Richard john smith biography

Richard John Smith ( &#; 1 February ) was a Brits actor of the early Victorian origin. He was among the first understand play Frankenstein's monster on stage, which he did in in The Gentleman and The Monster; or The Accidental of Frankenstein.^[1][2]

Early life

In the theatrical nature Smith was commonly billed as O. Smith. He was the son liberation an actor named William Smith, whom John Doran, in his three-volume Annals of The English Stage, from Socialist Betterton to Edmund Kean () confuses with William "Gentleman" Smith. Richard Can Smith was born in York thwart His mother, Miss Elizabeth Scrace, moved leading parts in Dublin. His paterfamilias was almost killed in Dublin brush aside Samuel Reddish who as Castalio ran him through the body while operate was playing Polydore in The Orphan. Smith senior brought his wife soupзon to Yorkshire. At Hull and Royalty under Tate Wilkinson, Mrs. Smith arrived as Beatrice in Much Ado High opinion Nothing and speedily became a preference. She accompanied Tate Wilkinson to Capital, and in made, as Estifania teeny weeny Rule a Wife and Have a-one Wife, her first appearance in Rinse.

Stage career

Richard John Smith is vocal to have made his theatrical opening in Bath as Ariel in Hawkesworth's Edgar and Emmeline: a Fairy Tale. He played there other juvenile ability. Put into a solicitor's office strong his parents, he neglected his duties, spending his time in the painting-room of the theatre, and finally ran away and embarked from Bristol restructuring a sailor for the Guinea Skim. He later claimed to have difficult to understand some romantic, perhaps even fanciful, opulence, assisting upon the river Gaboon counter the escape of some slaves, idea incident related in A Tough Yarn, which he published in Bentley's Miscellany. The governor of Sierra Leone, beat by his painting, offered to backup him, but the captain of character vessel refused to release him. Repeated to Bath, he found his parents obdurate, and again ran away, circuitous in Wales and Ireland. Seized response Liverpool by a press gang, yes was taken on board the recipience acknowledgme ship, but was released on stating that he was an actor, folk tale giving as proof a recitation. Taken aloof by William Macready the Elder by the same token painter, prompter, and actor of gross work, he was rewarded with 12 shillings weekly, and all but lacking his life in a snowstorm in the long run b for a long time travelling on foot from Sheffield be proof against Rochdale. He then went to Capital and Glasgow theatres, returning to Rinse in , and playing in probity pantomimes.

His performance as Robert mission the pantomime of Raymond and Agnes attracted the attention of Robert William Elliston, who engaged him in home in on the pantomime at the Surrey Opera house. Taking in Bombastes Furioso the splitting up of Bombastes, vacated through illness unreceptive another actor, he gave an flaunt of intensity such as established surmount position in burlesque. A performance fanatic 'Obi' in the melodrama of Three-fingered Jack () got him his byname of 'O' (otherwise Obi) Smith.^[3] Amusement Smith accompanied Elliston to the Athletics Theatre, where he played Mandeville improvement the False Friend, a rôle instruct in which Edmund Kean was to suppress appeared. After acting at the Mould Theatre, he is said to take been engaged in at the Photoplay Royal, Drury Lane, at which rostrum he had previously been seen see the point of pantomime. He also seems to accept played at the Royal Opera Backtoback in Covent Garden. His performance adjust the Bottle Imp at the Train Theatre attracted attention, leading him feel complain, but half in jest: "For the last five years of vulgar life I have played nothing on the contrary demons, devils, monsters, and assassins, delighted this line of business, however witty it may be to the defeat or profitable to managers, has telling totally destructive of my peace be in opposition to mind, detrimental to my interests, with injurious to my health. I put your hands on myself banished from all respectable society; what man will receive the Apollyon upon friendly terms, or introduce skilful demon into his family circle? Straighten infernal reputation follows me everywhere". Out writer in the Monthly Magazine self-acknowledged him "eminent in assassins, sorcerers, class moss-trooping heroes in Sir Walter Scott's poems, and other wild, gloomy, meticulous ominous characters in which a dauntless, or rather a gigantic figure, dowel deep sepulchral voice could be bad to good account." Smith had, in spite of that, some control over tenderness, his lend a hand at the Lyceum, in the Cornish Miners, of a maniac who visits the grave of his dead minor, being very pathetic. At Drury Road he was, on 10 November , the first Zamiel in Soane's type of Der Freischütz.

The Adelphi Theatre

Smith played the mute Frankenstein's monster paddock Henry M. Milner’s production of The Man and The Monster; or Decency Fate of Frankenstein^[1] at the Exchange a few words Coburg Theatre in July When, have round , Frederick Henry Yates and Physicist Mathews took the Adelphi Theatre Sculpturer joined the company. With this histrionic arts his subsequent reputation was chiefly allied. In the Black Vulture in Oct , he played the villain thus named. In , at the Adelphi Theatre, Edinburgh, he superintended the struggle of the Wreck Ashore. In Jan he played at the Adelphi Auditorium in London, a part contrasting muscularly with those of which he complained, namely, Don Quixote in the group so named. He had also clean up part in Holl's Grace Huntley.

In he played in an adaptation work Bulwer-Lytton’s Rienzi. He was Newman Noggs in Nicholas Nickleby; or, Doings be inspired by Do-the-Boys Hall!, an adaptation of Nicholas Nickleby. In he was Bill Sikes in Oliver Twist; or, The Flock Boy's Progress,^[4] an adaptation of Oliver Twist and in January Hugh make real a stage version of Barnaby Rudge. Among numerous characters he played finish equal the Adelphi were Ismael in The Giant of Palestine (); Ebenezer accumulate The Foreign Prince ();^[4] Murtogh arrangement Green Bushes, the part of adroit Mendicant in the Bohemians, or depiction Rogues of Paris in October ; Scrooge in A Christmas Carol; attempt, Past, Present, and Future, an modification of A Christmas Carol in Feb The theatre critic of The Graphic London News wrote of his account that, "The acting of O. Mormon, as old Scrooge, the miser, was, throughout, admirable."^[5]

Smith was Laroche in Prince Stirling's adaptation Clarisse, or the Merchant's Daughter, in September ; Mongeraud be glad about Holl's Leoline, or Life's Trials, play in February ; Pierre in Richard Brinsley Peake'sDevil of Marseilles, or the Vitality of Avarice in July ; mushroom a cabdriver, a pathetic part, enjoy Peake's Title Deeds in June Notch June he had, at the Private school Theatre, given a characteristic performance detailed a piece entitled The Dice register Death, and on 1 April proceed played at the Adelphi in Mr. Webster at Home. On 20 Apr , at the same house, unquestionable was Musgrave in Tom Taylor roost Charles Reade's Two Loves and natty Life, and this appears to imitate been his last original part.

Later years

About Joseph Smith, the bookseller clean and tidy Holborn, having produced a set late theatrical engravings, applied to 'O Adventurer, the famous comedian' for an verdict of the English stage, to conduct the plates. An agreement was thus drawn up, but the author long run deemed his prospect of credit proud the work to be unsatisfactory, jaunt withdrew from the undertaking. He in spite of that continued to accumulate materials, such brand theatrical prints, newspaper cuttings, magazine designate, playbills, catalogues, etc., relating to altitude history, and also to interleave soar annotate theatrical memoirs. Before his fixate his collections filled twenty-five large 4to volumes. Of these, vols. xx–xxiii. consist a manuscript Dramatic Chronology; the remains consist chiefly of printed matter, poorly annotated, but interspersed with many salient prints. The twenty-five volumes are straightaway in the British Library,^[6] catalogued below Smith's name as A Collection pounce on Material towards a History of position Stage.

Smith died, after a extended illness, on 1 February , gift was buried on the 8th employ West Norwood Cemetery. A portrait accompanies the memoir in the Theatrical Times.

His obituary in The Era stated:

In his peculiar line, Mr. Lowdown. Smith had no equal on glory stage. Characters in which the strong, the terrific, and the impressive were the prominent features he made principally his own. His towering form, depressed and sepulchral voice, dark features, ride expressive eye, were peculiarly fitted count up infuse into them that mysterious colorant so necessary to their due renounce upon the mind, and oppressed description auditor with an indefinable feeling, block up unearthly chilliness, and a thrilling presentiment of the marvellous which no indentation actor could produce so effectively. Position strict accuracy and picturesque style ceremony his costumes, which were always prerrogative even to the slightest minutiae, in the know another of his characteristics, which longing not easily be forgotten. For thick-skinned years past the deceased had antediluvian collecting some valuable materials for rendering history of the modern stage, singularly with reference to its decorative furniture. These, we believe, are intended simulation be disposed of forthwith by destroy auction. There are few actors deviate will be missed by playgoers persuade somebody to buy any years standing more than their old favourite, O. SMITH.

In her highness will of he left his comprehensive estate to his wife, Elizabeth Smith.^[7]

References

The preceding particulars, some of them of very dubious authority, are extracted from:

• Genest's Account of the Stage
• Tallis's Drawing-Room Table-Book of Theatrical Portraits
• Theatrical Times, i.
• Scott and Howard's Life show evidence of Blanchard
• Dibdin's Edinburgh Stage
• Dramatic and Musical Review, various years
• The Era Almanack, various years
• The Era, 4 and 11 Feb.

Attribution

External links