Anthony Newley
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Anthony Newley (24 September 1931 – 14 April 1999) was an English actor, singer, songwriter, and filmmaker. A "latter-day British Al Jolson", he achieved widespread success in song, and on stage and screen. "One of Broadway's greatest leading men", from 1959 to 1962 he scored a dozen entries on the UK
Top 40 chart Pop Airplay (also called Mainstream Top 40, Pop Songs, and Top 40/ CHR) is a 40-song music chart published weekly by ''Billboard'' Magazine that ranks the most popular songs of pop music being played on a panel of Top 40 radio stations in the Un ...
, including two number one hits. Newley won the 1963
Grammy Award The Grammy Awards (stylized as GRAMMY), or simply known as the Grammys, are awards presented by the Recording Academy of the United States to recognize "outstanding" achievements in the music industry. They are regarded by many as the most pr ...
for Song of the Year for "
What Kind of Fool Am I What Kind of Fool Am I may refer to: *"What Kind of Fool Am I? "What Kind of Fool Am I?" is a popular song written by Leslie Bricusse and Anthony Newley and published in 1962. It was introduced by Anthony Newley in the musical ''Stop the World ...
", sung by Sammy Davis Jr., and wrote "
Feeling Good "Feeling Good" (also known as "Feelin' Good") is a song written by English composers Anthony Newley and Leslie Bricusse for the musical ''The Roar of the Greasepaint – The Smell of the Crowd''. It was first performed on stage in 1964 by Cy Gr ...
", which became a signature hit for Nina Simone. His songs have been performed by a wide variety of artists including Fiona Apple, Tony Bennett, Barbara Streisand, Michael Bublé and Mariah Carey. With songwriting partner Leslie Bricusse, Newley won an
Academy Award The Academy Awards, better known as the Oscars, are awards for artistic and technical merit for the American and international film industry. The awards are regarded by many as the most prestigious, significant awards in the entertainment ind ...
for the
film score A film score is original music written specifically to accompany a film. The score comprises a number of orchestral, instrumental, or choral pieces called cues, which are timed to begin and end at specific points during the film in order to e ...
of ''
Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory ''Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory'' is a 1971 American musical fantasy film directed by Mel Stuart and starring Gene Wilder as Willy Wonka. It is an adaptation of the 1964 novel '' Charlie and the Chocolate Factory'' by Roald Dahl. The fi ...
'' (1971), featuring "
Pure Imagination "Pure Imagination" is a song from the 1971 film ''Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory''. It was written by British composers Leslie Bricusse and Anthony Newley specifically for the movie. It was sung by Gene Wilder who played the character of ...
", which has been covered by dozens of artists. He collaborated with John Barry on the
title song A title is one or more words used before or after a person's name, in certain contexts. It may signify either generation, an official position, or a professional or academic qualification. In some languages, titles may be inserted between the f ...
for the James Bond film '' Goldfinger'' (1964), sung by Shirely Bassey. Newley was also "among the most innovative UK acts of the early rock years, before moving into musicals and cabaret". An "icon of the early 1960s", his TV series, '' The Strange World of Gurney Slade'', "continues to have a cult following due to its advanced
postmodern Postmodernism is an intellectual stance or Rhetorical modes, mode of discourseNuyen, A.T., 1992. The Role of Rhetorical Devices in Postmodernist Discourse. Philosophy & Rhetoric, pp.183–194. characterized by philosophical skepticism, skepticis ...
premise that eis trapped inside a television programme." Hailed as one of "Britain's most distinctive talents", Newley was inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame in 1989.


Early life

Newley was born on 24 September 1931 in the London district of Hackney to Frances Grace Newley, and George Kirby, who were not married and separated soon after his birth. As "the son of a single mother, who waited on him hand and foot – even after he was married", Newley "mourned the absence of his real father, until, at 82, a jobbing builder made himself known." He was Jewish through his maternal grandmother.; Newley: "My mum's side is Jewish and so is Joan Collins's dad's side, so I suppose you could say we had a full set between us." When his parents separated, his aunt and uncle brought him up through unofficial adoption. During the Second World War, he was evacuated to a foster home in the countryside safe from
the Blitz The Blitz was a German bombing campaign against the United Kingdom in 1940 and 1941, during the Second World War. The term was first used by the British press and originated from the term , the German word meaning 'lightning war'. The Germa ...
aerial bombing attacks on London. For a time, he stayed with George Pescud, a retired music hall performer whom he later credited with inspiring his freedom of self-expression. Newley attended Clapton Park Lower School, now named Mandeville Primary School, which today recognises him as an alumnus with an official plaque. Although recognised as very bright by his teachers, by the age of fourteen he had left education and was working as an office boy for an advertising agency in Fleet Street called Hannaford and Goodman. Prompted by an advertisement in ''
The Daily Telegraph ''The Daily Telegraph'', known online and elsewhere as ''The Telegraph'', is a national British daily broadsheet newspaper published in London by Telegraph Media Group and distributed across the United Kingdom and internationally. It was f ...
'' entitled "Boy Actors Urgently Wanted", he applied to the Italia Conti Stage School, only to discover that the fees were too high. Nevertheless, after a brief audition, he was offered a job as an office boy on a salary of 30
shilling The shilling is a historical coin, and the name of a unit of modern currencies formerly used in the United Kingdom, Australia, New Zealand, other British Commonwealth countries and Ireland, where they were generally equivalent to 12 pence ...
s a week plus tuition at the school. While serving tea one afternoon he caught the eye of producer Geoffrey de Barkus, who cast Newley as the title character in the children's film serial, ''
Dusty Bates ''Dusty Bates'' is a 1947 British, Technicolor, children's film, directed by Darrell Catling and starring Ronald Shiner as 'Squeaky' Watts and Anthony Newley in the title role. It was produced by Gaumont-British Instructional and Children's ...
'' (aka, ''The Adventures of Dusty Bates'', 1947).


Career


Early career

Newley followed ''Dusty Bates'' with an appearance as Dick Bultitude in
Peter Ustinov Sir Peter Alexander Ustinov (born Peter Alexander Freiherr von Ustinov ; 16 April 192128 March 2004) was a British actor, filmmaker and writer. An internationally known raconteur, he was a fixture on television talk shows and lecture circuits ...
's '' Vice Versa'' (1948). One of the stars of the film was Kay Walsh, whose ex-husband
David Lean Sir David Lean (25 March 190816 April 1991) was an English film director, producer, screenwriter and editor. Widely considered one of the most important figures in British cinema, Lean directed the large-scale epics ''The Bridge on the River ...
was about to direct a screen version of ''
Oliver Twist ''Oliver Twist; or, The Parish Boy's Progress'', Charles Dickens's second novel, was published as a serial from 1837 to 1839, and as a three-volume book in 1838. Born in a workhouse, the orphan Oliver Twist is bound into apprenticeship with ...
''. Walsh rang Lean and told him, "I've found your Artful Dodger". During the 1950s, Newley made twenty-seven movies for J. Arthur Rank, many of them in the United States, "comfortably transitioning from child to adult actor". At this time he also performed
national service National service is the system of voluntary government service, usually military service. Conscription is mandatory national service. The term ''national service'' comes from the United Kingdom's National Service (Armed Forces) Act 1939. The ...
. During the decade, Newley appeared in many British radio programmes, including as Cyril in ''Floggits'', which starred
Elsie and Doris Waters Florence Elsie Waters (19 August 1893–14 June 1990) and her sister Doris Ethel Waters (20 December 1899–18 August 1978) were English comic actresses and singers who performed as a double act. They are remembered for creating the c ...
, and also "became increasingly involved with the theatre."


Mainstream successes

Newley starred in the 1958 film '' No Time to Die'' (also known as ''Tank Force''). The following year, " turning point came with a literally star-making role in the low-budget musical film", '' Idol on Parade''. Newley was cast as a rock singer called up for national service in a story which was somewhat inspired by
Elvis Presley Elvis Aaron Presley (January 8, 1935 – August 16, 1977), or simply Elvis, was an American singer and actor. Dubbed the " King of Rock and Roll", he is regarded as one of the most significant cultural figures of the 20th century. His ener ...
, who had recently been drafted for army service in the United States. The performance cemented Newley's position as a leading man. The film also launched his career as a pop singer, with the song "I've Waited So Long" – which featured in the soundtrack – reaching number 3 in the UK charts. This was quickly followed by his number 6 hit "
Personality Personality is the characteristic sets of behaviors, cognitions, and emotional patterns that are formed from biological and environmental factors, and which change over time. While there is no generally agreed-upon definition of personality, ...
" and then two number 1 hits in early 1960: "
Why Why may refer to: * Causality, a consequential relationship between two events * Reason (argument), a premise in support of an argument, for what reason or purpose * Grounding (metaphysics), a topic in metaphysics regarding how things exist in vi ...
" (originally a 1959 US hit for Frankie Avalon) and " Do You Mind?" (written by
Lionel Bart Lionel Bart (1 August 1930 – 3 April 1999) was a British writer and composer of pop music and musicals. He wrote Tommy Steele's " Rock with the Caveman" and was the sole creator of the musical ''Oliver!'' (1960). With ''Oliver!'' and his wor ...
).


TV work, music stardom

The ATV series '' The Strange World of Gurney Slade'' (1960) starred Newley, who was also its creator. A comedy series of six half-hour programmes, it develops from a premise established in the opening scene, Newley's character escapes from a television programme which is ''Gurney Slade'' itself. Now considered ahead of its time, the series was quickly moved from a peak-time slot. His career both as a singer and a songwriter quickly went from strength to strength. In 1963, Newley won the Grammy Award for Song of the Year for having penned " What Kind of Fool Am I?". That year he also had a hit comedy album called ''Fool Britannia!'', the result of improvisational satires of the British Profumo scandal of the time by a team of Newley, his then wife
Joan Collins Dame Joan Henrietta Collins (born 23 May 1933) is an English actress, author and columnist. Collins is the recipient of several accolades, including a Golden Globe Award, a People's Choice Award, two Soap Opera Digest Awards and a Primeti ...
, and Peter Sellers. It peaked at number 10 in the
UK Albums Chart The Official Albums Chart is a list of albums ranked by physical and digital sales and (from March 2015) audio streaming in the United Kingdom. It was published for the first time on 22 July 1956 and is compiled every week by the Official Charts ...
in October 1963. Newley sang "Gonna Build a Mountain", "Once in a Lifetime", "On a Wonderful Day Like Today", "
Who Can I Turn To? "Who Can I Turn To?" (alternatively titled "Who Can I Turn To (When Nobody Needs Me)") is a song written by English lyricists Leslie Bricusse and Anthony Newley and first published in 1964. Background The song was introduced in the musical ' ...
," " The Joker," and comic novelty songs such as "That Noise", "The Oompa-Loompa Song" and his version of " Pop Goes the Weasel". Newley also released a successful rendition of " Strawberry Fair", featuring his trademark cockney accent. Among the many hit songs Newley wrote for others made hits are " Goldfinger" (the title song of the
James Bond The ''James Bond'' series focuses on a fictional British Secret Service agent created in 1953 by writer Ian Fleming, who featured him in twelve novels and two short-story collections. Since Fleming's death in 1964, eight other authors hav ...
film, '' Goldfinger'', music by John Barry), and "
Feeling Good "Feeling Good" (also known as "Feelin' Good") is a song written by English composers Anthony Newley and Leslie Bricusse for the musical ''The Roar of the Greasepaint – The Smell of the Crowd''. It was first performed on stage in 1964 by Cy Gr ...
", which became a hit for Nina Simone and the rock band
Muse In ancient Greek religion and mythology, the Muses ( grc, Μοῦσαι, Moûsai, el, Μούσες, Múses) are the inspirational goddesses of literature, science, and the arts. They were considered the source of the knowledge embodied in ...
, as well as a signature song for singer
Michael Bublé Michael Steven Bublé ( ; born September 9, 1975) is a Canadian singer. A four-time Grammy Award winner, he is often credited for helping to renew public interest and appreciation for traditional pop standards and the Great American Songboo ...
. His compositions have been recorded by artists as diverse as Harry Connick, Jr. and
Mariah Carey Mariah Carey (; born March 27, 1969) is an American singer, songwriter, actress, and record producer. Referred to as the " Songbird Supreme", she is noted for her five-octave vocal range, melismatic singing style and signature use of the w ...
. Some of the many ballads he wrote, usually with Leslie Bricusse, became signature hits for Sammy Davis Jr.,
Shirley Bassey Dame Shirley Veronica Bassey (; born 8 January 1937) is a Welsh singer. Best known for her career longevity, powerful voice and recording the theme songs to three James Bond films, Bassey is widely regarded as one of the most popular vocalist ...
and
Tony Bennett Anthony Dominick Benedetto (born August 3, 1926), known professionally as Tony Bennett, is an American retired singer of traditional pop standards, big band, show tunes, and jazz. Bennett is also a painter, having created works under his birt ...
. The two men referred to themselves as the team of "Brickman and Newburg", with "Newburg" concentrating mainly on the music and "Brickman" on the lyrics. Ian Fraser often devised their arrangements. Despite the fact that such compositions as " What Kind of Fool Am I?" and "
The Candy Man "The Candy Man" (or alternatively, "The Candy Man Can") is a song that originally appeared in the 1971 film ''Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory''. It was written by Leslie Bricusse and Anthony Newley specifically for the film. Although the ori ...
" (a US Number One single for Sammy Davis Jr. and the
Mike Curb Michael Curb (born December 24, 1944) is an American musician, record company executive, motorsports car owner, philanthropist, and former politician. He is also the founder of Curb Records where he presently serves as the chairman. Curb also ...
Congregation in 1972) became international hits, Newley had less chart success in the United States as a recording artist, charting on the ''Billboard'' Hot 100 with four singles from 1960 to 1962, none reaching higher than number 67. However, he later had a number 12 hit on the Adult Contemporary charts in 1976 with "Teach the Children".


Stage and screen

Throughout the 1960s, Newley enjoyed sustained success on London's West End theatre, on Broadway, in Hollywood films, and on British and American television. He and Bricusse also wrote musicals. '' Stop the World – I Want to Get Off'', in which Newley also performed, earned him nomination for a Tony Award for Best Leading Actor in a Musical. A hit in London and on Broadway, it was made into a film version in 1966, in which Newley was unable to star owing to a schedule conflict. The other musicals for which he co-wrote music and lyrics with Bricusse included '' The Roar of the Greasepaint – The Smell of the Crowd'' (1965) and ''
Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory ''Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory'' is a 1971 American musical fantasy film directed by Mel Stuart and starring Gene Wilder as Willy Wonka. It is an adaptation of the 1964 novel '' Charlie and the Chocolate Factory'' by Roald Dahl. The fi ...
'' (1971), based on the children's book by
Roald Dahl Roald Dahl (13 September 1916 – 23 November 1990) was a British novelist, short-story writer, poet, screenwriter, and wartime fighter ace of Norwegian descent. His books have sold more than 250 million copies worldwide. Dahl has be ...
. Newley played Matthew Mugg in the original '' Doctor Dolittle'' (1967), a difficult experience in part because of the hostility he endured from the lead actor,
Rex Harrison Sir Reginald Carey "Rex" Harrison (5 March 1908 – 2 June 1990) was an English actor. Harrison began his career on the stage in 1924. He made his West End debut in 1936 appearing in the Terence Rattigan play '' French Without Tears'', in wh ...
, and he also played the repressed English businessman opposite Sandy Dennis in the original '' Sweet November'' (1968). He hosted
Lucille Ball Lucille Désirée Ball (August 6, 1911 – April 26, 1989) was an American actress, comedienne and producer. She was nominated for 13 Primetime Emmy Awards, winning five times, and was the recipient of several other accolades, such as the Gold ...
's character on a whirlwind tour of London in '' Lucy in London'' (1966). He performed in the autobiographical,
Fellini Federico Fellini (; 20 January 1920 – 31 October 1993) was an Italian film director and screenwriter known for his distinctive style, which blends fantasy and baroque images with earthiness. He is recognized as one of the greatest and most i ...
-esque and X-rated ''
Can Heironymus Merkin Ever Forget Mercy Humppe and Find True Happiness? ''Can Heironymus Merkin Ever Forget Mercy Humppe and Find True Happiness?'' is a 1969 British musical film directed by and starring Anthony Newley. Plot Merkin is an internationally successful singer approaching middle age who retells his life s ...
'' (1969), which he also directed and co-wrote with Herman Raucher. The film is "a surrealist sex-drenched disaster that could only ever have been made in the more free-wheeling Sixties", and starred his then-wife, Joan Collins, who said that his self-serving behaviour prompted her to get a divorce. Newley also directed the 1971 film ''
Summertree ''Summertree'' is a 1971 American drama film directed by Anthony Newley, about a young man who drops out of university, falls in love with an older married woman, and contemplates dodging the draft to avoid serving in the Vietnam War. The scree ...
'', starring
Michael Douglas Michael Kirk Douglas (born September 25, 1944) is an American actor and film producer. He has received numerous accolades, including two Academy Awards, five Golden Globe Awards, a Primetime Emmy Award, the Cecil B. DeMille Award, and the AF ...
and
Brenda Vaccaro Brenda is a feminine given name in the English language. Origin The overall accepted origin for the female name Brenda is the Old Nordic male name ''Brandr'' meaning both ''torch'' and ''sword'': evidently the male name Brandr took root in area ...
. He appeared as
Quilp Daniel Quilp is one of the main antagonists in the novel ''The Old Curiosity Shop'' by Charles Dickens, written in 1840. Quilp is a vicious, ill-tempered and grotesque dwarf and is the villain of the story. Quilp is as near as Dickens ever came to ...
in '' Mister Quilp'' (1975) (based on Dickens's '' The Old Curiosity Shop''), for which he composed some songs ('Love Has the Longest Memory of All'). His last feature role, in the cast of the long-running British TV soap opera ''
EastEnders ''EastEnders'' is a Television in the United Kingdom, British soap opera created by Julia Smith (producer), Julia Smith and Tony Holland which has been broadcast on BBC One since February 1985. Set in the fictional borough of Walford in the Ea ...
'', was to have been a regular role, but Newley had to withdraw after a few months when his health began to fail. Newley's contributions to
Christmas music Christmas music comprises a variety of genres of music regularly performed or heard around the Christmas season. Music associated with Christmas may be purely instrumental, or, in the case of carols or songs, may employ lyrics whose subject ...
are highlighted by his rendition of the "
Coventry Carol The "Coventry Carol" is an English Christmas carol dating from the 16th century. The carol was traditionally performed in Coventry in England as part of a mystery play called '' The Pageant of the Shearmen and Tailors''. The play depicts the Ch ...
" which appears on many anthologies. He also wrote and recorded a novelty Christmas song called "Santa Claus is Elvis", and recorded an album of spoken poetry.


Later life

"In the early Seventies Newley became a tax exile and went to live in Florida." He remained active throughout that decade, particularly as a
Las Vegas Las Vegas (; Spanish for "The Meadows"), often known simply as Vegas, is the 25th-most populous city in the United States, the most populous city in the state of Nevada, and the county seat of Clark County. The city anchors the Las Veg ...
and Catskills Borscht Belt resort performer, game show panelist (such as on '' Hollywood Squares'') and talk show guest. Newley "was among the top five cabaret acts in America for some years", but gradually his career had begun to flounder. He had taken risks that eventually led to his downfall in Hollywood. Throughout the 1980s and 1990s, he worked to achieve a comeback. In the summer of 1983, Newley was the lead in ''Chaplin'', a Broadway-bound musical he co-wrote with Stanley Ralph Ross, that never made it out of previews in Los Angeles. A planned Broadway opening was canceled after the production lost $4 million. He briefly appeared on ''
Late Night with David Letterman ''Late Night with David Letterman'' is an American late-night talk show hosted by David Letterman on NBC, the first iteration of the ''Late Night'' franchise. It premiered on February 1, 1982, and was produced by Letterman's production compa ...
'' (when in town to be inducted into the Songwriters' Hall of Fame) to sing the theme to "Viewer Mail". He staged a successful American tour of his ''Stop The World – I Want To Get Off'' in 1986–87. The production co-starred a then unknown
Suzie Plakson Suzie Plakson is an American actress. Early life and education Born Susan Plaksin in Buffalo, New York, she was raised in Kingston, Pennsylvania and attended Northwestern University. Career Plakson began her career on the stage, and playe ...
, whom Newley had discovered. The tour yielded her some strong notices and led to a steady career on stage and television. He was also featured as the Mad Hatter in Irwin Allen's all-star television adaptation of ''
Alice in Wonderland ''Alice's Adventures in Wonderland'' (commonly ''Alice in Wonderland'') is an 1865 English novel by Lewis Carroll. It details the story of a young girl named Alice who falls through a rabbit hole into a fantasy world of anthropomorphic creatur ...
'' (1985). That year he was diagnosed with cancer "and had one kidney removed. Returning to England, he moved in with his mother Gracie in Esher, Surrey." With his cancer arrested, he continued to work, appearing as a car-dealer in the soap opera,
EastEnders ''EastEnders'' is a Television in the United Kingdom, British soap opera created by Julia Smith (producer), Julia Smith and Tony Holland which has been broadcast on BBC One since February 1985. Set in the fictional borough of Walford in the Ea ...
, and recording songs from ''
Fiddler on the Roof ''Fiddler on the Roof'' is a musical with music by Jerry Bock, lyrics by Sheldon Harnick, and book by Joseph Stein, set in the Pale of Settlement of Imperial Russia in or around 1905. It is based on ''Tevye and his Daughters'' (or ''Tevye the ...
'' and '' Scrooge''. He enjoyed his final popular success onstage starring in the latter musical, which showed in London and toured British cities including
Liverpool Liverpool is a City status in the United Kingdom, city and metropolitan borough in Merseyside, England. With a population of in 2019, it is the List of English districts by population, 10th largest English district by population and its E ...
, Birmingham, Bristol and
Manchester Manchester () is a city in Greater Manchester, England. It had a population of 552,000 in 2021. It is bordered by the Cheshire Plain to the south, the Pennines to the north and east, and the neighbouring city of Salford to the west. The ...
, in the 1990s. In 1996, Newley "made a rare nightclub appearance in New York at Rainbow and Stars, where the emotive force of his singing was undiminished". He summed up the previous two decades in remarks from the stage: "I went to Vegas for 22 years, married some absolutely charming women and gave them all my money. That's why I'm here." At the time of his death, Newley had been working on a musical of Shakespeare's ''Richard III''. He died of renal cancer at the age of 67, soon after he had become a grandfather. In recognition of his creative skills and body of work, Newley was elected to the Songwriters Hall of Fame in 1989.


Personal life

Newley was married three times. Firstly, to Ann Lynn (1956–1963) with whom he had one son, Simon, who died in infancy from a congenital infirmity. Following their divorce he married
Joan Collins Dame Joan Henrietta Collins (born 23 May 1933) is an English actress, author and columnist. Collins is the recipient of several accolades, including a Golden Globe Award, a People's Choice Award, two Soap Opera Digest Awards and a Primeti ...
(1963–1970). The couple had two children,
Tara Newley Tara Cynara Newley (born 12 October 1963) is a British writer, broadcaster, and producer. Early life Newley is the daughter of actress Joan Collins and actor/composer/singer Anthony Newley. She is also the sister of Alexander Newley. She liv ...
and Sacha (Alexander) Newley. Tara became a broadcaster in Britain and Sacha is a portrait artist based in New York City. His third marriage was to former air hostess Dareth Newly Dunn (née Rich) (1971–1989), with whom he also had a daughter and son, Shelby and Christopher. In an episode of ''
Angela and Friends ''Angela and Friends'' is a British talk show which was produced by Crackit Productions for Sky1. The show aired at 12pm, Monday to Friday, and was presented by actress Angela Griffin, who was joined by three "friends" in each show to discuss t ...
'' (Sky One), Tara Newley also mentioned another sister, a third living daughter of Newley. Newley's stepfather, Ronald Gardner, reportedly later lived in
Beverly Hills Beverly Hills is a city located in Los Angeles County, California. A notable and historic suburb of Greater Los Angeles, it is in a wealthy area immediately southwest of the Hollywood Hills, approximately northwest of downtown Los Angeles. ...
working as a
chauffeur A chauffeur is a person employed to drive a passenger motor vehicle, especially a luxury vehicle such as a large sedan or limousine. Originally, such drivers were often personal employees of the vehicle owner, but this has changed to special ...
. Actress Anneke Wills "began a relationship with Anthony Newley" when she 17, and working with him on the TV series ''The Strange World of Gurney Slade''. In an interview, she recalled moving in with Newley, and listening to
The Goons ''The Goon Show'' is a British radio comedy programme, originally produced and broadcast by the BBC Home Service from 1951 to 1960, with occasional repeats on the BBC Light Programme. The first series, broadcast from 28 May to 20 September ...
together. With the help of a detective, Newley searched for and found his father, George Kirby. His mother then "began a correspondence with her long lost love." Newley flew him out to Los Angeles and bought them a house, where they lived until George died.


Death and legacy

Newley died on 14 April 1999, in Jensen Beach, Florida, from renal cancer at the age of 67. He had first been diagnosed with cancer in 1985, and it returned in 1997 and spread to his lungs and liver. He was said to have died in the arms of his companion, the designer
Gina Fratini Gina Fratini (born Georgina Caroline Eve Butler, 22 September 1931 – 25 May 2017) was a Japanese-born British fashion designer. Early life She was born in Kobe, Japan, the daughter of the Hon. Somerset Butler (son of Charles Ernest Alfred Fr ...
. He was survived by his five children, a granddaughter Miel, and his mother Grace, then aged 96. Since then two more grandchildren have been born: Weston (Tara's second child) and Ava Grace (Sacha's first, with his former wife Angela Tassoni).


Books, recordings, tributes

Newley's life is the subject of a biography by Garth Bardsley called ''Stop the World'' (London: Oberon, 2003). 2013 saw the publication of ''Dear Tony'', a book about a long-lasting friendship with a young American woman with whom he fell in love. Amongst the many compilations of his recordings are ''Anthony Newley: The Decca Years'' (1959–1964), ''Once in a Lifetime: The Anthony Newley Collection'' (1960–71), and ''Anthony Newley's Greatest Hits'' (Deram). In May 2010, Stage Door Records released a compilation of unreleased Newley recordings entitled ''Newley Discovered''. Produced with the Anthony Newley Society and Newley's family, the album contains the concept recordings for Newley's self-penned film musicals ''
Can Heironymus Merkin Ever Forget Mercy Humppe and Find True Happiness? ''Can Heironymus Merkin Ever Forget Mercy Humppe and Find True Happiness?'' is a 1969 British musical film directed by and starring Anthony Newley. Plot Merkin is an internationally successful singer approaching middle age who retells his life s ...
'', ''
Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory ''Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory'' is a 1971 American musical fantasy film directed by Mel Stuart and starring Gene Wilder as Willy Wonka. It is an adaptation of the 1964 novel '' Charlie and the Chocolate Factory'' by Roald Dahl. The fi ...
'' and ''Mr. Quilp''. ''Pure Imagination: The World of Anthony Newley and Leslie Briccuse'', devised and directed by Bruce Kimmel, opened at the Pacific Resident Theatre in
Venice, California Venice is a neighborhood of the city of Los Angeles within the Westside region of Los Angeles County, California. Venice was founded by Abbot Kinney in 1905 as a seaside resort town. It was an independent city until 1926, when it was annexed by ...
, on 7 December 2013.


David Bowie

Newley was an early influence on the rock musician
David Bowie David Robert Jones (8 January 194710 January 2016), known professionally as David Bowie ( ), was an English singer-songwriter and actor. A leading figure in the music industry, he is regarded as one of the most influential musicians of the ...
, who was a fan of his. The producer of Bowie's first album, Mike Vernon, even described his first impression of Bowie as "a young Anthony Newley". Bowie's singing on the album, Rolling Stone noted, was "delivered in an overenunciating voice that was deeply indebted to popular English actor-singer Anthony Newley." After Newley died, David Bowie recorded one of his songs, "What Kind of Fool Am I?", as a tribute.


Sexual abuse allegations

In 2017, there was widespread coverage of Sacha (Alexander) Newley's claims that his late father "was a child predator". Sacha told a newspaper that, "My father was drawn to youthfulness; he thought innocence was an aphrodisiac. That was his sexual proclivity and it's a very dangerous, destructive thing." He pointed to his father's controversial 1969 film, ''Heironymus Merkin'', saying that it "was a confession of paedophilia." Sacha's mother, Joan Collins, rejected the claims and insisted that he was "naive" to use the word "paedophile". Having starred in the film, Collins sued for divorce soon after it was released.
The Daily Telegraph ''The Daily Telegraph'', known online and elsewhere as ''The Telegraph'', is a national British daily broadsheet newspaper published in London by Telegraph Media Group and distributed across the United Kingdom and internationally. It was f ...
cited a 1982 Rolling Stone interview she gave, in which journalist Lynn Hirschberg writes of "Anthony Newley, whom Joan did marry, despite knowing of his penchant for very young girls".


Discography


Albums


Studio albums

* 1955 ''Cranks'' (HMV CLP1082)(Original London Cast) * 1960 ''Love Is a Now and Then Thing'' (Decca LK4343; London LL3156, UK #19) * 1961 ''Tony'' (Decca LK4406; London PS244) * 1964 ''In My Solitude'' (Decca LK4600, RCA Victor LSP-2925 ) * 1965 ''Who Can I Turn To?'' (RCA Victor LPM-3347
ono ONO, Ono or Ōno may refer to: Places Fiji * Ono Island (Fiji) Israel * Kiryat Ono * Ono, Benjamin, ancient site Italy * Ono San Pietro Ivory Coast * Ono, Ivory Coast, a village in Comoé District Japan * Ōno Castle, Fukuoka * ...
RCA Victor LSP-3347 tereo * 1966 ''Who Can I Turn To?'' (RCA Victor 7737
ono ONO, Ono or Ōno may refer to: Places Fiji * Ono Island (Fiji) Israel * Kiryat Ono * Ono, Benjamin, ancient site Italy * Ono San Pietro Ivory Coast * Ono, Ivory Coast, a village in Comoé District Japan * Ōno Castle, Fukuoka * ...
RCA Victor 7737 tereo * 1966 ''Newley Delivered'' (Decca LK4654) * 1966 ''Newley Recorded'' (RCA Victor RD7873; RCA Victor LSP-3614) * 1966 ''The Genius of Anthony Newley'' (London PS361) * 1967 ''Anthony Newley Sings the Songs from Doctor Dolittle'' (RCA Victor LSP-3839) * 1969 ''The Romantic World of Anthony Newley'' (Decca SPA45) * 1970 ''For You'' (Bell Records 1101) * 1971 ''Pure Imagination'' (MGM SE4781) * 1972 ''Ain't It Funny'' (MGM/Verve MV5096) * 1977 ''The Singer and His Songs'' (United Artists LA718-G) * 1985 ''Mr Personality'' (Decca Tab 84) * 1992 ''Too Much Woman'' (BBI (CD); GNP/Crescendo 2243) * 2012 ''The Last Song – The Final Recordings'' (Stage Door STAGE 9031)


Compilation albums

* 1962 ''This Is Tony Newley'' (London LL362) * 1963 ''Peak Performances'' (London LL3283) * 1969 ''The Best of Anthony Newley'' (RCA Victor LSP4163) * 1990 ''Anthony Newley's Greatest Hits'' (Deram 820 694) * 1990 ''Greatest Hits'' (Decca) * 1995 ''The Best of Anthony Newley'' (GNP Crescendo) * 1996 ''The Very Best of Anthony Newley'' (Carlton 30364 00122) * 1997 ''The Very Best of Anthony Newley'' (Spectrum Music 552 090-2) * 1997 ''Once in a Lifetime: The Collection'' (Razor & Tie RE 2145-2) * 2000 ''A Wonderful Day Like Today'' (Camden) * 2000 ''On a Wonderful Day Like Today: The Anthony Newley Collection'' (BMG 74321 752592) * 2000 ''Decca Years 1959–1964'' (Decca 466 918-2) * 2001 ''Best of Anthony Newley'' (Decca) * 2002 ''What Kind of Fool Am I?'' (Armoury) * 2002 ''Remembering Anthony Newley: The Music, the Life, the Legend'' (Prism Leisure) * 2003 ''Stop the World!'' (Blitz) * 2004 ''Love Is a Now and Then Thing'' / ''In My Solitude'' (Vocalion) * 2004 ''Pure Imagination'' / ''Ain't It Funny'' (Edsel) * 2005 ''The Magic of Anthony Newley'' (Kala) * 2006 ''Anthology'' (Universal/Spectrum) * 2006 ''Anthony Newley Collection'' (Universal/Spectrum) * 2006 ''Newley Delivered'' (Dutton Vocalion) * 2007 ''Best of Anthony Newley'' (Sony) * 2007 ''Best of Anthony Newley'' (Camden) * 2010 ''Newley Discovered'' (Stage Door Records)


EPs

* 1959 ''Idle on Parade'' – "I've Waited So Long" / "Idle Rock-a-boogie" / "Idle on Parade" / "Sat'day Night Rock-a-Boogie" (Decca DFE6566, UK No. 13) * 1960 ''Tony's Hits'' – "Why" / "Anything You Wanna Do" / "Personality" / "My Blue Angel" (Decca DFE6629) * 1960 ''More Hits from Tony'' – "If She Should Come to You" / "Girls Were Made to Love and Kiss" / "Do You Mind" / "Lifetime of Happiness" (Decca DFE6655) * 1961 ''This Time the Dream's on Me'' – "Gone with the Wind" / "This Time the Dream's on Me" / "It's the Talk of the Town" / "What's the Good About Goodbye?" (Decca DFE6687)


Singles

* 1959 "I've Waited So Long" / "Sat'day Night Rock-a-Boogie" (Decca F11127, UK No. 3) * 1959 "Idle on Parade" / "Idle Rock-A-Boogie" (Decca F11137) * 1959 "
Personality Personality is the characteristic sets of behaviors, cognitions, and emotional patterns that are formed from biological and environmental factors, and which change over time. While there is no generally agreed-upon definition of personality, ...
" / "My Blue Angel" (Decca F11142, UK No. 6) * 1959 "Someone to Love" / "It's All Over" (Decca F11163) * 1960 "
Why Why may refer to: * Causality, a consequential relationship between two events * Reason (argument), a premise in support of an argument, for what reason or purpose * Grounding (metaphysics), a topic in metaphysics regarding how things exist in vi ...
" / "Anything You Wanna Do" (Decca F11194, UK No. 1) * 1960 " Do You Mind?" / "Girls Were Made to Love And Kiss" (Decca F11220, UK No. 1; London 1918, US No. 91) * 1960 "If She Should Come to You" / "Lifetime of Happiness" (Decca F11254, UK No. 4; London 1929, US No. 67) * 1960 " Strawberry Fair" / "A Boy Without a Girl" (Decca F11295, UK No. 3) * 1961 "And the Heavens Cried" / "Lonely Boy and Pretty Girl" (Decca F11331, UK No. 6) * 1961 " Pop Goes the Weasel" / "Bee Bom" (Decca F11362, UK No. 12; London 9501, US No. 85) * 1961 " What Kind of Fool Am I?" / "Once in a Lifetime" (Decca F11376, UK No. 36; London 9546, US No. 85) * 1962 "D-Darling" / "I'll Walk Beside You" (Decca F11419, UK No. 25) * 1962 "That Noise" / "The Little Golden Clown" (Decca F11486, UK No. 34) * 1963 "There's No Such Thing As Love" / "She's Just Another Girl" (Decca F11636) * 1963 "The Father of Girls" / "I Love Everything About You" (Decca F11767) * 1964 "Tribute" / "Lament to a Hero" (Decca F11818) * 1964 "Solitude" / "I'll Teach You How to Cry" (Decca F11883) * 1966 "Why Can't You Try to Didgeridoo" / "Is There a Way Back to Your Arms" (RCA RCA1518; RCA 47-8785) * 1966 "Moogies Bloogies" (recorded with Delia Derbyshire) nreleased demo* 1967 "Something in Your Smile" / "I Think I Like You" (RCA RCA1637) * 1968 "I'm All I Need" / "When You Gotta Go" (MCA MU1061) * 1968 "Sweet November" (Warner Bros. Records 7174) * 1976 "Teach the Children" (United Artists 825, US Adult Contemporary No. 12)


Recordings of musicals

* 1961 ''Stop the World I Want to Get Off!'' Original Broadway Cast Album (writer and performer) * 1965 ''The Roar of the Greasepaint, the Smell of the Crowd'' Original Broadway Cast Album (writer and performer) * 1966 ''Stop the World I Want to Get Off!'' Film Musical Soundtrack (writer) * 1967 ''Doctor Dolittle'' Original Film Musical Soundtrack (performer) * 1969 ''Can Heironymus Merkin Ever Forget Mercy Humppe and Find True Happiness'' Original Film Musical Soundtrack (writer and performer) * 1971 ''Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory'' Original Film Musical Soundtrack (writer) * 1972 ''The Good Old Bad Old Days'' Original London Cast Album (writer and performer) * 1974 ''Mr. Quilp'' Original Film Musical Soundtrack (writer and performer) * 1994 ''Scrooge'' Original London Cast Recording (performer)


Theatre

* ''Cranks'' (26 November 1956 – 29 December 1956) – Bijou Theatre (performer) * ''Stop the World – I Want to Get Off'' (3 October 1962 – 7 September 1963) – Shubert Theatre / (9 September 1963 – 1 February 1964) Ambassador Theatre (music & lyrics, book, director, performer) * ''The Roar of the Greasepaint – The Smell of the Crowd'' (16 May 1965 – 4 December 1965) – Shubert Theatre (music & lyrics, book, director, performer) * ''Anthony Newley / Henry Mancini'' (31 October 1974 – 10 November 1974) – Uris Theatre (performer) * ''Chaplin'' (12 August 1983 – 24 September 1983) – Dorothy Chandler Pavilion, Los Angeles (performer) * '' Charlie and the Chocolate Factory'' (23 April 2017 – 14 January 2018) – Lunt-Fontanne Theatre (music & lyrics songs from the motion picture)


Filmography

* ''
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 (c. 1173–1227) * Henry V, Count of Luxembourg (121 ...
'' (1944) as Boy in English Camp (uncredited) * ''
Dusty Bates ''Dusty Bates'' is a 1947 British, Technicolor, children's film, directed by Darrell Catling and starring Ronald Shiner as 'Squeaky' Watts and Anthony Newley in the title role. It was produced by Gaumont-British Instructional and Children's ...
'' (1947) as Dusty Bates * ''
The Little Ballerina ''The Little Ballerina'' is a 1947 British drama film directed by Lewis Gilbert. Cast * Yvonne Marsh as Joan * Marian Chapman as Sally * Kay Henderson as Pamela * Doreen Richards as Lydia * Anita Holland as Carol * Beatrice Varley as Mr ...
'' (1948) as Johnny * '' Vice Versa'' (1948) as Dick Bultitude/Paul Bultitude * ''
Oliver Twist ''Oliver Twist; or, The Parish Boy's Progress'', Charles Dickens's second novel, was published as a serial from 1837 to 1839, and as a three-volume book in 1838. Born in a workhouse, the orphan Oliver Twist is bound into apprenticeship with ...
'' (1948) as the Artful Dodger * '' The Guinea Pig'' (1948) as Miles Minor * '' Vote for Huggett'' (1949) as Dudley * '' A Boy, a Girl and a Bike'' (1949) as Charlie Ritchie * '' Don't Ever Leave Me'' (1949) as Jimmy Knowles * '' Madeleine'' (1950) as Chemist's Assistant (uncredited) * '' Highly Dangerous'' (1950) as Operator (uncredited) * '' Top of the Form'' (1953) as Percy * ''
Those People Next Door ''Those People Next Door'' is a 1953 British second feature comedy film directed by John Harlow and starring Jack Warner, Charles Victor and Marjorie Rhodes. Plot In Second World War era Britain, working-class Sam Twigg (Jack Warner) and hi ...
'' (1953) as Bob Twigg * '' Up to His Neck'' (1954) as Tommy * ''
Above Us the Waves ''Above Us the Waves'' is a 1955 British war film about human torpedo and midget submarine attacks in Norwegian fjords against the German battleship ''Tirpitz''. Directed by Ralph Thomas, it is based on two true-life attacks by British commando ...
'' (1955) as Engineer, X2 * '' The Blue Peter'' (1955) as Fred Starling * ''
The Cockleshell Heroes ''The Cockleshell Heroes'' is a 1955 British Technicolor war film with Trevor Howard, Anthony Newley, Christopher Lee, David Lodge and José Ferrer, who also directed. The film depicts a heavily fictionalised version of Operation Frankton, the ...
'' (1955) as Marine Clarke * '' Port Afrique'' (1956) as Pedro * ''
The Last Man to Hang? ''The Last Man to Hang?'' is a 1956 crime film directed by Terence Fisher. It stars Tom Conway and Elizabeth Sellars. The film was produced by John Gossage for Act Films Ltd. Plot Music critic Sir Roderick Strood is having an affair with a be ...
'' (1956) as Cyril Gaskin * '' The Battle of the River Plate'' (1956) as Radio Operator, Tairoa, Prisoner on Graf Spee (uncredited) * '' X the Unknown'' (1956) as LCpl. 'Spider' Webb * ''
The Good Companions ''The Good Companions'' is a novel by the English author J. B. Priestley. Written in 1929, it follows the fortunes of a concert party on a tour of England. It is Priestley's most famous novel and established him as a national figure. It won ...
'' (1957) as Mulbrau * '' Fire Down Below'' (1957) as Miguel * ''
How to Murder a Rich Uncle ''How to Murder a Rich Uncle'' is a 1957 British black comedy film directed by Nigel Patrick and starring Patrick, Wendy Hiller, Charles Coburn and Anthony Newley. It follows a man who plans to kill his wealthy Uncle George. It was based on the p ...
'' (1957) as Edward * '' High Flight'' (1957) as Roger Endicott * '' No Time to Die ''(1958) as Noakes * '' The Man Inside'' (1958) as Ernesto * '' The Lady Is a Square'' (1959) as Freddy * '' Idol on Parade'' (1959) as Jeep Jackson * ''
The Bandit of Zhobe ''The'' () is a grammatical article in English, denoting persons or things already mentioned, under discussion, implied or otherwise presumed familiar to listeners, readers, or speakers. It is the definite article in English. ''The'' is the ...
'' (1959) as Cpl. Stokes * '' The Heart of a Man'' (1959) as Johnnie * '' Killers of Kilimanjaro'' (1959) as Hooky Hook * '' Jazz Boat'' (1960) as Bert Harris * '' Let's Get Married'' (1960) as Dickie Bird * ''
In the Nick ''In the Nick'' is a 1960 British comedy film directed by Ken Hughes and starring Anthony Newley, Anne Aubrey, Bernie Winters, James Booth and Harry Andrews. In the film, a gang of incompetent criminals are placed in a special type of new prison ...
'' (1960) as Dr. Newcombe * ''
The Small World of Sammy Lee ''The Small World of Sammy Lee'' is a 1963 British crime film written and directed by Ken Hughes and starring Anthony Newley, Julia Foster and Robert Stephens. A striptease-show compere is hunted across the seedy London underworld of Soho by de ...
'' (1963) as Sammy 'Lee' Leeman * '' Doctor Dolittle'' (1967) as Matthew Mugg * '' Sweet November'' (1968) as Charlie Blake * ''
Can Hieronymus Merkin Ever Forget Mercy Humppe and Find True Happiness? ''Can Heironymus Merkin Ever Forget Mercy Humppe and Find True Happiness?'' is a 1969 British musical film directed by and starring Anthony Newley. Plot Merkin is an internationally successful singer approaching middle age who retells his life s ...
'' (1969) as Heironymus Merkin * ''
Summertree ''Summertree'' is a 1971 American drama film directed by Anthony Newley, about a young man who drops out of university, falls in love with an older married woman, and contemplates dodging the draft to avoid serving in the Vietnam War. The scree ...
'' (director, 1971) * ''
It Seemed Like a Good Idea at the Time ''It Seemed Like a Good Idea at the Time'' is a Canadian comedy film, directed by John Trent and released in 1975. Gerald Pratley, ''A Century of Canadian Cinema''. Lynx Images, 2003. . p. 109. One of John Candy's earliest films, he plays the m ...
'' (1975) as Sweeney * '' The Old Curiosity Shop'' (1975) as Daniel Quilp * ''
Alice in Wonderland ''Alice's Adventures in Wonderland'' (commonly ''Alice in Wonderland'') is an 1865 English novel by Lewis Carroll. It details the story of a young girl named Alice who falls through a rabbit hole into a fantasy world of anthropomorphic creatur ...
'' (1985) as The Mad Hatter * ''
Stagecoach A stagecoach is a four-wheeled public transport coach used to carry paying passengers and light packages on journeys long enough to need a change of horses. It is strongly sprung and generally drawn by four horses although some versions are dra ...
'' (1986) as Trevor Peacock * '' The Garbage Pail Kids Movie'' (1987) as Captain Manzini * '' Coins in the Fountain'' (1990) as Alfred * ''Polly Comin' Home'' (Made for TV, 1990) as Dabney Mayhew * '' Boris and Natasha: The Movie'' (1992) as Sal Manelli * ''Gone to Seed'' (1992) as DI Keet


Awards and nominations


References


External links

* – official site * * *
Anthony Newley
at Stagedoorrecords.com

at Users.bestweb.net
Anthony Newley
unreleased recording done with Delia Derbyshire, of BBC Radiophonic Workshop fame, plus some of her thoughts on the experience * {{DEFAULTSORT:Newley, Anthony 1931 births 1999 deaths Broadway composers and lyricists Deaths from cancer in Florida Deaths from kidney cancer Deaths from liver cancer Deaths from lung cancer English crooners English male film actors English Jews English male musical theatre actors English musical theatre composers English musical theatre lyricists English male composers English male soap opera actors English male singer-songwriters Traditional pop music singers Grammy Award winners Alumni of the Italia Conti Academy of Theatre Arts Jewish songwriters Jewish English male actors People from Hackney Central RCA Victor artists London Records artists Decca Records artists 20th-century English male actors 20th-century English singers 20th-century classical musicians People from Jensen Beach, Florida British expatriate male actors in the United States 20th-century British male singers 20th-century English male writers