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Sewell Stokes
Sewell Stokes
Sewell Stokes
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Francis Martin Sewell Stokes (16 November 1902, London – 2 November 1979, London) was an English novelist, biographer, playwright, screenwriter, broadcaster and prison visitor.[1] He collaborated on a number of occasions with his brother, Leslie Stokes, an actor and later in life a BBC radio producer, with whom he shared a flat for many years overlooking the British Museum.

Key Information

Biography

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Born in Hampstead, London, Stokes was educated at Cranleigh School in Surrey and his first job in 1918 was as a book reviewer and gossip writer with The Sunday Times in London. Three years later, he became assistant editor for T.P.'s Weekly, a radical newspaper founded in 1902 by the Irish journalist and member of parliament Thomas Power O'Connor.

The author became friendly with the American dancer Isadora Duncan towards the very end of her life, and in 1928, shortly after her death, wrote a memoir of his conversations with her entitled Isadora, an Intimate Portrait. Years later, he co-wrote the film script for the BBC TV film Isadora Duncan, the Biggest Dancer in the World, with director Ken Russell. Starring Vivian Pickles and Peter Bowles, the film was first broadcast on 22 September 1966. In 1968 his memoir of Duncan, together with her autobiography, My Life, were adapted by Melvyn Bragg for the film Isadora (US title: The Loves of Isadora), directed by Karel Reisz and starring Vanessa Redgrave and James Fox. In his 1954 novel Recital in Paris the character of Sarah Menken was substantially modelled on that of Isadora Duncan.

Stokes, together with Christine Jope-Slade, wrote the play Britannia of Billingsgate,[2] which was produced by A. R. Whatmore at the St Martin's Theatre, London, on 30 November 1931 and made into a film of the same name, directed by Sinclair Hill, in 1933. Other screenwriting successes followed in 1934 with Rolling in Money, directed by Albert Parker, and in 1941 when Stokes co-wrote, with Lydia Hayward, the script for the film You Will Remember, directed by Jack Raymond. The film was based on the life of the popular late Victorian songwriter Leslie Stuart, played here by Robert Morley, and co-starred Emlyn Williams as Stuart's best friend.

Stokes co-wrote a series of plays with his brother, Leslie, beginning with Laura Garnett, whose main character had much in common with Isadora Duncan. The play was first performed at Dobbs Ferry, New York State, in July 1934 with Ethel Barrymore and later in the Arts Theatre Club, London, in September 1936 with Mary Clare playing the title role.

The Four Partners, a play in German by Jochen Huth, was adapted by Stokes and produced by Margaret Webster at London's Q Theatre in October 1936.

Oscar Wilde was the most successful of the Stokes brothers' plays and was based on the life of Oscar Wilde[3] in which Wilde's friend, the controversial author and journalist Frank Harris, appears as a character. Starring Robert Morley, John Bryning and Frith Banbury, directed by Norman Marshall, the play had its first production at London's Gate Theatre Studio in 1936. Recast, with Francis L. Sullivan in the title role, it was revived at London's Arts Theatre Club in 1938. Because of its subject matter the play was not granted a licence by the Lord Chamberlain and could, therefore, only be staged in England at a theatre club where membership was required. There were no such problems in New York where the play opened the same year, again with Morley in the title role, on Broadway at the Fulton Theatre where it ran for 247 performances.

At that time Robert Morley was known in America only through his portrayal of Louis XVI, the French King, in the film Marie Antoinette and it was his success with the role of Wilde that launched his career as a stage actor on both sides of the Atlantic. The play, which contains much of Wilde's actual writings, opens in Algiers where Wilde and his friend Lord Alfred Douglas are on holiday together. They return to London for the opening of The Importance of Being Earnest and to attend Wilde's libel suit against the Marquess of Queensberry, Lord Alfred's father. Wilde's own trial and conviction follow and the play ends in Paris with his decline into alcoholism after his release from prison.

The Stokes brothers continued their collaboration with Out of Sight, a play about prison life, first presented at the Gate Theatre Studio on 4 March 1937 where it was directed by Norman Marshall and later the same year there was another production of the play at the Tavistock Little Theatre which was directed by Vincent Pearmain. Next came Frozen Glory, a play about polar exploration, first performed at the Gate Theatre Studio on 10 February 1938 where it was directed by A.E.Filmer.

From 1941 to 1945 he served as a probation officer at Bow Street Magistrates' Court, London, and in 1950 he wrote an autobiographical account of his experiences there, entitled Court Circular published in paperback by Pan Books. In 1952 the book was made into the film I Believe in You,[4] directed by Basil Dearden & Michael Relph and starring Celia Johnson, Cecil Parker, Harry Fowler, Joan Collins and George Relph. Stokes described a tour through British prisons of the day in his book Come to Prison, published in 1957, and in 1965 his book Our Dear Delinquents, on a similar theme, was published.

Stokes was a friend of the actor Robert Morley and in 1953 wrote, Without Veils. The Intimate Biography of Gladys Cooper, about Morley's mother-in-law, the actress Gladys Cooper. Later, in 1966, he co-wrote a biography of Robert Morley himself entitled Robert Morley "Responsible Gentleman". The title alludes to the fact that Morley started his acting career as a "responsible gentleman", an actor who portrayed professional men such as doctors, lawyers and official receivers in bankruptcy cases.

In 1955 Stokes completed the novel, Beyond His Means, based on the life of Oscar Wilde. The film Oscar Wilde, based on the Stokes brothers' play, and directed by Gregory Ratoff, starred Robert Morley, Ralph Richardson, was released in 1960. This coincided with the release of The Trials of Oscar Wilde, a film directed by Ken Hughes, in which Peter Finch played the title role. The title of Stokes's memoir, Rarely Pure, published in 1952, was taken from the line "The truth is rarely pure and never simple" spoken by character Algernon Moncrieff in Oscar Wilde's play The Importance of Being Earnest. The memoir is subtitled "The Memoirs of a Young Man in Search of Sex".

Stokes worked as a screenplay advisor on Tony Richardson's films The Loneliness of the Long Distance Runner (1962), starring Tom Courtenay and Michael Redgrave, and on Tom Jones (1963), starring Albert Finney and Susannah York, and based on the novel of the same name by Henry Fielding.

Works

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Biographies & Essays

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  • Personal Glimpses (T. Werner Laurie, London, 1924)
  • Isadora, an Intimate Portrait (Brentano's Ltd, New York, 1928)
  • Pilloried! (D.Appleton & Co., New York, 1929)
  • Hear the Lions Roar (H.Shaylor, London, 1931)
  • Monologue (Hutchison, London, 1934)
  • Court Circular (Michael Joseph, London, 1950)
  • Rarely Pure (Peter Davis, London, 1952)
  • Without Veils: the intimate biography of Gladys Cooper, introduction by Somerset Maugham (Peter Davis, London, 1953)
  • Come to Prison (Longmans, London/New York, 1957)
  • Our Dear Delinquents (Heineman, London, 1965)
  • Robert Morley - Responsible Gentleman (with Robert Morley; Heineman, London, 1966)
  • Robert Morley - A Reluctant Autobiography (with Robert Morley; Simon & Schuster, New York, 1967)
  • Isadora, an Intimate Portrait (Panther, London, 1968)

Novels

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  • The Eternal Honeymoon, Leonard Parsons, London, 1927.
  • Autumn Woman, Hutchison & Co., London, 1929.
  • Laugh at My Weeping: a novel in four parts, Hutchison & Co., London, 1935.
  • Recital in Paris, Peter Davis, London, 1954.
  • Beyond His Means, Peter Davis, London,1955.
  • A Clown in Clover, Peter Davis, London, 1956.
  • Gastspiel in Paris: Roman, Zettner, Wŭrzburg:Wien, 1956.
  • Ivar der Glückliche: Roman, Hera Verl., Wilhelmshaven, 1957.

Non-Fiction

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  • Robert Morley's Second Book of Bricks (with Robert Morley; Weidenfeld & Nicolson, London 1981) ISBN 0-297-77967-2

Plays

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  • Britannia of Billingsgate, a comedy in four acts, by Christine Jope-Slade and Sewell Stokes, Samuel French Ltd, French's Acting Edition No 194, London 1931.
  • Laura Garnett, by Leslie & Sewell Stokes, A Play in Three Acts, 1934.
  • The Four Partners, a Comedy in Three Acts, adapted from the German of Jochen Huth by Sewell Stokes, 1936.
  • Out of Sight, by Leslie & Sewell Stokes, Secker & Warburg, London, 1937.
  • Oscar Wilde, a play in 3 acts with a preface by Lord Alfred Douglas, by Leslie & Sewell Stokes, M. Secker & Warburg, London, 1937.
  • Frozen Glory, by Leslie & Sewell Stokes, Secker & Warburg, London,1938.
  • Half an Hour in Quod: a sketch, by Leslie & Sewell Stokes, Samuel French, London, 1938.
  • Mother's Boy, A Comedy in Two Acts, starring David Tomlinson and Peggy Mount, 1964.

Films

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Articles & Letters

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  • Sheila Kaye-Smith Letters, 1909-1937 by Sheila Kaye-Smith & Sewell Stokes.
  • The Story of J.M.B. by Sewell Stokes, Theatre Arts, Vol.XXV No.11, New York: Theatre Arts Inc, Nov 1941, pp 845–848.
  • W.Somerset Maugham, by Sewell Stokes, Theatre Arts, 29, 94–100, New York, Feb.1945.
  • A Conversation in Ebury Street by Sewell Stokes, The London Magazine, Nov. 1956.

References

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Revisions and contributorsEdit on WikipediaRead on Wikipedia

Sewell Stokes

View on Grokipedia
from Grokipedia
Sewell Stokes (1902–1979) was a British writer, biographer, playwright, and screenwriter known for his intimate portraits of notable figures and contributions to theater and film. He authored several books, including the well-regarded biography Isadora Duncan: An Intimate Portrait, offering personal insights into the dancer's life, as well as collaborating with actor Robert Morley on Robert Morley: A Reluctant Autobiography, which chronicled Morley's career in a candid manner. Stokes also wrote screenplays for films such as Britannia of Billingsgate (1933) and worked as a broadcaster, bringing his literary perspective to wider audiences. His versatile career spanned novels, essays, plays, and criticism, reflecting a deep engagement with the arts during the mid-20th century.

Early life

Family and education

Francis Martin Sewell Stokes was born on 16 November 1902 in Hampstead, London, England. He attended Cranleigh School in Surrey. His brother was Leslie Stokes, an actor and BBC radio producer. For many years, Sewell Stokes shared a flat with his brother Leslie overlooking the British Museum.

Early career

Journalism positions

Sewell Stokes began his professional career as a journalist in London during his late teens. He served as a member of the editorial staff of The Sunday Times from 1920 to 1922. He also held the position of assistant editor at T.P.'s Weekly around this time, a role that highlighted his precocious talent in the field. These early positions in journalism involved contributions to literary and gossip columns, establishing his foothold in British publishing before he shifted focus to other writing genres.

Fiction writing

Novels

Sewell Stokes published several novels throughout his writing career, beginning with early works in the 1920s and 1930s and returning to the form in the 1950s. His debut novel, The Eternal Honeymoon, appeared in 1927, followed by Autumn Woman in 1929 and Laugh at My Weeping in 1935. After an extended break from fiction, he released Recital in Paris in 1954, featuring the character Sarah Menken modelled on Isadora Duncan . Beyond His Means followed in 1955 as a novel based on the life of Oscar Wilde, published by Peter Davies . His final novel, A Clown in Clover, was published in 1956, also by Peter Davies . Some works saw translation into German, including Gastspiel in Paris (1956) as a version of Recital in Paris and Ivar der Glückliche (1957) .

Biographies and memoirs

Notable biographies

Sewell Stokes authored several intimate biographies that drew upon his personal friendships and direct acquaintance with prominent figures in the performing arts. His first such work was Isadora Duncan: An Intimate Portrait (1928), a memoir-like account of dancer Isadora Duncan derived from conversations he held with her near the end of her life. In 1953 he published Without Veils: The Intimate Biography of Gladys Cooper, a detailed portrait of the actress Gladys Cooper informed by their long friendship and featuring an introduction by W. Somerset Maugham. Stokes later collaborated with his longtime friend, actor Robert Morley, on two autobiographical volumes. Robert Morley: Responsible Gentleman (1966) presented Morley's anecdotes, opinions, and career reflections, with Stokes shaping the material into narrative form through interviews and writing. Robert Morley: A Reluctant Autobiography (1967) continued this approach, offering a similarly humorous and candid account of Morley's life and views on acting, again co-written with Stokes handling the structuring and prose.

Autobiographical and memoir works

Sewell Stokes published two autobiographical and memoir works in the early 1950s that drew directly from his personal experiences. Court Circular, released in 1950, presents an autobiographical account of his service as a probation officer at Bow Street Magistrates' Court. The book recounts his professional encounters and observations within the British judicial system during that period, reflecting on the challenges of probation work. Rarely Pure, published in 1952 with the subtitle “The Memoirs of a Young Man in Search of Sex”, serves as a candid memoir exploring Stokes' early life and personal explorations of sexuality and identity. This work offers introspective insights into his formative years and quest for self-understanding. These autobiographical publications stand apart from his other writings, focusing intimately on his own life rather than biographical subjects or broader social commentary. The probation experiences detailed in Court Circular provided foundational material that later influenced his publications on prisons and delinquency.

Playwriting

Plays and collaborations

Sewell Stokes achieved notable success as a playwright, frequently collaborating with his brother Leslie Stokes on stage works that spanned comedy, biography, and social drama. His first major play was the comedy Britannia of Billingsgate, co-authored with Christine Jope-Slade in 1931. He later partnered with Leslie on Laura Garnett in 1934, followed by the biographical drama Oscar Wilde (written in 1936 and produced in 1937), which depicted the life of the Irish writer and faced censorship in the United Kingdom due to its subject matter. The play enjoyed a substantial Broadway run in 1938, starring Robert Morley in the title role and totaling 247 performances. Continuing their collaboration, the brothers wrote Out of Sight in 1937, a drama drawing on prison life themes, and Frozen Glory in 1938. Stokes later authored the play Mother's Boy in 1964. He also contributed to the 1936 adaptation The Four Partners, though primarily known for his original works and collaborations with Leslie.

Screenwriting and media contributions

Film credits

Sewell Stokes made several contributions to British cinema as a screenwriter, often drawing from his own plays and writings for adaptations. His earliest film credit was for Britannia of Billingsgate (1933), directed by Sinclair Hill, which was based on the play of the same name that he co-authored with Christine Jope-Slade. In 1934, he wrote the screenplay for the comedy Rolling in Money, directed by Albert Parker. He co-wrote the screenplay for You Will Remember (1941) with Lydia Hayward and Christopher Morley, a biographical drama about the composer Leslie Stuart. In 1952, the film I Believe in You, directed by Basil Dearden and Michael Relph, was based on Stokes' book Court Circular. His later credit came with Oscar Wilde (1960), directed by Gregory Ratoff, which adapted the 1936 play Oscar Wilde that he co-authored with his brother Leslie Stokes.

Television and advisory roles

Sewell Stokes contributed to film in advisory capacities during the early 1960s, including serving as screenplay editor on Tony Richardson's Tom Jones (1963). He later collaborated on television, co-writing the BBC film Isadora Duncan, the Biggest Dancer in the World (1966) with director Ken Russell, for which he provided the scenario and dialogue. Stokes, a personal friend of Isadora Duncan, also introduced and narrated the programme, lending authoritative context to Russell's direction. He appeared as uncredited narrator in the production. Stokes' earlier book Isadora: An Intimate Portrait (1928) provided source material for the 1968 feature film Isadora (released in the US as The Loves of Isadora).

Prison service and social commentary

Probation officer service

Sewell Stokes served as a probation officer at Bow Street Magistrates' Court in London from 1941 to 1945. This wartime role involved supervising and supporting offenders as part of the probation service during the Second World War. Stokes was also a prison visitor. His experiences as a probation officer formed the basis for his autobiographical book Court Circular, published in 1950. The book later formed the basis of the 1952 British film I Believe in You.

Publications on prisons and delinquency

Sewell Stokes produced two key non-fiction works addressing the British prison system and juvenile delinquency, informed by his practical involvement in penal matters. His 1957 book Come to Prison: A Tour Through British Prisons Today, published by Longmans, Green, presents a personal report derived from direct visits to numerous institutions. Stokes documented conditions across prisons such as Brixton, Wandsworth, Wormwood Scrubs, Holloway (the women's prison), Dartmoor, Wakefield, and open facilities like Leyhill, alongside Borstal institutions for young offenders. The account covers daily routines, reception processes, prison labour, discipline, staff roles, inmate life, and contrasts between closed and open regimes in mid-1950s Britain. In 1965, Stokes published Our Dear Delinquents with Heinemann. This work examines juvenile delinquents in Great Britain, focusing on issues of rehabilitation and reform within the penal system. These publications reflect Stokes' observational approach to prison conditions and delinquency, rooted in his earlier service as a probation officer.

Later life and death

Personal relationships and final years

Sewell Stokes shared a flat with his brother Leslie Stokes for many years, overlooking the British Museum in London. This long-term living arrangement reflected their close personal bond, which complemented their professional collaborations on plays. He also formed a lasting friendship with actor Robert Morley, whom he described as an "old friend," providing the foundation for their collaborative biographical works. Their partnership included structuring "Robert Morley: A Reluctant Autobiography" as a series of conversations between the two men. Stokes was personally acquainted with dancer Isadora Duncan, whom he knew and called a friend, allowing him to author the intimate biography "Isadora Duncan: An Intimate Portrait" based on direct knowledge of her life. In addition to his writing, Stokes worked as a broadcaster during his career. He resided in London during his final years until his death there on 2 November 1979.

Death

Sewell Stokes died on 2 November 1979 in Westminster, London, England, at the age of 76. He was born Francis Martin Sewell Stokes on 16 November 1902 in London. No further details about the circumstances of his death are available from primary or contemporary sources.

References

  1. https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0831386/
  2. https://www.goodreads.com/author/list/227224.Sewell_Stokes
  3. https://www.amazon.com/Robert-Morley-Reluctant-Autobiography/dp/B0006BQF8E
  4. http://www.philsp.com/homeville/afi/c00036.htm
  5. https://www.abebooks.com/first-edition/Hear-Lions-Roar-Stokes-Sewell-Shaylor/31689958400/bd
  6. https://www.abebooks.com/first-edition/Isadora-Duncan-Intimate-Portrait-Stokes-Sewell/32268533430/bd
  7. https://link.springer.com/chapter/10.1007/978-1-349-05402-2_248
  8. http://www.richardfordmanuscripts.co.uk/keywords/stokes
  9. https://biblio.co.uk/book/michael-arlen-english-author-armenian-extraction/d/1630863422
  10. https://archive.spectator.co.uk/article/13th-august-1954/28/new-novels
  11. https://www.biblio.com/book/recital-paris-sewell-stokes/d/1650468406
  12. https://www.nypl.org/research/research-catalog/bib/b13176885
  13. https://www.biblio.com/book/clown-clover-sewell-stokes/d/1616600212
  14. https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/9145542-isadora-duncan
  15. https://www.amazon.com/Isadora-Duncan-Intimate-Sewell-Stokes/dp/1161375376
  16. https://www.betweenthecovers.com/pages/books/602765/sewell-stokes-daniel-mark-epstein-john-merivale/without-veils-the-intimate-biography-of-gladys-cooper
  17. https://www.mullenbooks.com/pages/books/180479/sewell-stokes/without-veils-the-intimate-biography-of-gladys-cooper
  18. https://archive.org/details/robertmorleyresp0000robe
  19. https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/26077429-robert-morley-a-reluctant-autobiography
  20. https://www.ibdb.com/broadway-production/oscar-wilde-12530
  21. https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0023845/
  22. https://mubi.com/en/us/films/you-will-remember
  23. https://mubi.com/en/us/films/i-believe-in-you
  24. https://railwaymoviedatabase.com/i-believe-in-you/
  25. https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0053146/
  26. http://www.filmreference.com/Films-Thr-Tur/Tom-Jones.html
  27. http://www.screenonline.org.uk/tv/id/907562/index.html
  28. https://www.crimeandjustice.org.uk/changing-face-probation-and-keeping-touch
  29. https://discoveringdesistance.home.blog/2012/02/05/i-believe-in-you/
  30. https://books.google.com/books/about/Come_to_Prison.html?id=pCoYwpU78DoC
  31. https://sshelco-primo.hosted.exlibrisgroup.com/primo-explore/fulldisplay?vid=STLIBPA&docid=01SSHELCO_STLIBPA_ALMA2192074400003572&lang=en_US&context=L
  32. https://catalog.library.tamu.edu/Author/Home?author=Stokes,%20Sewell,%201902-1979
  33. https://catalog.freelibrary.org/Author/Home?author=Stokes%2C+Sewell%2C+1902-
  34. https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0831386/bio/
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