Comments on: Berwick Street, and the rivals in love – Jessie Matthews and Evelyn Laye

By: Brian Scates

Brian Scates — Fri, 13 Dec 2019 20:13:11 +0000

My father HENRY FREDERICK SCATES of London, England told me back in my childhood that JESSIE MATTHEWS was his cousin. My father was born in Bermondsey in London in 1911; his parents were CHARLES EDWARD SCATES and ELIZABETH MARY SCATES formerly STREEK. Both of my grandparents were born in London in 1881. Does anybody know of any connection between my father and his family and JESSIE MATTHEWS? A bipolar mental disorder is evident in my family – and Jessie Matthews did have mental breakdowns. Thank you for reading this. Any information you might have would be most welcome.

By: Karen Bonaudi

Karen Bonaudi — Sun, 30 Sep 2018 03:21:01 +0000

Wow, I stumbled on this looking up Edward Everett Hale. Some difference! This would make a great film. I’m surprised no one so inclined has stumbled across it also.

By: Clive Elliott

Clive Elliott — Thu, 10 Dec 2015 05:34:02 +0000

I am looking for any information about my Grandfather who was Jessie’s vocal coach. His name is Arthur Montegue (Monty) Elliott. Can you assist please?

By: Margaret Lay

Margaret Lay — Sun, 11 Jan 2015 09:54:31 +0000

Nice to read about the history of my fathers relatives! & to see photo’s Evelyn use to write to my dad & send photos!

By: Susan

Susan — Sun, 13 Jul 2014 21:57:36 +0000

I just saw “First a Girl” on TCM and just fell in love with Jesse, and also with Anna Lee, who had the most sparkly smile imaginable! I thought Sonny Hale’s Shakespeare audition in the beginning of the movie was just hilarious. I think “Just a Girl” is far superior to “Victor Victoria.” Same general story, different approaches. I get a kick out of the mischief they got up to in the movies before The Code! Thank you for the additional information on Jessie and Hale…and I am glad that the lovely Evelyn found happiness with Frank. She seems to have deserved something better than that goofball Hale!

By: Kevin

Kevin — Sun, 08 Sep 2013 05:27:06 +0000

Jesse was my grandfather’s 1st cousin. He also lived and worked in the East-End. He and Jesse were apparently quite close when growing up and they exchanged letters after he emigrated. Unfortunately, they don’t seem to have survived.

By: nickelinthemachine

nickelinthemachine — Sun, 19 Dec 2010 10:40:04 +0000

Who is your Grandfather?

By: Genevieve

Genevieve — Sat, 11 Dec 2010 21:02:30 +0000

nice pictures of my grandfather

By: nickelinthemachine

nickelinthemachine — Thu, 02 Jul 2009 18:03:44 +0000

Thank you so much for the long and considered response to my post. The comments are always appreciated – to say the least.

I still stand by the description ‘dated’. I love music and probably listen to different kinds of musical genres than most. However Al Bowlly is from the same era as Matthews and Laye and unlike them I can listen to him all day long. He has a more modern style I think because he adapted his voice to a microphone (and earlier, a megaphone). Saying that, I probably don’t mean ‘a more modern style’, I mean a singing style (more intimate?) which I, and I suggest probably others of my, or a later generation, can understand. Whereas Laye and Matthews have a style that comes from singing on stage in an era before electronic microphones.

I LOVE though (and I was thinking just this the other day as I found myself humming it over and over again) ‘Over My Shoulder’ by Jessie Matthews. In that particular song I think her ‘peculiar magnetism’ comes over and I think I should’ve posted it. The ‘peculiar magnetism’, and I think you shouldn’t have beaten around the bush, was an incredible earthy sexuality and energetic, um, joie de vivre?

Evelyn Laye had a very cool beauty that certainly lasts through the photography medium – but I know who I would have liked to have sat next to at the dinner table.

Rob

By: Philip

Philip — Thu, 02 Jul 2009 17:30:10 +0000

I also would have to disagree with the author’s assessment about Matthews’s recordings and voice, but I would argue that it’s a matter of taste rather than a “dated” style. For many, as the other contributors have noted, her voice and style are appealing; assessing whether it is “listenable” or “unlistenable” is ultimately critically unrelated to period. There are many singers from the 1890s to the present day whose styles I find appealing and just as many I dislike, but I always try to understand why I like or dislike them, and often my opinions change upon further study and discussion. If the author personally dislikes Matthews’s singing voice, say so or don’t, but please use more thoughtful and informed critical terminology rather than the easy-way-out-word “dated”. That would be more helpful!

My own experience with both Laye’s and Matthews’s films is that Matthews had a peculiar magnetism which enticed audiences of her day regardless of class. Her advantages in film were that she had generally very good directors (until Sonnie Hale took over her later vehicles — he was an appealing actor but an indifferent director) and well-funded productions; her disadvantages center on her films’ distribution (a major problem of the 1930s British film industry), which was strongly Empire-based. Laye worked in Hollywood and got wider exposure (and perhaps more worldwide recognition at the time), but her elegant performing style was more calculated and perhaps not as obviously inviting as Matthews’s — at least to _me_ and me alone, I will admit. Personal taste again.

I would say that the rest of this article is excellent and I enjoyed it very much indeed!