The Co-Optimists
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''The Co-Optimists'' was a stage variety
revue A revue is a type of multi-act popular theatre, theatrical entertainment that combines music, dance, and sketch comedy, sketches. The revue has its roots in 19th century popular entertainment and melodrama but grew into a substantial cultural pre ...
that opened in London on 27 June 1921. The show was devised by Davy Burnaby. The piece was a co-operative venture by what ''
The Times ''The Times'' is a British Newspaper#Daily, daily Newspaper#National, national newspaper based in London. It began in 1785 under the title ''The Daily Universal Register'', adopting its modern name on 1 January 1788. ''The Times'' and its si ...
'' called "a group of well-known musical comedy and variety artists" presenting "an all-star '
pierrot Pierrot ( , ; ), a stock character of pantomime and commedia dell'arte, has his origins in the late 17th-century Italian troupe of players performing in Paris and known as the Comédie-Italienne. The name is a hypocorism, diminutive of ''Pierr ...
' entertainment in the West-end." It opened at the small
Royalty Theatre The Royalty Theatre was a small London theatre situated at 73 Dean Street, Soho. Established by the actress Frances Maria Kelly in 1840, it opened as Miss Kelly's Theatre and Dramatic School and finally closed to the public in 1938.
and soon transferred to the much larger Palace Theatre. The show ran initially for 500 performances; it was completely rewritten and revived at regular intervals to keep it fresh. The final edition, beginning in November 1926 and closing on 4 August 1927, was the 13th version. ''The Co-Optimists'' provided an early platform for the comedy actor and singer
Stanley Holloway Stanley Augustus Holloway (1 October 1890 – 30 January 1982) was an English actor, comedian, singer and monologist. He was famous for his comic and character roles Stanley Holloway on stage and screen, on stage and screen, especially t ...
, and brought him wider notice throughout the UK. In 1929 the revue was made into a
feature film A feature film or feature-length film (often abbreviated to feature), also called a theatrical film, is a film (Film, motion picture, "movie" or simply “picture”) with a running time long enough to be considered the principal or sole present ...
with the same title, again starring Holloway. In December 1926,
Lee DeForest #REDIRECT Lee de Forest #REDIRECT Lee de Forest {{redirect category shell, {{R from move{{R from other capitalisation ...
{{redirect category shell, {{R from move{{R from other capitalisation ...
filmed Betty Chester singing "Pig-Tail Alley" in a
short film A short film is a film with a low running time. The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS) defines a short film as "an original motion picture that has a running time of not more than 40 minutes including all credits". Other film o ...
, ''Betty Chester, the Well-Known Co-Optimist Star'', made in his
Phonofilm Phonofilm is an optical sound-on-film system developed by inventors Lee de Forest and Theodore Case in the early 1920s. In 1919 and 1920, de Forest, inventor of the audion tube, filed his first patents on a sound-on-film process, DeForest Phonofi ...
sound-on-film process.


Music and lyrics

The show's music and lyrics were written by Melville Gideon, Clifford Grey,
Irving Berlin Irving Berlin (born Israel Isidore Beilin; May 11, 1888 – September 22, 1989) was a Russian-born American composer and songwriter. His music forms a large part of the Great American Songbook. Berlin received numerous honors including an Acade ...
, Philip Braham, Vivian Ellis, William Helmore, Ivy St Helier, Laddie Cliff, Austin Melford, Greatrex Newman,
Arthur Schwartz Arthur Schwartz (November 25, 1900 – September 3, 1984) was an American composer and film producer, widely noted for his songwriting collaborations with Howard Dietz. Biography Early life Schwartz was born to a Jewish family in Brooklyn, New ...
and Clifford Seyler.


Stage artists

The stage performers were
George K. Arthur Arthur George Brest (27 January 1899 – 30 May 1985), known professionally as George K. Arthur, was an English actor and producer, born in Aberdeen, Scotland,. He appeared in more than 50 films between 1919 and 1935, and is best known as t ...
, Davy Burnaby, Betty Chester, Charles Childerstone, Gilbert Childs, Laddie Cliff, Mimi Crawford, Melville Gideon,
Stanley Holloway Stanley Augustus Holloway (1 October 1890 – 30 January 1982) was an English actor, comedian, singer and monologist. He was famous for his comic and character roles Stanley Holloway on stage and screen, on stage and screen, especially t ...
, Mary Leigh, Elsa MacFarlane, Austin Melford, Phyllis Monkman, Herbert Mundin,
Elsie Randolph Elsie Randolph (9 December 1904 – 15 October 1982) was an English actress, singer and dancer. Randolph was born and died in London. She is best remembered for her partnership with Jack Buchanan in several stage and film musicals. She also a ...
,
Cyril Ritchard Cyril Joseph Trimnell-Ritchard (1 December 1898 – 18 December 1977), known professionally as Cyril Ritchard, was an Australian stage, screen and television actor, and director. He is best remembered today for his performance as Captain Hook i ...
, Babs Valerie and Clifford Witley.


Film artists

Artists performing in the film were Davy Burnaby, Phyllis Monkman, Gilbert Childs, Laddie Cliff, Melville Gideon,
Stanley Holloway Stanley Augustus Holloway (1 October 1890 – 30 January 1982) was an English actor, comedian, singer and monologist. He was famous for his comic and character roles Stanley Holloway on stage and screen, on stage and screen, especially t ...
, Betty Chester, Elsa MacFarlane, Peggy Petronella, and Harry S. Pepper.


References


External links


The Co-Optimists on British Pathé news
*
''Betty Chester, the Well-Known Co-Optimist Star'' at IMDB


The Guide to Musical Theatre - List of artists and credits
''The Co-Optimists'' at NY Times Movies page
{{DEFAULTSORT:Co-Optimists, The Revues 1921 musicals West End musicals Musicals by Clifford Grey