Franklin Dyall

Frank Poole Dyall (3 February 1870– 8 May 1950), professionally known as Franklin Dyall, was an English actor. In his early years he was a member of the companies of the actor-managers George Alexander, Ben Greet, John Martin-Harvey and Johnston Forbes-Robertson. During a 50-year stage career he played a wide range of parts in plays from Shakespeare to modern comedy, grand guignol, swashbuckling costume drama and the works of Ibsen. He broadcast on radio and television and made more than 20 films. He was the father of the actor Valentine Dyall.

Life and career

Early years Dyall was born in Liverpool on 3 February 1870, the youngest of four sons of Charles Dyall, first curator of the Walker Art Gallery, and his wife Margaret Oliphant née Robertson. He was educated at the Liverpool Institute High School for Boys. He made his professional stage debut in April 1894 in George Alexander's company at the St James's Theatre, London, in The Masqueraders by Henry Arthur Jones. In his early career he appeared under his real name, and as Frank Dyall he played a servant in Alexander's production of Henry James's Guy Domville in January 1895 and created the role of Merriman in The Importance of Being Earnest the following month.

Dyall's first Shakespearean roles were Claudius in Hamlet, and the Duke in The Merchant of Venice in Ben Greet's company at the Olympic Theatre in May 1897. Claudius was a role to which he returned during his career, playing it to the Hamlet of John Martin-Harvey in 1911 and John Gielgud in 1935. He joined Johnston Forbes-Robertson at the Lyceum later in that year, playing Guildenstern in Hamlet and Second Witch in Macbeth the following year ("satisfactory, though we should prefer female witches", said The Era). He appeared at the Prince of Wales’s Theatre in June 1898 as the Doctor in Mrs Patrick Campbell's production of Pelléas and Mélisande.

Early 20th century

In the early years of the 20th century Dyall appeared in Lewis Waller's company, and played a variety of roles, both Shakespearean and modern. He acted in a wide range of roles, including several Ibsen parts, playing the title role in John Gabriel Borkman (1910), Dr Rank in A Doll's House and Judge Brack in Hedda Gabler (both 1911). In 1913, he originated the role of the Stranger/Conjurer, in G.K. Chesterton's first play, Magic.

In 1914 Dyall returned to North America, touring Canada and the US with Marie Tempest's company, playing roles including Richard Whichello in Mary Goes First and James Crane in At the Barn. The New York Tribune found his performances "easy, natural and enjoyable". He remained in the US in early 1915, playing the paterfamilias in a new comedy, The Younger Generation, by Stanley Houghton. After returning to London he appeared with Martin-Harvey at His Majesty's in 1916, as Laertes in Hamlet, Lucentio in The Taming of the Shrew, Richmond in Richard III, and the Duke of Exeter in Henry V. blockindent|In this genre his most notable achievements were in White Cargo, which was produced in May 1924, at the Playhouse, and ran for a year and a half, and in a series of Edgar Wallace crime pieces, beginning with The Ringer, which ran for 12 months at Wyndham's in 1926, and was followed by others over several years.

Last years At the Shaftesbury Theatre in 1940 Dyall played Andrew Bevan in Behind the Scenes. The following year he played Sir Valentine in The Devil's Sanctuary, and for ENSA he toured for five months as Weston in White Cargo. He toured in 1943, in The Strange Case of Margaret Wishart, and was back in the West End later that year as Vasin in The Russians at the Playhouse, and, in the Christmas season, the Caterpillar and the King of Hearts in Alice in Wonderland at the Scala. His final stage appearances were on tour in 1944 and 1945, in The Case of the Frightened Lady, The Frog, and The Ringer, and finally as Svengali in Trilby. He was buried in the churchyard at Thaxted Parish Church in Essex.

Radio and television Dyall was an early broadcaster in both radio and television. For 2LO, London, he and Forbes-Robertson gave a Shakespearean recital in May 1925, and in August 1939 he headed the cast in two live television transmissions of The Ringer. Other than these, he made few broadcasts until the 1940s, when he appeared frequently in the series Appointment with Fear. (Dyall's son Valentine was the regular narrator ("The Man in Black") of this long-running series, but Dyall senior was a frequent cast member and for several programmes took over the role of narrator.)

Films

Dyall appeared in, produced or directed 26 films between 1916 and 1948.

Year Title Role Notes 1916 Esther Short 1919 The Garden of Resurrection Cruickshank 1920 Duke's Son Director 1928 Easy Virtue Aubrey Filton 1929 Atlantic John Rool 1931 A Safe Affair Rupert Gay Producer Alibi Sir Roger Ackroyd Lost film The Ringer Maurice Meister A Night in Montmartre Max Levine Creeping Shadows Disher 1932 Men of Steel Charles Paxton First Division 1933 Called Back Dr. Jose Manuel The Private Life of Henry VIII Thomas Cromwell No Satan 1934 Mr. Stringfellow Says No Count Hokana The Iron Duke Blücher 1935 The Case of Gabriel Perry Prosecution 1936 Conquest of the Air Jerome de Ascoli 1937 Fire Over England Uncredited Captain's Orders Newton Leave It to Me Sing 1938 Mr. Satan Billy 1940 All at Sea Dr. Stolk 1943 Yellow Canary Captain Foster 1948 Bonnie Prince Charlie MacDonald of Keppoch - Morar (final film role)

Notes, references and sources