Duty - and the Girl

The Era, 24 July 1918, reviewed ‘Duty! And The Girl’, a ‘Military Drama in Four Acts, by Clifford Rean. Produced at the Theatre Royal, Stratford, on Monday July 22’. The cast was: Tom Beresford, Vincent W. Carlyle; Harry Blackford, Harry Gilbey; Dr. Alex Malcot, Fergus Leslie; Sam Burrows, William E. Passmore; Joe Sparks, Leonard C. Way; Nurse Eden, Vera Wray; Chrissie Laugton, Winnie Crichton; Lelia Warren, Ethel Day; Rose Warren, Florence Churchill. The review continued: ‘This new military drama was produced by Joseph Millane’s company under the direction of Mr. Vincent. W. Carlyle. The first act, in the garden of Warren Manor in 1914, introduces us to the hero and heroine, the villain, and the adventuress, as well as the minor satellites who revolved around them. Tom Beresford, a rich country squire, has espoused Lelia Warren, much to the surprise of the villagers, who thought his affections were engaged elsewhere owing to his attentions to her younger sister, Rose. But Lelia has only set her cap at him for love of money, and she has still retained her penchant for Harry Blackford, her former lover. Tom’s battalion is ordered to France just as he is about to start for his honeymoon. Rose, to whose care Tom has confided Lelia, tries in vain to protect her, and in the second act Lelia determines to elope with Harry Blackford, as Rose forbids him the house. Tom, dangerously wounded, is at the base hospital, Folkestone, and he is blinded and suffering from shellshock. At this point “everything gets into a horrible tangle,” as one of the characters says; but in the dénouement the tangled skein is unravelled. As Tom Beresford, Mr. Vincent Carlyle acts with manly vigour and sincerity. Mr Harry Gilbey as the blackhearted villain, Harry Blackford, plays sufficiently well in keeping with the character to earn the execrations of the audience. Miss Ethel Day as the wicked and wanton Lelia acts with a certain amount of allurement and fascination. A very charming performance is that of Miss Florence Churchill, who proves herself to be a first-class emotional actress. Miss Winnie Crichton as the lively and loyal Chrissie Laugton is bright and amusing. Mr. Fergus Leslie, as the buoyant, good-hearted and irrepressible Alex Malcot is well in the picture, and Mr William E. Passmore as Sam Burrows also meet [sic] with approval’. The Era, 24 July 1918. The review in The Stage, 25 July 1918 (page 12), is illegible on the British Newspaper Archive.

The Stage, 1 August 1918, listed Duty and The Girl as On Tour from 29 July at the Pal., Watford.

Vincent W. Carlyle’s address was the Queen’s Theatre, Poplar, when he advertised in The Stage, 15 August 1918: ‘Wanted really first-class Heavy Man (through serious breach of contract) … Also Wanted, Juvenile Heavy Lady’. Also: an advertisement in The Stage, 22 August 1918, by Joseph Millane’s Companies seeking theatres for ‘Duty! And The Girl?’ by Clifford Rean stated, ‘Exceeded all expectations at Poplar last week’.

Advertised in the South Yorkshire Times and Mexborough & Swinton Times, 17 August 1918: ‘Joseph Millane’s Company (under the direction of Vincent W. Carlyle), including Florence Churchill, will present Duty! And the girl? By Clifford Rean. A Story of Today. Full London Cast. New and Elaborate Scenery and Effects’.

‘The play at the Palace [next week] will be “Duty and the Girl,” a present-day drama with a direct bearing upon the war’ (Newcastle Daily Chronicle, 24 August 1918). ‘There are few plays of more general interest than “Duty and the Girl,” which Mr Joseph Millane’s company are producing twice nightly at the Palace Theatre. Clifford Rean, the author, has written his story very cleverly, and from beginning to end there is a steady run of interesting incident. Miss Florence Churchill give [sic] a delightful impersonation of Rose Warren, and Vincent W. Carlyle, who has been in France on active service, makes quite an ideal Tom Beresford’ (Newcastle Journal, 27 August 1918).

The Stage, 5 September 1918, listed Duty and The Girl as On Tour from 2 September at the Pal., Durham.

The Stage, 29 August 1918, listed Duty and The Girl as On Tour from 2 September at the R., Oldham. Also: ‘Duty and the Girl, by Clifford Rean, is staged this week [at the Royal, Oldham]. The various parts are in capable hands’ (The Stage, 5 September 1918).

‘A story of to-day, entitled “Duty and the Girl,” will be staged [at the Grand Theatre] next week, by Mr. Joseph Millaine’s [sic] company. This is a drama of great topical interest, in which that talented actress, Miss Florence Churchill, takes the leading part, being capably supported by Mr. Vincent W. Carlyle, who has already done his “bit” in the King’s Royal Rifles in France. There is a strong wartime atmosphere about the seven scenes, one of which introduces us to a military hospital. On Friday, “Coward?” will be the special attraction, both plays being on the twice nightly system’ (Halifax Evening Courier, 7 September 1918).

‘“Duty! And the Girl?” by Clifford Rean, which was presented at the Hippodrome last night, is another of those patriotic melodramas, in which love and hate are shown in vivid contrast, which always find favour with patrons of this house. In this case it is two sisters – one, in vulgar parlance, “a dead wrong ‘un,” the other prepared to make any sacrifice in order to attain the good object she has in view - who are the contending elements. The latter loves the hero, but the former marries him for his money. He is called to France with his regiment on his marriage day, and his wife deserts him for a former lover. He returns blinded and wounded, the other sister does her best to make up for the absence of her sister, and when the bad girl is killed by her lover, marries him and promises to see him through. The two principal characters are admirably presented by Miss Florence Churchill and Mr. Vincent W. Carlyle, the latter of whom, the programme states, served at the front with the K.R.R.’s. In the other characters Miss Helen Wray as the erring sister, Miss Winnie Crichton as a winsome flapper, Mr. Fergus Leslie as an officer in the R.A.M.C., and Mr. Percy Brown in a particularly base villain’s part, all did well The drama, though overstrained in parts, is good, and for those who like melodrama it is worth seeing. On Friday night “The Coward?” is to be substituted’ (Huddersfield Daily Examiner, 17 September 1918).

Advertised in the Leeds Mercury, 7 October 1918, as ‘Jos. Millane’s Up-to-date Drama’. Also: ‘“Duty and the Girl,” at the Theatre Royal, is a topical military play combining low comedy and high sentiment in admirable proportions. It would be better if some of the double entendres were cut out. Miss Florence Churchill plays with considerable power as the sister of the undutiful wife, whose husband’s life she sets out to save in an exalted spirit of self-sacrifice. The wounded hero’s part is played by Mr. Vincent W. Carlyle, a discharged soldier’. Yorkshire Evening Post, 8 October 1918.

‘This week at the Theatre Royal, South Shields, the piece staged is called “Duty! And the Girl!” The part of the heroine is finely played by Miss Florence Churchill. Her acting is spirited and sympathetic to a degree. The hero finds adequate representation at the hands of Mr Vincent W. Carlyle, who has actually seen service in the war just closed’. Shields Daily News, 10 December 1918.