Frank Harvey (playwright) explained

Frank Harvey was the nom de plume of John Ainsworth Hilton, born Jean François de Soissons de Latanac^[1] (c. April 1842 – 29 March 1903), actor and playwright, who was born and died in Manchester, England.^[2] His plays were popular in Australia.

He was the father of Australian screenwriter Frank Harvey (1885–1965) and grandfather of the English screenwriter Frank Harvey (1912–1981)

Selected plays

• The Wages of Sin performed by the W. J. Holloway company at the Academy of Music, Ballarat in January 1884^[3]
• Woman against Woman, adapted from the French and first staged in March 1883 at the Theatre Royal, Portsmouth^[4]
• A Wife's Victory at the Princess's Theatre, Melbourne in August 1884.^[5]
• A Mad Marriage performed by the W. J. Holloway company at the Academy of Music, Ballarat in January 1886.^[6]
• The Ring of Iron performed by the W. J. Holloway company at the Academy of Music, Launceston in 1886.^[7]
• The World Against Her performed by Alfred Dampier's company at the Victoria Theatre, Newcastle in May 1888. ".. one of the most sympathetic plays ever written"^[8]
• Judge Not performed by Alfred Dampier's company at the Alexandra Theatre, Melbourne "... the very essence of dulness and puerility ... difficult to comprehend why a gentleman of Mr. Dampier's experience and ability prefers plays of this class ...^[9] Dampier subsequently, and successfully, replaced it with his dramatization of Monte Cristo.^[10]
• The Land of the Living performed by Grattan Riggs with the Holloway-Howe company at the Theatre Royal, Hobart in February 1890.^[11]
• Fallen Among Thieves performed by the W. J. Holloway company at the Princess Theatre, Bendigo.^[12]
• Shall We Forgive Her performed by the W. J. Holloway company at the Maryborough Town Hall.^[13]
• A House of Mystery at the Criterion Theatre, Sydney in December 1899.^[14]
• The Milestones of Life "... one of the best things Frank Harvey has given the world"^[15]
• The World's Mercy Coulter Dramatic Company in Broken Hill, December 1904
• A Musician's Romance at the Theatre Royal, Perth, July 1905
• The Workman's Wife performed by the Dora Mostyn Dramatic Company at Mount Alexander, Victoria in July 1903.^[16]

Notes and References

1. News: Music and Drama . . XXXVIII . 10 . Queensland, Australia . 21 March 1931 . 13 June 2021 . 5 . National Library of Australia.
2. News: General Gossip . . 863 . New South Wales, Australia . 20 May 1903 . 13 June 2021 . 10 . National Library of Australia.
3. News: "The Wages of Sin" . . XXIX . 22 . Victoria, Australia . 26 January 1884 . 13 June 2021 . 4 . National Library of Australia.
4. News: Amusements . . XLIX . 11,718 . South Australia . 4 June 1884 . 13 June 2021 . 5 . National Library of Australia.
5. News: The Stage . . 778 . Victoria, Australia . 2 August 1884 . 13 June 2021 . 11 . National Library of Australia.
6. News: Academy of Music . . XXXI . 9 . Victoria, Australia . 12 January 1886 . 13 June 2021 . 4 . National Library of Australia.
7. News: Amusements . . XV . 7 . Tasmania, Australia . 13 February 1886 . 13 June 2021 . 8 . National Library of Australia.
8. News: Victoria Theatre . . XV . 10,776 . New South Wales, Australia . 9 May 1888 . 13 June 2021 . 5 . National Library of Australia.
9. News: Amusements . . 1774 . Victoria, Australia . 11 January 1890 . 13 June 2021 . 27 . National Library of Australia.
10. News: The Dramatic Year . . 289 . Victoria, Australia . 2 January 1891 . 13 June 2021 . 5 . National Library of Australia.
11. News: Amusements. . . XVII . 5 . Tasmania, Australia . 1 February 1890 . 13 June 2021 . 17 . National Library of Australia.
12. News: The Holloway Dramatic Season . . XLV . 12,996 . Victoria, Australia . 14 January 1897 . 13 June 2021 . 3 . National Library of Australia.
13. News: The Holloway Dramatic Company . . 7,616 . Queensland, Australia . 3 April 1897 . 13 June 2021 . 2 . National Library of Australia.
14. News: Criterion — "A House of Mystery" . . 683 . New South Wales, Australia . 6 December 1899 . 13 June 2021 . 10 . National Library of Australia.
15. News: Mummer's Mems . . XII . 618 . South Australia . 3 July 1901 . 13 June 2021 . 15 . National Library of Australia.
16. News: "The Workman's Wife." . . 13770 . Victoria, Australia . 25 July 1903 . 13 June 2021 . 2 . National Library of Australia.