{{Short description|British playwright and author (1894–1939)}} {{bots|deny=Citation bot}} {{Use British English|date=September 2014}} {{Use dmy dates|date=September 2014}} {{Infobox person | name = Edgar Middleton | image = | image_size = | caption = | birth_date = {{Birth date|df=yes|1894|11|26}} | birth_place = | death_date = {{Death date and age|df=yes|1939|4|10|1894|11|26}} | death_place = London | other_names = | known_for = | spouse = {{marriage|Yevonde Cumbers|1920}} | occupation = {{hlist|Playwright|author}} }} '''Edgar Charles William Middleton''' (26 November 1894 – 10 April 1939) was a British playwright and author.
==Biography== He was educated at Bancroft's School, Woodford, Essex,<ref name="Times-1939-Apr-11"/> then worked for the Eastern Telegraph Company in Cape Town<ref name="Flightglobal"/> as a cable operator.<ref name="Green1958"/>
===Military service=== When war broke out in 1914 he resigned his post and returned to UK, taking up a commission in the 12th Essex Regiment<ref name="Flightglobal"/> as temporary Second Lieutenant on 11 November 1914.<ref name="LondGaz-1914-11-10"/> He relinquished his commission on 5 May 1915<ref name="LondGaz-1915-05-04"/> to transfer into the Royal Naval Air Service (RNAS), where he was given a probationary commission as Flight Sub-Lieutenant.<ref name="Flightglobal"/> He trained and qualified in ballooning at Roehampton and observed the second bombardment of Ypres from an observation balloon.<ref name="Flightglobal"/> However, he became ill when in Dunkirk<ref name="Flightglobal"/> and suffered a "serious mental breakdown".<ref name="TroveArgus"/> He received a letter from the Admiralty, dated 15 December 1915, stating that he had been found unsuitable for the Air Service and terminating his appointment.<ref name="Times-1916-Apr-21"/>
===Journalist=== He then tried to get work as a journalist<ref name="Flightglobal"/> and wrote articles for the ''Daily Mail'' under the name "Air Pilot",<ref name="TroveArgus"/> and it was in this capacity that an unfortunate incident occurred which led to him being arrested and tried under the Defence of the Realm Act. On 12 April 1916, Middleton visited Dover and met up with former colleagues in the RNAS, telling them, "I have come to Dover to do a bit of spying for Pemberton Billing".<ref name="Times-1916-Apr-21"/> He asked whether officers still lived about two miles from the aerodrome and had to travel there each meal time. He was arrested and appeared at Dover magistrates court on 20 April where, despite pleading not guilty, he was committed for trial at Kent Assizes,<ref name="Times-1916-Apr-21"/> charged with "unlawfully attempting to elicit information with respect to the movements or disposition of His Majesty's forces (to wit, the Royal Naval Air Service) such as might be of value to the enemy."<ref name="Flightglobal"/> He was released on bail.<ref name="Times-1916-Apr-21"/> At his trial in Maidstone on 22 June he pleaded guilty, and the Lord Chief Justice dealt leniently with him on the basis that he was trying to work for the improvement of the Air Service, and he had no evil motive and was loyal to his country. He was bound over in the sum of £25.<ref name="Flightglobal"/>
Middleton continued as a journalist, but also turned his hand to writing books, drawing upon his experiences in the Air Service to produce ''Aircraft'' (1916), ''The Way of the Air: A Description of Modern Aviation'' (1917), ''Glorious exploits of the air'' (1917), ''Airfare of to-day and of the future'' (1918), ''Tails Up'' (1918), and ''The Kingdom of the Air'' (1919), culminating in ''The Great War in the Air, a history of the air in the war in four volumes with an introduction by Lord Montagu of Beaulieu'' which was released in 1920.<ref name="Ukwhoswho"/>
===Marriage=== In 1920 he married Yevonde Philone Cumbers (1893–1975),<ref name="Glassmagazine"/> who in 1914 had set up her own studio as ''Madame Yevonde – Portrait Photographer''. During their courtship she offered to relinquish her career for him, but he considered that would be a mistake, to her relief. She was upset on their honeymoon when he told her that he could not bear the thought of children, since she regarded marriage as pointless without children. Nevertheless, she concentrated her efforts instead on her career and went on to become a remarkable pioneer in colour photography in the 1930s.<ref name="Westward2"/>
Middleton's journalistic career continued, with appointments including aeronautical editor of the London ''Daily Mail'', London Correspondent for the ''New York Sun'' and correspondent for the ''Calgary Herald'' in their new London office.<ref name="CalgaryHerald"/> He also contributed to the ''Daily Express'', ''Daily Mirror'', ''Evening Standard'', ''Evening News'', ''Sunday Times'', ''Sunday Express'', ''Sunday Dispatch'', ''Sunday Pictorial'', ''Woman's Journal'', ''Woman's Pictorial'' and other publications.<ref name="Ukwhoswho"/> In 1921, he and his wife were two of the 43 Foundation Members who attended the inauguration of ''PEN International'',<ref name="Penchinese"/> an organisation which celebrates literature and promotes freedom of expression and which now has over 20,000 members in more than 100 countries.<ref name="Pen-International"/>
===Playwright=== Middleton is, however, primarily famed for his writing for the stage, particularly his first play, the comedy ''Potiphar's Wife'', which was first staged in London in 1927 and was described by the ''Evening Standard'' as the "Play that shocks London". Performances followed as far afield as Paris,<ref name="Times-1991-Nov-16"/><ref name="NST19271128"/> and New York<ref name="Nytimes1928"/> and Middleton is reputed to have made eighty thousand pounds from the play.<ref name="Green1958"/> The plot is derived from the Biblical story in Genesis 39 in which Joseph rejects attempts by his master's wife to seduce him, and she retaliates by accusing him of attempted rape. However, unlike the original, Middleton's play ends in court with the exoneration of the virtuous chauffeur and with Lady Aylesbrough exposed as a shameful perjurer.<ref name="Times-1927-Aug-18"/> The play opened at the Globe Theatre in London in August 1927 with Jeanne de Casalis as Lady Aylesbrough and Paul Cavanagh as the accused chauffeur,<ref name="Times-1927-Aug-18"/> and one scene caused something of a stir when she appeared on stage in pyjamas.<ref name="SFPMA"/> The play was also staged at the Savoy Theatre.<ref name="Times-1927-Nov-19"/> The novel of the play was published the following year, advertised as "The best novel on the market. The story of the Play that shocked the critics".<ref name="Times-1928-Apr-27"/>
In 1928 Middleton followed this with a "melodramatic satire" called ''Tin Gods'', produced at the Garrick Theatre in London in February 1928.<ref name="Times-1928-Jan-30"/> His next work, ''Morning, Noon, and Night, a revue'', which included additional scenes by Harold Scott and William Pollock, was staged in the Everyman Theatre in May 1929,<ref name="Times-1929-May-6"/> but only after three sketches from the revue had been censored by the Lord Chamberlain, who refused to license ''Mussolini's Lunch'', ''Returned With Thanks'' and ''Force of Habit'' for the stage. Middleton responded by publishing them in a book entitled ''Banned By the Censor: The Eclectic Library'', released later in 1929.<ref name="Biblio"/>
===Parliamentary candidate=== In 1929 Middleton took a foray into politics, which he described as a hobby.<ref name="Times-1939-Apr-11"/> In the 1929 General Election he stood as candidate for the Liberal party in the Islington East constituency in London<ref name="Times-1929-May-9"/> and adopted a novel method of canvassing support by using the telephone to contact electors.<ref name="Times-1939-Apr-11"/> Both the other candidates got more votes than he did, but his support exceeded that of any previous Liberal candidate in this constituency.<ref name="Times-1939-Apr-11"/>
===The 1930s=== In the years that followed, he continued to write, and was also secretary to the ''Daily Mail'' Trust.<ref name="Brooks1998"/> He wrote biographies of the Prince of Wales in 1933, and of Lord Beaverbrook in 1934, and then in 1934 he published his autobiography entitled, ''I might have been a success''.<ref name="Ukwhoswho"/>
His next major play was ''England Expects...'', featuring the life of Nelson and his romantic relationship with Emma Hamilton. The play was first produced at the Embassy Theatre in April 1936, with Walter Hudd as Nelson and Margaretta Scott as Lady Hamilton.<ref name="Times-1936-Apr-14"/> Following this, in 1938 he wrote a "crooked comedy", titled ''Lady with Designs'', written with Frank Gregory.,<ref name="Times-1938-Apr-14"/> which was staged in the Ambassadors Theatre to unenthusiastic reviews.<ref name="Times-1938-Apr-29"/>
He was also involved with the production of several films (known as "talking pictures") of ''Potiphar's Wife'' (1929), ''Tin Gods'' (1930), ''Captivation'' (1931), and the ''Official film of the life of The Prince of Wales'' (1933). He lived at 3, Dr Johnson's Buildings, Inner Temple, London EC4.<ref name="Ukwhoswho"/> He died of cancer<ref name="Doy2005"/> at the age of 44 in a London nursing home on 10 April 1939 after a short illness.<ref name="Times-1939-Apr-11x"/> At the time of his death he was collaborating in the production of a film biography of Queen Mary.<ref name="Times-1939-Apr-11"/> His wife, who adored him, was devastated by his death.<ref name="Glassmagazine"/> However, in his autobiography Middleton never mentions his marriage, but does include chapters with the titles ''Women aren't wonderful'' and ''Why I hate women''.<ref name="Doy2005"/>
However, despite sometimes being described as a misogynist,<ref name="Glassmagazine"/> in 1935 it was said of him: "Airman, author, journalist, playwright, politician, royal biographer, Edgar Middleton has possibly led a more varied career than any other man of his age."<ref name="TTBW"/>
==List of works==
===Books=== *1916: {{cite book|title=Aircraft|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=K8tLAAAAYAAJ|access-date=28 September 2013|year=1916|publisher=George Newnes Limited}} *1917: {{cite book|title=The Way of the Air: A Description of Modern Aviation|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=mEjGAAAAMAAJ|access-date=28 September 2013|year=1917|publisher=Frederick A. Stokes Company}} *1917: {{cite book|title=Glorious Exploits of the Air|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=tF1rpwAACAAJ|access-date=28 September 2013|year=1917|publisher=D. Appleton|isbn=9781246578645}} *1918: {{cite book|title=Airfare of Today And of the Future|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=jMTkPQAACAAJ|access-date=28 September 2013|year=1918|publisher=Constable|isbn=9780548509463}} *1918: {{cite book|title=Tails Up|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=6NEtpwAACAAJ|access-date=28 September 2013|year=1918|publisher=Simpkin, Marshall, Hamilton, Kent|isbn=9781245168496}} *1919: {{cite book|title=The Kingdom of the Air|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=uxcxAQAAMAAJ|access-date=28 September 2013|year=1919|publisher=E. J. Burrow & Company, Limited}} *1920: {{cite book|title=The Great War in the Air|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=5qNBAAAAYAAJ|access-date=28 September 2013|year=1920|publisher=Waverley Book Company}} *1928: {{cite book|title=Potiphar's wife|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=3VmOnQEACAAJ|access-date=28 September 2013|year=1928}} *1928: {{cite book|title=Potiphar's Wife. The Novel of the Play|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=4mlaPAAACAAJ|access-date=28 September 2013|year=1928|publisher=London}} *1929: {{cite book|title=Banned by the censor|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=5xkuAQAAIAAJ|access-date=28 September 2013|year=1929|publisher=T. W. Laurie}} *1933: {{cite book|title=H.R.H., A Pictorial Biography; Edited by Edgar Middleton|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=McrSuAAACAAJ|access-date=28 September 2013|year=1933}} *1934: {{cite book|title=Beaverbrook: The Statesman and the Man|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=86ufAAAAMAAJ|access-date=28 September 2013|year=1934|publisher=Stanley Paul}} *1934: {{cite book|title=I Might Have Been a Success|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=2oPpPAAACAAJ|access-date=28 September 2013|year=1934|publisher=Stanley Paul}}
===Plays=== *1926: ''One-act sketches: Habit, The Night Out'' *1927: ''Potiphar's Wife'' *1928: ''Tin Gods'' *1929: ''Morning, Noon and Night (revue)'' *1936: ''England Expects—?'' *1938: ''Lady with Designs'' (with Frank Gregory)
===Films=== *1929: ''Potiphar's Wife'' *1930: ''Tin Gods'' *1931: ''Captivation'' *1933: ''Official film of the life of The Prince of Wales''
==References== <references>
<ref name="Biblio">{{cite book|url=http://www.biblio.com/books/177004538.html|title=Banned By the Censor: The Eclectic Library by Edgar Middleton – First Edition – 1929|publisher=Agrippa's Books and Biblio.com|access-date=2 October 2013}}</ref> <ref name="Brooks1998">{{cite book|author=Collin Brooks|title=Fleet Street, Press Barons and Politics: The Journals of Collin Brooks, 1932–1940|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=uaxOlEq6wikC&pg=PA117|access-date=28 September 2013|year=1998|publisher=Cambridge University Press|isbn=978-0-521-66239-0|pages=117–}}</ref> <ref name="CalgaryHerald">{{cite journal|url= https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=2QZkAAAAIBAJ&pg=7109,3160344|journal=The Calgary Daily Herald|title=Edgar C. Middleton|date=25 March 1920|page=20|issue=3798|location=Calgary, Alberta|access-date=28 September 2013}}</ref> <ref name="Doy2005">{{cite book|author=Gen Doy|title=Picturing the Self: Changing Views of the Subject in Visual Culture|url=https://archive.org/details/picturingselfcha0000doyg|url-access=registration|access-date=28 September 2013|year=2005|publisher=I.B.Tauris|isbn=978-1-85043-413-9|pages=[https://archive.org/details/picturingselfcha0000doyg/page/116 116]–}}</ref> <ref name="Flightglobal">{{cite journal|url=http://www.flightglobal.com/pdfarchive/view/1916/1916%20-%200558.html|journal=Flight – First Aero Weekly in the World|volume=VIII|issue=392|location=London|title=Legal Intelligence|editor=Stanley Spooner |page=558|publisher=flightglobal.com|date=29 June 1916|access-date=29 September 2013}}</ref> <ref name="Glassmagazine">{{cite journal|year=2013|title=Be Original or Die|journal=Glass Magazine|author=Nicola Kavanagh|issue=15|page=34|issn=2041-6318}}</ref> <ref name="Green1958">{{cite book|url=https://archive.org/details/SaBeachcomber|title=South African Beachcomber|author=Lawrence Green|year=1958|publisher=Howard Timmins, RSA|access-date=30 September 2013}}</ref> <ref name="LondGaz-1914-11-10">{{cite web|url=http://www.gazettes-online.co.uk/issues/28969/pages/9139/page.pdf|title=The London Gazette|date=10 November 1914|access-date=29 September 2013|archive-date=15 October 2013|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131015110309/http://www.gazettes-online.co.uk/issues/28969/pages/9139/page.pdf|url-status=dead}}</ref> <ref name="LondGaz-1915-05-04">{{cite web|url=http://www.london-gazette.co.uk/issues/29152/pages/4275/page.pdf|title= The London Gazette|date=4 May 1915|access-date=29 September 2013}}</ref> <ref name="NST19271128">{{cite journal|url=http://newspapers.nl.sg/Digitised/Article/straitstimes19271128.2.87.aspx|journal=The Straits Times|date=28 November 1927|title=Potiphar's Wife in Paris|page=13|access-date=4 October 2013}}</ref> <ref name="Nytimes1928">{{cite journal|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1928/11/21/archives/to-open-craig-theatre-next-month.html|journal=The New York Times|title=To Open Craig Theatre Next Month|date=21 November 1928|access-date=4 October 2013}}</ref> <ref name="Pen-International">{{cite web|url=http://www.pen-international.org/who-we-are/|title=PEN International – Who We Are|publisher=pen-international.org|access-date=2 October 2013}}</ref> <ref name="Penchinese">{{cite web|url=http://www.penchinese.org/english/founding-history-of-pen-international|title=Founding History of PEN International|author=Yu Zhang|date=25 July 2011|publisher=penchinese.org|access-date=28 September 2013}}</ref> <ref name="SFPMA">{{cite journal|journal= The Singapore Free Press and Mercantile Advertiser|date=4 November 1927|page=11|url=http://newspapers.nl.sg/Digitised/Article/singfreepressb19271104-1.2.77.aspx|title=Bad Language in Plays|access-date=1 October 2013}}</ref> <ref name="Times-1916-Apr-21">{{cite journal|url=http://find.galegroup.com/dvnw/infomark.do?&source=gale&prodId=DVNW&userGroupName=hamlib&tabID=T003&docPage=article&docId=CS35063445&type=multipage&contentSet=LTO&version=1.0|journal=The Times|location=London, England|page=2|issue=41147|title=Dover Air Defences|date=21 April 1916|access-date=28 September 2013}}</ref> <ref name="Times-1927-Aug-18">{{cite journal|url=http://find.galegroup.com/ttda/infomark.do?&source=gale&prodId=TTDA&userGroupName=hamlib&tabID=T003&docPage=article&searchType=BasicSearchForm&docId=CS135339282&type=multipage&contentSet=LTO&version=1.0|journal=The Times|location=London, England|page=8|issue=44663|title=Globe Theatre|date=18 August 1927|access-date=29 September 2013}}</ref> <ref name="Times-1927-Nov-19">{{cite journal|url=http://find.galegroup.com/ttda/infomark.do?&source=gale&prodId=TTDA&userGroupName=hamlib&tabID=T003&docPage=article&searchType=BasicSearchForm&docId=CS202841459&type=multipage&contentSet=LTO&version=1.0|journal=The Times|location=London, England|page=12|issue=44743|title=Theatres|date=19 November 1927|access-date=29 September 2013}}</ref> <ref name="Times-1928-Jan-30">{{cite journal|url=http://find.galegroup.com/ttda/infomark.do?&source=gale&prodId=TTDA&userGroupName=hamlib&tabID=T003&docPage=article&searchType=BasicSearchForm&docId=CS169025086&type=multipage&contentSet=LTO&version=1.0|journal=The Times|location=London, England|page=10|issue=44803|title=Picture Theatres|date=30 January 1928|access-date=29 September 2013}}</ref> <ref name="Times-1928-Apr-27">{{cite journal|url=http://find.galegroup.com/ttda/infomark.do?&source=gale&prodId=TTDA&userGroupName=hamlib&tabID=T003&docPage=article&searchType=BasicSearchForm&docId=CS168238747&type=multipage&contentSet=LTO&version=1.0|journal=The Times|location=London, England|page=10|issue=44878|title=Multiple Display Advertisements|date=27 April 1928|access-date=29 September 2013}}</ref> <ref name="Times-1929-May-6">{{cite journal|url=http://find.galegroup.com/ttda/infomark.do?&source=gale&prodId=TTDA&userGroupName=hamlib&tabID=T003&docPage=article&searchType=BasicSearchForm&docId=CS235348134&type=multipage&contentSet=LTO&version=1.0|journal=The Times|location=London, England|page=14|issue=45195|title=The Theatres|date=6 May 1929|access-date=29 September 2013}}</ref> <ref name="Times-1929-May-9">{{cite journal|url=http://find.galegroup.com/ttda/infomark.do?&source=gale&prodId=TTDA&userGroupName=hamlib&tabID=T003&docPage=article&searchType=&docId=CS134422697&type=multipage&contentSet=LTO&version=1.0|journal=The Times|location=London, England|page=8|issue=45198|title=The General Election: 'The Times' List Of Candidates|date=9 May 1929|access-date=10 October 2013}}</ref> <ref name="Times-1936-Apr-14">{{cite journal|url=http://find.galegroup.com/ttda/infomark.do?&source=gale&prodId=TTDA&userGroupName=hamlib&tabID=T003&docPage=article&searchType=BasicSearchForm&docId=CS135474830&type=multipage&contentSet=LTO&version=1.0|journal=The Times|location=London, England|page=8|issue=47348|title=Embassy Theatre|date=14 April 1936|access-date=29 September 2013}}</ref> <ref name="Times-1938-Apr-14">{{cite journal|url=http://find.galegroup.com/ttda/infomark.do?&source=gale&prodId=TTDA&userGroupName=hamlib&tabID=T003&docPage=article&searchType=BasicSearchForm&docId=CS168505998&type=multipage&contentSet=LTO&version=1.0|journal=The Times|location=London, England|page=10|issue=47969|title=The Theatres|date=14 April 1938|access-date=29 September 2013}}</ref> <ref name="Times-1938-Apr-29">{{cite journal|url=http://find.galegroup.com/ttda/infomark.do?&source=gale&prodId=TTDA&userGroupName=hamlib&tabID=T003&docPage=article&searchType=BasicSearchForm&docId=CS235483805&type=multipage&contentSet=LTO&version=1.0|journal=The Times|location=London, England|page=14|issue=47981|title=Ambassadors Theatre|date=29 April 1938|access-date=29 September 2013}}</ref> <ref name="Times-1939-Apr-11x">{{cite journal|url=http://find.galegroup.com/ttda/infomark.do?&source=gale&prodId=TTDA&userGroupName=hamlib&tabID=T003&docPage=article&searchType=BasicSearchForm&docId=CS17249419&type=multipage&contentSet=LTO&version=1.0|journal=The Times|location=London, England|page=1|issue=48276|title=Deaths|date=11 April 1939|access-date=29 September 2013}}</ref> <ref name="Times-1939-Apr-11">{{cite journal|url=http://find.galegroup.com/ttda/infomark.do?&source=gale&prodId=TTDA&userGroupName=hamlib&tabID=T003&docPage=article&searchType=BasicSearchForm&docId=CS219755659&type=multipage&contentSet=LTO&version=1.0|journal=The Times|location=London, England|page=13|issue=48276|title=Mr. Edgar Middleton|date=11 April 1939|access-date=28 September 2013}}</ref> <ref name="Times-1991-Nov-16">{{cite journal|url=http://find.galegroup.com/ttda/infomark.do?&source=gale&prodId=TTDA&userGroupName=hamlib&tabID=T003&docPage=article&searchType=BasicSearchForm&docId=IF501900353&type=multipage&contentSet=LTO&version=1.0|journal=The Times|location=London, England|page=17|issue=64179|title=The English Players in Paris|date=16 November 1991|access-date=29 September 2013}}</ref> <ref name="TroveArgus">{{cite journal|url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article2111089|date=24 June 1916|title=A Too Zealous Journalist|journal=The Argus|location=Melbourne, Australia|publisher=trove.nla.gov.au|access-date=29 September 2013}}</ref> <ref name="TTBW">{{cite book|title=Time & Tide Business World|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=P7waAQAAMAAJ|page=1711|access-date=28 September 2013|year=1935}}</ref> <ref name="Ukwhoswho">{{cite web|url=http://www.ukwhoswho.com/app?service=externalpagemethod&page=ArticleDisplay&method=view&sp=S/oupww/whowaswho/U214079|title=MIDDLETON, Edgar : Who's Who|publisher=ukwhoswho.com|access-date=27 September 2013}}</ref> <ref name="Westward2">{{cite web|url=http://www.westward.iofm.net/page2.htm |title=Yevonde Portrait Archive – Biography – Page 2 |publisher=westward.iofm.net |date=17 May 2010 |access-date=1 October 2013 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131015022103/http://www.westward.iofm.net/page2.htm |archive-date=15 October 2013 |df=dmy }}</ref>
</references>
{{Authority control}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Middleton, Edgar Charles William}} Category:English military writers Category:English reporters and correspondents Category:Royal Naval Air Service personnel of World War I Category:1894 births Category:1939 deaths Category:English male dramatists and playwrights Category:20th-century English dramatists and playwrights Category:20th-century English male writers Category:English male non-fiction writers Category:People educated at Bancroft's School Category:British Army personnel of World War I Category:Essex Regiment officers