Editing Ronald Colman (section)

==Career==
===Concert parties and amateur stage===

[[File:The Popinjays.jpg|thumb|The Popinjays with Ronald Colman (far right), ca. 1913]] About the same time when he joined the London Scottish, Colman took to the stage and soon established himself as a member of the performing community in Ealing. Between 1909 and 1914, he appeared solo and with various [[concert party (entertainment)|concert parties]] and amateur dramatics groups. He began with banjo solos at benefit concerts<ref>He was said to have made his first appearance on the stage at the age of seventeen in a masonic smoker, see Steele 1937, p. 94. The first recorded performance took place at the Chiswick Town Hall in aid of the Chiswick Soup kitchen: "… and a banjo solo by Mr. R. C. Colman, each of which were much appreciated." ''Chiswick Times'', 16 April 1909, p. 6.</ref> and two years later joined the short-lived Pierrot troupes The Tangerines<ref>"Lifeboat Concert", ''Northampton Mercury'', 10 February 1911, p.12: "… a party of entertainers from Ealing, London, who dress attractively in black with orange coloured trimmings, pierrot fashion."</ref> and The Summer 'Uns, who only had one performance.<ref>''Middlesex County Times'', 4 May 1912, p. 7.</ref> In 1912, while on the Isle of Wight, he and some friends formed The Mad Medicos,<ref> R. O. Mackay, "Ronald Colman - Pierrot", ''Picturegoer'', 1 July 1930, p. 17; P. L. Mannock, "They all came from Concert Parties", ''Britannia and Eve'', 1. July 1937, p. 17.</ref> who performed under his direction.<ref>"Our Amateurs", ''The Era'', 2 November 1912, p. 13.</ref> A part of this troupe then became The Popinjays, again under Colman’s direction, until George Denby (c. 1889-1951)<ref>"Death of George Denby", ''The Stage'', 8 February 1951, p. 3.</ref> took over.<ref>In the early months of 1913, Colman's sister Freda accompanied the Popinjays at the piano. ''Forest Hill & Sydenham Examiner'', 28 March 1913, p. 3. In January 1916, [[Noel Coward]] appeared with the Popinjays at the Park Pavilion in Eastbourne. ''Eastbourne Gazette'', 19 January 1916, p. 8. In April and July of the same year, [[Goodie Reeve]] was a member of the Popinjays under the name of Goodie Cotton. ''Munster News'', 26 July 1916, p. 3.</ref> Besides banjo solos and duets, Colman's repertoire included songs and duets like "Two Little Sausages" ([[Lionel Monckton]]) and musical monologues, recitals of poems like ''[[The Green Eye of the Little Yellow God]]'', funny stories and above all character sketches from Dickens such as Uriah Heep, John Brodie and Martin Chuzzlewit. At "An Evening With Dickens", he played Charles Darnay in three scenes from ''[[A Tale of Two Cities]]''.<ref>"An Evening With Dickens", ''Middlesex County Times'', 6 April 1912, p. 5.</ref> He also staged three pieces of his own: the duologues "My Pierrot"<ref>"Amateur Dramatics at Hayes. Fine Performance for the Cottage Hospital", ''The Uxbridge & Drayton Gazette'', 29 April 1911, p. 3.</ref> and "A Knotty Problem"<ref>"A Triple Bill. Mrs. Hodges' Dramatic Entertainment", ''Middlesex County Times'', 16 December 1911, p. 1.</ref> and the miniature revue "Come Inside".<ref>''Hampstead News'', 23 October 1913, p. 4.</ref> When Colman rejoined the Popinjays in July 1916 for performances at the Pavilion in Derby, between theatre engagements, there was a marked change in his repertoire: The character sketch was now of a Chelsea Pensioner, and he recited ''Spotty, a Tale of the Trenches''.<ref>"Amusements in Derby", ''Derby Daily Telegraph'', 11 July 1916, p. 2.</ref>

Besides these performances, Colman also appeared on the amateur stage. He made his debut as Freddy Fitzfoodle in ''Rich Miss Rustle'' at Victoria Hall, Ealing, on 11 November 1909.<ref>[https://archive.org/details/stageyearbo1910londuoft/page/152/mode/2up?q=''The Stage Year Book''], London 1910, p. 152.</ref> In 1910 followed the one-act plays ''Barbara'' and ''Lights Out''<ref>Both at the same evening. "Tribute to Mr. Box. St. Saviour’s Musical and Dramatic Entertainment", ''Acton Gazette'', 6 May 1910, p. 3.</ref> and ''Spoiling the Broth''.<ref>"Mr. Ronald Colman left nothing to be desired in his portrayal of 'David Wells', the steady, respectable lodger." "Ealing Shakespearean Bazaar", ''Bayswater Chronicle'', 19 November 1910, p. 5.</ref> In October and November of the same year, he sang and danced as Bill Bobstay in ''[[H.M.S. Pinafore]]'' with the West Middlesex Operatic Society.<ref>Acton Gazette, 4 November 1910, p. 3.</ref> In 1911 he appeared in the farcical comedy [https://archive.org/details/janeafarceinthr00lestgoog/page/n4/mode/2up) ''Jane'']<ref>''Acton Gazette'', 13 January 1911, p. 6.</ref> and in the next year as Samson Quayle in ''A Tight Corner''.<ref>''Uxbridge & W. Drayton Gazette'', 27 January. 1912, p. 6.</ref> Around this time Colman joined the Bancroft Dramatic Club, which had been founded in 1892 by Sir [[Squire Bancroft]] and performed mainly at the King’s Hall Theatre on the premises of the [[National Sporting Club]] in [[Covent Garden]]. Among its vice presidents were actors like [[George Alexander (actor)|George Alexander]], [[Johnston Forbes-Robertson]] and [[Ellen Terry]].<ref>"Bancroft Dramatic Club. Festival Dinner of Successful Organisation", ''London Evening Standard'', 1 December 1910, p. 7.</ref> With the Bancroft D. C., Colman appeared in six plays between 1911 and 1914: ''The Admirable Crichton'',<ref>''The Era'', 18 November 1911, p. 13.</ref> ''Priscilla Runs Away'',<ref>''The Stage'', 29 February 1912. p. 23: "As Prince Henry of Lucerne Mr. Ronald Colman was excellent - easy and unaffected."</ref> ''The Dancing Girl'',<ref>''Musical News and Herald'', Vol. 43, 1912, p. 450: "Ronald Colman is a jeune premier of great promise, having youth, a good presence, and clear diction in his favour. He made a manly lover, playing with strength and pathos."</ref> ''The Passing of the Third Floor Back'',<ref>"Our Amateurs", ''The Era'', 26 April 1913, p. 17.</ref> ''Fanny’s First Play'',<ref>"Mr. Ronald Colman quite caught the inflated style and the ultra-artistic mannerisms of Count O’Dowda, and wore his costume with quite an air", ''Musical News'', Bd. 46, 1914, p. 135.</ref> and ''Sowing the Wind''.<ref>"No less excellent was Mr Ronald Colman as the young lover Ned Annesley, playing his part with an easy air of assurance that immediately made him a favourite." ''The Queen'', 11 April 1914, p. 48.</ref> He also performed in ''Mr. Steinman’s Corner''<ref>"The defaulting stockbroker was powerfully played by Mr. Ronald Colman." "St. Saviour’s Lads’ Club Entertainment", ''Middlesex County Times'', 11 May 1912, p. 7.</ref> and as Douglas Cattermole in ''[[The Private Secretary]]'' with Vivian Parrott’s Amateur Dramatic Society.<ref>''The Middlesex & Buckinghamshire Advertiser'', 3 May 1913, p. 5.</ref>

===Theatre===
[[File:Ronald Colman as Sergeant Victor in uniform.jpg|thumb|As Sergeant Victor in ''[[Under Two Flags (1936 film)|Under Two Flags]]''.]]
Colman had sufficiently recovered from his wartime injuries to appear at the [[London Coliseum]] on 19 June 1916 as Rahmat Sheikh<ref>It has been said that his role consisted in waving a flag and tooting a trumpet with absolutely nothing to say, see Colman 1975, p. 14. On the contrary, he did have several lines and impressed the critics: "Excellent work is done by … Ronald Colman as Rahmat Sheikh." "London Variety Stage. The London Coliseum", ''The Stage'', 22 June 1916, p. 18.</ref> in [https://archive.org/details/maharaniofarakan00caldiala/mode/2up ''The Maharani of Arakan''], with [[Lena Ashwell]], at the [[Playhouse Theatre, London|Playhouse]] in December that year as Stephen Weatherbee in the [[Charles Goddard (playwright)|Charles Goddard]]/[[Paul Dickey]] play ''The Misleading Lady'', and at the [[Royal Court Theatre|Court Theatre]] in March 1917 as Webber in ''Partnership''. At the same theatre, the following year he appeared in [[Eugène Brieux]]'s ''[[Damaged Goods (play)|Damaged Goods]]''. At the [[Ambassadors Theatre (London)|Ambassadors Theatre]] in February 1918, he played George Lubin in ''[[The Little Brother]]''. In 1918, he toured the UK as David Goldsmith in ''The Bubble''<ref>Frank, Sam (1997). ''Ronald Colman: A Bio-Bibliography''. [[Greenwood Press]]. p. 52; {{ISBN|0-313-26433-3}}</ref> and as Wilfred Carpenter in ''The Live Wire''.<ref>In Liverpool, "by his perfect acting and striking personality he easily won his way into the hearts of the audience from his first entry on the stage". ''Birkenhead News'', 27 November 1918, p. 1.</ref>

In 1920, Colman went to America and toured with [[Robert Warwick]] in ''The Dauntless Three'' and subsequently toured with [[Fay Bainter]] in ''East Is West''. He married his first wife, [[Thelma Raye]], in 1920; they divorced in 1934. At the [[Booth Theatre]] in New York City in January 1921, he played the Temple Priest in [[William Archer (critic)|William Archer]]'s play ''[[The Green Goddess (stage play)|The Green Goddess]]''. With [[George Arliss]] at the 39th Street Theatre in August 1921, he appeared as Charles in ''The Nightcap''.<ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.ibdb.com/broadway-production/the-nightcap-12603#OpeningNightCast | title=The Nightcap – Broadway Play – Original &#124; IBDB }}</ref> In September 1922, he had great success as Alain Sergyll at the [[Empire Theatre (41st Street)|Empire Theatre]] in New York City in ''La Tendresse'',<ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.ibdb.com/broadway-production/la-tendresse-9118#OpeningNightCast | title=La Tendresse – Broadway Play – Original &#124; IBDB }}</ref> which was to be his final stage work.<ref>Frank, Sam (1997). ''Ronald Colman: A Bio-Bibliography''. [[Greenwood Press]]. p. 58; {{ISBN|0-313-26433-3}}</ref>

===Film===
[[File:Ronald Colman still from Beau Geste 1926.jpg|left|thumb|[[Beau Geste (1926 film)|Colman in ''Beau Geste'']]]]
Colman had first appeared in films in Britain in 1917 and 1919 for director [[Cecil Hepworth]]. He subsequently acted for the old [[Broadwest Film Company]] in ''[[Snow in the Desert]]''. While he was on stage in New York City in ''La Tendresse'', director [[Henry King (director)|Henry King]] saw him and engaged him as the leading man in the 1923 film ''[[The White Sister (1923 film)|The White Sister]]'', opposite [[Lillian Gish]]. He was an immediate success. Thereafter, Colman virtually abandoned the stage for film. 

He became a very popular [[silent film]] star in both romantic and adventure films, among them ''[[The Dark Angel (1925 film)|The Dark Angel]]'' (1925), ''[[Stella Dallas (1925 film)|Stella Dallas]]'' (1926), ''[[Beau Geste (1926 film)|Beau Geste]]'' (1926), and ''[[The Winning of Barbara Worth]]'' (1926). His dark hair and eyes and his athletic and riding ability (he did most of his own stunts until late in his career{{cn|date=January 2023}}) led reviewers to describe him as a "[[Rudolph Valentino|Valentino]] type". He was often cast in similar, exotic roles.<ref>Quirk, Lawrence J., ''The Films of Ronald Colman'', Secaucus, New Jersey, 1977.</ref> Towards the end of the silent era, Colman was teamed with Hungarian actress [[Vilma Bánky]] under [[Samuel Goldwyn]]; the two were a popular film team, rivalling [[Greta Garbo]] and [[John Gilbert (actor)|John Gilbert]].

Although he was a huge success in silent films, he was unable to capitalise on one of his chief assets until the advent of the talking picture – "his beautifully modulated and cultured voice"<ref>Franklin, Joe, ''Classics of the Silent Screen'', p. 148, 1959 The Citadel Press</ref> also described as "a bewitching, finely modulated, resonant voice". Colman was often viewed as a suave English gentleman, whose voice embodied chivalry and mirrored the image of a "stereotypical English gentleman".<ref>Franklin, Joe. ''Classics of the Silent Screen: A Pictorial Treasury''. New York: Bramhall House, 1959. Print</ref><ref>Zito, Stephen F., American Film Institute and the Library of Congress, Cinema Club 9 Program Notes, April, 1973 Post Newsweek Stations, Washington, DC</ref> Commenting on Colman's appeal, English film critic [[David Shipman (writer)|David Shipman]] stated that he was "the dream lover – calm, dignified, trustworthy. Although he was a lithe figure in adventure stories, his glamour – which was genuine – came from his respectability; he was an aristocratic figure, without being aloof."<ref>Morley, p. 65.</ref>

His first major talkie success was in 1930, when he was nominated for the [[Academy Award for Best Actor]] for his performances in ''[[Condemned (1929 film)|Condemned]]'' and ''[[Bulldog Drummond (1929 film)|Bulldog Drummond]]''. He thereafter appeared in a number of notable films: ''[[Raffles (1930 film)|Raffles]]'' in 1930, ''[[Clive of India]]'' and ''[[A Tale of Two Cities (1935)|A Tale of Two Cities]]'' in 1935, ''[[Under Two Flags (1936 film)|Under Two Flags]]'' in 1936, ''[[The Prisoner of Zenda (1937 film)|The Prisoner of Zenda]]'' and ''[[Lost Horizon (1937)|Lost Horizon]]'' in 1937, ''[[If I Were King]]'' in 1938, and ''[[Random Harvest (film)|Random Harvest]]'' and ''[[The Talk of the Town (1942 film)|The Talk of the Town]]'' in 1942. He won the [[Academy Awards|Best Actor Oscar]] in 1948 for ''[[A Double Life (1947 film)|A Double Life]]''. He next starred in a screwball comedy, 1950's ''[[Champagne for Caesar]]''.

At the time of his death, Colman was contracted by [[Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer]] for the lead role in ''[[Village of the Damned (1960 film)|Village of the Damned]]''. After Colman's death, however, the film transferred production from MGM Studios in [[Culver City, California]] to [[MGM-British Studios]] in [[Borehamwood]], England. [[George Sanders]], who married Colman's widow, [[Benita Hume]], was cast in the role intended for Colman.

===Fame===
Colman has been mentioned in many novels, but he is specifically mentioned in [[Ralph Ellison]]'s ''[[Invisible Man]]'' because of his charming, well-known voice. The main character of this novel says that he wishes he could have a voice like Colman's because it is charming, and relates the voice to that of a gentleman or a man from ''[[Esquire (magazine)|Esquire]]'' magazine.<ref name=R.Ellison>{{cite book |title=The Invisible Man |publisher=Random House |author=Ralph Ellison |year=1952}}</ref> Colman was indeed very well known for his voice. ''[[Encyclopædia Britannica]]'' says that Colman had a "resonant, mellifluous speaking voice with a unique, pleasing timbre".<ref name="britannica.com">{{Cite web|url=https://www.britannica.com/biography/Ronald-Colman|title=Ronald Colman &#124; British-American actor &#124; Britannica|website=www.britannica.com|date=15 May 2023 }}</ref> Along with his charming voice, Colman had a very confident performing manner that helped make him a major star of sound films.<ref name=W.Everson>{{cite book |title=American Silent Film |author=William K. Everson |year=1978 |publisher=[[Oxford University Press]]}}</ref>

===Radio and television===
As early as 1942, Colman joined forces with several other Hollywood luminaries to inaugurate international broadcasts by the [[CBS]] radio network over La Cadena de las Americas (The Network of the Americas) under the supervision of the [[Office of the Coordinator of Inter-American Affairs]] chaired by [[Nelson Rockefeller]].<ref>''Time'' – Radio: La Cadena, June 1, 1942 [https://content.time.com/time/subscriber/article/0,33009,790530-1,00.html Ronald Colman, La Cadena de las Americas on Content.time.com]</ref> In the process, he contributed substantially to the implementation of President [[Franklin Roosevelt]]'s [[cultural diplomacy]] initiatives throughout South America during World War II.<ref>Roosevelt, Franklin D., [http://www.presidency.ucsb.edu/ws/index.php?pid=16152#axzz1kZmKEFYg  "Executive Order 8840 Establishing the Office of Coordinator of Inter-American Affairs"], July 30, 1941. Online by Gerhard Peters and John T. Woolley, The American Presidency Project, [[University of California, Santa Barbara]]</ref><ref>''In All His Glory: The Life and Times of William S. Paley and the Birth of Modern Broadcasting''. Salley Bedell Smith. Random House Trade Publications, New York, USA, 2002, Chapter 18 {{ISBN|978-0-307-78671--5}} [https://books.google.com/books?id=W4IgALTXtH4C&dq=William+Paley+La+Cadena+de+las+Americas&pg=PT163 William S. Paley and La Cadena de las Americas and Franklin Roosevelt on Books.google.com See Chapter 18]</ref><ref>''Time'' – Radio: La Cadena, June 1, 1942 [https://content.time.com/time/subscriber/article/0,33009,790530-1,00.html William S. Paley, La Cadena de las Americas on Content.time.com]</ref>
 
Colman's vocal talents contributed to National Broadcasting Company programming on [[D-Day]], 6 June 1944. On that day, Colman read "Poem and Prayer for an Invading Army", written by [[Edna St. Vincent Millay]] for exclusive radio use by NBC.<ref>{{cite book |title=Poem and prayer for an invading army |last1=Millay |first1=Edna St. Vincent |last2=National Broadcasting Company |date=1944 |publisher=National Broadcasting Company |location=New York |language=en |oclc=1105316}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=https://archive.org/details/NBCCompleteBroadcastDDay/CBD-440606_NBC1930-PoemandPrayerForAnInvadingArmy.mp3 |title=Audio recording of "Poem and Prayer for an Invading Army" by Edna St. Vincent Millay, read by Ronald Colman. |date=6 June 1944 |website=Internet Archive |access-date=5 June 2019}}</ref>

Beginning in 1945, Colman made many guest appearances on ''[[The Jack Benny Program]]'' on radio, alongside his second wife, stage and screen actress Benita Hume, whom he married in 1938. Their comedy work as Benny's perpetually exasperated next-door neighbors led to their own [[radio comedy]], ''[[The Halls of Ivy]]'' from 1950 to 1952, created by ''[[Fibber McGee & Molly]]'' mastermind [[Don Quinn]], on which the Colmans played the literate, charming president of a middle American college and his former-actress wife. Listeners were surprised to discover that the episode of 24 January 1951, "The Goya Bequest" – a story examining the bequest of a Goya painting that was suspected of being a fraud hyped by its late owner to avoid paying customs duties when bringing it to the United States – was written by Colman himself, who poked fun at his accomplishment while taking a rare turn giving the evening's credits at the show's conclusion. ''The Halls of Ivy'' ran on [[National Broadcasting Company|NBC]] radio from 1950 to 1952; [[The Halls of Ivy (TV series)|an adaptation of the same name]] was on [[Columbia Broadcasting System|CBS]] television for the 1954–55 season.<ref>{{cite journal |last1=Becker |first1=Christine |title=Televising Film Stardom in the 1950s |journal=Framework |url-access=subscription |via= |date=1 October 2005 |url=https://www.questia.com/read/1P3-1001342431 |access-date=}}{{dead link|date=July 2021}}</ref>

Colman was also the host and occasional star of the syndicated anthology ''[[Favorite Story]]'' (1946–49).<ref name="dunningota">{{cite book |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=EwtRbXNca0oC&dq=%22Favorite+Story,+transcribed%22&pg=PA244 |last=Dunning |first=John |author-link=John Dunning (detective fiction author) |title=On the Air: The Encyclopedia of Old-Time Radio |section=Favorite Story |date=1998 |publisher=Oxford University Press |location=New York, NY |isbn=978-0-19-507678-3 |page=244 |edition=Revised |access-date=2019-09-19}}</ref> Of note was his narration and portrayal of [[Ebenezer Scrooge|Scrooge]] in a 1948 adaptation of ''[[A Christmas Carol]]''.