, George}}
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[[Category:20th-century English male actors]]
[[Category:English male dramatists and playwrights]]
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