Welcome back to the life of Harry Richard Thomas Willats, also known as our One Any Only
🎭Dick Montague🎭
Last week I told you all about his life as Harry, this week we travel back in time and see a snippet of his life as Dick Montague, through the tabloids.
It may be a little long winded due to the amount of coverage in the News papers so I’ll keep it as short as possible with only the basic information of the date and name of the Newspaper.
Firstly here’s a little recap into his life.
Harry Richard Thomas Willats, was born 4 march 1901 in islington and was a comedian. He was Known by the name
🎭Dick Montague🎭
His first Stage appearance was April 1904 at the, Mildmay Radical club, Skoke Newington.
His first professional London appearance was November 1913 at the Olympia theatre, Shoreditch.
Although starting a career with a comic song ‘Has anyone seen a poodle dog’ Dick Montague has been props, stag carpenter, scenic artist, hotel manager, stage manager and touring manager, but invariably combining comedy part. He starred in over 30 revues, 35 pantomimes and variety and produced touring shows. Dick Montague retired from the stage but returned to touring revue in 1948 and remained with the business until his dying day.
He married three time, first marriage was to Dorothea Gertrude Davies, Aka Cora Craven. His second marriage was to Theodosia Brimelow and his third marriage was to, Pauli’s Ada Renton. He had one child, a son whom he called Brett Herbert Montague Willats. You can read more about Harry’s life here.
Let’s get back to the task at hand, Dick Montague life through the tabloids.
Dick was mentioned in the following newspaper –
The Western Times – 11 Feb 1802
Sherfield Daily Telegraph – 16 December 1920 – At Boston
The Stage Newspaper – 26 Feb 1923
23 May 1931 – Bexhill-on-Sea Observer – Bexhill
28 May 1931 – The Stage – London, London, England
20 May 1932 – Leamington Spa Courier – Leamington
30 December 1932 – The Era – London.
14 January 1933 – Portsmouth Evening News
11 January 1934 – The Stage – London
03 July 1935 – Eastbourne Gazette – Eastbourne
31 July 1935 – Eastbourne Gazette – Eastbourne
03 August 1935 – Bexhill-on-Sea Observer – Bexhill
14 August 1935 – Eastbourne Gazette – Eastbourne, Sussex, England
21 August 1935 – Eastbourne Gazette – Eastbourne
11 September 1935 – Eastbourne Gazette
31 October 1935 – The Stage – London
2 January 1936 – The Stage – London, London
08 May 1936 – Liverpool Echo – Liverpool, Lancashire
31 January 1939 – Birmingham Mail – Birmingham
03 March 1939 – Liverpool Echo – Liverpool, Lancashire
10 March 1939 – Liverpool Evening Express
15 March 1939 Hull Daily Mail – Hull, Yorkshire
18 March 1939 – Daily Gazette for Middlesbrough
18 March 1939 – Hartlepool Northern Daily Mail
11, 12 & 13 April 1939 – Manchester Evening News
18 April 1939 – Birmingham Mail – Birmingham, Warwickshire, England
18 April 1939 – Birmingham Daily Gazette – Birmingham
18 May 1939 – Torbay Express and South Devon Echo – Torquay, Devon, England
26 May 1939 – Western Morning News – Plymouth
04 July 1939 – Manchester Evening News – Manchester
05 July 1939 – Manchester Evening News
06 July 1939 – The Stage – London
18 July 1939 – Nottingham Journal – Nottingham
18 July 1939 – Nottingham Evening Post – Nottingham
20 July 1939 – Nottingham Journal
25 August 1939 – Market Harborough Advertiser
31 August 1939 – Leicester Daily Mercury
30 September 1939 – Western Mail – Cardiff, Glamorgan
17 October 1939 – Portsmouth Evening News
17 October 1939 – Portsmouth Evening News
26 October 1939 – Evening Despatch – Birmingham
31 October 1939 – Staffordshire Sentinel – Stoke
10 November 1939 – Liverpool Echo – Liverpool
16th & 17th November 1939 – Liverpool Evening Express
3rd, 5th, 8th and 9th February 1940 – Sports Argus, Birmingham Daily Gazette, Evening Despatch and Birmingham Daily Gazette.
14 March 1940 – Liverpool Daily Post
16 March 1940 – Liverpool Echo & Liverpool Evening Express – Liverpool
21 December 1940 – Chester Chronicle – Chester
21 December 1940 – Cheshire Observer – Chester, Cheshire, England
27 March 1941 – Lancashire Evening Post
16 May 1941 – Liverpool Echo – Liverpool, Lancashire
20 May 1941 – Liverpool Echo – Liverpool
25 June 1941 – Gloucestershire Echo – Cheltenham
13 September 1941 – Sunderland Daily Echo
21 February 1942 – Liverpool Evening Express
21 February 1942 – Liverpool Evening Express
27 February 1942 – Liverpool Daily Post
20 April 1942 – Evening Despatch – Birmingham
21 April 1942 – Evening Despatch – Birmingham
25 July 1942 – Burnley Express – Burnley, Lancashire
07 October 1943 – The Stage – London
04 December 1943 – Lincolnshire Standard
08 July 1944 – Burnley Express – Burnley, Lancashire, England
12 July 1944 – Burnley Express – Burnley, Lancashire
Dick, took a few years break away from the Music halls and became management at, The Peacock Hotel, Market Harborough, around 1944, leaving in November 1947 and returned to the stage.
I think we should take a little break also and commence tomorrow with the rest of Harrys life through the tabloids. Hopefully see you back here than,
Too-da-loo for now.
🎭🎭🎭
Intwined 
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Fascinating to read all the productions he was in. Brilliant research.
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