Anthony Newley biography
Anthony George Newley (24 September 1931 - 14 April 1999) was an English actor, singer and songwriter. He enjoyed success as a performer in such diverse fields as rock and roll and stage and screen acting.
Early life
Newley was born in the London working class district of Hackney, the son of Frances Grace Newley and George Kirby, a shipping clerk. He had 5 siblings, Maxene (b. 1926), John (b. 1927), Joanne (1928-1965), Linda (b. 1929), Belinda (b. 1932). He was Jewish on his mother's side. His parents, who had never married, separated during his early childhood, and he was brought up by his single mother.
Although recognised as very bright by his teachers back in London, he was uninterested in school, and by the age of fourteen was working as an office boy for an insurance company. When he read an ad in the Daily Telegraph, headed "Boy Actors Urgently Wanted" he applied to the advertisers, the prestigious Italia Conti Stage School, only to discover that the fees were too high. Nevertheless, after a brief audition, he was offered a job as an office boy on a salary of 30 shillings (£1.50) a week plus tuition at the school. While serving tea one afternoon he caught the eye of producer Geoffrey de Barkus, who cast Newley as "Dusty" in the children's serial, The Adventures of Dusty Bates.
Acting, music and satire
Newley's first major film role was as Dick Bultitude in Peter Ustinov's
Vice Versa (1948) followed by the Artful Dodger in David Lean's
Oliver Twist (1948), based on the Charles Dickens novel. He made a successful transition from child to actor star in British films of the 1950s, broken by his national service. During the 1950s he appeared in many British radio programmes and for a time appeared as Cyril in
Floggits starring Elsie and Doris Waters. But it was probably the film
Idol on Parade that most changed his career direction. In the film he played a rock singer called up for national service.
Newley's successful pop music career as a vocalist began in May 1959 with the song "I've Waited So Long", a number 3 hit in the UK charts thanks to the exposure it received as being featured in the film Idol On Parade. This was quickly followed by his number 6 hit "Personality" and then two number-one hits in early 1960: "Why" (originally a 1959 U.S. hit for Frankie Avalon) and "Do You Mind?" (written by Lionel Bart).
The film was released titled/spelled 'Idle On Parade' - and the sleeve and label of the extended play record featuring the four songs in the movie clearly confirms this spelling of 'Idle'
With the passage of time however, the spelling 'Idol' has superseded the original and thereby, the clever play on words between idle/idol has been lost ....... a reference to the fictional British counterpart of Elvis as a rock and roll idol being drafted for army service
In the Filmography below, 'Idle' is used, whereas all other references herein use 'Idol'
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