Johnston Forbes-Robertson
Encyclopedia
Sir Johnston Forbes-Robertson (January 16, 1853 – November 6, 1937) was an English
actor
and theatre manager. He was considered the finest Hamlet
of the nineteenth century and one of the finest actors of his time, despite his dislike of the job and his lifelong belief that he was temperamentally unsuited to acting.
, he was the eldest of the eleven children of John Forbes-Robertson, a theatre critic and journalist from Aberdeen, and his wife Frances. One of his sisters Frances (1866–1956) and three of his brothers, Ian Forbes-Robertson (1859–1936), Norman Forbes-Robertson
(1858–1932) and John Kelt (Eric Forbes-Robertson) (1865–1935) also became actors. He was the brother-in-law of famed actress Maxine Elliott
. The uncle of Roy Harrod
the economist and he was also the great-uncle of actress Meriel Forbes
(granddaughter of his brother Norman), who married the actor Sir Ralph Richardson
.
He was educated at Charterhouse
. Originally intending to become an artist, he initially trained for three years at the Royal Academy
. He began a theatrical career, out of a desire to be self-supporting, when the dramatist William Gorman Wills
, who had seen him in private theatricals. offered him a role in his play Mary Queen of Scots.
His many performances led him into, among other things, travel to the U.S.
, and work with Sir Henry Irving. He was hailed as one of the most individual and refined of English actors. He was a personal friend of the Duke of Sutherland
and his family and often stayed with them at Trentham Hall; he is known to have recommended to them various writers and musicians in dire need of assistance.
Forbes-Robertson first came to prominence playing second leads to Henry Irving
before making his mark as the greatest interpreter of Hamlet
of the nineteenth century, according to many critics. One of his early successes was in W. S. Gilbert
's Dan'l Druce, Blacksmith
. In 1882, he starred with Lottie Venne
and Marion Terry
in G. W. Godfrey's comedy The Parvenu at the Court Theatre
. He was noted for his elocution
, particularly by George Bernard Shaw
who wrote the part of Caesar
in Caesar and Cleopatra
for him. Forbes-Robertson's other great roles were Romeo
, Othello
, Leontes in The Winter's Tale
, and the leading role in The Passing of the Third Floor Back (filmed in 1916, released 1918). He did not play Hamlet
until he was 44 years old, but after his success in the part he continued playing it until 1916, including a surviving silent film (1913) which indicates his greatness in the role. Shaw considered him the greatest Hamlet he had ever seen.
He was also a talented painter who did a portrait of his mentor Samuel Phelps
that currently hangs in the Garrick Club
in London
. Forbes-Robertson acted in plays with the gifted actress Mary Anderson
in the 1880s. He became smitten with her, fell in love with her and asked her hand in marriage. She kindly turned him down though they remained friends. Later he and actress Beatrice Campbell enjoyed a brief affair during the time she starred with him in a series of Shakespearean plays in the mid 1890s.
, with whom he had four daughters. Their first daughter was Maxine Forbes-Robertson (b.1901). Their second daughter Jean Forbes-Robertson (1905–1962) became an accomplished actress. Their third daughter was Chloe Forbes-Robertson (b.1909). Diana Forbes-Robertson (1914–1988), their fourth daughter, was a writer who later wrote a biography of her aunt Maxine Elliott. Through his daughter Jean he is the grandfather of actress Joanna Van Gyseghem
. Johnston Forbes-Robertson was knighted
in 1913 at the age of 60.
In the last years of his life he produced plays by George Bernard Shaw
and Jerome K. Jerome
. His literary works include: The Life and Life-Work of Samuel Phelps
(actor and theatre manager) as well as his own autobiography Johnston Forbes-Robertson: A Player Under Three Reigns (1925).
The Great Painters of Christendom From Cimabue
to Wilkie
was written by his father, John Forbes-Robertson. see: The New York Times
In 1937 (age 84), he died on 6 November in St. Margaret's Bay, near Dover
, England, UK.
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...
actor
Actor
An actor is a person who acts in a dramatic production and who works in film, television, theatre, or radio in that capacity...
and theatre manager. He was considered the finest Hamlet
Prince Hamlet
Prince Hamlet is a fictional character, the protagonist in Shakespeare's tragedy Hamlet. He is the Prince of Denmark, nephew to the usurping Claudius and son of the previous King of Denmark, Old Hamlet. Throughout the play he struggles with whether, and how, to avenge the murder of his father, and...
of the nineteenth century and one of the finest actors of his time, despite his dislike of the job and his lifelong belief that he was temperamentally unsuited to acting.
Early life
Born in LondonLondon
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
, he was the eldest of the eleven children of John Forbes-Robertson, a theatre critic and journalist from Aberdeen, and his wife Frances. One of his sisters Frances (1866–1956) and three of his brothers, Ian Forbes-Robertson (1859–1936), Norman Forbes-Robertson
Norman Forbes-Robertson
Norman Forbes-Robertson was the son of John Forbes-Robertson and one of the 11 siblings of Sir Johnston Forbes-Robertson. He was also a notable actor and a friend of Ellen Terry, Oscar Wilde, Edward Elgar and Henry Irving...
(1858–1932) and John Kelt (Eric Forbes-Robertson) (1865–1935) also became actors. He was the brother-in-law of famed actress Maxine Elliott
Maxine Elliott
Maxine Elliott was an American stage actress.It is said that reviewers disagreed "over whether it was her beauty or her acting ability that attracted attention" In addition to her stage skills, Elliott was also a savvy businesswoman.Born Jessie Dermott in 1868...
. The uncle of Roy Harrod
Roy Harrod
Sir Henry Roy Forbes Harrod was an English economist. He is best known for his biography of John Maynard Keynes and the development of the Harrod–Domar model, which he and Evsey Domar developed independently...
the economist and he was also the great-uncle of actress Meriel Forbes
Meriel Forbes
Meriel Forbes was a British actress. She was married to the actor Ralph Richardson.-Selected filmography:* Girls Please! * The Belles of St. Clements * The Day Will Dawn * The Gentle Sex...
(granddaughter of his brother Norman), who married the actor Sir Ralph Richardson
Ralph Richardson
Sir Ralph David Richardson was an English actor, one of a group of theatrical knights of the mid-20th century who, though more closely associated with the stage, also appeared in several classic films....
.
He was educated at Charterhouse
Charterhouse School
Charterhouse School, originally The Hospital of King James and Thomas Sutton in Charterhouse, or more simply Charterhouse or House, is an English collegiate independent boarding school situated at Godalming in Surrey.Founded by Thomas Sutton in London in 1611 on the site of the old Carthusian...
. Originally intending to become an artist, he initially trained for three years at the Royal Academy
Royal Academy
The Royal Academy of Arts is an art institution based in Burlington House on Piccadilly, London. The Royal Academy of Arts has a unique position in being an independent, privately funded institution led by eminent artists and architects whose purpose is to promote the creation, enjoyment and...
. He began a theatrical career, out of a desire to be self-supporting, when the dramatist William Gorman Wills
William Gorman Wills
William Gorman Wills , was an Irish dramatist and painter.-Biography:The son of James Wills , author of Lives of Illustrious and Distinguished Irishmen, William was born in Dublin and educated at Waterford Grammar School and Trinity College, Dublin.After publishing his novel Old Times in an Irish...
, who had seen him in private theatricals. offered him a role in his play Mary Queen of Scots.
His many performances led him into, among other things, travel to the U.S.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
, and work with Sir Henry Irving. He was hailed as one of the most individual and refined of English actors. He was a personal friend of the Duke of Sutherland
Duke of Sutherland
Duke of Sutherland, derived from Sutherland in Scotland, is a title in the Peerage of the United Kingdom held by the head of the Leveson-Gower family. It was created by William IV in 1833 for George Leveson-Gower, 2nd Marquess of Stafford...
and his family and often stayed with them at Trentham Hall; he is known to have recommended to them various writers and musicians in dire need of assistance.
Forbes-Robertson first came to prominence playing second leads to Henry Irving
Henry Irving
Sir Henry Irving , born John Henry Brodribb, was an English stage actor in the Victorian era, known as an actor-manager because he took complete responsibility for season after season at the Lyceum Theatre, establishing himself and his company as...
before making his mark as the greatest interpreter of Hamlet
Hamlet
The Tragical History of Hamlet, Prince of Denmark, or more simply Hamlet, is a tragedy by William Shakespeare, believed to have been written between 1599 and 1601...
of the nineteenth century, according to many critics. One of his early successes was in W. S. Gilbert
W. S. Gilbert
Sir William Schwenck Gilbert was an English dramatist, librettist, poet and illustrator best known for his fourteen comic operas produced in collaboration with the composer Sir Arthur Sullivan, of which the most famous include H.M.S...
's Dan'l Druce, Blacksmith
Dan'l Druce, Blacksmith
Dan'l Druce, Blacksmith is a play by W. S. Gilbert, styled "A Three-Act Drama of Puritan times". It opened at the Haymarket Theatre in London on 11 September 1876, starring Hermann Vezin, Johnston Forbes-Robertson and Marion Terry. The play was a success, running for about 100 performances and...
. In 1882, he starred with Lottie Venne
Lottie Venne
Lottie Venne was a British comedienne, actress and singer of the Victorian and Edwardian eras, who enjoyed a theatre career spanning five decades. Venne began her stage career in musical burlesque before moving into farce and comedy. She appeared in several works by each of F. C. Burnand and W. S...
and Marion Terry
Marion Terry
Marion Bessie Terry was an English actress. In a career spanning half a century, she played leading roles in more than 125 plays. Always in the shadow of her more famous sister Ellen, Terry nevertheless achieved considerable success in the plays of W. S...
in G. W. Godfrey's comedy The Parvenu at the Court Theatre
Court Theatre
Court Theatre or Royal Court Theatre may refer to:*Court Theatre , Chicago, Illinois*Court Theatre , a theatre company in Christchurch, New Zealand*Court Theatre of Buda, Budapest, Hungary...
. He was noted for his elocution
Elocution
Elocution is the study of formal speaking in pronunciation, grammar, style, and tone.-History:In Western classical rhetoric, elocution was one of the five core disciplines of pronunciation, which was the art of delivering speeches. Orators were trained not only on proper diction, but on the proper...
, particularly by George Bernard Shaw
George Bernard Shaw
George Bernard Shaw was an Irish playwright and a co-founder of the London School of Economics. Although his first profitable writing was music and literary criticism, in which capacity he wrote many highly articulate pieces of journalism, his main talent was for drama, and he wrote more than 60...
who wrote the part of Caesar
Julius Caesar
Gaius Julius Caesar was a Roman general and statesman and a distinguished writer of Latin prose. He played a critical role in the gradual transformation of the Roman Republic into the Roman Empire....
in Caesar and Cleopatra
Caesar and Cleopatra (play)
Caesar and Cleopatra, a play written in 1898 by George Bernard Shaw, was first staged in 1901 and first published with Captain Brassbound's Conversion and The Devil's Disciple in his 1901 collection, Three Plays for Puritans. It was first performed at Newcastle-on-Tyne on March 15, 1899...
for him. Forbes-Robertson's other great roles were Romeo
Romeo Montague
Romeo is one of the fictional protagonists in Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet. Romeo is the son of old Montague and his wife, who secretly loves and marries Juliet, a member of the rival House of Capulet...
, Othello
Othello
The Tragedy of Othello, the Moor of Venice is a tragedy by William Shakespeare, believed to have been written in approximately 1603, and based on the Italian short story "Un Capitano Moro" by Cinthio, a disciple of Boccaccio, first published in 1565...
, Leontes in The Winter's Tale
The Winter's Tale
The Winter's Tale is a play by William Shakespeare, originally published in the First Folio of 1623. Although it was grouped among the comedies, some modern editors have relabelled the play as one of Shakespeare's late romances. Some critics, among them W. W...
, and the leading role in The Passing of the Third Floor Back (filmed in 1916, released 1918). He did not play Hamlet
Prince Hamlet
Prince Hamlet is a fictional character, the protagonist in Shakespeare's tragedy Hamlet. He is the Prince of Denmark, nephew to the usurping Claudius and son of the previous King of Denmark, Old Hamlet. Throughout the play he struggles with whether, and how, to avenge the murder of his father, and...
until he was 44 years old, but after his success in the part he continued playing it until 1916, including a surviving silent film (1913) which indicates his greatness in the role. Shaw considered him the greatest Hamlet he had ever seen.
He was also a talented painter who did a portrait of his mentor Samuel Phelps
Samuel Phelps
Samuel Phelps was an English actor and theatre manager...
that currently hangs in the Garrick Club
Garrick Club
The Garrick Club is a gentlemen's club in London.-History:The Garrick Club was founded at a meeting in the Committee Room at Theatre Royal, Drury Lane on Wednesday 17 August 1831...
in London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
. Forbes-Robertson acted in plays with the gifted actress Mary Anderson
Mary Anderson (stage actress)
Mary Anderson was an American stage actress.-Early life:...
in the 1880s. He became smitten with her, fell in love with her and asked her hand in marriage. She kindly turned him down though they remained friends. Later he and actress Beatrice Campbell enjoyed a brief affair during the time she starred with him in a series of Shakespearean plays in the mid 1890s.
Personal life
In 1900 (age 47), he married actress Gertrude Elliott, sister of Maxine ElliottMaxine Elliott
Maxine Elliott was an American stage actress.It is said that reviewers disagreed "over whether it was her beauty or her acting ability that attracted attention" In addition to her stage skills, Elliott was also a savvy businesswoman.Born Jessie Dermott in 1868...
, with whom he had four daughters. Their first daughter was Maxine Forbes-Robertson (b.1901). Their second daughter Jean Forbes-Robertson (1905–1962) became an accomplished actress. Their third daughter was Chloe Forbes-Robertson (b.1909). Diana Forbes-Robertson (1914–1988), their fourth daughter, was a writer who later wrote a biography of her aunt Maxine Elliott. Through his daughter Jean he is the grandfather of actress Joanna Van Gyseghem
Joanna Van Gyseghem
Joanna Van Gyseghem is an English actress, educated at Malvern Girls' College and Trinity College, Dublin....
. Johnston Forbes-Robertson was knighted
Knight Bachelor
The rank of Knight Bachelor is a part of the British honours system. It is the most basic rank of a man who has been knighted by the monarch but not as a member of one of the organised Orders of Chivalry...
in 1913 at the age of 60.
In the last years of his life he produced plays by George Bernard Shaw
George Bernard Shaw
George Bernard Shaw was an Irish playwright and a co-founder of the London School of Economics. Although his first profitable writing was music and literary criticism, in which capacity he wrote many highly articulate pieces of journalism, his main talent was for drama, and he wrote more than 60...
and Jerome K. Jerome
Jerome K. Jerome
Jerome Klapka Jerome was an English writer and humorist, best known for the humorous travelogue Three Men in a Boat.Jerome was born in Caldmore, Walsall, England, and was brought up in poverty in London...
. His literary works include: The Life and Life-Work of Samuel Phelps
Samuel Phelps
Samuel Phelps was an English actor and theatre manager...
(actor and theatre manager) as well as his own autobiography Johnston Forbes-Robertson: A Player Under Three Reigns (1925).
The Great Painters of Christendom From Cimabue
Cimabue
Cimabue , also known as Bencivieni di Pepo or in modern Italian, Benvenuto di Giuseppe, was an Italian painter and creator of mosaics from Florence....
to Wilkie
Wilkie
Wilkie is a surname present in both Scotland and England. The English House of Wilkie was first recorded in the Domesday Book as being Lords of at least three great manors in Kent. The Scottish Clan Wilkie is a Sept or Scion of Clan Donald and possesses its own tartan....
was written by his father, John Forbes-Robertson. see: The New York Times
In 1937 (age 84), he died on 6 November in St. Margaret's Bay, near Dover
Dover
Dover is a town and major ferry port in the home county of Kent, in South East England. It faces France across the narrowest part of the English Channel, and lies south-east of Canterbury; east of Kent's administrative capital Maidstone; and north-east along the coastline from Dungeness and Hastings...
, England, UK.
External links
- Johnston Forbes-Robertson at IMDb.com
- Johnston Forbes-Robertson photo gallery NYP Library.