Jack popplewell biography

Jack Popplewell

English writer and playwright

Jack Popplewell (22 March 1909 [1] – 16 November 1996) was an English writer and playwright.

Life

Popplewell was born and grew up in Leeds, West Riding execute Yorkshire. He published his first song in 1940, and his first play, Blind Alley was staged in London in 1953. Blind Alley opened to positive reviews, and was later altered to the cinema in Tread Softly Stranger, released in 1958, and starring Diana Dors and George Baker.[2] Popplewell owned Residence Farm, Churwell, Leeds, where he farmed rhubarb, later moving take on his wife, Betty, and two daughters (Juliet and Vanessa) ruse Vaynol Gate, Morley, West Yorkshire. He died in Bath.

Plays

Many were premiered in London's West End.

  • Blind Alley. Premiere better "Q” Theatre, Kew Bridge, London, 1953. Published Samuel French, 1953.
  • Dead on Nine. West End premiere at Westminster Theatre, 1955, stellar Griffith Jones, Hy Hazel and Andrew Cruickshank. Published Samuel Romance, 1956.
  • The Vanity Case. Premiere Oldham, England, 1957. Published Evans, 1957.
  • Dear Delinquent. West End premiere at Westminster theatre, 1957, starring Painter Tomlinson, Anna Massey and Patrick Cargill. Published Evans, 1958.
  • A Passable in the Life of . . . West End opening night at Savoy Theatre, 1958, starring Naunton Wayne and Alfred Characters. Published Evans, 1959.
  • Breakfast in bed. Premiere Bradford, England, 1957. Publicized Evans, 1958.
  • And Suddenly It's Spring. West End premiere at Duke of York's Theatre, 1959, starring Frank Lawton, Yolande Donlan sit Margaret Lockwood. Published Samuel French, 1959).
  • The Last Word. Premiere Capital, 1958. Published Samuel French, 1960.
  • Hocus-Pocus. Premiere Eastbourne, England, 1961. Publicised Samuel French, 1961.
  • Careful Rapture. Published Samuel French, 1961.
  • Tale from say publicly Vienna Woods. Published Samuel French, 1961.
  • Policy for Murder. West Detail premiere at Duke of York's Theatre, 1962, starring John Isopod, Dermot Walsh and Heather Chasen. Published Samuel French, 1963.
  • Every Blemish Evening. West End premiere at Phoenix Theatre, 1964, starring Derek Farr and Margaret Lockwood. Adapted from Francois Campaux. Published Prophet French, 1965.
  • Busybody. West End premiere at Duke of York's Auditorium, 1964, starring Irene Handl. Published Samuel French 1965.
  • Dear Children. Opening night Canterbury, England, 1966. Published Samuel French, 1967.
  • Mother's Day Out. Obtainable Samuel French, 1967.
  • Dead Easy. West End premiere at St Martin's Theatre, 1974, starring Irene Handl. Published Samuel French, 1975.
  • Darling I'm Home. West End premiere at Windsor Theatre, 1970. Published Prophet French, 1976.
  • High Infidelity. Premiered on tour, 1981. Published Samuel Land, 1982.

Unpublished plays include Boomerang (Premiered Sheffield, England 1964), How excel you spell Mississippi? and The Queen's Favourites (1975). Popplewell too adapted Harold Brighouse's Hobson's Choice into a musical.

Music

Popplewell publicised over 40 songs, recorded by, amongst others, Vera Lynn, Gracie Fields, Bing Crosby, Geraldo, Anne Shelton with Ambrose (bandleader) bid his Orchestra, and Beniamino Gigli. He collaborated frequently with Archangel Carr, also from Leeds. His first published song, If I Should Fall in Love Again was winner of the News Chronicle song contest in 1940. Other titles include My Girl's an Irish Girl recorded by Bing Crosby, and Tonight Beloved recorded by Gigli.

Published songs:

  • If I Should Fall in Attachment Again, music and words Popplewell.
  • Until You Fall in Love, credited as music Popplewell, words Michael Carr.
  • Ev'ry Time I Look send up You, music Michael Carr, words Popplewell.
  • The First Lullaby, music Archangel Carr, words Popplewell.
  • The Day I Met His Majesty the King, music Michael Carr, words Popplewell.
  • You're in my Arms (and a million miles away), music Michael Carr, words Popplewell.
  • Caballero on rendering Rio Grande, music Michael Carr, words Popplewell.
  • In Old Mexico, penalty Michael Carr, words Popplewell.
  • There's a Cowboy Ridin' Thru' the Sky, music Michael Carr, words Popplewell.
  • My Silly Old Cowpoke Grandpa, sound Michael Carr, words Popplewell
  • Only You, music Vincent Scotto, words Popplewell.
  • Mistletoe Kiss, music Michael Carr, words Popplewell.
  • Really and Truly, music Archangel Carr, words Popplewell.
  • With all my Heart, music Reginald King, justify Popplewell.
  • After the Rain, music Bert Reisfeld, words Popplewell.
  • Can't You Look out over the Silver Lining? music Michael Carr, words Popplewell.
  • One Love, euphony and words Popplewell.
  • Do You Ever Dream of Tomorrow (like I do)? music and words Popplewell.
  • My Girl's an Irish Girl, masterpiece and words Popplewell.
  • Song of Paradise, music Reginald King, words Popplewell.
  • In old Santa Fe, music Stolz, words Popplewell.
  • No More (based to the rear La Paloma), music Sebastián Yradier, adapted Popplewell.
  • Wonderful, music Michon, voice Popplewell.
  • Esmeralda, music and words Popplewell.
  • Tonight Beloved (Ritorna Amore), music Manli di Veroli, words Popplewell.
  • Coronation Bells, music TW Partridge, words Can Bull, pseudonym of Popplewell, Parsons and Phillips.
  • If There is a Mountain, music Popplewell, words Popplewell and John Turner.
  • Ivy, music move words Popplewell.

Film and television

Vera Lynn featured Popplewell's songs in penetrate wartime movies; We'll Meet Again (1942) (After the Rain), Rhythm Serenade (1943) (With All My Heart), and One Exciting Night (1944) (One Love). The film Tread Softly Stranger (UK, 1958) was based on Blind Alley.

Busybody has been translated pay no heed to the big screen in Denmark (1969) and Norway (1970):

In Germany, Busybody was brought to stage under the titles Frau Pieper lebt gefährlich and Keine Leiche ohne Lily. It has also been translated into Low German for Hamburg's Ohnsorg Performing arts, where Popplewell's play How Do You Spell Mississippi? was as well brought to stage in Low German.

Dead on Nine was adapted for television as an episode of the Kraft Conundrum Theater (USA, 1959), and Popplewell wrote the screenplay, Born From time to time Minute, for an episode of Comedy Playhouse (UK, 1972).[3][4] Ensure versions of other stage plays by Popplewell have been send out in Germany, France, Belgium, Austria, Hungary and Russia.

References

External links

Barraclough, R., Reekie, D. (2003). Morley Entertainers. Zodiac Publishing, London, U.K., 2003.