Ellaline Terriss (1872-1971)

Ellaline Terriss (1872-1971)

Ellaline Lewin (her real name) was born at the Ship Hotel, Stanley, in the remote British South Atlantic dependency of the Falkland Islands on April 13th, 1871. She was the daughter of William Lewin and his wife Amy (Fellowes). Both Ella's parents had previous experience of the stage, but her father was a man of a roving disposition - having been at one time a seaman, a tea planter, and at the time of her birth a sheep-farmer.

Following Ellaline's birth, William Lewin decided to give up farming and leave the desolate island to return, with his family, to the creature comforts of England, where her brother Tom was born (in Barnes) three years later. Taking on the stage-name, Terriss, (which Ellaline would likewise adopt) he returned to the stage and became an enormously popular actor, best known by the nickname 'Breezy Bill'.

Educated privately, Ellaline was trained for the stage by her father and made her professional debut at just sixteen years of age - playing the part of 'Mary Herbert' in "Cupid's Messenger" at the Haymarket Theatre on 14th February, 1888. Her father had groomed her well, and she made such an impression that noted Theatrical Producer Charles Wyndham immediately signed her up on a three year contract (making her first appearance as 'Madge' in "Why Women Weep" at The Criterion theatre on 29th February that same year).

It was not long before she met the love of her life, talented young actor Seymour Hicks. Just one year older than Ellaline, Seymour had also begun his professional career at age sixteen and was already an accomplished performer with a successful tour of America behind him when the pair met. They married in 1893.

That same year, drawing upon his experiences in America, Seymour produced 'Under the Cloak', the first American-style theatre revue staged in London, whilst, in december, Ellaline opened at the Lyceum Theatre as the lead in Oscar Barrett's famously lavish version of the fairy pantomime 'Cinderella'. Seymour later joined Ellaline in that production when, late in the run, he took over the role of Thisbe - one of Cinderella's half-sisters. In 1894 the couple crossed the Atlantic to continue their parts in that production, Ellaline making her fisrt continental appearance at the Abbey Theatre in New York on April 30th of that year.

Ellaline was then under contract to George Edwardes, but since his next show was not yet ready he released her to play one of the Governors daughters in the comic opera 'His Excellency' at The Lyric. This was an exciting opportunity for Ellaline since the libretto was written by the incomparable W.S. Gilbert (who had now split from Sullivan and the music on this occasion was written by Osmond Carr). It was Ellaline's debut in comic opera and the play was quite a success.

In 1895, Ellaline and Seymour toured America where they befriended the American novelist Richard Harding Davis. When Seymour had to return to England early, Davis took it upon himself to ensure Ellaline was well cared for during the remainder of her stay. Seymour's pressing reason for an early return was the December 21st opening of a play he had written as a starring vehicle for Ellaline's father. The play was a dramatization of the Dreyfus case entitled 'One of the Best'. George Edwardes graciously permitted his name to be used as co-author to help 'sell' the play to the owners of The Adelphi Theatre where it was produced. Although George Bernard Shaw famously dubbed it 'one of the worst', the public disagreed and the show was a resounding success.

On Ellaline's return to England the couple starred together in a series of musical comedies produced by Edwardes at the Gaiety theatre. But then in 1897 tragedy struck when William Terris, Ellaline's father, was murdered outside the Royal Adelphi Theatre by a disgruntled unemployed actor, Richard Archer Prince. The murder and subsequent trial topped the news headlines for weeks and generated tremendous public support and sympathy for Ellaline, who by now was regarded as being one half of one of the country's most successful stage couples.

The following year, Ellaline was one of many stars who performed in a benefit at the Gaiety Theatre for Nellie Farren, a long-serving member of the Gaiety company whose career was tragically ended by a crippling spinal disorder.

For the next decade, Ellaline and Seymour shared enormous success. He became a prolific author of light comedies which ensured a constant succesion of vehicles for himseld and his wife to perform in. One of these, the musical dream play 'Bluebell in Fairyland' was such a tremendous success that it would become a regular staple of Christmas theatrical fare for over thirty years following its first opening in December 1901. The fortune amassed from these ventures was used to open two theatres, The Aldwych in 1905 and The Seymour Hicks (later renamed the Globe) in 1907.

In 1906 Seymour employed P.G. Wodehouse, then an aspiring unknown, to write the lyrics (to Jerome Kern's music) for his production of 'The Beauty of Bath', which opened at The Aldwych in March and which would provide Ellaline with one of her best loved roles.

Following the birth their second daughter Betty in 1906 (Mabel had been born a few years earlier), Ellaline for a time drastically cut back on her acting committments which had been such a major part of her life for over eighteen years. She did not leave the stage entirely however, continuing to perform periodically in selected plays. In May 1911, she sailed with her husband for an extended music hall tour of South Africa, then following the outbreak of war in 1914, the couple went to France to give a series of concerts to the British Troops at the Front.

Even following her official retirement in 1917 she still appeared on stage, albeit infrequently, on special occasions. One such was 'The Man in Dress Clothes', a French farce translated into English by Seymour, which opened at The Lyceum in December 1925. The special occasion being the stage debut of their daughter Betty. On all of these occasions, Ellaline was invariably received with great fondness and affection.

By now the golden age of theatre was over, but Seymour was a man of rare vision and had made the transition to the new medium of film with no less success than he had enjoyed on the stage, even providing Alfred Hitchcock with his directorial debut. This led to Ellaline's appearance in eight British films shot between 1927 and 1939.

In 1934 Seymour was knighted, making the couple Lord Seymour and Lady Ellaline Hicks. Seymour died in 1949, Ellaline lived on without him until 1971.

Publications
Just a Little Bit of String - Autobiography, Hutchinson & Co., London. 1955.

Movie Credits (source www.imdb.com)
1913 - Scrooge
1915 - Flame of Passion [Vampire woman]
1916 - A Woman of the World
1917 - Masks and Faces [Actress]
1927 - Land of Hope and Glory [Mrs. Whiteford]
1927 - Blighty [Lady Villiers]
1929 - Atlantic [Alice Rool]
1931 - A Man of Mayfair [Old Grace]
1931 - Glamour [Lady Belton]
1934 - The Iron Duke [Duchess Kitty]
1935 - Royal Cavalcade [Wife]
1939 - The Four Just Men [Lady Willoughby]