Editing Stanley Holloway (section)

====Early career and First World War====
[[File:Kissing-time-12.jpg|thumb|right|[[Leslie Henson]], Holloway's early mentor, with [[Phyllis Dare]] in 1919]]
Holloway's stage career began in 1910, when he travelled to [[Walton-on-the-Naze]] to audition for ''The White [[Coon song|Coon]]s Show'', a [[Concert party (entertainment)|concert party]] [[variety show]] arranged and produced by Will C. Pepper, father of [[Harry S. Pepper]], with whom Holloway later starred in ''[[The Co-Optimists (film)|The Co-Optimists]]''.<ref name="ReferenceB">Holloway and Richards, p. 49</ref> This seaside show lasted six weeks.<ref name="ReferenceC">Holloway and Richards, p. 50</ref> From 1912 to 1914, Holloway appeared in the summer seasons at the West Cliff Gardens Theatre, [[Clacton-on-Sea]], where he was billed as a romantic baritone.<ref>Graham, pp. 150–246</ref>

In 1913 Holloway was recruited by the comedian [[Leslie Henson]] to feature as a support in Henson's more prestigious concert party called ''Nicely, Thanks''.<ref name="ReferenceC"/> In later life, Holloway often spoke of his admiration for Henson, citing him as a great influence on his career. The two became firm friends and often consulted each other before taking jobs.{{#tag:ref|Henson's death in 1957 came when Holloway was experiencing a career high in ''[[My Fair Lady]]'', which had started on [[Broadway theatre|Broadway]] in 1956. Holloway recalled that Henson had been overlooked for the part of Alfred P. Doolittle when auditioning began in 1954, and Holloway wrote in his memoir that he regretted this deeply.<ref>Holloway and Richards, p. 295</ref>|group= n}} In his 1967 autobiography, Holloway dedicated a whole chapter to Henson,<ref>Holloway and Richards, p. 289</ref> whom he described as "the greatest friend, inspiration and mentor a performer could have had".<ref name="ReferenceC"/> Later in 1913, Holloway decided to train as an operatic [[baritone]], and so he went to Italy to take singing lessons from Ferdinando Guarino in [[Milan]].<ref name="ReferenceB"/> However, a yearning to start a career in light entertainment and a contract to re-appear in Bert Graham and Will Bentley's concert party at the [[West Cliff Theatre]] caused him to return home after six months.<ref>Holloway and Richards, pp. 54–55</ref>

In the early months of 1914, Holloway made his first visit to the United States and then went to [[Buenos Aires]] and [[Valparaíso]] with the concert party ''The Grotesques''.<ref name="ReferenceC"/><ref>[http://search.ancestry.co.uk/cgi-bin/sse.dll?db=BT26&h=9279907&indiv=try&o_vc=Record:OtherRecord&rhSource=7814 The National Archives of the UK, ''Board of Trade, Commercial and Statistical Department and successors, Inwards Passenger Lists''], ancestry.co.uk, accessed 9 July 2012</ref> At the outbreak of the First World War in August 1914, he decided to return to England, but his departure was delayed for six weeks due to his contract with the troupe.<ref>Holloway and Richards, pp. 56–57</ref> At the age of 25, Holloway enlisted in the [[Connaught Rangers]]<ref name="Holloway and Richards, p. 58"/> in which he was commissioned as a [[Subaltern (military)|subaltern]] in December 1915<ref>{{London Gazette|issue=29396|supp=y| date=7 December 1915|page=12297}}</ref> because of his previous training in the London Rifle Brigade.<ref name="Holloway and Richards, p. 58"/> In 1916 he was stationed in Cork and fought against the rebels in the [[Easter Rising]].<ref>Holloway and Richards, pp. 58–59</ref> Later that year, he was sent to France,<ref>Holloway and Richards, p. 59</ref> where he fought in the trenches alongside [[Michael John O'Leary|Michael O'Leary]], who was awarded the [[Victoria Cross]] for gallantry<ref name="Holloway and Richards, p. 60">Holloway and Richards, p. 60</ref> in February 1915. Holloway and O'Leary stayed in touch after the war and remained close friends.<ref name="Holloway and Richards, p. 60"/>

Holloway spent much of his time in the later part of the war organising shows to boost army morale in France.<ref>Holloway and Richards, pp. 60 and 76</ref> One such [[revue]], ''Wear That Ribbon'', was performed in honour of O'Leary winning the VC.<ref name="Holloway and Richards, p. 60"/> He, Henson and his newly established ''Star Attractions'' concert party, entertained the British troops in [[Wimereux]].<ref>Holloway and Richards, p. 19</ref> The party included such performers as [[Jack Buchanan]], [[Eric Blore]], [[Binnie Hale]], and [[Phyllis Dare]], as well as the performers who would later form ''The Co-Optimists''.<ref name="Holloway and Richards, p. 20">Holloway and Richards, p. 20</ref> Upon his return from France, Holloway was stationed in [[Hartlepool]],<ref name=Holloway76>Holloway and Richards, p. 76</ref> and immediately after the war ended he starred in ''The Disorderly Room'' with Leslie Henson, which Eric Blore had written while serving in the [[South Wales Borderers]].<ref name="Holloway and Richards, p. 60"/> The production toured theatres on England's coast, including [[Walton-on-the-Naze]] and [[Clacton-on-Sea]].<ref name="Holloway and Richards, p. 60"/>