Matheson Alexander Lang (May 15, 1879 – April 11, 1948) was a Canadian-born stage and film actor and playwright. He is best remembered for his theatrical performances in Great Britain in

Shakespeare William Shakespeare ( 23 April 1564 – 23 April 1616) was an English playwright, poet and actor. He is widely regarded as the greatest writer in the English language and the world's pre-eminent dramatist. He is often called England's natio ...

plays.

Biography

Lang was born in

Montreal, Quebec Montreal is the List of towns in Quebec, largest city in the Provinces and territories of Canada, province of Quebec, the List of the largest municipalities in Canada by population, second-largest in Canada, and the List of North American cit ...

, Canada, the son of Rev. Gavin Lang of

Inverness Inverness (; ; from the , meaning "Mouth of the River Ness") is a city in the Scottish Highlands, having been granted city status in 2000. It is the administrative centre for The Highland Council and is regarded as the capital of the Highland ...

Scotland Scotland is a Countries of the United Kingdom, country that is part of the United Kingdom. It contains nearly one-third of the United Kingdom's land area, consisting of the northern part of the island of Great Britain and more than 790 adjac ...

, and a cousin of

Cosmo Gordon Lang William Cosmo Gordon Lang, 1st Baron Lang of Lambeth, (31 October 1864 – 5 December 1945) was a Scottish Anglican prelate who served as Archbishop of York (1908–1928) and Archbishop of Canterbury (1928–1942). His elevation to Archbishop ...

, who would later become Archbishop of Canterbury. Lang was educated at Inverness College and the

University of St Andrews The University of St Andrews (, ; abbreviated as St And in post-nominals) is a public university in St Andrews, Scotland. It is the List of oldest universities in continuous operation, oldest of the four ancient universities of Scotland and, f ...

. He made his stage debut in 1897. He became known for his

an roles in such plays as

Hamlet ''The Tragedy of Hamlet, Prince of Denmark'', often shortened to ''Hamlet'' (), is a Shakespearean tragedy, tragedy written by William Shakespeare sometime between 1599 and 1601. It is Shakespeare's longest play. Set in Denmark, the play (the ...

Macbeth ''The Tragedy of Macbeth'', often shortened to ''Macbeth'' (), is a tragedy by William Shakespeare, estimated to have been first performed in 1606. It dramatises the physically violent and damaging psychological effects of political ambiti ...

, and

Romeo and Juliet ''The Tragedy of Romeo and Juliet'', often shortened to ''Romeo and Juliet'', is a Shakespearean tragedy, tragedy written by William Shakespeare about the romance between two young Italians from feuding families. It was among Shakespeare's ...

. He also appeared in plays by

Henrik Ibsen Henrik Johan Ibsen (; ; 20 March 1828 – 23 May 1906) was a Norwegian playwright, poet and actor. Ibsen is considered the world's pre-eminent dramatist of the 19th century and is often referred to as "the father of modern drama." He pioneered ...

and

George Bernard Shaw George Bernard Shaw (26 July 1856 – 2 November 1950), known at his insistence as Bernard Shaw, was an Irish playwright, critic, polemicist and political activist. His influence on Western theatre, culture and politics extended from the 188 ...

. He performed in the theatrical companies of Sir Frank Benson,

Lillie Langtry Emilie Charlotte, Lady de Bathe (née Le Breton, formerly Langtry; 13 October 1853 – 12 February 1929), known as Lillie (or Lily) Langtry and nicknamed "The Jersey Lily", was a British socialite, stage actress and producer. Born on the isla ...

, and

Ellen Terry Dame Alice Ellen Terry (27 February 184721 July 1928) was a leading English actress of the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Born into a family of actors, Terry began performing as a child, acting in Shakespeare plays in London, and toured ...

. In 1903 he married actress Nelly Hutin Britton in

London London is the Capital city, capital and List of urban areas in the United Kingdom, largest city of both England and the United Kingdom, with a population of in . London metropolitan area, Its wider metropolitan area is the largest in Wester ...

. In 1906 he played Tristram in Joseph Comyns Carr's play ''Tristram and Iseult'' 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 ...

, with Lily Brayton as Iseult and Oscar Asche as King Mark; Lang's wife played Arganthael. Asche afterwards usually referred to Lang as "Tristram". Lang and his wife subsequently formed their own company, which toured

India India, officially the Republic of India, is a country in South Asia. It is the List of countries and dependencies by area, seventh-largest country by area; the List of countries by population (United Nations), most populous country since ...

South Africa South Africa, officially the Republic of South Africa (RSA), is the Southern Africa, southernmost country in Africa. Its Provinces of South Africa, nine provinces are bounded to the south by of coastline that stretches along the Atlantic O ...

, and

Australia Australia, officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country comprising mainland Australia, the mainland of the Australia (continent), Australian continent, the island of Tasmania and list of islands of Australia, numerous smaller isl ...

from 1910 to 1913 performing Shakespeare. In 1913, Lang returned to England and created one of his most memorable roles, the title character in ''Mr. Wu''. He reprised this part in a 1919 silent film, and became so identified with the role that he titled his 1940 memoirs ''Mr. Wu Looks Back''. In 1914, he and Britton successfully produced

The Taming of the Shrew ''The Taming of the Shrew'' is a comedy by William Shakespeare, believed to have been written between 1590 and 1592. The play begins with a framing device, often referred to as the induction, in which a mischievous nobleman tricks a drunke ...

The Merchant of Venice ''The Merchant of Venice'' is a play by William Shakespeare, believed to have been written between 1596 and 1598. A merchant in Venice named Antonio defaults on a large loan taken out on behalf of his dear friend, Bassanio, and provided by a ...

, and Hamlet at the

Old Vic Old or OLD may refer to: Places *Old, Baranya, Hungary *Old, Northamptonshire, England *Old Street station, a railway and tube station in London (station code OLD) *OLD, IATA code for Old Town Municipal Airport and Seaplane Base, Old Town, Mai ...

. In 1916, Lang became one of the first major theatre stars to act on film, as

Shylock Shylock () is a fictional character in William Shakespeare's play '' The Merchant of Venice'' ( 1600). A Venetian Jewish moneylender, Shylock is the play's principal villain. His defeat and forced conversion to Christianity form the climax ...

in ''The Merchant of Venice'', with his wife as Portia. He went on to appear in over 30 films and was one of Britain's leading movie stars of the 1920s. Among his memorable roles were

Guy Fawkes Guy Fawkes (; 13 April 1570 – 31 January 1606), also known as Guido Fawkes while fighting for the Spanish, was a member of a group of provincial English Catholics involved in the failed Gunpowder Plot of 1605. He was born and educate ...

(1923), Matthias in

The Wandering Jew The Wandering Jew (occasionally referred to as the Eternal Jew, a calque from German ) is a mythical Immortality, immortal man whose legend began to spread in Europe in the 13th century. In the original legend, a Jew who taunted Jesus on the way ...

(1923) (which also featured his wife as Judith), Henry IV in ''Henry, King of Navarre'' (1924), and

Henry V Henry V may refer to: People * Henry V, Duke of Bavaria (died 1026) * Henry V, Holy Roman Emperor (1081/86–1125) * Henry V, Duke of Carinthia (died 1161) * Henry V, Count Palatine of the Rhine (–1227) * Henry V, Count of Luxembourg (1216–1281 ...

in ''Royal Cavalcade'' (1935). Lang also wrote the plays ''Carnival'' (1919) and ''The Purple Mask'' (1920), both of which were produced on Broadway and made into films. The film

The Chinese Bungalow (1940 film) ''The Chinese Bungalow'', also known as ''Chinese Den'', is a 1940 British drama film directed by George King and starring Kay Walsh, Jane Baxter and Paul Lukas. It was adapted from the 1925 play '' The Chinese Bungalow'' by Marion Osmond and ...

, was adapted from his play of the same name, in which he had, in his turn, played the lead of Yuan Sing, in the first film adaptation, in 1926, and again, in 1930. In 1940 the Langs were staying with their old friend

Dornford Yates Cecil William Mercer (7 August 1885 – 5 March 1960), known by his pen name Dornford Yates, was an English writer and novelist whose novels and short stories, some humorous (the ''Berry'' books), some Thriller (genre), thrillers (the ''Chandos ...

and his wife at their house near Pau in

France France, officially the French Republic, is a country located primarily in Western Europe. Overseas France, Its overseas regions and territories include French Guiana in South America, Saint Pierre and Miquelon in the Atlantic Ocean#North Atlan ...

when France surrendered. The Langs had to escape from the advancing Germans through

Spain Spain, or the Kingdom of Spain, is a country in Southern Europe, Southern and Western Europe with territories in North Africa. Featuring the Punta de Tarifa, southernmost point of continental Europe, it is the largest country in Southern Eur ...

Portugal Portugal, officially the Portuguese Republic, is a country on the Iberian Peninsula in Southwestern Europe. Featuring Cabo da Roca, the westernmost point in continental Europe, Portugal borders Spain to its north and east, with which it share ...

.Smithers, A.J. ''Dornford Yates - A Biography'' (1982) London: Hodder & Stoughton Ltd, Matheson Lang died in

Bridgetown Bridgetown (UN/LOCODE: BB BGI) is the Capital city, capital and largest city of Barbados. Formerly The Town of Saint Michael, the Greater Bridgetown area is located within the Parishes of Barbados, parish of Saint Michael, Barbados, Saint Mic ...

Barbados Barbados, officially the Republic of Barbados, is an island country in the Atlantic Ocean. It is part of the Lesser Antilles of the West Indies and the easternmost island of the Caribbean region. It lies on the boundary of the South American ...

, at age 68.

Selection of Lang's stage performances

* ''Tristram and Iseult'' as Tristram (

, 1906) * '' Pete'' as Pete Quilliam (1908)

Filmography

* ''

'' (1916) as

(film debut) * '' The Ware Case'' (1917) as Sir Hubert Ware * '' The House Opposite'' (1917) as Henry Rivers MP * '' Masks and Faces'' (1917) as Coachman * '' Everybody's Business'' (1917) as Lieutenant Jack Goudron * '' Victory and Peace'' (1918) as Edward Arkwright * '' Mr. Wu'' (1919) as Mr. Wu * ''

Carnival Carnival (known as Shrovetide in certain localities) is a festive season that occurs at the close of the Christian pre-Lenten period, consisting of Quinquagesima or Shrove Sunday, Shrove Monday, and Shrove Tuesday or Mardi Gras. Carnival typi ...

'' (1921) as Sylvio Steno * ''

A Romance of Old Baghdad ''A Romance of Old Baghdad'' is a 1922 British silent drama film directed by Kenelm Foss and starring Matheson Lang, Manora Thew and Roy Travers. It is an adaptation of the novel '' Miss Haroun al Rashid'' by Jessie Douglas Kerruish. In nine ...

'' (1922) as Prince Omar * '' Dick Turpin's Ride to York'' (1922) as

Dick Turpin Richard Turpin (bapt. 21 September 1705 – 7 April 1739) was an English highwayman whose exploits were romanticised following his execution in York for horse theft. Turpin may have followed his father's trade as a butcher ear ...

* ''Jealousy'' (1923) as Jan Steen * ''

'' (1923) as

Mattathias Mattathias ben Johanan (, ''Mattīṯyāhū haKōhēn ben Yōḥānān''; died 166–165 BCE) was a Kohen (Jewish priest) who helped spark the Maccabean Revolt against the Hellenistic Seleucid Empire. Mattathias's story is related in the deuter ...

* ''

'' (1923) as

* '' Henry, King of Navarre'' (1924) as Henry of Navarre * '' Slaves of Destiny'' (1924) as Luke Charnock * '' White Slippers'' (1924) as Lionel Hazard * '' Port of Lost Souls'' (1924) * '' The Secret Kingdom'' (1925) as John Quarrain * '' The Qualified Adventurer'' (1925) as Peter Duff * '' The Chinese Bungalow'' (1926) as Yuan Sing * '' The Island of Despair'' (1926) as Stephen Rhodes * '' The King's Highway'' (1927) as Paul Clifford * '' The Blue Peter'' (1928) as David Hunter * ''

The Triumph of the Scarlet Pimpernel ''The Triumph of the Scarlet Pimpernel'', first published in 1922, is a book in the series about the Scarlet Pimpernel ''The Scarlet Pimpernel'' is the first novel in a series of historical fiction by Baroness Orczy, published in 1905. It ...

'' (1928) as Sir Percy Blakeney * '' The Chinese Bungalow'' (1930) as Yuan Sing * ''

'' (1931) as Sylvio Steno * '' Channel Crossing'' (1933) as Jacob Van Eeden * '' The Great Defender'' (1934) as Sir Douglas Rolls * '' Little Friend'' (1934) as John Hughes * ''

Royal Cavalcade ''Royal Cavalcade'', also known as ''Regal Cavalcade'', is a 1935 British, black-and-white, drama film directed by six separate directors: Thomas Bentley (Supervising Director), Herbert Brenon, Norman Lee, Walter Summers, W. P. Kellino and M ...

'' (1935) as

* ''

Drake of England ''Drake of England'' is a 1935 British drama film directed by Arthur B. Woods and starring Matheson Lang, Athene Seyler and Jane Baxter. It depicts the life of Francis Drake and the events leading up to the defeat of the Armada in 1588. ...

'' (1935) as

Sir Francis Drake Sir Francis Drake ( 1540 – 28 January 1596) was an English Exploration, explorer and privateer best known for making the Francis Drake's circumnavigation, second circumnavigation of the world in a single expedition between 1577 and 1580 (bein ...

* ''

The Cardinal ''The Cardinal'' is a 1963 American drama film produced independently, directed by Otto Preminger and distributed by Columbia Pictures. The screenplay was written by Robert Dozier, based on the novel by the same by Henry Morton Robinson. The ...

'' (1936) as Cardinal de Medici (final film)

Notes

References

* ''Mr Matheson Lang and Miss Hutin Britton'' - Rudolph De Cordova, Westminster Abbey Press, 1909. * ''Mr Wu Looks Back'' (1940) - Lang's Memoirs

External links

* *
Matheson Lang's profile at the Emory University Shakespeare Project
* {{DEFAULTSORT:Lang, Matheson 1879 births 1948 deaths Actor-managers Canadian people of Scottish descent Canadian male stage actors Canadian male film actors Canadian male silent film actors Canadian male Shakespearean actors 19th-century Canadian male actors 20th-century Canadian male actors