Robert Tobias Andrews (born Reginald Frank Andrews; 20 February 1895 – 17 January 1976)Principal Probate Registry. Calendar of the Grants of Probate and Letters of Administration made in the Probate Registries of the High Court of Justice in England. London, England © Crown copyright.John Snelson, 'Novello, Ivor (1893–1951)', Oxford Dictionary of National Biography, Oxford University Press, 2004 accessed 16 Nov 2007General Register Office. England and Wales Civil Registration Indexes. London, England: General Register Office. © Crown copyright. was a British stage and film actor. He is perhaps best known as the long-term companion of Ivor Novello.
Early life Robert Andrews was born in Camden Town, the son of Walter Andrews (1861–1935), a horse-drawn omnibus inspector, and his wife Ada Harriet, née Judd (1864–1946). He was the younger brother of actress Maidie Andrews.
Career Andrews began his stage acting career at age eleven. He made his first stage appearance in the play Shore Acres in 1906. His child actor contemporaries included Noël Coward and Philip Tonge. Coward referred to Andrews as Tonge's "only serious rival" among the "boy actors" of the London theatre.
In 1907, at the age of twelve, Andrews appeared in Horace Annesley's comedy Her Son as "Min, the eight-year-old child of Crystal and Gasgoyne," a role for which he received significant acclaim. Andrews' "finished and sympathetic performance" was described as "the success of [Her Son's] première," "a genuine and surprising triumph" that caused "quite a sensation." In 1911, he briefly worked in Chicago, acting in the play The Backsliders, before returning to London theatre.
His stage career continued into adulthood with performances as Marcel in the 1920 production of The Children's Carnival, Maurice Avery in the 1920 production of Columbine, and Tyltyl in the 1921 production of The Betrothal. In 1921, he appeared as Charles Deburau in the play Deburau; Deburau also featured Andrews's lover Ivor Novello's debut performance. He appeared as Simon in the original production of Noël Coward's Hay Fever at London's Ambassadors Theatre, in 1925. Andrews starred in a number of Novello's theater productions, beginning with the play Fresh Fields in 1932. Amongst his many character parts was the Prime Minister in Ivor Novello's musical play King's Rhapsody at the Theatre Royal, Drury Lane.
While he was primarily a stage actor, Andrews also made several film appearances. In 1923, he acted in the silent film Fires of Innocence as Pen Arkwright. His co-star Joan Morgan later claimed that she did not remember anything about her time working on the film, except for Andrews. She described how, during a "love-scene," Andrews would not look at her because he claimed he did not "feel a bit in the mood to see [her]."
Personal life Andrews first met Ivor Novello in 1916, while Novello was attending the opera with his friend Edward Marsh. Andrews and Novello eventually became lovers. Andrews was also responsible for introducing Novello to Noël Coward in 1916, at Coward's request. Andrews and Novello both had relations with other men over the course of their long-term relationship, but Andrews remained Novello's primary companion until Novello's death in 1951.
Death Andrews died in 1976 at his family home, 37 St Mary's Mansions, Paddington.
Stage credits YearProductionRoleTheatreNotes1906Shore AcresBobWaldorf TheatreDebut role1907Her SonMinPlayhouse Theatre1908Ib and Little ChristinaLittle IbAdelphi Theatre1908The Last of the De MullinsJohnny SeagraveTheatre Royal Haymarket1920PygmalionFreddy Eynsford-HillAldwych TheatreReprised his role in the 1920 production at the Duke of York's Theatre1920The Children's CarnivalMarcelKingsway Theatre1920ColumbineMaurice AveryPrinces Theatre1921The BetrothalTyltylGaiety Theatre1921DeburauCharles DeburauAmbassadors Theatre1922SecretsJohn CarltonComedy Theatre1924The Eternal SpringPatRoyalty Theatre1925Hay FeverSimon BlissAmbassadors TheatreWritten by Noël Coward1926MartiniqueStephane SeguneauShaftesbury Theatre1927 Chance AcquaintanceLawrite Bennett Criterion Theatre Written by John Van Druten1932So Far and No FatherVictor MelbourneAmbassadors Theatre1932Once a HusbandBobbie FanningTheatre Royal Haymarket1933Fresh FieldsTim CrabbeCriterion TheatreWritten by Ivor Novello1934Murder in MayfairBill SherryGlobeWritten by Ivor Novello1935Full HouseJohnTheatre Royal HaymarketWritten by Ivor Novello
Filmography YearTitleRole1920Colonel Newcombe, the Perfect GentlemanCol.Newcombe1920The Sword of DamoclesJack Moray1920A Gamble in LivesHarry Riggs1923Fires of InnocencePen Arkwright1923Rogues of the TurfArthur Somerton1924The Warrens of VirginiaArthur Warren1929The Burgomaster of StilemondeLt. Otto Hilmer
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