Cyril Ritchard (1 December 1897 – 18 December 1977) was an Australian stage, screen and television actor, and director. He is probably best remembered today for his performance as Captain Hook in the Mary Martin musical production of Peter Pan. In 1945, he played Gabriele Eisenstein in Gay Rosalinda at the Palace theatre in London, a version of Strauss's Die Fledermaus by Erich Wolfgang Korngold in which he appeared with Peter Graves, Irene Ambrus and Ruth Naylor. The show was conducted by Richard Tauber and ran for almost a year. [Ref: Charles Castle, This was Richard Tauber, London 1971]
Herbert Trimnell-Ritchard, Marguerite Trimnell-Ritchard
Awards
Tony Award for Best Featured Actor in a Musical
Nominations
Tony Award for Best Lead Actor in a Musical, Tony Award for Best Lead Actor in a Play, Tony Award for Best Director, Primetime Emmy Award for Best Actor In A Supporting Role
Movies
Blackmail, Half a Sixpence, The Hobbit, Peter Pan, The Daydreamer, The First Christmas: The Story of the First Christmas Snow, Hans Brinker, The Dangerous Christmas of Red Riding Hood, Piccadilly, Aladdin, I See Ice, The Show Goes On, Dangerous Medicine, It's a Grand Old World, The Emperor's New Clo...
TV Shows
Producers' Showcase
Star Sign
Sagittarius
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Quote
1
I have four notes, two of them good.
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Fact
1
Mary Martin, in the role of Peter Pan, received a Tony for Best Performance by a leading Actress in a Musical in the 1955 Tony Awards. Cyril Ritchard won a Tony for Best Performance by a supporting Actor in a Musical for his dual role as Mr. Darling and Captain James Hook. Technical Director Richard Rodda received a 1955 Tony Award for Best Stage Technician. The Los Angeles and San Francisco Civic Light Opera founder and producer Edwin Lester acquired the American rights to adapt the J. M. Barrie's 1904 play "Peter Pan" and Barrie's own novelization of "Peter and Wendy" as a stage musical for Mary Martin. The music is by Mark Charlap, with additional music by Jule Styne, most of the lyrics written by Carolyn Leigh, with additional lyrics by Betty Comden and Adolph Green. Incidental music by Elmer Bernstein and Trude Rittman. Musical orchestrated by Albert Sendrey. Directed and choreographed by Jerome Robbins. Scenic Design by Peter Larkin, Costume Design by Motley, Lighting Design by Peggy Clark. Flying Supervisor Peter Foy and Flying Effect by Joseph Kirby. Prior to opening in San Francisco's Geary Street theatre district's Curran Theatre, the production was rehearsed at the Pasadena Civic Auditorium. During the San Francisco performance schedule, additional musical material was ordered by Jerome Robbins and Edwin Lester, revisions continued when the expensive musical transferred to Los Angeles in August, 1954. The show opened in a busy Broadway season, competing with such notable shows as The Boy Friend, Fanny, Silk Stockings, and Damn Yankees. However, while still in Los Angeles, a deal was made for the musical to be broadcast on the NBC's Color Television network 90 minute anthology series "Producers' Showcase," that aired every fourth Monday, on March 7, 1955. "Peter Pan" opened on Broadway's Winter Garden Theatre on 20 October 1954, with a limited run of 152 performances, closing 26 February 1955, closed so that it could be broadcast on television, although box office continued to be strong throughout the Broadway run. The aim of the "Producers' Showcase" was to broadcast expensive color spectaculars to promote the new color television system developed by NBC's parent company RCA. On March 7, 1955, NBC presented "Peter Pan" live as part of "Producer's Showcase" as the first full-length Broadway production on color TV. This 1955 NBC television production utilized the same Broadway theatre where the musical had been performing with the color television cameras situated throughout the theatre's main floor and balcony seating areas. The television show attracted a then-record viewing audience of 65 million viewers, the highest ever up to that time for a single television broadcast program. Mary Martin won an EMMY Award for the 1955 television production. So well received that the musical was re-staged live for television on 9 January 1956 with the same cast, sets and costumes. Both of these broadcasts were produced live and in color, but only black-and-white Kinescope recordings survive.The telecast special followed with rebroadcasts in 1956, and in 1960 with the same stars, production costumes and scenery. The re-staged 1960 telecast had new children in the cast because the original kids had grown to old for their parts. The musical has enjoyed several revivals onstage in 1979, 1990, 1998.
2
Won Broadway's 1955 Tony Award as Best Supporting of Featured Actor (Musical) for playing Captain Hook, his signature role, in "Peter Pan," a performance he recreated in several television versions. Was also nominated for four other Tony Awards: in 1957, as Best Actor (Dramatic) for "A Visit to a Small Planet;" in 1959, as both Best Actor (Dramatic) and Best Director for "The Pleasure of His Company;" and in 1965 as Best Actor (Musical) for "The Roar of the Greasepaint - The Smell of the Crowd.:
3
During the 20s when he visited New York to perform, he shared an apartment with Walter Pidgeon. They performed together in the revue "Puzzles of 1925."
4
His very first role (in Australia) was in a production of "The Pink Lady" in which he played "the Satyr," a foreshadowing of the devilish merry-making to come.
5
Appeared in scores of musical revues with wife Madge Elliott, who was once a ballet dancer with the "Exquisite Eight" who turned to musical comedy. They became instant stars in the musical "Going Up" in 1919.
6
At one time owned a poodle named "Trim" a derivative of his surname "Trimnell-Ritchard.".
7
Starred in a 1950 radio version of "David Copperfield" with Richard Burton in the titular role and Cyril playing Micawber.
8
When he died in 1977, he was survived by a foster son.
9
A devout Catholic, he attended daily mass religiously in New York, where he lived, or in whatever city he happened to be appearing.
10
Staged, and occasionally appeared in, several operas at the Metropolitan Opera in New York, most notably Offenbach's "La Perichole", in which he also appeared as the Viceroy, and Rossini's "The Barber of Seville", in which he played the role of the mute servant, Ambroggio.
11
Awarded a Tony in 1955 for Supporting Actor in the musical, 'Peter Pan'.
Actor
Title
Year
Status
Character
The Hobbit
1977
TV Movie
Elrond (voice)
The First Christmas: The Story of the First Christmas Snow
1975
TV Short
Father Thomas (voice)
Tubby the Tuba
1975
The Frog (voice)
The Snoop Sisters
1974
TV Series
Morlock
The Enchanted World of Danny Kaye: The Emperor's New Clothes
TV Movie performer: "We Wish the World a Happy Yule/Main Titles", "Snubbed", "I'm Naive reprise", "Ding-A-Ling, Ding-A-Ling", "Granny", "We Wish the World a Happy Yule"
Peter Pan
1960
TV Special performer: "Pirate Song", "Hook's Tango" A Princely Scheme, "Hook's Tarantella" Another Princely Scheme, "O My Mysterious Lady", "Hook's Waltz", "I Won't Grow Up" reprise
The DuPont Show of the Month
1958
TV Series performer - 1 episode
Producers' Showcase
1956
TV Series performer - 1 episode
The Winslow Boy
1948
performer: "Who Were You With Last Night?" - uncredited
Blackmail
1929
performer: "Miss Up-to-Date" 1929 - uncredited
Director
Title
Year
Status
Character
Profiles in Courage
1965
TV Series 1 episode
Standard Oil New Jersey Presents Its 75th Anniversary Entertainment
1957
TV Movie
Omnibus
1954
TV Series 1 episode
Self
Title
Year
Status
Character
That Was the Year That Was - 1976
1976
TV Movie
Himself / sketch actor
The Good Old Days of Radio
1976
TV Movie documentary
Himself - PBS Fund Appeal
The Merv Griffin Show
1965-1974
TV Series
Himself
The Mike Douglas Show
1971
TV Series
Himself - Actor
A Birthday Gala Tribute Noel Coward
1970
TV Movie
Himself - Performer
Actor's Choice
1970
TV Series
Himself - performer
The David Frost Show
1970
TV Series
Himself
The Joey Bishop Show
1969
TV Series
Himself
The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson
1962-1969
TV Series
Himself - Guest / Himself - Actor
Our Place
1967
TV Series
Himself
The Bell Telephone Hour
1962-1966
TV Series
Himself - Host / Himself - Singer
The Danny Kaye Show
1966
TV Series
Himself
That Regis Philbin Show
1964
TV Series
Himself
The 18th Annual Tony Awards
1964
TV Special
Himself - Presenter
Stump the Stars
1963
TV Series
Himself - Guest Panelist
The Jack Paar Tonight Show
1961-1962
TV Series
Himself
The Tonight Show
1962
TV Series
Himself - Actor
Talent Scouts
1962
TV Series
Himself
Here's Hollywood
1962
TV Series
Himself
The 14th Annual Primetime Emmy Awards
1962
TV Special
Himself - Presenter
The DuPont Show of the Week
1962
TV Series
Himself - Host / Narrator
The Ed Sullivan Show
1958-1961
TV Series
Himself
What's My Line?
1957-1961
TV Series
Himself - Guest Panelist / Himself - Mystery Guest
$17 Million
