Stanley Lupino

Stanley Lupino, born Stanley Richard Lupino Hook on 15 June 1893 in London, England, was an English actor, dancer, singer, librettist, director, and short story writer. A member of the celebrated Lupino theatrical family, he was the son of actor George Lupino, the brother of actor Barry Lupino (1884–1962), and the father of actress Ida Lupino. He died on 10 June 1942 and is buried in Lambeth Cemetery, London.

Lupino's entry into performance began at an unusually young age, making his first stage appearance at six years old playing a monkey in King Klondyke. He subsequently trained as an acrobat, spent time prize fighting, and toured with the Albert and Edmunds acrobatic troupe as well as the Brother Luck and other vaudeville units. His early career took shape in pantomime and music hall, including performances at the Theatre Royal Drury Lane. In 1910 he appeared in Dick Whittington, and four years later his brother Barry signed him for a role in Sleeping Beauty. By 1917 he had taken the role of Rono in Arlette, written by Austen Hurgon and George Arthurs, at the Shaftesbury Theatre. In 1920 and 1921 he performed in Wylie and Tate pantomimes in Sheffield and Cardiff alongside Daisy Burrell.

As his career expanded, Lupino took on roles as both performer and writer. He appeared with Elsie Janis in Hello, America and wrote the lyrics for Hold My Hand. He wrote and performed in Phi-Phi in 1922 and From Dover Street to Dixie in 1923, both staged at the London Pavilion. He also wrote and starred in So This Is Love in 1929 at Drury Lane, as well as The Love Race.

Lupino brought his talents to Broadway during the 1926–27 season, appearing in the musical Naughty Riquette and the play The Texas Nightingale. Following his Broadway engagement, he returned to England and performed at the Gaiety Theatre in London in a succession of productions, including Love Lies in 1929, Hold My Hand in 1932, and Sporting Love in 1934, the last of which ran for 302 performances. His later stage work included The Fleet's Lit Up in 1939 and Lady Behave in 1941, which co-starred Sally Gray. He also performed extensively for BBC Radio and, during the 1930s, appeared in a series of musical comedy films, many of which were adapted from his stage productions.

Beyond performance, Lupino pursued writing in other forms. He published a short novel, Crazy Days, through Herbert Jenkins Ltd in 1932, and his autobiography, From the Stocks to the Stars: An Unconventional Autobiography, appeared in 1934. On 16 February 2016, the theatre charity the Music Hall Guild of Great Britain and America erected a commemorative blue plaque honoring both Stanley Lupino and his daughter Ida Lupino at the house in Herne Hill where Ida was born.