Kate Cutler
Encyclopedia
Ingenue (stock character)
See also Disingenuous, which is not quite the antonym that it may seem!The ingénue is a stock character in literature, film, and a role type in the theatre; generally a girl or a young woman who is endearingly innocent and wholesome. Ingenue may also refer to a new young actress or one typecast in...
in musical comedies
Edwardian Musical Comedy
Edwardian musical comedies were British musical theatre shows from the period between the early 1890s, when the Gilbert and Sullivan operas' dominance had ended, until the rise of the American musicals by Jerome Kern, Rodgers and Hart, George Gershwin and Cole Porter following World War I.Between...
, and later as a character actress in comic and dramatic plays. She is possibly best known for walking out of the lead role in Noël Coward
Noël Coward
Sir Noël Peirce Coward was an English playwright, composer, director, actor and singer, known for his wit, flamboyance, and what Time magazine called "a sense of personal style, a combination of cheek and chic, pose and poise".Born in Teddington, a suburb of London, Coward attended a dance academy...
's The Vortex
The Vortex
The Vortex is a play by the English writer and actor Noël Coward. The story focuses on sexual vanity and drug abuse among the upper classes. The play was Coward's first great commercial success....
in 1924 shortly before opening night.
Early years
Cutler was born in MaryleboneMarylebone
Marylebone is an affluent inner-city area of central London, located within the City of Westminster. It is sometimes written as St. Marylebone or Mary-le-bone....
, London, daughter of Henry Cutler, a singer, and his wife Mary Ann, née Tims. She trained at a conservatoire in Watford
Watford
Watford is a town and borough in Hertfordshire, England, situated northwest of central London and within the bounds of the M25 motorway. The borough is separated from Greater London to the south by the urbanised parish of Watford Rural in the Three Rivers District.Watford was created as an urban...
, north of London, where one of her tutors described her as "an ideal Cherubino" in Mozart's The Marriage of Figaro
The Marriage of Figaro
Le nozze di Figaro, ossia la folle giornata , K. 492, is an opera buffa composed in 1786 in four acts by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, with Italian libretto by Lorenzo Da Ponte, based on a stage comedy by Pierre Beaumarchais, La folle journée, ou le Mariage de Figaro .Although the play by...
. Her career, however, took her not into opera, but into operetta
Operetta
Operetta is a genre of light opera, light in terms both of music and subject matter. It is also closely related, in English-language works, to forms of musical theatre.-Origins:...
and then musical comedy
Edwardian Musical Comedy
Edwardian musical comedies were British musical theatre shows from the period between the early 1890s, when the Gilbert and Sullivan operas' dominance had ended, until the rise of the American musicals by Jerome Kern, Rodgers and Hart, George Gershwin and Cole Porter following World War I.Between...
.
Musical stage
In 1888 she appeared in London at Toole's Theatre as Inez in Charles Lecocq's Pepita, and the following year created the role of Malaguene in Robert PlanquetteRobert Planquette
Jean Robert Planquette was a French composer of songs and operettas.Several of Planquette's operettas were extraordinarily successful in Britain, including Les cloches de Corneville , the length of whose initial London run broke all records for any piece of musical theatre up to that time, and Rip...
's Paul Jones. Her debut in musical comedy was in George Edwardes
George Edwardes
George Joseph Edwardes was an English theatre manager of Irish ancestry who brought a new era in musical theatre to the British stage and beyond....
's In Town
In Town (musical)
In Town is a musical comedy written by Adrian Ross and James T. Tanner, with music by F. Osmond Carr and lyrics by Ross. It was produced by George Edwardes at the Prince of Wales Theatre, opening on 15 October 1892, and transferred to the Gaiety Theatre on 26 December 1892, running for a...
at the Gaiety Theatre
Gaiety Theatre, London
The Gaiety Theatre, London was a West End theatre in London, located on Aldwych at the eastern end of the Strand. The theatre was established as the Strand Musick Hall , in 1864 on the former site of the Lyceum Theatre. It was rebuilt several times, but closed from the beginning of World War II...
in 1893, in a small ingénue role and later deputising for the star, Florence St. John
Florence St. John
Florence St. John , was an English singer and actress of the late Victorian and Edwardian eras famous for her roles in operetta, musical burlesque, music hall, opera and, later, comic plays.-Life and career:...
. Later that year, she was similarly cast as Lady Edytha Aldwyn in A Gaiety Girl
A Gaiety Girl
A Gaiety Girl is an English musical comedy in two acts by a team of musical comedy neophytes: Owen Hall , Harry Greenbank and Sidney Jones . It opened at Prince of Wales Theatre in London, produced by George Edwardes, on 14 October 1893 and ran for 413 performances. The show starred C...
, also covering for and later succeeding Decima Moore
Decima Moore
Lilian Decima, Lady Moore-Guggisberg, CBE , better known by her stage name Decima Moore, was an English singer and actress, known for her performances in soprano roles with the D'Oyly Carte Opera Company and in musical comedies. She was the youngest of ten siblings...
in the lead role. In 1895, she was a replacement player in the title role in The Shop Girl
The Shop Girl
The Shop Girl was a musical comedy in two acts written by H. J. W. Dam, with Lyrics by Dam and Adrian Ross and music by Ivan Caryll, and additional numbers by Lionel Monckton and Ross. It was first produced by George Edwardes at the Gaiety Theatre in London, opening on 24 November 1894...
at the Gaiety and appeared in Gentleman Joe
Gentleman Joe
Gentleman Joe, The Hansom Cabbie is a farcical musical comedy with music by Walter Slaughter and a libretto by Basil Hood.It opened at that Prince of Wales Theatre on 2 March 1895 and ran for a very successful 391 performances. The show was written as a vehicle for the comedian Arthur Roberts...
at the Prince of Wales's Theatre and as Connie in All Abroad at the Criterion Theatre
Criterion Theatre
The Criterion Theatre is a West End theatre situated on Piccadilly Circus in the City of Westminster, and is a Grade II* listed building. It has an official capacity of 588.-Building the theatre:...
.
The same year, Cutler played the title role, Trilby, in A Model Trilby; or, A Day or Two After Du Maurier, by Charles H. E. Brookfield and William Yardley
William Yardley
William Yardley was an early settler of Bucks County, Pennsylvania and is the namesake of the borough of Yardley, Pennsylvania. As a persecuted Quaker minister, Yardley and his wife, Jane moved from Ransclough, England near Leeke in the County of Stafford to Bucks County when Yardley was 50...
, with music by Meyer Lutz
Meyer Lutz
Wilhelm Meyer Lutz was a German-born English composer and conductor who is best known for light music, musical theatre and burlesques of well-known works....
, produced at the Opera Comique
Opera Comique
The Opera Comique was a 19th-century theatre constructed in Westminster, London, between Wych Street and Holywell Street with entrances on the East Strand. It opened in 1870 and was demolished in 1902, to make way for the construction of the Aldwych and Kingsway...
by the retired Nellie Farren
Nellie Farren
Nellie Farren was an English actress and singer best known for her roles as the "principal boy" in musical burlesques at the Gaiety Theatre.Born into a theatrical family, Farren began acting as a child...
. The piece was a burlesque of the Haymarket Theatre
Haymarket Theatre
The Theatre Royal Haymarket is a West End theatre in the Haymarket in the City of Westminster which dates back to 1720, making it the third-oldest London playhouse still in use...
's hit adaptation of George Du Maurier
George du Maurier
George Louis Palmella Busson du Maurier was a French-born British cartoonist and author, known for his cartoons in Punch and also for his novel Trilby. He was the father of actor Gerald du Maurier and grandfather of the writers Angela du Maurier and Dame Daphne du Maurier...
's popular novel, Trilby
Trilby (novel)
Trilby is a novel by George du Maurier and one of the most popular novels of its time, perhaps the second best selling novel of the Fin de siècle after Bram Stoker's Dracula. Published serially in Harper's Monthly in 1894, it was published in book form in 1895 and sold 200,000 copies in the United...
. The Times
The Times
The Times is a British daily national newspaper, first published in London in 1785 under the title The Daily Universal Register . The Times and its sister paper The Sunday Times are published by Times Newspapers Limited, a subsidiary since 1981 of News International...
thought that Cutler was "winsome and engaging". The Daily Telegraph
The Daily Telegraph
The Daily Telegraph is a daily morning broadsheet newspaper distributed throughout the United Kingdom and internationally. The newspaper was founded by Arthur B...
wrote that she was "the best and most willing of all the Trilbys, an actress of real charm. Whenever she warbles a sweet little melody, or prides herself on her string of lovers, or whistles a plaintive refrain, the new Trilby is from first to last attractive and delightful". In 1896, she played Dorothy in Monte Carlo
Monte Carlo (musical)
Monte Carlo is an Edwardian musical comedy in two acts with a book by Sidney Carlton, music by Howard Talbot with English lyrics by Harry Greenbank. The work was first performed at the Avenue Theatre in London, opening on 27 August 1896...
at the Avenue Theatre.
After playing such junior roles in musical comedies, Cutler achieved star status as the title character, Suzette, in The French Maid
The French Maid
The French Maid is a musical comedy in two acts by Basil Hood, with music by Walter Slaughter, first produced at the Theatre Royal, Bath, England, under the management of Milton Bode on the 4 April 1896. It then opened London's Terry's Theatre under the management of W. H...
in 1897, followed by further successes as Elsie Crockett in Little Miss Nobody the following year, Catarma in L' Amour Mouille in 1899 and Angela in Florodora
Florodora
Florodora is an Edwardian musical comedy and became one of the first successful Broadway musicals of the 20th century. The book was written by Jimmy Davis under the pseudonym Owen Hall, the music was by Leslie Stuart with additional songs by Paul Rubens, and the lyrics were by Edward Boyd-Jones...
that same year. In April 1900, Cutler married her first husband, Sidney Ellison, who was the director and choreographer of Florodora. The marriage was unsuccessful, and they separated before his death in 1930. She next played Victoria Chaffers in H.M.S. Irresponsible in 1901.
Cutler's other successes in this period included A Chinese Honeymoon
A Chinese Honeymoon
A Chinese Honeymoon is a musical comedy in two acts by George Dance, with music by Howard Talbot and additional music by Ivan Caryll and others, and additional lyrics by Harry Greenbank and others...
(as a replacement in the role of Princess Soo-Soo in 1902), Norah Chalmers in The Girl from Kays
The Girl from Kays
The Girl from Kays is an English musical comedy with music by Ivan Caryll, Paul Rubens, Wilhelm Meyer Lutz and Edward Jones, book by Cecil Cook and lyrics by Adrian Ross and Claude Aveling...
(1902), Grace Rockingham in The Love Birds (1904) and Victoire in A Man's Shadow. She played this role in a Command Performance at Windsor Castle
Windsor Castle
Windsor Castle is a medieval castle and royal residence in Windsor in the English county of Berkshire, notable for its long association with the British royal family and its architecture. The original castle was built after the Norman invasion by William the Conqueror. Since the time of Henry I it...
on 17 November 1904. The next year, she originated the role of Baroness Papouche in The Spring Chicken
The Spring Chicken
The Spring Chicken is an English musical comedy adapted by George Grossmith, Jr. from Coquin de Printemps by Jaime and Duval, with music by Ivan Caryll and Lionel Monckton and lyrics by Adrian Ross, Percy Greenbank and Grossmith, produced by George Edwardes at the Gaiety Theatre, opening on 30 May...
(1905). Her appearances in musical comedy were well received, with The Times
The Times
The Times is a British daily national newspaper, first published in London in 1785 under the title The Daily Universal Register . The Times and its sister paper The Sunday Times are published by Times Newspapers Limited, a subsidiary since 1981 of News International...
commenting, "Miss Cutler may be depended upon to make the most of what she undertakes ... A soothing tint of freshness in a great deal of blare and noise". While appearing in The Spring Chicken, Cutler took a special omnibus every day, between acts, from the Gaiety Theatre to the Palace Theatre
Palace Theatre, London
The Palace Theatre is a West End theatre in the City of Westminster in London. It is an imposing red-brick building that dominates the west side of Cambridge Circus and is located near the intersection of Shaftesbury Avenue and Charing Cross Road...
, where she appeared for 20 minutes in Hero and Heroine. The bus contained a dressing room in which she changed from one costume to another each way on the short journey.
Comedy and character roles
After 1905, Cutler gave up the musical stage and concentrated on comic plays. She appeared with Herbert Beerbohm TreeHerbert Beerbohm Tree
Sir Herbert Beerbohm Tree was an English actor and theatre manager.Tree began performing in the 1870s. By 1887, he was managing the Haymarket Theatre, winning praise for adventurous programming and lavish productions, and starring in many of its productions. In 1899, he helped fund the...
as Felise in a revival of The Red Lamp and as Lady Stutfield in A Woman of No Importance
A Woman of No Importance
A Woman of No Importance is a play by Irish playwright Oscar Wilde. The play premièred on 19 April 1893 at London's Haymarket Theatre. It is a testimony of Wilde's wit and his brand of dark comedy...
in 1907. In 1908, she played Peggy in All-of-a-Sudden Peggy, played Nan in Good for Nothing, toured as Dorothy in Her Son, and had a success as Madame Henriette in Bellamy the Magnificent. These were followed by roles too numerous to name over the next fifteen years. She played both in English classics, such as The Rivals
The Rivals
The Rivals, a play by Richard Brinsley Sheridan, is a comedy of manners in five acts. It was first performed on 17 January 1775.- Production :...
, and in new works by Somerset Maugham and Max Beerbohm
Max Beerbohm
Sir Henry Maximilian "Max" Beerbohm was an English essayist, parodist and caricaturist best known today for his 1911 novel Zuleika Dobson.-Early life:...
, co-starring with Charles Hawtrey, Marie Lohr
Marie Lohr
Marie Lohr was an Australian film and stage actress.-Biography:Marie Löhr was born in Sydney to Lewis J. Löhr, treasurer of the Melbourne opera house, and his wife, the English actress Kate Bishop...
, Lewis Waller
Lewis Waller
William Lewis Waller was an English actor and theatre manager. His father was a civil engineer.Born in Spain, he first appeared on the London stage in 1883, at Tooles, and for some years added to his reputation as a capable actor...
and George Alexander
George Alexander (actor)
Sir George Alexander , born George Alexander Gibb Samson, was an English actor and theatre manager.Alexander was born in Reading, Berkshire. He began acting in amateur theatricals in 1875. Four years later he embarked on a professional acting career, making his London debut in 1881...
, among others.
In the 1920s, Cutler, by then in her late fifties, continued to play a varied and busy schedule of leading and character roles appropriate for her age. She is perhaps most remembered, however, for one that she did not play. Cast as the nymphomaniac mother in Noël Coward
Noël Coward
Sir Noël Peirce Coward was an English playwright, composer, director, actor and singer, known for his wit, flamboyance, and what Time magazine called "a sense of personal style, a combination of cheek and chic, pose and poise".Born in Teddington, a suburb of London, Coward attended a dance academy...
's early play The Vortex
The Vortex
The Vortex is a play by the English writer and actor Noël Coward. The story focuses on sexual vanity and drug abuse among the upper classes. The play was Coward's first great commercial success....
(1924), she pulled out of the role less than a week before the piece was due to open, upset by a last-minute rewrite that she believed diminished her role. Coward managed to recruit Dame Lilian Braithwaite
Lilian Braithwaite
Dame Lilian Braithwaite DBE , born Florence Lilian Braithwaite, was an English actress.She was the daughter of a clergyman, and born in Ramsgate, Kent. She was educated at Croydon High School, and married actor-manager Gerald Lawrence, first acting with amateur companies...
to take on the role. The play was a sensational success, with Cutler, as Coward said, throwing away one of the best opportunities of her life. Cutler subsequently had good roles in classic and new plays, including The Country Wife
The Country Wife
The Country Wife is a Restoration comedy written in 1675 by William Wycherley. A product of the tolerant early Restoration period, the play reflects an aristocratic and anti-Puritan ideology, and was controversial for its sexual explicitness even in its own time. The title itself contains a lewd pun...
, and Dear Octopus.
Cutler also performed in films between 1929 and 1938, including Such Is the Law
Such Is the Law (1930 film)
Such Is the Law is a 1930 British film directed by Sinclair Hill.- Cast :*Kate Cutler as Mother*Frances Day as Wife*Maud Gill as Aunt's Maid*Carl Harbord as Vivian Fairfax*Gibb McLaughlin as Valet*Nancy Price as Aunt*Miriam Seegar as Other Woman*C...
(1930), The Great Gay Road
The Great Gay Road (1931 film)
The Great Gay Road is a 1931 British drama film directed by Sinclair Hill and starring Stewart Rome, Frank Stanmore and Kate Cutler.It was adapted from the 1910 novel The Great Gay Road by Tom Gallon which had previously been made in a silent film The Great Gay Road in 1920...
(1931), Lord of the Manor
Lord of the Manor (film)
Lord of the Manor is a 1933 British comedy film directed by Henry Edwards and starring Betty Stockfeld, Frederick Kerr and Henry Wilcoxon. During a party at a country house, a number of the guests switch their romantic partners. It was based on a play by John Hastings Turner.-Cast:* Betty Stockfeld...
(1933), Come Out of the Pantry
Come Out of the Pantry
Come Out of the Pantry is a 1935 British musical film directed by Jack Raymond and starring Jack Buchanan, Fay Wray, James Carew and Fred Emney.-Plot:...
(1935) and Moscow Nights
Moscow Nights (film)
Moscow Nights is a 1935 British drama film directed by Anthony Asquith and starring Laurence Olivier, Penelope Dudley-Ward and Harry Baur. During the First World War a wounded Russian officer Captain Ignatoff falls in love with his nurse...
(1935). Her last film was Pygmalion
Pygmalion (1938 film)
Pygmalion is a 1938 British film based on the George Bernard Shaw play of the same title, and adapted by him for the screen. It stars Leslie Howard and Wendy Hiller....
in 1938. The Manchester Guardian said of her in an obituary notice, "She proved that an actress who can play the lead in musical comedy can go on to play the lead in anything else. ... She was a really accomplished actress with that indefinable quality which we call style."
Cutler's second husband, Major Charles Dudley Ward, predeceased her. She died at her home in London, age 90.