Person    | Male  Born 17/12/1852  Died 2/7/1917

Herbert Beerbohm Tree

Categories: Theatre

Actor and theatre manager. Born at 2 Pembridge Villas. Max Beerbohm was his half-brother and cousin. Founded Her Majesty's Theatre in 1897 and ran it until his death. Founded the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art in 1904. Married but fathered a number of illegitimate children including, with May Pinney Reed, the film director Carol Reed, and the father of actor Oliver Reed. Died at a nursing home at 15 Henrietta Street, Marylebone.

In 1899 he made the first film record of a Shakespeare play. In 1916 he was in Hollywood to film MacBeth for D. W. Griffith.  On a BBC radio programme, 'An Excellent Dumb Discourse', we learnt that Tree insisted on being filmed reciting whole long speeches, film that would never be used and was expensive. The production crew solved the problem by setting up two cameras, only one of which was, sparingly, using film.  It's a good story - hope it's true.

Comments are provided by Facebook, please ensure you are signed in here to see them

This section lists the memorials where the subject on this page is commemorated:
Herbert Beerbohm Tree

Commemorated ati

Herbert Beerbohm Tree

London County Council Sir Herbert Beerbohm Tree, 1853-1917, actor-manager liv...

Read More

Herbert Beerbohm Tree SW1

On this site lived Sir Herbert Tree, 1852-1917, actor manager.

Read More

Her Majesty's Theatre - H Tree

This theatre was founded in 1897 by Herbert Tree, actor, and directed by him ...

Read More

This section lists the memorials created by the subject on this page:
Herbert Beerbohm Tree

Creations i

Globe Theatre plaque

This plaque was fixed to the wall of the brewery Barclay, Perkins & Co. ...

Read More

Other Subjects

Willy Clarkson

Willy Clarkson

Costumier and wigmaker. He took over his father's business in 1878, and became very successful, including providing costumes and wigs for productions by Queen Victoria's family. It was claimed that...

Person, Jack the Ripper suspects, Theatre

1 memorial
Cinema Theatre Association

Cinema Theatre Association

Founded by journalist Eric George, who wanted to draw attention to the magnificent "cinema theatre" movie palaces of the twenties and thirties that were beginning to disappear from our towns and ci...

Group, Cinema, Theatre

1 memorial
Sheila Hancock

Sheila Hancock

Actor, often in comedy roles. Born in Blackgang, Isle of Wight, she was the younger daughter of Enrico Cameron Hancock (1893-1970) and Ivy Louise Hancock née Woodward (1898-1970).Her father was a p...

Person, Humour, Theatre, TV & Radio

1 memorial
Dodie Smith

Dodie Smith

Author and playwright, Born Lancashire. Wrote 'The Hundred and One Dalmations' and 'I Capture the Castle'.  Born Lancashire but in 1910 her mother remarried and they moved to London. Did some acti...

Person, Literature, Theatre

1 memorial
Ronnie Corbett

Ronnie Corbett

Actor and comedian. Born Ronald Balfour Corbett in Edinburgh. His career started in the theatre, particularly in cabaret with Danny La Rue. He came to national fame in BBC television's sketch show ...

Person, Cinema, Seriously Famous, Theatre, TV & Radio, Scotland

1 memorial