Fred Barnes as he appeared as the Prince in the pantomime, The House that Jack Built, Royal Court Theatre, Liverpool, Christmas, 1913

Fred Barnes (1885-1938), English music hall light comedian, as he appeared as the Prince in the pantomime, The House that Jack Built, produced at the Royal Court Theatre, Liverpool, at Christmas, 1913.
(photo: Carbonora, proprietor Gwilym Eiriol Mills, Liverpool, 1913)

Other leading members of the cast were Gwladys Soman as Jack Durden (principal boy), Daisy Yates as Charity (principal girl) and Billy Merson as Sammy. Fred was one of many artists that Christmas to sing the phenomenally successful ‘You’re My Baby,’ written by Nat D. Ayer, with words by A. Seymour Brown. This song had been introduced to London audiences by Lew Hearn and Bonita in the revue, Hullo, Ragtime! (London Hippodrome, 23 December 1912), who recorded it for the HMV label (04108 and C558) in London on 3 July 1913.

Advertisement

Vera Neville

Vera Neville (née Vera Blanche Neville Snepp, 1888-1953), English actress
(photo: Rita Martin, London, circa 1908)

Vera Neville was the daughter of Alfred Neville Snepp (1857-1935), an electrician and later a cigarette manufacturer, and his wife Laura Kate (née Browne, 1861-1941) who were married at All Souls Church, Marylebone, London, on 1 December 1887. Her paternal grandfather was the Rev. Edward Snepp (1827-1899), sometime vicar of St. Paul’s Church, Kings Cross, Halifax, Yorkshire.

In 1909 Vera Neville was married to ‘Tommy’ Graves (Henry Algernon Claude Graves, 1877-1963), who became 7th Baron Graves of Gravesend upon the death of his cousin in 1937. Their son was the actor Peter Graves (1911-1994) whose wife was the actress and singer, Vanessa Lee (1920-1992). Following Miss Neville’s divorce in 1922 from Graves she married in the same year Philip Ernest Hill (1873-1944), the successful property developer and financier, from whom she was divorced in 1933.

The details of Miss Neville’s introduction to the theatre are as yet unknown apart from the fact that one of her earliest engagements was as understudy to Gabrielle Ray. Her first substantial part appears to have been as Perlie in Grossmith and Laurillard’s production of Victor Herbert’s musical play The Only Girl, which opened at the Apollo Theatre, London, on 25 September 1915. She was next seen in Mr Manhattan, a musical play which was produced at the Prince of Wales’s Theatre, London, on 30 March 1916; and then in the comedy with music Houp La! (St. Martin’s Theatre, London, 23 November 1916), starring Nat. D. Ayer and Gertie Millar. Her next engagement was in the ‘War Economy Revue’ £150 (Ambassadors’ Theatre, London, 30 April 1917); and then finally in A Certain Liveliness (St. Martin’s, 17 February 1919), a play by Basil Macdonald Hastings.

Vera Neville, English actress and mother-in-law of the actress and singer, Vanessa Lee

Vera Neville (née Vera Blanche Neville Snepp, 1888-1953), English actress
(photo: Rita Martin, London, circa 1908)

Vera Neville was the daughter of Alfred Neville Snepp (1857-1935), an electrician and later a cigarette manufacturer, and his wife Laura Kate (née Browne, 1861-1941) who were married at All Souls Church, Marylebone, London, on 1 December 1887. Her paternal grandfather was the Rev. Edward Snepp (1827-1899), sometime vicar of St. Paul’s Church, Kings Cross, Halifax, Yorkshire.

In 1909 Vera Neville was married to ‘Tommy’ Graves (Henry Algernon Claude Graves, 1877-1963), who became 7th Baron Graves of Gravesend upon the death of his cousin in 1937. Their son was the actor Peter Graves (1911-1994) whose wife was the actress and singer, Vanessa Lee (1920-1992). Following Miss Neville’s divorce in 1922 from Graves she married in the same year Philip Ernest Hill (1873-1944), the successful property developer and financier, from whom she was divorced in 1933.

The details of Miss Neville’s introduction to the theatre are as yet unknown apart from the fact that one of her earliest engagements was as understudy to Gabrielle Ray. Her first substantial part appears to have been as Perlie in Grossmith and Laurillard’s production of Victor Herbert’s musical play The Only Girl, which opened at the Apollo Theatre, London, on 25 September 1915. She was next seen in Mr Manhattan, a musical play which was produced at the Prince of Wales’s Theatre, London, on 30 March 1916; and then in the comedy with music Houp La! (St. Martin’s Theatre, London, 23 November 1916), starring Nat. D. Ayer and Gertie Millar. Her next engagement was in the ‘War Economy Revue’ £150 (Ambassadors’ Theatre, London, 30 April 1917); and then finally in A Certain Liveliness (St. Martin’s, 17 February 1919), a play by Basil Macdonald Hastings.

Vera Neville (née Vera Blanche Neville Snepp, 1888-1953), English actress
(photo: Rita Martin, London, circa 1908)

Vera Neville was the daughter of Alfred Neville Snepp (1857-1935), an electrician and later a cigarette manufacturer, and his wife Laura Kate (née Browne, 1861-1941) who were married at All Souls Church, Marylebone, London, on 1 December 1887. Her paternal grandfather was the Rev. Edward Snepp (1827-1899), sometime vicar of St. Paul’s Church, Kings Cross, Halifax, Yorkshire.

In 1909 Vera Neville was married to ‘Tommy’ Graves (Henry Algernon Claude Graves, 1877-1963), who became 7th Baron Graves of Gravesend upon the death of his cousin in 1937. Their son was the actor Peter Graves (1911-1994) whose wife was the actress and singer, Vanessa Lee (1920-1992). Following Miss Neville’s divorce in 1922 from Graves she married in the same year Philip Ernest Hill (1873-1944), the successful property developer and financier, from whom she was divorced in 1933.

The details of Miss Neville’s introduction to the theatre are as yet unknown apart from the fact that one of her earliest engagements was as understudy to Gabrielle Ray. Her first substantial part appears to have been as Perlie in Grossmith and Laurillard’s production of Victor Herbert’s musical play The Only Girl, which opened at the Apollo Theatre, London, on 25 September 1915. She was next seen in Mr Manhattan, a musical play which was produced at the Prince of Wales’s Theatre, London, on 30 March 1916; and then in the comedy with music Houp La! (St. Martin’s Theatre, London, 23 November 1916), starring Nat. D. Ayer and Gertie Millar. Her next engagement was in the ‘War Economy Revue’ £150 (Ambassadors’ Theatre, London, 30 April 1917); and then finally in A Certain Liveliness (St. Martin’s, 17 February 1919), a play by Basil Macdonald Hastings.

Nat D. Ayer, American song-writer and entertainer

http://www.tumblr.com/audio_file/footlightnotes/39651295072/tumblr_mg3o3xH1731rswg65?plead=please-dont-download-this-or-our-lawyers-wont-let-us-host-audio

Nat D. Ayer (1887-1952)
American song-writer and entertainer
(photo: Gould & Marsden Inc, New York, circa 1912)

Nat D. Ayer, who arrived in England with the American Ragtime Octette in 1912 and who was composer of a string of hit songs, including ‘Oh, You Beautiful Doll,’ ‘You’re My Baby’ and ‘If You Were the Only Girl in the World,’ here sings another of his compositions entitled ‘Cleopatra’ from the review Pell Mell, which opened at the Ambassadors’ Theatre, London, on 5 June 1916; he is accompanied by an orchestra conducted by Edward Jones of the Ambassadors’ (HMV C-694, mx HO-1926ac, recorded Hayes, Middlesex, near London, 19 June 1916). Besides Ayer himself, the cast of Pell Mell included Alice Delysia, Morris Harvey, Dorothy Minto, Leon Morton and Moya Nugent.