Ben Landeck (1864–1928) was a prolific British playwright, who wrote melodramas often in collaboration with Arthur Shirley. Several of his plays were made into early films.
Landeck was born in London on 24 October 1846. [1]
Landeck wrote plays alone and in collaboration with other playwrights, in particular Arthur Shirley; their collaboration lasted from 1892 until 1923. [2] One of his earliest successes was My Jack. [3] Plays written with Shirley include A King of Crime, [4] Saved from the Sea, Tommy Atkins, Jack Tar, A Lion's Heart, Women and Wine, The Women of France, and The Savage and the Woman. [5] A number of the plays were made into movies between 1908 and 1928. [6] In 1898 Going the Pace by Landeck and Shirley was first performed in Wolverhampton and later London. The staging featured horses, foxhounds and a hansom cab. [7]
In 1923 the Lyceum Theatre in London produced the melodrama What Money can Buy by Landeck and Shirley. [8] Although it was described as a "drama of modern life" the plot owed its dramatic roots to nineteenth-century melodrama which was enhanced by being performed against a background of music. [9]
In a collaboration with Oswald Brand he wrote The Adventures of Dr Nikola which was performed in London in 1902. [10]
In 1909 he married the actress Valerie Crespin, who died in April 1934. [1] [11] Landeck died in London on 6 January 1928. [1] [2]
Ben Landeck (1864–1928) was a prolific British playwright, who wrote melodramas often in collaboration with Arthur Shirley. Several of his plays were made into early films.
Landeck was born in London on 24 October 1846. [1]
Landeck wrote plays alone and in collaboration with other playwrights, in particular Arthur Shirley; their collaboration lasted from 1892 until 1923. [2] One of his earliest successes was My Jack. [3] Plays written with Shirley include A King of Crime, [4] Saved from the Sea, Tommy Atkins, Jack Tar, A Lion's Heart, Women and Wine, The Women of France, and The Savage and the Woman. [5] A number of the plays were made into movies between 1908 and 1928. [6] In 1898 Going the Pace by Landeck and Shirley was first performed in Wolverhampton and later London. The staging featured horses, foxhounds and a hansom cab. [7]
In 1923 the Lyceum Theatre in London produced the melodrama What Money can Buy by Landeck and Shirley. [8] Although it was described as a "drama of modern life" the plot owed its dramatic roots to nineteenth-century melodrama which was enhanced by being performed against a background of music. [9]
In a collaboration with Oswald Brand he wrote The Adventures of Dr Nikola which was performed in London in 1902. [10]
In 1909 he married the actress Valerie Crespin, who died in April 1934. [1] [11] Landeck died in London on 6 January 1928. [1] [2]