Cyril Maude | |
|---|---|
.jpg) Maude in 1918 | |
| Born | Cyril Francis Maude (1862-04-24)24 April 1862 |
| Died | 20 February 1951(1951-02-20) (aged 88) |
| Education | Wixenford Charterhouse School |
| Occupation | Actor-manager |
| Years active | 1884–1947 |
| Spouse | |
| Children | 3, includingMargery Maude andJohn Cyril Maude |
| Family | David Gascoyne (great-nephew) |
Cyril Francis Maude (24 April 1862 — 20 February 1951) was an Englishactor-manager.
Maude was born in London and educated atWixenford andCharterhouse School. In 1881, he was sent toAdelaide,South Australia, on the clipper shipCity of Adelaide to regain his health.[1][2] He returned to Britain without having regained his health, but nursing the ambition to be an actor.[1]
He studied acting underCharles Cartwright andRoma Le Thiere,[3] but was forced to leave the country again for health reasons. He travelled to Canada and America, fulfilling his acting ambition withDaniel Bandman's company inDenver, Colorado in 1884.[3]
Between 1896 until 1905 he was co-manager of theHaymarket Theatre in London with Frederick Harrison. There he became known for his quietly humorous acting in many parts. However in 1900 he managed the production of the Little Minister at the Regent Theatre inSalford.[4]
In 1906 he went intomanagement on his own account, and in 1907 he opened thePlayhouse, also in London.[5] Between 1911 and 1919 he acted largely in theUnited States where he played new comedies. He returned to London in 1919 and established himself at theCriterion Theatre.[6]
Maude became very well known for his role inGrumpy as a spoilt old man, who as a retired lawyer solved a crime to keep his loved ones happy. Maude took this play to Australia and toured Adelaide,Melbourne,Brisbane andSydney where it was immensely popular.[1][2] In 1923 he toured America withLydia Bilbrook andMabel Terry-Lewis inIf Winter Comes, playing atChicago in April andNew York in the autumn.[7]
He starred in several films in the 1930s, includingGrumpy. In 1947, he appeared at the age of 85 in the filmWhile the Sun Shines.
Maude was the eldest son of Captain Charles Henry Maude, a captain in the Indian Army, and the Honorable Georgina Hanbury-Tracy.[8] His maternal grandfather wasThomas Hanbury-Tracy, 2nd Baron Sudeley.
In 1888, Maude married actressWinifred Emery, the daughter ofSamuel Anderson Emery and granddaughter of John Emery, both well-known actors in their day.[5] Their children includedMargery Maude, who became an actress; Pamela Cynthia Maude (1893–1975); andJohn Cyril Maude, who became a barrister, judge andMember of Parliament.[9] Pamela Maude married MajorWilliam La Touche CongreveVC,DSO,MC on 1 June 1916. He was killed in action on 20 July 1916 during World War I, for which he was posthumously awarded theVictoria Cross.[10] On 22 December 1919 she married theHon. William Fraser,DSO,MC (1890–1964), who later became aBrigadier.[11]
They also brought up a niece, Winifred Isabel Emery (1890–1972),[12][13] after the girl was abandoned by Emery's brother in 1895. This niece, together with her pupilRuby Preece, was present when dramatistW. S. Gilbert died in his lake atGrim's Dyke in May 1911.[14] Winifred Isabel Emery was the mother of poetDavid Gascoyne.[12]
In 1905, Maude succeeded SirHenry Irving as the President of theActors' Orphanage Fund. During his tenure, he established the first orphanage for actors' children atCroydon, inaugurated innovative fundraising schemes and events, attracted royal patronage, and secured committee members from among leading actors of the day. He served until 1914.[15]
Maude died atTorquay,Devon on 20 February 1951.[16]
This article incorporates text from a publication now in thepublic domain: Chisholm, Hugh, ed. (1911). "Maude, Cyril".Encyclopædia Britannica. Vol. 17 (11th ed.). Cambridge University Press. p. 904.
This article incorporates text from a publication now in thepublic domain: Chisholm, Hugh, ed. (1922)."Maude, Cyril".Encyclopædia Britannica. Vol. 31 (12th ed.). London & New York: The Encyclopædia Britannica Company. p. 885.
