Edward Howell

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). After the family decided to stay in Australia permanently, he completed his education at 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 Colonial Sugar Refining Company. and later, with his wife Molly, ran Sydney's (Royal) Academy of Dramatic Arts.

Radio and theatre (acting, producing, writing and directing) In 1929, he began a career in radio when he was asked by the 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, 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, where he served as the chief producer of drama, before going freelance as producer and actor. 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.

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, 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. and radio actress and theatre director whom he also collaborated with and known professionally as Therese Desmond or Molly Long, whom he had met while appearing with Sydney's Playbox Theatre, marrying at the St Mary's Cathedral in Sydney. Mary suffered a stroke in 1955 and died in 1961. Edward died on 20 August 1986, in a nursing home in Chatswood at the age of 84, and was cremated. Their daughter, Madeline Howell, was the second wife of the British actor Geoffrey Keen.

Theatre

Founder Year Company Proprietorsc. early 1920s Suva Dramatic Actors Guild Edward Howell – Edwin Howell

Theatre company Year Company Role 1924 Playbox Theatre Performer

Drama school Company Year PositionRoyal Academy of Dramatic Arts unknown Proprietor with Therese Desmond

Radio

Radio company roles Company Year/s PositionABC 1929–? Radio producer, playwright, director, actorAWA various Chief Producer of DramaProducer and actorBBC 1949–? Writer and producer

Radio serial/s Production Role/sFred and Maggie Everybody Creator, writer and performer

Filmography

Film

Television