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{{Short description|Scottish actor, singer, director and producer (1890–1957)}}
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{{Infobox person
| name          = Jack Buchanan
| image         = File:Jack-buchanan-in-paris.jpg
| imagesize     = 200
| caption       = Buchanan, 1929
| birth_name    = Walter John Buchanan
| birth_date    = {{birth date|df=yes|1890|04|02}}
| birth_place   = [[Helensburgh]], Dunbartonshire, Scotland
| death_date    = {{death date and age|df=yes|1957|10|20|1890|04|02}}
| death_place   = London, England
| othername     = 
| occupation    = {{hlist|Actor|dancer|director|producer|singer}}
| yearsactive   = 1912–1957
| website       = 
| spouse        =  {{plainlist|
* {{marriage|Saffo Arnau|1915|1920|end=annulled}}
* {{marriage|Susan Bassett|1947}}
}}
}}
'''Walter John Buchanan''' (2 April 1890 – 20 October 1957) was a British theatre and film actor, singer, dancer, producer and director.

Born to a comfortable middle-class family in Scotland, Buchanan attempted to follow his father into auctioneering, but conceived a strong desire to be a performer. After a calamitous début as a stand-up comic, he moved to London and between 1912 and 1917 built up a performing career in the chorus or small parts in [[Edwardian musical comedy|musical comedies]] before achieving leading roles in [[West End theatre|West End]] shows and remaining at the top of his profession for the rest of his career.

He was known for more than three decades as the embodiment of the debonair man-about-town in the tradition of [[George Grossmith Jr.]], and was described by ''[[The Times]]'' as the last of the [[wikt:knut|knuts]]. Among his leading ladies in West End, and, later, [[Broadway theatre|Broadway]], shows were [[Binnie Hale]], [[Gertrude Lawrence]], [[Beatrice Lillie]], [[Jessie Matthews]], [[Phyllis Monkman]] and – the partner with whom he was most associated – [[Elsie Randolph]].

Buchanan directed, choreographed, and produced many shows, and ran theatres and a film studio. He made several British films, often adaptations of his stage successes, but his best-known film was the [[Cinema of the United States|Hollywood]] musical ''[[The Band Wagon]]'' in 1953.

==Life and career==
===Early years===
Buchanan was born on 2 April 1890 in [[Helensburgh]], near Glasgow, the son of Walter John Buchanan, a prosperous auctioneer, and his wife, Patricia {{nee}} McWatt.<ref name=odnb>Spicer, Andrew H: [http://www.oxforddnb.com/view/article/32154 "Buchanan, Walter John (1890–1957)"], ''Oxford Dictionary of National Biography'', Oxford University Press, 2008 {{ODNBsub}}</ref> He was intended for Edinburgh's leading private school, [[Fettes College]], but his father's sudden death in 1902 left the family in reduced circumstances, and he was educated at a state school, the [[Glasgow Academy]].<ref>Marshall, p. 5</ref>

After a brief attempt to follow his father's profession once he left school, he appeared a [[music hall]] comedian under the name of Chump Buchanan, making a disastrous début in 1911: he later recalled that he must have set "a world record in getting the bird" twenty-four times in his first week.<ref name=m8>Marshall, p. 8</ref> After that he decided to pursue a career in London.<ref name=m8/>

Buchanan made his [[West End theatre|West End]] début on 7 September 1912 at the [[Apollo Theatre]], as M. Deschamps, the French dancing master, in a comic opera, ''The Grass Widows''. He was billed in advance as "Mr W. Buchanan",<ref>"The Grass Widows", ''Pall Mall Gazette'', 24 August 1912, p. 5</ref> but by the first night he had opted to appear as Jack Buchanan.<ref name=gw>"The Grass Widows", ''The Era'', 14 September 1912, p. 15</ref> His role was a minor one, but he attracted mild praise from the theatrical papers ''[[The Era (newspaper)|The Era]]'' and ''[[The Stage]]''.<ref name=gw/><ref>"The Apollo", ''The Stage'', 12 September 1912, p. 20</ref> The piece ran for only six weeks, after which Buchanan had only one brief engagement until April 1913, when he joined the chorus of a new [[revue]], ''All the Winners'' at the [[Empire Leicester Square|Empire, Leicester Square]] as understudy to two of the principals.<ref>Marshall, pp. 11–12</ref> During this time he supplemented his income working as an extra in silent films.<ref>Marshall, p. 70</ref> When the show closed after two months he was out of work for several months before securing a dancing role in a [[pantomime]] in [[Birmingham]] and then a principal part in a West End revue, ''A Mixed Grill'', which opened in March 1914.<ref>Marshall, pp. 13–14</ref>
[[File:To-night's the night.jpg|thumb|[[George Grossmith, Jr]] as Dudley Mitton, with [[Julia James]] in ''[[To-Night's the Night (musical)|To-Night's the Night]]''. Grossmith cast Buchanan as Mitton for a British tour.]]
Buchanan's health was not robust, and when he attempted to enlist for military service at the start of the [[First World War]] he failed his medical examination.<ref>Marshall, p. 14</ref> He joined a touring production of ''The Cinema Star'' understudying [[Jack Hulbert]] and then auditioned for the actor-manager [[George Grossmith, Jr]], who cast him in the leading role in a touring production of the highly successful [[Edwardian musical comedy|musical comedy]], ''[[To-Night's the Night (musical)|To-Night's the Night]]''. Grossmith himself had played the part on [[Broadway theatre|Broadway]] and in London, and gave Buchanan helpful advice about performing.<ref>Marshall, pp. 20</ref>{{refn|The theatre historian [[W. J. Macqueen-Pope]] called Buchanan "the legitimate successor to George Grossmith", who, like Buchanan, was tall and slim, performing "with distinction, ease and elegance". To Macqueen-Pope, Buchanan was Grossmith's more modern counterpart.<ref name=m167>Macqueen-Pope, p. 167</ref>|group=n}} The tour was successful and lasted for two years.<ref name=ww>Parker (1947), pp. 349–350</ref> A reviewer commented, "As Dudley Mitton, Mr Jack Buchanan plays with confidence and enthusiasm that is infectious, and his share in the popular '[[They Didn't Believe Me|They didn't believe me!]]' was valuable indeed, and the grimmer humour of 'Murders' was well handled".<ref>"The Stage", ''Newcastle Journal'', 28 December 1915, p. 7</ref>

In 1915 Buchanan married Saffo Arnau, a singer professionally known as Drageva. It may have been a marriage of convenience for her benefit: she was a Bulgarian national and therefore liable to internment as an enemy alien during the war if she did not acquire a British husband.<ref name=m16>Marshall, p. 16</ref> She vanished from Buchanan's life while they were both on separate British tours and the marriage was annulled in 1920.<ref name=m16/> Buchanan did not allude to this brief marriage later, preferring to maintain his public image as an eligible bachelor.<ref name=m16/>

===West End star===
{{Multiple image|
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| background color =
| width =
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| image1 = Buchanan-Monkman-in-Tails-Up.jpg
| width1 =250
| alt1 = Clean-shaven white man in dinner jacket with young white woman in evening gown
| caption1 = Buchanan with [[Phyllis Monkman]] in ''Tails Up'' (1918)
| image2 = Buchanan-in-A-to-Z.jpg
| caption2= With the [[Helen Trix|Trix Sisters]] in ''A to Z'' (1921)
| width2=250
| alt2 = Tall, clean-shaven white man in top hat and tails with young white women in evening gowns on each side of him
| image3= Jack-Buchanan-as-Barmaid.jpeg
| caption3=Disguised as a barmaid in ''Boodle'' (1924), with [[Elsie Randolph]]
| width3=250
| alt3 =Scene at a bar, with a woman customer and Buchanan in drag, disguised as a barmaid
|image4=The-fox-has-left-his-lair.jpg
|caption4 = "The Fox Has Left His Lair" (1926)
|width4=250
|alt4=Male vocal quartet in formal evening dress, three of them impeccable in appearance and one (Buchanan) crumpled and frantic
|image5=Buchanan-in-thats-a-good-girl.jpg
|caption5=In ''That's a Good Girl'' (1928)
|width5=250
|alt5=Young white man, clean shaven, perching pensively on a small side table
}}

Buchanan's first starring role in the West End was in [[André Charlot]]'s revue ''Bubbly'' in 1917. Hulbert had been the leading man for the first few weeks of the run but was about to be conscripted into the army. The leading lady of the show, [[Phyllis Monkman]], and her actress sister suggested Buchanan as replacement, and he co-starred with Monkman in ''Bubbly'' and Charlot's next revue, ''Tails Up'' (1918),<ref name=ww/> in between which he appeared with [[Violet Lorraine]], [[Nelson Keys]] and [[Alfred Lester]] in ''Round the Map'', an American revue rewritten for British audiences.<ref>"Round the Map", ''Illustrated Sporting and Dramatic News'', 18 August 1917, p. 3</ref>

In Charlot's 1921 revue ''A to Z'', Buchanan achieved front rank stardom. The theatre historian [[W. J. Macqueen-Pope]] writes that the show's title was appropriate:
{{blockindent|indeed, it contained almost everything, including the [[Helen Trix|Trix Sisters]], [[Gertrude Lawrence]] and Jack Buchanan. Most of the music was by [[Ivor Novello]] in his best light manner, and a song of his gave Jack Buchanan a great hit – "And Her Mother Came Too". It is still sung.<ref>Macqueen-Pope, p. 79</ref>{{refn|Novello composed the music, but the words were by [[Dion Titheradge]].<ref>Larkin, Colin. [https://www.oxfordreference.com/view/10.1093/acref/9780195313734.001.0001/acref-9780195313734-e-3583 "Buchanan Jack"], ''The Encyclopedia of Popular Music'', Oxford University Press, 2009 {{subscription}}</ref>|group=n}}}}
For the rest of the 1920s and 1930s Buchanan was famous for, as ''The Times'' put it, "the seemingly lazy but most accomplished grace with which he sang, danced, flirted and joked his way through musical shows....  The tall figure, the elegant gestures, the friendly drawling voice, the general air of having a good time."<ref name=times>"Last of the Knuts", ''The Times'', 21 October 1957, p. 12</ref> 

At the same time as establishing himself as a leading musical comedy star, Buchanan moved into management, which he pursued, with varying degrees of success, throughout the rest of his career. His first venture in that capacity was ''[[Battling Butler]]'', which opened at the [[New Oxford Theatre]] in 1922. With music by [[Philip Braham]] and lyrics by [[Douglas Furber]], it was billed as "a musical farce in three acts", and was co-directed by [[Dion Titheradge]] and Buchanan, who choreographed the dances.<ref>"London Theatres", ''The Stage'', 14 December 1922, p. 18</ref> It ran for 243 performances in the West End,<ref>Wearing, p. 198</ref> and then toured, with [[Arthur Riscoe]] taking over from Buchanan in the lead role.<ref>"The Wood Green Empire", ''The Stage'', 14 February 1924, p. 12</ref> Buchanan followed this success with another musical farce, ''Toni'', by Furber and [[Harry Graham (poet)|Harry Graham]] (book and lyrics) and Hugo Hirsch (music), which opened in May 1924 and ran for 250 performances.<ref>Wearing, p. 293</ref>

===Broadway and West End, 1924–1939===
Charlot revised ''A to Z'' for the Broadway stage as ''André Charlot's Revue of 1924'', which opened at the [[Times Square Theatre]] in January of that year. Buchanan co-starred with Lawrence and [[Beatrice Lillie]], and according to his biographer Andrew Lister, the show introduced the American public to "the distinctive charms of the intimate revue" as opposed to the [[Florenz Ziegfeld|Ziegfeld]] spectaculars.<ref name=odnb/>{{refn|[[Florenz Ziegfeld]] was famous for his Broadway revues featuring what one biographer describes as "large musical production numbers that featured numerous beautiful women in gorgeous costumes".<ref>Barton, Mike A. [https://www-anb-org.wikipedialibrary.idm.oclc.org/view/10.1093/anb/9780198606697.001.0001/anb-9780198606697-e-1801283"Ziegfeld, Florenz (1867-1932), theatrical producer"], ''American National Biography'', Oxford University Press, 2000. {{subscription}}</ref>|group=n}} In December 1924 Buchanan played Lord Algernon Kenilworth in ''Boodle'', in a pre-London try-out in Birmingham and then in the West End. In this piece, described by ''The Stage'' as "something more than a musical play ... in parts, really excellent farce",<ref name=boodle>"Provincial Productions", ''The Stage'', 1 January 1925, p., 23</ref> Buchanan's character was obliged to disguise himself as a clown and later as a barmaid: a reviewer in the ''Birmingham Daily Gazette'' commented, "Ah! if all barmaids were half as interesting, the whole country would take to drink".<ref>"'Boodle' at Prince's", ''Birmingham Daily Gazette'', 27 December 1924, p. 3</ref> His leading lady in this production was [[June Tripp|June]],<ref>Parker (1939), pp. 894–895</ref> but in a subsidiary role was [[Elsie Randolph]], who became Buchanan's best-known stage partner in later productions.<ref name=odnb/><ref name=boodle/> Despite good notices, the piece had a modest run of 94 performances.<ref>Macqueen-Pope, p. 114</ref>

Buchanan appeared in five British films made in 1924–25: ''The Audacious Mr Squire'', ''[[The Happy Ending]]'', ''[[Settled Out of Court (film)|Settled Out of Court]]'', ''A Typical Budget'' and ''[[The Third Round (film)|
Bulldog Drummond's Third Round]]'',<ref>Marshall, p. 248</ref> and returning to stage revue he appeared, co-starring with Lawrence, in Charlot's 1925 production at the [[Prince of Wales's Theatre|Prince of Wales's]]. He starred in, choreographed and directed an American production of the show at the [[Selwyn Theatre]], New York.<ref name=ww/> It included one of his most celebrated sketches, "The Fox Has Left His Lair", in which he portrayed a last-minute substitute to a male-voice quartet, who is frantically attempting to keep up with his fellow singers in a hunting song that gets faster and faster and ever more complicated.<ref>"Charlot Revue Revisions", ''Variety'', 11 November 1925, p. 3; and Gillette, Don Carle, Review, ''Billboard'', 21 November 1925, p. 10</ref> On his return to London he appeared at the [[London Hippodrome|Hippodrome]] in October 1926, when he produced [[Jerome Kern]] and [[Oscar Hammerstein II|Oscar Hammerstein]]'s ''[[Sunny (musical)|Sunny]]'',  which ran for 363 performances.<ref>Macqueen-Pope, p. 162</ref> Buchanan played Jim Demming, with [[Binnie Hale]] as Sunny and Elsie Randolph as Weenie Winters.<ref>Parker (1939), pp. 364 and 735</ref> He interpolated the hunting song sketch into the production.<ref>Marshall, p. 56</ref> At the same theatre in June 1928, after a pre-London tour, he produced ''That's a Good Girl'', in which he appeared as Bill Barrow with Randolph now in the leading female role.<ref>"London Theatres", ''The Stage'', 22 March 1928, p. 19</ref> Their duet, "Fancy Our Meeting", was recorded by [[Columbia Graphophone Company|Columbia]]<ref>Columbia 9462 {{oclc|857144487}}</ref> and became well known. In his 1978 biography of Buchanan, Michael Marshall comments, "this haunting tune is played and sung whenever Jack and Elsie's long partnership is recalled".<ref>Marshall, p. 63</ref> In the words of Buchanan's biographer Andrew Spicer:
{{blockindent|His throwaway nonchalance was complemented superbly by her spirited vivacity. Theirs was a world of light-hearted facetiousness played out in glamorous modern settings created by leading designers such as [[Ernst Stern]]. Buchanan rarely strayed from this milieu.<ref name=odnb/>}}
After this, Buchanan's West End and Broadway appearances were mainly in revue and musicals.  In his entry in ''[[Who's Who (UK)|Who's Who]]'' he singled out ''That's a Good Girl'' (1928), ''Stand Up and Sing'' (1931), ''[[Mr Whittington]]'' (1933) and ''This'll Make You Whistle'' (1935) among his inter-war productions in the West End.<ref>[https://doi.org/10.1093/ww/9780199540884.013.U235223 "Buchanan, Jack"], ''Who's Who'', Oxford University Press, 2007 {{subscription}}</ref> In all these he was partnered by Randolph.<ref>Parker (1947), p. 1180</ref> He appeared on Broadway again in 1929 in [[C. B. Cochran]]'s revue ''[[Wake Up and Dream (musical)|Wake Up and Dream]]'', heading a cast that contained [[Tilly Losch]] and [[Jessie Matthews]]. "Fancy Our Meeting" was interpolated from ''There's a Good Girl'', and as Buchanan and Matthews did not get on well,{{refn|In the earlier London version of the show the male lead was [[Sonnie Hale]] with whom Matthews had an affair (causing something of a scandal) and whose supersession in the Broadway cast she resented.<ref name=m120/>|group=n}} this affectionate duet cost them both some effort.<ref name=m120>Marshall, pp. 120–121</ref> Buchanan starred in two early [[Cinema of the United States|Hollywood]] talkies,  [[Cole Porter]]'s ''[[Paris (1929 film)|Paris]]'' (1929), with [[Irene Bordoni]], and ''[[Monte Carlo (1930 film)|Monte Carlo]]'' (1930) directed by [[Ernst Lubitsch]].<ref name=odnb/>

In 1932 Buchanan accepted an invitation to star in [[George Gershwin|George]] and [[Ira Gershwin]]'s ''[[Pardon My English]]'' in the US. When the production opened it was plain to audiences that he was uncomfortable in his dual role as an English aristocrat and a German gangster. At considerable personal expense he bought himself out of his contract and left the cast. The show closed soon afterwards and he did not return to Broadway for six years.<ref>Marshall, pp. 122–123</ref> His last Broadway show before the [[Second World War]] was [[Howard Dietz]] and [[Arthur Schwartz]]'s ''[[Between the Devil]]'' (1938), with [[Evelyn Laye]] and [[Adele Dixon]], in which he played an inadvertent [[bigamy|bigamist]].<ref>Marshall, p. 126</ref>

Buchanan starred in several British films during the 1930s. Some were straightforward adaptations of his stage successes, including ''[[That's a Good Girl]]'' (1933) and ''[[This'll Make You Whistle]]'' (1936) for [[Herbert Wilcox]]'s [[British and Dominions Imperial Studios]].<ref name=odnb/> ''[[Goodnight Vienna]]'' (1932), in which he starred opposite [[Anna Neagle]], was based on a [[BBC]]-commissioned radio operetta. ''[[The Times]]'' remarked on how hauntingly Buchanan sang [[George Posford]]'s songs for the piece.<ref name=times/> Spicer comments that films more in keeping with Buchanan's image as "the affable playboy" were ''[[Brewster's Millions (1935 film)|Brewster's Millions]]'' and ''[[Come Out of the Pantry]]'' (both 1935).<ref name=odnb/> The latter includes one of Buchanan's best-known songs, "Everything Stops for Tea".<ref>Marshall, p. 151</ref>

===Second World War===
[[File:Jack Buchanan MGM photo.jpg|thumb|Buchanan {{circa}} 1940|alt=middle-aged, clean shaven white man with full head of hair, dressed in lounge suit]]
In 1940 Buchanan presented a comedy-thriller, ''The Body Was Well Nourished'', and the following year he and Randolph appeared in the piece on tour.<ref name=ww/> At Christmas of that year he made his début as a principal in [[pantomime]], playing Buttons in ''[[Cinderella#Theatre|Cinderella]]''. ''The Times'' said that he gave the part a new look that went down very well.<ref name=times/> At the [[Cambridge Theatre]] in September 1942, he produced but did not appear in ''Waltz Without End'', a musical play by [[Eric Maschwitz]], based on the life and music of [[Chopin]] which ran until early 1943.<ref>"The Cambridge", ''The Stage'', 1 October 1942, p. 5; and Marshall, p. 145</ref> In 1943 he and Randolph co-starred in ''It's Time to Dance'', a musical play, which he also produced.<ref name=ww/> 

In 1944 Buchanan presented, but did not act in, another thriller, ''A Murder for a Valentine''. While that production was running, he played Lord Dilling in a revival of ''[[The Last of Mrs. Cheyney (play)|The Last of Mrs Cheyney]]'' at the [[Savoy Theatre]], with [[Coral Browne]] in the title role and [[Athene Seyler]] and [[Margaret Scudamore]] in the supporting cast.<ref name=mrsc/> Buchanan and Browne became romantically involved and some in the theatre world predicted that they would marry and become a West End equivalent of Broadway's [[Alfred Lunt]] and [[Lynn Fontanne]].<ref>Marshall, p. 154</ref> This production marked the first of Buchanan's wartime and post-war appearances as an actor in non-musical pieces.<ref name=ww/><ref name=mrsc>"The Savoy", ''The Stage'', 22 June 1944, p. 1</ref> He was simultaneously pursuing business interests, adding the management of the [[King's Theatre, Hammersmith]] to that of film studios he had owned nearby since before the war, and he took over the [[Garrick Theatre]], first jointly with [[Bernard Delfont]] and later as sole tenant.<ref>Marshall, pp. 86 and 149</ref>

===Post-war===
Buchanan's last West End revue was ''Fine Feathers'', at the [[Prince of Wales Theatre]] in 1945. The critic Anthony Cookman wrote of "Mr Jack Buchanan, than whom no one could be glossier, weaving his ageless charm":<ref name=ac/>
{{blockindent|To see him at it, observing with what neat finality he has perfected the art of doing nothing in particular and of being the well-dressed man about town, is to be given a composite impression, as it were, of all the glittering revues he has led when he and we were a great deal younger.<ref name=ac>Cookman, Anthony. "The Theatres", ''The Tatler'', 31 October 1945, p. 134</ref>}}
The performers won more praise than the material from reviewers but the show ran from October 1945 to July 1946.<ref>"Theatres", ''The Times'', 17 July 1946, p. 6; "The Theatre", ''The Tatler'',  31 October 1945, p. 6 and Marshall, p. 251</ref> The following year he again acted in a non-musical play: a revival of [[Frederick Lonsdale]]'s 1929 comedy ''[[Canaries Sometimes Sing (play)|Canaries Sometimes Sing]]'', co-starring with Coral Browne, in the roles originally played by [[Ronald Squire]] and [[Yvonne Arnaud]].<ref>Gaye, p. 401; and "London Theatres", ''The Stage'', 24 October 1029, p. 4</ref> ''The Stage'' commented, "It is a delight to see such brilliantly polished acting", but the critical and public consensus was that the play was outdated and it had only a short run.<ref>"The Garrick", ''The Stage'', 20 November 1947, p. 4; and Marshall, pp. 154–155</ref> During this period Buchanan was struggling with business commitments. In Marshall's words, "He was tied to his desk at the Garrick Theatre trying to recoup – through the sale of his film studios – substantial losses on the King's Theatre, Hammersmith and his television business".<ref>Marshall, p. 161</ref>{{refn|He jointly owned, with his schoolfriend [[John Logie Baird]], Television Limited, a manufacturing and rental company, which though innovative was not commercially profitable.<ref name=odnb/>|group=n}}
[[File:Jack-Buchanan-and-wife-1947.jpg|thumb|With Susan Bassett, whom he married in 1949|alt=man in smart daytime clothes with younger white woman in a fur coat]]
Buchanan returned to Broadway twice during 1948, first to play Elwood in ''[[Harvey (play)|Harvey]]'' – one of six actors who took the role during a run of more than four years<ref>[https://www.ibdb.com/broadway-production/harvey-1593#Replacements "Harvey"], Internet Broadway Database. Retrieved 14 July 2025; and Gaye, p. 1541</ref> – and again for the musical ''Don't Listen, Ladies'', which was not a success, closing after fifteen performances.<ref>[https://www.ibdb.com/broadway-production/dont-listen-ladies-2052#OpeningNightCast "Don't Listen, Ladies"], Internet Broadway Database. Retrieved 13 July 2025</ref> Despite predictions, Buchanan did not marry Coral Browne, although they remained close friends and continued to work together.<ref>Marshall, pp. 178 and 195</ref> In January 1949 he married a divorcée, Susan Bassett, whom he had met in the US two years earlier. The couple had no children, though Bassett had a daughter from her first marriage.<ref>Marshall, pp. 159, 162 and 167</ref>{{refn|Coral Browne married Buchanan's understudy, Philip Pearman, shortly afterwards, with the Buchanans in attendance.<ref>Marshall, p. 174</ref>|group=n}}

After playing alongside Browne in ''Castle in the Air'', a non-musical comedy in late 1949,<ref>"Adelphi Theatre", ''The Times'', 8 DEcember 1949, p. 2</ref> in 1951 Buchanan took over the leading role in Novello's ''[[King's Rhapsody]]'' after the author-star's sudden death. It is a musical comedy, but Novello, who did not sing, had as usual written a wholly spoken part for himself.<ref>Callow, Simon. [https://www.theguardian.com/stage/2012/aug/03/ivor-novello-musicals-simon-callow "Ivor Novello, master of the musical"], ''The Guardian'', 3 August 2012</ref> ''The Stage'' commented:
{{blockindent|Jack Buchanan had an unenviable task when he took over the late Ivor Novello's part of Nikki in ''King's Rhapsody'' last Monday. But he slipped into it with remarkable ease. Perhaps not as "romantic" as Mr Novello, he has an engaging matter-of-factness which covers an implied reserve of sentiment. Added to this, his polish, stage presence and pleasant and audible voice ensure that, when he feels himself completely inside the glove, this imposing musical play, with its remarkable freedom from mawkishncss and its touches of gently ironical humour, will continue strongly on its career.<ref>"The Palace", ''The Stage'', 5 April 1951, p. 9</ref>}}

===''The Band Wagon'' and last years===
[[File:The Band Wagon (1953) trailer 3.jpg|thumb|upright=1.25|''[[The Band Wagon]]'' (1953): from left: [[Oscar Levant]],  [[Cyd Charisse]], Buchanan, [[Fred Astaire]], [[Nanette Fabray]] |alt=five performers singing together, smiling]]
In 1953 Buchanan returned to Hollywood to appear in [[Vincente Minelli]]'s ''[[The Band Wagon]]''.<ref>Hischak, Thomas S. [https://www.oxfordreference.com/view/10.1093/acref/9780195335330.001.0001/acref-9780195335330-e-252 "Buchanan, Jack"], ''The Oxford Companion to the American Musical'', Oxford University Press, 2009 {{subscription}}</ref> He played a highbrow actor-manager driven by financial necessity into more popular productions.<ref name=th>Hischak, Thomas S. [https://www.oxfordreference.com/view/10.1093/acref/9780195335330.001.0001/acref-9780195335330-e-114 "Band Wagon, The"], ''The Oxford Companion to the American Musical'', Oxford University Press, 2009 {{subscription}}</ref> His white-tie-and tails duet with [[Fred Astaire]], "I Guess I'll Have to Change my Plan", shows, in Spicer's words, "the profound differences between American pep and English aristocratic nonchalance".<ref name=odnb/> The two performers admired each other greatly. Buchanan regarded Astaire as "the greatest dancer in the world today",<ref>Marshall, p. 82</ref> and Astaire wrote, after Buchanan's death:
{{blockindent|''The Band Wagon'' confirmed what I had always suspected: that Jack – behind that seemingly casual style – worked as hard as I did to perfect his routines. ... "I Guess I'll Have to Change my Plan" is one of the fitting memorials to this great artist in which I was proud to share.<ref>Astaire, unnumbered introductory page</ref>}}
Buchanan's final stage appearances were in 1956, in a tour of major British cities in the comedy ''[[The French Mistress]]''.<ref name=m252>Marshall, p. 252</ref> He played the harassed headmaster of a boys' boarding school trying to cope with the consequences of the arrival of a new French teacher who turns out to be an extremely glamorous and alluring young Frenchwoman. An Edinburgh critic wrote, "Beneath his black scholastic gown, Jack Buchanan is still the debonair figure we remember so well, with, may it be said, admiration".<ref>"Jack Buchanan in Bright New Comedy", ''Edinburgh Evening News'', 23 October 1956, p. 3</ref>

Buchanan died of [[spinal cancer]] in the [[Middlesex Hospital]], London, on 20 October 1957.<ref name=odnb/> A private memorial service was held on board the [[RMS Queen Mary|Queen Mary]], on which he, and latterly his wife, had frequently crossed the Atlantic. His ashes were scattered on [[Southampton Water]].<ref name=odnb/> A memorial service followed on 25 October at [[St Columba's Church, London|St Columba's]], the principal [[Church of Scotland]] church in London, attended by his widow and many members of the theatrical profession, including Elsie Randolph, [[Laurence Olivier]], [[Tom Arnold (theatre impresario)|Tom Arnold]], [[Clive Brook]], [[Cicely Courtneidge]], [[Zena Dare]], [[Leslie Henson]], [[Evelyn Laye]], [[Anna Neagle]], [[Naunton Wayne]] and [[Elisabeth Welch]].<ref>"Memorial Services", ''The Times'', 26 October 1957, p. 8</ref>

==Reputation==
Privately, Buchanan was known for his probity, generosity, and loyalty, and he was much loved in the theatrical world.<ref name=odnb/><ref>Macqueen-Pope, p. 169</ref> Professionally, he was regarded as the personification of West End theatre. Macqueen-Pope describes "West End" as embodying "gloss and polish ... assurance and sophistication ... ease and lack of self-consciousness" and comments that Buchanan was the last exponent of West End glamour: "He left no successor as the personification of the West End he represented, for that West End had passed, too".<ref>Macqueen-Pope, pp. 167 and 172</ref> In its obituary, ''The Times'' called Buchanan "the last of the [[wikt:knut|knuts]]" – a term dating from the early years of the twentieth century, signifying a young man who is stylish and fashionable, although sometimes (not always) somewhat lacking in brains.<ref name=times/><ref>{{cite OED|knut}}</ref> Like his predecessor George Grossmith, Buchanan could play both romantic leads and "silly ass" parts, and they both embodied the urbane, fashionably elegant man-about-town.<ref name=m167/>

Spicer sums up his biographical sketch of Buchanan:
{{blockindent|On stage or screen his tall, slim figure was always immaculately clothed ... His limber dancing, apparently casual and spontaneous, was complemented by a slightly husky light tenor voice considered both pleasant and alluring. His whole style was especially notable for a relaxed, affable grace and charm which gave him tremendous sex appeal, but he was also admired by men who envied and hoped to emulate his insouciant {{lang|fr|savoir faire}}. It was a particularly British form of male display: understated, apparently effortless, the quintessence of "good form" that refused to take itself too seriously.<ref name=odnb/>}}

==Recordings and films==
===Recordings===
Buchanan was a prolific recording artist. An appendix to Marshall's biography lists nearly fifty recordings by him in songs and sketches, including some of his best-known, such as "And Her Mother Came Too", "A Cup of Coffee, a Sandwich and You" (with Gertrude Lawrence), "Fancy Our Meeting", "There's Always Tomorrow", "This'll Make You Whistle" (all with Elsie Randolph), "Goodnight Vienna", "Everything Stops for Tea", and, from ''The Band Wagon'', "Triplets" (with Fred Astaire and Nannette Fabray) and "I Guess I'll Have to Change My Plan" (with Astaire).<ref>Marshall, pp. 254–257</ref>

===Films===
Buchanan's characters in his early, silent films were in contrast with his stage persona: he appeared in dramatic roles in crime films such as ''[[Auld Lang Syne (1917 film)|Auld Lang Syne]]'' (1917) and ''[[Her Heritage]]'' (1919), starred as the hero in ''[[The Third Round (film)|Bulldog Drummond’s Third Round]]'' (1925), and took the detective role in ''[[Toni (1928 film)|Toni]]'' (1928), his last silent film, heavily adapted from the 1924 stage musical of that name, in which he had starred.<ref name=b86>Burton and Chibnall, p. 84; and Marshall, pp. 72 and 248–250</ref> For some of his later films he participated off screen as well as on, co-directing ''[[Yes, Mr Brown]]'', adapting and co-directing ''[[That's a Good Girl]]'', co-directing ''[[The Sky's the Limit (1938 film)|The Sky's the Limit]]'' and co-producing ''[[The Gang's All Here (1939 film)|The Gang's All Here]]''.<ref>Marshall, pp. 249–250</ref> Marshall's biography of Buchanan lists the following films:<ref>Marshall, pp. 247–252</ref>
{{col-begin}}
{{col-3}}
* ''[[Auld Lang Syne (1917 film)|Auld Lang Syne]]'' (1917)
* ''[[Her Heritage]]'' (1919)
* ''[[The Audacious Mr. Squire]]'' (1923)
* ''[[The Happy Ending (1925 film)|The Happy Ending]]'' (1925)
* ''[[Settled Out of Court (film)|Settled Out of Court]]'' (1925)
* ''[[The Third Round (film)|Bulldog Drummond's Third Round]]'' (1925)
* ''A Typical Budget'' (1925, Short)
* ''[[Confetti (1927 film)|Confetti]]'' (1928)
* ''[[Toni (1928 film)|Toni]]'' (1928)
* ''[[Paris (1929 film)|Paris]]'' (1929)
* ''[[Monte Carlo (1930 film)|Monte Carlo]]'' (1930)
{{col-break}}
* ''[[A Man of Mayfair]]'' (1931)
* ''[[Goodnight, Vienna]]'' (1932)
* ''[[Yes, Mr Brown]]'' (1933)
* ''[[That's a Good Girl]]'' (1933)
* ''[[Brewster's Millions (1935 film)|Brewster's Millions]]'' (1935)
* ''[[Come Out of the Pantry]]'' (1935)
* ''[[When Knights Were Bold (1936 film)|When Knights Were Bold]]'' (1936)
* ''[[This'll Make You Whistle]]'' (1936)
* ''[[Smash and Grab (1937 film)|Smash and Grab]]'' (1937)
* ''[[Limelight (1936 film)|Limelight]]'' (1937)
{{col-break}}
* ''[[Break the News (film)|Break the News]]'' (1938)
*''[[Sweet Devil]]'' (1938)
* ''[[The Sky's the Limit (1938 film)|The Sky's the Limit]]'' (1938)
* ''[[The Gang's All Here (1939 film)|The Gang's All Here]]'' (1939)
* ''[[The Middle Watch (1940 film)|The Middle Watch]]'' (1940)
* ''[[Bulldog Sees It Through]]'' (1940)
* ''[[The Band Wagon]]'' (1953)
* ''[[As Long as They're Happy]]'' (1955)
* ''[[Josephine and Men]]'' (1955)
* ''[[The French, They Are a Funny Race]]'' (1955)
{{col-end}}

==Notes, references and sources==
===Notes===
{{Reflist|group=n}}
===References===
{{Reflist}}

===Sources===
* {{cite book | last= Astaire| first= Fred|authorlink=Fred Astaire|chapter=Foreword| title= Top Hat & Tails: The Story of Jack Buchanan| year= 1978| location= London| publisher=Elm Tree Books|url=https://archive.org/details/tophattailsstory0000mars/mode/2up | url-access=registration|isbn= 0-24-189602-9}}
* {{cite book | last= Burton | first= Alan |author2= Steve Chibnall|title= Historical Dictionary of British Cinema| year= 2013| location= Lanham| publisher= Scarecrow Press|isbn=978-0-81-088026-9}}
*{{cite book | editor-last = Gaye | editor-first = Freda  | year = 1967 | title = Who's Who in the Theatre | edition = fourteenth | location = London | publisher = Sir Isaac Pitman and Sons | oclc = 5997224 }}
* {{cite book | last= Macqueen-Pope| first=W. J. |authorlink=W. J. Macqueen-Pope| title= The Footlights Flickered | year= 1975| location= London| publisher= Severn House|url= https://archive.org/details/footlightsflicke0000macq/page/n5/mode/2up
|url-access = registration| isbn= 0-72-780042-6}}
* {{cite book | last= Marshall| first= Michael| title= Top Hat & Tails: The Story of Jack Buchanan| year= 1978| location= London| publisher=Elm Tree Books|url=https://archive.org/details/tophattailsstory0000mars/mode/2up | url-access=registration|isbn= 0-24-189602-9}}
* {{cite book | editor-last = Parker | editor-first = John  | year = 1939 | title = Who's Who in the Theatre | location = London | edition = ninth | publisher = Sir Isaac Pitman and Sons |url=https://archive.org/details/whoswhointheatre1939park/page/364/mode/2up|url-access=registration| oclc = 473894893}}
* {{cite book | editor-last = Parker | editor-first = John  | year = 1947 | title = Who's Who in the Theatre | location = London | edition = tenth | publisher = Sir Isaac Pitman and Sons|url=https://archive.org/details/bwb_KO-982-873/page/n7/mode/2up|url-access=registration | oclc = 225162446}}
* {{cite book | last = Wearing | first = J. P.|authorlink=J. P. Wearing | title = The London Stage, 1920–1929: A Calendar of Productions, Performers and Personne| date = 2014|edition=second| location = Lanham | publisher = Rowman & Littlefield | isbn =978-0-81-089301-6 }}

==External links==
{{Commons category}}
* {{Internet Archive author |sname=Jack Buchanan |sopt=t}}
* [http://film.virtual-history.com/person.php?personid=5250 Photographs and literature]
* {{cite web
 |work        = Theatre & Performance
 |publisher   = [[Victoria and Albert Museum]]
 |url         = http://www.vam.ac.uk/collections/theatre_performance/features/history_of_musicals/the_stars/jack_buchanan/index.html
 |title       = Jack Buchanan
 |access-date  = 24 March 2011
 |url-status     = dead
 |archive-url  = https://web.archive.org/web/20110413190825/http://www.vam.ac.uk/collections/theatre_performance/features/history_of_musicals/the_stars/jack_buchanan/index.html
 |archive-date = 13 April 2011
 |df          = dmy-all
}}

{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Buchanan, Jack}}
[[Category:Scottish male film actors]]
[[Category:Scottish male musical theatre actors]]
[[Category:1890 births]]
[[Category:1957 deaths]]
[[Category:Actors from Helensburgh]]
[[Category:Deaths from cancer in England]]
[[Category:Neurological disease deaths in England]]
[[Category:Deaths from spinal cancer]]
[[Category:20th-century Scottish male actors]]
[[Category:20th-century Scottish male singers]]
[[Category:People educated at the Glasgow Academy]]
[[Category:Columbia Records artists]]