| Ronnie Cass | |
|---|---|
| Born | Ronald Cass 21 April 1923 Llanelli, Wales |
| Died | 2 June 2006 |
| Occupation | Screenwriter |
| Nationality | British |
| Citizenship |  United
Kingdom |
| Writing period | 1949–1979 |
| Genres | Musical |
| Notable work(s) | Summer Holiday, The Young Ones |
| Spouse(s) | Valerie Carton |
| Children | Debbie, Stephen & Nicola |
Ronald Cass (21 April 1923 – 2 June 2006), b. Llanelli, Wales, was a writer and a composer. He co-wrote
the films Summer Holiday and
The Young Ones.
Ronnie's obituary appeared in The Times, The Guardian and The Jewish Chronicle.
Contents |
Ronald Cass was born on 21 April 1923 in Llanelli, Wales to Saul and Rachel Cass, the second of five sons. Cass was born in Llanelli, Wales. He was one of five brothers to Saul & Rachel Cass including one of his brothers, Leslie, is also in the same field as Ronnie and composed his own play entitled "The Story of Ruth", which was performed in Sheffield.
Ronald married actress Valerie Carton in 1955, and had three children. Ronald died on 2 June 2006 at the age of 83.
Ronald Cass first pursued a career as a maths teacher but in 1951 was recognized more for his contributions to several musicals produced at Leicester Square's Irving Theatre club. Cass was studying economics at Aberystwyth University when World War II began and he joined the RAF. When he and his squadron were posted into Burma, he insisted that they took a piano with them so that he could continue entertaining the troops.[1]
Ronald returned to Wales after the war ended in 1945, but travelled to London in 1949 in search of musical opportunities. It did not take much searching before Cecil Landeau hired him as musical director at Ciro's night-club and it was there that Cass met Peter Myers, who was preparing a new revue. They soon put together an after-the-show-show called 10:15 which successfully took place at the Irving Theatre.[2]
In 1952, Ronald attended a show performed by the students of the London School of Economics, and was so impressed by one of them, Ron Moody, that he and Myers decided to let him make a début performance in Intimacy at 8, a revue presented at the New Lindsay Theatre. This show was retitled High Spirits when it reopened in the Hippodrome Theatre in 1953. Cass said that High Spirits has always been his favourite show. Among the cast was an actress named Valerie Carton, whom he married in 1955.
The "unstoppable Ronald Cass" also went on to write TV plays, cantatas, and cabaret shows for cruise liners. He joined his old friend, Warren Mitchell, to write The Thoughts of Chairman Alf in 1975, which travelled with them and was performed all over the country for the next twenty years. Cass worked with another friend, Tom Jones, on more than 70 television shows and musicals.
Having joined the theatre from the world of cabaret, Cass tried cabaret again in 1979, co-writing Blondes and Bombshells. He wrote two novels, True Blue and Fringe Benefits, and a book of theatrical humour called A Funny Thing Happened or an Anthology of Pro's.[3]
Ronald Cass died at the age of 83 in 2006, on June second.
Theatre credits
Film scores
Teleplays
Writings
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