A FORGOTTEN GENIUS.

Auckland Star, Volume LXIV, Issue 249, 21 October 1933, Page 7 (Supplement)

A FORGOTTEN GENIUS.

PASSING OF ADRIAN ROSS. Behind the announcement of the death of a certain "Mr. Arthur Reed Ropes at his house in Kensingtoii," last month, lies the story of the last of the great lyric verse writers of Edwardian days. For Arthur Reed Ropes was the real name of Adrian Ross, who wrote the libretti of the famous musical plays produced at the Gaiety Theatre undei the late George Edwardes. Such old favourites as "San Toy," "The Quaker Girl," "The Merry Widow, "Monsieur Beaucaire," " The olla 'j Princess" and "The Country Girl all owe their wit and sparkle to this man. Although his name has appeared 011 scores of programmes, he has remained unknown to the majority of musical comedy lovers. Adrian Ross began life as a Cam - bridge don. He was a fellow of Kings College, Cambridge, a Chancellor's medallist for English verse, senior in the historical Tripos of 1833, and author of a one-time famous "Short Histoiy of Europe." As Mr. Ropes, too, for many years, he was an examiner for aspirants to the Indian Civil Service. It was .only occasionally when Mr. Ropes was no mora than Adrian Ross that he suddenly produced some brilliant new operetta, appeared perhaps at the first night, and was not seen again except as the quiet, professor-like Mr. Ropes. He was another Lewis Carroll. But it was because he so often forgot to be "Mr. Ropes" that he was able to delight pre-war Londoners with hi 3 songs and verse. And now, at the age of 73, Mr. Ropes has died in Church Street, Kensington. Eut Adrian "Roes will be mourned.