29:
202:"Charlie's peculiar walk is not original. It started with one of my comedians, a clever fellow named Walter Groves. Fred Kitchen then elaborated this walk and when Chaplin stepped into Kitchen's shoes and took his part over he also secured the legacy of the flat footed walk"
63:, to travelling actors Charles Groves (1807−1864) and Martha Bigg (1822−1915). His father was a working provincial actor of thirty years experience, while his mother had been a star of the London stage during childhood, appearing in the title role of
256:
He married the actress Lizzie Aney and fathered two children. His descendants include the actress Lily Groves (daughter), the actor Donald Groves (grandson) and the writer Fiona Gruber (great-granddaughter).
795:
770:
790:
205:
805:
645:
620:
595:
570:
493:
800:
785:
245:. His widow filed lawsuits to protect his work, and was obliged to buy advertising space in such industry newspapers as
669:
780:
723:
697:
535:
509:
455:
429:
403:
377:
351:
325:
299:
775:
143:
104:
70:
755:
89:
28:
765:
760:
177:. He reprised this performance for a brief period the following year, with the production renamed
118:
During his lengthy career in pantomime he showed great versatility, having played everything from
282:
Our Actors and
Actresses; The Dramatic List; of Living Actors and Actresses of the British Stage
641:
616:
591:
566:
489:
162:
135:
93:
17:
238:
while on a recuperative holiday in an attempt to fight the lung condition that killed him.
173:) originating the role of Sgt. Lightning in the company's first full-length musical-comedy
193:
182:
147:
127:
749:
212:
131:
85:
48:
44:
88:, the majority of whom eventually went on to work in the theatre. His elder brother
139:
112:
280:
219:
circuit intermittently from 1887 up until his death in 1906. These works include
154:
78:
242:
216:
186:
170:
158:
60:
40:
235:
197:
166:
123:
100:
65:
130:. Groves appeared in this genre almost annually, with performers including
253:
to announce his original works were fully protected under copyright law.
192:
According to Fred Karno, Walter Groves devised the “funny walk” that
208:, presented by Groves's great-granddaughter, explored this claim.
119:
99:
The first known recorded appearance of Groves is an appearance in
27:
215:
under the banner of the Walter Groves
Company, which toured the
326:"Provincial Theatricals: Colchester: Jack and the Giant Killer"
590:(in Spanish). Mexico: Fondo de Cultura Económica. p. 42.
670:"Charlie Chaplin's Funny Walk and Other Music Hall Mysteries"
241:
Almost immediately after his death, his work was subject to
111:. Groves played the part of Tornado and also performed the
404:"Amusements in Manchester: Princes Theatre: Puss in Boots"
200:
film persona, which then became world famous. Said Karno:
565:(in French). France: Editions L'Harmattan. p. 14.
92:
became a celebrated actor in the West End and on the
728:
Manchester
Courier and Lancashire General Advertiser
211:Groves also wrote, produced and starred in his own
430:"Amusements in Liverpool: Prince of Wales Theatre"
613:The Comedy of Charlie Chaplin: Artistry in Motion
488:. Great Britain: Brewin Books. pp. 78–80.
285:. London, England: D. Bogue. pp. 162–163.
8:
640:. Great Britain: Brewin Books. p. 354.
16:For American missionary and theologian, see
510:"Amusements in Leeds: Her Majesty's Guests"
378:"Liverpool: Royal Court: Babes in the Wood"
204:. In 2020 a radio documentary aired by the
39:(1856–1906) was a British actor, comedian,
638:Fred Karno: The Legend Behind the Laughter
486:Fred Karno: The Legend Behind the Laughter
352:"Amusements in Sunderland: Avenue Theatre"
77:at the Royal Cobourg Theatre (today the
266:
84:Groves was one of ten children in
563:Charles Chaplin: L'âge d'or du comique
161:(which was previously associated with
692:
690:
663:
661:
659:
657:
7:
615:. USA: Scarecrow Press. p. 11.
479:
477:
300:"Newcastle-upon-Tyne: Theatre Royal"
294:
292:
274:
272:
270:
234:Early February 1906, Groves died in
674:The Australian Broadcasting Company
206:Australian Broadcasting Corporation
105:Theatre Royal, Newcastle upon Tyne
14:
702:The Music Hall and Theatre Review
796:19th-century British male actors
153:In 1900 Groves became the first
668:Gruber, Fiona (14 April 2020).
771:19th-century British comedians
436:. 31 December 1898. p. 25
410:. 25 December 1897. p. 21
384:. 14 December 1899. p. 13
358:. 28 December 1895. p. 18
1:
698:"The Walter Groves Sketch Co"
516:. 1 December 1900. p. 24
462:. 7 September 1889. p. 9
279:Pascoe, Charles Eyre (1880).
306:. 1 January 1881. p. 11
142:. In 1889 he was engaged by
791:Male actors from Manchester
561:Nysenholc, Adolphe (2002).
332:. 6 January 1883. p. 4
822:
730:. 9 March 1906. p. 17
704:. 27 April 1906. p. 2
542:. 23 April 1901. p. 4
15:
806:Comedians from Manchester
43:, and writer of the late
23:British actor (1856–1906)
586:Sadoul, Georges (1993).
181:to reflect the death of
75:Peter Bell, The Waggoner
71:Theatre Royal, Haymarket
169:to evade the theatre's
801:British male comedians
196:incorporated into his
33:
32:Walter Groves, c. 1900
786:Music hall performers
636:Crump, David (2021).
484:Crump, David (2021).
185:and the accession of
31:
456:"The Drama in Paris"
179:His Majesty’s Guests
175:Her Majesty’s Guests
155:spoken-word comedian
611:Kamin, Dan (2008).
61:Manchester, England
59:Groves was born in
540:Gloucester Citizen
217:British music hall
159:Fred Karno Company
148:The Surrey Theatre
34:
109:Sinbad The Sailor
86:the Groves family
41:music hall artist
813:
781:Pantomime comics
740:
739:
737:
735:
720:
714:
713:
711:
709:
694:
685:
684:
682:
680:
665:
652:
651:
633:
627:
626:
608:
602:
601:
583:
577:
576:
558:
552:
551:
549:
547:
532:
526:
525:
523:
521:
506:
500:
499:
481:
472:
471:
469:
467:
452:
446:
445:
443:
441:
426:
420:
419:
417:
415:
400:
394:
393:
391:
389:
374:
368:
367:
365:
363:
348:
342:
341:
339:
337:
322:
316:
315:
313:
311:
296:
287:
286:
276:
229:Poole's Fantasie
167:slapstick comedy
146:to play Dame at
136:Paul Cinquevalli
18:Walter A. Groves
821:
820:
816:
815:
814:
812:
811:
810:
776:Pantomime dames
746:
745:
744:
743:
733:
731:
722:
721:
717:
707:
705:
696:
695:
688:
678:
676:
667:
666:
655:
648:
635:
634:
630:
623:
610:
609:
605:
598:
588:Vida de Chaplin
585:
584:
580:
573:
560:
559:
555:
545:
543:
534:
533:
529:
519:
517:
508:
507:
503:
496:
483:
482:
475:
465:
463:
454:
453:
449:
439:
437:
428:
427:
423:
413:
411:
402:
401:
397:
387:
385:
376:
375:
371:
361:
359:
350:
349:
345:
335:
333:
324:
323:
319:
309:
307:
298:
297:
290:
278:
277:
268:
263:
213:comedy sketches
194:Charlie Chaplin
144:George Conquest
57:
24:
21:
12:
11:
5:
819:
817:
809:
808:
803:
798:
793:
788:
783:
778:
773:
768:
763:
758:
748:
747:
742:
741:
715:
686:
653:
646:
628:
621:
603:
596:
578:
571:
553:
536:"The Theatres"
527:
501:
494:
473:
447:
421:
395:
369:
343:
317:
288:
265:
264:
262:
259:
183:Queen Victoria
128:pantomime dame
90:Charles Groves
56:
53:
22:
13:
10:
9:
6:
4:
3:
2:
818:
807:
804:
802:
799:
797:
794:
792:
789:
787:
784:
782:
779:
777:
774:
772:
769:
767:
764:
762:
759:
757:
756:Groves family
754:
753:
751:
729:
725:
719:
716:
703:
699:
693:
691:
687:
675:
671:
664:
662:
660:
658:
654:
649:
647:9781858585086
643:
639:
632:
629:
624:
622:9780810877818
618:
614:
607:
604:
599:
597:9789681603953
593:
589:
582:
579:
574:
572:9782296304147
568:
564:
557:
554:
541:
537:
531:
528:
515:
511:
505:
502:
497:
495:9781858585086
491:
487:
480:
478:
474:
461:
457:
451:
448:
435:
431:
425:
422:
409:
405:
399:
396:
383:
379:
373:
370:
357:
353:
347:
344:
331:
327:
321:
318:
305:
301:
295:
293:
289:
284:
283:
275:
273:
271:
267:
260:
258:
254:
252:
248:
244:
239:
237:
232:
230:
226:
222:
218:
214:
209:
207:
203:
199:
195:
190:
188:
184:
180:
176:
172:
168:
164:
160:
157:hired by the
156:
151:
149:
145:
141:
137:
133:
132:George Mozart
129:
125:
121:
116:
114:
110:
106:
102:
97:
95:
91:
87:
82:
80:
76:
72:
68:
67:
62:
54:
52:
50:
46:
42:
38:
37:Walter Groves
30:
26:
19:
732:. Retrieved
727:
724:"Obituaries"
718:
706:. Retrieved
701:
677:. Retrieved
673:
637:
631:
612:
606:
587:
581:
562:
556:
544:. Retrieved
539:
530:
518:. Retrieved
513:
504:
485:
464:. Retrieved
459:
450:
438:. Retrieved
433:
424:
412:. Retrieved
407:
398:
386:. Retrieved
381:
372:
360:. Retrieved
355:
346:
334:. Retrieved
329:
320:
308:. Retrieved
303:
281:
255:
250:
246:
240:
233:
228:
224:
220:
210:
201:
198:Little Tramp
191:
178:
174:
152:
140:Vesta Tilley
117:
113:Harlequinade
108:
98:
83:
74:
64:
58:
36:
35:
25:
766:1906 deaths
761:1856 births
750:Categories
261:References
243:plagiarism
225:Artful Jim
187:Edward VII
47:and early
382:The Stage
251:The Stage
236:Blackpool
221:Poor Pink
124:pantaloon
101:pantomime
66:Tom Thumb
55:Biography
49:Edwardian
45:Victorian
734:13 April
708:13 April
679:13 April
546:13 April
520:13 April
466:13 April
440:13 April
414:13 April
388:13 April
362:13 April
336:13 April
310:13 April
94:Broadway
79:Old Vic)
514:The Era
460:The Era
434:The Era
408:The Era
356:The Era
330:The Era
304:The Era
247:The Era
171:censors
126:to the
103:at the
96:stage.
73:and in
69:at the
644:
619:
594:
569:
492:
163:silent
51:eras.
120:clown
107:, in
736:2022
710:2022
681:2022
642:ISBN
617:ISBN
592:ISBN
567:ISBN
548:2022
522:2022
490:ISBN
468:2022
442:2022
416:2022
390:2022
364:2022
338:2022
312:2022
249:and
227:and
138:and
122:to
752::
726:.
700:.
689:^
672:.
656:^
538:.
512:.
476:^
458:.
432:.
406:.
380:.
354:.
328:.
302:.
291:^
269:^
231:.
223:,
189:.
165:,
150:.
134:,
115:.
81:.
738:.
712:.
683:.
650:.
625:.
600:.
575:.
550:.
524:.
498:.
470:.
444:.
418:.
392:.
366:.
340:.
314:.
20:.
Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License. Additional terms may apply.
