Life and career Tom Walls

1 life , career

1.1 years
1.2 actor manager
1.3 later career

life , career
early years

walls born in kingsthorpe, northampton, son of john william walls, plumber , builder, , wife, ellen, née brewer. educated @ northampton county school, after tried variety of jobs, working in canada year and, on return, joining metropolitan police.

in 1905 walls embarked on stage career. first engagement member of seafront pierrot troupe in brighton. played in pantomime in aladdin @ glasgow in 1905–06 season, under management of robert courtneidge. performed in concert party , in musical comedy, touring british provinces , north america jester in scarlet mysteries. in 1907 made west end debut, playing ensign ruffler in sir roger de coverley @ empire, leicester square.

walls appeared in edwardian musical comedies in west end , on tour 1908 1921. in february 1910 married alice hilda edwards, actress on musical comedy stage. had 1 son, tom kenneth walls. during 1910–11, walls toured in australia, playing peter doody in arcadians, mr. hook in miss hook of holland, , marquis de st. gautier in belle of brittany.

back in london, walls had substantial roles in sunshine girl (1912); marriage market (1913) , country girl (1915). later in 1915 played coquenard in revival of messager s veronique; between , 1921 appeared in 9 other musical comedies , pantomime. best known show of these years kissing time (1919), in played colonel bolinger opposite leslie henson. biographer, sean fielding, writes, forte portrayal of amiable philanderers or eccentric older gentlemen, forceful, hectoring manner.

actor manager

walls went partnership henson , became managing director of tom walls , leslie henson, ltd, controlling several touring companies. in 1922 partnership presented farce tons of money @ shaftesbury theatre. great popular success, running 2 years. walls played supporting role in piece , cast ralph lynn in leading part, propelling lynn stardom. walls took lease of aldwych theatre, , henson presented farce, pays advertise, ran 600 performances. replace piece, walls acquired rights farce, cuckoo in nest ben travers.

walls , lynn co-starred in aldwych productions, , travers careful maintain equilibrium of stage partnership ensuring each had many funny lines other. initially, travers found walls difficult actor-manager, , distressingly unprepared actor. walls s calls stage manager lines became popular part of opening nights @ aldwych.

there twelve aldwych farces under walls s management. first 8 averaged runs of 369 performances. last 4 did less well, averaging under 150 performances. walls gathered regular troupe of supporting actors, including robertson hare, mary brough , winifred shotter. travers wrote these players, drawing on strengths, plays populated by:

the horsy, cunning tom walls; silly ass ralph lynn, dropping monocle; bald, clerkish, respectable robertson hare liable @ point in play have trousers removed logical reasons; slim, pretty winifred shotter, equally liable dash across stage in underclothes; , mary brough, gruff, suspicious landlady.

in 1935 tom walls prominent name showing on hoarding in knighsbridge lady in danger @ yvonne arnold theatre

later career

walls made foray films in 1924 in silent screen version of tons of money, though did not reprise stage role. when talkies arrived, walls moved focus away theatre , cinema. directed seventeen films between 1930 , 1938, acting in of them. directed last, old iron, @ end of 1930s. in 1930s, walls , lynn regularly appeared in lists of top ten british film stars. walls outranked lynn in top ratings, because, in words of critic jeffrey richards, warmed old reprobate whereas silly ass not s taste.

walls continued act on screen in both comedies , dramas until death, playing character roles in other directors films. in 1943 appeared in serious film undercover father of guerrilla leader in yugoslavia. final film interrupted journey (1949).

in private life walls s great passion flat racing. in 1927 established stable @ home in ewell, surrey, twenty-five horses @ 1 time. on next twenty years horses won 150 races, including 1932 derby won april fifth. expense of stables, lavish lifestyle, severe drain on walls s finances.

in 1939 walls took on alexandra theatre in london suburb stoke newington, ran repertory theatre. on tour , @ shaftesbury theatre produced , acted in farce wilfred eyre, majesty s guest (1939). toured in springtime henry (1940), of manchester guardian commented, mr. tom walls is, of course, outstanding. deliciously amusing, masterly attention detail, progress sin virtue , again delight watch . following year toured in frederick lonsdale s canaries sing, , in 1942 presented , starred in farce, why not to-night? on tour , @ ambassadors in london.

his last stage appearance in 1948, in revival of barretts of wimpole street, in performance tyrannical edward moulton-barrett thought lack menace.

walls died @ home in ewell, surrey @ age of 66. ashes scattered on epsom racecourse.