{{Short description|British Australian actor, producer, director, writer and drama teacher}} {{Use Australian English|date=May 2015}} {{Use dmy dates|date=June 2020}} {{More citations needed|date=November 2023}} {{Infobox person | name = Edward Howell | other_names = E.R. Howell<br />Edward Welsford Rowsell<br />Teddy/Ted Howell | image = Edward Howell and Therese Desmond stars of radio program Fred and Maggie Everybody.jpg | image_size = | caption = Edward Howeel and wife Theerese Desmond (1941) stars of radio serial Fred and Maggie Everybody | birth_name = Edward Welsford Rowsell Howell | birth_date = {{birth date|1902|7|15|df=yes}} | birth_place = [[Bromley]], England | death_date = {{Death date and age|1986|8|20|1902|6|15|df=yes}} | death_place = [[Sydney]], Australia | death_cause = | occupation = {{hlist|Actor (radio, theatre, television and film|radio and theatre producer|radio and theatre director|radio and theatre scriptwriter|theatre founder|drama teacher}} | years_active = 1910–1985 | spouse = Mary Grace Cecillia Long (known professionally as Therese Desmond and Molly Long) (m-1927–1961)<ref name="ausstage" /> | children = 1 | partner = | website = }}
'''Edward Welsford Rowsell Howell''' (15 July 1902<ref>[https://adb.anu.edu.au/biography/howell-edward-welsford-teddy-12660 "Howell, Edward Welsford (Teddy) (1902–1986)", ''Australian Dictionary of Biography'']</ref> – 20 August 1986), also known as pen name '''E.R. Howell''', '''Edward Welsford Rowsell''' and '''Teddy/Ted Howell''' was a British-born Australian character actor, radio and theatre producer, director and scriptwriter, theatre founder and drama teacher.
He was notable for his career in Australia in all genres of the entertainment industry in a career spanning radio, stage, television and film. In 1927 he appeared in a cameo role in the early Australian film ''[[For the Term of His Natural Life (1927 film)|For the Term of his Natural Life]]'', at the time the highest-grossing film in Australian cinema.<ref name=ADB>{{cite web |url= https://adb.anu.edu.au/biography/howell-edward-welsford-teddy-12660|title= Howell, Edward Welsford (Teddy) (1902–1986)|last1= Arrow |first1= Michelle |date= 2007|website= Australian Dictionary of Biography |access-date= 22 May 2015}}</ref> After this film, he moved to radio broadcasting and producing until reviving his screen career in the late 1950s, mainly appearing in made for TV Movies and serials.
==Early life== Howell was born on 15 July 1902 (some sources give 1901) in [[Bromley]], England, the youngest son of bank clerk and actor Edwin Gilburt Howell and his wife Madeleine Ann (née Rowsell).<ref name=ADB/> As an eight-year old in 1912, he was brought to Australia with his brother, Lewis, and father to appear in [[James Cassius Williamson]]'s stage production of ''[[The Blue Bird (play)|The Blue Bird]]'' by Belgian playwright [[Maurice Maeterlinck]]<ref name=SMH>{{cite news |date= 22 August 1986|title= Teddy Howell, theatre and film actor, dies |url= https://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=1301&dat=19860822&id=yqpWAAAAIBAJ&sjid=LOgDAAAAIBAJ&pg=3132,4607416&hl=en|newspaper=[[Sydney Morning Herald]]|access-date= 22 May 2015}}</ref> After the family decided to stay in Australia permanently, he completed his education at [[Sydney Grammar School|Sydney Grammar]]. With his father moving to settle in [[Suva]], young Ted soon followed, studying law while working in the government's legal department, before joining the [[CSR Limited|Colonial Sugar Refining Company]].<ref name=ADB/>
==Professional career== ===Theatre and tutoring=== While in Suva, Edward and father Edwin founded the Suva Dramatic Actor Guild. He returned to Australia in 1924 and joined the [[Playbox Theatre]] in [[Melbourne]],<ref name="Fred and Maggie : radio program">{{Citation | author1=Howell, Edward | title=Fred and Maggie : radio program | date=1900 | url=http://trove.nla.gov.au/work/35652462 | accessdate=23 May 2015 }}</ref> and later, with his wife Molly, ran Sydney's (Royal) Academy of Dramatic Arts.<ref>{{cite news |url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article165957564 |title=Academy of Dramatic Art. |newspaper=[[The Sydney Mail]] |date=5 April 1933 |accessdate=23 May 2015 |page=11 |via=National Library of Australia}}</ref>
===Radio and theatre (acting, producing, writing and directing)=== In 1929, he began a career in radio when he was asked by the [[Australian Broadcasting Corporation|Australian Broadcasting Commission]] to produce a play for the network. As an author of one of the first successful variety shows, he had a very prominent career in the sector as a writer, producer and director, as well as appearing in productions as an actor. He was best known as the creator and visionary behind the popular long-running serial ''Fred and Maggie Everybody'',<ref name="Fred and Maggie : radio program"/><ref>{{cite news |url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article107293616 |title=FRED AND MAGGIE'S 1200th. |newspaper=[[Cumberland Argus & Fruitgrowers' Advocate]] |location=Parramatta, NSW |date=12 November 1941 |accessdate=23 May 2015 |page=12 |via=National Library of Australia}}</ref> that ran under a number of titles between 1932 and 1953. The series depicted the life of a middle-class couple played by Edward and his wife, Mary Howell (professionally billed as Therese Desmond). At its height it was heard on fifty six stations throughout Australia and was sold to numerous countries including New Zealand.
Edward worked for [[AWA Technology Services|AWA]], where he served as the chief producer of drama, before going freelance as producer and actor.<ref>{{Cite journal |date=1947-11-22 |title=Ted Howell Concentrates on Acting and Writing |url=https://nla.gov.au/nla.obj-1358244287/view?partId=nla.obj-1358295973 |journal=ABC Weekly |language=en |volume=9 |issue=47 |pages=26 |access-date=2025-03-01 |via=Trove}}</ref> In 1949, he returned to his native England and took up a post at the BBC, writing and producing radio productions as well as stage plays, and returned to Sydney in 1950, where he continued his radio and stage career as a prominent scriptwriter.<ref>{{Citation |author1=Howell |first=Edward |title=Edward Howell interviewed by Hazel de Berg in the Hazel de Berg collection |date=1978 |url=http://trove.nla.gov.au/work/12932016 |others=Hazel De Berg (Interviewer) |author2= |accessdate=23 May 2015}}</ref>
===Television series, TV movies and film=== After a lengthy successful career in radio and on stage he had a prominent career on television, starting from the 1960s appearing in numerous Australian serials, including ''[[My Name's McGooley, What's Yours?]], [[Skippy the Bush Kangaroo]], [[Homicide (Australian TV series)|Homicide]]'', ''[[Division 4]]'' and ''[[Cop Shop]]''.
He appeared in the Brisbane TV play ''[[The Absence of Mr Sugden]]''.
He was best known for his recurring role as Bert Griffiths in the long-running rural soap ''[[A Country Practice]]''.
In film during the latter he appeared in ''[[The Cars That Ate Paris]]'' and ''[[Careful, He Might Hear You (film)|Careful, He Might Hear You]]''.<ref name=ADB/>
==Personal life ==
He was married to Mary Grace Cecilia Long (born [[Sheffield]], 2 May 1902– died Sydney, Australia, 1961) on 11 May 1927, an English-born stage<ref name="ausstage">{{cite web|url=https://ausstage.edu.au/pages/contributor/226682|title=Therese Desmond|publisher=AusStage}}</ref> and radio actress and theatre director whom he also collaborated with and known professionally as Therese Desmond or Molly Long,<ref>{{Citation | author1=Hood, Sam, 1872–1953 | title=2CH Old Time Dance at the Town Hall. Therese Desmond being presented with a bouquet | date=1938 | url=http://trove.nla.gov.au/work/11298994 | accessdate=23 May 2015 }}</ref> whom he had met while appearing with Sydney's Playbox Theatre, marrying at the [[St Mary's Cathedral, Sydney|St Mary's Cathedral]] in Sydney. Mary suffered a stroke in 1955 and died in 1961.<ref name=ADB/> Edward died on 20 August 1986, in a nursing home in [[Chatswood, New South Wales|Chatswood]] at the age of 84, and was cremated.<ref name=SMH/> Their daughter, Madeline Howell, was the second wife of the British actor [[Geoffrey Keen]].
==Theatre==
===Founder=== {|class="wikitable" ! Year ! Company ! Proprietors |- |c. early 1920s|| Suva Dramatic Actors Guild || Edward Howell – Edwin Howell || |}
===Theatre company=== {|class="wikitable" ! Year ! Company ! Role |- | 1924 || [[Playbox Theatre, Melbourne|Playbox Theatre]] || Performer |}
==Drama school== {|class="wikitable" ! Company ! Year ! Position |- |Royal Academy of Dramatic Arts || unknown || Proprietor with Therese Desmond |}
==Radio==
===Radio company roles=== {|class="wikitable" ! Company ! Year/s ! Position |- |[[Australian Broadcasting Corporation|ABC]] || 1929–? || Radio producer, playwright, director, actor |- |[[AWA Technology Services|AWA]] || various || Chief Producer of Drama<br/>Producer and actor |- |[[BBC]] || 1949–? || Writer and producer |}
===Radio serial/s=== {|class="wikitable" ! Production ! Role/s |- |Fred and Maggie Everybody || Creator, writer and performer |}
==Filmography==
===Film=== {|class="wikitable" !Year !Title !Role !Notes |- |1927|| ''[[For the Term of His Natural Life (1927 film)|For the Term of his Natural Life]]'' || Kirkpatrick || Silent film |- | 1956 || ''[[The Rose and Crown (film)|The Rose and Crown]]'' || || TV movie |- |1956|| ''[[The Sub-Editor's Room]]'' || || TV movie |- |1957|| ''[[The Passionate Pianist]]'' || || TV movie |- |1959|| ''[[Black Chiffon]]'' || Husband || TV movie |- |1959|| ''[[One Morning Near Troodos]]'' || || TV movie |- |1959|| ''[[Ruth (Shell Presents)|Ruth]]'' || || TV movie |- |1959|| ''[[Till Death Do Us Part (1959 film)|Till Death Do Us Part]]'' || || TV movie |- |1959|| ''[[Tragedy in a Temporary Town (Shell Presents)|Tragedy in a Temporary Town]]'' || Harry Phillips || TV movie |- |1959|| ''[[A Dead Secret]]'' || || TV movie |- |1959|| ''[[Antony and Cleopatra (1959 film)|Antony and Cleopatra]]'' || Agrippa || TV movie |- |1959|| ''[[The Big Day (Shell Presents)|The Big Day]]'' || Horace Skeats || TV movie |- |1960|| ''[[Heart Attack (1960 film)|Heart Attack]]'' || || TV movie |- |1960|| ''[[Man in a Blue Vase]]'' || Uncle Ben || TV movie |- |1960|| ''[[Close to the Roof]]'' || Perelli || TV movie |- |1961|| ''[[Hedda Gabler (1961 film)|Hedda Gabler]]'' || Brack || TV movie |- |1961|| ''[[Burst of Summer (television play)|Burst of Summer]]'' || Joe || TV movie |- |1961|| ''[[The Lady from the Sea (1961 film)|The Lady from the Sea]]'' || Dr Wangel || TV movie |- |1961|| ''[[The Big Deal (film)|The Big Deal]]'' || Solly Parness || TV movie |- |1961|| ''[[The Ides of March (1961 film)|The Ides of March]]'' || Decius || TV movie |- |1962|| ''[[Light Me a Lucifer]]'' || Stoker || TV movie |- |1963|| ''[[Double Yolk]]'' || Doctor || TV movie |- |1963|| ''[[Uneasy Paradise]]'' || Paulo || TV movie |- |1964|| ''[[The Angry General]]'' || Lord Athol Medway || TV movie |- |1965|| ''[[A Time to Speak]]'' || Man || TV movie |- |1965|| ''[[Campaign for One]]'' || || TV movie |- |1965|| ''[[Daphne Laureola (Wednesday Theatre)|Daphne Laureola]]'' || || TV movie |- |1965|| ''[[Ring Out Wild Bells (Wednesday Theatre)|Ring Out Wild Bells]]'' || Reverend Stephen Millcote || TV movie |- |1969|| ''[[Tilley Landed On Our Shore]]'' || || TV movie |- |1972|| ''[[The Tony Hancock Show]]'' || Colonel || TV movie |- |1974|| ''[[Moving On (1974 film)|Moving On]]'' || || Feature film |- |1974|| ''[[The Cars That Ate Paris]]'' || Tringham || Feature film |- |1978|| ''[[The Night Nurse]]'' || Morphett || TV movie |- |1979|| ''[[Barnaby and Me]]'' || Tennis Umpire || TV movie |- |1983|| ''[[Careful, He Might Hear You (film)|Careful, He Might Hear You]]'' || Judge || Feature film |- |1984|| ''[[Who Killed Hannah Jane?]]'' || Mr. Andrews || TV movie |}
===Television=== {|class="wikitable" !Year !Title !Role !Notes |- |1959|| ''[[Emergency!]]'' || || Episode: "Death Drive" |- |1961|| ''[[The Outcasts (Australian TV series)|The Outcasts]]'' || Dr. D'arcy Wentworth || 1 episode |- |1963|| ''[[Consider Your Verdict]]'' || Costella || 2 episodes |- |1964–1973|| ''[[Homicide (Australian TV series)|Homicide]]'' || The Pathologist / Judge / John Young / Leo Sheldon / Brian Spurling / Walter Lambert / Lucio / Connor / Harold Smith || 9 episodes |- |1965|| ''[[The Magic Boomerang]]'' || Jim Wallace || 2 episodes |- |1968|| ''[[My Name's McGooley, What's Yours?]]'' || Stallybrass || Episode: "A Change of Gear" |- |1968|| ''[[Contrabandits]]'' || Quiellen || Episode: "A Mention in Despatches" |- |1969|| ''[[Skippy the Bush Kangaroo]]'' || Dr. Ames || Episode: "Mixed Company" |- |1969|| ''[[Delta (Australian TV series)|Delta]]'' || Lawler || Episode: "The Devil Take the Blue Tongue Fly" |- |1969|| ''[[Woobinda (Animal Doctor)|Woobinda, Animal Doctor]]'' || Doctor || Episode: "A Life for a Life" |- |1971|| ''[[The Comedy Game]]'' || Speaker || Episode: " Our Man in Canberra" |- |1971–1973|| ''[[Matlock Police]]'' || Dr. Ian Sutherland / Pop Thompson / Doctor Sutherland || 11 episodes |- |1972|| ''The Virgin Fellas'' || 1st Old Man || 1 episode |- |1972|| ''[[Spyforce]]'' || Doctor O'Hara || Episode: "The Mission" |- |1973|| ''[[Division 4]]'' || Fergy Ferguson || Episode: "Take Over" |- |1973|| ''[[The People Next Door (Australian TV series)|The People Next Door]]'' || Dr. Henshaw || Episode: "A Tiny Touch of Tonsil Trouble" |- |1974|| ''[[The Evil Touch]]'' || Julian || Episode: "Faulkner's Choice" |- |- |1974|| ''[[Class of '74|Class of '75]]'' || Mr. Finlay || TV series |- |1977|| ''[[Moynihan (TV series)|Moynihan]]'' || || Episode: "Bird in the Hand" |- |1978|| ''[[Loss of Innocence (TV series)|Loss of Innocence]]'' || || Episode: "1943" |- |1978|| ''[[Cop Shop]]'' || Clive Brooks / Mr. Ashley || 2 episodes |- |1978|| ''[[Case for the Defence]]'' || Wheems || 9 episodes |- |1980|| ''[[Young Ramsay]]'' || Ernie Farrell || Episode: "Natural Selection" |- |1982–1985|| ''[[A Country Practice]]'' || Bert Griffiths || 18 episodes, (final appearance) |- |1984|| ''[[Bodyline (miniseries)|Bodyline]]'' || Lord Hailsham || 1 episode |- |1985|| ''[[Colour in the Creek]]'' || Joe Ellis || 4 episodes |}
==References== {{reflist}}
==External links== *National Library of Australia collection of newspaper and journal cuttings about Teddy Howell. NLA reference number [http://catalogue.nla.gov.au/Record/1930901?lookfor=subject:%22Howell,%20Teddy.%22&offset=1&max=1 42654244] *{{IMDb name|id=0397968|name=Edward Howell}}
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Howell, Edward}} [[Category:Australian radio personalities]] [[Category:1902 births]] [[Category:Australian male television actors]] [[Category:Australian male film actors]] [[Category:Australian male radio actors]] [[Category:20th-century Australian male actors]] [[Category:1986 deaths]] [[Category:British emigrants to Australia]] [[Category:People educated at Sydney Grammar School]]