George Grossmith

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George Grossmith, as illustrated in The Idler magazine, 1897
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George Grossmith, as illustrated in The Idler magazine, 1897

George Grossmith (December 9, 1847 – March 1, 1912) was an English comedian, writer, actor, and singer, best remembered for his work with Gilbert and Sullivan and for writing the comic novel (with his brother Weedon) Diary of a Nobody.

Contents

[edit] Life and career

George Grossmith was born in London, the son of a lecturer, entertainer and court reporter also named George Grossmith. Nonetheless, Grossmith was generally not credited as "Junior", whereas his actor-theatrical manager son, the third George Grossmith (often called GeeGee) was credited as George Grossmith "Jnr" rather than "III". His other son, Lawrence Grossmith, was also a successful actor, mostly in America.

Grossmith was educated at North London Collegiate School. Grossmith worked for some time with his father as a court reporter, and as a journalist (he had earlier hoped to become a barrister).

[edit] Early career

After receiving some recognition for amateur "penny readings," Grossmith took to the stage in 1870 with a sketch called Human Oddities, written by his father. It was so successful that he took it on tour for six months. He toured with Mr. and Mrs. Howard Paul in 1871. He then wrote and performed a sketch called The Silver Wedding (including what would be one of his most popular songs, "I am so Volatile," with words by his father). John Parry trained Grossmith to develop his own entertainments (combinations of sketches and comic songs centered on the piano), and the young entertainer became known as a comedian throughout London.

In 1876, he collaborated with Florence Marryat on Entre Nous, a series of piano sketches, alternating with scenes and costumed recitations, including a two-person "satirical musical sketch" called Cups and Saucers, which they then toured. Grossmith then took a number of engagements, including recitals at private homes. He was noted for his ability to get laughs, often improvising comic business in roles—although he sometimes did this even in dramatic situations that were intended to be serious. Indeed, the main criticism often directed at Grossmith was that he seemed unable to content himself with playing any scene straight. Later, W. S. Gilbert and the actor had a famous exchange about an improvised bit of "business." "I get an enormous laugh by it," sniffed Grossmith. "So you would if you sat on a pork pie", replied Gilbert. (Ayre, p. 137).

[edit] D'Oyly Carte years

Grossmith had appeared in charity performances of Trial by Jury, where both Sullivan and Gilbert had seen him. Arthur Sullivan suggested him for the role of John Wellington Wells in their next comic opera, The Sorcerer. On meeting Gilbert, Grossmith wondered aloud if the role shouldn't be played "by a fine man with a fine voice." Gilbert replied, "That is exactly what we don't want." (Ayre, p. 137)

Grossmith became a regular member of Richard D'Oyly Carte's company. He created all nine of the lead comic baritone roles in Gilbert and Sullivan's famous Savoy Operas in London from 1877 to 1889, including Sir Joseph Porter in H.M.S. Pinafore (1878), Major-General Stanley in The Pirates of Penzance (1880), Reginald Bunthorne in Patience (1881), the Lord Chancellor in Iolanthe (1882), King Gama in Princess Ida (1884), Ko-Ko in The Mikado (1885), Robin Oakapple in Ruddygore (1887), and Jack Point in The Yeomen of the Guard (1888).

The actor, famously nervous on opening nights, is depicted both on and off stage in the acclaimed biographical film, Topsy Turvy. He is known to have been addicted to morphine, and in the film he is shown injecting himself on the opening night of The Mikado. In his diary, Arthur Sullivan wrote afterwards, "All went very well except Grossmith, whose nervousness nearly upset the piece" (Allen 1975, p. 241).

During his time with Gilbert and Sullivan, Grossmith wrote the music for Arthur Law's Uncle Samuel, the one-act curtain raiser that preceded Patience on the Opera Comique program. His sketch Cups and Saucers was revived and played with Pinafore. He also wrote, composed, and performed in several one-man drawing room sketches or monologues that were given at the Opera Comique or the Savoy Theatre in place of the companion pieces when shorter matinee programs was playing. These sketches included Beauties on the Beach (1878), Five Hamlets (1878), A Silver Wedding (1879), The Drama on Crutches (1883), Homburg, or Haunted by The Mikado (1887–88), and Holiday Hall (1888). In addition, Grossmith's song written during the 1880s, "See me dance the polka", has been used in a number of films.

[edit] Later years

Grossmith left the D'Oyly Carte company and resumed his career entertaining at the piano both in Britain and America, performing drawing-room sketches, peppered with his own popular songs, such as "See me Dance the Polka." When he toured Scotland in the fall of 1890, he gave a command performance for Queen Victoria at Balmoral Castle. Grossmith also composed the music for a three-act comic opera with Gilbert, Haste to the Wedding (1891), which was unsuccessful. In 1892 he toured North America, incorporating a successful new sketch, How I Discovered America.

It was also in 1892 that he collaborated with his brother Weedon Grossmith to expand a series of amusing columns they had written in 1888–89 for Punch. The Diary of a Nobody was published as a novel (Bristol, J. W. Arrowsmith, 1892) and has never been out of print since. The work has itself been the object of dramatization and adaptation, including twice for television: once in 1964 and again in 1979. In 1894–95, Grossmith took the role of George Griffenfeld in His Excellency, with music by Osmond Carr. Grossmith would continue to tour and entertain off and on until 1897, and made two more short stage appearances thereafter, before his final retirement in 1900.

George Grossmith died in Folkestone, Kent in 1912.

[edit] Writings and compositions

Grossmith wrote numerous humorous pieces for the magazine Punch, as well as two other books, The Reminiscences of a Society Clown (1888) and Piano & I (1910). In his career, Grossmith wrote 18 operettas, nearly 100 musical sketches, some 600 songs and piano pieces, and three books. His output displays a wide range of styles.

[edit] Recordings

Over forty of the songs George Grossmith wrote or performed in his one-man shows have been recorded by baritone Leon Berger (well-known Gilbert & Sullivan singer and Grossmith scholar), accompanied by Selwyn Tillett (G&S scholar) on two CDs: A Society Clown: The Songs of George Grossmith and The Grossmith Legacy. The latter also contains the recorded voice of Grossmith's son, George Grossmith Jr. Both are on the Divine Art Label.[1] No known recordings of Grossmith's voice exist, although wax cylinder recording technology was available during his lifetime.

[edit] References

  • Allen, Reginald (1975). The First Night Gilbert and Sullivan, Centennial Edition. London: Chappell & Co. Ltd..
  • Ayre, Leslie (1972). The Gilbert & Sullivan Companion. London: W.H. Allen & Co Ltd. Introduction by Martyn Green.
  • Joseph, Tony (1982). George Grossmith. London: Tony Joseph.

[edit] External links

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