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 Edwardian musical comedy was a form of British musical theatre that extended beyond the reign of King Edward VII in both directions, beginning in the early 1890s, when the Gilbert and Sullivan operas' dominance had ended, until the rise of the Ame ...

. She met and married the actor-producer

Seymour Hicks Sir Edward Seymour Hicks (30 January 1871 – 6 April 1949), better known as Seymour Hicks, was a British actor, music hall performer, playwright, actor-manager and producer. He became known, early in his career, for writing, starring in and p ...

in 1893, and the two collaborated on many projects for the stage and screen. The daughter of the actor William Terriss, Ellaline made her London stage debut at the age of 16 in ''Cupid's Messenger'' at London's

Haymarket Theatre The Theatre Royal Haymarket (also known as Haymarket Theatre or the Little Theatre) is a West End theatre on Haymarket, London, Haymarket in the City of Westminster which dates back to 1720, making it the third-oldest London playhouse still in ...

. Impressed with her performance, the producer Charles Wyndham gave her a three-year contract, under which she first played Madge in ''Why Women Weep''. In 1892 Terriss starred in ''Faithful James'' (by

B. C. Stephenson Benjamin Charles Stephenson or B. C. Stephenson (1839 – 22 January 1906) was an English dramatist, lyricist and librettist. After beginning a career in the civil service, he started to write for the theatre, using the pen name "Bolton Row ...

) and the following year she starred in the title role of ''Cinderella'', produced by

Henry Irving Sir Henry Irving (6 February 1838 – 13 October 1905), christened John Henry Brodribb, sometimes known as J. H. Irving, was an English stage actor in the Victorian era, known as an actor-manager because he took complete responsibility ...

. She was featured in

W. S. Gilbert Sir William Schwenck Gilbert (18 November 1836 – 29 May 1911) was an English dramatist, librettist, poet and illustrator best known for his collaboration with composer Arthur Sullivan, which produced fourteen comic operas. The most fam ...

's ''

His Excellency Excellency is an honorific style given to certain high-level officers of a sovereign state, officials of an international organization, or members of an aristocracy. Once entitled to the title "Excellency", the holder usually retains the ri ...

'' in 1894, followed the next year by a starring role in the

George Edwardes George Joseph Edwardes (né Edwards; 8 October 1855 – 4 October 1915) was an English theatre manager and producer of Irish ancestry who brought a new era in musical theatre to the British stage and beyond. Edwardes started out in theatre ma ...

production of the musical ''

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

'', playing alongside her husband. The next year she starred in another musical hit, '' The Circus Girl''. In 1897, her father was murdered by a deranged actor. As a result, she received much public sympathy, returning to the stage to star in '' A Runaway Girl'' in 1898, one of her most successful shows. In the 1900s, she starred in a series of long-running hits, including ''

Bluebell in Fairyland ''Bluebell in Fairyland'' is a Christmas-season children's entertainment described as "a musical dream play", in two acts, with a book by Seymour Hicks, lyrics by Aubrey Hopwood and Charles H. Taylor, and music by Walter Slaughter. It was produc ...

'' (1901), '' Quality Street'' (1902), ''

The Catch of the Season ''The Catch of the Season'' is an Edwardian musical comedy by Seymour Hicks and Cosmo Hamilton, with music by Herbert Haines and Evelyn Baker and lyrics by Charles H. Taylor, based on the fairy tale Cinderella. A debutante is engaged to a young ...

'' (1905) and ''

The Beauty of Bath ''The Beauty of Bath'' is a musical comedy with a book by Seymour Hicks and Cosmo Hamilton, lyrics by C. H. Taylor and music by Herbert Haines; additional songs were provided by Jerome Kern (lyrics and music), F. Clifford Harris (lyrics) and P ...

'' (1906). After 1910, Terriss concentrated on comedy roles and

music hall Music hall is a type of British theatrical entertainment that was popular from the early Victorian era, beginning around 1850. It faded away after 1918 as the halls rebranded their entertainment as variety. Perceptions of a distinction in Br ...

tours. Her unsuccessful return to musical comedy, ''Cash on Delivery'' (1917), confirmed the wisdom of this new career course. Her later career also included film roles. She began in the silent films '' Scrooge'' and ''

David Garrick David Garrick (19 February 1717 – 20 January 1779) was an English actor, playwright, theatre manager and producer who influenced nearly all aspects of European theatrical practice throughout the 18th century, and was a pupil and friend of Sa ...

'' (both from 1913) and made a successful transfer to

talkies A sound film is a motion picture with synchronized sound, or sound technologically coupled to image, as opposed to a silent film. The first known public exhibition of projected sound films took place in Paris in 1900, but decades passed before ...

; her last film was '' The Four Just Men'' in 1939. She died in Hampstead, England, at the age of 100.

Early life

Terriss was born in

Port Stanley Stanley (; also known as Port Stanley) is the capital city of the Falkland Islands. It is located on the island of East Falkland, on a north-facing slope in one of the wettest parts of the islands. At the 2016 census, the city had a popula ...

Falkland Islands The Falkland Islands (; es, Islas Malvinas, link=no ) is an archipelago in the South Atlantic Ocean on the Patagonian Shelf. The principal islands are about east of South America's southern Patagonian coast and about from Cape Dubouze ...

.Taylor, C.M.P
Terriss, Ellaline. ''Oxford Dictionary of National Biography''
Oxford University Press, accessed 7 January 2012. Her father, William Lewin, became a well-known actor in London under the name William Terriss. He loved the adventurous, outdoor life, and had previously tried his hand at various professions, including farmer, merchant seaman and silver miner. Shortly after Ellaline's birth, he gave up farming and moved his family back to England where, because of his swashbuckling style, was known as "Breezy Bill". Her brother Tom became an actor and then a well-known film director. Her mother Isabel (née Lewis) also acted under the stage name Amy Fellowes.

Early career

Terriss performed from an early age, although she had no real ambition to act professionally. In 1887, she appeared in pantomime at the Alexandra Theatre,

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 ...

. Petite, pretty and talented, she attracted the praise of both critics and the public. She came to the attention of

Herbert Beerbohm Tree Sir Herbert Beerbohm Tree (17 December 1852 – 2 July 1917) was an English actor and theatre manager. Tree began performing in the 1870s. By 1887, he was managing the Haymarket Theatre in the West End, winning praise for adventurous progra ...

, who signed her to make her professional London debut in the role of Mary Herbert in ''Cupid's Messenger'', in 1888 at the

. Impressed by this performance, Charles Wyndham gave her a three-year contract, under which she first played Madge in ''Why Women Weep''. She also attracted the attention of a promising young actor,

, and they married in 1893. In 1892, Terriss starred in ''Faithful James'', by

B.C. Stephenson Benjamin Charles Stephenson or B. C. Stephenson (1839 – 22 January 1906) was an English dramatist, lyricist and librettist. After beginning a career in the civil service, he started to write for the theatre, using the pen name "Bolton Row ...

, with Brandon Thomas at the Court Theatre.Terriss, Ellaline. ''Who Was Who'', A & C Black, 1920–2008; online edition, Oxford University Press, December 2007, accessed 7 January 2012 (subscription required) In December 1893, Terriss starred in the title role in the successful and famously lavish version of the "fairy pantomime" ''Cinderella'', produced by

with music by Oscar Barrett. Toward the end of the run, Hicks took over the role of Thisbe, one of Cinderella's half-sisters. They brought this production to America under the management of

. The following season, Terriss played a supporting role in the

W.S. Gilbert Sir William Schwenck Gilbert (18 November 1836 – 29 May 1911) was an English dramatist, librettist, poet and illustrator best known for his collaboration with composer Arthur Sullivan, which produced fourteen comic operas. The most fam ...

and Frank Osmond Carr

comic opera Comic opera, sometimes known as light opera, is a sung dramatic work of a light or comic nature, usually with a happy ending and often including spoken dialogue. Forms of comic opera first developed in late 17th-century Italy. By the 1730s, a n ...

''. In 1895, Terriss was a replacement in the original London production of George Edwardes's hit, ''

'', joining her husband as co-star. They toured America in 1895, where they befriended the American novelist Richard Harding Davis. At the instance of Gilbert, Hicks wrote a drama called ''One of the Best'', a vehicle for Terriss's father William Terriss 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 receivin ...

, based on the famous Dreyfus trial. The Hickses were frequent guests of Gilbert at his estate in

Grim's Dyke Grim's Dyke (sometimes called Graeme's Dyke until late 1891)How, Harry ''The Strand Magazine'', Vol. 2, October 1891, pp. 330–41, reprinted at ''The Gilbert and Sullivan Archive'', 20 November 2011 is a house and estate in Harrow Weald, in nort ...

. Terriss next played the title role, May, in ''My Girl'' (1896 at the Gaiety). Another early success for the young couple was '' The Circus Girl'' (1896; Terriss made Lionel Monckton's song, "A Simple Little String" into a major hit).

Tragedy and triumph

Ellaline Terriss in Bluebell in Fairyland

In December 1897, while Terriss was still playing in ''The Circus Girl'', two tragedies befell her. Her father was stabbed to death by a deranged and disgruntled unemployed actor, Richard Archer Prince, as he was about to enter the stage door of the Royal Adelphi Theatre. Her mother died shortly afterwards. The murder, and Prince's trial, filled the country's newspapers for weeks. Already the most popular couple on the London stage, Terriss and Hicks received an outpouring of sympathy. They moved on, becoming even more famous over the next decade. She next starred in the title role of a new show co-authored by Hicks, '' A Runaway Girl'' (1898), which became one of the Gaiety Theatre's most successful shows. This was followed by ''With Flying Colours'' (1899). The couple adopted a daughter, Mabel, in 1889, and Terriss gave birth to another child, Betty, in 1904. In early 1900, the Hickses played in their only

Broadway Broadway may refer to: Theatre * Broadway Theatre (disambiguation) * Broadway theatre, theatrical productions in professional theatres near Broadway, Manhattan, New York City, U.S. ** Broadway (Manhattan), the street **Broadway Theatre (53rd Stree ...

show together, ''My Daughter-in-law'', at the Frohman brothers' old Lyceum Theatre. They then joined forces with the producer

Charles Frohman Charles Frohman (July 15, 1856 – May 7, 1915) was an American theater manager and producer, who discovered and promoted many stars of the American stage. Notably, he produced '' Peter Pan'', both in London and the US, the latter productio ...

and, in his company over a period of seven years, they played the leads in a series of musicals written by Hicks, including: ''

'' (1901), which was continually revived as a Christmas entertainment for the next four decades; '' The Cherry Girl'' (1902); ''

'' (1906), which opened the Hicks Theatre (later renamed the Globe) and included additional lyrics by a newcomer,

P.G. Wodehouse Sir Pelham Grenville Wodehouse, ( ; 15 October 188114 February 1975) was an English author and one of the most widely read humorists of the 20th century. His creations include the feather-brained Bertie Wooster and his sagacious valet, Jeeve ...

, and music by

Jerome Kern Jerome David Kern (January 27, 1885 – November 11, 1945) was an American composer of musical theatre and popular music. One of the most important American theatre composers of the early 20th century, he wrote more than 700 songs, used in ove ...

, which became one of Terriss's best-loved roles; and '' The Gay Gordons'' (1907). Hicks and Terriss also starred in

J.M. Barrie Sir James Matthew Barrie, 1st Baronet, (; 9 May 1860 19 June 1937) was a Scottish novelist and playwright, best remembered as the creator of Peter Pan. He was born and educated in Scotland and then moved to London, where he wrote several succe ...

's play '' Quality Street'' in 1902. At that time, they moved to a new home, the Old Forge, at Merstham,

Surrey Surrey () is a ceremonial county, ceremonial and non-metropolitan county, non-metropolitan counties of England, county in South East England, bordering Greater London to the south west. Surrey has a large rural area, and several significant ur ...

. Their cul-de-sac was renamed "Quality Street".

Later career

The couple performed constantly, both in London and on tour in America, except when Terriss was pregnant with Betty. In 1905, Terriss took over the role of Angela in her husband's ''

'', which had been created by Zena Dare during Terriss's pregnancy. Later Terriss ceded the role to Dare's sister, Phyllis. In 1907, Terriss reduced the grueling acting schedule she had kept up for almost twenty years, although she continued to appear in a limited number of plays, including ''The Dashing Little Duke'' (1909; with

C. Hayden Coffin Charles Hayden Coffin (22 April 1862 – 8 December 1935) was an English actor and singer known for his performances in many famous Edwardian musical comedies, particularly those produced by George Edwardes. Hayden achieved fame as Harry Sher ...

Courtice Pounds Charles Courtice Pounds (30 May 1861 Gänzl, Kurt"Pounds of Pyes, or mea culpa No. 2" Kurt Gänzl's blog, 4 May 2018. Note that hibirth registrationis in central London in the third quarter of 1861 – 21 December 1927), better known by the sta ...

and

Louie Pounds Louisa Emma Amelia "Louie" Pounds (12 February 1872 – 6 September 1970) was an English singer and actress, known for her performances in musical comedies and in mezzo-soprano roles with the D'Oyly Carte Opera Company. Originally intended for a ...

), which was less successful. She played the title role in that production (a woman disguised as a man). When she missed several performances due to illness, Hicks played the role – possibly the only case in the history of professional musical theatre where a husband succeeded to his wife's role. After the failure of ''Captain Kidd'' (1910), Hicks and Terriss concentrated on comedy roles and

tours, including a tour of South Africa in 1911 and later a tour of France following the outbreak of

World War I World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was List of wars and anthropogenic disasters by death toll, one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, ...

, to give concerts to British troops at the front. Their unsuccessful return to musical comedy, ''Cash on Delivery'' (1917), confirmed the wisdom of their new career course. After 1917, Terriss returned to the stage only on special occasions. In December 1925, she appeared at the Lyceum with her husband in ''The Man in Dress Clothes'', a French farce he had translated and in which their daughter made her stage debut. It was intended only to run for a short season, but it was such a success that its run was extended. "The Theatre World" reported in January 1926:

Film career

Terriss appeared in over a dozen British films, generally in which her husband was involved as an actor, writer or director. These included the

silent film A silent film is a film with no 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 '' Scrooge'' (1913), ''

'' (1913), ''Flame of Passion'' (1915), ''A Woman of the World'' (1916), ''Masks and Faces'' (1918), ''Always Tell Your Wife'' (1923), ''

Land of Hope and Glory "Land of Hope and Glory" is a British patriotic song, with music by Edward Elgar written in 1901 and lyrics by A. C. Benson later added in 1902. Composition The music to which the words of the refrain 'Land of Hope and Glory, &c' below ar ...

'' (1927) and '' Blighty'' (1927)."Terriss, Ellaline"
British Film Institute; accessed 7 January 2012. She made a successful transition to

, including ''Atlantic'' (1929), ''

A Man of Mayfair ''A Man of Mayfair'' is a 1932 British musical comedy film directed by Louis Mercanton and starring Jack Buchanan, Joan Barry and Warwick Ward. Production It was made at British and Dominions Elstree Studios by the British subsidiary of Param ...

'' (1931), ''Glamour'' (1931), '' The Iron Duke'' (1934), ''

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 Mar ...

'' (1935) and '' The Four Just Men'' (1939).

Retirement and death

In 1940, Terriss and Hicks went to the Middle East with "

ENSA The Entertainments National Service Association (ENSA) was an organisation established in 1939 by Basil Dean and Leslie Henson to provide entertainment for British armed forces personnel during World War II. ENSA operated as part of the Navy, ...

", to entertain the British troops in

World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the World War II by country, vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great power ...

. After the war, Terriss retired from the stage. She and Hicks moved to South Africa, where she took up painting and was tutored by the marine artist George Pilkington. So good were her works that an exhibition was held at Foyle's Art Gallery, London, in February 1959. Hicks, who was knighted in 1935, died in 1949, and Terriss survived him by 22 years. In 1952 she was a guest on ''

Desert Island Discs ''Desert Island Discs'' is a radio programme broadcast on BBC Radio 4. It was first broadcast on the BBC Forces Programme on 29 January 1942. Each week a guest, called a "castaway" during the programme, is asked to choose eight recordings (usua ...

'' on

BBC Radio BBC Radio is an operational business division and service of the British Broadcasting Corporation (which has operated in the United Kingdom under the terms of a royal charter since 1927). The service provides national radio stations covering ...

during which she stated that her luxury item would be a piano.Ellaline Terriss
''Desert Island Discs'', BBC, 24 June 1952 She was the subject of an episode of ''

This Is Your Life This Is Your Life may refer to: Television * ''This Is Your Life'' (American franchise), an American radio and television documentary biography series hosted by Ralph Edwards * ''This Is Your Life'' (Australian TV series), the Australian versio ...

'' in 1962. Terriss died at the Holy Family Nursing Home,

Hampstead Hampstead () is an area in London, which lies northwest of Charing Cross, and extends from the A5 road (Roman Watling Street) to Hampstead Heath, a large, hilly expanse of parkland. The area forms the northwest part of the London Borough o ...

, London, at the age of 100 as a result of a hip fracture sustained during a fall.

Notes

References

* Hicks, Seymour. ''Between Ourselves''. London: Cassell 1930 * Hicks, Seymour. ''Hail Fellow, Well Met'' 1949 * Hicks, Seymour. ''Me and My Missus''. London: Cassell 1939 * Hollingshead, John. ''Good Old Gaiety: An Historiette & Remembrance'' (1903) London:Gaity Theatre Co * Terriss, Ellaline. ''Ellaline Terriss By Herself and with Others''. London: Cassell, 1928 * Terriss, Ellaline. ''Just a Little Bit of String''. London: Hutchinson & Co. 1955

External links

Photos, biography and pressPhotos of Terriss
at ''Old Reigate – A Picture History"
"Ellaline Terriss"
at the IMDB
Photos and information about Hicks and Terriss's home at "Quality Street" in Merstham
*

{{DEFAULTSORT:Terriss, Ellaline 1871 births 1971 deaths Actresses from London English women singers English film actresses English silent film actresses English stage actresses English centenarians People associated with Gilbert and Sullivan People from Stanley, Falkland Islands 20th-century English actresses Falkland Islands women Women centenarians Wives of knights