Edgar Charles William Middleton (26 November 1894 – 10 April 1939) was a British playwright and author.
Biography
He was educated at
Bancroft's School
Bancroft's School is a co-educational independent day school located in Woodford Green, London Borough of Redbridge. The school currently has around 1,000 pupils aged between 7 and 18, around 200 of whom are pupils of the Preparatory School an ...
,
Woodford, Essex
Woodford is a town in East London, within the London Borough of Redbridge. It is located north-east of Charing Cross. Woodford historically formed an ancient parish in the county of Essex. It contained a string of agrarian villages and was part ...
, then worked for the
Eastern Telegraph Company
Cable & Wireless plc was a British telecommunications company. In the mid-1980s, it became the first company in the UK to offer an alternative telephone service to British Telecom (via subsidiary Mercury Communications). The company later offe ...
in
Cape Town
Cape Town ( af, Kaapstad; , xh, iKapa) is one of South Africa's three capital cities, serving as the seat of the Parliament of South Africa. It is the legislative capital of the country, the oldest city in the country, and the second larges ...
as a cable operator.
Military service
When war broke out in 1914 he resigned his post and returned to UK, taking up a commission in the 12th
Essex Regiment
The Essex Regiment was a line infantry regiment of the British Army in existence from 1881 to 1958. The regiment served in many conflicts such as the Second Boer War and both World War I and World War II, serving with distinction in all three. ...
as temporary
Second Lieutenant
Second lieutenant is a junior commissioned officer military rank in many armed forces, comparable to NATO OF-1 rank.
Australia
The rank of second lieutenant existed in the military forces of the Australian colonies and Australian Army until 1 ...
on 11 November 1914. He relinquished his commission on 5 May 1915 to transfer into the
Royal Naval Air Service
The Royal Naval Air Service (RNAS) was the air arm of the Royal Navy, under the direction of the Admiralty's Air Department, and existed formally from 1 July 1914 to 1 April 1918, when it was merged with the British Army's Royal Flying Corps t ...
(RNAS), where he was given a probationary commission as Flight Sub-Lieutenant. He trained and qualified in ballooning at
Roehampton
Roehampton is an area in southwest London, in the Putney SW15 postal district, and takes up a far western strip running north to south of the London Borough of Wandsworth. It contains a number of large council house estates and is home to the U ...
and observed the second bombardment of
Ypres
Ypres ( , ; nl, Ieper ; vls, Yper; german: Ypern ) is a Belgian city and municipality in the province of West Flanders. Though
the Dutch name is the official one, the city's French name is most commonly used in English. The municipality ...
from an
observation balloon
An observation balloon is a type of balloon that is employed as an aerial platform for intelligence gathering and artillery spotting. Use of observation balloons began during the French Revolutionary Wars, reaching their zenith during World War ...
. However, he became ill when in
Dunkirk
Dunkirk (french: Dunkerque ; vls, label= French Flemish, Duunkerke; nl, Duinkerke(n) ; , ;) is a commune in the department of Nord in northern France. and suffered a "serious mental breakdown". He received a letter from
the Admiralty
The Admiralty was a department of the Government of the United Kingdom responsible for the command of the Royal Navy until 1964, historically under its titular head, the Lord High Admiral – one of the Great Officers of State. For much of it ...
, dated 15 December 1915, stating that he had been found unsuitable for the Air Service and terminating his appointment.
Journalist
He then tried to get work as a journalist and wrote articles for the ''
Daily Mail
The ''Daily Mail'' is a British daily middle-market tabloid newspaper and news websitePeter Wilb"Paul Dacre of the Daily Mail: The man who hates liberal Britain", ''New Statesman'', 19 December 2013 (online version: 2 January 2014) publish ...
'' under the name "Air Pilot", and it was in this capacity that an unfortunate incident occurred which led to him being arrested and tried under the
Defence of the Realm Act
The Defence of the Realm Act (DORA) was passed in the United Kingdom on 8 August 1914, four days after it entered the First World War and was added to as the war progressed. It gave the government wide-ranging powers during the war, such as the p ...
. On 12 April 1916, Middleton visited
Dover
Dover () is a town and major ferry port in Kent, South East England. It faces France across the Strait of Dover, the narrowest part of the English Channel at from Cap Gris Nez in France. It lies south-east of Canterbury and east of Maidstone ...
and met up with former colleagues in the RNAS, telling them, "I have come to Dover to do a bit of spying for Pemberton Billing". He asked whether officers still lived about two miles from the aerodrome and had to travel there each meal time. He was arrested and appeared at Dover magistrates court on 20 April where, despite pleading not guilty, he was committed for trial at Kent Assizes, charged with "unlawfully attempting to elicit information with respect to the movements or disposition of His Majesty's forces (to wit, the Royal Naval Air Service) such as might be of value to the enemy." He was released on bail. At his trial in
Maidstone
Maidstone is the largest Town status in the United Kingdom, town in Kent, England, of which it is the county town. Maidstone is historically important and lies 32 miles (51 km) east-south-east of London. The River Medway runs through the c ...
on 22 June he pleaded guilty, and the
Lord Chief Justice
Lord is an appellation for a person or deity who has authority, control, or power over others, acting as a master, chief, or ruler. The appellation can also denote certain persons who hold a title of the peerage in the United Kingdom, or ...
dealt leniently with him on the basis that he was trying to work for the improvement of the Air Service, and he had no evil motive and was loyal to his country. He was
bound over
In the law of England and Wales and some other common law jurisdictions, binding over is an exercise of certain powers by the criminal courts used to deal with low-level public order issues. Both magistrates' courts and the Crown Court may issue b ...
in the sum of £25.
Middleton continued as a journalist, but also turned his hand to writing books, drawing upon his experiences in the Air Service to produce ''Aircraft'' (1916), ''The Way of the Air: A Description of Modern Aviation'' (1917), ''Glorious exploits of the air'' (1917), ''Airfare of to-day and of the future'' (1918), ''Tails Up'' (1918), and ''The Kingdom of the Air'' (1919), culminating in ''The Great War in the Air, a history of the air in the war in four volumes with an introduction by
Lord Montagu of Beaulieu
Baron Montagu of Beaulieu (, Engl. pronunciation: "bewley", from French ''beau'', "beautiful" and ''lieu'', "place"), in the County of Hampshire, is a title in the Peerage of the United Kingdom. It was created in 1885 for the Conservative poli ...
'' which was released in 1920.
Marriage
In 1920 he married Yevonde Philone Cumbers (1893–1975), who in 1914 had set up her own studio as ''Madame Yevonde – Portrait Photographer''. During their courtship she offered to relinquish her career for him, but he considered that would be a mistake, to her relief. She was upset on their honeymoon when he told her that he could not bear the thought of children, since she regarded marriage as pointless without children. Nevertheless, she concentrated her efforts instead on her career and went on to become a remarkable pioneer in colour photography in the 1930s.
Middleton's journalistic career continued, with appointments including aeronautical editor of the London ''Daily Mail'', London Correspondent for the ''
New York Sun
''The New York Sun'' is an American online newspaper published in Manhattan; from 2002 to 2008 it was a daily newspaper distributed in New York City. It debuted on April 16, 2002, adopting the name, motto, and masthead of the earlier New York ...
'' and correspondent for the ''
Calgary Herald
The ''Calgary Herald'' is a daily newspaper published in Calgary, Alberta, Canada. Publication began in 1883 as ''The Calgary Herald, Mining and Ranche Advocate, and General Advertiser''. It is owned by the Postmedia Network.
History
''The Ca ...
'' in their new London office. He also contributed to the '' Daily Express'', ''
Daily Mirror
The ''Daily Mirror'' is a British national daily tabloid. Founded in 1903, it is owned by parent company Reach plc. From 1985 to 1987, and from 1997 to 2002, the title on its masthead was simply ''The Mirror''. It had an average daily print ci ...
'', ''
Evening Standard
The ''Evening Standard'', formerly ''The Standard'' (1827–1904), also known as the ''London Evening Standard'', is a local free daily newspaper in London, England, published Monday to Friday in tabloid format.
In October 2009, after be ...
'', ''
Evening News Evening News may refer to:
Television news
*''CBS Evening News'', an American news broadcast
*'' ITV Evening News'', a UK news broadcast
*''JNN Evening News'', a Japanese news broadcast
*''Evening News'', an alternate name for '' News Hour'' in so ...
'', ''
Sunday Times
''The Sunday Times'' is a British newspaper whose circulation makes it the largest in Britain's quality press market category. It was founded in 1821 as ''The New Observer''. It is published by Times Newspapers Ltd, a subsidiary of News UK, wh ...
'', ''
Sunday Express
The ''Daily Express'' is a national daily United Kingdom middle-market newspaper printed in tabloid format. Published in London, it is the flagship of Express Newspapers, owned by publisher Reach plc. It was first published as a broadsheet ...
'', ''
Sunday Dispatch
The ''Sunday Dispatch'' was a prominent British newspaper, published between 27 September 1801 and 18 June 1961. It was ultimately discontinued due to its merger with the ''Sunday Express''.
History
The newspaper was first published as the ''Wee ...
'', ''
Sunday Pictorial
The ''Sunday Mirror'' is the Sunday sister paper of the ''Daily Mirror''. It began life in 1915 as the ''Sunday Pictorial'' and was renamed the ''Sunday Mirror'' in 1963. In 2016 it had an average weekly circulation of 620,861, dropping marke ...
'', ''Woman's Journal'', ''Woman's Pictorial'' and other publications. In 1921, he and his wife were two of the 43 Foundation Members who attended the inauguration of ''
PEN International
PEN International (known as International PEN until 2010) is a worldwide association of writers, founded in London in 1921 to promote friendship and intellectual co-operation among writers everywhere. The association has autonomous Internation ...
'', an organisation which celebrates literature and promotes freedom of expression and which now has over 20,000 members in more than 100 countries.
Playwright
Middleton is, however, primarily famed for his writing for the stage, particularly his first play, the comedy ''Potiphar's Wife'', which was first staged in London in 1927 and was described by the ''Evening Standard'' as the "Play that shocks London". Performances followed as far afield as Paris, and New York and Middleton is reputed to have made eighty thousand pounds from the play. The plot is derived from the Biblical story in
Genesis
Genesis may refer to:
Bible
* Book of Genesis, the first book of the biblical scriptures of both Judaism and Christianity, describing the creation of the Earth and of mankind
* Genesis creation narrative, the first several chapters of the Book o ...
39 in which
Joseph
Joseph is a common male given name, derived from the Hebrew Yosef (יוֹסֵף). "Joseph" is used, along with "Josef", mostly in English, French and partially German languages. This spelling is also found as a variant in the languages of the m ...
rejects attempts by his master's wife to seduce him, and she retaliates by accusing him of attempted rape. However, unlike the original, Middleton's play ends in court with the exoneration of the virtuous
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 specia ...
and with Lady Aylesbrough exposed as a shameful
perjurer
Perjury (also known as foreswearing) is the intentional act of swearing a false oath or falsifying an affirmation to tell the truth, whether spoken or in writing, concerning matters material to an official proceeding."Perjury The act or an insta ...
. The play opened at the
Globe Theatre
The Globe Theatre was a theatre in London associated with William Shakespeare. It was built in 1599 by Shakespeare's playing company, the Lord Chamberlain's Men, on land owned by Thomas Brend and inherited by his son, Nicholas Brend, and ...
in London in August 1927 with
Jeanne de Casalis
Jeanne de Casalis (22 May 1897 – 19 August 1966) was a Basutoland-born British actress of stage, radio, TV and film.
Born in Basutoland as Jeanne Casalis de Pury, she was educated in France, where her businessman father was the proprietor of ...
as Lady Aylesbrough and
Paul Cavanagh
William Grigs Atkinson (8 December 1888 – 15 March 1964), known professionally as Paul Cavanagh, was an English film and stage actor. He appeared in more than 100 films between 1928 and 1959.
Life and career
Cavanagh was born in Felling, ...
as the accused chauffeur, and one scene caused something of a stir when she appeared on stage in pyjamas. The play was also staged at the
Savoy Theatre
The Savoy Theatre is a West End theatre in the Strand in the City of Westminster, London, England. The theatre was designed by C. J. Phipps for Richard D'Oyly Carte and opened on 10 October 1881 on a site previously occupied by the Savoy Pal ...
. The novel of the play was published the following year, advertised as "The best novel on the market. The story of the Play that shocked the critics".
In 1928 Middleton followed this with a "
melodramatic
A modern melodrama is a dramatic work in which the plot, typically sensationalized and for a strong emotional appeal, takes precedence over detailed characterization. Melodramas typically concentrate on dialogue that is often bombastic or exce ...
satire" called ''Tin Gods'', produced at the
Garrick Theatre
The Garrick Theatre is a West End theatre, located in Charing Cross Road, in the City of Westminster, named after the stage actor David Garrick. It opened in 1889 with ''The Profligate'', a play by Arthur Wing Pinero, and another Pinero play, ...
in London in February 1928. His next work, ''Morning, Noon, and Night, a revue'', which included additional scenes by Harold Scott and William Pollock, was staged in the Everyman Theatre in May 1929, but only after three sketches from the revue had been censored by the
Lord Chamberlain
The Lord Chamberlain of the Household is the most senior officer of the Royal Household of the United Kingdom, supervising the departments which support and provide advice to the Sovereign of the United Kingdom while also acting as the main c ...
, who refused to license ''
Mussolini
Benito Amilcare Andrea Mussolini (; 29 July 188328 April 1945) was an Italian politician and journalist who founded and led the National Fascist Party. He was Prime Minister of Italy from the March on Rome in 1922 until Fall of the Fascist re ...
's Lunch'', ''Returned With Thanks'' and ''Force of Habit'' for the stage. Middleton responded by publishing them in a book entitled ''Banned By the Censor: The Eclectic Library'', released later in 1929.
Parliamentary candidate
In 1929 Middleton took a foray into politics, which he described as a hobby. In the 1929 General Election he stood as candidate for the
Liberal party
The Liberal Party is any of many political parties around the world. The meaning of ''liberal'' varies around the world, ranging from liberal conservatism on the right to social liberalism on the left.
__TOC__ Active liberal parties
This is a l ...
in the Islington East constituency in London and adopted a novel method of canvassing support by using the telephone to contact electors. Both the other candidates got more votes than he did, but his support exceeded that of any previous Liberal candidate in this constituency.
The 1930s
In the years that followed, he continued to write, and was also secretary to the ''Daily Mail'' Trust.
He wrote biographies of the Prince of Wales in 1933, and of
Lord Beaverbrook
William Maxwell Aitken, 1st Baron Beaverbrook (25 May 1879 – 9 June 1964), generally known as Lord Beaverbrook, was a Canadian-British newspaper publisher and backstage politician who was an influential figure in British media and politics o ...
in 1934, and then in 1934 he published his autobiography entitled, ''I might have been a success''.
His next major play was ''England Expects...'', featuring the life of
Nelson
Nelson may refer to:
Arts and entertainment
* ''Nelson'' (1918 film), a historical film directed by Maurice Elvey
* ''Nelson'' (1926 film), a historical film directed by Walter Summers
* ''Nelson'' (opera), an opera by Lennox Berkeley to a lib ...
and his romantic relationship with
Emma Hamilton
Dame Emma Hamilton (born Amy Lyon; 26 April 176515 January 1815), generally known as Lady Hamilton, was an English maid, model, dancer and actress. She began her career in London's demi-monde, becoming the mistress of a series of wealthy m ...
. The play was first produced at the Embassy Theatre in April 1936, with
Walter Hudd
Walter Hudd (20 February 1897 – 20 January 1963) was a British actor and director.
Stage career
Hudd made his stage debut in ''The Manxman'' in 1919, and later toured as part of the Fred Terry Company; first attracting serious attention pla ...
as Nelson and
Margaretta Scott
Margaretta Mary Winifred ScottBrian McFarlane, "Scott, Margaretta Mary Winifred (1912–2005)", ''Oxford Dictionary of National Biography'', Oxford University Press, Jan 201available online Retrieved 30 August 2020. (13 February 1912 – 15 Apri ...
as Lady Hamilton. Following this, in 1938 he wrote a "crooked comedy", titled ''Lady with Designs'', written with Frank Gregory., which was staged in the Ambassadors Theatre to unenthusiastic reviews.
He was also involved with the production of several films (known as "talking pictures") of ''Potiphar's Wife'' (1929), ''Tin Gods'' (1930), ''Captivation'' (1931), and the ''Official film of the life of The Prince of Wales'' (1933).
He lived at 3, Dr Johnson's Buildings,
Inner Temple
The Honourable Society of the Inner Temple, commonly known as the Inner Temple, is one of the four Inns of Court and is a professional associations for barristers and judges. To be called to the Bar and practise as a barrister in England and W ...
, London EC4. He died of cancer at the age of 44 in a London nursing home on 10 April 1939 after a short illness. At the time of his death he was collaborating in the production of a film biography of Queen Mary. His wife, who adored him, was devastated by his death. However, in his autobiography Middleton never mentions his marriage, but does include chapters with the titles ''Women aren't wonderful'' and ''Why I hate women''.
However, despite sometimes being described as a misogynist, in 1935 it was said of him: "Airman, author, journalist, playwright, politician, royal biographer, Edgar Middleton has possibly led a more varied career than any other man of his age."
*1926: ''One-act sketches: Habit, The Night Out''
*1927: ''Potiphar's Wife''
*1928: ''Tin Gods''
*1929: ''Morning, Noon and Night (revue)''
*1936: ''England Expects—?''
*1938: ''Lady with Designs'' (with Frank Gregory)
Captivation
''Captivation'' is a 1931 British romantic comedy film directed by John Harvel and starring Conway Tearle, Betty Stockfeld and Violet Vanbrugh.It was shot at the Beaconsfield Studios near London. A second feature, it has been classified as a quota ...
''
*1933: ''Official film of the life of The Prince of Wales''