Lupino family
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Who were the Lupino family?
The Lupino family is one of England’s most celebrated theatrical families. The earliest Lupino, who spelled his name Luppino, likely lived in Italy around 1612. A descendant, George William (1632–93), went to England as a political refugee and worked as a singer, reciter, and puppet master. After the Restoration, the Luppino family was granted a license to perform in the service of King Charles II. Many descendants were connected with the stage. George Hook Lupino (1820–1902) had 16 children, at least 10 of whom became professional dancers.
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What made the Lupino family famous in Britain?
The Lupino family is one of England’s most celebrated theatrical families. After the Restoration, the Luppino family was granted a license to play in the service of King Charles II. The family tree shows nearly all descendants connected with the stage. George Hook Lupino (1820–1902) had 16 children, at least 10 of whom became professional dancers, two marrying into the family of the well-known actress Sara Lane. Almost the last of the old-style clowns was George Hook’s eldest son, George (1853–1932). Arthur (1864–1908) was chosen by Sir James Barrie to be Nana, the dog, in the premiere (1904) of his play Peter Pan.
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What types of performances did the Lupino family do?
The Lupino family was a British theatrical dynasty that flourished from the 17th to the 20th century. Early family members were singers, reciters, and puppeteers, granted a license to perform for King Charles II. Later, they became known for pantomime, musical comedy, and music hall performances.
George Hook Lupino's children were mostly dancers, while his son George was a clown. Arthur Lupino was known as an animal impersonator in the play Peter Pan. Barry Lupino excelled in pantomime and musical comedy, and Stanley Lupino was a popular comedian in variety shows at the Drury Lane Theatre. Lupino Lane, another family member, found success as a cockney comedian in variety, musical comedy, and pantomime, and is credited with creating the "Lambeth walk" dance.
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Who are some notable members of the Lupino family?
The Lupino family is one of England’s most celebrated theatrical families. Some of its notable members include:
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George William: (1632–93) A singer, reciter, and puppet master who went to England as a political refugee.
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George Hook Lupino: (1820–1902) Had 16 children, at least 10 of whom became professional dancers.
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George Lupino: (1853–1932) An old-style clown who was born in a dressing room and died shortly after his last performance as a clown.
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Arthur Lupino: (1864–1908) A music-hall performer and animal impersonator chosen by Sir James Barrie to play Nana, the dog, in the premiere of Peter Pan.
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Lupino Lane: (1892–1959) A cockney comedian who gained fame for his role in the British musical Me and My Girl, where he created the "Lambeth walk" dance.
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Ida Lupino: (1918–95) An actress, director, and screenwriter known for portraying strong characters. She was one of the first women to direct films in Hollywood.
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How did the Lupino family influence British theatre and film?
The Lupino family is one of England’s most celebrated theatrical families, with almost all descendants connected to the stage. After the Restoration, the Luppino family was granted a license to play in the service of King Charles II.
Several family members made significant contributions. George Hook Lupino (1820–1902) had 16 children, many of whom became professional dancers. Arthur (1864–1908) was an animal impersonator chosen by James Barrie as Nana, the dog, in the 1904 premiere of Peter Pan. Stanley (1894–1942) was a popular comedian, while Lupino Lane (1892–1959) gained fame as a cockney comedian and created the "Lambeth walk" dance in the musical Me and My Girl. Stanley's daughter, Ida (1918–95), debuted in British films in 1932, later acting and directing in Hollywood.
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What legacy did the Lupino family leave in the entertainment industry?
The Lupino family has a long and rich legacy in the entertainment industry. Beginning in Italy around 1612, the family's descendants have been connected to the stage. After the Restoration, the Luppino family was granted a license to perform for King Charles II.
Many family members became professional dancers, performers, and musicians. George Lupino's sons, Arthur and Henry Charles, were well-known music-hall performers, and Arthur was chosen by James Barrie to play Nana, the dog, in the premiere of Peter Pan. Stanley Lupino was a popular comedian, and his daughter Ida Lupino acted in films such as They Drive by Night and directed motion pictures such as The Bigamist.
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Lupino family, one of England’s most celebrated theatrical families.
The earliest traceable Lupino—who spelled his name Luppino—flourished probably in Italy, c. 1612, and billed himself as Signor Luppino. His descendant George William (1632–93), a singer, reciter, and puppet master, went to England as a political refugee. George William’s son, George Charles (1662–1725), was a performer and puppeteer at the age of eight. After the Restoration the Luppino family was granted a license to play in the service of King Charles II. John Rich—the theatre manager and actor who originated the English pantomime—had as an apprentice a boy called George Richard Eastcourt Luppino (1710–87), whose son Thomas Frederick (1749–1845), the first to spell the family name Lupino, became a scenic artist and dancer.
The family tree shows nearly all descendants to have been connected with the stage. George Hook Lupino (1820–1902) had 16 children, at least 10 of whom became professional dancers, two marrying into the family of the well-known actress Sara Lane, manager (1871–99) of the Britannia Theatre, London. Almost the last of the old-style clowns was George Hook’s eldest son, George (1853–1932), born in a dressing room of the Theatre Royal, Birmingham, who was immediately carried onto the stage in swaddling clothes. He died at the age of 79, shortly after his last performance as the clown in a harlequinade, with his son Barry as Harlequin. His two brothers, Arthur (1864–1908) and Henry Charles (1865–1925; called Harry), were well-known music-hall performers at the turn of the century. Arthur, an incomparable animal impersonator, was chosen by Sir James Barrie to be Nana, the dog, in the premiere (1904) of his play Peter Pan.
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Of George Lupino’s children, Barry (1884–1962), besides being an actor, was the family archivist and Stanley (1894–1942) was a popular comedian who played variety for several years at the Drury Lane Theatre, London. Barry Lupino served some years as company comedian at the Britannia and then made extensive tours that included Australia (1913), South Africa, and the Far East. He excelled in pantomime and musical comedy, and he wrote or was coauthor of about 50 pantomimes, made numerous tours of the United States, and appeared in several films. Stanley, best remembered for his performances in revue and musical comedy, wrote plays, novels, and From the Stocks to the Stars (1934), a collection of reminiscences. His nephew Henry George (1892–1959), taking Sara Lane’s name, was known under the stage name of Lupino Lane. Lane became a well-known cockney comedian and toured extensively in variety, musical comedy, and pantomime. In 1937 he scored a tremendous success as Bill Snibson in the British musical Me and My Girl, in which he created the “Lambeth walk,” a ballroom dance supposedly representing the strut of the cockney residents of the Lambeth section of London.
Stanley Lupino’s daughter Ida (1918–95) made her British motion-picture debut in 1932 in Her First Affaire. She later moved to the United States and first appeared there on film in 1934. She acted in such films as They Drive by Night (1940), The Sea Wolf (1941), and High Sierra (1941). She was voted best actress by the New York film critics for her role in The Hard Way (1943). Subsequently turning to independent production, she directed several motion pictures, including The Bigamist (1953), in which she also acted. Ida Lupino also wrote for, directed for, and acted on television.