{{Use dmy dates|date=August 2019}} thumb|Robert Michaelis in ''The Merry Widow'', 1908 '''Robert Armand René Michaelis''' (22 December 1878 – 29 August 1965) was a French-born actor and singer who worked in musical theatre, mainly in England, but he also made appearances on Broadway.

By 1901, Michaelis and his parents had settled in Hampstead, and he was married there in 1913. He was naturalized as a British subject in 1914.

After retiring from the stage, he became a manager, and during the Second World War was an air raid warden, by then having made his home in the west of England.

==Career== Born in 1878, according to different sources in Saint Petersburg<ref name="kg">Kurt Gänzl, ''The Encyclopedia of the Musical Theatre'' (Schirmer, 2001), p. 994: "MICHAELIS, Robert [Armand Rene] (b ?St Petersburg, 22 December 1878; d Bristol, 29 August 1965)...."</ref> or Paris, Michaelis was the son of Guilllaume Paul Hermann Michaelis and Marie Leonie Heloise Michaelis. His mother was French, and his father was born a German but naturalized as French.<ref name="cert25480">Reginald McKenna, Secretary of State, Certificate no. 25480 "Robert Michaelis" dated 7 September 1914 in ''U.K. Naturalisation Certificates and Declarations 1870–1916'' (National Archives)</ref> He was educated in London and Paris and trained as a singer in Vienna with Felice Bottelli.<ref name="scott">Derek B. Scott, ''German Operetta on Broadway and in the West End, 1900–1940'' (2019), [https://books.google.com/books?id=NzGdDwAAQBAJ&pg=PA144 p. 144]</ref>

At the time of the 1901 census, Michaelis was living in Latchmere, Battersea, with his parents, Herman Michaelis, a schoolmaster, aged fifty, and Marie, aged 45, and his occupation was stated as actor.<ref>UK census 1901, Latchmere Ward of Battersea, p. 12</ref>

An early appearance in musical theatre came in 1907, when Michaelis sang in Gustave Kerker's ''The White Hen'' at the Casino Theatre, New York, in a run lasting three months.<ref name="bestplays">''The Best Plays of 1899–1909'' (Dodd, Mead, 1944), p. 534</ref> In 1908, he took over the part of Prince Danilo in ''The Merry Widow'' for the last four months of its run at Daly's Theatre,<ref name="pope">Walter MacQueen-Pope, David Leslie Murray, ''Fortune's favourite: the life and times of Franz Lehár'' (Hutchinson, 1953), p. 137</ref> then was cast as Freddy Fairfax in ''The Dollar Princess'' (1909), becoming a favourite at Daly's,<ref name="scott" /> and playing a leading role in ''The Marriage Market'' (1911). In 1912, he sang the title role in an English production of Franz Lehár's operetta ''The Count of Luxembourg'',<ref name="pope2">W. J. MacQueen-Pope, ''Shirtfronts and sables: a story of the days when money could be spent'' (Hale, 1953), p. 59</ref> as one of the five principals, together with Phyllis Le Grand, Eric Thorne, Lauri de Frece, and Daisy Burrell, who were collectively described by the ''Musical News'' as "all consummate artists in their own style".<ref name="herald">''Musical News and Herald'', vol. 42 (1912), p. 194</ref>

Soon after the beginning of the First World War, Michaelis, then living at 8 Eton Villas, South Hampstead, was naturalized as a British subject, declaring the names of his parents and his place of birth as Paris.<ref name="cert25480" />

In 1920, Michaelis appeared in the silent film ''The Little Welsh Girl'',<ref name=BFC>Denis Gifford, ''British Film Catalogue'', Volume 1 (2016), p. 256</ref> then for more than a year, from 1920 to 1921, he sang the part of Beaudon in a London production of ''Irene'' at the Empire Theatre which had a run of 399 performances.<ref name="kg" />

When he was granted probate on his mother's estate in 1933, Michaelis was described as a "manager".<ref name="probate" />

In October 1939, Michaelis was living at Wychwood, Tickenham, Somerset, and soon after the outbreak of the Second World War was registered as an air raid warden and retired actor.<ref name="nr1939">''National Registration Transcript Book, Long Ashton Rural'' dated 4 October 1939 (National Archives, ref. 314/5 WPRF), p. 14: "Michaelis Robert / M / 22 Dec 78 / M / Actor retired / Air Raid Warden ; Michaelis Phyllis / F / 25 Nov 87 / M / Actress retired / First Aid St John Ambulance; PARSONS Rosemary / F / 26 Mar 14 / S / Radiographer S. R. N."</ref>

In his ''Nights of Gladness'' (1956), English theatre historian Walter MacQueen-Pope, known as "Popie", called Michaelis "one of the very best performers Daly's ever had".<ref>Walter MacQueen-Pope, ''Nights of Gladness'' (1956), p. 192</ref>

==Personal life== Michaelis's father, Herman Michaelis, died at St Pancras in 1912.<ref>"Michaelis Herman 61" in Register of Deaths for Pancras Registration District, vol. 1b (1912), p. 24</ref> In 1913, at Hampstead, Michaelis married Phyllis Le Grand,<ref>"Michaelis Robert A R and Le Grand Phyllys M" in ''Register of Marriages for Hampstead Registration District'', vol. 1a (1913), p. 1298</ref> the actress<ref name="nr1939" /> with whom he had starred in ''The Count of Luxembourg'' the year before.<ref name="herald" /> Their daughter Rosemary Evelyn Helene was born in March 1914.<ref>"Michaelis Rosemary E H / Le Grand" in ''Register of Births for Hampstead Registration District'', vol. 1a (1914), p. 1074</ref> She later became a nurse and radiographer.<ref name=nr1939/> Michaelis's mother, Marie, died in 1933, aged 78. Her address was 8, Eton Villas, South Hampstead, and she left an estate valued at £2,293.<ref name="probate">"Michaelis Marie" in Probate Calendar for 1933 at probatesearch.service.gov.uk</ref><ref>England & Wales, Civil Registration Death Index, 1916-2007: "Marie Michaelis, 78" Registration district: Hampstead, Volume: 1a (1933), p. 531</ref> In 1940, Rosemary Michaelis married John A. Parsons in Somerset.<ref>"Michaelis Rosemary E H & Parsons John A" in ''Register of Marriages for Weston Registration District'' vol. 5c (1940), p. 1609</ref> Three grandchildren were born between 1943 and 1949.<ref>"Parsons Prunella R / Michaelis" in ''Register of Births for Bristol Registration District'', vol. 6a (1943), p. 68; "Parsons William M / Michaelis" in ''Register of Births for Bristol Registration District'', vol. 7b (1946), p. 8; "Parsons Stephen J / Michaelis" in ''Register of Births for Weston Registration District'', vol. 7c (1949), p. 411</ref> Michaelis died on 29 August 1965 at the Bristol Royal Infirmary, when his address was given as "Summerlands Nailsea", and he left an estate valued for probate at £7,051.<ref name="kg" /><ref>[https://probatesearch.service.gov.uk/Calendar?surname=Michaelis&yearOfDeath=1965&page=2#calendar MICHAELIS Robert Armand Renee] at probatesearch.service.gov.uk, accessed 20 July 2019</ref><ref>"MICHAELIS ROBERT A R (86)" in ''Register of Deaths for Bristol Registration District'', vol. 7B (1965), p. 42</ref> His widow, Phyllis, survived him until 15 May 1981.<ref>"MICHAELIS PHYLLIS MILDRED /ABOUT1888" in Register of Deaths for Weston Registration District, vol. 22 (1981), p. 1,174; "MICHAELIS, Phyllis Mildred... died 15 May 1981" in Probate Calendar for 1981 at probatesearch.service.gov.uk, accessed 29 July 2019</ref>

==Film roles== *''The Little Welsh Girl'' (1920), as Rhys Bowen<ref name=BFC/>

==Musicals== thumb|Daly's Theatre, Leicester Square *''The White Hen'' (Casino Theatre, New York, 1907)<ref name="bestplays" /> *''The Merry Widow'' (Daly's Theatre, 1908), as Prince Danilo<ref name="pope" /> *''The Dollar Princess'' (Daly's Theatre, 1909), as Freddy Fairfax<ref name="scott" /> *''The Marriage Market'' (Daly's Theatre, 1911)<ref name="pope2" /> *''The Count of Luxembourg'' (Daly's Theatre, 1912 production), as Count René of Luxembourg<ref>Lionel Carson, ed., ''The Stage Year Book'' (1912), p. 185</ref> *''Gipsy Love'' (Daly's Theatre, 1912), as Jozsi<ref>Scott (2019), p. 304</ref> *''Irene'' (1920 London production at Empire Theatre) as J. P. Beaudon<ref>[http://www.guidetomusicaltheatre.com/shows_i/irene.htm Irene] at guidetomusicaltheatre.com, accessed 19 June 2019</ref> *''Orange Blossoms'' (Fulton Theatre, New York, 1922) as Baron Roger Belmont<ref>Dan Dietz, ''The Complete Book of 1920s Broadway Musicals'' (2019), p. 122</ref>

==Notes== {{reflist}}

==External links== *{{IMDb name|id=nm0584272}} *[http://www.calmview2.eu/BristolTheatreArchive/CalmView/Record.aspx?src=CalmView.Catalog&id=BTC19 Phyllis Le Grand and Robert Michaelis archive] at University of Bristol *[https://footlightnotes.wordpress.com/2013/08/27/phyllis-le-grand-mrs-robert-michaelis-1888-1981/ Phyllis Le Grand and Hilda Antony in Autumn Manoeuvres, Adelphi Theatre, London, 1912] at footlightnotes.wordpress.com {{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Michaelis, Robert}} Category:1878 births Category:1965 deaths Category:French male stage actors Category:Male actors from Paris Category:Musicians from Paris Category:French male musical theatre actors Category:20th-century French male actors Category:20th-century English male actors Category:French emigrants to the United Kingdom