Leedham Bantock (born Ernest Leedham Sutherland Bantock; 18 May 1870 – 16 October 1928) was a British singer,

Edwardian musical comedy Edwardian musical comedy is a genre of British musical theatre that thrived from 1892 into the 1920s, extending beyond the reign of King Edward VII in both directions. It began to dominate the English musical stage, and even the American musical ...

actor, early

film director A film director or filmmaker is a person who controls a film's artistic and dramatic aspects and visualizes the screenplay (or script) while guiding the film crew and actors in the fulfillment of that Goal, vision. The director has a key role ...

dramatist A playwright or dramatist is a person who writes plays, which are a form of drama that primarily consists of dialogue between characters and is intended for theatrical performance rather than just reading. Ben Jonson coined the term "playwri ...

and

screenwriter A screenwriter (also called scriptwriter, scribe, or scenarist) is a person who practices the craft of writing for visual mass media, known as screenwriting. These can include short films, feature-length films, television programs, television ...

. In 1912 he became the first actor to portray Father Christmas in film.Washington, Richard
"Santa @ the Movies: The Timeline"
KringleQuest.com, accessed 26 May 2019

Early life

Bantock was born at 12 Granville Place in

Marylebone Marylebone (usually , also ) is an area in London, England, and is located in the City of Westminster. It is in Central London and part of the West End. Oxford Street forms its southern boundary. An ancient parish and latterly a metropo ...

in London. He was one of eight children of Sophia Elizabeth ''née'' Ransome (1843–1909) and George Granville Bantock (1836–1913), a Scottish surgeon and gynaecologist who was at one time President of the Royal Gynaecological Society.Hadden, J. Cuthbert, 1913, ''Modern Musicians'', Boston: Le Roy Phillips; London & Edinburgh: T. N. Foulis, pp. 42–46 His brothers included the composer Sir Granville Bantock (1868–1946) and Claude Ronald Bantock (1875–1921), who had a successful career in

musical theatre Musical theatre is a form of theatre, theatrical performance that combines songs, spoken dialogue, acting and dance. The story and emotional content of a musical – humor, pathos, love, anger – are communicated through words, music, ...

in Australia.1881 England Census Record for Ernest Leedham Sutherland Bantock Bantock's father was a remote and stern figure in his childhood and a man of strict principle in his work who challenged

Joseph Lister Joseph Lister, 1st Baron Lister, (5 April 1827 – 10 February 1912) was a British surgeon, medical scientist, experimental pathologist and pioneer of aseptic, antiseptic surgery and preventive healthcare. Joseph Lister revolutionised the Sur ...

in a famous scientific debate over surgical disinfectant and eventually proved his case at some cost to his reputation. However, Bantock's mother, "Bessie", created an affectionate atmosphere in their home, allowing her children to play cricket in the corridors and keeping a menagerie of animals in the house including snakes and a monkey. Her three sons inherited their artistic temperament from her. With his brother Granville, Bantock wrote a couple of

music hall Music hall is a type of British theatrical entertainment that was most popular from the early Victorian era, beginning around 1850, through the World War I, Great War. It faded away after 1918 as the halls rebranded their entertainment as Varie ...

songs that met with some success.Budd, Vincent. "A Brief Introduction to the Life and Work of Sir Granville Bantock"
The Bantock Society, accessed 14 April 2019

Theatre career

bass-baritone A bass-baritone is a high-lying bass or low-lying "classical" baritone voice type which shares certain qualities with the true baritone voice. The term arose in the late 19th century to describe the particular type of voice required to sing three ...

, Bantock played Sharp in ''The Married Bachelor'' (1890) at the

Adelphi Theatre The Adelphi Theatre is a West End theatre, located on the Strand in the City of Westminster, central London. The present building is the fourth on the site. The theatre has specialised in comedy and musical theatre, and today it is a receiv ...

and Peter Poddleson in ''The Refugees'' (1891) at the

Opera Comique The Opera Comique was a 19th-century theatre constructed in Westminster, London, located between Wych Street, Holywell Street and the Strand. It opened in 1870 and was demolished in 1902, to make way for the construction of the Aldwych and K ...

before appearing in the London companies of George Edwardes for 20 years in secondary roles in a string of musicals including Marius/Fill-up the Good in ''Joan of Arc'' (1891) at the Gaiety Theatre, Harry Fitzwarren in '' A Gaiety Girl'' (1893), James Cripps in ''

An Artist's Model ''An Artist's Model'' is a two-act musical theatre, musical by Owen Hall, with lyrics by Harry Greenbank and music by Sidney Jones (composer), Sidney Jones, with additional songs by Joseph and Mary Watson, Paul Lincke, Frederick Ross, Henry Hamilt ...

'' (1895), Arthur Cuddy in '' The Geisha'' (1896), The Emperor in '' San Toy'' (1894), Tubby Bedford in ''

The School Girl ''The School Girl'' is an Edwardian musical comedy, in two acts, composed by Leslie Stuart (with additional songs by Paul Rubens (composer), Paul Rubens) with a book by Henry Hamilton (playwright), Henry Hamilton and Paul M. Potter, and lyrics b ...

'' (1903), Douglas Verity in ''

A Country Girl ''A Country Girl, or, Town and Country'' is a musical play in two acts by James T. Tanner, with lyrics by Adrian Ross, additional lyrics by Percy Greenbank, music by Lionel Monckton and additional songs by Paul Rubens (composer), Paul Rubens. Th ...

'' (1902), Boobhamba in '' The Cingalee'' (1904) and Colonel Leyton in '' Lady Madcap'' (1906), as well as in America and Australia where he played Hopkins in '' In Town'', Bertie Boyd in ''

The Shop Girl ''The Shop Girl'' was an Edwardian musical comedy in two acts (described by the author as a musical farce) written by Henry J. W. Dam, with lyrics by Dam and Adrian Ross and music by Ivan Caryll, and additional numbers by Lionel Monckton and Ro ...

'', Dawson in '' Gentleman Joe'' and Sir Lewis in '' A Gaiety Girl''. Bantock also worked as both a director (including for

Marie Lloyd Matilda Alice Victoria Wood (12 February 1870 – 7 October 1922), professionally known as Marie Lloyd (), was an English music hall singer, comedian and musical theatre actress. She was best known for her performances of songs such as "The Boy ...

's only appearance in musical theatre ''The ABC'' (1898)) and as an author and dramatist, collaborating with Howard Talbot on the books for such musical comedies as '' The Girl Behind the Counter'' (1906). He wrote the book to Talbot's music for '' The White Chrysanthemum'' (1905) and '' The Belle of Brittany'' (1908) which, like ''The Girl Behind the Counter'', proved to be successful in Britain and abroad.Leedham Bantock
British Musical Theatre at the Gilbert and Sullivan Archive, accessed 14 April 2019 Gänzl, Kurt, ''Encyclopedia of the Musical Theatre'', Second edition. Three volumes. New York: Schirmer Books (2001) Other works on which Bantock worked as a librettist include '' The Three Kisses'' (1907) with Talbot and Percy Greenbank; '' A Persian Princess'' (1909) with Sidney Jones and Percy Greenbank, and ''Physical Culture'' (1917) with Harold Simpson. On 1 December 1899 Bantock was initiated as a

Freemason Freemasonry (sometimes spelled Free-Masonry) consists of fraternal groups that trace their origins to the medieval guilds of stonemasons. Freemasonry is the oldest secular fraternity in the world and among the oldest still-existing organizati ...

Film career

In 1912 Bantock became the first actor to be identified to have played

Santa Claus Santa Claus (also known as Saint Nicholas, Saint Nick, Father Christmas, Kris Kringle or Santa) is a legendary figure originating in Western Christian culture who is said to bring gifts during the late evening and overnight hours on Chris ...

, in a film titled ''

'', which he also wrote and co-directed. From 1913 to 1915 Bantock was the Managing Director of Zenith Films Ltd, for whom he worked in

silent film A silent film is a film without synchronized recorded sound (or more generally, no audible dialogue). Though silent films convey narrative and emotion visually, various plot elements (such as a setting or era) or key lines of dialogue may, w ...

s as an actor, director and writer, writing and directing ''

Ivanhoe ''Ivanhoe: A Romance'' ( ) by Walter Scott is a historical novel published in three volumes, in December 1819, as one of the Waverley novels. It marked a shift away from Scott's prior practice of setting stories in Scotland and in the more ...

'' (1913); directing and acting in '' Scrooge'' (1913) and directing ''

David Garrick David Garrick (19 February 1716 – 20 January 1779) was an English actor, playwright, Actor-manager, theatre manager and producer who influenced nearly all aspects of European theatrical practice throughout the 18th century, and was a pupil a ...

'' (1913), ''The Shopsoiled Girl'' (1915), ''The Beggar Girl's Wedding'' (1915) and ''The Veiled Woman'' (1917).

Marriage

In 1917 in Barnet in

Middlesex Middlesex (; abbreviation: Middx) is a Historic counties of England, former county in South East England, now mainly within Greater London. Its boundaries largely followed three rivers: the River Thames, Thames in the south, the River Lea, Le ...

he married Gaiety Theatre chorus girl Laura May Peacock and with her had two sons.

Later years

In his later years Bantock was the General Manager of the Lyceum Theatre in London and for which he wrote the annual

pantomime Pantomime (; informally panto) is a type of musical comedy stage production designed for family entertainment, generally combining gender-crossing actors and topical humour with a story more or less based on a well-known fairy tale, fable or ...

,, The Noël Coward Society, accessed 14 April 2019 including that for ''The Sleeping Beauty'' (1920), ''Robinson Crusoe'' (1922), ''Jack and the Beanstalk'' (1923), ''The Forty Thieves'' (1924), ''Dick Whittington'' (1925) and ''Queen of Hearts'' (1927). He lived in a modest terraced house at 19 Beaumont Avenue in

Richmond Richmond most often refers to: * Richmond, British Columbia, a city in Canada * Richmond, California, a city in the United States * Richmond, London, a town in the London Borough of Richmond upon Thames, England * Richmond, North Yorkshire, a town ...

in Surrey, where he died in 1928, aged 58, leaving just £140 10s 4d to his wife in his will.England & Wales, National Probate Calendar (Index of Wills and Administrations), 1861–1941 for Ernest L. S. Bantock By 1930 this sum was gone, causing financial hardship for his widow and sons and, on the advice of her late husband's brother Granville, after whom her youngest son was named, she put her two sons into the Actors' Orphanage at Langley Hall in order to take in lodgers. Her sons remained there for at least eight years.

Filmography

Film director

*''Seymour Hicks and Ellaline Terriss'' (1913)Leedham Bantock
on the

British Film Institute The British Film Institute (BFI) is a film and television charitable organisation which promotes and preserves filmmaking and television in the United Kingdom. The BFI uses funds provided by the National Lottery to encourage film production, ...

database *''

'' (1913) starring Lauderdale Maitland as

Filmography for Leedham Bantock

(BFI) database *'' Scrooge'' (1913) starring Seymour Hicks and

Ellaline Terriss Mary Ellaline Terriss, Lady Hicks (born Mary Ellaline Lewin, 13 April 1871 – 16 June 1971), known professionally as Ellaline Terriss, was a popular British actress and singer, best known for her performances in Edwardian musical comedies. Sh ...

''Scrooge''
(1913), BFI *''

'' (1913) starring Seymour Hicks and Ellaline Terriss *''A Motorcycle Elopement'' (1914) *''Always Tell Your Wife'' (1914) *''A Patriotic English Girl'' (1914) *'' Kismet'' (1914) - film of the 1911 play starring Oscar Asche and Lily Brayton *''From Flower Girl to Red Cross Nurse'' (1915) *''A Prehistoric Love Story'' (1915) starring Hicks and Terriss *''A Daughter of England'' (1915) *''The Beggar Girl's Wedding'' (1915) *''The Girl of My Heart'' (1915) *''The Girl Who Took the Wrong Turning'' (1915) *''The Shopsoiled Girl'' (1915) *''The Veiled Woman'' (1917)

Screenwriter

*''Mephisto'' (1912), directed by Alfred de Manby and F. Martin Thornton *''

'' (1912), directed by Walter R. Booth, R. H. Callum and Thornton *''

'' (1913), also directed by Bantock *''The Tempter'' (1913), directed by Callum and Thornton

Film actor

*''

'' (1912), directed by Walter R. Booth, Callum and Thornton *'' Scrooge'' (1913), also directed by Bantock *''The Tempter'' (1913), directed by Callum and Thornton

References

External links

* *
''Physical Culture'' by Leedham Bantock and Harold Simpson on Great War Theatre
{{DEFAULTSORT:Bantock, Leedham 1870 births 1928 deaths Male actors from London People from Marylebone English bass-baritones 19th-century British male singers 20th-century British male singers Singers from the City of Westminster English male stage actors English male silent film actors 19th-century English male actors 20th-century English male actors English male film actors English male dramatists and playwrights British film directors British silent film directors English Freemasons Actors from the City of Westminster