FAMOUS ACTOR DEAD.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXIV, Issue 19743, 16 September 1927, Page 11

FAMOUS ACTOR DEAD.

MR. ARTHUR BOURCHIER. INCIDENTS IN HIS CAREER. (Received September 15, 11.16 p.m.) A. and N.Z CAPETOWN. Sept. 14. The death occurred at Capetown today of Mr. Arthur Bourchier, the famous English actor-manager. Death was due to pneumonia.

The late Mr. Arthur Bourchier was born at Speen, Berks, in June, 1863. He was educated at Eton and Ghristchurch, Oxford. Before he went to the university no theatre had been allowed in Oxford. A "rag" was organised to call attention to the situation, and the participants were haled before the famous Dr. Jowett. Bourchier was spokesman, and instead of being "sent down" was invited to breakfast. The result of his arguments was that a theatre was built and that undergraduates were permitted to form a dramatic society. Thus Bourchier became the founder of the famous Oxford University Dramatic Society, the productions of which, however, were restricted to Shakespeare and the classics After having played many parts at Oxford Bourchier first appeared on the professional stage with Mrs. Langtry at Wolverhampton in September, 1889. His London debut took place in February, 1890, at the St. James' as Jaques in ' As You Like It." In the same year he was lessee of the theatre for a time Having thus begun at the top of the tree, he felt the need for training and experience He therefore joined Sarah Thome's stock company on the Margate circuit. Then after having toured with Miss Fortescue he joined the late Charies Wvndham at the Criterion, and later acted with George Alexander. In 1892 he joined Augustin Daly's company and played in New York, but he returned to London in 1893. In the following year he married the well-known actress, Violet \ anbrugh. 4 In 1896 Bourchier became lessee of the Royalty, and in 1896-7 toured in America. In 1910 he and his wife joined Beerbohm Tree at His Majesty's, where Bourchier scored a notable success as Henry VIII. At the Shakespeare Tercentenary performance at Drury Lane on May'2, 1916, he played Brutus in the all-star cast of "Julius, Caesar." In 1916-7 he toured variety theatres, and in the latter vear began to play_ Old Bill in the "Better 'Ole," which had a run of 800 performances. His first marriage having been dissolved, he married in 1918 the actress Kyrle Bellew, with whom he appeared in modern melodrama. Both as a tragedian and a comedian Bourchiei took high rank on the Lon don stage, and his career as an actor manager was remarkable for the production of a number of successful modern i nlays by Sutro and others. He was also I responsible for several adaptations In connection with the dispute between the actors' union and the managers in 1926 be and his wife took the side of the tor mer, and joined the Labour Party, lend ing their theatre for political rallies, notablv during the general February last they set out on a theatrical tour embracing South Africa, where ! Br'iirchier's death has now occurred.