Henry Lytton, Jr. (2 July 1906 – 16 September 1965) was a British actor and singer who after a career in film and musical comedy ended as a pantomime dame and Ringmaster of the famous Blackpool Tower Circus in Blackpool.[1]
'Harry' Lytton was born as Lord Alver Lytton in Chiswick in 1906, the youngest child of Gilbert and Sullivan performers Henry Lytton and Louie Henri.[2] He was disinherited from his father's will as Lytton Sr. disapproved of his son's marriage to Jessie Matthews and his following a career in the theatre.[3] However, on her death in 1947 he found himself in the will of his mother.[4]
He was in The Charlot Show of 1925, while in the following year he was appearing as Reggie opposite the singer and dancer Jessie Matthews in The Charlot Show of 1926 at the Prince of Wales Theatre in London;[5][6] following a whirlwind romance the two married in Hammersmith in London on 17 February 1926, aged 19 and 18 respectively.[7] They divorced in November 1929 owing to Lytton's numerous infidelities. Lytton played Lord Campton in the musical comedyVirginia (1929) at the Palace Theatre in London and after on tour.[6] In 1931 he was touring in the musical Here Comes The Bride opposite the Hollywood actress Pola Negri.[8] He married the actress Barbara Joan Weale (1906-2000) in Kensington in London in 1931,[9][10] and by 1939 the couple were living in Sunbury-on-Thames.[11]
His film roles included George in After Dinner (1938) in which his wife Barbara Lytton also appeared, and George in Laugh It Off (1940),[14] opposite Tommy Trinder in both, while his television appearances included four episodes of The Charlie Chester Show (1951).
From 1954 to his death Lytton lived at 229 St Walburgas Road in Blackpool in Lancashire, having moved there to take over as Ringmaster each summer at the Blackpool Tower Circus, a position he held to his death.[15] During the Christmas period Lytton would appear as a pantomime dame, on one occasion appearing as such in Goody Two Shoes opposite Roy Hudd at the Empire Theatre in Leeds.[16] Other panto appearances included Dame Horner in Jack and Jill (1948-1949) at the Manchester Hippodrome, Dame Horner in Jack and Jill (1951-1952) and Queen Hysteria in Little Miss Muffet (1952-1953, 1958-1959), the latter all at the New Palace Theatre of Varieties in Plymouth.[17]
Henry Lytton, Jr. died of a heart attack in Blackpool in 1965 aged 59. In his will he left £1,205 to his widow Barbara Joan Lytton.[18]
^London, England, Church of England Births and Baptisms, 1813-1917 for Lord Alver Lytton, Ealing, St Alban, Acton Green, 1888-1906: Ancestry.com (subscription required)
^Jones, Brian, Lytton: Gilbert and Sullivan's Jester, Basingstoke Books, London (2005) pg. 192
^Will of Dame Louie Lytton (1947), The London Gazette, 31 October 1947, p. 5167
^Hudd, Roy, A Fart in a Colander: The Autobiography, Michael O'Mara Books (2010)
^New Palace Theatre of Varieties, Plymouth, Old Plymouth website
^England & Wales, National Probate Calendar (Index of Wills and Administrations), 1858-1995 for Lord Alver Lytton, 1965: Ancestry.com (subscription required)
henry, lytton, henry, lytton, july, 1906, september, 1965, british, actor, singer, after, career, film, musical, comedy, ended, pantomime, dame, ringmaster, famous, blackpool, tower, circus, blackpool, harry, lytton, born, lord, alver, lytton, chiswick, 1906, . Henry Lytton Jr 2 July 1906 16 September 1965 was a British actor and singer who after a career in film and musical comedy ended as a pantomime dame and Ringmaster of the famous Blackpool Tower Circus in Blackpool 1 Harry Lytton was born as Lord Alver Lytton in Chiswick in 1906 the youngest child of Gilbert and Sullivan performers Henry Lytton and Louie Henri 2 He was disinherited from his father s will as Lytton Sr disapproved of his son s marriage to Jessie Matthews and his following a career in the theatre 3 However on her death in 1947 he found himself in the will of his mother 4 He was in The Charlot Show of 1925 while in the following year he was appearing as Reggie opposite the singer and dancer Jessie Matthews in The Charlot Show of 1926 at the Prince of Wales Theatre in London 5 6 following a whirlwind romance the two married in Hammersmith in London on 17 February 1926 aged 19 and 18 respectively 7 They divorced in November 1929 owing to Lytton s numerous infidelities Lytton played Lord Campton in the musical comedy Virginia 1929 at the Palace Theatre in London and after on tour 6 In 1931 he was touring in the musical Here Comes The Bride opposite the Hollywood actress Pola Negri 8 He married the actress Barbara Joan Weale 1906 2000 in Kensington in London in 1931 9 10 and by 1939 the couple were living in Sunbury on Thames 11 Lytton appeared in the pantomime Goody Two Shoes at the Grand Theatre in Leeds 1938 12 in High Time 1946 1947 with Nat Jackley and Tessie O Shea and in Here There and Everywhere 1947 1948 opposite Tommy Trinder both at the London Palladium 13 His film roles included George in After Dinner 1938 in which his wife Barbara Lytton also appeared and George in Laugh It Off 1940 14 opposite Tommy Trinder in both while his television appearances included four episodes of The Charlie Chester Show 1951 From 1954 to his death Lytton lived at 229 St Walburgas Road in Blackpool in Lancashire having moved there to take over as Ringmaster each summer at the Blackpool Tower Circus a position he held to his death 15 During the Christmas period Lytton would appear as a pantomime dame on one occasion appearing as such in Goody Two Shoes opposite Roy Hudd at the Empire Theatre in Leeds 16 Other panto appearances included Dame Horner in Jack and Jill 1948 1949 at the Manchester Hippodrome Dame Horner in Jack and Jill 1951 1952 and Queen Hysteria in Little Miss Muffet 1952 1953 1958 1959 the latter all at the New Palace Theatre of Varieties in Plymouth 17 Henry Lytton Jr died of a heart attack in Blackpool in 1965 aged 59 In his will he left 1 205 to his widow Barbara Joan Lytton 18 References Edit Profile for Charlie Cairoli Circopedia website London England Church of England Births and Baptisms 1813 1917 for Lord Alver Lytton Ealing St Alban Acton Green 1888 1906 Ancestry com subscription required Jones Brian Lytton Gilbert and Sullivan s Jester Basingstoke Books London 2005 pg 192 Will of Dame Louie Lytton 1947 The London Gazette 31 October 1947 p 5167 Jessie Matthews 1907 1981 encyclopedia com a b London Revues 1925 1929 Over the Footlights website England amp Wales Civil Registration Marriage Index 1916 2005 for Lord A Lytton 1926 Ancestry com subscription required Rudolf Valentino and Charlie Chaplin s sweetheart stars at the Manchester Hippodrome Manchester Theatre History website England amp Wales Civil Registration Marriage Index 1916 2005 for Lord A Lytton 1931 Ancestry com subscription required ALVA LYTTON RE WEDS Son of the Actor Sir Henry Lytton Takes Joan Barbara Weale as Bride The New York Times 17 May 1931 1939 England and Wales Register for Lord Alva Lytton Middlesex Sunbury on Thames UD Ancestry com subscription required Poster for Goody Two Shoes 1938 The Victoria and Albert Museum Collection London Revues 1945 1949 Over the Footlights website Laugh It Off 1940 British Film Institute Database Blackpool Tower Circus National Fairground and Circus Archive at the University of Sheffield Hudd Roy A Fart in a Colander The Autobiography Michael O Mara Books 2010 New Palace Theatre of Varieties Plymouth Old Plymouth website England amp Wales National Probate Calendar Index of Wills and Administrations 1858 1995 for Lord Alver Lytton 1965 Ancestry com subscription required External links EditHenry Lytton Jr at IMDb Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Henry Lytton Jr amp oldid 1106166535, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
