Ella Retford (1886-1962)
Last updated: 10.10.23
According to the Internet source given below, Elinor Maud Dawe (née Flanagan) using the stage name Ella Retford, was an English music hall comedian, singer and dancer, and a stage and film actress born in Sunderland. Somewhere around 1900 she moved to London performing primarily as a dancer in music hall shows, initially as a dancer. By 1906, she was established as a performer in revues and pantomimes playing principal roles. From 1908 she began to make recordings some of her most successful songs includef All the Nice Girls Love a Sailor (1908 music: Maurice Scott; word: A.J. Mills) and Molly O'Morgan (1909 - music: Will Letters; words: Fred Godfrey).
She appeared in Royal Variety Performances in 1912, 1921 and 1938. In later years she also made film appearances as a character actress.
She died in London.
| Websites: | |||
 |
Ella Retford | Biography by wikipedia.org. |
| Title (Release Year) | Composer | Instruments/Issue |
|---|
| MP3 File(s) | |||
 |
She's a Girl Up North (1910) | F. Godfrey | Edison Amberol: 12072 |
| Title | Attribution | Remarks |
|---|
|
Hannah, Please Open That Door | Kirk McGee (music) Sam McGee (words) Ella Retford (perf.) |
|
|
Have You Seen My Chinee-Man? | Bennett Scott (music) A J Mills (words) Ella Retford (perf.) |
|
|
I Want a Girl: Just Like the Girl That Married Dear Old Dad | Harry von Tilzer (music) Will Dillon (words) Ella Retford (perf.) |
|
|
I'd Like to Bring My Mother | Percy Greenbank (music) Paul A Rubens (words) Ella Retford (perf.) |
|
|
I'm Afraid to Come Home in the Dark | Egbert A. van Alstyne (music) Harry Williams (words) Ella Retford (perf.) Hetty King (perf.) |
|
|
Popsy Wopsy | Bennett Scott (music) A.J. Mills (words) Ella Retford (perf.) |
|
|
She's a Girl Up North | F.E. D'Albert (music) F. Godfrey (words) Ella Retford (perf.) |
|
|
She's a Lassie From Lancashire | C.W. Murphy (music) Dan Lipton (words) John Neath (words) Ella Retford (perf.) Florrie Forde (perf.) |
 |
|
Ship Ahoy | Bennett Scott (music) A.J. Mills (words) Ella Retford (perf.) |
|
|
Smith, Jones, Robinson and Brown | Sam Mayo (music) John P. Harrington (words) Ella Retford (perf.) |
|
|
Take Me Back to Dear Old Blighty | A.J. Mills (music) Fred Godfrey (words) Bennett Scott (words) Lily Morris (perf.) Ella Retford (perf.) |
|
|
⇑There's a Girl in Havana | Irving Berlin (music) A. Baldwin Sloane (co-author) E. Ray Goetz (words) & A. Baldwin Sloane1 (words) Ella Retford (perf.) |
|
|
They're All Single by the Seaside | C.W. Murphy (music) Worton David (words) Ella Retford (perf.) |
|
|
You Made Me Love You | James V. Monaco (music) Joe McCarthy (words) Ella Retford (perf.) |
| Title | Attribution | Instruments | Source | Remarks |
|---|
|
She's a Lassie From Lancashire (1907) | C.W. Murphy (music) D. Lipton (words) J. Neat (words) Ella Retford (perf.) Florrie Forde (perf.) |
Piano, Voice | Monologues |
| Composer | Title | Performer |
|---|
 |
Mr Wright, You're Wrong (1908) (2:56) | Ella Retford | |
|
W. Letters | Molly O' Morgan (1910) (2:25) | Ella Retford |
This list is arranged by composer and contains 21 works performed by Ella Retford who is featured on sheet music covers.
It does not claim to be complete and represents only the number of items located. Keys: (w&m)
ER
| Title | Composer | Attribution | Remarks |
|---|
 |
I'm Afraid to Come Home in the Dark (1907) | Egbert A. van Alstyne | Harry Williams (words) Della Fox (perf.) May Irwin (perf.) Hetty King (perf.) Billy Murray (perf.) Elizabeth M. Murray (perf.) Ella Retford (perf.) Clarice Vance (perf.) May Vokes (perf.) |
 |
|
There's a Girl in Havana (1911) | Irving Berlin | A. Baldwin Sloane (co-author) E. Ray Goetz (words) A. Baldwin Sloane (words) Ella Retford (perf.) |
|
|
She's a Girl Up North (?) | F.E. D'Albert | F. Godfrey (words) Ella Retford (perf.) |
|
|
She's a Girl Up North (1909) | Fred Godfrey | Fred E d' Albert (words) Ella Retford (perf.) |
|
|
I'd Like to Bring My Mother (1915) | Percy Greenbank | Paul A Rubens (words) Ella Retford (perf.) |
|
|
Smith, Jones, Robinson and Brown (1920) | Sam Mayo | John P Harrington (words) Ella Retford (perf.) |
|
|
Hannah, Please Open That Door (1927) | Kirk McGee | Sam McGee (words) Ella Retford (perf.) |
|
|
We're Irish and Proud of It Too (1914) | Tom Mellor | Harry Gifford (words) Fred Godfrey (words) Ella Retford (perf.) |
Pub. |
|
All the Boys in Khaki Get the Nice Girls (1915) | Tom Mellor | Harry Gifford (words) Ella Retford (perf.) |
|
|
Five Days Leave (1916) | Tom Mellor(w&m) | Ella Retford (perf.) | Pub. |
|
⇑Heigh-Ho! (1917) | Tom Mellor | Harry Gifford (words) Ella Retford (perf.) |
|
|
Take Me Back to Dear Old Blighty (1916) | A.J. Mills | Fred Godfrey (co-author) Bennett Scott (co-author) Daisy Dormer (perf.) Florrie Forde (perf.) Lily Morris (perf.) Ella Retford (perf.) Daisy Taylor (perf.) Dorothy Ward (perf.) |
Pub. |
|
You Made Me Love You (1913) | James V. Monaco | Joseph McCarthy (co-author) Anna Chandler (perf.) Al Jolson (perf.) Moss-Squire Celeste Orchestra (perf.) Ella Retford (perf.) Florence Smithson (perf.) |
|
|
She's a Lassie From Lancashire (1907) | C.W. Murphy | Dan Lipton (words) John Neat (words) Florrie Forde (perf.) Ella Retford (perf.) |
|
|
They're All Single by the Seaside (1911) | C.W. Murphy | Worton David (words) Ella Retford (perf.) |
|
|
Has Anyone Seen a German Band? (1907) | Bennett Scott | A.J. Mills (words) Mina Brae (perf.) Daisy Dormer (perf.) Florrie Forde (perf.) Florrie Gallimore (perf.) Ella Retford (perf.) |
|
|
Have You Seen My Chinee-Man? (1908) | Bennett Scott | A J Mills (words) Ella Retford (perf.) |
Pub. |
|
Popsy-Wopsy (1910) | Bennett Scott | A J Mills (words) Ella Retford (perf.) Daisy Taylor (perf.) |
|
|
What Do You Say, Molly Molloy? (1910) | Bennett Scott | A J Mills (words) Cressie Leonard (perf.) May Mars (perf.) Lyoyd Morgan (perf.) Ella Retford (perf.) |
Pub. |
|
Ship Ahoy (1920) | Bennett Scott | A J Mills (words) Ella Retford (perf.) |
|
|
I Want a Girl: Just Like the Girl That Married Dear Old Dad (1911) | Harry von Tilzer | William Dillon (words) Henry Burr (perf.) Jo Ann Castle (perf.) Ella Retford (perf.) |
|