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{{short description|British actor, singer and comedian (1890–1982)}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=October 2025}}
{{Use British English|date=January 2013}}
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[[File:Stanley Holloway.jpg|thumb|right|Holloway in 1974]]
'''Stanley Augustus Holloway''' {{post-nominals|country=GBR|OBE}} (1 October 1890&nbsp;– 30 January 1982) was an English actor, comedian, singer and [[monologist]]. He was famous for his comic and character roles [[Stanley Holloway on stage and screen|on stage and screen]], especially that of Alfred P. Doolittle in ''[[My Fair Lady]]''. He was also renowned for his [[Songs and monologues of Stanley Holloway|comic monologues and songs]], which he performed and recorded throughout most of his 70-year career.

Born in London, Holloway pursued a career as a clerk in his teen years. He made early stage appearances before infantry service in the First World War, after which he had his first major theatre success starring in ''[[Kissing Time]]'' when the musical transferred to the [[West End theatre|West End]] from [[Broadway theatre|Broadway]]. In 1921, he joined a [[Concert party (entertainment)|concert party]], ''[[The Co-Optimists]]'', and his career began to flourish. At first, he was employed chiefly as a singer, but his skills as an actor and reciter of comic monologues were soon recognised. Characters from his monologues such as Sam Small, invented by Holloway, and Albert Ramsbottom, created for him by [[Marriott Edgar]], were absorbed into popular British culture, and Holloway developed a following for the recordings of his many monologues. By the 1930s, he was in demand to star in [[variety show|variety]], [[pantomime]] and musical comedy, including several [[revue]]s.

Following the outbreak of the Second World War, Holloway made short propaganda films on behalf of the [[British Film Institute]] and [[Pathé News]] and took character parts in a series of films including ''[[Major Barbara (film)|Major Barbara]]'', ''[[The Way Ahead]]'', ''[[This Happy Breed (film)|This Happy Breed]]'' and ''[[The Way to the Stars]]''. In the decade after the war, he appeared in the film ''[[Brief Encounter]]'' and made a series of films for Ealing Studios, including ''[[Passport to Pimlico]]'', ''[[The Lavender Hill Mob]]'' and ''[[The Titfield Thunderbolt]]''.

In 1956 he was cast as the irresponsible and irrepressible Alfred P. Doolittle in ''My Fair Lady'', a role that he played on Broadway, the West End and in the [[My Fair Lady (film)|film version in 1964]]. The role brought him international fame, and his performances earned him nominations for a [[Tony Award for Best Featured Actor in a Musical]] and an [[Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor]]. In his later years, Holloway appeared in television series in the UK and the US, toured in revues, appeared in stage plays in Britain, Canada, Australia and the US, and continued to make films into his eighties. Holloway was married twice and had five children, including the actor [[Julian Holloway]].

==Biography==

===Family background and early life===
Holloway was born in [[Manor Park, London|Manor Park]], Essex (now in the [[London Borough of Newham]]), on 1 October 1890. He was the younger child and only son of George Augustus Holloway, a lawyer's clerk, and Florence May ({{nee|Bell}}), a housekeeper and dressmaker.<ref name=H42/><ref name=dnb>Midwinter, Eric. [http://www.oxforddnb.com/view/article/31250 "Holloway, Stanley Augustus (1890–1982)"], ''Oxford Dictionary of National Biography'', Oxford University Press, 2004, online edition, January 2011, accessed 21 April 2011 {{subscription required}}</ref> He was named after [[Henry Morton Stanley]], the journalist and explorer famous for his exploration of Africa and for his search for [[David Livingstone]].{{#tag:ref|In 1965, Holloway recorded the album ''Stanley&nbsp;– I Presume&nbsp;...'' whose title echoes H. M. Stanley's celebrated line, "Dr. Livingstone, I presume."<ref>[[EMI]] catalogue number 33SX1656</ref>|group= n}} There were theatrical connections in the Holloway family going back to Charles Bernard, an actor and theatre manager, who was the brother of Holloway's maternal grandmother.<ref name=H74>Holloway and Richards, pp. 74–75</ref>{{#tag:ref|Charles Bernard was the father of [[Oliver Percy Bernard]] [[Officer of the Order of the British Empire|OBE]] [[Military Cross|MC]] (1881–1939), an English architect and scenic designer, who designed sets for [[Thomas Beecham|Sir Thomas Beecham]]'s ''[[Der Ring des Nibelungen|Ring]]'' Cycle at [[Royal Opera House|Covent Garden]].<ref name=H74/>|group= n}}

Holloway's paternal grandfather was Augustus Holloway,<ref name=PROBATE1>Principal Probate Registry, ''Calendar of the Grants of Probate and Letters of Administration made in the Probate Registries of the High Court of Justice of England'', p. 418</ref> brought up in [[Poole]], Dorset.<ref name="opcdorset.org">[http://www.opcdorset.org/PooleFiles/1841PooleED1.htm "Poole St James"], 1841 census, accessed 23 April 2011</ref> Augustus became a wealthy shopkeeper, with a brush-making business. He married Amelia Catherine Knight in September 1856,<ref>General Register Office, ''England and Wales Civil Registration Indexes'', vol. 5a, p. 501</ref> and they had three children, Maria, Charles and George.<ref>[http://search.ancestry.co.uk/cgi-bin/sse.dll?rank=1&gsfn=Augustus&gsln=Holloway&gsby=&gsb2co=1%2cAll+Countries&gsb2pl=1%2c+&gsdy=1884&gsd2co=1%2cAll+Countries&gsd2pl=1%2c+&sbo=0&sbor=&ufr=0&wp=4%3b_80000002%3b_80000003&srchb=r&prox=1&ti=5538&ti.si=0&gss=angs-b&pcat=ROOT_CATEGORY&h=18458751&db=uki1861&indiv=1 ''Census returns for England and Wales (1861)''], ancestry.co.uk, accessed 9 July 2012</ref> In the early 1880s the family moved to [[Poplar, London]].<ref name=PROBATE1/> When Augustus died, George Holloway (Stanley's father) moved to nearby Manor Park and became a clerk for a city lawyer, Robert Bell.<ref name=H42>Holloway and Richards, p. 42</ref> George married Bell's daughter Florence in 1884, and they had two children, Millie (1887–1949) and Stanley.<ref>[http://search.ancestry.co.uk/cgi-bin/sse.dll?db=uki1901&h=9137399&ti=5538&indiv=try&gss=pt&ssrc=pt_t25950280_p1748169445_kpidz0q3d1748169445z0q26aidz0q3d15272604991z0q26pgz0q3d32771z0q26pgPLz0q3dpidz0q257caid ''Census returns of England and Wales (1901)''], ancestry.co.uk, accessed 9 July 2012</ref> George left Florence in 1905 and was never seen or heard from again by his family.<ref name="Holloway and Richards, p. 68">Holloway and Richards, p. 68</ref>{{#tag:ref|George Augustus Holloway later remarried and moved to [[Forest Gate]], East London. The ''England & Wales, National Probate Calendar (Index of Wills and Administrations), 1858–1966'' shows George A. Holloway's death as being registered on 13 June 1919.<ref>Principal Probate Registry, ''England & Wales, National Probate Calendar (Index of Wills and Administrations), 1858–1966'', p. 231</ref>|group= n}}

During his early teenage years, Holloway attended the [[Worshipful Company of Carpenters|Worshipful School of Carpenters]] in nearby [[Stratford, London|Stratford]]<ref name="Holloway 1967">Holloway and Richards, pp. 42–43</ref><ref>[http://www.newhamstory.com/node/1089 ''The Worshipful School of Carpenters''] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120406071231/http://www.newhamstory.com/node/1089 |date=6 April 2012 }} courtesy of Newham Council, accessed 6 December 2011</ref> and joined a local choir, which he later called his "big moment".<ref name=dnb/> He left school at the age of 14 and worked as a junior clerk in a boot polish factory, where he earned ten shillings a week.<ref name="ReferenceA">Holloway and Richards, p. 46</ref><ref>Ten shillings (10/-) is 50 pence in British decimal currency</ref> He began performing part-time as ''Master Stanley Holloway&nbsp;– The Wonderful Boy Soprano'' from 1904, singing sentimental songs such as "[[The Lost Chord]]".<ref>Morley, p. 124</ref> A year later, he became a clerk at [[Billingsgate Fish Market]],<ref name="ReferenceA"/> where he remained for two years before commencing training as an infantry soldier in the [[London Rifle Brigade]] in 1907.<ref name="Holloway and Richards, p. 58">Holloway and Richards, p. 58</ref>

===Career===
{{Further| Stanley Holloway on stage and screen}}

====Early career and First World War====
[[File:Kissing-time-12.jpg|thumb|right|[[Leslie Henson]], Holloway's early mentor, with [[Phyllis Dare]] in 1919]]
Holloway's stage career began in 1910, when he travelled to [[Walton-on-the-Naze]] to audition for ''The White [[Coon song|Coon]]s Show'', a [[Concert party (entertainment)|concert party]] [[variety show]] arranged and produced by Will C. Pepper, father of [[Harry S. Pepper]], with whom Holloway later starred in ''[[The Co-Optimists (film)|The Co-Optimists]]''.<ref name="ReferenceB">Holloway and Richards, p. 49</ref> This seaside show lasted six weeks.<ref name="ReferenceC">Holloway and Richards, p. 50</ref> From 1912 to 1914, Holloway appeared in the summer seasons at the West Cliff Gardens Theatre, [[Clacton-on-Sea]], where he was billed as a romantic baritone.<ref>Graham, pp. 150–246</ref>

In 1913 Holloway was recruited by the comedian [[Leslie Henson]] to feature as a support in Henson's more prestigious concert party called ''Nicely, Thanks''.<ref name="ReferenceC"/> In later life, Holloway often spoke of his admiration for Henson, citing him as a great influence on his career. The two became firm friends and often consulted each other before taking jobs.{{#tag:ref|Henson's death in 1957 came when Holloway was experiencing a career high in ''[[My Fair Lady]]'', which had started on [[Broadway theatre|Broadway]] in 1956. Holloway recalled that Henson had been overlooked for the part of Alfred P. Doolittle when auditioning began in 1954, and Holloway wrote in his memoir that he regretted this deeply.<ref>Holloway and Richards, p. 295</ref>|group= n}} In his 1967 autobiography, Holloway dedicated a whole chapter to Henson,<ref>Holloway and Richards, p. 289</ref> whom he described as "the greatest friend, inspiration and mentor a performer could have had".<ref name="ReferenceC"/> Later in 1913, Holloway decided to train as an operatic [[baritone]], and so he went to Italy to take singing lessons from Ferdinando Guarino in [[Milan]].<ref name="ReferenceB"/> However, a yearning to start a career in light entertainment and a contract to re-appear in Bert Graham and Will Bentley's concert party at the [[West Cliff Theatre]] caused him to return home after six months.<ref>Holloway and Richards, pp. 54–55</ref>

In the early months of 1914, Holloway made his first visit to the United States and then went to [[Buenos Aires]] and [[Valparaíso]] with the concert party ''The Grotesques''.<ref name="ReferenceC"/><ref>[http://search.ancestry.co.uk/cgi-bin/sse.dll?db=BT26&h=9279907&indiv=try&o_vc=Record:OtherRecord&rhSource=7814 The National Archives of the UK, ''Board of Trade, Commercial and Statistical Department and successors, Inwards Passenger Lists''], ancestry.co.uk, accessed 9 July 2012</ref> At the outbreak of the First World War in August 1914, he decided to return to England, but his departure was delayed for six weeks due to his contract with the troupe.<ref>Holloway and Richards, pp. 56–57</ref> At the age of 25, Holloway enlisted in the [[Connaught Rangers]]<ref name="Holloway and Richards, p. 58"/> in which he was commissioned as a [[Subaltern (military)|subaltern]] in December 1915<ref>{{London Gazette|issue=29396|supp=y| date=7 December 1915|page=12297}}</ref> because of his previous training in the London Rifle Brigade.<ref name="Holloway and Richards, p. 58"/> In 1916 he was stationed in Cork and fought against the rebels in the [[Easter Rising]].<ref>Holloway and Richards, pp. 58–59</ref> Later that year, he was sent to France,<ref>Holloway and Richards, p. 59</ref> where he fought in the trenches alongside [[Michael John O'Leary|Michael O'Leary]], who was awarded the [[Victoria Cross]] for gallantry<ref name="Holloway and Richards, p. 60">Holloway and Richards, p. 60</ref> in February 1915. Holloway and O'Leary stayed in touch after the war and remained close friends.<ref name="Holloway and Richards, p. 60"/>

Holloway spent much of his time in the later part of the war organising shows to boost army morale in France.<ref>Holloway and Richards, pp. 60 and 76</ref> One such [[revue]], ''Wear That Ribbon'', was performed in honour of O'Leary winning the VC.<ref name="Holloway and Richards, p. 60"/> He, Henson and his newly established ''Star Attractions'' concert party, entertained the British troops in [[Wimereux]].<ref>Holloway and Richards, p. 19</ref> The party included such performers as [[Jack Buchanan]], [[Eric Blore]], [[Binnie Hale]], and [[Phyllis Dare]], as well as the performers who would later form ''The Co-Optimists''.<ref name="Holloway and Richards, p. 20">Holloway and Richards, p. 20</ref> Upon his return from France, Holloway was stationed in [[Hartlepool]],<ref name=Holloway76>Holloway and Richards, p. 76</ref> and immediately after the war ended he starred in ''The Disorderly Room'' with Leslie Henson, which Eric Blore had written while serving in the [[South Wales Borderers]].<ref name="Holloway and Richards, p. 60"/> The production toured theatres on England's coast, including [[Walton-on-the-Naze]] and [[Clacton-on-Sea]].<ref name="Holloway and Richards, p. 60"/>

====Inter-war years====
[[File:Stanley-Holloway-as-René-in-a-night-out.jpg|thumb|right|alt=theatrical photograph of chorus and principals for an early 20th century show|As René (centre) in ''[[A Night Out (musical)|A Night Out]]'' (1920)]]
After relinquishing his army commission in May 1919,<ref>{{London Gazette|title=4th Conn. Rang. – Lt. S. A. Holloway relinquishes his commn. on account of ill-health 7th May 1919, and retains the rank of Lt.|issue=31328|supp=y| date=6 May 1919|page=5737}}</ref> Holloway returned to London and resumed his singing and acting career, finding success in two [[West End theatre|West End]] musicals at the [[New London Theatre|Winter Garden Theatre]]. Later that month, he created the role of Captain Wentworth in [[Guy Bolton]] and [[P. G. Wodehouse]]'s ''[[Kissing Time]]'',<ref>Findon, B. H., "Kissing Time", ''[[The Play Pictorial]]'', May 1919, p. 82; "Theatres", ''The Times'', 3 July 1920, p. 14</ref> followed in 1920 by the role of René in ''[[A Night Out (musical)|A Night Out]]''.<ref>"A Night Out", ''The Play Pictorial'', September 1920, p. 71</ref> Following its provincial success, ''The Disorderly Room'' was given a West End production at the [[Victoria Palace Theatre]] in late 1919, in which Holloway starred alongside Henson and [[Tom Walls]].<ref>Holloway and Richards, p. 61</ref> Holloway made his film debut in a 1921 silent comedy called ''The Rotters''.<ref name=epm>[http://www.oxfordmusiconline.com/subscriber/article/epm/12660 "Holloway, Stanley Augustus (1890–1982)"], ''Oxford Encyclopedia of Popular Music'', Oxford University Press, 2006, online edition, accessed 5 December 2011 {{subscription required}}</ref>

From June 1921, Holloway had considerable success in ''[[The Co-Optimists]]'', a concert party formed with performers whom he had met during the war in France, which ''[[The Times]]'' called "an all-star '[[Concert party (entertainment)|pierrot]]' entertainment in the West-end."<ref>"The Theatres", ''The Times'', 20 June 1921, p. 9</ref> It opened at the small [[Royalty Theatre]]<ref>Holloway and Richards, p. 28</ref> and soon transferred to the much larger [[Palace Theatre, London|Palace Theatre]], where the initial version of the show ran for over a year, giving more than 500 performances.<ref>"The Palace Itself Again&nbsp;– Co-Optimists' Cheery Burlesque", ''The Times'', 23 August 1921, p. 6</ref><ref name=Holloway29>Holloway and Richards, p. 29</ref> The entertainment was completely rewritten at regular intervals to keep it fresh, and the final edition, beginning in November 1926, was the 13th version.<ref>"The Co-Optimists", ''The Times'', 30 November 1926, p. 12</ref> ''The Co-Optimists'' closed in 1927 at [[Her Majesty's Theatre|His Majesty's Theatre]] after 1,568 performances over eight years.<ref name=Holloway29/> In 1929, [[The Co-Optimists (film)|a feature film version]] was made, with Holloway rejoining his former co-stars.<ref>"The Film World", ''The Times'', 18 December 1929, p. 12</ref>

In 1923 Holloway established himself as a [[BBC Radio]] performer. The early BBC broadcasts brought variety and classical artists together, and Holloway could be heard in the same programme as the cellist [[John Barbirolli]] or the [[Band of the Scots Guards]].<ref>"Programmes for the Week-End", ''The Times'', 16 January 1926, p. 4</ref> He developed his solo act throughout the 1920s while continuing his involvement with the musical theatre and ''The Co-Optimists''. In 1924 he made his first gramophone discs, recording for [[His Master's Voice (British record label)|His Master's Voice]] two songs from ''The Co-Optimists'': "London Town" and "Memory Street".<ref>His Master's Voice records 1724 and 1725 (1924)</ref> After ''The Co-Optimists'' disbanded in 1927, Holloway played at the [[Hippodrome, London|London Hippodrome]] in [[Vincent Youmans]]'s musical comedy ''[[Hit the Deck (musical)|Hit the Deck]]'' as Bill Smith, a performance judged by ''The Times'' to be "invested with many shrewd touches of humanity".<ref>"Hit the Deck", ''The Times'', 4 November 1927, p. 7</ref> In ''[[The Manchester Guardian]]'', [[Ivor Brown]] praised him for a singing style "which coaxes the ear rather than clubbing the head."<ref>Brown, Ivor. "Hit the Deck", ''The Manchester Guardian'', 4 November 1927, p. 15</ref>

[[File:Fine and dandy with Holloway and Henson.JPG|thumb|left|alt=stage shot of two actors in mid scene dressed in historic war costumes|Holloway as Sam Small in ''Fine and Dandy'' with Leslie Henson]]
Holloway began regularly performing monologues, both on stage and on record, in 1928, with his own creation, Sam Small, in ''Sam, Sam, Pick oop thy Musket''.{{#tag:ref|Holloway had earlier performed [[R. P. Weston]] and [[Bert Lee]]'s ''And yet I don't know'' at the Winter Garden Theatre in 1919.<ref name=Holloway76/> He later took up their numbers, ''Brahn Boots'', ''[[With Her Head Tucked Underneath Her Arm]]'' and ''Yorkshire Puddin''.|group= n}} Over the following years, he recorded more than 20&nbsp;monologues based around the character, most of which he wrote himself. He created Sam Small after Henson had returned from a tour of northern England and told him a story about an insubordinate old soldier from the [[Battle of Waterloo]].<ref name=H83>Holloway and Richards, p. 83</ref> Holloway developed the character, naming him after a Cockney friend of Henson called Annie Small;<ref name=H85>Holloway and Richards, p. 85</ref> the name Sam was chosen at random. Holloway adopted a northern accent for the character.<ref name=H85/> ''The Times'' commented, "For absolute delight&nbsp;... there is nothing to compare with Mr. Stanley Holloway's monologue, concerning a military contretemps on the eve of Waterloo&nbsp;... perfect, even to the curled moustache and the [[Lancashire]] accent of the stubborn Guardsman hero."<ref>"Variety Theatres", ''The Times'', 12 February 1929, p. 7</ref>

In 1929 Holloway played another leading role in musical comedy, Lieutenant Richard Manners in ''Song of the Sea'', and later that year he performed in the revue ''Coo-ee'', with [[Billy Bennett (comedian)|Billy Bennett]], [[Dorothy Dickson]] and [[Claude Hulbert]].<ref name=Gaye/> When ''The Co-Optimists'' re-formed in 1930, he rejoined that company, now at the [[Savoy Theatre]], and at the same venue appeared in ''Savoy Follies'' in 1931,<ref name=Gaye>Gaye, p. 746</ref> where he introduced to London audiences the monologue ''The Lion and Albert''.<ref>"Savoy Follies&nbsp;– Sparkle and Spontaneity", ''The Times'', 8 July 1932, p. 12</ref>{{#tag:ref|The monologue has become known as ''Albert and the Lion'', but the author, Marriott Edgar, called the piece ''The Lion and Albert''. See copy deposited at the [[British Library]].<ref>[http://catalogue.bl.uk/F/5CLFIQ4PTVVNQF9QEVCMJXRB44X96Q2IVSULYMI9GA8RKEP4UV-60338?func=find-b&request=The+Lion+and+Albert&find_code=WRD&adjacent=N British Library integrated catalogue], accessed 21 April 2011</ref>|group= n}} The monologue was written by [[Marriott Edgar]], who based the story on a news item about a boy who was eaten by a lion in the zoo.<ref name=Ginell>Ginell, Cary. [http://www.classicsonline.com/catalogue/product.aspx?pid=718 "Stanley Holloway: Old Sam and Young Albert Original 1930–1940 Recordings"], {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160303233659/http://www.classicsonline.com/catalogue/product.aspx?pid=718 |date=3 March 2016 }} "About this Album", ClassicsOnline, accessed 5 December 2011</ref> In the monologue, Mr. and Mrs. Ramsbottom react in a measured way when their son Albert is swallowed. Neither Edgar nor Holloway was convinced that the piece would succeed, but needing material for an appearance at a Northern Rugby League dinner Holloway decided to perform it.<ref name=H91>Holloway and Richards, p. 91</ref> It was well received, and Holloway introduced it into his stage act. Subsequently, Edgar wrote 16 monologues for him. In its obituary of Holloway, ''The Times'' wrote that Sam and Albert "became part of English folklore during the 1930s, and they remained so during the Second World War."<ref name=times/> These monologues employed the Holloway style that has been called "the understated look-on-the-bright-side world of the cockney working class. ... Holloway's characters are [mischievous, like Albert, or] obstinate, and hilariously clueless. He often told his stories in costume; sporting outrageous attire and bushy moustaches."<ref name=Ginell/> In 1932 [[Harry S. Pepper]], with Holloway and others, revived the White Coons Concert Party show for [[BBC Radio]].<ref>[http://genome.ch.bbc.co.uk/fabdc58524d84987bef85552d972e385 Harry S. Pepper revives The White Coons Concert Party: National Programme Daventry, 28 September 1932 22.00], BBC.co.uk, accessed 28 July 2016</ref>

Beginning in 1934, Holloway appeared in a series of British films, three of which featured his creation Sam Small.{{#tag:ref|''[[D'Ye Ken John Peel?]]'' (1934),<ref>"Drama and films", ''The Manchester Guardian'', 20 July 1935, p. 15</ref> ''Play up the Band'' (1935),<ref>"Music, drama, and films", ''The Manchester Guardian'', 8 February 1936, p. 15</ref> and ''Sam Small at Westminster'' (1935), a propaganda film on behalf of the [[National Government (United Kingdom)|National Government]].<ref>[http://www.screenonline.org.uk/film/id/1187338/index.html ''Sam Small at Westminster (1935)''], British Film Institute, accessed 23 April 2011</ref>|group= n}} He started his association with the filmmakers [[Ealing Studios]] in 1934, appearing in the fifth [[Gracie Fields]] picture ''[[Sing As We Go]]''.<ref>[https://web.archive.org/web/20090113205609/http://ftvdb.bfi.org.uk/sift/title/348048 "Sing as We Go"], British Film Institute, accessed 23 April 2011</ref> His other films from the 1930s included ''Squibs'' (1935)<ref>[https://web.archive.org/web/20090114015721/http://ftvdb.bfi.org.uk/sift/title/52490 "Squibs"], British Film Institute, accessed 23 April 2011</ref> and ''[[The Vicar of Bray (film)|The Vicar of Bray]]'' (1937).<ref>[https://web.archive.org/web/20090114073813/http://ftvdb.bfi.org.uk/sift/title/56598 "The Vicar of Bray"], British Film Institute, accessed 23 April 2011</ref> In December 1934, Holloway made his first appearance in [[pantomime]], playing Abanazar in ''[[Aladdin]]''. In his first season in the part, he was overshadowed by his co-star, [[Henry Lytton|Sir Henry Lytton]], as the Emperor,<ref>"Stanley Holloway in Pantomime", ''[[The Manchester Guardian]]'', 1 January 1935, p. 10</ref> but he quickly became established as a favourite in his role, playing it in successive years in [[Leeds]], London, Edinburgh and [[Manchester]].<ref name=who/>

====Second World War and post-war====
On the outbreak of the Second World War in 1939 Holloway, who was 48, was too old for active service. Instead, he appeared in short propaganda pieces for the [[British Film Institute]] and [[Pathé News]]. He narrated documentaries aimed at lifting war-time morale in Britain, including ''Albert's Savings'' (1940), written by Marriott Edgar and featuring the character Albert Ramsbottom,<ref>"Stanley Holloway in War Savings Film", ''Tamworth Herald'', 10 August 1940, p. 5</ref><ref name=Words>[http://www.iwmshop.org.uk/product/15588/Britains_Home_Front_Box_Set "Britain's Home Front at War: Words for Battle"] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110719043346/http://www.iwmshop.org.uk/product/15588/Britains_Home_Front_Box_Set |date=19 July 2011 }}, Imperial War Museum, accessed 22 April 2011; and [http://www.play.com/DVD/DVD/4-/3298263/Britain-Home-Front-At-War-Words-For-Battle/Product.html?searchstring=stanley+holloway&searchtype=allproducts&searchsource=0&searchfilters=s{stanley+holloway}%2b&cpage=3&urlrefer=search "Britain's Home Front at War: Words for Battle"] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121018221632/http://www.play.com/DVD/DVD/4-/3298263/Britain-Home-Front-At-War-Words-For-Battle/Product.html?searchstring=stanley+holloway&searchtype=allproducts&searchsource=0&searchfilters=s%7Bstanley+holloway%7D+&cpage=3&urlrefer=search |date=18 October 2012 }}, Play.com, accessed 22 April 2011</ref> and ''Worker and Warfront No.8'' (1943), with a script written by [[Edmund Clerihew Bentley|E. C. Bentley]] about a worker who neglects to have an injury examined and contracts blood poisoning.<ref name=Words/> Both films were included on a 2007 [[Imperial War Museum]] DVD ''Britain's Home Front at War: Words for Battle''.<ref name=Words/>

On stage during the war years, Holloway appeared in revues, first ''Up and Doing'', with Henson, [[Binnie Hale]] and [[Cyril Ritchard]] in 1940 and 1941,<ref name=who/><ref>"Theatres", ''The Observer'', 26 May 1940, p. 1</ref> and then ''Fine and Dandy'', with Henson, [[Dorothy Dickson]], [[Douglas Byng]] and [[Graham Payn]].<ref>"Theatres", ''The Observer'', 23 August 1942, p. 1</ref> In both shows, Holloway presented new monologues, and ''The Times'' thought a highlight of ''Fine and Dandy'' was a parody of the BBC radio programme ''[[The Brains Trust]]'', with Holloway "ponderously anecdotal" and Henson "gigglingly omniscient".<ref>"Savile Theatre", ''The Times'', 1 May 1942, p. 6</ref>

In 1941 Holloway took a character part in [[Gabriel Pascal]]'s film of [[George Bernard Shaw|Bernard Shaw]]'s ''[[Major Barbara (film)|Major Barbara]]'', in which he played a policeman. He had leading parts in later films, including ''[[The Way Ahead]]'' (1944), ''[[This Happy Breed (film)|This Happy Breed]]'' (1944) and ''[[The Way to the Stars]]'' (1945).<ref name=who>[http://www.ukwhoswho.com/view/article/oupww/whowaswho/U165398 "Holloway, Stanley"], ''Who Was Who'', A & C Black, 1920–2008; online edition, Oxford University Press, December 2007, accessed 21 April 2011 {{subscription required}}</ref> After the war, he played Albert Godby in ''[[Brief Encounter]]'' and had a cameo role as the First Gravedigger in [[Laurence Olivier]]'s 1948 film of ''[[Hamlet (1948 film)|Hamlet]]''. In 1951 Holloway played the same role on the stage to the Hamlet of [[Alec Guinness]].<ref name=who/> For Pathé News, he delivered the commentary for documentaries in a series called ''Time To Remember'', where he narrated over old newsreels from significant dates in history from 1915 to 1942.{{#tag:ref|The documentary films included: ''Your country needs you!'', depicting 1915 ([[Herbert Kitchener, 1st Earl Kitchener|Kitchener]]'s volunteer army, and the [[Dardanelles Commission]]);<ref>[http://www.britishpathe.com/record.php?id=84073 "Your country needs you"] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110830232208/http://www.britishpathe.com/record.php?id=84073 |date=30 August 2011 }}, British Pathé, accessed 22 April 2011</ref> ''The better 'ole'', depicting 1916 (life in the trenches, and the Eastern, Western and Home fronts);<ref>[http://www.britishpathe.com/record.php?id=84069 "The better 'ole"] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100711061017/http://www.britishpathe.com/record.php?id=84069 |date=11 July 2010 }}, British Pathé, accessed 22 April 2011</ref> ''Enough of everything'', depicting 1917 (the Russian Revolution, the US entry into the war, and women at work);<ref>[http://www.britishpathe.com/record.php?id=84073 "Enough of everything"] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110830232208/http://www.britishpathe.com/record.php?id=84073 |date=30 August 2011 }}, British Pathé, accessed 22 April 2011</ref> ''Short sharp shower'', depicting 1926 (the General Strike, international politics, weather, record breaking feats, the death of [[Rudolph Valentino]] and life in post-war Britain);<ref>[https://archive.today/20120722203238/http://www.britishpathe.com/video/time-to-remember-1926-short-sharp-shower-reel-3 "Short, sharp shower"], British Pathé, accessed 22 April 2011</ref> and ''The end of the Beginning'', depicting 1942 (including America's entry into the Second World War).<ref>[http://www.britishpathe.com/record.php?id=84573 "The end of the beginning"] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111104205427/http://www.britishpathe.com/record.php?id=84573 |date=4 November 2011 }}, British Pathé, accessed 22 April 2011</ref>|group= n}} Holloway also starred in a series of films for Ealing Studios, beginning with ''[[Champagne Charlie (1944 film)|Champagne Charlie]]'' in 1944 alongside [[Tommy Trinder]]. After that he made ''[[The Life and Adventures of Nicholas Nickleby (1947 film)|Nicholas Nickleby]]'' (1947) and ''[[Another Shore]]'' (1948). He next appeared in three of the most famous [[Ealing comedies]], ''[[Passport to Pimlico]]'' (1949), ''[[The Lavender Hill Mob]]'' (1951) and ''[[The Titfield Thunderbolt]]'' (1953). His final film with the studio was ''[[Meet Mr. Lucifer]]'' (1953).<ref name="who"/>

In 1948 Holloway conducted a six-month tour of Australia and New Zealand<ref>[http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article55923557?searchTerm=stanley%20holloway&searchLimits= "Stanley Holloway for Adelaide"], ''The Mail'', 30 April 1949, p. 10, accessed 24 September 2011</ref> and supported by the band leader [[Billy Mayerl]].<ref>[http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article36360181?searchTerm=stanley%20holloway&searchLimits= "Stanley Holloway coming here"], ''The Advertiser'', 1 April 1949, p. 4, accessed 24 September 2011</ref><ref>[http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article22722727?searchTerm=stanley%20holloway&searchLimits= "English Comedian to Broadcast"], ''The Argus'', 14 April 1949, p. 5, accessed 23 September 2011</ref> He made his Australian début at the [[Tivoli Theatre, Melbourne]],<ref>[http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article22762607?searchTerm=stanley%20holloway&searchLimits= "Stanley Holloway's Melbourne début"], ''The Argus'', 6 July 1949, p. 9, accessed 24 September 2011</ref> and recorded television appearances to publicise the forthcoming release of ''Passport to Pimlico''.<ref>[http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article22769546?searchTerm=stanley%20holloway&searchLimits= "Stanley Holloway Goes Home"], ''The Argus'', 5 August 1949, p. 5, accessed 24 September 2011</ref> Holloway wrote the monologue ''Albert Down Under'' especially for the tour.<ref>[http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article69353892?searchTerm=stanley%20holloway&searchLimits= "Stanley Holloway Reaches Melbourne"], ''Advocate'', 19 April 1949, p. 4, accessed 24 September 2011</ref>

====1950s and 1960s stage and screen====
[[File:Stanley Holloway Alfred P. Doolittle My Fair Lady 1957.JPG|thumb|alt=photo of three smiling men, standing together; the two on the outside are looking at Holloway who stands between them.|Holloway (centre) as Alfred P. Doolittle on Broadway in ''My Fair Lady'', 1957]]
In 1954 Holloway joined [[the Old Vic]] theatre company to play Bottom in ''[[A Midsummer Night's Dream]]'', with [[Robert Helpmann]] as Oberon and [[Moira Shearer]] as Titania. After playing at the [[Edinburgh Festival]], the [[Royal Shakespeare Company]] took the production to New York, where it played at the [[Metropolitan Opera|Metropolitan Opera House]] and then on tour of the US and Canada. The production was harshly reviewed by critics on both sides of the Atlantic, but Holloway made a strong impression.{{#tag:ref|Both the anonymous critic of ''The Times'' and [[Brooks Atkinson]] in ''[[The New York Times]]'' thought the production slow and old-fashioned, and took particular exception to the use of [[Felix Mendelssohn|Mendelssohn]]'s incidental music.<ref>"Old Vic Company in New York&nbsp;– Edinburgh Production Harshly Criticized", ''The Times'', 23 September 1954, p. 10.</ref> The performances of Holloway and his colleagues are preserved on an [[His Master's Voice (British record label)|His Master's Voice]] sound recording of the production (His Master's Voice catalogue number ALP1262-4 (1955)). ''[[Gramophone (magazine)|The Gramophone]]''<nowiki>'</nowiki>s critic wrote, "the great comedian Stanley Holloway retained his perfect timing but gave his lines their full Shakespearean weight".<ref>Postgate, Mary. [http://www.gramophone.net/Issue/Page/December%201986/137/857874/ "Spoken Word"], ''The Gramophone'', December 1986, p. 137</ref>|group= n}} Holloway said of the experience: "Out of the blue I was asked by the Royal Shakespeare Company to tour America with them, playing Bottom. ... From that American tour came the part of Alfred Doolittle in ''[[My Fair Lady]]'' and from then on, well, just let's say I was able to pick and choose my parts and that was very pleasant at my age."<ref>''The New York Times; Obituary'' 31 January 1982, p. 36</ref> Holloway's film career continued simultaneously with his stage work; one example was the 1956 comedy ''[[Jumping for Joy]]''. American audiences became familiar with his earlier film roles when the films began to be broadcast on television in the 1950s.<ref name=Ginell/>

{{Quote box |quoted=true |bgcolor=#F5F9FC |salign=center | quote = Mr. Stanley Holloway's undeserving dustman [Doolittle] is a pure joy. It is a turn from the old music hall, broad and full-blooded.| source = ''[[The Times]]'', 1 May 1958<ref>"Shaw with the Broadway touch", ''The Times'', 1 May 1958, p. 3</ref>|align=right| width=25%}}
In 1956 Holloway created the role of Alfred P. Doolittle in the original [[Broadway theatre|Broadway]] production of ''[[My Fair Lady]]''. The librettist, [[Alan Jay Lerner]], remembered in his memoirs that Holloway was his first choice for the role, even before it was written. Lerner's only concern was whether, after so long away from the musical stage, Holloway still had his resonant singing voice. Holloway reassured him over a lunch at [[Claridge's]]: Lerner recalled, "He put down his knife and fork, threw back his head and unleashed a strong baritone note that resounded through the dining room, drowned out the string quartet and sent a few dozen people off to the osteopath to have their necks untwisted."<ref>Lerner, pp. 62–63</ref> Holloway had a long association with the show, appearing in the original 1956 Broadway production at the [[Mark Hellinger Theatre]], the 1958 London version at the [[Theatre Royal, Drury Lane]], and the [[My Fair Lady (film)|film version]] in 1964, which he undertook instead of the role of Admiral Boom in ''[[Mary Poppins (film)|Mary Poppins]]'' that he had been offered the same year.<ref>Andrews, p. 121</ref> In ''[[The Manchester Guardian]]'', [[Alistair Cooke]] wrote, "Stanley Holloway distils into the body of Doolittle the taste and smell of every pub in England."<ref>Cooke, Alistair. "Shavian Source of a Delicious Daydream", ''The Manchester Guardian'', 20 March 1956, p. 5</ref> Also in 1964, he appeared as Bellomy in the [[Hallmark Hall of Fame]] television production of ''[[The Fantasticks]]''.<ref>[http://www.fantasticksonbroadway.com/news/events/2012/johndavidson/ "Hallmark Hall of Fame – ''The Fantasticks''"] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150403061313/http://www.fantasticksonbroadway.com/news/events/2012/johndavidson/ |date=3 April 2015 }}, Fantasticks on Broadway, accessed 23 March 2015</ref>

[[File:Our man higgins 1962.JPG|thumb|left|alt=publicity shot of elderly man and young female sitting between three poles|Holloway and Regina Groves in ''Our Man Higgins'', 1962]]
Looking back in 2004, Holloway's biographer [[Eric Midwinter]] wrote, "With his cockney authenticity, his splendid baritone voice, and his wealth of comedy experience, he made a great success of this role, and, as he said, it put him 'bang on top of the heap, in demand' again at a time when, in his mid-sixties, his career was beginning to wane".<ref name=dnb/><ref>Holloway and Richards, p. 12</ref> His performances earned him a [[Tony Award]] nomination for Best Featured Actor in a Musical and an [[Academy Award]] nomination for Best Actor in a Supporting Role. Following his success on Broadway, Holloway played Pooh-Bah in a 1960 US television [[Bell Telephone Hour]] production of ''[[The Mikado]]'', produced by the veteran [[Gilbert and Sullivan]] performer [[Martyn Green]]. Holloway appeared with [[Groucho Marx]] and [[Helen Traubel]] of the Metropolitan Opera.<ref>Shepherd, Marc. [http://gasdisc.oakapplepress.com/mikmarx.htm ''Mikado&nbsp;– Bell Telephone Hour''], The Gilbert and Sullivan Discography, accessed 11 April 2011</ref> His notable films around this time included ''[[Alive and Kicking (1959 film)|''Alive and Kicking'']]'' in 1959, co-starring [[Sybil Thorndike]] and [[Kathleen Harrison]],<ref>"Cinemas", ''The Observer'', 14 June 1959, p. 25</ref> and ''[[No Love for Johnnie]]'' in 1961 opposite [[Peter Finch]].<ref>"Weaknesses of plot mar 'No Love for Johnnie'", ''The Guardian'', 24 April 1961, p. 19</ref> In 1962, Holloway took part in a studio recording of ''[[Oliver!]]'' with [[Alma Cogan]] and [[Violet Carson]], in which he played Fagin.<ref>[https://www.worldcat.org/oclc/003258768 ''Oliver!''] studio cast recording, 1962 LP, Capitol, accessed 14 September 2011</ref>

In 1962 Holloway played the role of an English butler called Higgins in a US television sitcom called ''[[Our Man Higgins]]''. It ran for only a season. His son [[Julian Holloway|Julian]] also appeared in the series.<ref name=times>Obituary, ''The Times'', 1 February 1982, p. 10</ref> In 1964 he again appeared on stage in [[Philadelphia]] in ''Cool Off!'', a short-lived [[Faust]]ian spoof.<ref>{{cite web |last=Mandelbaum |first=Ken |date=24 June 2004 |title=Obscure Recordings: Cool Off! |url=https://www.broadway.com/buzz/10675/obscure-recordings-cool-off/ |website=Broadway.com |access-date=23 April 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200514041904/https://www.broadway.com/buzz/10675/obscure-recordings-cool-off/ |archive-date=14 May 2020 |url-status=live}}</ref> He returned to the US a few more times after that to take part in ''[[The Dean Martin Show]]'' three times and ''[[The Red Skelton Show]]'' twice. He also appeared in the 1965 war film ''[[In Harm's Way]]'', together with [[John Wayne]] and [[Kirk Douglas]].<ref>Crowther, Bosley. [https://movies.nytimes.com/movie/review?res=9F02E1DC163EE03ABC4F53DFB266838E679EDE "In Harm's Way"], ''[[The New York Times]]'', 7 April 1965</ref>

====Last years====
[[File:Stanley Holloway Grave.jpg|thumb|right|upright|alt=tombstone inscribed to Holloway|Holloway's grave at East Preston, West Sussex]]
Holloway appeared for the first time in a major British television series in the BBC's 1967 adaptation of [[P. G. Wodehouse]]'s ''[[Blandings Castle]]'' stories, playing Beach, the butler, to [[Ralph Richardson]]'s Lord Emsworth.<ref name=times/> His portrayal of Beach was received with critical reservation, but the series was a popular success.{{#tag:ref|The critic of ''The Observer'' wrote, "rather far from my conception of Beach. ... The original Beach is rotund and pompous with an overwhelming consciousness of his own superiority."<ref>Richardson, Maurice. "Television", ''The Observer'', 26 February 1967, p. 26</ref> ''The Guardian'' wrote, "his accent hovered quite unaccountably between mummerset and Mayo".<ref>Reynolds, Stanley. "Television", ''The Guardian'', 25 February 1967, p. 6</ref>|group= n}} After ''My Fair Lady'', Holloway was able to get film roles in ''[[Mrs. Brown, You've Got a Lovely Daughter (film)|Mrs. Brown You've Got A Lovely Daughter]]'' (1968), which featured the 1960s British pop group [[Herman's Hermits]],<ref>[https://web.archive.org/web/20160310002437/http://www.bfi.org.uk/films-tv-people/4ce2b6b0a1a5b ''Mrs. Brown, You've Got a Lovely Daughter'' (1969)], British Film Institute, accessed 11 July 2020</ref> ''[[The Private Life of Sherlock Holmes]]'', ''[[Flight of the Doves]]'' and ''[[Up the Front]]'', all in the early 1970s. His final film was ''[[Journey into Fear (1975 film)|Journey into Fear]]'' (1974).<ref name=BFI>[https://web.archive.org/web/20090114073631/http://ftvdb.bfi.org.uk/sift/individual/78372?view=credit&page=2 "Holloway, Stanley"], British Film Institute, accessed 24 November 2011</ref><ref>Maltin, p. 720</ref>

In 1970, Holloway began an association with the [[Shaw Festival]] in Canada, playing Burgess in ''[[Candida (play)|Candida]]''.<ref name=who/> He made what he considered his West End debut as a straight actor in ''Siege'' by [[David Ambrose]] at the [[Cambridge Theatre]] in 1972,{{#tag:ref|Holloway did not count his appearances as First Gravedigger and Bottom, because he did not regard Shakespeare as straight theatre.<ref name=hall>Hall, John. "Straight up", ''The Guardian'', 5 February 1972, p. 9</ref>|group= n}} co-starring with [[Alastair Sim]] and [[Michael Bryant (actor)|Michael Bryant]].<ref name=hall/> He returned to [[George Bernard Shaw|Shaw]] and Canada, playing the central character Walter/William in ''[[You Never Can Tell (play)|You Never Can Tell]]'' in 1973.<ref name=who/>

Holloway continued to perform until well into his eighties, touring Asia and Australia in 1977 together with [[Douglas Fairbanks Jr.]] and [[David Langton]] in ''[[The Pleasure of His Company]]'', by [[Samuel A. Taylor]] and [[Cornelia Otis Skinner]].<ref name=who/> He made his last appearance performing at the [[Royal Variety Performance]] at the [[London Palladium]] in 1980, aged 89.<ref>[https://web.archive.org/web/20090117135200/http://ftvdb.bfi.org.uk/sift/title/335080?view=cast Cast: Royal Variety Performance 1980], British Film Institute, accessed 23 April 2011</ref>

Holloway died of a [[stroke]] at the Nightingale Nursing Home in [[Littlehampton]], West Sussex, on 30 January 1982, aged 91.<ref name=dnb/> He is buried, along with his wife Violet, at St Mary the Virgin Church in [[East Preston, West Sussex|East Preston]].<ref name=dnb/>

===Personal life===
Holloway was married twice, first to Alice "Queenie" Foran. They met in June 1913 in Clacton, while he was performing in a concert party and she was selling charity flags on behalf of the [[Royal National Lifeboat Institution]].<ref>Holloway and Richards, p. 66</ref> Queenie was orphaned at the age of&nbsp;16, something that Holloway felt they had in common, as his mother had died that year and his father had earlier abandoned the family. He married Queenie in November 1913.<ref name="Holloway and Richards, p. 68" />

Holloway and Queenie had four children: Joan, born on Holloway's 24th birthday in 1914, Patricia (b. 1920), John (1925–2013) and Mary (b. 1928).<ref>Holloway and Richards, pp. 69–70</ref> Upon the death of her mother, Queenie inherited some property in [[Southampton Row]] and relied on the rents from the property for her income.<ref name=H71>Holloway and Richards, p. 71</ref> During the First World War, while Holloway was away fighting in France, Queenie began to have financial trouble, as the tenants failed to pay their rent. Out of desperation, she approached several loan sharks, incurring a large debt about which Holloway knew nothing.<ref name=H71/> She also started to drink heavily as the pressures from the war and of supporting her daughter took their toll.<ref name=H71/> On Holloway's return from the war, the debt was paid off and they moved to [[Hampstead]], West London.<ref>London Metropolitan Archives, ''Electoral Registers of London (1929)'', p. 9</ref> By the late 1920s, Holloway found himself in financial difficulties with the British tax authorities and was briefly declared bankrupt.<ref>"An Actor's Affairs", ''[[The Times]]'', 4 December 1931, p. 4</ref><ref>"Stanley Holloway's Affairs", ''[[Nottingham Post|Nottingham Evening Post]]'', 3 December 1931, p. 9</ref> In the 1930s, Holloway and Queenie moved to [[Bayswater]]<ref>"Tragedy of Stanley Holloway's Wife", ''Evening Telegraph'', 25 November 1937, p. 5</ref> and remained there until Queenie's death in 1937 at the age of&nbsp;45, from [[cirrhosis of the liver]].<ref>London Metropolitan Archives, ''Electoral Registers of London (1937)'', p. 68</ref><ref>Holloway and Richards, pp. 71–72</ref> Of the children from this first marriage, John worked as an engineer in an electrics company, and Mary worked for [[BP]] for many years.<ref>Holloway and Richards, p. 70</ref>

On 2 January 1939, Holloway married the 25-year-old actress and former chorus dancer Violet Marion Lane (1913–1997),<ref name=H170>Holloway and Richards, pp. 170–71</ref><ref>General Register Office, ''England and Wales Civil Registration Indexes'' vol. 8d, p. 182</ref> and they moved to [[Marylebone]].<ref>London Metropolitan Archives, ''Electoral Registers of London'' (1939), p. 104</ref> Violet was born into a working-class family from [[Leeds]].{{#tag:ref|Violet's mother was Scottish, and her civil engineer father, Alfred Lane, was a [[Yorkshire]]man.<ref name=dnb/><ref name=H170/>|group= n}} Although he was a client of the Aza Agency in London, Violet effectively managed Holloway's career, and no project was taken on without her approval. In his autobiography, Holloway said of her, "I suppose I am committing lawful bigamy. Not only is she my wife, lover, mother, cook, chauffeuse, private secretary, house keeper, hostess, electrician, business manager, critic, handy woman, she is also my best friend."<ref>Holloway and Richards, p. 65</ref> Together, they had one son, [[Julian Holloway|Julian]], whose brief relationship with [[Tessa Dahl]] produced a daughter, the model and author [[Sophie Dahl]].<ref>Banks-Smith, Nancy. [https://www.theguardian.com/tv-and-radio/2010/mar/24/the-delicious-miss-dahl-edward-vii-prince-of-pleasure "The Delicious Miss Dahl and Edward VII"], ''[[The Guardian]]'', 24 March 2010</ref>{{#tag:ref|Holloway appeared with Neal in the 1965 film ''In Harm's Way''.<ref>[https://web.archive.org/web/20120713115357/http://explore.bfi.org.uk/4ce2b6ad19462 "In Harm's Way"], British Film Institute, accessed 8 October 2012</ref>|group= n}}

Holloway, Violet and Julian lived mainly in the tiny village of [[Penn, Buckinghamshire]].<ref>Holloway and Richards, p. 322</ref> Holloway also owned other properties including a flat in [[St John's Wood]] in North West London,<ref>[http://www.gettyimages.co.uk/detail/3433132/Hulton-Archive Holloway's Flat in St. John's Wood (1933)]. Hulton Archive, GettyImages.co.uk, accessed 30 November 2011</ref> which he used when working in the capital,<ref>Holloway and Richards, p. 172</ref> and a flat in [[Manhattan]] during the ''My Fair Lady'' Broadway years. The final years of his life were spent in [[Angmering]], West Sussex, with Violet. Holloway forged close friendships with fellow performers including Leslie Henson, Gracie Fields, [[Maurice Chevalier]], Laurence Olivier<ref>Holloway and Richards, p. 227</ref> and [[Arthur Askey]], who said of him, "He was the nicest man I ever knew. He never had a wrong word to say about anyone. He was a great actor, a super mimic and a one-man walking comic show."<ref>"Stanley Holloway dies, 91", ''[[The Sunday Express]]'', 31 January 1982</ref> While working in the US, Holloway numbered among his friends [[Frank Sinatra]], [[Dean Martin]], [[Burgess Meredith]] and Groucho Marx.<ref>Holloway and Richards, p. 333</ref>

==Honours, memorials and books==
{{multiple image | align = right | direction = horizontal | header_align = center | footer_align = left | footer_background = | caption_align = center | image1 =Stanley-Holloway-blue-plaque-cropped.jpg | width1 = 141 | caption1 = Plaque at Holloway's birthplace |alt1=blue plaque commemorating Holloway| image2 = 25, Albany Road, Manor park, Essex.jpg | width2 = 184 |alt2=exterior of semi-detached house, with blue plaque on front wall| caption2 = Holloway's birthplace, 25 Albany Road, Manor Park}}
Holloway was appointed an Officer of the [[Order of the British Empire]] (OBE) in the [[1960 New Year Honours]] for his services to entertainment.<ref>''The New York Times'', 1 January 1960, p. 2</ref> In 1978 he was honoured with a special award by the [[Variety Club of Great Britain]].<ref name=dnb/>

There is a memorial plaque dedicated to Holloway in [[St Paul's, Covent Garden]], London, which is known as "the actors' church". The plaque is next to a memorial to Gracie Fields.<ref>[http://farm1.static.flickr.com/139/374336852_b7468f5f01.jpg?v=0 Memorial plaques for Holloway and Fields in St. Paul's Covent Garden]. Flickr.com, accessed 23 April 2011</ref> In 2009 [[English Heritage]] unveiled a [[blue plaque]] at 25 Albany Road, Manor Park, Essex, the house in which he was born in 1890. There is a building named after him at 2 Coolfin Road, Newham, London, called Stanley Holloway Court.<ref>[http://www.cylex-uk.co.uk/company/anchor-retirement-housing---stanley-holloway-court-17286254.html "Stanley Holloway Court"], Cylex Business Directory, accessed 23 April 2011</ref>

Holloway entitled his autobiography ''Wiv a Little Bit o' Luck'' after [[With a Little Bit of Luck|the song]] he performed in ''My Fair Lady''. The book was ghostwritten by the writer and director [[Dick Richards]] and published in 1967.{{#tag:ref|The chapters of the book are: 1. ''On Nodding Terms with the Bard''. Shakespearian roles and Shakespearian connections with his great uncle Charles Bernard (pp. 7–15); 2. ''The Co-Ops gather''. Life within [[The Co-Optimists]]; 3. ''The Boy Soprano Branches Out''. Birth, childhood, family life and early career; 4. ''Love Marriage and a Sad Ending''. Marriage, death of first wife Alice Foran, his first four children; 5. ''Sam Albert and Stan''. Early monologues and entry into mainstream entertainment; 6. ''The Street Where She Lived''. Broadway and West End productions of ''My Fair Lady''; 7. ''Broadway&nbsp;– and the Television Jungle''&nbsp;– Other Broadway productions and American TV appearances; 8. ''Are Women Funny?&nbsp;– Yes Some!''. Female comedians whom he admired; 9. ''Life with Laney''. Second marriage to Violet and birth of son Julian; 10. ''Bring on the Clowns''. Male comedians whom he admired and working with other performers; 11. ''Me-or a Semi Profile''. Likes, dislikes, home life, outlook on life, other opinions; 12. ''Light Up The Stage''. Various stage performances, especially Doolittle; 13. ''By Holloway Command''. Receiving the [[Officer of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire|OBE]] and performers he would pick for a fictional show; 14. ''Movie-Go-Round''. Film career; 15. ''There are Agents-and Agents''. Relationship with the Aza Agency and other agents; 16. ''The Lovable Jester''. Life and death of his best friend [[Leslie Henson]]; 17. ''Shakespeare&nbsp;– Thou Art Translated''. Revisits Shakespeare roles and relationships with actors of that genre; 18. ''Canadian Capers''. Work on Canadian TV and holiday there with Julian; 19. ''In Glorious Technicolor''. Film version of ''My Fair Lady''; 20. ''A Great Life''. Career, love for family, friends and life.|group= n}} Holloway oversaw the publication of three volumes of the monologues by or associated with him: ''Monologues'' (1979); ''The Stanley Holloway Monologues'' (1980); and ''More Monologues'' (1981).<ref name=who/>

==Recordings==
{{Main|Songs and monologues of Stanley Holloway}}
Holloway had a 54-year recording career, beginning in the age of [[acoustic recording]], and ending in the era of the [[Phonograph record#Stereophonic sound|stereophonic LP]]. He mainly recorded songs from musicals and revues, and he recited many monologues on various subjects.<ref name=epm/> Most prominent among his recordings (aside from his participation in recordings of ''My Fair Lady'') are those of three series of monologues that he made at intervals throughout his career. They featured Sam Small, Albert Ramsbottom, and historical events such as the [[Battle of Hastings]], [[Magna Carta]] and the [[Battle of Trafalgar]].<ref name=epm/> In all, his discography runs to 130 recordings, spanning the period 1924 to 1978.<ref>[http://www.worldcat.org/search?q=au%3AHolloway%2C+Stanley.&qt=hot_author Stanley Holloway], recordings list at worldcat.org, accessed 14 September 2011</ref> A review in ''[[Gramophone (magazine)|The Gramophone]]'' of one of his 1957 albums containing recordings of his old "concert party" songs commented, "what a fine voice he has and how well he can use it&nbsp;– diction, phrasing, range and the interpretative insight of the artist".<ref>[http://www.gramophone.net/Issue/Page/October%201961/72/787431/ "Stanley Holloway. Concert Party"], ''The Gramophone'', October 1961, p. 72</ref>

==Notes==
{{Reflist|group=n}}

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==Sources==
* {{cite book | last=Andrews | first=Julie | year=2007 | title=An Intimate Biography|location=London | publisher= Portrait | isbn=978-0-7499-5135-1}}
* {{cite book | editor-last= Gaye | editor-first= Freda | year=1967 | title= Who's Who in the Theatre|edition=14th | location=London | publisher= Sir Isaac Pitman and Sons | oclc=420172806}}
* {{cite book | last=Graham| first=Bert| title=West Cliff Gardens Theatre Accounts Book| publisher=West Cliff Gardens Theatre| year=1914}}
* {{cite book | last=Holloway| first=Stanley| title= Wiv a little bit o' luck: The life story of Stanley Holloway| author2=Richards, Dick| year=1967| publisher=Frewin| location= London| oclc=3647363}}
* {{cite book | last= Lerner| first=Alan Jay | author-link= Alan Jay Lerner | year=1980 | title=The Street Where I Live | location=London | publisher=Coronet Books | isbn=0-340-25453-X}}
* {{cite book| last=Maltin| first=Leonard| year=2008| title=2009 Movie Guide| location=New York| publisher=Penguin| isbn=978-0-452-28978-9| url=https://archive.org/details/isbn_9780452289789}}
* {{cite book | last=Morley | first=Sheridan | year=1986 | title=The Great Stage Stars | location=London | publisher=Angus and Robertson | isbn=0-8160-1401-9 | url=https://archive.org/details/greatstagestarsd0000morl }}

==External links==
{{Commons}}
{{Wikiquote}}
* {{Internet Archive author |sname=Stanley Holloway |sopt=t}}
* {{IMDb name|id=0391361}}
* {{Tcmdb name}}
* {{IBDB name}}
* {{Screenonline name|id=449432}}
* [http://www.gettyimages.co.uk/Search/Search.aspx?contractUrl=2&language=en-GB&assetType=image&p=stanley%20holloway&src=standard Stanley Holloway pictures on Getty images]
* [http://oldpoetry.com/tag/show/Monologue Stanley Holloway monologue lyrics]
* [https://www.britishpathe.com/search/query/Stanley+Holloway Stanley Holloway on British Pathe News]

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