Ella Retford (1886-1962)
Last updated: 18.01.22
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.
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Ella Retford | Biography by wikipedia.org. |
| Title | Composer | Instruments/Issue | Remarks |
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She's a Girl Up North | Fred Godfrey | Edison Amberol: 12072 |
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Hannah, Please Open That Door | Kirk McGee (music) Sam McGee (words) Ella Retford (perf.) |
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Have You Seen My Chinee-Man? | Bennett Scott (music) A J Mills (words) Ella Retford (perf.) |
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I Want a Girl: Just Like the Girl That Married Dear Old Dad | Harry von Tilzer (music) Will Dillon (words) Ella Retford (perf.) |
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I'd Like to Bring My Mother | Percy Greenbank (music) Paul A Rubens (words) Ella Retford (perf.) |
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I'm Afraid to Come Home in the Dark | Egbert A. van Alstyne (music) Harry Williams (words) Ella Retford (perf.) Hetty King (perf.) |
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Popsy Wopsy | Bennett Scott (music) A.J. Mills (words) Ella Retford (perf.) |
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She's a Girl Up North | F.E. D'Albert (music) F. Godfrey (words) Ella Retford (perf.) |
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She's a Lassie From Lancashire | C.W. Murphy (music) Dan Lipton (words) John Neath (words) Ella Retford (perf.) Florrie Forde (perf.) |
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Ship Ahoy | Bennett Scott (music) A.J. Mills (words) Ella Retford (perf.) |
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Smith, Jones, Robinson and Brown | Sam Mayo (music) John P. Harrington (words) Ella Retford (perf.) |
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Take Me Back to Dear Old Blighty | A.J. Mills (music) Fred Godfrey (words) Bennett Scott (words) Lily Morris (perf.) Ella Retford (perf.) |
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⇑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.) |
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They're All Single by the Seaside | C.W. Murphy (music) Worton David (words) Ella Retford (perf.) |
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You Made Me Love You | Jimmie V. Monaco (music) Joe McCarthy (words) Ella Retford (perf.) |
| Title | Composer/Song |
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Molly O' Morgan (1910) (2:25) | W. Letters |
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You're Wrong (1908) Mr Wright (2:56) |
This list is arranged by composer and contains 21 songs sung 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 |
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I'm Afraid to Come Home in the Dark (1907) | Egbert A. van Alstyne | H.H. Williams (words) Ella Retford (perf.) Hetty King (perf.) Clarice Vance (perf.) Della Fox (perf.) M. Irwin (perf.) May Vokes (perf.) Elizabeth M. Murray (perf.) Billy Murray (perf.) |
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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.) |
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She's a Girl Up North (?) | F.E. D'Albert | F. Godfrey (words) Ella Retford (perf.) |
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She's a Girl Up North (1909) | Fred Godfrey | Fred E d' Albert (words) Ella Retford (perf.) |
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I'd Like to Bring My Mother (1915) | Percy Greenbank | Paul A Rubens (words) Ella Retford (perf.) |
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Smith, Jones, Robinson and Brown (1920) | Sam Mayo | John P Harrington (words) Ella Retford (perf.) |
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Hannah, Please Open That Door (1927) | Kirk McGee | Sam McGee (words) Ella Retford (perf.) |
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All the Boys in Khaki Get the Nice Girls (1915) | Tom Mellor | H. Gifford (words) Ella Retford (perf.) |
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Five Days Leave (1916) | Tom Mellor(w&m) | Ella Retford (perf.) | |
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Heigh-Ho! (1917) | Tom Mellor | H. Gifford (words) Ella Retford (perf.) |
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⇑We're Irish and Proud of It Too (1914) | Tom Mellor | H. Gifford (words) F. Godfrey (words) Ella Retford (perf.) |
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Take Me Back to Dear Old Blighty (1916) | A.J. Mills | Fred Godfrey (co-author) Bennett Scott (co-author) Lily Morris (perf.) Ella Retford (perf.) Daisy Taylor (perf.) Daisy Dormer (perf.) Dorothy Ward (perf.) Florrie Forde (perf.) |
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You Made Me Love You (1913) | Jimmie V. Monaco | Joseph McCarthy (words) Florence Smithson (perf.) Ella Retford (perf.) A. Jolson (perf.) |
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She's a Lassie From Lancashire (1907) | C.W. Murphy | Dan Lipton (words) John Neat (words) Ella Retford (perf.) Florrie Forde (perf.) |
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They're All Single by the Seaside (1911) | C.W. Murphy | Worton David (words) Ella Retford (perf.) |
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Has Anyone Seen a German Band? (1907) | Bennett Scott | A.J. Mills (words) Florrie Forde (perf.) Ella Retford (perf.) Florrie Gallimore (perf.) Daisy Dormer (perf.) Mina Brae (perf.) |
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Have You Seen My Chinee-Man? (1908) | Bennett Scott | A J Mills (words) Ella Retford (perf.) |
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Popsy Wopsy (1910) | Bennett Scott | A J Mills (words) Ella Retford (perf.) Daisy Taylor (perf.) |
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Ship Ahoy (1920) | Bennett Scott | A J Mills (words) Ella Retford (perf.) |
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What Do You Say, Molly Molloy? (1910) | Bennett Scott | A J Mills (words) Ella Retford (perf.) May Mars (perf.) Cressie Leonard (perf.) Lyoyd Morgan (perf.) |
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I Want a Girl: Just Like the Girl That Married Dear Old Dad (1911) | Harry von Tilzer | William Dillon (words) Ella Retford (perf.) |
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