This Is Your Life: Harry Welchman

Harry WELCHMAN (1886-1966)

THIS IS YOUR LIFE - Harry Welchman, actor and singer, was surprised by Eamonn Andrews in a taxi outside the BBC Riverside Studios in Hammersmith, London.

Harry, who was born in Barnstaple, Devon, was part of a touring musical comedy company when he was spotted by the impresario Robert Courtneidge, under whose management he became a well-known juvenile lead in such West End hit shows as Tom Jones and The Arcadians. During the First World War, he served in the Royal Artillery before returning to the West End under the management of C B Cochran.

He later had success playing the lead in a string of West End operetta-style musical hits, including the Red Shadow in The Desert Song in 1927, which ran for more than 400 performances. In the 1930s and 40s, Harry appeared in more than a dozen feature films, including The Maid of the Mountains in 1932 and The Common Touch in 1941.

programme details...

Edition No: 122
Subject No: 122
Broadcast live: Mon 8 Feb 1960
Broadcast time: 7.30-8.00pm
Venue: BBC Television Theatre
Series: 5
Edition: 24

on the guest list...

Ada Reeve
Hubert Walter
Minna Green
Sylvia - wife
Gene Gerrard
B C Hilliam
Eleanor Fayre
Edith Day
Douglas Byng

production team...

Researcher: Peter Moore
Writer: Peter Moore
Director: unknown
Producer: T Leslie Jackson

names above in bold indicate subjects of This Is Your Life

related pages...

An Actor's Life For Me

spotlight on the stars

Ada Reeve

Harry Welchman surprised by Eamonn Andrews on This Is Your Life

Series 5 subjects