Comedian, revusical writer/director, troupe leader.
Paul Stanhope came to Australia in 1913 with the
American Burlesque Company and continued his association with the country after the troupe disbanded in 1914. He formed the Paul Stanhope Musical Burlesque Company with four members from his former company (The Grafters Quartette), and with comedian Les Bates as his off-sider presented a series of one act musical comedies based around his wild Irishman character Spike Murphy. One of Stanhope's earliest productions,
I'm Sorry (1915), is the first to be identified in advertising as a revusical, and in this respect he was, along with
Bert Le Blanc and
Arthur Morley, one of the pioneers of this original Australian genre.
After touring Australia and New Zealand (1915-16), Stanhope returned to the USA for some seven months. He came back in early 1917 and formed a new troupe, The Paul Stanhope Revue Company, with his wife, Helen Le Cain, and two members of the old troupe - Teddy Long and George McCall. He left Australia again in 1918, returning late that year to once again tour the Fullers circuit, this time with the Paul Stanhope Musical Comedy Co (1919-1921).
Although considered one of the pioneers of the Australian revusical and a clever and influential character comedian, Stanhope's two lengthy trips abroad during the late 1910s meant that his industry achievements never quite matched those of contemporary revusical comedians like Le Blanc,
Roy Rene and
Nat Phillips. Stanhope is thought to have returned to the USA where he attempted a career in the film industry.
[Source:
Australian Variety Theatre Archive]
