Difference between revisions of "J.B. Rowe"
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| − | (b. St. Just, Cornwall, **/**/1888 – d. **/**/ | + | (b. St. Just, Cornwall, **/**/1888 – d. Hendon, Middlesex, **/**/1958?). Actor/producer/playwright John Boyne Rowe was born in Cornwall and trained as an engineer. As a youth he visited a relative in California and during his time there he joined a small stock company, whose members included [[Allen Doone]] and [[Edna Keeley]]. Back in Glasgow he retained his link with the theatre as a drama critic for a London theatrical newspaper. He came to South Africa to work for a mining company in the Barberton area, but after completing his contract he decided to switch his allegiance to the stage, touring the country with the likes of [[Marie Tempest]] ([[Mary Goes First]]), [[Madge Fabian]] and [[Gertrude Elliott]] (Lady Forbes Robertson). When war broke out he joined an infantry contingent recruited in South Africa and spent some four years on active service, primarily in East Africa. |
| − | He subsequently he acted in three films for [[African Film Productions]]: [[The Symbol of Sacrifice]] ([[Dick Cruikshanks]]/1918), in which he played Louis Napoleon, the Prince Imperial, [[Bond and Word]] ([[Dick Cruikshanks]]/1918), and [[The Vulture’s Prey]] ([[Dick Cruikshanks]] & [[William Bowden]]/1920, released in 1922). He appeared in such plays as [[Within the Law]], [[Seven Days’ Leave]] and [[Romance]], as well as in [[Sweet County Kerry]] and [[The Burglar and the Lady]] for the [[Allen Doone]] Company, often acting with the likes of [[Florence Roberts]], [[Yvon Saxby]] and [[Richard Scott]]. In addition he wrote a play called [[Blackmail]], which had a successful run in 1922, and as actor-manager of the Boyne Rowe Company toured with [[Bought and Paid For]], [[The Cinderella Man]], [[When It Was Dark]], [[Nobody’s Widow]] and [[Babette]]. | + | He subsequently he acted in three films for [[African Film Productions]]: [[The Symbol of Sacrifice]] ([[Dick Cruikshanks]]/1918), in which he played Louis Napoleon, the Prince Imperial, [[Bond and Word]] ([[Dick Cruikshanks]]/1918), and [[The Vulture’s Prey]] ([[Dick Cruikshanks]] & [[William Bowden]]/1920, released in 1922). He appeared in such plays as [[Within the Law]], [[Seven Days’ Leave]] and [[Romance]], as well as in [[Sweet County Kerry]] (December 1919) and [[The Burglar and the Lady]] (January 1920) for the [[Allen Doone]] Company at the [[Standard Theatre]], often acting with the likes of [[Florence Roberts]], [[Yvon Saxby]] and [[Richard Scott]]. In addition he wrote a play called [[Blackmail]], which had a successful run in 1922, and as actor-manager of the Boyne Rowe Company toured with [[Bought and Paid For]], [[The Cinderella Man]], [[When It Was Dark]], [[Nobody’s Widow]] and [[Babette]]. |
| − | In 1922 [[Gertrude Elliott]] returned to South Africa and when she left on a tour of Australia and New Zealand, Rowe was a member of her troupe. At the conclusion of this tour he remained in Perth as producer for the local Repertory Club. From 1923 onwards he performed in (and sometimes produced) numerous plays in all the major cities and also wrote another play called ''The Reprieve'' (1924). However, in October 1929 he was in New York as part of an all-British cast of ''The Middle Watch'' and in 1930 he acted with Marie Lohr in ''Dandy Dick'' at the Lyric Theatre in Hammersmith. Thereafter he returned to Australia. By the late 1930’s he was back in England and acted in some of the very earliest television programmes for the BBC, notably an irregular five-part series of crime stories called ''Telecrime'' (1938-39), in which he appeared as Inspector Holt, television’s first police detective. He also worked in radio. | + | In 1922 [[Gertrude Elliott]] returned to South Africa and when she left on a tour of Australia and New Zealand, Rowe was a member of her troupe. At the conclusion of this tour he remained in Perth as producer for the local Repertory Club. From 1923 onwards he performed in (and sometimes produced) numerous plays in all the major cities and also wrote another play called ''The Reprieve'' (1924). However, in October 1929 he was in New York as part of an all-British cast of ''The Middle Watch'' and in 1930 he acted with Marie Lohr in ''Dandy Dick'' at the Lyric Theatre in Hammersmith. Thereafter he returned to Australia. By the late 1930’s he was back in England and acted in some of the very earliest television programmes for the BBC, notably an irregular five-part series of crime stories called ''Telecrime'' (1938-39), in which he appeared as Inspector Holt, television’s first police detective. He also worked in radio and made a final visit to South Africa in 1940. |
(Interestingly, though by 1921 he is reported to have devoted himself entirely to the theatre, the United States Patent Office has a patent for Change-Speed Gearing registered on 13 December 1921 in the name of John Boyne Rowe and Arthur Garfield Barratt, both British subjects, but living in South Africa. Rowe’s address was given as 59 Millbourne Road, Judith’s Paarl, Johannesburg.) (FO) | (Interestingly, though by 1921 he is reported to have devoted himself entirely to the theatre, the United States Patent Office has a patent for Change-Speed Gearing registered on 13 December 1921 in the name of John Boyne Rowe and Arthur Garfield Barratt, both British subjects, but living in South Africa. Rowe’s address was given as 59 Millbourne Road, Judith’s Paarl, Johannesburg.) (FO) | ||
Revision as of 20:22, 2 January 2015
(b. St. Just, Cornwall, **/**/1888 – d. Hendon, Middlesex, **/**/1958?). Actor/producer/playwright John Boyne Rowe was born in Cornwall and trained as an engineer. As a youth he visited a relative in California and during his time there he joined a small stock company, whose members included Allen Doone and Edna Keeley. Back in Glasgow he retained his link with the theatre as a drama critic for a London theatrical newspaper. He came to South Africa to work for a mining company in the Barberton area, but after completing his contract he decided to switch his allegiance to the stage, touring the country with the likes of Marie Tempest (Mary Goes First), Madge Fabian and Gertrude Elliott (Lady Forbes Robertson). When war broke out he joined an infantry contingent recruited in South Africa and spent some four years on active service, primarily in East Africa.
He subsequently he acted in three films for African Film Productions: The Symbol of Sacrifice (Dick Cruikshanks/1918), in which he played Louis Napoleon, the Prince Imperial, Bond and Word (Dick Cruikshanks/1918), and The Vulture’s Prey (Dick Cruikshanks & William Bowden/1920, released in 1922). He appeared in such plays as Within the Law, Seven Days’ Leave and Romance, as well as in Sweet County Kerry (December 1919) and The Burglar and the Lady (January 1920) for the Allen Doone Company at the Standard Theatre, often acting with the likes of Florence Roberts, Yvon Saxby and Richard Scott. In addition he wrote a play called Blackmail, which had a successful run in 1922, and as actor-manager of the Boyne Rowe Company toured with Bought and Paid For, The Cinderella Man, When It Was Dark, Nobody’s Widow and Babette.
In 1922 Gertrude Elliott returned to South Africa and when she left on a tour of Australia and New Zealand, Rowe was a member of her troupe. At the conclusion of this tour he remained in Perth as producer for the local Repertory Club. From 1923 onwards he performed in (and sometimes produced) numerous plays in all the major cities and also wrote another play called The Reprieve (1924). However, in October 1929 he was in New York as part of an all-British cast of The Middle Watch and in 1930 he acted with Marie Lohr in Dandy Dick at the Lyric Theatre in Hammersmith. Thereafter he returned to Australia. By the late 1930’s he was back in England and acted in some of the very earliest television programmes for the BBC, notably an irregular five-part series of crime stories called Telecrime (1938-39), in which he appeared as Inspector Holt, television’s first police detective. He also worked in radio and made a final visit to South Africa in 1940.
(Interestingly, though by 1921 he is reported to have devoted himself entirely to the theatre, the United States Patent Office has a patent for Change-Speed Gearing registered on 13 December 1921 in the name of John Boyne Rowe and Arthur Garfield Barratt, both British subjects, but living in South Africa. Rowe’s address was given as 59 Millbourne Road, Judith’s Paarl, Johannesburg.) (FO)
Sources
The Sydney Morning Herald, 16 October 1926
Western Mail, Perth, 1 November 1928
The Sydney Morning Herald, 24 May 1930
http://www.ausstage.edu.au/pages/contributor/237943
http://www.imdb.com/name/nm1594621/?ref_=fn_nm_nm_1
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