Hetty King
Encyclopedia
Winifred Emms best known by her stage name
Hetty King, was an English
entertainer who played in the music hall
s over a period of 70 years.
, a seaside resort in Cheshire
, and performed with her father on the beach in a company of minstrels.
who used the stage name of Will King. By 1905, she was appearing in music halls, with her solo act, as a male impersonator, often dressed as a "swell
". Her career spanned both World Wars when she performed in the uniform of either a soldier or a sailor. In the First World War her act included, in 1916, "Songs the soldiers sing" when she sang some of the less rude of the songs invented by soldiers in the trenches.
She also played the "principal boy
" in many pantomime
s. She continued to entertain until the end of her life, touring with the show Thanks for the Memory.
Her half sister Olive Emms was also an actress and half brother, Harold Emms, wrote many of Hetty's songs with his French
wife, Francine
The family were not related to H. Vernon Watson (1886–1949), the music hall artist performing under the sobriquet Nosmo King
.
Hetty King was cremated at Golders Green Crematorium
.
by the theatre charity The Music Hall Guild of Great Britain and America
.
Hetty King appeared in the movie Lilacs In The Spring (1954) which was directed by Herbert Wilcox
and starred Anna Neagle
and Errol Flynn
.
Stage name
A stage name, also called a showbiz name or screen name, is a pseudonym used by performers and entertainers such as actors, wrestlers, comedians, and musicians.-Motivation to use a stage name:...
Hetty King, was an English
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
entertainer who played in the music hall
Music hall
Music Hall is a type of British theatrical entertainment which was popular between 1850 and 1960. The term can refer to:# A particular form of variety entertainment involving a mixture of popular song, comedy and speciality acts...
s over a period of 70 years.
Birth
Emms was born in New BrightonNew Brighton, Merseyside
New Brighton is a seaside resort forming part of the town of Wallasey, in the Metropolitan Borough of Wirral, in the metropolitan county of Merseyside, England. It is located at the northeastern tip of the Wirral Peninsula, within the historic county boundaries of Cheshire, and has sandy beaches...
, a seaside resort in Cheshire
Cheshire
Cheshire is a ceremonial county in North West England. Cheshire's county town is the city of Chester, although its largest town is Warrington. Other major towns include Widnes, Congleton, Crewe, Ellesmere Port, Runcorn, Macclesfield, Winsford, Northwich, and Wilmslow...
, and performed with her father on the beach in a company of minstrels.
Career
Emms adopted the name Hetty King when she first appeared on the stage of the Shoreditch Theatre, at the age of six with her father, William Emms (1856–1954), a comedianComedian
A comedian or comic is a person who seeks to entertain an audience, primarily by making them laugh. This might be through jokes or amusing situations, or acting a fool, as in slapstick, or employing prop comedy...
who used the stage name of Will King. By 1905, she was appearing in music halls, with her solo act, as a male impersonator, often dressed as a "swell
Dandy
A dandy is a man who places particular importance upon physical appearance, refined language, and leisurely hobbies, pursued with the appearance of nonchalance in a cult of Self...
". Her career spanned both World Wars when she performed in the uniform of either a soldier or a sailor. In the First World War her act included, in 1916, "Songs the soldiers sing" when she sang some of the less rude of the songs invented by soldiers in the trenches.
She also played the "principal boy
Principal boy
In pantomime, a principal boy role is the young male protagonist of the play, traditionally played by a young actress in boy's clothes.The tradition grew out of laws restricting the use of child actors in London theatre, and the responsibility carried by such lead roles...
" in many pantomime
Pantomime
Pantomime — not to be confused with a mime artist, a theatrical performer of mime—is a musical-comedy theatrical production traditionally found in the United Kingdom, Australia, New Zealand, Canada, Jamaica, South Africa, India, Ireland, Gibraltar and Malta, and is mostly performed during the...
s. She continued to entertain until the end of her life, touring with the show Thanks for the Memory.
Family
She was married to actor and writer Ernie Lotinga (aka Ernest) (1876–1951), born in Sunderland. Her husband was a music hall comedian, singer and theatre proprietor, appearing as Dan Roe from 1898; who appeared in films in the 1920s and 1930s, often as the comic character PC Jimmy Josser.Her half sister Olive Emms was also an actress and half brother, Harold Emms, wrote many of Hetty's songs with his French
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
wife, Francine
The family were not related to H. Vernon Watson (1886–1949), the music hall artist performing under the sobriquet Nosmo King
H. Vernon Watson
H. Vernon Watson , better known as his character Nosmo King, was a popular English variety artist. He was touring the music halls before World War I, but he remained relatively obscure until the 1920s, when he shot to fame as Nosmo King....
.
Hetty King was cremated at Golders Green Crematorium
Golders Green Crematorium
Golders Green Crematorium and Mausoleum was the first crematorium to be opened in London, and one of the oldest crematoria in Britain. The land for the crematorium was purchased in 1900, costing £6,000, and was opened in 1902 by Sir Henry Thompson....
.
Commemoration
On the 8th November 2010 a commemorative blue plaque was erected to Hetty at her last residence in WimbledonWimbledon, London
Wimbledon is a district in the south west area of London, England, located south of Wandsworth, and east of Kingston upon Thames. It is situated within Greater London. It is home to the Wimbledon Tennis Championships and New Wimbledon Theatre, and contains Wimbledon Common, one of the largest areas...
by the theatre charity The Music Hall Guild of Great Britain and America
The Music Hall Guild of Great Britain and America
The Music Hall Guild of Great Britain and America is a registered theatre charity and non-profit making theatre organisation based in London and was founded by Adrian Barry in 1992...
.
Songs recorded
- All the nice Girls Love a Sailor - Also known as Ship Ahoy
- Piccadilly
- Tell her the Old, Old Story
- Down by the Riverside
- I'm Going Away
- Now I'm Home Again
- Bye Bye Batchelor Days
- Love 'em & Leave 'em Alone
- Fill 'em up
- Oh Girls, why do you Love the Soldiers
- What Does A Sailor Care?
Film
Towards the end of Hetty's career she appeared in a film, aged 87, entitled Hetty King - Performer (1970)Hetty King appeared in the movie Lilacs In The Spring (1954) which was directed by Herbert Wilcox
Herbert Wilcox
Herbert Sydney Wilcox was a British film producer and director.-Early life:Wilcox's mother was from County Cork, Ireland, but he was born in Norwood and attended school in Brighton...
and starred Anna Neagle
Anna Neagle
Forming a professional alliance with Wilcox, Neagle played her first starring film role in the musical Goodnight Vienna , again with Jack Buchanan. With this film Neagle became an overnight favourite...
and Errol Flynn
Errol Flynn
Errol Leslie Flynn was an Australian-born actor. He was known for his romantic swashbuckler roles in Hollywood films, being a legend and his flamboyant lifestyle.-Early life:...
.