Marie Studholme
Encyclopedia
Marie Studholme born Caroline Maria Lupton or Marion Lupton, was an English actress and singer known for her supporting and sometimes starring roles in Victorian
and Edwardian musical comedy
. Her attractive features made her one of the most popular postcard beauties of her day.
Studholme's theatre career spanned from 1892 to 1915. She was one of producer George Edwardes
' famous Gaiety Girls
and originated several roles in musical comedies. Studholme toured widely in the British provinces and abroad in shows that had enjoyed successful London productions, and she became extremely popular in the British provinces. She ended her career in music hall
comedy sketches. After her retirement from the stage, she fostered a boy and adopted a girl.
, Bradford
, West Yorkshire
, England, the only child of Joseph Ludholme Lupton, an auctioneer, and his wife Emma Greaves. She was raised in Baildon by her mother, her paternal grandparents and in Shipley
by her father's two half-sisters, one being Mrs. Frank Rhodes, and educated at Salt Grammar School
on the Saltaire mill
estate. She became interested in theatre while still at school.
in London. Charles Wyndham asked her to join his company at the Criterion Theatre
in 1892. While appearing as Rhea Porter in the musical comedy
Morocco Bound
at the Shaftesbury Theatre
in 1893, she met her future husband, actor Gilbert Porteous. During this performance she also caught the eye of the manager, George Edwardes
, the leading promoter of musical comedy. His chorus line of popular glamorous Gaiety Girls
was a major box-office drawcard of the time, and they were presented as being more chaste and genteel than other performers of the "Naughty Nineties". Edwardes engaged Studholme to play the small role of Gladys Stourton in A Gaiety Girl
(1893) at the Prince of Wales Theatre
, and when the piece transferred to Daly's Theatre
in 1894, she was promoted to the title role.
After that, she played a series of roles for Edwardes in London and on tour. She understudied Letty Lind
as Daisy Vane in An Artist's Model
, eventually taking over the role and recreating it in the New York production in 1895. In 1897 she toured the United States with Edwardes' Gaiety company. She also appeared on Broadway
in a revival of In Town
in 1897. Studholme succeeded Marie Tempest
in 1899 in the title role of San Toy
on tour in the British provinces. In 1900 she took over the role of Nora from Violet Lloyd in The Messenger Boy
at the Gaiety Theatre, London
, where she enjoyed great success with the wartime
song hit, "When the boys come home once more".
In 1901, she created the role of Dora Selby in the London production of The Toreador
. She also created the role of Cicely Marchmont in The School Girl
in 1903. In 1904, she played Josephine Zaccary in The Orchard, Part Two, in London and the title role in a revival of The Geisha
. At Prince's Theatre, in Bristol, she appeared in San Toy in 1903-1904 and in Lady Madcap in 1905-1906. The petite Studholme sometimes played juvenile roles, for example the title role in Alice in Wonderland
in a West End
revival in 1906. In 1906-1907 in Southampton, she appeared in My Darling. She again took the title role in a 1906-07 revival of Lady Madcap and then played Joy Blossom in My Darling (1907). She starred in the title role in Miss Hook of Holland
on a long provincial tour from 1907 to 1910. She then played Paulette in My Mimosa Maid. Studholme toured in South Africa during 1910 to 1911.
By 1913, Studholme was appearing in music hall
comedy sketches, including one entitled "Her Ladyship", at the Wood Green Empire in London, and touring in variety shows. She had great success and popularity in the British provinces, and returned triumphantly to Bradford to perform at the opening of the town's Alhambra music-hall in 1914. Studholme retired from the stage in 1915.
. Her marriage to Porteous was short-lived. She was married again on 4 September 1908 to Harold Giles Borrett, the son of Major-General Herbert Charles Borrett, who courted her under an assumed name. They produced no children. Studholme fostered
Peter Lupino
and then around 1916 adopted Jill (Granddaughter of Eardley Norton, former Attorney General of Madras), who was four years younger than Peter. Borrett was not fond of the children but he suffered them as he was dependent on Studhome's considerable wealth. He never worked.
Studholme loved animals and was often photographed with them. She reportedly charged a sixpence
to autograph her postcards and gave the proceeds to animal and theatrical charities. In 1904, Studholme brought and won a lawsuit against Edward Foley, a London dentist, who altered her photographic image for use in an advertisement without permission. She converted to Christian Science
and lived out her retirement in Hampstead and Laleham
. Studholme Court, a council block, was later built on part of the site of the garden of Studholme's former Hampstead home, Croftway off the Finchley Road.
Studholme died at her home in London in March 1930 from a short but virulent attack of rheumatic fever
, at the age of 57, and was buried in the St Marylebone Cemetery in East Finchley
, survived by her second husband and children. She left an estate valued at £58,303.
Victorian era
The Victorian era of British history was the period of Queen Victoria's reign from 20 June 1837 until her death on 22 January 1901. It was a long period of peace, prosperity, refined sensibilities and national self-confidence...
and Edwardian 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...
. Her attractive features made her one of the most popular postcard beauties of her day.
Studholme's theatre career spanned from 1892 to 1915. She was one of producer 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....
' famous Gaiety Girls
Gaiety Girls
Gaiety Girls were the chorus girls in Edwardian musical comedies, beginning in the 1890s at the Gaiety Theatre, London, in the shows produced by George Edwardes. The popularity of this genre of musical theatre depended, in part, on the beautiful dancing corps of "Gaiety Girls" appearing onstage in...
and originated several roles in musical comedies. Studholme toured widely in the British provinces and abroad in shows that had enjoyed successful London productions, and she became extremely popular in the British provinces. She ended her career in 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...
comedy sketches. After her retirement from the stage, she fostered a boy and adopted a girl.
Early life
Studholme was born in Stonehall, EccleshillEccleshill
Eccleshill is a Ward in the City of Bradford Metropolitan District in the county of West Yorkshire, England....
, Bradford
Bradford
Bradford lies at the heart of the City of Bradford, a metropolitan borough of West Yorkshire, in Northern England. It is situated in the foothills of the Pennines, west of Leeds, and northwest of Wakefield. Bradford became a municipal borough in 1847, and received its charter as a city in 1897...
, West Yorkshire
West Yorkshire
West Yorkshire is a metropolitan county within the Yorkshire and the Humber region of England with a population of 2.2 million. West Yorkshire came into existence as a metropolitan county in 1974 after the passage of the Local Government Act 1972....
, England, the only child of Joseph Ludholme Lupton, an auctioneer, and his wife Emma Greaves. She was raised in Baildon by her mother, her paternal grandparents and in Shipley
Shipley, West Yorkshire
Shipley is a town in West Yorkshire, England, by the River Aire and the Leeds and Liverpool Canal, north of Bradford and north-west of Leeds....
by her father's two half-sisters, one being Mrs. Frank Rhodes, and educated at Salt Grammar School
Salt Grammar School
Titus Salt School formerly called Salt Grammar School located in Baildon, West Yorkshire, England is a former grammar school, now a mixed comprehensive school, for students aged 11–18. It is a specialist school in Mathematics and Computing...
on the Saltaire mill
Salts Mill
Salt's Mill is an art gallery, shopping and restaurant complex located in Saltaire, Bradford, West Yorkshire, England. It is inside a former mill, built by Sir Titus Salt. The 1853 gallery takes its name from the date of the building in which it is housed...
estate. She became interested in theatre while still at school.
Career
She joined her mother in London and started her stage career in 1891 at the Lyric TheatreLyric Theatre (London)
The Lyric Theatre is a West End theatre on Shaftesbury Avenue in the City of Westminster.Designed by architect C. J. Phipps, it was built by producer Henry Leslie with profits from the Alfred Cellier and B. C. Stephenson hit, Dorothy, which he transferred from the Prince of Wales Theatre to open...
in London. Charles Wyndham asked her to join his company 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:...
in 1892. While appearing as Rhea Porter in the 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...
Morocco Bound
Morocco Bound
Morocco Bound is a farcical English musical in two acts by Arthur Branscombe, with music by F. Osmond Carr and lyrics by Adrian Ross. It opened at the Shaftesbury Theatre in London, on April 13, 1893, under the management of Fred J. Harris, and transferred to the Trafalgar Square Theatre on...
at the Shaftesbury Theatre
Shaftesbury Theatre
The Shaftesbury Theatre is a West End Theatre, located on Shaftesbury Avenue, in the London Borough of Camden.-History:The theatre was designed for the brothers Walter and Frederick Melville by Bertie Crewe and opened on 26 December 1911 with a production of The Three Musketeers, as the New...
in 1893, she met her future husband, actor Gilbert Porteous. During this performance she also caught the eye of the manager, 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....
, the leading promoter of musical comedy. His chorus line of popular glamorous Gaiety Girls
Gaiety Girls
Gaiety Girls were the chorus girls in Edwardian musical comedies, beginning in the 1890s at the Gaiety Theatre, London, in the shows produced by George Edwardes. The popularity of this genre of musical theatre depended, in part, on the beautiful dancing corps of "Gaiety Girls" appearing onstage in...
was a major box-office drawcard of the time, and they were presented as being more chaste and genteel than other performers of the "Naughty Nineties". Edwardes engaged Studholme to play the small role of Gladys Stourton 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...
(1893) at the Prince of Wales Theatre
Prince of Wales Theatre
The Prince of Wales Theatre is a West End theatre on Coventry Street, near Leicester Square in the City of Westminster. It was established in 1884 and rebuilt in 1937, and extensively refurbished in 2004 by Sir Cameron Mackintosh, its current owner...
, and when the piece transferred to Daly's Theatre
Daly's Theatre
Daly's Theatre was a theatre in the City of Westminster. It was located at 2 Cranbourn Street, just off Leicester Square. It opened on 27 June 1893, and was demolished in 1937.-Early years:...
in 1894, she was promoted to the title role.
Letty Lind
Letitia Elizabeth Rudge, better known as Letty Lind , was an English actress, dancer and acrobat, best known for her work in burlesque at the Gaiety Theatre, and in musical theatre at Daly's Theatre, in London....
as Daisy Vane in An Artist's Model
An Artist's Model
An Artist's Model is a two-act musical by Owen Hall, with lyrics by Harry Greenbank and music by Sidney Jones, with additional songs by Joseph and Mary Watson, Paul Lincke, Frederick Ross, Henry Hamilton and Leopold Wenzel. It opened at Daly's Theatre in London, produced by George Edwardes and...
, eventually taking over the role and recreating it in the New York production in 1895. In 1897 she toured the United States with Edwardes' Gaiety company. She also appeared on Broadway
Broadway theatre
Broadway theatre, commonly called simply Broadway, refers to theatrical performances presented in one of the 40 professional theatres with 500 or more seats located in the Theatre District centered along Broadway, and in Lincoln Center, in Manhattan in New York City...
in a revival of 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...
in 1897. Studholme succeeded Marie Tempest
Marie Tempest
Dame Marie Tempest DBE was an English singer and actress known as the "queen of her profession".Tempest became the most famous soprano in late Victorian light opera and Edwardian musical comedies. Later, she became a leading comic actress and toured widely in North America and elsewhere...
in 1899 in the title role of San Toy
San Toy
San Toy, or The Emperor's Own is a "Chinese" musical comedy in two acts, first performed at Daly's Theatre, London, on 21 October 1899, and ran for 768 performances...
on tour in the British provinces. In 1900 she took over the role of Nora from Violet Lloyd in The Messenger Boy
The Messenger Boy
The Messenger Boy is a musical comedy in two acts by James T. Tanner and Alfred Murray, lyrics by Adrian Ross and Percy Greenbank, with music by Ivan Caryll and Lionel Monckton, with additional numbers by Paul Rubens. The story concerned a rascally financier who tries to discredit a rival in love...
at the Gaiety Theatre, London
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...
, where she enjoyed great success with the wartime
Boer War
The Boer Wars were two wars fought between the British Empire and the two independent Boer republics, the Oranje Vrijstaat and the Republiek van Transvaal ....
song hit, "When the boys come home once more".
In 1901, she created the role of Dora Selby in the London production of The Toreador
The Toreador
The Toreador is an Edwardian musical comedy in two acts by James T. Tanner and Harry Nicholls, with lyrics by Adrian Ross and Percy Greenbank and music by Ivan Caryll and Lionel Monckton. It opened at the Gaiety Theatre in London, managed by George Edwardes, on 17 June 1901 and ran for an...
. She also created the role of Cicely Marchmont in The School Girl
The School Girl
The School Girl is a musical comedy, in two acts, composed by Leslie Stuart with a book by Henry Hamilton and Paul M. Potter, and lyrics by Charles H. Taylor and others...
in 1903. In 1904, she played Josephine Zaccary in The Orchard, Part Two, in London and the title role in a revival of The Geisha
The Geisha
The Geisha, a story of a tea house is an Edwardian Musical Comedy in two acts. The score was composed by Sidney Jones to a libretto by Owen Hall, with lyrics by Harry Greenbank. Additional songs were written by Lionel Monckton and James Philip....
. At Prince's Theatre, in Bristol, she appeared in San Toy in 1903-1904 and in Lady Madcap in 1905-1906. The petite Studholme sometimes played juvenile roles, for example the title role in Alice in Wonderland
Alice in Wonderland (musical)
Alice in Wonderland is a musical pantomime by Henry Saville Clark and Walter Slaughter and Aubrey Hopwood , based, with Lewis Carroll's permission, on his books Alice's Adventures in Wonderland and Through the Looking Glass...
in a West End
West End theatre
West End theatre is a popular term for mainstream professional theatre staged in the large theatres of London's 'Theatreland', the West End. Along with New York's Broadway theatre, West End theatre is usually considered to represent the highest level of commercial theatre in the English speaking...
revival in 1906. In 1906-1907 in Southampton, she appeared in My Darling. She again took the title role in a 1906-07 revival of Lady Madcap and then played Joy Blossom in My Darling (1907). She starred in the title role in Miss Hook of Holland
Miss Hook of Holland
Miss Hook of Holland is an English musical comedy in two acts, with music and lyrics by Paul Rubens with a book by Austen Hurgon and Rubens. The show was produced by Frank Curzon and opened at the Prince of Wales Theatre on 31 January 1907, running for a very successful 462 performances...
on a long provincial tour from 1907 to 1910. She then played Paulette in My Mimosa Maid. Studholme toured in South Africa during 1910 to 1911.
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...
comedy sketches, including one entitled "Her Ladyship", at the Wood Green Empire in London, and touring in variety shows. She had great success and popularity in the British provinces, and returned triumphantly to Bradford to perform at the opening of the town's Alhambra music-hall in 1914. Studholme retired from the stage in 1915.
Personal life
Amidst the demands of a busy theatre schedule, Studholme found time in 1907 to study Jujitsu with Yukio TaniYukio Tani
was a Japanese jujutsu instructor and professional challenge wrestler.The precise details of Tani's early jujutsu training in Japan are unclear, but he is known to have studied at two Fusen-ryu dojo as well as at the "Handa School of Jiujitsu" in Osaka...
. Her marriage to Porteous was short-lived. She was married again on 4 September 1908 to Harold Giles Borrett, the son of Major-General Herbert Charles Borrett, who courted her under an assumed name. They produced no children. Studholme fostered
Foster care
Foster care is the term used for a system in which a minor who has been made a ward is placed in the private home of a state certified caregiver referred to as a "foster parent"....
Peter Lupino
Lupino family
Lupino was the surname of a British theatre family tradition that could trace their roots back to an Italian émigré of the early 17th century. This family tradition comprised two actual families *the earlier Luppino or Lupino family...
and then around 1916 adopted Jill (Granddaughter of Eardley Norton, former Attorney General of Madras), who was four years younger than Peter. Borrett was not fond of the children but he suffered them as he was dependent on Studhome's considerable wealth. He never worked.
Studholme loved animals and was often photographed with them. She reportedly charged a sixpence
Sixpence
Sixpence may refer to:*Sixpence *Sixpence *Sixpence *Flat cap, also called a sixpence*Sixpence None the Richer, an American pop/rock band...
to autograph her postcards and gave the proceeds to animal and theatrical charities. In 1904, Studholme brought and won a lawsuit against Edward Foley, a London dentist, who altered her photographic image for use in an advertisement without permission. She converted to Christian Science
Christian Science
Christian Science is a system of thought and practice derived from the writings of Mary Baker Eddy and the Bible. It is practiced by members of The First Church of Christ, Scientist as well as some others who are nonmembers. Its central texts are the Bible and the Christian Science textbook,...
and lived out her retirement in Hampstead and Laleham
Laleham
Laleham is a village in the borough of Spelthorne, in the county of Surrey in South East England and adjoins Staines. It is within the historic boundaries of Middlesex. To its south is Laleham Park by the River Thames, across green belt farmland to its north and south east are Ashford and...
. Studholme Court, a council block, was later built on part of the site of the garden of Studholme's former Hampstead home, Croftway off the Finchley Road.
Studholme died at her home in London in March 1930 from a short but virulent attack of rheumatic fever
Rheumatic fever
Rheumatic fever is an inflammatory disease that occurs following a Streptococcus pyogenes infection, such as strep throat or scarlet fever. Believed to be caused by antibody cross-reactivity that can involve the heart, joints, skin, and brain, the illness typically develops two to three weeks after...
, at the age of 57, and was buried in the St Marylebone Cemetery in East Finchley
East Finchley
East Finchley is a suburb in the London Borough of Barnet, in north London, and situated north-west of Charing Cross. Geographically it is somewhat separate from the rest of Finchley, with North Finchley and West Finchley to the north, and Finchley Central to the west.- History :The land on which...
, survived by her second husband and children. She left an estate valued at £58,303.
Selected performances
- Daisy Vane in An Artist's ModelAn Artist's ModelAn Artist's Model is a two-act musical by Owen Hall, with lyrics by Harry Greenbank and music by Sidney Jones, with additional songs by Joseph and Mary Watson, Paul Lincke, Frederick Ross, Henry Hamilton and Leopold Wenzel. It opened at Daly's Theatre in London, produced by George Edwardes and...
. Studholme originated the role in the New York production at the Broadway Theatre on 23 December 1895, having played it as a replacement in London. - In TownIn 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...
, 1897 in New York. - The title role in San ToySan ToySan Toy, or The Emperor's Own is a "Chinese" musical comedy in two acts, first performed at Daly's Theatre, London, on 21 October 1899, and ran for 768 performances...
on tour in 1899. - Nora in The Messenger BoyThe Messenger BoyThe Messenger Boy is a musical comedy in two acts by James T. Tanner and Alfred Murray, lyrics by Adrian Ross and Percy Greenbank, with music by Ivan Caryll and Lionel Monckton, with additional numbers by Paul Rubens. The story concerned a rascally financier who tries to discredit a rival in love...
at the Gaiety TheatreGaiety Theatre, LondonThe 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 1900. - Dora Selby in The ToreadorThe ToreadorThe Toreador is an Edwardian musical comedy in two acts by James T. Tanner and Harry Nicholls, with lyrics by Adrian Ross and Percy Greenbank and music by Ivan Caryll and Lionel Monckton. It opened at the Gaiety Theatre in London, managed by George Edwardes, on 17 June 1901 and ran for an...
, 1901. - Cicely Marchmont in The School GirlThe School GirlThe School Girl is a musical comedy, in two acts, composed by Leslie Stuart with a book by Henry Hamilton and Paul M. Potter, and lyrics by Charles H. Taylor and others...
, at the Prince of Wales TheatrePrince of Wales TheatreThe Prince of Wales Theatre is a West End theatre on Coventry Street, near Leicester Square in the City of Westminster. It was established in 1884 and rebuilt in 1937, and extensively refurbished in 2004 by Sir Cameron Mackintosh, its current owner...
, London, in 1903. - Josephine Zaccary in The Orchard, Part Two (1904).
- The title role in The GeishaThe GeishaThe Geisha, a story of a tea house is an Edwardian Musical Comedy in two acts. The score was composed by Sidney Jones to a libretto by Owen Hall, with lyrics by Harry Greenbank. Additional songs were written by Lionel Monckton and James Philip....
(1904 revival). - The title role in Alice in WonderlandAlice in Wonderland (musical)Alice in Wonderland is a musical pantomime by Henry Saville Clark and Walter Slaughter and Aubrey Hopwood , based, with Lewis Carroll's permission, on his books Alice's Adventures in Wonderland and Through the Looking Glass...
in 1906. - The title role in a 1906-07 revival of Lady Madcap.
- Joy Blossom in My Darling (1907).
- The title role in Miss Hook of HollandMiss Hook of HollandMiss Hook of Holland is an English musical comedy in two acts, with music and lyrics by Paul Rubens with a book by Austen Hurgon and Rubens. The show was produced by Frank Curzon and opened at the Prince of Wales Theatre on 31 January 1907, running for a very successful 462 performances...
, 1907 and afterwards, in a role she played extensively. - Paulette in My Mimosa Maid, 1909.
External links
- Colorised photos of Studholme at the Zena Dare pages
- Photos of Studholme at the OperaGloves site
- Photos of Studholme with Zena Dare
- Photos of Studholme from the OurPastHistory site
- Numerous photos of Studholme at the National Library of Australia
- Profile and photos of Studholme from the Stage Beaties site
- Photo as Lady Madcap, 1907