Ivor Novello
Novello wrote his musical shows in the style of operetta, and was one of the last major composers in this form. He generally composed his music to the librettos of Christopher Hassall.
During World War II, Novello was convicted of illegal use of rationed petrol (gasoline) and was briefly imprisoned. This downfall from his luxurious lifestyle completely broke his spirit, and he was never the same man after his release. However, he continued to appear on stage until the day before his sudden death.
Novello was a homosexual, well known for some of his more glamorous affairs. For 35 years, he was the lover of the British actor Bobby Andrews, and he had an affair with the British poet and writer Siegfried Sassoon. He also had a one-time encounter with a young Winston Churchill.
The Ivor Novello Award is a prize awarded for songwriting, named for Ivor Novello, and awarded each year by the record industry to song writers and arrangers rather than the performing artistes.
Novello was portrayed in the fictional film Gosford Park (2001) by Jeremy Northam and several of his songs were used for the film's soundtrack.
Ivor Novello Facts
Birth Name | David Ivor Davies |
Occupation | Actor |
Birthday | January 15, 1893 |
Sign | Capricorn |
Birthplace | Cardiff, Wales, United Kingdom |
Date of death | March 6, 1951 (age 58) |
Height | 5' 11" (1m80) How tall is Ivor Novello compared to you? |
Selected Filmography
Not available. |