{{Short description|English music hall comedian and actor (1860–1939)}} {{Use British English|date=July 2021}} {{Use dmy dates|date=July 2020}} {{Infobox person | name = Johnny Danvers | image = Johnny Danvers c1904.jpg | image_size = | alt = | caption = Danvers {{circa}}1904 | birth_name = John Danvers Harold | birth_date = {{Birth date|df=yes|1860|12|}} | birth_place = Sheffield, Yorkshire, U.K. | death_date = {{Death date and age|df=yes|1939|04|01|1860|12|}} | death_place = Brixton, London, U.K. | resting_place = Streatham Park Cemetery, Streatham Vale | occupation = Actor, comedian | years_active = 1865{{ndash}}1925 | known_for = | spouse = {{Marriage|Emily Rosetta King<br>|1895<!--As marriage ended with his death, year is omitted per Template:Marriage instructions--->}} | relatives = }}
'''Johnny Danvers''' (born '''John Danvers Harold'''; December 1860 – 1 April 1939) was an English actor, comedian and music hall performer who made a number of appearances in the annual pantomime at the Theatre Royal, Drury Lane in the late 19th and early 20th-centuries, usually with his nephew Dan Leno.
==Early life== Danvers was born in Sheffield, Yorkshire, to Charles Dutton Harold (1843-1880) and Elizabeth Ann ({{nee}} Calow; 1848-1894). The family moved to Glasgow when Danvers was young, but had returned to Sheffield by 1881, where he took a job as a he "silver plater".<ref name=Anthony>Barry Anthony, [https://books.google.com/books?id=5OGPDwAAQBAJ&pg=PA70 ''The King's Jester: The Life of Dan Leno, Victorian Comic Genius''], London: I. B. Taurus & Co (2010) - Google Books pg.33</ref><ref>[https://www.ancestry.co.uk/interactive/7572/WRYRG11_4643_4646-0689/25543056?backurl=https://www.ancestry.co.uk/family-tree/person/tree/49662475/person/20239178377/facts/citation/73285952396/edit/record 1881 England Census for John Danvers Harold: Yorkshire, Sheffield, North Sheffield - Ancestry.com {{subscription required}}]</ref>
==Dan Leno== thumb|upright|180px|Sheetmusic cover for "Mc.Fadden Learning to Waltz", sung by Danvers ({{circa}} 1890) In 1865 Dan Leno and his brother, Henry, formed a clog dancing double act known as "The Great Little Lenos".<ref name=Brandreth>Gyles Brandreth, (1977) ''The Funniest Man on Earth: The Story of Dan Leno'', London: Hamish Hamilton</ref> Although initially successful, the brothers experienced many bouts of unemployment and often busked outside London pubs to make a living.<ref>Brandreth, p. 3</ref>
Tired of surviving on little or no money, Henry took up a trade in London and was replaced intermittently in the act by Danvers, who was the boys' uncle.<ref name=Brandreth/> Similar in age, Leno and Danvers had a close relationship.<ref name=Anthony/>
==Stage career== [[File:Johnny Danvers minstrel 1901.jpg|thumb|left|180px|Arthur Gallimore, Johnny Danvers and F. Lynne in blackface with Moore & Burgess's Minstrels {{circa}}1901]] In the 1885 pantomime at the Surrey Theatre, London, Danvers played Silly Billy in ''Robinson Crusoe'';<ref>Anthony, pg. 62</ref> in 1886 he and Leno toured the music halls of northern England in a sketch called ''The Wicklow Wedding; or, the Leprechaun's Revels'', written by Leno's stepfather. For the piece, Danvers and Leno helped paint the scenery while Leno helped his mother make the costumes.<ref>Anthony, pg. 67</ref>
Danvers moved to London in 1884 where he quickly became prominent in minstrel shows, appearing in blackface with the Mohawk Minstrels, who sat in a half-circle exchanging jokes and with whom he performed the popular hits "Mc.Fadden Learning to Waltz",<ref>[https://collections.vam.ac.uk/item/O1295264/mc-fadden-learning-to-waltz-sheet-music-carey-mf/# Sheet music for "Mc.Fadden Learning to Waltz" sung by Johnny Danvers] - Victoria and Albert Museum Collection. Accessed 21 August 2022.</ref> "I've Got the Ooperzootic", and "Hist! Here Comes the Bogeyman".<ref name=Face>Michael Pickering, [https://books.google.com/books?id=vigxDwAAQBAJ&pg=PT45 ''Blackface Minstrelsy in Britain''], Ashgate Publishing (2008)</ref> He rose through the ranks of the troupe and became 'Mr. Tambo', who shared the comedy with the 'Mr. Interlocuter' of Harry Hunter and the 'Mr. Bones' of Johnny Schofield.<ref>Anthony, pg. 70</ref> He later appeared with the more famous Moore & Burgess's Minstrels.<ref>[http://www.users.waitrose.com/~2themorgans/minstrels/pages/mandbtrio.html Johnny Danvers (c1901) - British Music Hall Artists - Florrie and Arthur Gallimore website]</ref>
Other songs Danvers popularised included "I Had No Luck That Day"<ref>[https://monologues.co.uk/musichall/Songs-I/I-Had-No-Luck-That-Day.htm Johnny Danvers - Music Hall Lyrics Collection]</ref> and "I Know A Gal Dat Lubs A Coon" (1904).<ref>[https://monologues.co.uk/musichall/Songs-I/I-Know-A-Gal-Dat-Lubs-A-Coon.htm "I Know A Gal Dat Lubs A Coon" (1904) - Music Hall Lyrics Collection], monologues.co.uk. Accessed 21 August 2022.</ref>
In 1895, in London, Danvers married Emily Rosetta King (1869-1955).<ref>[https://www.ancestry.co.uk/interactive/8913/ONS_M18954AZ-0699/12653911?backurl=https://www.ancestry.co.uk/family-tree/person/tree/49662475/person/20239178377/facts/citation/73285952398/edit/record England & Wales, Civil Registration Marriage Index, 1837-1915 for John Danvers Harold 1895 - Ancestry.com {{subscription required}}]</ref>
In 1898 Leno, Herbert Campbell and Danvers formed a consortium to build the Granville Theatre in Fulham; the theatre was demolished in 1971.<ref>[http://www.lbhf.gov.uk/Images/66-68_Comment_tcm21-131699.pdf "From the Archives: The Granville Theatre"] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131006200325/http://www.lbhf.gov.uk/Images/66-68_Comment_tcm21-131699.pdf |date=6 October 2013 }}, ''Hammersmith and Fulham News'', 6 October 2009, p. 66</ref>
==Drury Lane and after== [[File:Leno, Danvers and Campbell.jpg|thumb|right|upright|180px|Dan Leno (top) and Johnny Danvers, {{circa}} 1900, with Drury Lane co-star Herbert Campbell (bottom)]] Danvers joined Leno in the annual pantomime at the Theatre Royal, Drury Lane in December 1898 in ''The Forty Thieves'' in which Danvers played Ali Baba,<ref>J. P. Wearing, [https://books.google.com/books?id=nF8pAgAAQBAJ&pg=PA399 ''The London Stage 1890-1899: A Calendar of Productions, Performers, and Personnel''], Rowman & Littlefield (2014) - Google Books pg. 399</ref> while in December 1899 in ''Jack and the Beanstalk '' he appeared again with Leno and Herbert Campbell.<ref>[https://www.npg.org.uk/collections/search/portrait/mw202709/Johnny-Danvers-Dan-Leno-and-Herbert-Campbell-in-Jack-and-the-Beanstalk Johnny Danvers, Dan Leno and Herbert Campbell in 'Jack and the Beanstalk'] - Collection of the National Portrait Gallery, London</ref>
In 1899 Danvers appeared with Leno in the musical farce ''In Gay Piccadilly!'' by George R. Sims. In 1905 Danvers played King Ivory of Oddland in the Drury Lane pantomime ''The White Cat'', Snap in ''Cinderella'' in 1906, a Robber in ''Babes in The Wood'' in 1907, and Alderman in ''Dick Whittington'' in 1908.<ref name=Behind>[http://www.its-behind-you.com/drurylanepantos.html History of the Drury Lane Pantomimes - It's Behind You website]</ref> During 1911 and 1912 he toured with Agnes Fraser and Walter Passmore in the musical farcical sketch ''Sweet Williams''.<ref>[https://footlightnotes.wordpress.com/2013/01/16/johnny-danvers-agnes-fraser-and-walter-passmore/ Postcard of Johnny Danvers, Agnes Fraser and Walter Passmore in the musical farcical sketch ''Sweet Williams'' 1911 and 1912 - Footlight Notes website]</ref>
Danvers played Wurzberger in ''Baron Trenck'' (1911) at the Strand Theatre; Sarah in the pantomime ''Dick Whittington and His Cat'' at the Lyceum Theatre (1911); Laurens in ''Good News'' at the Princes Theatre (1917); and Mr. Middlemark opposite the Ebenezer Scrooge of Seymour Hicks in ''Scrooge'' at the Princes Theatre in London (1917).<ref name=Wearing>J. P. Wearing, [https://books.google.com/books?id=KMFnAgAAQBAJ&pg=PT972 ''The London Stage 1910-1919: A Calendar of Productions, Performers, and Personnel''], Rowman & Littlefield (2014)</ref>
==Later years== In 1920 Danvers played Mr. Hooley in the revival of ''The Shop Girl'' at the Gaiety Theatre;<ref>J. P. Wearing, [https://books.google.com/books?id=5vFEAwAAQBAJ&pg=PA396 ''The London Stage 1920-1929: A Calendar of Productions, Performers, and Personnel''], Rowman & Littlefield (2014) - Google Books, pg. 15</ref> Mr Belcher in ''Old Bill, M.P.'' (1922) at the Golders Green Hippodrome;<ref>Wearing, ''1920-1929'', pg. 176</ref> Count Hogginarmo in the pantomime ''The Rose and the Ring'' at Wyndham's Theatre (1923);<ref>Wearing, ''1920-1929'', pg. 260</ref> and 'Old Bill' in Bruce Bairnsfather's musical comedy ''Carry On Sergeant!'' (1925) at the New Oxford Theatre in London.<ref>Wearing, ''1920-1929'', pg. 396</ref> The show failed, running for only 35 performances and with Danvers described as "an excellent Old Bill and his cheery optimism and broad good humour kept things from flagging at several awkward moments."<ref>[http://www.brucebairnsfather.org.uk/carry-on-sergeant-revue-1925 ''Carry On Sergeant!''] at the New Oxford Theatre (1925) - Bruce Bairnsfather website</ref>
==Death== Danvers died in Brixton on 1 April 1939,<ref>"Johnny Danvers Dead", ''Sunderland Echo and Shipping Gazette'', 3 April 1939, pg. 5.</ref> aged 78, and is buried in Streatham Park Cemetery.<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.themusichallguild.com/resting.php?LMCL=QiEMN3 |title=Resting - The Music Hall Guild of Great Britain and America |access-date=21 March 2020 |archive-date=21 March 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200321231337/http://www.themusichallguild.com/resting.php%3FLMCL%3DQiEMN3 |url-status=dead }}</ref>
==References== {{reflist|2}}
==External links== {{commons category|Johnny Danvers}} *[https://www.npg.org.uk/collections/search/person/mp100102/johnny-danvers Photographs of Danvers] in the Collection of the National Portrait Gallery, London
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Danvers, Johnny}} Category:1860 births Category:1939 deaths Category:English male comedians Category:English male musical theatre actors Category:British music hall performers Category:Pantomime dames Category:Blackface minstrel performers Category:Male actors from Sheffield Category:Burials at Streatham Park Cemetery Category:Comedians from Sheffield