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Emélie Polini

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Polini, Emélie Adeline, generally written as "Amelie", (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, which toured to Adelaide and with revivals of her earlier successes in Perth and Hobart, followed in 1923 with a Sydney season of revivals and The Flaw, which she co-wrote with Doris Egerton Jones,[3] and the farce French Leave, followed by another season of revivals in the other States. She left in April 1924 for London to visit her sister Marie Polini and her husband Owen Nares, both actors.[4] She again 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.[5] 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 in an in camera hearing in the Equity Court[6] which was denied by Mr. Justice Harvey.[7]

Emélie Polini died either in Boston[8] or New York[9] leaving an estate, valued at over £8300,[8]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.</ref> to her daughter, conditional on her being in the custody of her sister Mrs. Marie Nares.[10] This condition was contested by Ellis, and found unlawful by Mr. Justice Long Innes of the Equity Court.[11]

References

  1. ^ "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.
  2. ^ "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.
  3. ^ "Around the Shows". Referee (Sydney, NSW : 1886 - 1939). Sydney, NSW: National Library of Australia. 31 January 1923. p. 15. Retrieved 9 March 2014.
  4. ^ "Theatrical Gossip". Sunday Times (Sydney, NSW : 1895 - 1930). Sydney, NSW: National Library of Australia. 8 April 1923. p. 19. Retrieved 9 March 2014.
  5. ^ "Family Notices". Punch (Melbourne, Vic. : 1914 - 1918). Melbourne, Vic.: National Library of Australia. 18 July 1918. p. 19. Retrieved 9 March 2014.
  6. ^ "Emelie Polini's Baby". Daily Herald (Adelaide, SA : 1910 - 1924). Adelaide, SA: National Library of Australia. 29 March 1924. p. 2. Retrieved 9 March 2014.
  7. ^ "Custody of Child". News (Adelaide, SA : 1923 - 1954). Adelaide, SA: National Library of Australia. 10 April 1924. p. 7 Edition: Home Edition. Retrieved 9 March 2014.
  8. ^ a b Cite error: The named reference adb was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  9. ^ "Emelie Polini Death in New York". The Sydney Morning Herald (NSW : 1842 - 1954). NSW: National Library of Australia. 3 August 1927. p. 16. Retrieved 9 March 2014. Heather Radi, in Australian Dictionary of Biography asserts that she died of cancer in Boston.
  10. ^ sister Marie
  11. ^ "Emelie Polini's Will". The Brisbane Courier (Qld. : 1864 - 1933). Qld.: National Library of Australia. 31 August 1929. p. 11. Retrieved 9 March 2014.

Template:Defaultsort:Polini, Emelie Template:Persondata

Category:English stage actresses Category:Australian stage actresses Category:1881 births Category:1927 deaths

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