This Is Your Life: Elisabeth Welch

Elisabeth WELCH (1904-2003)

THIS IS YOUR LIFE - Elisabeth Welch, singer, actress and entertainer, was surprised by Eamonn Andrews outside London's Palace Theatre, having been led to believe she was on her way to a meeting.

Elisabeth, who was born in New York, began her professional career at age 14 as a singer and dancer in the Broadway show Runnin' Wild, in which she introduced the Charleston. She later appeared in Blackbirds of 1928, which transferred to Paris, where she later starred in cabaret at the original Moulin Rouge before moving to London in the early 1930s.

She appeared in many West End shows and revues and famously became associated with the songs Solomon - which Cole Porter wrote for her - Love For Sale and Stormy Weather, which became her signature tune. She made hundreds of radio broadcasts, several film appearances and was one of the first artists to perform on television.

"It's not true! They just told us the car broke down! For the first time in my life - words fail me!"

programme details...

Edition No: 681
Subject No: 675
Broadcast date: Wed 6 Nov 1985
Broadcast time: 7.00-7.30pm
Recorded: Tue 8 Oct 1985
Venue: Royalty Theatre
Series: 26
Edition: 3
Code name: Shanty

on the guest list...

Liz Robertson
Elaine Delmar
Acker Bilk
George Chisholm
Kenny Ball
Tony Pitt
Ritchie Bryant
John - brother
Adelaide Hall
Mary Ellis
Peter Graves
Hermione Baddeley
Tommy Trinder
June Whitfield
Paul Jones
Cleo Laine - via satellite
John Dankworth - via satellite
Evelyn Laye
Lena Horne
Betty Driver

production team...

Researcher: Colin Williams
Writer: Norman Giller
Directors: Terry Yarwood, Michael D Kent
Associate Producer: Brian Klein
Producer: Malcolm Morris

names above in bold indicate subjects of This Is Your Life

related pages...

Life is a Cabaret

a musical theatre chorus line

Stephen Bourne, biographer of Elisabeth Welch, recalls this edition of This Is Your Life in an exclusive interview recorded in October 2013

Screenshots of Elisabeth Welch This Is Your Life

Stephen Bourne recalls this edition of This Is Your Life in his book, Soft Lights and Sweet Music, reproduced here with kind permission of the author...

Meanwhile, Elisabeth received the surprise of her life when she was the subject of one of Britain's most popular television shows, This Is Your Life.

Recorded on October 8 and televised on November 6, the programme, hosted by Eamonn Andrews, included tributes from Elaine Delmar, Liz Robertson, Adelaide Hall, Mary Ellis, Peter Graves, Betty Driver, Hermione Baddeley, Tommy Trinder, June Whitfield, Paul Jones, Cleo Laine and John Dankworth.

Evelyn Laye closed the show with the following tribute: "I've admired you since the Cochran days. I saw everything you ever did. I saw the last thing that you have just done (Kern Goes to Hollywood) and you were equally as great. Great you are! But the thing that I've loved more than anything over the years is the charming friendship that we've had together and may it long go on, my dear."

Lena Horne, friend and fan, appeared in a pre-recorded tribute. There was a big surprise when John Welch greeted his sister – in person – having travelled from his home in New York. Looking more beautiful and animated than ever, Elisabeth was overwhelmed and in tears throughout:

"It was absolutely fantastic. Wonderful. It was such a surprise. If I'd known it was going to happen I wouldn't have been there! It's terrifying. I didn't know how I'd get down those stairs at the beginning. Eamonn Andrews told me to put my hand on his arm because it was a long flight of stairs through the audience to the stage with no bannisters. I'd already been crying with nerves in the dressing room. When I walked onto the stage I was absolutely shivering. It was marvellous afterwards because then I got to talk to everybody. When I came home I sat in a chair and I was in shock for about an hour and a half. Then I went to bed and didn't sleep."

Series 26 subjects