Ella Retford (1886-1962)
Last updated: 11.05.21
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. |
This list is arranged by title and contains 14 lyrics performed by Ella Retford. The lyrics/monologues and *.pdf files have been kindly compiled by monologues.co.uk/musichall
Keys: 
| Title | Attribution | Remarks |
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Hannah, Please Open That Door | Kirk McGee (music) Sam McGee (words) Ella Retford (sung by) |
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Have You Seen My Chinee-Man? | Bennett Scott (music) A J Mills (words) Ella Retford (sung by) |
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I Want a Girl Just Like the Girl Who Married Dear Old Dad | Harry von Tilzer (music) Will Dillon (words) Ella Retford (sung by) |
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I'd Like to Bring My Mother | Percy Greenbank (music) Paul A Rubens (words) Ella Retford (sung by) |
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I'm Afraid to Come Home in the Dark | Egbert A. van Alstyne (music) Harry Williams (words) Ella Retford (sung by) Hetty King (sung by) |
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Popsy Wopsy | Bennett Scott (music) A.J. Mills (words) Ella Retford (sung by) |
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She's a Girl Up North | F.E. D'Albert (music) F. Godfrey (words) Ella Retford (sung by) |
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She's a Lassie From Lancashire | C.W. Murphy (music) Dan Lipton (words) John Neath (words) Ella Retford (sung by) Florrie Forde (sung by) |
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Ship Ahoy | Bennett Scott (music) A.J. Mills (words) Ella Retford (sung by) |
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Smith, Jones, Robinson and Brown | Sam Mayo (music) John P. Harrington (words) Ella Retford (sung by) |
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Take Me Back to Dear Old Blighty | A.J. Mills (music) Fred Godfrey (words) Bennett Scott (words) Lily Morris (sung by) Ella Retford (sung by) |
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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 (sung by) |
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They're All Single by the Seaside | C.W. Murphy (music) Worton David (words) Ella Retford (sung by) |
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You Made Me Love You | Jimmie V. Monaco (music) Joe McCarthy (words) Ella Retford (sung by) |
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 (sung by) Hetty King (sung by) Clarice Vance (sung by) Della Fox (sung by) M. Irwin (sung by) Della Fox (sung by) May Vokes (sung by) |
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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 (sung by) |
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She's a Girl Up North (?) | F.E. D'Albert | F. Godfrey (words) Ella Retford (sung by) |
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She's a Girl Up North (1909) | Fred Godfrey | Fred E d' Albert (words) Ella Retford (sung by) |
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I'd Like to Bring My Mother (1915) | Percy Greenbank | Paul A Rubens (words) Ella Retford (sung by) |
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Smith, Jones, Robinson and Brown (1920) | Sam Mayo | John P Harrington (words) Ella Retford (sung by) |
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Hannah, Please Open That Door (1927) | Kirk McGee | Sam McGee (words) Ella Retford (sung by) |
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All the Boys in Khaki Get the Nice Girls (1915) | Tom Mellor | H. Gifford (words) Ella Retford (sung by) |
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Five Days Leave (1916) | Tom Mellor(w&m) | Ella Retford (sung by) | |
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Heigh-Ho! (1917) | Tom Mellor | H. Gifford (words) Ella Retford (sung by) |
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⇑We're Irish and Proud of It Too (1914) | Tom Mellor | H. Gifford (words) F. Godfrey (words) Ella Retford (sung by) |
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Take Me Back to Dear Old Blighty (1916) | A.J. Mills | Fred Godfrey (words) Bennett Scott (words) Lily Morris (sung by) Ella Retford (sung by) |
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You Made Me Love You (1913) | Jimmie V. Monaco | Joseph McCarthy (words) Florence Smithson (sung by) Ella Retford (sung by) A. Jolson (sung by) |
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She's a Lassie From Lancashire (1907) | C.W. Murphy | Dan Lipton (words) John Neat (words) Ella Retford (sung by) Florrie Forde (sung by) |
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They're All Single by the Seaside (1911) | C.W. Murphy | Worton David (words) Ella Retford (sung by) |
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Has Anyone Seen a German Band? (1907) | Bennett Scott | A.J. Mills (words) Florrie Forde (sung by) Ella Retford (sung by) Florrie Gallimore (sung by) Daisy Dormer (sung by) Mina Brae (sung by) |
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Have You Seen My Chinee-Man? (1908) | Bennett Scott | A J Mills (words) Ella Retford (sung by) |
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Popsy Wopsy (1910) | Bennett Scott | A J Mills (words) Ella Retford (sung by) |
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Ship Ahoy (1920) | Bennett Scott | A J Mills (words) Ella Retford (sung by) |
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What Do You Say, Molly Molloy? (1910) | Bennett Scott | A J Mills (words) Ella Retford (sung by) May Mars (sung by) Cressie Leonard (sung by) Lyoyd Morgan (sung by) |
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I Want a Girl Just Like the Girl Who Married Dear Old Dad (1911) | Harry von Tilzer | William Dillon (words) Ella Retford (sung by) |
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| 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) |