Friday, 1 August 2025

Just Posted

Here's my most recently posted Trivial Biographies:

W. S. Gilbert
Mel Gibson


James Chadwick
Edward Gibbon
J. Paul Getty
George Gershwin
Geronimo

Richard Gere
Francisco Franco
Saint George
George VI


George V

at No comments:

Index

W. S. Gilbert
Mel Gibson
Edward Gibbon
J. Paul Getty
George Gershwin


Geronimo
Richard Gere
Saint George
George VI
George V
George IV
George III
George II of Great Britain
George I of Great Britain
Genghis Khan


Paul Gauguin
Antoni Gaudí
Bill Gates
Roland Garros
Judy Garland
Giuseppe Garibaldi
James A. Garfield
Ava Gardner
Greta Garbo
Mahatma Gandhi
Vasco da Gama
Galileo Galilei
Galen
Thomas Gainsborough


Yuri Gagarin
Clark Gable
Elizabeth Fry
Robert Frost
Betty Friedan
Sigmund Freud
Morgan Freeman
Frederick the Great
Frederick II, Holy Roman Emperor
Frederick Barbarossa
Benjamin Franklin
Anne Frank
Francisco Franco
Pope Francis
Francis of Assisi


Francis II of France
Francis I of France
George Fox
Stephen Foster
Jodie Foster
Frederick Forsyth
George Foreman
Henry Ford
Harrison Ford
Gerald Ford
Jane Fonda
Errol Flynn
Ian Fleming
Alexander Fleming
Michael Flatley
F. Scott Fitzgerald
Ella Fitzgerald
Charles Grandison Finney
Millard Fillmore
Henry Fielding
Fibonacci
Enzo Ferrari


Roger Federer
Guy Fawkes
Gabriel Fauré
William Faulkner
Michael Faraday
Douglas Fairbanks
Max Factor
Peter Carl Fabergé
Leonhard Euler
Ethelred the Unready
Pablo Escobar
Erasmus
Eminem
Ralph Waldo Emerson
Duke Ellington
Queen Elizabeth II
Elizabeth I


Jim Elliot
T. S. Eliot
John Eliot
George Eliot
Elijah (Biblical character)
Edward Elgar
Eleanor of Aquitaine
Dwight D. Eisenhower
Albert Einstein
Billie Eilish
Paul Ehrlich
Jonathan Edwards (theologian)
Prince Edward, Duke of Edinburgh
King Edward VIII
King Edward VII
King Edward VI of England
Edward V of England
Edward IV of England
Edward III of England
Edward II of England
Edward I of England


Edward the Confessor
Edward the Black Prince
Saint Edmund
Edmund I
Thomas Edison
Anthony Eden
Mary Baker Eddy
Clint Eastwood
George Eastman
Wyatt Earp
Amelia Earhart
Bob Dylan
Antonín Dvořák
Saint Dunstan
John Boyd Dunlop
Alexandre Dumas
Daphne du Maurier
John Dryden
Alfred Dreyfus
Francis Drake
Drake
Arthur Conan Doyle
Frederick Douglass


Alec Douglas-Home
Fyodor Dostoevsky
John Donne
Domitian
Saint Dominic
Novak Djokovic
Dorothea Dix
Benjamin Disraeli
Walt Disney
Christian Dior
Diocletian
Joe DiMaggio
Marlene Dietrich
Rudolf Diesel
Emily Dickinson
Charles Dickens


Leonardo DiCaprio
Diana, Princess of Wales
Sergei Diaghilev
René Descartes
Johnny Depp
Frederick Delius
Edgar Degas
Daniel Defoe
Claude Debussy
James Dean
Robert De Niro
Catherine de Medici
Charles de Gaulle
Doris Day
Charles G. Dawes
Humphry Davy
Sammy Davis Jr.
Bette Davis


Saint David
King David
Charles Darwin
Dante Alighieri
Daniel (biblical figure)
Matt Damon
Salvador Dalí
Dalai Lama
Gottlieb Daimler
Roald Dahl
Louis Daguerre
Cyrus the Great
Cyril and Methodius
Georges Cuvier
George Armstrong Custer
Marie Curie
Billy Crystal
Johan Cruyff
Tom Cruise
Russell Crowe
Fanny Crosby
Bing Crosby
Thomas Cromwell
Oliver Cromwell
Davy Crockett
Francis Crick
Michael Crichton
Joan Crawford


Thomas Crapper
Thomas Cranmer
William Cowper
Kevin Costner
Sergio Costa
Bill Cosby
Hernán Cortés
Aaron Copland
Nicolaus Copernicus
Gary Cooper
Bradley Cooper
Calvin Coolidge
Sam Cooke
Thomas Cook
Captain James Cook


Constantine the Great
John Constable
Joseph Conrad
Sean Connery
Confucius
Commodus
Christopher Columbus
Saint Columba
William Colgate
Samuel Taylor Coleridge
William "Buffalo Bill" Cody
William Cobbett
Kurt Cobain
Clovis I
George Clooney
Robert Clive
Hillary Clinton
Bill Clinton
Grover Cleveland
Cleopatra
Claudius


William Clark
Eric Clapton
Tom Clancy
André-Gustave Citroën
Lucius Quinctius Cincinnatus
Cicero
Winston Churchill
John Chrysostom
Saint Christopher
Christina, Queen of Sweden
Agatha Christie
Frédéric Chopin
Thomas Chippendale
Julia Child
Louis Chevrolet
Maurice Chevalier
G. K. Chesterton
Anton Chekhov
Geoffrey Chaucer
Ray Charles
Charles VIII of France
Charles VII of France
Charles VI of France
Charles V, Holy Roman Emperor
Charles III


Charles II of England
Charles I of England
Charlemagne
Charlie Chaplin
Coco Chanel
Raymond Chandler
Jackie Chan
Neville Chamberlain
James Chadwick
Paul Cézanne
Miguel de Cervantes
Saint Cecilia
William Caxton
Henry Cavendish
Edith Cavell
Catherine the Great
Catherine, Princess of Wales
Catherine of Siena
Catherine of Aragon
Fidel Castro
Butch Cassidy
Johnny Cash


Giacomo Casanova
George Washington Carver
Caravaggio
Enrico Caruso
Edmund Cartwright
Barbara Cartland
Louis-François Cartier
Jacques Cartier
Jimmy Carter
Rachel Carson
Johnny Carson
Lewis Carroll
Willis Carrier
Jim Carrey
Sabrina Carpenter
Andrew Carnegie


Thomas Carlyle
William Carey
Mariah Carey
Marie-Antoine Carême
Federico Caprilli
Truman Capote
Al Capone
King Canute
Albert Camus
Queen Camilla
James Cameron
David Cameron
John Calvin
Maria Callas
James Callaghan
Caligula
Calamity Jane
Michael Caine
Julius Caesar


Caedmon
John Cadbury
Frances Xavier Cabrini
John Cabot
Lord Byron
William Byrd
George W. Bush
George H. W. Bush
Richard Burton
Edgar Rice Burroughs
Aaron Burr
Robert Burns
Frances Hodgson Burnett
Edmund Burke
John Bunyan
Warren Buffet
The Buddha
James Buchanan
Kobe Bryant
Isambard Kingdom Brunel
Beau Brummell
Robert Browning


Elizabeth Browning
James Brown
Gordon Brown
Capability Brown
Phillips Brooks
Mel Brooks
Louise Brooks
Garth Brooks
Rupert Brooke
Emily Brontë
Charlotte Brontë
Benjamin Britten
Leonid Brezhnev
Bertolt Brecht
Eva Braun
Richard Branson
Marlon Brando
Louis Braille
Johannes Brahms
Tycho Brahe
Anne Bradstreet
Don Bradman
Ray Bradbury
Robert Boyle
David Bowie
Clara Bow
Boudicca


Sandro Botticelli
Ian Botham
Alexander Borodin
Norman Borlaug
Lucrezia Borgia
Cesare Borgia
Björn Borg
William Booth
John Wilkes Booth
Daniel Boone
Bono
Bonnie Prince Charlie
Saint Boniface
Pope Boniface VIII
Dietrich Bonhoeffer
Usain Bolt
Simon Bolivar
Anne Boleyn
Humphrey Bogart
Boethius
Giovanni Boccaccio
Enid Blyton
Amelia Bloomer
Charles Blondin
Mel Blanc
William Blake
Tony Blair
Elizabeth Blackwell
Antoinette Brown Blackwell
Blackbeard
Georges Bizet
Otto Von Bismarck
László Bíró
Clarence Birdseye
Osama bin Laden
Billy the Kid
Simone Biles
Steve Biko
Justin Bieber
Joe Biden


Jeff Bezos
Beyoncé
John Betjeman
George Best
Chuck Berry
Yogi Berra
Leonard Bernstein
Sarah Bernhardt
Tim Berners-Lee
Bernard of Clairvaux
Saint Bernadette
Hector Berlioz
Irving Berlin
Ingrid Bergman
Karl Benz
Jeremy Bentham
E. F. Benson
James Gordon Bennett Sr.
St. Benedict of Nursia
Pope Benedict XVI
Giovanni Belzoni
Saul Bellow
Hilaire Belloc
Alexander Graham Bell
Isabella Beeton
Ludwig van Beethoven
Lyman Beecher
Henry Ward Beecher
Catherine Beecher
The Venerable Bede
David Beckham
Samuel Beckett
Thomas Becket
Boris Becker
Franz Beckenbauer
Sidney Bechet
William Beaumont
Warren Beatty
John Bartram
Clara Barton
Karl Barth
J. M. Barrie
P. T. Barnum
Thomas John Barnardo
Christiaan Barnard
Brigitte Bardot
Samuel Barber
Saint Barbara
Joseph Banks
Lucille Ball
Arthur Balfour
Stanley Baldwin
James Baldwin
Josephine Baker
John Logie Baird
Douglas Bader
Robert Baden-Powell
Roger Bacon
Francis Bacon
Johann Sebastian Bach
Lauren Bacall


Charles Babbage
Gladys Aylward
Gene Autry
Jane Austen
Marcus Aurelius
Augustus
St. Augustine of Canterbury
St. Augustine of Hippo
Saint Audrey
W. H. Auden
Clement Attlee
Attila the Hun
Charles Atlas
Rowan Atkinson
Æthelstan
Mustafa Kemal Atatürk
John Jacob Astor
Philip Astley
Fred Astaire
H. H. Asquith
Isaac Asimov
Ashoka the Great
Laura Ashley
Francis Asbury
King Arthur
Chester A. Arthur
Benedict Arnold
Neil Armstrong


Louis Armstrong
Lance Armstrong
Edwin Howard Armstrong
Giorgio Armani
Richard Arkwright
Aristotle
Aristophanes
Elizabeth Arden
Archimedes
Jeffrey Archer
Yasser Arafat
Thomas Aquinas
Johnny Appleseed
Nicolas Appert
Marcus Gavius Apicius
Mark Antony
Susan B. Anthony
Anthony of Padua
Anthony the Great
Anselm of Canterbury
Saint Ansgar
Anne, Queen of Great Britain
Anne, Princess Royal
Anne Of Cleves
Maya Angelou
Saint Andrew
at No comments:

Sunday, 16 November 2014

W. S. Gilbert

NAME William Schwenck Gilbert

WHAT FAMOUS FOR Librettist, dramatist, and satirist best known for his comic operas with composer Arthur Sullivan, known collectively as the Gilbert and Sullivan operas.

BIRTH William Schwenck Gilbert was born on November 18, 1836 at 17 Southampton Street, Strand, London. The birth took place at the Morris family home, as his mother Anne Mary Bye Morris was the daughter of Thomas Morris, an apothecary.

FAMILY BACKGROUND Gilbert came from a middle-class family with literary and naval connections. His father, also named William Gilbert, was a former naval surgeon who became a novelist and writer.  His mother was Anne Mary Bye Morris  daughter of Thomas Morris, an apothecary. 

Gilbert's parents were distant and emotionally reserved, and he never formed a close bond with either of them. As their quarrels grew more frequent, their eventual separation in 1876 further strained his relationship with both—especially with his mother.

Gilbert had three younger sisters: Jane Morris Gilbert (1838-1906), Mary Florence (1843-1911), and Anne Maude (1845-1932).

The family claimed descent from the Elizabethan navigator Sir Humphrey Gilbert, half-brother to Sir Walter Raleigh. However, modern biographical research suggests Gilbert was actually "descended from a family of Hampshire yeomen" whose great-grandfather established a grocery shop in Westminster and prospered as a tradesman. (1)

CHILDHOOD As a child, Gilbert was given the nickname "Bab," which he would later use as a pseudonym for his satirical poems and illustrations. The family traveled frequently, living in Italy and France for a number of years before settling back in London in 1847. 

At age three, he was kidnapped by bandits in Naples during a family holiday. They tricked his nurse into handing him over, and he was released only after a £25 ransom was paid. This childhood kidnapping became part of family legend and may have influenced his later theatrical works featuring stolen babies and mistaken identities.

EDUCATION Gilbert received a broad international education shaped by his family's travels. He began schooling in Boulogne, France, at age seven—later keeping his diary in French so household staff couldn’t read it. 

Back in England, he attended Western Grammar School in Brompton and then Great Ealing School, where he became head boy. There, he showed an early flair for the stage, writing and producing student plays and painting his own sets. 

From 1853 to 1855, Gilbert studied at King’s College London for a general degree. His academic record described a varied performance: he “passed in a multitude of subjects,” including Divinity (marked as ‘indifferent’), French (frequently absent and inattentive), Classics (with ‘much improved’ work), and English composition (graded from ‘Good’ to ‘Very Good’). He earned his B.A. in 1857.

CAREER RECORD Gilbert had a varied early career. He worked as an assistant clerk in the Privy Council Office for four years, a job he disliked.  

In 1863, he received a £300 bequest that enabled him to leave the civil service and pursue law. He had a brief, unsuccessful career as a lawyer, averaging only five clients a year.

His true calling was writing. Starting in the 1860s, he contributed light verse, satirical poems, illustrations, and theatre reviews to various magazines, notably Punch and Fun. 

Gilbert's first professionally produced play was Uncle Baby, which débuted at the Royal Lyceum Theatre, London, on October 31, 1863, and ran for seven weeks.

His collaboration with Arthur Sullivan began in 1871 with Thespis, but their partnership truly flourished under impresario Richard D'Oyly Carte, producing their first hit, Trial by Jury, in 1875. This launched a 21-year partnership that created the Savoy Operas.

APPEARANCE Gilbert was known for his striking, if somewhat severe, appearance. He was a tall man, often described as having a stern and sometimes gruff demeanor. Portraits show him with a prominent mustache and a serious expression.

Cabinet card of W. S. Gilbert in about 1880 by Elliott & Fry

Contemporary accounts describe him as having "great beauty" as a child, with one biographer noting that "Sir David Wilkie was so attracted by his face that he asked leave to paint his picture". (2)

FASHION As a prominent figure in Victorian and Edwardian society, Gilbert dressed in the formal attire of the period, including tailored suits and top hats for public appearances.

CHARACTER Gilbert had a complex and often difficult personality. Contemporary observers described him as having inherited his parents’ emotional reserve and rigidity. He could be "difficult and quarrelsome" with many, yet others experienced him as kind and generous. Biographers have noted his detachment from life, observing that he approached both success and failure with a cool reserve—an aloofness likely shaped by his upbringing. (3)

As a theatrical director, Gilbert was known for his strict discipline and pioneering approach to realistic stage direction. He demanded high standards and was fiercely protective of artistic integrity. His meticulous attention to tone is clear in his instructions for Engaged: “It is absolutely essential to the success of this piece that it should be played with the most perfect earnestness and gravity throughout.”

SPEAKING VOICE Gilbert possessed a commanding vocal presence. His background in law and his role as a Justice of the Peace in Middlesex from 1891 required effective public speaking abilities.

SENSE OF HUMOUR Gilbert’s humour was defined by his signature "topsy-turvy" style—an approach that began with a ridiculous premise and then followed it to its logical, if absurd, conclusion. Theatre director Mike Leigh described the "Gilbertian" style as one that constantly subverts expectations, making bizarre events unfold within a seemingly rational world and turning everything upside down.

This distinctive comic method created whimsical worlds where absurdities played out with internal logic: fairies mingled with British lords, flirting became a capital crime, gondoliers unexpectedly became kings, and pirates turned out to be wayward aristocrats. Gilbert’s brilliance lay in his ability to fuse opposites seamlessly—blending the surreal with the everyday, and caricature with realism, all through an invisible sleight of hand.

RELATIONSHIPS W.S. Gilbert married Lucy Agnes Turner—whom he fondly called "Kitty"—on August 6, 1867. Eleven years his junior, Lucy became his lifelong partner in a marriage that was both happy and enduring. Gilbert wrote her many affectionate letters over the years, reflecting their close and loving bond. Though they had no children, the couple enjoyed an active social life, often hosting and attending lively dinner parties.

The Gilberts in 1867

They also served as guardians to Nancy McIntosh, who became Gilbert's protégée in later theatrical productions.

Before marrying Lucy, Gilbert had a relationship with the novelist Annie Thomas in the mid-1860s.

Gilbert's professional relationships were often more challenging. His collaboration with Arthur Sullivan, while highly successful, was marked by periodic tensions. The famous "carpet quarrel" in 1890 led to a temporary break in their partnership, though they eventually reconciled to produce two final works.

MONEY AND FAME Gilbert achieved considerable financial success through his theatrical career. The success of the Savoy Operas provided him with substantial income, allowing him to build the Garrick Theatre and purchase his country estate at Grim's Dyke. The establishment of the D'Oyly Carte Opera Company ensured continued royalties.

Gilbert was a shrewd businessman, and a financial dispute with D'Oyly Carte, known as the "carpet quarrel," almost ended his partnership with Sullivan. The dispute was about the cost of a new carpet for the theatre, and while it was a superficial reason, it spoke to deeper tensions about money and artistic control.

The Gilbert and Sullivan operas achieved broad international success and continues to be this day toi be performed frequently throughout the English-speaking world. 

FOOD AND DRINK  Gilbert and his wife enjoyed entertaining and frequently hosted dinner parties at his Grim's Dyke home. 

He was known to be a keen gardener and kept detailed notes on the first fruits of each season at Grim's Dyke.

GILBERT AND SULLIVAN COMIC OPERAS W.S. Gilbert started out as a dramatist, poet, and all-around satirical mischief-maker, poking fun at the pomp and pretensions of the age with a rapier wit and the occasional fairy. Though musically about as useful as a coal scuttle in an orchestra, Gilbert made early contributions to the stage by writing clever lyrics and whimsical verse—later collected in his beloved Bab Ballads, which were equal parts nonsense and genius. He wrote more than 75 plays and libretti, most featuring a “topsy-turvy” world in which the absurd made perfect sense, if only you followed the logic carefully enough (and didn't think too hard).

Before he hit the big time, Gilbert had already dipped his toes into musical theatre, collaborating with various composers in a variety of Victorian entertainments. Even then, his hallmarks were obvious: sharp wordplay, relentless parody, and an eye for lampooning the nonsense of respectable society, often by making it just slightly more nonsensical.

Then along came Arthur Sullivan—a man with the musical touch of Midas, but none of Gilbert’s spiky temperament. Together, under the matchmaking of impresario Richard D’Oyly Carte (who also built them their very own theatre), they created something quite magical: the Savoy Operas. Fourteen of them, in fact, between 1871 and 1896. And they did it while periodically falling out over matters such as—famously—the cost of a new carpet. (The expense came between them like a third collaborator with very expensive taste.)

Among their biggest successes were:

H.M.S. Pinafore – satire at sea

The Pirates of Penzance – satire with sabres

The Mikado – satire in kimonos

Iolanthe – satire with fairies

The Gondoliers – satire in gondolas

The Sorcerer, Patience, Yeomen of the Guard, Utopia, Limited – all variations on the theme of poking fun at Victorian order by flipping it upside-down and giving it a twirl

Their final opera, The Grand Duke, proved that not everything gold glitters forever, but by then the damage (or delight) had been done.

Gilbert and Sullivan didn’t just write operas—they rewrote the rules. They elevated the role of the librettist, ensuring that lyrics weren’t just decorative filler but central to the plot, punchlines, and purpose. Gilbert’s writing gave the world a whole new kind of satire—strangely logical nonsense—and Sullivan made it sing.

They also gave us:

Stock characters we still recognise today (the blustering official, the lovesick idiot, the noble buffoon)

Tunes so catchy even your dog knows them

Phrases that slipped into the English language with the subtlety of a thief in tweed (“a short, sharp shock,” “What, never? Well, hardly ever!”, “let the punishment fit the crime”)

Their influence on Broadway, Hollywood, Monty Python, and basically every musical comedy worth its chorus line cannot be overstated.

Despite their creative alchemy, the Gilbert and Sullivan partnership was often less harmonious than the music. Their arguments were legendary, especially the carpet incident (it deserves a plaque), and both men tried to work with others after they split. None of those ventures quite worked out—probably because neither could find a partner as maddeningly perfect as the other.

Today, their operas are still staged around the world, still sung by amateurs and professionals alike, still quoted by people who don’t even know they’re quoting them. That’s the legacy of two men who took a ridiculous world, made it even more ridiculous—and then set it to music you’ll be humming for the rest of your life.

MUSIC AND ARTS  As a librettist, Gilbert's primary artistic passion was theatre. While his fame is linked to his collaboration with the composer Arthur Sullivan, he was also a talented caricaturist and illustrator. He drew the comical illustrations for his Bab Ballads.

LITERATURE Gilbert was a voracious writer, with his output including over 75 plays and libretti, short stories, and a large body of light verse. His writing, particularly the Bab Ballads, laid the foundation for his satirical style. His work and directorial methods influenced later dramatists like George Bernard Shaw and Oscar Wilde.

Many plot elements from his early literary works were later reused by Gilbert later in the Gilbert and Sullivan operas. These included themes such as "paintings coming to life," "a deaf nursemaid binding a respectable man's son to a 'pirate' instead of to a 'pilot' by mistake," and "the forceful mature lady who is 'an acquired taste'". (4)

NATURE He had a great love for nature, especially his Grim's Dyke country estate which had extensive grounds including a lake. The estate provided him with space for outdoor activities and entertainment away from London's urban environment.  He was also an avid gardener, taking a particular interest in growing fruit.

PETS Gilbert was known for having many pets, including some exotic animals such as ring-tailed lemurs. He loved his dogs, though his wife reportedly limited the number he could have. Their childless household apparently found companionship through their animal companions at Grim's Dyke.

HOBBIES AND SPORTS Gilbert's hobbies included gardening, particularly cultivating fruit, and photography. He and Nancy McIntosh were both keen photographers. He also enjoyed swimming in his Grom's Dyke lake.

SCIENCE AND MATHS His operas occasionally included satirical takes on science (as in The Sorcerer or The Mikado’s mock-logic).

PHILOSOPHY & THEOLOGY Often skeptical of religious and social authority, Gilbert’s work leaned toward satire and pragmatism rather than theology. The "topsy-turvy" world of his operas was a playground for poking fun at hypocrisy and rigid social structures. 

POLITICS Gilbert was a satirist of politics rather than an active participant. In operas like Iolanthe, he famously lampooned the British House of Lords and the two-party system. He saw politicians as figures of fun and used his work to critique various aspects of Victorian society, including the military, the legal system, and social hierarchies, but these appear to have been primarily comedic rather than overtly political statements. 

Portrait of Gilbert by Frank Holl (1886) 

SCANDAL Gilbert was involved in a number of professional disputes, most famously the "carpet quarrel" with his collaborators Arthur Sullivan and Richard D'Oyly Carte. Gilbert won the ensuing lawsuit, but the argument caused hurt feelings among the partnership. This led to a temporary break in the Gilbert-Sullivan collaboration, and though the partnership eventually resumed it never fully recovered its former success.

Gilbert angered Queen Victoria with his biting caricatures of government. Sullivan was knighted in 1883, but Gilbert had to wait until 1907, under Edward VII. 

His death also intersected with scandal—he died saving 17-year-old Patricia Preece, who later became an artist notorious for her bohemian lifestyle and scandalous relationships.

MILITARY RECORD He was a member of the part-time volunteer force known as the Militia, serving from 1859 until 1878. He achieved the rank of Captain. This service provided him with military experience and knowledge that influenced some of his theatrical works, particularly those involving military themes and characters.

HEALTH AND PHYSICAL FITNESS Gilbert had good health throughout his life and maintained sufficient physical fitness to engage in swimming well into his seventies. 

HOMES Gilbert's most famous residence was Grim's Dyke, his country estate in Harrow, which he and Lucy moved to in 1890,. This estate included extensive grounds with a lake and provided the setting for Gilbert's final years.

TRAVEL  As a child, he traveled extensively with his family to Italy and France. As an adult, he continued to travel, taking frequent holidays with his wife. 

In 1870, he traveled to France as a war correspondent to report on the Franco-Prussian War for The Observer newspaper.

DEATH Gilbert died aged 74 on May 29, 1911 while rescuing a young woman named Patricia Preece from drowning in his lake at Grim’s Dyke. He'd been giving a swimming lesson and suffered a fatal heart attack while saving her life.

W.S. Gilbert's funeral took place shortly after his death. After his cremation at Golders Green, his ashes were interred in the churchyard of St. John's Church, Stanmore, located in Harrow, Greater London. His grave can be found to the southwest of the church, and the burial site is listed on the National Heritage List for England. 

APPEARANCES IN MEDIA Gilbert’s life and work have been brought to the screen several times, most notably in the 1953 Technicolor film The Story of Gilbert and Sullivan. Based on Leslie Baily’s The Gilbert and Sullivan Book, the British musical drama starred Robert Morley as Gilbert and Maurice Evans as Sullivan, and featured generous musical excerpts from their operas.

He was also memorably portrayed in Mike Leigh’s acclaimed 1999 film Topsy-Turvy, which explores the turbulent yet inspired collaboration between Gilbert and Sullivan during the creation of The Mikado. The film offers a richly detailed glimpse into their creative process, eccentricities, and the Victorian theatrical world they helped define.

ACHIEVEMENTS Created 14 operas with Sullivan

Developed the comic operetta as a genre

Influenced English musical theatre and comedy

Contributed phrases like “short, sharp shock” and “let the punishment fit the crime” to everyday English

Knighted in 1907

Sources (1) The Gilbert & Sullivan Archive (2) Wiki Tree (3) Encyclopedia Britannica (4) Wikipedia

at No comments:
Labels: , ,
Subscribe to: Posts (Atom)