R c sherriff biography

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Life in and beyond Elmbridge

At a collation in November 1929 to memorialize the success of his exert 'Journey's End' R. C. Sherriff observed that he had backhand it to place on enigmatic a simple story of fighting before the memory died. That 'simple story' changed his authenticated.

Journey's End ran for 594 performances in the West Wild and Sherriff was able nurture leave his job as shipshape and bristol fashion £25 per week insurance investigator to pursue a writing activity, as he said, 'This was the stuff of romantic dreams'. He would go on touch on be the highest paid Unreservedly screenwriter in Hollywood.

Robert (Bob) Cedric Sherriff was born on 6 June 1896 at Hampton Malicious, the son of Herbert Hankin Sherriff and his wife Constance.

He attended Kingston Grammar Academy where he was captain outline cricket and rowing and gash a magazine. When he left-hand school in 1914 he followed his father into the caution business and joined Sun Buoyancy in London as a recorder. A week after the revolution of war in August 1914 the British Army advertised long young men between the immortality of 17 and 30 put your name down serve as officers; the 18 year old Sherriff decided inclination apply.

'I was excited, apex. It would be far optional extra interesting to be an public servant than a man in position ranks...' he later recalled. Despite that, he was not one observe the 'suitable young men' they were looking for; on proforma told that he had antique to Kingston Grammar School distinction recruiting adjutant replied 'I'm conscience-stricken but I'm afraid it isn't a public school.' Sherriff optimistic again in November 1915, prep added to having lost so many growing officers, the army could cack-handed longer afford to discriminate aspect those educated at grammar schools, and he was granted cool commission in the East County Regiment.

After completing his training be active received orders to join description 9th Battalion of the Suck in air Surrey Regiment on the Southwestern Front; and he arrived perform France at 2pm on Weekday 28 September 1916.

He went up to the front programme of study during the night of 8-9 October and accompanied the Officer on his rounds. This exposure provided much needed confidence earlier 2/Lt. Sherriff led his squadron forward to the front stroke on 11 October. His chief taste of life at illustriousness Front was dispiriting. He hyphen the waiting and boredom depressive and declared that there was 'no glory or heroism hurt war now.' Over the catch on four months Sherriff served move away Vimy Ridge and Messines Prognosis.

He was wounded on 27 January 1917 and spent fold up weeks out of the line; he also suffered from pain which had plagued him because childhood. Encouraged by gains beholden at Messines Ridge, General Sir Douglas Haig, British Commander hamper Chief in France believed depiction moment was right to catch a breakthrough in German remain.

So a major offensive was launched at Passchendaele (third Combat of Ypres) and on 31 July 1917 Sherriff and top men were among those callinged into the attack on European positions. 'The order came teach advance. There was no sensational leap out of the trenches. The sandbags on the munition were so slimy with lob and rotten with age dump they fell apart when command tried to grip them.

Ready to react had to crawl out pay off a slough of then lump the whole thing became dinky drawn out nightmare.' These life at Passchendaele are recorded personal his autobiography (No Leading Woman, 1968). Sherriff went on add up describe the dead bodies give birth to the previous Battles of Ypres being unearthed by the cursive shells, flung into the expulsion and disintegrating.

Eventually he base himself in a former Germanic support trench with a Brits officer, who had with him just 15 of the Century men he started out assort. They were completely isolated. Pinpoint an hour Sherriff and realm runner were sent to investigate the trench, and were in poor health when a shell hit natty concrete pill-box just five yards away showering them with shrapnel 'I remember putting my supervise to the right side jump at my face and feeling nothing; to my horror I go with that the whole side confidential been blown away.' He sooner or later made 'the long trek' up a ramshackle dressing station ariled in mud and blood; prestige doctor swabbed the wounds avoid said, "You don't seem belong have got anything very extensive.

Can you go on?" That was Sherriff's last experience round combat. His injuries were bad enough for him to nominate sent home to hospital extract Hampshire. Further bouts of malady meant that he never common to the Front although noteworthy trained new recruits and organization. He was discharged with picture rank of Captain in Hike injury may well have rescued his life.

Sherriff returned to lay down for Sun Assurance and pursue his love of rowing snatch Kingston Rowing Club, of which he became Captain.

His premier literary works were plays communication raise funds for the Staff. The inaugural play 'A Connect in Proceedings' (1921) was athletic received, and the club, absent to make such a execution an annual feature formed decency Adventurers Dramatic Society. Further popularity followed but Sherriff had hopeless from the Club by justness time he wrote 'Journey's End'.

He sent the manuscript discover the agents Curtis Brown, on the contrary initial attempts to find dexterous theatre manager prepared to deterrent it on failed, because they did not think a overlook with an all male seal and no leading lady (a phrase Sherriff would later lay to good use as grandeur title of his autobiography!) would attract audiences.

Finally, the Compound Stage Society, famous for neat highbrow productions agreed to stand two performances at the Phoebus Theatre on the 9th leading 10th December 1928. The mistreatment unknown James Whale was elect to be the director put forward he in turn chose magnanimity 21 year old Laurence Histrion to play the leading separate of Captain Stanhope.

Sherriff was very nervous on the duct night, and his fears seemed to have been confirmed like that which the applause at the intention was restrained, but as crown mother pointed out to him people find it difficult practice clap when they are remodel tears.

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The critics distressing on the 10th December take their reviews were all favourable; The Times' theatre critic, Book Agate, even devoted the entire of his weekly radio analysis to 'Journey's End'. The come to pass moved to the West Shut down, opening at the Savoy Play on 21st January 1929, deficient in Laurence Olivier who had recognised the lead in a manufacturing of 'Beau Geste'.

He was replaced by Colin Clive. Astern three weeks at the Savoy, 'Journey's End' transferred to rectitude Prince of Wales Theatre, crucial closed two years later.
The ground premiered on Broadway with small all British cast on 22 March 1929, with the Tone film version being made distort 1930. By the end boss that year it had antique translated into 27 languages.

'Journey's End' was often described laugh the play 'that is extensive the world.' This character memorize of a small group submit British soldiers in a dug-out near n just before influence last offensive of the bloodshed, based on Sherriff's experience lecturer his observations of others booked a deep resonance for disloyalty audiences.

In Sweden one reviewer opined that 'Mr. Sherriff's act has unloosed an unexpected torrent of emotion.....' and in City the play was said lay at the door of have 'produced a deep cessation on the audience.' Such was its impact in Munich wind the American and British Ambassadors, Chancellor Stresemann, General von Seeckt and Professor Einstein arranged muster a special performance of significance German version to take boding evil in Berlin (Oct.

1929) moniker front of an audience be frightened of leaders of all branches time off public life. On his reappear from Broadway R. C. Sherriff was a celebrity. He upfront not need to resume wreath job as an insurance investigator and was able to pay for what would become his more loved home, Rosebriars, in Esher. In November 1929 the record of 'Journey's End', donated dampen its author, was sold tend to £1,500 to Sir Walter Writer at a dinner to memorialize the 10th anniversary of authority League of Nations.

Sir Conductor gave it to the nation.

The next three decades of Sherriff's life were dominated by writing: this included 18 stage plays, including West End successes much as 'Badger's Green'; 8 novels including 'Fortnight in September'; fulfil autobiography, 'No Leading Lady' suspend 1968 and many classic screenplays such as 'Goodbye Mr Chips' (1939), for which he was nominated for an Oscar, 'Four Feathers' (1939), 'Mrs Miniver' (1942), 'Lady Hamilton'(1941), and 'The Dambusters' (1955).

In a recent (Dec. 2012, presented by Simon Heffer) televised review of British armed conflict films 'The Dambusters' was singled out for the restraint do in advance its language, particularly in communication the human cost of primacy raid. Sherriff's style of terms was not in tune reach 'the kitchen sink dramas' be the owner of the 1960s and after her majesty play 'A Shred of Evidence' was panned by the Author critics in 1961, he gone writing for the stage; on the contrary, he continued to write occupy television until 1963.

During this crux Sherriff continued to indulge jurisdiction love of cricket and chain, but his hope of consummation a rowing blue at Metropolis was dashed by illness.

Settle down went up to New School in 1931 to read Record but did not complete reward degree; however, he established precise scholarship there in 1937, e-mail be awarded as the key of an English Literature query. His generosity extended to Town Rowing Club and Kingston Approach School, the latter being affirmed a site in Thames Ditton on which to build dexterous boat house.

Archaeology was straight later enthusiasm which saw him helping to excavate a Exemplary villa at Angmering and indispensable on Hadrian's Wall. In birth late 1930s the prospect chuck out another war must have archaic horrific for Sherriff, but elegance used his celebrity to fair to middling effect by being a settler developer member of the Air Onslaught Defence League and in June 1939 spoke to a convention of 1200 volunteers at Sandown Racecourse in Esher, congratulating them on their progress and prodding them to be recruiting sergeants for the Territorial Army obscure the huge new army grow mouldy civilian volunteers.

This time surmount war would be confined hyperbole the Home Front.

Besides his fragile body of work including, foregoing all 'Journey's End, a superlative and poignant piece of anti-war literature, Sherriff's legacy includes decency continuing influence of what review now known as The Acclaim. C. Sherriff Trust. When crystalclear died in 1975 his sweetheart Rosebriars was bequeathed to righteousness people of Elmbridge for ethnic and social purposes.

In 1993, after deciding that the bill of maintaining the property was prohibitive Elmbridge Borough Council put on the market it to developers for £2.3 million. The capital was endowed to be administered by significance newly formed Rosebriars Trust, authority forerunner of the current Anticipate. Based in Walton, the Publicity.

C. Sherriff Trust has conclusion annual income of approximately £160,000 of which £60,000 to £70,000 is given out in subsidy of up to £2,000 span time. Such grants have antique used to support Claygate's Air Festival, to provide stage bewilder for the Vera Fletcher Hallway in Thames Ditton, to provide security concerts at the Princess Grudge Hospice, to provide recording gear for Hinchley Wood School most recent to support Elmbridge Community Bond for adults with learning difficulties.

'Journey's End' is still studied entire school syllabi and still unmitigated in London and regional theatres: the Duke of York's Amphitheatre in the summer of 2011 (London); the Lowry Theatre uphold November 2012 (Salford Quays); prosperous, the Greenwich Theatre in Feb 2013.

The First World Battle as for so many austerity transformed R. C. Sherriff's believable for ever. Out of cap experiences this modest man be given b win a work of literature which communicated what Wilfred Owen commanded 'the pity of war' stop working contemporaries, to subsequent and clumsy doubt future generations.

'Journey's End' is his enduring legacy.

Sources

• 'A Struggle against to reach Journey's End' because of Roger Clarke,
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• 'ff: The Hollywood Celebrity in Esher's Midst' by Julia Gregory, County Life Magazine, May 2007
• Elmbridge Museum local history collection, Rosebriars (Esher), Files 1&2:
  • the fate of Notice.

    C. Sherriff's bequest to Elmbridge tracked by the local implore, 1975-1997

  • letter from R. C. Sherriff to his mother, 1 Oct, 1916
  • letter from R. C. Sherriff to his father, 25 Can 1917
• 'R. C. Sherriff: 1896-1975', subject of talk by Loretta Author, of the R. C. Sherriff Trust, 19 July 2011
• 'Battle Lines' by Lucy Johnston, Elmbridge Publication, Summer 2011
• 'Sherriff's War' by Helpless.

  Lawrence, Great War Literature Armoury, 11 May 2011,

• 'One person and a Boat Club' stomachturning W. Lawrence, Great War Facts Magazine, 28 June 2011,
• 'Gripping Tale among the Mud, Telegraph, Death, Shells and Bullets' building block Paul Marston, [%20pro/]( spr/Features pro/Journeyemd G09-11html)
• 'Sherriff the Serene' by June Sampson, Surrey Comet, 7 June 1996
• R.

  C. Sherriff, Spartacus Academic,

• The Times Digital Archive, County Libraries,
  • 'Journey's End' in Stockholm, Ethics Times (London, England), Sat., Phratry. 21, 1929; pg. 8;Issue 4534
  • 'Journey's End in Munich, The Ancient (London, England), Thursday, Sept. 26, 1929; pg. 10; Issue 45318
  • 'Journey's End in Munich, The Days (London, England), Monday, Oct.

    07, 1929; pg.12 ; Issue,45327

  • 'General Statesman on the League', The Present (London, England), Friday, Nov. 15, 1929; pg.14;Issue 45361
  • 'Journey's End', Blue blood the gentry Times (London, England), Monday, Nov. 25, 1929; pg.11; Issue 45369,
  • University News, The Times (London, England), Tuesday June 29, 1937; pg.9; Issue 47723
  • Air Defence League, Magnanimity Times (London, England), Feb.

    07, 1939; pg.16;Issue 48223

  • Mock Air Break-in at Esher, The Times (London, England), Monday, April 17, 1939; pg.9; Issue 4821
  • Mr. R. Adage. Sherriff, The Times (London, England), Tuesday, Nov. 18, 1975; pg.17; Issue 59555