George Graves (actor)

George Windsor Graves (1 January 1876 – 2 April 1949) was an English comic actor. Although he could neither sing nor dance, he became a leading comedian in musical comedies, adapting the French and Viennese opéra-bouffe style of light comic relief into a broader comedy popular with English audiences of the period. His comic portrayals did much to ensure the West End success of Véronique (1904) The Little Michus (1905; for which he invented the Gazeka), and The Merry Widow (1907).

In addition to musical comedy, operettas and revues, Graves specialised in pantomime and music hall. Later in his career, he was a frequent broadcaster and made several films, always in comic roles, but continued to perform on stage. His last stage success was in Me and My Girl (1937).

Graves was born in London and made his stage debut at the age of 19 in an Edwardian musical comedy in Portsmouth. In its obituary notice, The Times wrote, "from the line then chosen [he] deviated during the next 40 years only into pantomime and music hall sketches." Although he could neither sing nor dance, he made his career in comic parts in musical pieces. His first success on the London stage was as General Marchmont in The School Girl in 1903, followed the next year by MacSherry in Madame Sherry and Coquenard in Messager's Véronique (1904). For the next five years, Graves was cast in comic roles in George Edwardes productions, becoming a leading comedian of his day.

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