Emélie Polini: Difference between revisions
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'''Polini, Emélie Adeline''' (24 March 1881 – 31 July 1927) was an English stage actress with a considerable career in Australia. |
'''Polini, Emélie Adeline''' (24 March 1881 – 31 July 1927) was an English stage actress with a considerable career in Australia. |
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Polini was born in [[Steyning]], [[Sussex]], a daughter of theatrical manager Giovanni Marie Polini and his wife Harriet Frances, née Billings. Her acting career began in London, followed by work in companies touring in England and America. While on [[Broadway]] playing in ''Yes or No?'', she was offered a contract with Australian firm [[J. C. Williamson]] by their agent [[E. J. Tait]].<ref>{{cite news |url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article15778629 |title=Mr. E. J. Tait's Arrival |newspaper=[[Sydney_morning_herald|The Sydney Morning Herald (NSW : 1842 - 1954)]] |location=NSW |date=6 March 1918 |accessdate=9 March 2014 |page=12 |publisher=National Library of Australia}}</ref> In Australia she played [[Edward Clarke]]'s ''De Luxe Annie'' from April 1918 in Sydney and from July in Melbourne, where she married Lieutenant Ellis of the [[Royal Field Artillery]], whom she had met on board the ship (he had been wounded in action and was on furlough).<ref>{{cite news |url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article98174501 |title=General News. |newspaper=[[The_Western_Star_and_Roma_Advertiser|Western Star and Roma Advertiser (Toowoomba, Qld. : 1875 - 1948)]] |location=Toowoomba, Qld. |date=24 July 1918 |accessdate=9 March 2014 |page=4 |publisher=National Library of Australia}}</ref> Her company next played [[Walter Hackett]]'s ''The Invisible Foe'' then ''The Eyes of Youth''. In 1919 she triumphantly toured [[Adelaide, South Australia|Adelaide]], [[Brisbane, Queensland|Brisbane]], [[Newcastle, New South Wales|Newcastle]] and [[New Zealand]] with revivals of ''De Luxe Annie'' and ''The Eyes of Youth''. She returned to Sydney in 1920 with [[Monckton Hoffe]]'s ''The Little Damozel''. |
Polini was born in [[Steyning]], [[Sussex]], a daughter of theatrical manager Giovanni Marie Polini and his wife Harriet Frances, née Billings. Her acting career began in London, followed by work in companies touring in England and America. While on [[Broadway]] playing in ''Yes or No?'', she was offered a contract with Australian firm [[J. C. Williamson]] by their agent [[E. J. Tait]].<ref>{{cite news |url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article15778629 |title=Mr. E. J. Tait's Arrival |newspaper=[[Sydney_morning_herald|The Sydney Morning Herald (NSW : 1842 - 1954)]] |location=NSW |date=6 March 1918 |accessdate=9 March 2014 |page=12 |publisher=National Library of Australia}}</ref> In Australia she played [[Edward Clarke]]'s ''De Luxe Annie'' from April 1918 in Sydney and from July in Melbourne, where she married Lieutenant Ellis of the [[Royal Field Artillery]], whom she had met on board the ship (he had been wounded in action and was on furlough).<ref>{{cite news |url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article98174501 |title=General News. |newspaper=[[The_Western_Star_and_Roma_Advertiser|Western Star and Roma Advertiser (Toowoomba, Qld. : 1875 - 1948)]] |location=Toowoomba, Qld. |date=24 July 1918 |accessdate=9 March 2014 |page=4 |publisher=National Library of Australia}}</ref> Her company next played [[Walter Hackett]]'s ''The Invisible Foe'' then ''The Eyes of Youth''. In 1919 she triumphantly toured [[Adelaide, South Australia|Adelaide]], [[Brisbane, Queensland|Brisbane]], [[Newcastle, New South Wales|Newcastle]] and [[New Zealand]] with revivals of ''De Luxe Annie'' and ''The Eyes of Youth''. She returned to Sydney in 1920 with [[Monckton Hoffe]]'s ''[[The Little Damozel (play)|The Little Damozel]]'' and ''Kindling'', then again toured with revivals before retiring in September 1920 to start a family. |
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She returned in 1922, starring in [[Edward Knoblock]]'s ''My Lady's Dress'' with [[Frank Harvey]], [[Henry arthur Jones]]'s ''The Lie'' and ''The Flaw'', which she co-wrote with Doris Egerton Jones, and ''Eyes of Youth'' in 1923-1924. She in April 1924 for London to visit her sister Marie Nares. She appeared on stage in England and America, where she died, never having returned to Australia. |
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==Personal life== |
==Personal life== |
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Revision as of 03:19, 9 March 2014
Polini, Emélie Adeline (24 March 1881 – 31 July 1927) was an English stage actress with a considerable career in Australia.
Polini was born in Steyning, Sussex, a daughter of theatrical manager Giovanni Marie Polini and his wife Harriet Frances, née Billings. Her acting career began in London, followed by work in companies touring in England and America. While on Broadway playing in Yes or No?, she was offered a contract with Australian firm J. C. Williamson by their agent E. J. Tait.[1] In Australia she played Edward Clarke's De Luxe Annie from April 1918 in Sydney and from July in Melbourne, where she married Lieutenant Ellis of the Royal Field Artillery, whom she had met on board the ship (he had been wounded in action and was on furlough).[2] Her company next played Walter Hackett's The Invisible Foe then The Eyes of Youth. In 1919 she triumphantly toured Adelaide, Brisbane, Newcastle and New Zealand with revivals of De Luxe Annie and The Eyes of Youth. She returned to Sydney in 1920 with Monckton Hoffe's The Little Damozel and Kindling, then again toured with revivals before retiring in September 1920 to start a family.
She returned in 1922, starring in Edward Knoblock's My Lady's Dress with Frank Harvey, Henry arthur Jones's The Lie and The Flaw, which she co-wrote with Doris Egerton Jones, and Eyes of Youth in 1923-1924. She in April 1924 for London to visit her sister Marie Nares. She appeared on stage in England and America, where she died, never having returned to Australia.
Personal life
Emélie married Harold Wilfred "Hal" Ellis in a quiet ceremony in Melbourne on 16 July 1918.[3] They bought a farm at Hartley Vale, New South Wales, in his name, using her savings of £1100 as deposit. Emélie retired from the stage in 1921(?) and on 8 October 1921 gave birth to a daughter, Patricia Marie. Unbeknown to Emélie, her husband had mortgaged the property to fund his extravagant lifestyle; in March 1922 the bank called in the mortgage and she was left penniless, and returned to the stage. Emélie left Patricia with her mother-in-law, arranging to pay for a nurse. Emélie planned a trip to London to visit her sister Marie Nares and wished to take Patricia, but her husband and his mother refused permission; she sought legal custody which was denied by Justice Harvey.
Emélie Polini died in Boston, Massachusetts, of cancer. She left her estate, valued at over £8300, to her sister Marie, conditional on her being responsible for Patricia. The will was contested by Ellis, and was overturned, her sister being denied custody.
Sources
Heather Radi, 'Polini, Emélie Adeline (1881–1927)', Australian Dictionary of Biography, National Centre of Biography, Australian National University, http://adb.anu.edu.au/biography/polini-emelie-adeline-8071/text14085, published in hardcopy 1988, accessed online 9 March 2014.
References
- ^ "Mr. E. J. Tait's Arrival". The Sydney Morning Herald (NSW : 1842 - 1954). NSW: National Library of Australia. 6 March 1918. p. 12. Retrieved 9 March 2014.
- ^ "General News". Western Star and Roma Advertiser (Toowoomba, Qld. : 1875 - 1948). Toowoomba, Qld.: National Library of Australia. 24 July 1918. p. 4. Retrieved 9 March 2014.
- ^ "Family Notices". Punch (Melbourne, Vic. : 1914 - 1918). Melbourne, Vic.: National Library of Australia. 18 July 1918. p. 19. Retrieved 9 March 2014.
Template:Defaultsort:Polini, Emelie Template:Persondata
Category:English stage actresses Category:Australian stage actresses Category:1881 births Category:1927 deaths