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Bramwell Fletcher Biography (1904-1988)

Born February 20, 1904, in Bradford, England; died June 22, 1988, in Westmoreland, NH; son of Benjamin and Jean (Scott) Fletcher; married Helen Chandler,February 14, 1935 (divorced); married Diana Barrymore, July 30, 1942 (divorced); married Susan Robinson, April 12, 1950 (divorced); married Lael Tucker Wertenbaker, September 26, 1970; children: Catherine, Kent, Whitney (third marriage).

CTFT learned that as the understudy for Rex Harrison and later Edward Mulharein the original Broadway production of My Fair Lady, Bramwell Fletcher appeared in the role of Henry Higgins for more than 200 performances between 1956and 1961. According to his obituary in the New York Times, "During the hundreds of performances in which Mr. Fletcher stood by but did not go on, he concentrated on his lifelong passion for art, developing a second career as a portrait painter; he maintained a studio near the theatre from which he contendedthat he could reach the stage in 20 seconds, if necessary."

Nationality

English

Birth Details

February 20, 1904

Bradford, England

Death Details

June 22, 1988

Westmoreland, New Hampshire, United States

Famous Works

• Credits
• STAGE DEBUT--Florizel, The Winter's Tale, Shakespeare Memorial Company, Shakespeare Memorial Theatre, Stratford-on-Avon, U.K., 1927.
• LONDON DEBUT--Colonel Prince Yashvil, Paul I, Court Theatre, 1927.
• BROADWAY DEBUT--Kent Heathcote, Scotland Yard, Sam H. Harris Theatre, 1929.
• Credits; PRINCIPAL STAGE APPEARANCES
• Oscar Nordholm, Sauce for the Gander, Lyric Theatre, London, 1928.
• Martin, Thunder on the Left, Arts Theatre, then Kingsway Theatre, both London, 1928.
• Harold Marquess, The Chinese Bungalow, Duke of York's Theatre, London, 1929.
• Jimmie Chard, The Devil in the Cheese, Comedy Theatre, London, 1929.
• Ray Fanshawe, Red Planet, Cort Theatre, New York City, 1932.
• Colin Derwent, Ten Minute Alibi, Ethel Barrymore Theatre, New York City,1933.
• Simon More, These Two, Henry Miller's Theatre, New York City, 1934.
• the Dreamer, Within the Gates, National Theatre, New York City, 1934.
• Dick Shale, The Dominant Sex, Cort Theatre, 1935.
• Hsieh Ping-Kuei, Lady Precious Stream, Booth Theatre, New York City, 1936.
• Rodney Bevan, Boy Meets Girl, Shaftesbury Theatre, London, 1936.
• Arnold Champion-Cheney, The Circle, Playhouse Theatre, New York City, 1938.
• title role and Don Caesar, Ruy Blas, Central City Opera House, Central City, CO, 1938.
• Mr. Prior, Outward Bound, Playhouse Theatre, 1938.
• Baron Max von Alvenstor, Margin for Error, Plymouth Theatre, New York City, 1939.
• Jacob Wait, Eight O'Clock Tuesday, Henry Miller's Theatre, 1941.
• Louis Dubedat, The Doctor's Dilemma, Shubert Theatre, New York City, 1941.
• Captain Sutton, Storm Operation, Belasco Theatre, New York City, 1944.
• Maxim de Winter, Rebecca, Ethel Barrymore Theatre, 1945.
• newspaper reporter, The Greatest of These, Shubert-Lafayette Theatre, Detroit, MI, then Selwyn Theatre, Chicago, IL, 1947.
• Richard Brinsley Sheridan, The Lady Maria, Cape Playhouse, Dennis MA, 1947.
• George, Duke of Bristol, The Day after Tomorrow, Booth Theatre, 1950.
• Collins, Getting Married, American National Theatre Academy (ANTA) Theatre, New York City, 1951.
• Mr. Burgess, Candida, National Theatre, 1952.
• Doolittle, Pygmalion, Westport Country Playhouse, Westport, CT, 1952.
• Alick Wylie, Maggie, National Theatre, 1953.
• Lord Summerhays, Misalliance, City Center Theatre, New York City, then Ethel Barrymore Theatre, both 1953.
• Sir Henry Harcourt-Reilly, The Cocktail Party, and the Duke of Altair, Venus Observed, Olney Theatre, Olney, MD, 1954.
• Gavin Leon Andree, The Wisteria Trees, City Center Theatre, 1955.
• Marechal Francois de Sevres, The Little Glass Clock, John Golden Theatre,New York City, 1956.
• Clement of Metz, The Lovers, Martin Beck Theatre, New York City, 1956.
• Aeneas Posket, Posket's Family Skeleton, Westport Country Playhouse, 1956.
• Mephisto, Faust, Goodman Theatre, Chicago, 1961.
• Ulric Brendel, Rosmersholm, Fourth Street Theatre, New York City, 1962.
• Leonid Andreyevich Gayef, The Cherry Orchard, Theatre Four, New York City, 1962.
• Parnassus '63 (one-man show), ANTA Theatre, 1962.
• title role, The Bernard Shaw Story (one-man show), Gate Theatre, Dublin,Ireland, 1964, then East 74th Street Theatre, New York City, 1965.
• Andrew Undershaft, Major Barbara, Doolittle, Pygmalion, and title role, The Bernard Shaw Story (one-man show), all Westport Country Playhouse, 1965.
• Sir Ormsby-Gore and Dr. York, A Step Away from War, American Place Theatre, New York City, 1965.
• title role, The Miser, Goodman Theatre, 1967.
• Lord Summerhays, Misalliance, Loeb Theatre, Boston, MA, 1974.
• Speaker of the House, In the Well of the House, Kansas City Playhouse, Kansas City, MO, 1975.
• Also appeared at the Ogunquit Playhouse, Ogunquit, ME, 1940; and as the understudy for the role of Henry Higgins, My Fair Lady, Mark Hellinger Theatre, New York City, 1956-61.
• Credits; PRINCIPAL STAGE WORK
• Director, The Deadly Game and A Touch of the Poet, both Washington Theatre Club, Washington, DC, 1965.
• Credits; MAJOR TOURS
• Various roles, Tonight at 8:30, U.S. cities, 1937.
• Maxim de Winter, Rebecca, U.S. cities, 1944.
• Sergeant Rough, Angel Street, U.S. cities, 1945.
• President Merrill, Goodbye My Fancy, U.S. cities, 1950.
• Matthew Store, Told to the Children, U.S. cities, 1951.
• Doolittle, Pygmalion, U.S. cities, 1953.
• David Slater, The Moon Is Blue, U.S. cities, 1954.
• Love, Laughter, and Baseball (one-man show; originally titled Parnassus '63), U.S. cities, 1963.
• title role, The Bernard Shaw Story (one-man show), U.S. cities, 1965, then 1976.
• FILM DEBUT--Chick, British Lion, 1928.
• Credits; PRINCIPAL FILM APPEARANCES
• Jim Nolan, To What Red Hell, Tiffany, 1929.
• Bunny Manders, Raffles, United Artists, 1930.
• Alfred Honeycutt, So This Is London, Twentieth Century-Fox, 1930.
• Ronald Petrie, Daughter of the Dragon, Paramount, 1931.
• Eric, Men of the Sky, First National/Warner Brothers, 1931.
• Carter Andrews, The Millionaire, Warner Brothers, 1931.
• Allen Corinth, Once a Lady, Paramount, 1931.
• Billee, Svengali, Warner Brothers, 1931.
• Bill Bronson, The Face on the Barroom Floor, Invincible Films, 1932.
• Norton, The Mummy, Universal, 1932.
• Anthony Howard, The Silent Witness, Twentieth Century-Fox, 1932.
• Herbert, The Monkey's Paw, RKO, 1933.
• Scott Hughes, Only Yesterday, Universal, 1933.
• David Morland, Line Engaged, British Lion, 1935.
• priest, The Scarlet Pimpernel, United Artists, 1935.
• Harrison, Random Harvest, Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM), 1942.
• Dr. Geoffrey Covert, The Undying Monster (also known as The Hammond Mystery), Twentieth Century-Fox, 1942.
• Wilbur Ashley, White Cargo, MGM, 1942.
• Symes, The Immortal Sergeant, Twentieth Century-Fox, 1943.
• Also appeared in S.O.S., 1928; Inside the Lines, RKO, 1930; A Bill of Divorcement, RKO, 1932; The Right to Romance, RKO, 1933; and Nana (also known asLady of the Boulevards), United Artists, 1934.
• Credits; PRINCIPAL TELEVISION APPEARANCES; EPISODIC
• Horfield, "The Paradine Case," Theater '62, NBC, 1962.
• Writings
• See production details above.
• Writings;STAGE
• The Bernard Shaw Story (one-man show), 1964.
• Also (with Lael Wertenbaker) Operation Gadfly, 1970.

Further Reference

OBITUARIES AND OTHER SOURCES:

• New York Times, June 24, 1988.
• Variety, June 29, 1988.