Difference between revisions of "A Royal Divorce"

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''[[A Royal Divorce]]'' is a play by W.G. Wills (1828–1891) [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/W._G._Wills] and G.G. Collingham ("George Gervaise Collingham", pseudonym for Mary Helen White)[]. 
  
A play by the name of ''A Royal Divorce'', depicting the romantic relationship and political divorce between Napoleon and his wife Josephine.  This is attributed to one, or both,  of two people, namely  W.G. Wills (1828–1891) and/or  C.C. Collingham, depending on the sources consulted. One source however, Alan Goble's ''The Complete Index of Literary Sources in Film'' , suggests that the text, published in 1891, the source of an 1928 silent film, was actually by '''both''' authors. It may be that Collingham was the editor and/or publisher, or even the screenwriter,  since Wills was a recognized Irish dramatist, novelist and painter and apparently completed the play shortly before his death in 1891, the year in which it was performed in London. Wills's play is often referred to in Joyce's ''Finnigan's Wake'' and the Wills play is also mentioned in newspapers in Australia at the start of the 20th century. 
+
==The play==
  
 +
A melodrama depicting the romantic relationship and political divorce between Napoleon and his wife Josephine. It was first performed at the Avenue Theatre, Sunderland, on 1 May, 1891 and in London on 10 September, 1891.
  
C.C. Collingham is only noted in some film websites, as the author of a play that was the source of the 1926 British historical drama film directed by Alexander Butler, a film later remade as a sound film (1938). On the [[IMDb]] site[http://www.imdb.com/filmosearch?role=nm0225133&sort=num_votes&explore=title_type],  he is quoted as one of three authors: C.C. Collingham, Walter Summers, W.G. Wills  
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== Confusion about the authorship ==
 +
 
 +
Establishing the authorship of this play has been an interesting and rather complex matter. The play is often attributed to one, or both,  of two people, namely  W.G. Wills (1828–1891) and/or  C.C. Collingham [sic], depending on the sources consulted.
 +
 
 +
Wills,  a recognized and very experienced Irish dramatist, novelist and painter, was undoubtedly one of the authors of the play, which he apparently completed shortly before his death in 1891, the year in which it was performed at the Olympic Theatre in London.
 +
 
 +
This attribution relies on the fact that the play is also referred to quite often in Joyce's ''Finnegans Wake'' where it is ascribed to Wills alone, as it is in  newspapers reports  one finds on performances in Australia at the start of the 20th century. [[Margot Bryant]], [[Freda Godfrey]]'s biographer, also refers to Wills alone when she discusses the play. 
 +
 
 +
On the other hand "C.C. Collingham" is only noted in a number of ''film'' websites, where the name is listed as the author (or co-author) of a play that was the source of the 1926 British historical drama film directed by Alexander Butler, (There is also a later film in sound, released in 1938, but the authors there are listed as Miles Malleson and Jacques Théry. There is no mention of the Wills and Collingham play[Wikipedia[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/A_Royal_Divorce_(1938_film)]]). On the [[IMDb]] site[http://www.imdb.com/filmosearch?role=nm0225133&sort=num_votes&explore=title_type],  the name is in fact quoted as one of '''three''' authors: C.C. Collingham, Walter Summers, W.G. Wills.
 +
 +
One source however, Alan Goble's ''The Complete Index of Literary Sources in Film'' , suggests (correctly, it turns out) that the text, published in 1891, is actually by BOTH authors. Why then is Collingham so often ignored? 
 +
 
 +
Besides Wills's obvious reputation, a key problem seems to be a mistake that was made with the initials, for it appears that the intials of the second author are in fact not "C.C." , but "G.G." and that the real author is '''G.G. Collingham''', the ''nom de plume'' of Mary Helen White (d.1923), also a known playwright in London. This is evident when one consults the publicity material for the play, including the 1891 posters by Albert Morrow for the first performance in 1891, which say clearly:  "''A Royal Divorce''. Playwright: W.G. Wills. Playwright: G.G. Collingham. Olympic Theatre, London. 10.9.189."[http://collections.vam.ac.uk/item/O1166660/poster-morrow-albert/] .
 +
 
 +
The third author (Summer) mentioned in the [[IMDb]] website is listed in the United States Copyright Office's ''Catalogue of Copyright Entries'' as the writer of the scenario for the 8 reel film.[http://books.google.co.za/books?id=d4TNXDqZIMUC&pg=PA324&lpg=PA324&dq=G.G.+Collingham+play&source=bl&ots=t7MmyDbmuP&sig=EWpUPDlmoYS4XzkezWK4fzKMnws&hl=en&sa=X&ei=-UkfU6bxLcqM7Ab8jICQCw&ved=0CCUQ6AEwAA#v=onepage&q=G.G.%20Collingham%20play&f=false], hence he was most probably what we today would call the scriptwriter for the film.
 +
 
 +
In another twist, the play is correctly attributed to W.G. Wills and  G.G. Collingham by [[F.C.L. Bosman]] (1980) in his discussions of the South African performances of the play (p. 408, footnote 188), but listed as a play by "'''Wilks''' and Collingham" in the ''Index'' to his volume (p.527).
 +
 
 +
==Translations and adaptations==
  
 
== Performance history in South Africa ==
 
== Performance history in South Africa ==
  
A play by this name was first performed in South Africa by [[Leonard Rayne]] in 1899; it was to become one of his greatest successes, Napoleon being his most memorable role, repeated countless times. It was also his final role before his death in 1925. The text used is uncertain, but is most probably the one by  W.G. Wills.  
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1899: The play was first performed in South Africa by [[Leonard Rayne]] in this year and was to become one of Rayne's  greatest successes, "Napoleon" being his most memorable role, repeated countless times. It was also to be his final role before his death in 1925.
 +
 
 +
1901: Performed in South Africa by [[Leonard Rayne]] and his company, ''inter alia'' in the [[Good Hope Theatre]], Cape Town, at the start of the year, with Rayne as "Napoleon" and [[Gwynne Herbert]] as "Josephine".
  
==Translations and adaptations==
+
1902: Performed in South Africa by [[Leonard Rayne]] and his company as part of a season of plays, ''inter alia'' playing in the [[Opera House]], Cape Town in September.
 +
 
 +
1903: Performed in South Africa by [[Leonard Rayne]] and his company as part of a season of plays, ''inter alia'' playing in the [[Opera House]], Cape Town in the second half of the year.
 +
 
 +
1905: Performed in South Africa by [[Leonard Rayne]] and his company as part of a season of plays, ''inter alia'' playing in the [[Opera House]], Cape Town at the start of the year.
 +
 
 +
1909: Performed in South Africa by [[Leonard Rayne]] and his company as part of a season of plays, ''inter alia'' playing in the [[Opera House]], Cape Town in February.
  
 
== Sources ==
 
== Sources ==
 +
 +
[[D.C. Boonzaier]], 1923. "My playgoing days – 30 years in the history of the Cape Town stage",  in ''SA Review'', 9 March and 24 August 1932. (Reprinted in [[F.C.L. Bosman|Bosman]] 1980: pp. 374-439.)
 +
 +
[[F.C.L. Bosman]]. 1980. ''Drama en Toneel in Suid-Afrika, Deel II, 1856-1912''. Pretoria: [[J.L. van Schaik]]: pp.408, 412, 422, 429
 +
 +
[[Margot Bryant]] 1979. ''Born To Act: The Story of [[Freda Godfrey]]''. Johannesburg: Ad Donker.
 +
 +
Alan Goble. 2011. ''The Complete Index of Literary Sources in Film''. Walter de Gruyter [http://books.google.co.za/books?id=Yyqc0Qa6b60C&pg=PA935&lpg=PA935&dq=a+royal+divorce+play&source=bl&ots=K81ivVnZxa&sig=kEnmTDgA6a9Pu5ySZ8UqiMpGbcE&hl=en&sa=X&ei=uskdU4jMAZCM7Aa1_4CQCQ&ved=0CEEQ6AEwBg#v=onepage&q=a%20royal%20divorce%20play&f=false]
 +
 
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/W._G._Wills
 
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/W._G._Wills
  
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http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/A_Royal_Divorce_(1926_film)
 
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/A_Royal_Divorce_(1926_film)
  
Alan Goble's ''The Complete Index of Literary Sources in Film'' [http://books.google.co.za/books?id=Yyqc0Qa6b60C&pg=PA935&lpg=PA935&dq=a+royal+divorce+play&source=bl&ots=K81ivVnZxa&sig=kEnmTDgA6a9Pu5ySZ8UqiMpGbcE&hl=en&sa=X&ei=uskdU4jMAZCM7Aa1_4CQCQ&ved=0CEEQ6AEwBg#v=onepage&q=a%20royal%20divorce%20play&f=false]
+
http://www.imdb.com/filmosearch?role=nm0225133&sort=num_votes&explore=title_type
  
http://www.imdb.com/filmosearch?role=nm0225133&sort=num_votes&explore=title_type
+
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0030701/
 +
 
 +
http://collections.vam.ac.uk/item/O1166660/poster-morrow-albert/
 +
 
 +
J.P. Wearing. 2013. ''The London Stage 1890-1899: A Calendar of Productions, Performers, and Personnel''. (Second, revised edition, p. 423). Scarecrow Press, Google E-book[https://books.google.co.za/books?id=nF8pAgAAQBAJ&pg=PA423&lpg=PA423&dq=The+Degenerates+by+Sydney+Grundy&source=bl&ots=hfkW_7Th6z&sig=ACfU3U0CNYqCdoRX2fVg2R6zuWUn3CkPBw&hl=en&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwj9rMGtwYbkAhX0XxUIHd8gAlYQ6AEwEHoECAgQAQ#v=onepage&q=The%20Degenerates%20by%20Sydney%20Grundy&f=false]
  
Go to [[South African Theatre/Bibliography|ESAT Bibliography]]
+
Go to [[ESAT Bibliography]]
  
 
== Return to ==
 
== Return to ==
  
Return to [[ESAT Plays 2 R|R]] in Plays II Foreign Plays
+
Return to [[PLAYS I: Original SA plays]]
 +
 
 +
Return to [[PLAYS II: Foreign plays]]
 +
 
 +
Return to [[PLAYS III: Collections]]
  
Return to [[South_African_Theatre/Plays]]
+
Return to [[PLAYS IV: Pageants and public performances]]
 +
 
 +
Return to [[South_African_Festivals|South African Festivals and Competitions]]
  
 
Return to [[The ESAT Entries]]
 
Return to [[The ESAT Entries]]
 +
 +
Return to [[Main Page]]
 +

Latest revision as of 05:45, 16 April 2021

A Royal Divorce is a play by W.G. Wills (1828–1891) [1] and G.G. Collingham ("George Gervaise Collingham", pseudonym for Mary Helen White)[].

The play

A melodrama depicting the romantic relationship and political divorce between Napoleon and his wife Josephine. It was first performed at the Avenue Theatre, Sunderland, on 1 May, 1891 and in London on 10 September, 1891.

Confusion about the authorship

Establishing the authorship of this play has been an interesting and rather complex matter. The play is often attributed to one, or both, of two people, namely W.G. Wills (1828–1891) and/or C.C. Collingham [sic], depending on the sources consulted.

Wills, a recognized and very experienced Irish dramatist, novelist and painter, was undoubtedly one of the authors of the play, which he apparently completed shortly before his death in 1891, the year in which it was performed at the Olympic Theatre in London.

This attribution relies on the fact that the play is also referred to quite often in Joyce's Finnegans Wake where it is ascribed to Wills alone, as it is in newspapers reports one finds on performances in Australia at the start of the 20th century. Margot Bryant, Freda Godfrey's biographer, also refers to Wills alone when she discusses the play.

On the other hand "C.C. Collingham" is only noted in a number of film websites, where the name is listed as the author (or co-author) of a play that was the source of the 1926 British historical drama film directed by Alexander Butler, (There is also a later film in sound, released in 1938, but the authors there are listed as Miles Malleson and Jacques Théry. There is no mention of the Wills and Collingham play[Wikipedia[2]]). On the IMDb site[3], the name is in fact quoted as one of three authors: C.C. Collingham, Walter Summers, W.G. Wills.

One source however, Alan Goble's The Complete Index of Literary Sources in Film , suggests (correctly, it turns out) that the text, published in 1891, is actually by BOTH authors. Why then is Collingham so often ignored?

Besides Wills's obvious reputation, a key problem seems to be a mistake that was made with the initials, for it appears that the intials of the second author are in fact not "C.C." , but "G.G." and that the real author is G.G. Collingham, the nom de plume of Mary Helen White (d.1923), also a known playwright in London. This is evident when one consults the publicity material for the play, including the 1891 posters by Albert Morrow for the first performance in 1891, which say clearly: "A Royal Divorce. Playwright: W.G. Wills. Playwright: G.G. Collingham. Olympic Theatre, London. 10.9.189."[4] .

The third author (Summer) mentioned in the IMDb website is listed in the United States Copyright Office's Catalogue of Copyright Entries as the writer of the scenario for the 8 reel film.[5], hence he was most probably what we today would call the scriptwriter for the film.

In another twist, the play is correctly attributed to W.G. Wills and G.G. Collingham by F.C.L. Bosman (1980) in his discussions of the South African performances of the play (p. 408, footnote 188), but listed as a play by "Wilks and Collingham" in the Index to his volume (p.527).

Translations and adaptations

Performance history in South Africa

1899: The play was first performed in South Africa by Leonard Rayne in this year and was to become one of Rayne's greatest successes, "Napoleon" being his most memorable role, repeated countless times. It was also to be his final role before his death in 1925.

1901: Performed in South Africa by Leonard Rayne and his company, inter alia in the Good Hope Theatre, Cape Town, at the start of the year, with Rayne as "Napoleon" and Gwynne Herbert as "Josephine".

1902: Performed in South Africa by Leonard Rayne and his company as part of a season of plays, inter alia playing in the Opera House, Cape Town in September.

1903: Performed in South Africa by Leonard Rayne and his company as part of a season of plays, inter alia playing in the Opera House, Cape Town in the second half of the year.

1905: Performed in South Africa by Leonard Rayne and his company as part of a season of plays, inter alia playing in the Opera House, Cape Town at the start of the year.

1909: Performed in South Africa by Leonard Rayne and his company as part of a season of plays, inter alia playing in the Opera House, Cape Town in February.

Sources

D.C. Boonzaier, 1923. "My playgoing days – 30 years in the history of the Cape Town stage", in SA Review, 9 March and 24 August 1932. (Reprinted in Bosman 1980: pp. 374-439.)

F.C.L. Bosman. 1980. Drama en Toneel in Suid-Afrika, Deel II, 1856-1912. Pretoria: J.L. van Schaik: pp.408, 412, 422, 429

Margot Bryant 1979. Born To Act: The Story of Freda Godfrey. Johannesburg: Ad Donker.

Alan Goble. 2011. The Complete Index of Literary Sources in Film. Walter de Gruyter [6]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/W._G._Wills

http://en.wikisource.org/wiki/Wills,_William_Gorman_(DNB00)

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/A_Royal_Divorce_(1926_film)

http://www.imdb.com/filmosearch?role=nm0225133&sort=num_votes&explore=title_type

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0030701/

http://collections.vam.ac.uk/item/O1166660/poster-morrow-albert/

J.P. Wearing. 2013. The London Stage 1890-1899: A Calendar of Productions, Performers, and Personnel. (Second, revised edition, p. 423). Scarecrow Press, Google E-book[7]

Go to ESAT Bibliography

Return to

Return to PLAYS I: Original SA plays

Return to PLAYS II: Foreign plays

Return to PLAYS III: Collections

Return to PLAYS IV: Pageants and public performances

Return to South African Festivals and Competitions

Return to The ESAT Entries

Return to Main Page