Ada Reeve: Difference between revisions

{{Short description|English stage and film actress (1874–1966)}}

| spouse = {{plainlist|
* {{marriage|Bert Gilbert|1894|1900|end=divorce}}<br>
* {{marriage|Wilfred Cotton|1902}}

Adelaide Mary Reeves was born in London on 3 March 1874. Her father was Samuel Isaacs, an actor who changed his name to Charles Reeves, and her mother was Harriet Reeves (née Seaman), a dancer. She was of Jewish descent.<ref>[http://jewishencyclopedia.com/articles/12632-reeve-ada "Ada Reeve"], ''The Jewish Encyclopedia''</ref><ref>[https://www.jewishvirtuallibrary.org/jsource/judaica/ejud_0002_0017_0_16559.html Jewish Virtual Library]</ref> She made her first appearance on the stage at the age of four in the [[pantomime]] ''Red Riding Hood'' on [[Boxing Day]] 1878 at the [[Pavilion Theatre, Whitechapel]] and continued to play in pantomimes. As a young child, she toured for several years with the Frederick Wright Dramatic Company, performing with the young [[Huntley Wright]] and his family. Her first role with them was "Little Willie" in ''East Lynne''.<ref name=Girls>[http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article10166223 "Girls and the Stage"], ''The Argus'' (Melbourne, Australia), 11 July 1908, p. 5. Reeve said she was six years old when she joined Wright's company, while other sources say she was ten.</ref><ref name=Lipton>Lipton, Martina. [http://www.its-behind-you.com/adareeve.html "Ada Reeve: A 'True Artist' of Pantomime"], It'sBehindYou.com-Ada Reeve 19 March 2008</ref> A series of pantomime and dramatic roles followed, many at the Pavilion. The touring company the family worked for went bankrupt in 1888 and the large family was reduced to singing on the beach to keep the family fed.<ref>West London Observer, 5 June 1908</ref> When she was 14 years old, Reeve's father's health failed, and she was left to support her family, so she began working as a [[music hall]] performer, finding immediate success.<ref name=Girls/> As a child, she performed under the name "Little Ada Reeves", but she shortened her surname to Reeve by 1886.{{fact|date=September 2022}}

"She Was a Clergyman's Daughter" (see illustration) was a seemingly innocent, but actually risqué music hall song about a clergyman's daughter who was not as naive or charitable as she would have you imagine. Reeve performed the song in a demure costume of a flounced dress and bonnet, letting the audience in on the racy [[innuendo]]s of the song through knowing winks and gestures. She continued to perform in pantomimes, being promoted to [[principal boy]] in 1891 in ''The Old Bogie of the Sea'' at the Britannia Theatre and playing the title role in ''Aladdin'' at the Prince of Wales's Theatre, [[Birmingham]], in 1892, where she sang her hit song "What Do I Care?" In 1893, she played Bo-Peep in ''Bo-Peep and Bonnie Boy Blue'' at the same theatre.<ref name=Lipton/>

Reeve married actor Bert Gilbert (Joseph Gilbert Hazlewood) in 1894, and returned to starring in provincial pantomimes and touring as Haidee in ''Don Juan''. She soon became known for her role in one of [[George Edwardes]]' earliest [[Edwardian musical comedy|musical comedies]] at the [[Gaiety Theatre, London|Gaiety Theatre]], starring as Bessie Brent, the title role in ''[[The Shop Girl]]'' (1894) opposite [[Seymour Hicks]]. She was pregnant, however, and had to be replaced in the role by Hicks' wife, [[Ellaline Terriss]]. She returned in ''All Abroad'' at the [[Criterion Theatre]] (1895), and as the title character in ''[[The Gay Parisienne]]'' at the [[Duke of York's Theatre]] (1896). She and her husband then toured Australia in 1897 with [[J. C. Williamson]] in 1897–98. She starred as Robin Hood and later Maid Marion in Williamson's pantomime ''[[Babes in the Wood]]'', drawing popular and critical praise.<ref name=Lipton/> However, the marriage with Gilbert had turned sour, with Reeve claiming extreme cruelty and petitioning for divorce while still in Australia. On the return sea journey to Britain, Reeve was forced to appeal to the captain of the ship for protection from him.<ref>[http://www.gabrielleray.150m.com/ArchivePressText2003/20030809.html Information from the Footlight Notes website] {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070812083052/http://www.gabrielleray.150m.com/ArchivePressText2003/20030809.html |date=12 August 2007 }}</ref> Once in England, the couple separated, and the divorce was finalised in 1900. Ada settled in London with her two daughters, Bessie Adelaide Hazlewood (b. 28 March 1895 in Wolverhampton) and Lillian Mary "Goodie" Hazlewood (b. Jan 1897 in London).{{fact|date=September 2022}}

|1944|| ''[[They Came to a City]]'' || Mrs. BarleyBatley ||

[[Category:EnglishActresses Jewsfrom London]]