Daisy Fisher, born Daisy Gertrude Fisher; (7 November 1887–2 April 1969) was an English novelist and playwright.[1][2] She was the writer of several romantic novels, a lyricist, scriptwriter, actress and singer. In the 1920s she wrote the lyrics for some of Eric Coates' compositions. In 1926 she published her first book Lavender Ladies A Comedy in Three Acts followed by more in the 1930s. Fisher authored some plays with the song writer Harold Simpson, Ronald Jeans and Clifford Seyler. She was the wife of Herbert Mason the film director and producer who previously acted on stage (including several productions at the Birmingham Repertory Theatre).[1] After the Second World War they worked together on some plays.
Daisy Fisher | |
|---|---|
| Born | 7 November 1887 |
| Died | April 2, 1969 (aged 81) Hendon, London, England |
| Nationality | English |
| Other names | Daisy Mason D. G. Mason |
| Occupations |
|
| Years active | 1920–1951 |
| Spouse | |
| Children | 2 |
| Parent(s) | William Edgar Fisher (father) Emma Louisa Fisher (née Beasley) (mother) |
| Relatives | Benjamin Beasley |
Early life
Daisy Gertrude Fisher was born on 7 November 1887 to William Edgar Fisher (an accountant) and Emma Louisa (née Beasley) daughter of Benjamin Beasley.[3] After Brampton Park burned down in 1907[4] she turned to the theatre and joined as a chorus girl.[2]
Career
One of Fisher's earliest plays was Cinderella performed at the Birmingham Repertory Theatre (26 December 1914– 29 January 1915).[5][6] Fisher and the composer Eric Coates starred in The Punch Bowl, which Herbert Mason a stage actor stage managed and choreographed.[7][1] Fisher's comedy play Lavender Ladies was performed at the Comedy Theatre from 29 July – 21 November 1925.[8] The play starred Herbert Marshall and Louise Hampton.[9] Additionally it was Lydia Sherwood's debut on stage. Fisher and Harold Simpson were authors of The Cave Man, which Mason also presented, produced and had a role in. Louise Hampton also had a part in the play.
In 1933 The Hill Beyond was published. It acts as a sequel to The Gates Swings Open and is about a girl from between settling down in the countryside with her husband or an exciting life in the theatrical world in London. In 1935 Fisher wrote the story for Things Are Looking Up with Albert de Courville, Stafford Dickens and Con West.[10] It was the film debut for Vivien Leigh who had an uncredited role as a school girl.[11][12] In 1937 Fisher's A Ship Comes Home was performed at St Martin's Theatre, London.[13][14] The play starred Michael Redgrave who later had a role in Mason's A Window in London. Mason and Fisher financed and were authors of Lend Me Robin (1948), which was shown at Embassy Theatre[15][16] a few years before it was sold to the Central School of Speech and Drama. It was a comedy about a wife who tries to win back her philandering husband (portrayed by Charles Goldner) by taking a lover.[17] The play also starred William Mervyn who later had a part in Conflict of Wings produced by Mason. Three years later they worked on an eternal triangle thriller Dangerous Woman.
Daisy Fisher died on 2 April 1969 in London.
Personal life and family
Fisher first met her future husband when they were in a play about David Garrick with Mason taking the lead. In 1914 they married before Mason and her brother fought in the First World War. Her brother Leslie Fisher was killed in action at the age of 30 on 14 August 1915.[18] She survived Mason with their daughter and son. Their son Michael (b. December 1924) became a radio producer at the BBC and wrote several books.[1][2]
Publications
| Genre | Year | Title |
|---|---|---|
| Comedy | 1925 | Lavender Ladies A Comedy in Three Acts |
| 1930 | Pie Crust | |
| 1931 | Memory of Grange | |
| 1932 | The Gate Swings Open | |
| 1933 | The Hill Beyond | |
| 1936 | A Heart Was Lost | |
| Comedy | 1948 | A Ship Comes Home A Play in Three Acts |
Lyricist
| Genre | Year | Title | Composer | Notes | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stage | 1920 | Mary's Orchard | Eric Coates | Operetta | |
| Vocal | 1920 | The White Winding Road | Eric Coates | [19] | |
| Vocal | 1920 | You Come No More | Eric Coates | [19] | |
| Vocal | 1920 | Autumn Love | Eric Coates | (unpublished) | |
| Vocal | circa 1921–24 | Everything is Simply Fine and Life is Completely Jolly | (unpublished) | ||
| circa 1921–24 | The Inconstant Lover | (unpublished) | |||
| circa 1921–24 | Why I sigh for the Moon | ||||
| Vocal | 1922 | Coloured Fields | Eric Coates | [19] | |
| Vocal | 1923 | Nobody Else but You | Eric Coates | [19] | |
| Stage | 1924 | Ullo (revue) | Co wrote with Henry Creamer, Clifford Seyler and Jack Stachey | [20] | |
| (undated) | The Challenge | (unpublished) | |||
| (undated) | Purple Heather | (unpublished) |
Filmography
Film
| Year | Film | Credit | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1935 | Things Are Looking Up | Scriptwriter | Co wrote with Stafford Dickens, Con West and Albert de Courville |
Theatre
| Year | Title | Playwright | Actress | Theatre | Notes | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1912 | The Follies | Yes | Royal Lyceum Theatre and Apollo Theatre | (with H. G. Pelissier's Follie's Company) | [21][22] | |
| 1914–15 | Cinderella | Yes | Birmingham Repertory Theatre | [23][24] | ||
| 1923–26 | Lavender Ladies | Yes | Strand Theatre, Comedy Theatre, London and Lyric Theatre, London | |||
| 1924 | Our Cabaret | Yes | The Victorian Theatre | (with Ronald Jeans and Clifford Seyler) | [25] | |
| 1924–25 | The Punch Bowl | Yes | Duke of York's Theatre, London and His Majesty's Theatre, London | |||
| 1927 | The Cave Man | Yes | The Theatre Royal, Portsmouth and Savoy Theatre, London | (with Harold Simpson) | [26] | |
| 1936–37 | A Ship Comes Home | Yes | St Martin's Theatre, London | [27] | ||
| 1948 | Lend Me Robin | Yes | Embassy Theatre, London | (with Herbert Mason) | ||
| 1951 | Dangerous Woman | Yes | Wimbledon Theatre, London | (with Herbert Mason) |
References
Bibliography
Secondary sources
- Gale, Maggie. (1996). West End Women and the London Stage 1918–1962. Routledge
- Reid, John Howard. (2005). Hollywood's Miracles of Entertainment. Lulu.com
- Wearing, J.P. (1982). The London Stage 1910–1919: A Calendar of Productions, Performers and Personnel. Rowman & Littlefield Education
- Wearing, J.P. (2014). The London Stage 1920–1929: A Calendar of Productions, Performers and Personnel. Rowman & Littlefield Education (2nd edition)
- Wearing, J.P. (2014). The London Stage 1930-1939: A Calendar of Productions, Performers and Personnel. Rowman & Littlefield
- Wearing, J.P. (2014). The London Stage 1940–1949: A Calendar of Productions, Performers and Personnel. Rowman & Littlefield Education (2nd edition)
- Payne, Michael. (2013). The Life and Music of Eric Coates. Ashgate Publishing Ltd
- D'Arcy Mackay, Constance. (1927). Children's Theatres and Plays. D. Appleton & Company
- Barranger, Milly S. (2004). Margaret Webster: A Life in the Theater. University of Michigan Press
- Hobson, Harold. (1950). Theatre – Volume 2. Longmans, Green and Co
- Kemp, Thomas C. (1943). Birmingham Repertory Theatre: The Playhouse and the Man. Cornish Brothers Limited
- Major and Mrs Holt. (1990). The Biography of Captain Bruce Bairnsfather: In Search of the Better Ole. Pen and Sword
External links
- Daisy Fisher at IMDb
- A Ship Comes Home by Daisy Fisher at The Spectator Archive
- Daisy Fisher on Great War Theatre website
- Daisy Fisher at Theatricalia