Robert Michaelis

Robert Armand René Michaelis (22 December 1878 – 29 August 1965) was a French-born actor and singer who worked in musical theatre, mainly in England, but he also made appearances on Broadway.

By 1901, Michaelis and his parents had settled in Hampstead, and he was married there in 1913. He was naturalized as a British subject in 1914.

After retiring from the stage, he became a manager, and during the Second World War was an air raid warden, by then having made his home in the west of England.

Career

Born in 1878, according to different sources in Saint PetersburgKurt Gänzl, ''The Encyclopedia of the Musical Theatre'' (Schirmer, 2001), p. 994: "MICHAELIS, Robert rmand Rene(b ?St Petersburg, 22 December 1878; d Bristol, 29 August 1965)...." or Paris, Michaelis was the son of Guilllaume Paul Hermann Michaelis and Marie Leonie Heloise Michaelis. His mother was French, and his father was born a German but naturalized as French. Reginald McKenna, Secretary of State, Certificate no. 25480 "Robert Michaelis" dated 7 September 1914 in ''U.K. Naturalisation Certificates and Declarations 1870–1916'' (National Archives) He was educated in London and Paris and trained as a singer in Vienna with Felice Bottelli.Derek B. Scott, ''German Operetta on Broadway and in the West End, 1900–1940'' (2019)
p. 144
/ref>

At the time of the 1901 census, Michaelis was living in Latchmere, Battersea, with his parents, Herman Michaelis, a schoolmaster, aged fifty, and Marie, aged 45, and his occupation was stated as actor.

An early appearance in musical theatre came in 1907, when Michaelis sang in Gustave Kerker's ''The White Hen'' at the Casino Theatre, New York, in a run lasting three months.''The Best Plays of 1899–1909'' (Dodd, Mead, 1944), p. 534 In 1908, he took over the part of Prince Danilo in ''The Merry Widow'' for the last four months of its run at Daly's Theatre, Walter MacQueen-Pope, David Leslie Murray, ''Fortune's favourite: the life and times of Franz Lehár'' (Hutchinson, 1953), p. 137 then was cast as Freddy Fairfax in '' The Dollar Princess'' (1909), becoming a favourite at Daly's, and playing a leading role in ''The Marriage Market'' (1911). In 1912, he sang the title role in an English production of Franz Lehár's operetta '' The Count of Luxembourg'',W. J. MacQueen-Pope, ''Shirtfronts and sables: a story of the days when money could be spent'' (Hale, 1953), p. 59 as one of the five principals, together with Phyllis le Grand, Eric Thorne, Lauri de Frece, and Daisy Burrell, who were collectively described by the ''Musical News'' as "all consummate artists in their own style".''Musical News and Herald'', vol. 42 (1912), p. 194

Soon after the beginning of the First World War, Michaelis, then living at 8 Eton Villas, South Hampstead, was naturalized as a British subject, declaring the names of his parents and his place of birth as Paris.

In 1920, Michaelis appeared in the silent film '' The Little Welsh Girl'',Denis Gifford, ''British Film Catalogue'', Volume 1 (2016), p. 256 then for more than a year, from 1920 to 1921, he sang the part of Beaudon in a London production of ''Irene'' at the Empire Theatre which had a run of 399 performances.

When he was granted probate on his mother's estate in 1933, Michaelis was described as a "manager".

In October 1939, Michaelis was living at Wychwood, Tickenham, Somerset, and soon after the outbreak of the Second World War was registered as an air raid warden and retired actor.''National Registration Transcript Book, Long Ashton Rural'' dated 4 October 1939 (National Archives, ref. 314/5 WPRF), p. 14: "Michaelis Robert / M / 22 Dec 78 / M / Actor retired / Air Raid Warden ; Michaelis Phyllis / F / 25 Nov 87 / M / Actress retired / First Aid St John Ambulance; PARSONS Rosemary / F / 26 Mar 14 / S / Radiographer S. R. N."

In his ''Nights of Gladness'' (1956), English theatre historian Walter MacQueen-Pope, known as "Popie", called Michaelis "one of the very best performers Daly's ever had".

Personal life

Michaelis's father, Herman Michaelis, died at St Pancras in 1912.
In 1913, at Hampstead, Michaelis married Phyllis le Grand, an actress, with whom he had starred in ''The Count of Luxembourg'' the year before, and their daughter Rosemary Evelyn Helene was born in March 1914.
She later became a nurse and radiographer. Michaelis's mother, Marie, died in 1933, aged 78. Her address was 8, Eton Villas, South Hampstead, and she left an estate valued at £2,293."Michaelis Marie" in Probate Calendar for 1933 at probatesearch.service.gov.uk
In 1940, Rosemary Michaelis married John A. Parsons in Somerset. Three grandchildren were born between 1943 and 1949. Michaelis died on 29 August 1965 at the Bristol Royal Infirmary, when his address was given as "Summerlands Nailsea", and he left an estate valued for probate at £7,051. His widow, Phyllis, survived him until 15 May 1981.

Film roles

*'' The Little Welsh Girl'' (1920), as Rhys Bowen

Musicals

*''The White Hen'' ( Casino Theatre, New York, 1907)
*''The Merry Widow'' (Daly's Theatre, 1908), as Prince Danilo
*'' The Dollar Princess'' (Daly's Theatre, 1909), as Freddy Fairfax
*''The Marriage Market'' (Daly's Theatre, 1911)
*'' The Count of Luxembourg'' (Daly's Theatre, 1912 production), as Count René of Luxembourg
*'' Gipsy Love'' (Daly's Theatre, 1912), as Jozsi
*''Irene'' (1920 London production at Empire Theatre) as J. P. Beaudon
*''Orange Blossoms'' (Fulton Theatre, New York, 1922) as Baron Roger BelmontDan Dietz, ''The Complete Book of 1920s Broadway Musicals'' (2019), p. 122

Notes

External links

*
Phyllis Le Grand and Robert Michaelis archive
at University of Bristol
Phyllis Le Grand and Hilda Antony in Autumn Manoeuvres, Adelphi Theatre, London, 1912
at footlightnotes.wordpress.com

{{DEFAULTSORT:Michaelis, Robert
1878 births
1965 deaths
French male stage actors
Male actors from Paris
Musicians from Paris
French male musical theatre actors
20th-century French male actors
20th-century English male actors