Frank Smithson

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Frank Smithson (11 February 1861 – 15 January 1949, New York City)[1] was an Irish born American actor and theatre and film director. He began his career as a leading comic actor in Britain in the late 1880s and 1890s. He immigrated to the United States in 1896; making his Broadway debut in December of that year both directing and starring as Major Fossdyke in the Edwardian musical comedy The Girl from Paris. He directed 250 productions for the American stage during his lengthy career, many of them for Broadway, and was also active as a film director for Edison Studios and Mack Sennett's Keystone Studios.[1]

Early career in Britain[edit]

Frank Smithson was born on 11 February 1861 in Tralee, Ireland.[2] He began his career as an actor. From May–July 1887 he toured the British provinces as Jinks in Harry Monkhouse's Larks; portraying that role at the Theatre Royal, West Hartlepool,[3] and the Prince of Wales Theatre, Salford.[4] He spent the remainder of that year touring in the leading comic role of Dick Kavanagh in William Howell Poole's The Game of Life; appearing at The Grand Theatre, Islington,[5] the Royal Court Theatre,[6] the Prince's Theatre, Manchester,[7] and at provincial theaters in Middlesbrough,[8] and Chester.[9] In 1888-1889 he toured the British provinces as a leading comic actor in J. B. Mulholland's theatre troupe; starring as Joel Scovendyke in Mulholland's Mizpah and Ginger Jim in Mulholland's Disowned.[10][11][12][13][14][15][16][17][18][19][20]

For the Christmas season of 1889, Smithson appeared in a new pantomime with Mulholland's company at the Grand Theatre, Nottingham; portraying the drag role of Airie Annie in Goddard Wyatt's Dick Whittington and His Cat.[21] In 1890 he performed the roles of Pendleton in Robert Williams Buchanan's Sweet Nancy at the Lyric Theatre, London;[22] Tom Honeywood in George Robert Sims's Master and Man at the Theatre Royal, Wolverhampton;[23] and starred in the title roles of Pepper's Diary at the Royalty Theatre in London[24] and Muldoon's Picnic at the Grand Theatre, Nottingham;[25] also portraying the latter part at other provincial theatres that year.[26][27][28]

In 1891 Smithson produced his first play, a new burlesque by Walpole Lewin entitled Good Old Queen Bess. It premiere at the Vaudeville Theatre, London on 3 June 1891 with Smithson portraying the role of Julius the Jester.[29] After this he toured the British provinces for the remainder of the year as Cerberus in Edward Rose and A. Coe's burlesque Orpheus and Eurydice;[30][31][32][33][34] including performances in Scotland.[35][36] In 1892 he was once again touring the British provinces with J. B. Mulholland's theatre troupe as Dr. Gondimar Gulf in Arthur H Gilbert and Charles Renad's The Swiss Express.[37][38][39][40][41][42][43][44] He ended that year at the Alexandra Theatre, Sheffield as Captain Blowhard in the Christmas pantomime Sinbad the Sailor;[45] a role he continued to play through March 1893.[46]

In the summer of 1893 Smithson joined the theatre troupe of actor Charles Lauri;[47] touring with his company as Schwindlewitz in J. W. Mabson's Le Voyage en Suisse through the autumn of that year.[48] He then portrayed Baron Badenuff in a Christmas pantomime of Little Red Riding Hood at the Theatre Royal, Birmingham from December 1893 through February 1894,[49][50] before returning to touring the British provinces in Le Voyage en Suisse from May through July 1894.[51][52][53] In October 1894 he was appearing at the Prince of Wales Theatre, Liverpool as Colonel Hiram Poster in William Gill's The Little Milliner.[54] He then toured the British provinces as Michael Muldoon in The New Muldoon's Picnic in November[55] and December 1894[56] before closing out the year at the City Theatre in Sheffield performing in another Christmas pantomime.[57]

In January 1895 Smithson returned to Alexandra Theatre to both direct and play the role of Baron Badenuff in Little Red Riding Hood.[58][59] That production ran through March 1895.[60] He then portrayed the title roles in Dion Boucicault's The Shaughraun[61] and Muldoon's Picnic in Brighton,[62] and portrayed Larry O'Brannigan in Dandy Dick Whittington at the Avenue Theatre in London.[63] That work was renamed The Circus Boy when Smithson toured the British provinces in that role for the remainder of 1895;[64][65][66][67] beginning at the Royal Court Theatre, Liverpool in August.[68] He continued to tour in that part in the early part of 1896.[69][70] He then toured in provinces as Matthew Vanderkoopen in La Cigale, an English language version of Edmond Audran's La Cigale et la Fourmi, from February through May 1896.[71][72][73][74]

Move to the United States and early career in America with Edward E. Rice[edit]

In 1896 Smithson immigrated to the United States;[1] making his American stage debut on October 26, 1896 at the Brooklyn Music Hall as the magician in Samuel H. Speck's burlesque Kaloma the Hoodoo.[75][76] He was hired by the Broadway producer Edward E. Rice to direct and star in the American premiere of Ivan Caryll and George Dance's Edwardian musical comedy The Girl from Paris.[77] He made his Broadway debut in that work as Major Fossdyke at the Herald Square Theatre on December 8, 1896, and continued to portray that part until the production closed after 248 performances.[78] After this production closed in New York, Smithson continued to portray Major Fossdyke when the production began a national tour in September 1897 at the Park Theatre in Dayton, Ohio.[79] Other theater stops on this tour from September through December 1897 included the Chestnut Street Theatre in Philadelphia,[80][81] Macauley's Theatre in Louisville, Kentucky,[82] O'Brien's Opera House in Birmingham, Alabama,[83] the Chattanooga Opera House,[84] the Grand Opera House in Indianapolis,[85] Coates Opera House in Kansas City,[86] the Lafayette Square Opera House in Washington D.C.,[87] the Metropolitan Opera House in Minneapolis,[88] the Lyceum Theater in Rochester, New York,[89] and the Oliver Opera House in South Bend, Indiana.[90]

Smithson continued to tour in The Girl from Paris in 1898 for performances at the Grand Theater in Evansville, Indiana,[91] the Montauk Theatre in Brooklyn,[92] the Lyceum Theatre in Elmira, New York,[93] the Baldwin Theatre in San Francisco,[94] the Fulton Opera House in Lancaster, Pennsylvania,[95] the Academy of Music in Baltimore,[96] the Metropolitan Theater in Sacramento, California,[97] and the Los Angeles Theater.[98]

Immediately following end of the tour of The Girl from Paris Smithson was hired once again by Rice to direct another Edwardian musical comedy for the Broadway, Howard Talbot and Harry Greenbank's Monte Carlo. It premiered at the Herald Square Theatre in March 1898. As with The Girl from Paris he also starred in this production, portraying the role of General Boomerang.[99]

Partial list of Broadway directing credits[edit]

References[edit]

Citations[edit]

  1. ^ a b c Associated Press (16 January 1949). "Frank Smithson, 88, Dies; Veteran Stage Director". The Washington Star. p. 9.
  2. ^ U.S., Passport Applications, 1795-1925 for Frank Smithson. (1917) Passport Applications, January 2, 1906 - March 31, 1925, Roll 0394 - Certificates: 62801-63100, 19 Aug 1917-22 Aug 1917.
  3. ^ "West Hartlepool". The Era. 28 May 1887. p. 19.
  4. ^ "Salford". The Era. 2 July 1887. p. 19.
  5. ^ "The Grand". The Era. 17 December 1887. p. 14.
  6. ^ "Theatrical Notes; Royal Court". Bootle Times. 20 August 1887. p. 6.
  7. ^ "Prince's Theatre". Manchester Courier and Lancashire General Advertiser. 27 September 1887. p. 5.
  8. ^ ""The Game of Life" at Middlesbrough". The North Star. 9 November 1887. p. 3.
  9. ^ "Chester Royalty Theatre". Cheshire Observer. 26 November 1887. p. 5.
  10. ^ ""Mizpah" at the Theatre Royal, Middlesbrough". Evening Gazette. 8 May 1888. p. 3.
  11. ^ "Stockton Theatre Royal". Northern Echo. 26 May 1888. p. 4.
  12. ^ "Newcastle on Tyne". The Era. 2 June 1888. p. 19.
  13. ^ "Walsall". The Era. September 1, 1888. p. 19.
  14. ^ "Plymouth". The Era. 29 September 1888. p. 17.
  15. ^ ""Mizpah" at the Grand Theatre". Nottingham Evening News. 1 Jan 1889. p. 3.
  16. ^ "The Tyne Theatre". Newcastle Daily Chronicle. 29 May 1888. p. 6.
  17. ^ "Acrinngton". The Era. 23 March 1889. p. 18.
  18. ^ "Gloucester". The Era. 25 May 1889. p. 21.
  19. ^ "Amusements in Coventry". The Era. 24 August 1889. p. 7.
  20. ^ "Dewsbury". The Era. 2 November 1889. p. 16.
  21. ^ "Music and the Drama". The Guardian Journal. 16 December 1889. p. 8.
  22. ^ Wearing, p. 30
  23. ^ "Wolverhampton". The Era. 13 December 1890. p. 21.
  24. ^ Wearing, p. 37
  25. ^ "Amusements at Nottingham". The Era. 19 April 1890. p. 16.
  26. ^ "Opera House". The Coventry Times. 25 June 1890. p. 8.
  27. ^ "Derby, Grand Theatre". The Era. 19 July 1890. p. 18.
  28. ^ "Amusements in Wolverhamption". The Era. 11 April 1896. p. 23.
  29. ^ "The Serpent Relief Fund; "Good Old Queen Bess"". The Era. 6 June 1891. p. 9.
  30. ^ "Amusements; Theatre Royal Plymouth". Western Morning News. 23 November 1891. p. 4.
  31. ^ "Prince of Wales Theatre". Birmingham Daily Post. 10 November 1891. p. 5.
  32. ^ "Southport; Opera House". The Era. 24 October 1891. p. 21.
  33. ^ "Music and the Drama". Evening Post. 10 August 1891. p. 4.
  34. ^ ""Orpheus and Euridice" at the Tyne Theatre". The Newcastle Weekly Chronicle. 22 August 1891. p. 8.
  35. ^ "Amusements in Glasgow; Royalty Theatre". The Era. 12 September 1891. p. 18.
  36. ^ "Amusements in Edinburgh; Lyceum Theatre". The Era. 5 Sep 1891. p. 15.
  37. ^ "Amusements in Bradford". The Era. 19 March 1892. p. 18.
  38. ^ "Amusements in Nottingham". The Era. 23 April 1892. p. 10.
  39. ^ "Amusements in Cardiff". The Era. 18 June 1892. p. 16.
  40. ^ "Shakespeare Theatre". Evening Express. 19 July 1892. p. 4.
  41. ^ "Grand Theatre". Birmingham Daily Post. 16 August 1892. p. 5.
  42. ^ ""The Swiss Express" at Torquay Theatre". Western Morning News. 13 September 1892. p. 5.
  43. ^ "Strattford Theatre Royal". The Era. 22 October 1892. p. 9.
  44. ^ "Prince's Theatre, Blackburn". The Blackburn Standard and Weekly Express. 5 November 1892. p. 5.
  45. ^ "Alexandra Theatre". The Era. 31 December 1892. p. 20.
  46. ^ "Amusements in Sheffield, Alexandra Theatre". The Era. 4 March 1893. p. 18.
  47. ^ "Charles Lauri now on tour". The Era. 22 July 1893. p. 3.
  48. ^ "Amusements in Sheffield, Theatre Royal". The Era. 7 October 1893. p. 12.
  49. ^ "Holiday Amusements; Theatre Royal". Birmingham Daily Post. 26 December 1893. p. 5.
  50. ^ "The Pantomimes". Birmingham Evening Mail. 6 February 1894. p. 2.
  51. ^ "Elephant and Castle; "Le Voyage en Suisse"". The Era. 5 May 1894. p. 9.
  52. ^ "Amusements in Dublin; Gaeity Theatre". The Era. 9 June 1894. p. 18.
  53. ^ "Charles Lauri and His Celebrated Company". The Era. 21 July 1894. p. 4.
  54. ^ "Prince of Wales". The Liverpool Mercury. 23 October 1894. p. 6.
  55. ^ "Reading; The Prince's Theatre". The Era. 17 November 1894. p. 20.
  56. ^ "Peterborough". The Era. 8 December 1894. p. 2.
  57. ^ "Pantomimes at Sheffield". The Leeds Mercury. 27 December 1894. p. 2.
  58. ^ "Alexandre Theatre and Opera House". The Era. 5 Jan 1895. p. 21.
  59. ^ "Amusements in Sheffield". The Era. 16 February 1895. p. 12.
  60. ^ "The Alexandra Pantomime". The Sheffield and Rotherham Independent. 5 March 1895. p. 8.
  61. ^ "Amusements in Brighton". The Era. 4 May 1895. p. 12.
  62. ^ "Amusements in Brighton". The Era. 29 Jun 1895. p. 16.
  63. ^ "Mr. Frank Smithson". The Era. 6 July 1895. p. 8.
  64. ^ "Amusements in Sunderland". The Era. 16 November 1895. p. 19.
  65. ^ "The Circus Boy at the Prince of Wales Theatre". Birmingham Gazette. 15 October 1895. p. 5.
  66. ^ "Miss May Yohe At the Prince's Theatre". Western Daily Press. 24 September 1895. p. 3.
  67. ^ ""The Circus Boy", Prince's Theatre". Manchester Courier. 31 August 1895. p. 17.
  68. ^ "Amusements in Liverpoool". The Era. 24 August 1895. p. 16.
  69. ^ "Amusements in Leicester". The Era. 4 January 1896. p. 21.
  70. ^ "Northhampton; Opera House". The Era. 1 February 1896. p. 25.
  71. ^ "La Cigale at the Theatre Royal". Hull Evening News. 17 Mar 1896. p. 3.
  72. ^ "Grantham". The Era. 22 February 1896. p. 24.
  73. ^ "Cheltenham & County; The Theatre". The Gloucestershire Echo. 28 April 1896. p. 4.
  74. ^ "Amusements in Salford". The Era. 9 May 1896. p. 22.
  75. ^ "Brooklyn Music Hall". The Brooklyn Citizen. 27 October 1896. p. 4.
  76. ^ "The Theatres". The Brooklyn Daily Eagle. 1 November 1896. p. 24.
  77. ^ "In the Amusement World". Paterson Evening News. 8 December 1896. p. 6.
  78. ^ Chapman & Sherwood, p. 187
  79. ^ "Amusements; Park Theatre". The Dayton Herald. 15 September 1897. p. 8.
  80. ^ "Programs of the Week; The Girl from Paris at the Chestnut Street Theatre". The Philadelphia Inquirer. 19 September 1897. p. 20.
  81. ^ "Good Bills Everywhere". The Philadelphia Inquirer. 21 September 1897. p. 5.
  82. ^ "At the Theatres". The Courier-Journal. 30 September 1897. p. 8.
  83. ^ "The Show". The Birmingham News. 9 October 1897. p. 14.
  84. ^ "Amusements". Chattanooga Daily Times. 9 October 1897. p. 4.
  85. ^ "Grand- The Girl from Paris". The Indianapolis Journal. 24 October 1897. p. 14.
  86. ^ "Coates Opera House". The Kansas City Times. 31 October 1897. p. 11.
  87. ^ "Lafayette Square Opera House". Washington Evening Star. 6 November 1897. p. 24.
  88. ^ "The Girl from Paris". Minneapolis Daily Times. 14 November 1897. p. 14.
  89. ^ "Amusements; Lyceum... The Girl from Paris". Democrat and Chronicle. 10 December 1897. p. 5.
  90. ^ "Amusements". The South Bend Tribune. 27 December 1897. p. 6.
  91. ^ "Matinee; "The Girl from Paris" Here". The Evansville Journal. 1 January 1898. p. 5.
  92. ^ "The Local Stage; "The Girl from Paris" at the Montauk Theatre". The Standard Union. 11 January 1898. p. 5.
  93. ^ "That Giddy Giddy Girl". Star-Gazette. 24 January 1898. p. 5.
  94. ^ "Farce is King". The San Francisco Examiner. 23 January 1898. p. 15.
  95. ^ "The Fulton Opera House". Lancaster New Era. 28 January 1898. p. 2.
  96. ^ "In the Cast for Tonight". The York Daily. 28 January 1898. p. 1.
  97. ^ "Amusements". The Sacramento Union. 14 February 1898. p. 8.
  98. ^ "Los Angeles Theater". Los Angeles Herald. 20 February 1898. p. 13.
  99. ^ "American Amusements". The Era. 9 April 1898. p. 20.

Bibliography[edit]

  • Sherwood, Garrison P.; Chapman, L. John, eds. (1955). The Best Plays of 1894-1899. Dodd, Mead & Co.
  • Wearing, J. P. (2013). The London Stage 1890-1899: A Calendar of Productions, Performers, and Personnel. Scarecrow Press. ISBN 9780810892828.

External links[edit]

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