fbpx
Wikipedia

Alan Melville (writer)

May 22, 2023

Alan Melville (9 April 1910 – 24 December 1983) was an English broadcaster, writer, actor, raconteur, producer, playwright and wit.[1]

Alan Melville
BornWilliam Melville Caverhill
9 April 1910
Berwick-Upon-Tweed, Northumberland, England
Died24 December 1983 (age 73)
Brighton, East Sussex, England
Occupation
  • broadcaster
  • writer
  • actor
  • producer
  • playwright
  • raconteur

Biography

Born William Melville Caverhill in Berwick-upon-Tweed, Northumberland, England, he was educated in his home town and then a boarder at the Edinburgh Academy. Leaving school at 17, he started work in the family timber merchants as an apprentice joiner. At the age of 22, he entered an essay competition in John O'Leary's Weekly with an essay entitled My Perfect Holiday and won the first prize; a return trip to Canada (1934). Soon afterwards he sent the BBC North Region six short stories called The Adventures of the Pink Knight (1934), which were accepted and used on Children's Hour. He was required to read the stories himself, his first professional engagement. He continued to write from the timber yard, his short stories, poems, manuscripts sometimes being accepted by various publishers. He wrote his first novel, a whodunit called Weekend at Thrackley,[2] which was accepted and published and later made into a film called Hot Ice.[3]

Melville left the timber yard and struggled on his own for a while until he met a composer called George McNeill. Together they turned out number after number, Melville writing the lyrics. In 1936 the BBC offered him a job as a scriptwriter in the variety department in London under Eric Maschwitz at £250 per year. After a three-month training course, he was sent to the Aberdeen radio station as features and drama producer.

In the early part of World War II, he compiled daily instalments of the Robinson Family serial about an ordinary family in London on the BBC's North American Service. In 1941 he enlisted in the RAF where he reached the rank of Wing Commander. He worked as a war correspondent sending regular dispatches to the BBC. His experience enabled him to write First Tide.[4] He was with the Allied Invasion force of 1944 and took part in the Normandy landings, sending back reports to the BBC; then onto Brussels and in Germany for the surrender. He was sent back to London on embarkation leave, after which he should have gone to the Far East but was kept for an RAF pageant in the Royal Albert Hall, which he scripted and Ralph Reader directed with 1,500 RAF personnel.

During the war years he wrote revues, Sweet and Low, Sweeter and Lower and Sweetest and Lowest, which ran in all for five years at the Ambassadors Theatre. After its success, he was signed up on a five-year contract for London Films by Alexander Korda.[5] Melville's collaboration with composer Charles Zwar began in 1942 when they wrote Which Witch? for Sky High; they continued to work together for some of the numbers in Sweeter and Lower and for all of Sweetest and Lowest.

After the war he wrote plays including Castle in the Air (1949; filmed in 1952), Full Circle (1952, previously Dear Charles and adapted from Les Enfants d'Edouard by Marc-Gilbert Sauvajon and Frederick J. Jackson), Simon and Laura 1954, which was later made into a film in 1955, and the book and lyrics for the musical Gay's the Word (1950, music by Ivor Novello). The musical premiered at the Palace Theatre, Manchester in 1950 and transferred to the Saville Theatre in London in 1951, where it ran for 504 performances and starred Cicely Courtneidge, Lizbeth Webb and Thorley Walters.

In 1951, Melville wrote the musical Bet Your Life, with music by Kenneth Leslie Smith and Charles Zwar and starring Arthur Askey and Julie Wilson. A few years later he wrote the musical Marigold based on the play by Francis R. Pryor and L Allen Harker; the score was composed by Charles Zwar and it starred Jean Kent, Sally Smith, Sophie Stewart and Jeremy Brett.

Alan Melville became one of Britain's first television stars.[6] He became chairman of The Brains Trust and a panelist in What's My Line? He wrote and appeared in many television programmes, among them A to Z, which ran for two years (1957–58) and played host to more than 400 guests including Bob Hope, Phil Silvers, John Dankworth and Dame Edith Evans.

Merely Melville, one of his television programmes, he used as a title for his autobiography.[7] He took the leading role from Ian Carmichael in the play Gazebo at the Savoy Theatre. Moira Lister was his co-star.

He moved to Brighton in 1951 and died at the age of 73 in December 1983 at the Royal Sussex County Hospital, Brighton, where he had been a patient since November. He was cremated in the Downs Crematorium, Brighton, on 12 January 1984.[8]

Works

Plays

  • Castle in the Air
  • Dear Charles
  • Simon and Laura
  • Jonathan
  • Devil May Care
  • Mrs. Willie
  • Top Secret
  • Change of Tune
  • The Bargain (in America)
  • Everything Happens on a Friday
  • Top Priority
  • Grande Dame
  • Demandez Vicky (European production)
  • Finder Bitte Melden (European production)
  • Content to Whisper
  • Here is the News (Paradise Island)

Fiction

  • Weekend at Thrackley (London, Skeffington & Son, 1934, Re-published British Library Publishing Division, 2018, ISBN 978-0712352116)
  • Quick Curtain (London, Skeffington & Son, 1934. Re-published British Library Publishing Division, 2015, ISBN 978-0712357890)
  • The Vicar in Hell (London, Skeffington & Son, 1935)
  • Eleven Twenty-Seven [as Neil Carruthers] (London, Rich & Cowan, 1935)
  • Death of Anton (London, Skeffington & Son, 1936. Re-published British Library Crime Series, 2015, ISBN 978-0712357883)
  • Warning to Critics: A Murder aka The Critic on the Hearth (London, Skeffington & Son, 1936)

Non-fiction

  • Myself When Young (London, Max Parish, 1955, ASIN:B0000CJALP)
  • First Tide (London, Skeffington & Son, 1944, ASIN:B00MJ94BJQ)
  • Gnomes & Gardens (London, Heinemann/Quixote Press, 1983,ISBN 978-0434980413)

Revues and musicals

  • Sky High, 1942
  • Sweet and Low, 1943
  • Sweeter and Lower, 1944
  • Sweetest and Lowest, 1946
  • Between Ourselves, 1946
  • A la Carte, 1948
  • Bet Your Life, 1952
  • At the Lyric, 1953
  • Going to Town, 1956
  • All Square, 1963
  • Gay's the Word (with Ivor Novello), 1950
  • Marigold, 1959

TV series

Bibliography

References

  1. ^ ‘MELVILLE, Alan (William Melville Caverhill)’, Who Was Who, A & C Black, an imprint of Bloomsbury Publishing plc, 1920–2016; online edn, Oxford University Press, 2014 ; online edn, April 2014 accessed 17 July 2017
  2. ^ London, Skeffington & Son, 1934: ASIN: B00E7BZG7K
  3. ^ IMDB
  4. ^ London, Skeffington & Son, 1944: ASIN: B00MJ94BJQ
  5. ^ IMDB
  6. ^ Old-Time Variety: an Illustrated History by Richard Anthony Baker Remember When 2011 page 30
  7. ^ published by Hodder & Stoughton Ltd; (16 November 1970)
  8. ^ The Times obituary, 27 December 1983

External links

  • Selected plays by Alan Melville in University of Bristol Theatre Archive
  • Desert Island Discs
  • Internet Movie Database
  • Internet Broadway Database

May 22, 2023
alan, melville, writer, alan, melville, april, 1910, december, 1983, english, broadcaster, writer, actor, raconteur, producer, playwright, alan, melvillebornwilliam, melville, caverhill9, april, 1910berwick, upon, tweed, northumberland, englanddied24, december. Alan Melville 9 April 1910 24 December 1983 was an English broadcaster writer actor raconteur producer playwright and wit 1 Alan MelvilleBornWilliam Melville Caverhill9 April 1910Berwick Upon Tweed Northumberland EnglandDied24 December 1983 age 73 Brighton East Sussex EnglandOccupationbroadcasterwriteractorproducerplaywrightraconteur Contents 1 Biography 2 Works 2 1 Plays 2 2 Fiction 2 3 Non fiction 2 4 Revues and musicals 2 5 TV series 2 6 Bibliography 3 References 4 External linksBiography EditBorn William Melville Caverhill in Berwick upon Tweed Northumberland England he was educated in his home town and then a boarder at the Edinburgh Academy Leaving school at 17 he started work in the family timber merchants as an apprentice joiner At the age of 22 he entered an essay competition in John O Leary s Weekly with an essay entitled My Perfect Holiday and won the first prize a return trip to Canada 1934 Soon afterwards he sent the BBC North Region six short stories called The Adventures of the Pink Knight 1934 which were accepted and used on Children s Hour He was required to read the stories himself his first professional engagement He continued to write from the timber yard his short stories poems manuscripts sometimes being accepted by various publishers He wrote his first novel a whodunit called Weekend at Thrackley 2 which was accepted and published and later made into a film called Hot Ice 3 Melville left the timber yard and struggled on his own for a while until he met a composer called George McNeill Together they turned out number after number Melville writing the lyrics In 1936 the BBC offered him a job as a scriptwriter in the variety department in London under Eric Maschwitz at 250 per year After a three month training course he was sent to the Aberdeen radio station as features and drama producer In the early part of World War II he compiled daily instalments of the Robinson Family serial about an ordinary family in London on the BBC s North American Service In 1941 he enlisted in the RAF where he reached the rank of Wing Commander He worked as a war correspondent sending regular dispatches to the BBC His experience enabled him to write First Tide 4 He was with the Allied Invasion force of 1944 and took part in the Normandy landings sending back reports to the BBC then onto Brussels and in Germany for the surrender He was sent back to London on embarkation leave after which he should have gone to the Far East but was kept for an RAF pageant in the Royal Albert Hall which he scripted and Ralph Reader directed with 1 500 RAF personnel During the war years he wrote revues Sweet and Low Sweeter and Lower and Sweetest and Lowest which ran in all for five years at the Ambassadors Theatre After its success he was signed up on a five year contract for London Films by Alexander Korda 5 Melville s collaboration with composer Charles Zwar began in 1942 when they wrote Which Witch for Sky High they continued to work together for some of the numbers in Sweeter and Lower and for all of Sweetest and Lowest After the war he wrote plays including Castle in the Air 1949 filmed in 1952 Full Circle 1952 previously Dear Charles and adapted from Les Enfants d Edouard by Marc Gilbert Sauvajon and Frederick J Jackson Simon and Laura 1954 which was later made into a film in 1955 and the book and lyrics for the musical Gay s the Word 1950 music by Ivor Novello The musical premiered at the Palace Theatre Manchester in 1950 and transferred to the Saville Theatre in London in 1951 where it ran for 504 performances and starred Cicely Courtneidge Lizbeth Webb and Thorley Walters In 1951 Melville wrote the musical Bet Your Life with music by Kenneth Leslie Smith and Charles Zwar and starring Arthur Askey and Julie Wilson A few years later he wrote the musical Marigold based on the play by Francis R Pryor and L Allen Harker the score was composed by Charles Zwar and it starred Jean Kent Sally Smith Sophie Stewart and Jeremy Brett Alan Melville became one of Britain s first television stars 6 He became chairman of The Brains Trust and a panelist in What s My Line He wrote and appeared in many television programmes among them A to Z which ran for two years 1957 58 and played host to more than 400 guests including Bob Hope Phil Silvers John Dankworth and Dame Edith Evans Merely Melville one of his television programmes he used as a title for his autobiography 7 He took the leading role from Ian Carmichael in the play Gazebo at the Savoy Theatre Moira Lister was his co star He moved to Brighton in 1951 and died at the age of 73 in December 1983 at the Royal Sussex County Hospital Brighton where he had been a patient since November He was cremated in the Downs Crematorium Brighton on 12 January 1984 8 Works EditPlays Edit Castle in the Air Dear Charles Simon and Laura Jonathan Devil May Care Mrs Willie Top Secret Change of Tune The Bargain in America Everything Happens on a Friday Top Priority Grande Dame Demandez Vicky European production Finder Bitte Melden European production Content to Whisper Here is the News Paradise Island Fiction Edit Weekend at Thrackley London Skeffington amp Son 1934 Re published British Library Publishing Division 2018 ISBN 978 0712352116 Quick Curtain London Skeffington amp Son 1934 Re published British Library Publishing Division 2015 ISBN 978 0712357890 The Vicar in Hell London Skeffington amp Son 1935 Eleven Twenty Seven as Neil Carruthers London Rich amp Cowan 1935 Death of Anton London Skeffington amp Son 1936 Re published British Library Crime Series 2015 ISBN 978 0712357883 Warning to Critics A Murder aka The Critic on the Hearth London Skeffington amp Son 1936 Non fiction Edit Myself When Young London Max Parish 1955 ASIN B0000CJALP First Tide London Skeffington amp Son 1944 ASIN B00MJ94BJQ Gnomes amp Gardens London Heinemann Quixote Press 1983 ISBN 978 0434980413 Revues and musicals Edit Sky High 1942 Sweet and Low 1943 Sweeter and Lower 1944 Sweetest and Lowest 1946 Between Ourselves 1946 A la Carte 1948 Bet Your Life 1952 At the Lyric 1953 Going to Town 1956 All Square 1963 Gay s the Word with Ivor Novello 1950 Marigold 1959TV series Edit Melville Mixture 1953 The Brains Trust 1955 57 What s My Line 1956 61 A to Z 1957 58 Merely Melville 1958 Points of View 1962 Call My Bluff 1966 Melvillainy 1962 Raise your Glasses 1962 The Whitehall Worrier 1967 The Very Merry Widow 1967 69 Misleading Cases 1967 68 Before the Fringe 1967 68 Brighton Belle 1972Bibliography Edit Merely Melville an autobiography London Hodder amp Stoughton 1970 ISBN 978 0340125946 References Edit MELVILLE Alan William Melville Caverhill Who Was Who A amp C Black an imprint of Bloomsbury Publishing plc 1920 2016 online edn Oxford University Press 2014 online edn April 2014 accessed 17 July 2017 London Skeffington amp Son 1934 ASIN B00E7BZG7K IMDB London Skeffington amp Son 1944 ASIN B00MJ94BJQ IMDB Old Time Variety an Illustrated History by Richard Anthony Baker Remember When 2011 page 30 published by Hodder amp Stoughton Ltd 16 November 1970 The Times obituary 27 December 1983External links EditSelected plays by Alan Melville in University of Bristol Theatre Archive Desert Island Discs Internet Movie Database Internet Broadway Database Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Alan Melville writer amp oldid 1138148675, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,

article

, read, download, free, free download, mp3, video, mp4, 3gp, jpg, jpeg, gif, png, picture, music, song, movie, book, game, games.