Daisy Fisher

Daisy Fisher, born Daisy Gertrude Fisher; (1888–1967) was an English novelist and playwright. She was the writer of several romantic novels, a lyricist, scriptwriter, actress and singer. In the 1920s she wrote the lyrics for some of Eric Coates' compositions. In 1926 she published her first book Lavender Ladies A Comedy in Three Acts followed by more in the 1930s. Fisher authored some plays with the song writer Harold Simpson, Ronald Jeans and Clifford Seyler. She was the wife of Herbert Mason the film director and producer who previously acted on stage (including several productions at the Birmingham Repertory Theatre). After the Second World War they worked together on some plays.

Daisy Fisher
Born
Daisy Gertrude Fisher
NationalityEnglish
Other namesDaisy Mason
OccupationNovelist, lyricist, scriptwriter, playwright, actress and singer
Years active1920–1951
Spouse(s)Herbert Mason (1914–1960; his death)
Parent(s)William Edgar Fisher (father)
Emma Louisa Fisher (nee Beasley) (mother)
RelativesBenjamin Beasley

Early life

Daisy Gertrude Fisher was born in 1888 to William Edgar Fisher (an accountant) and Emma Louisa Beasley. After Brampton Park burned down (circa 1907) she turned to the theatre and joined as a chorus girl.

Career

One of Fisher's earliest plays was Cinderella performed at the Birmingham Repertory Theatre (circa 1914–15).[1] Fisher and the composer Eric Coates starred in The Punch Bowl, which Herbert Mason stage managed and choreographed.[2] Fisher's comedy play Lavender Ladies was performed at the Comedy Theatre from 29 July – 21 November 1925.[3] The play starred Herbert Marshall and Louise Hampton.[4] Additionally it was Lydia Sherwood's debut on stage. Fisher and Harold Simpson were authors of The Cave Man, which Mason also presented, produced and had a role in. Louise Hampton also had a part in the play.

In 1933 The Hill Beyond was published. It acts as a sequel to The Gates Swings Open and is about a girl from between settling down in the countryside with her husband or an exciting life in the theatrical world in London. In 1935 Fisher wrote the story for Things Are Looking Up with Albert de Courville, Stafford Dickens and Con West. It was the film debut for Vivien Leigh who had an uncredited role as a school girl.[5][6] In 1937 Fisher's A Ship Comes Home was performed at St Martin's Theatre, London.[7][8] The play starred Michael Redgrave who later had a role in Mason's A Window in London. Mason and Fisher financed and were authors of Lend Me Robin (1948), which was shown at Embassy Theatre[9][10] a few years before it was sold to the Central School of Speech and Drama. It was a comedy about a wife who tries to win back her philandering husband (portrayed by Charles Goldner) by taking a lover.[11] The play also starred William Mervyn who later had a part in Conflict of Wings produced by Mason. Three years later they worked on an eternal triangle thriller Dangerous Woman.

In 1967, Daisy Fisher died in London at the age of 79.

Personal life and family

Fisher first met her future husband when they were in a play about David Garrick with Mason taking the lead. In 1914 they married before Mason and her brother fought in the First World War. Her brother Leslie Fisher was killed in action at the age of 30 on 14 August 1915.[12] She survived Mason with their daughter and son. Their son Michael Mason became a Radio producer at the BBC and wrote several books.[13]

Publications
Genre Year Title
Comedy 1925 Lavender Ladies A Comedy in Three Acts
1930 Pie Crust
1931 Memory of Grange
1932 The Gate Swings Open
1933 The Hill Beyond
1936 A Heart Was Lost
Comedy 1948 A Ship Comes Home A Play in Three Acts

Lyricist
Main article: List of compositions by Eric Coates
Genre Year Title Composer Notes Ref.
Stage 1920 Mary's Orchard Eric Coates Operetta
Vocal 1920 The White Winding Road Eric Coates [14]
Vocal 1920 You Come No More Eric Coates [15]
Vocal 1920 Autumn Love Eric Coates (unpublished)
Vocal circa 1921–24 Everything is Simply Fine and Life is Completely Jolly (unpublished)
circa 1921–24 The Inconstant Lover (unpublished)
circa 1921–24 Why I sigh for the Moon
Vocal 1922 Coloured Fields Eric Coates [16]
Vocal 1923 Nobody Else but You Eric Coates [17]
Stage 1924 Ullo (revue) Co wrote with Henry Creamer, Clifford Seyler and Jack Stachey [18]
(undated) The Challenge (unpublished)
(undated) Purple Heather (unpublished)

Filmography

Film
Year Film Credit Notes
1935 Things Are Looking Up Scriptwriter Co wrote with Stafford Dickens, Con West and Albert de Courville

Theatre
Year Title Playwright Actress Theatre Notes Ref.
1912 The Follies Yes Royal Lyceum Theatre and Apollo Theatre (with H. G. Pelissier's Follie's Company) [19][20]
1914–15 Cinderella Yes Birmingham Repertory Theatre [21]
1923–26 Lavender Ladies Yes Strand Theatre, Comedy Theatre, London and Lyric Theatre, London
1924 Our Cabaret Yes The Victorian Theatre (with Ronald Jeans and Clifford Seyler) [22]
1924–25 The Punch Bowl Yes Duke of York's Theatre, London and His Majesty's Theatre, London
1927 The Cave Man Yes The Theatre Royal, Portsmouth and Savoy Theatre, London (with Harold Simpson) [23]
1936–37 A Ship Comes Home Yes St Martin's Theatre, London [24]
1948 Lend Me Robin Yes Embassy Theatre, London (with Herbert Mason)
1951 Dangerous Woman Yes Wimbledon Theatre, London (with Herbert Mason)

References
  1. Kemp, 1943, p. 132
  2. "The Punch Bowl". Cadbury Research Library Special Collections. University of Birmingham. Missing or empty |url= (help)
  3. Gale, 1996, p. 205
  4. "Lavender Ladies". Cadbury Research Library Special Collections. University of Birmingham. Missing or empty |url= (help)
  5. "Things Are Looking Up 1935". britmovie.co.uk. Britmovie. Archived from the original on 23 September 2015. Retrieved 2 May 2015.
  6. Reid, John Howard, 2005, p. 205
  7. "A Ship Comes Home". Cadbury Research Library Special Collections. University of Birmingham. Missing or empty |url= (help)
  8. ""A Ship Comes Home." By Daisy Fisher". The Spectator. The Spectator Archive. p. 15. Retrieved 19 June 2015.
  9. "Lend Me Robin". Cadbury Research Library Special Collections. University of Birmingham. Retrieved 4 May 2015.
  10. Wearing, 2014, London Stage 1940–1949, p. 485
  11. Hobson, 1950, p. 89
  12. Massue, Melville Henry. (1916). The Roll of Honour: A Biographical Record of all members of His Majesty's Naval and Military Forces who have fallen in the War, Volume 1. The Standard Art Book Company Limited
  13. Telegraph Obituary: Michael Mason, The Daily Telegraph, 3 July 2014
  14. "Eric Coates: Lists of Songs and Ballads". musicweb-international.com. Music on the Web (UK). Retrieved 31 August 2015.
  15. "Eric Coates: Lists of Songs and Ballads". musicweb-international.com. Music on the Web (UK). Retrieved 31 August 2015.
  16. "Eric Coates: Lists of Songs and Ballads". musicweb-international.com. Music on the Web (UK). Retrieved 31 August 2015.
  17. "Eric Coates: Lists of Songs and Ballads". musicweb-international.com. Music on the Web (UK). Retrieved 31 August 2015.
  18. Major and Mrs Holt, 1990, p. 123
  19. Wearing, 1982, London Stage 1910–1919, p. 286
  20. "Scottish Theatre Archive – Event Details". University of Glasgow. Archived from the original on 6 October 2015. Retrieved 5 October 2015.
  21. D'Arcy Mackay, 1927, p. 37
  22. "Our Cabaret". Cadbury Research Library Special Collections. University of Birmingham. Retrieved 6 September 2015.
  23. "The Cave Man". Cadbury Research Library Special Collections. University of Birmingham. Archived from the original on 4 April 2015. Retrieved 31 August 2015.
  24. "A Ship Comes Home". Cadbury Research Library Special Collections. University of Birmingham. Retrieved 31 August 2015.

Bibliography

Secondary sources
  • Gale, Maggie. (1996). West End Women and the London Stage 1918–1962. Routledge
  • Reid, John Howard. (2005). Hollywood's Miracles of Entertainment. Lulu.com
  • Wearing, J.P. (1982). The London Stage 1910–1919: A Calendar of Productions, Performers and Personnel. Rowman & Littlefield Education
  • Wearing, J.P. (2014). The London Stage 1920–1929: A Calendar of Productions, Performers and Personnel. Rowman & Littlefield Education (2nd edition)
  • Wearing, J.P. (2014). The London Stage 1940–1949: A Calendar of Productions, Performers and Personnel. Rowman & Littlefield Education (2nd edition)
  • Payne, Michael. (2013). The Life and Music of Eric Coates. Ashgate Publishing Ltd
  • D'Arcy Mackay, Constance. (1927). Children's Theatres and Plays. D. Appleton & Company
  • Barranger, Milly S. (2004). Margaret Webster: A Life in the Theater. University of Michigan Press
  • Hobson, Harold. (1950). Theatre – Volume 2. Longmans, Green and Co
  • Kemp, Thomas C. (1943). Birmingham Repertory Theatre: The Playhouse and the Man. Cornish Brothers Limited
  • Major and Mrs Holt. (1990). The Biography of Captain Bruce Bairnsfather: In Search of the Better Ole. Pen and Sword
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