Ivor Novello in His Own Works

Seventy-five years after Ivor Novello's untimely death in 1951, he remains a defining figure of British popular culture of the first half of the 20th century whose name is most commonly recognised by the contemporary music awards that bear his name. But who was the man described as the 20th century's most consistently successful composer of British musicals, and why was his work so successful in so many different fields? Ivor Novello In His Own Works is the first critical study of both Novello the icon and Novello the artist. Published to commemorate the 75th anniversary of his death, this in-depth study tracks his activities across popular song, musical theatre, plays and silent film, as well as exploring his work as an actor and theatre producer that made him central to popular culture of the period and beyond. From becoming a silent film matinée idol of the 1920s through to the creation of spectacular Drury Lane musicals in the 1930s including Glamorous Night and The Dancing Years his true reach goes well beyond such selection. He encompasses such diversity as the composer of the World War I anthem 'Till the Boys Come Home' and early musical comedy and revue hits for London, a script writer in Hollywood and as the playwright of a succession of successful light comedy plays in which he usually starred. Often overlooked in both academic and popular study, Novello enjoyed a phenomenal career of creation and success, repeatedly capturing the popular national mood through a highly individualized approach of assimilation and reinvention. Through five themed chapters, this new study explores Novello's works to reassess his exceptional musicality and theatricality and redefines his place in British popular culture by asking us to re-assess the importance of this celebrated British icon.