Show Business. Emile Littler's New Game
Board Game
1950 (manufactured)
1950 (manufactured)
| Artist/Maker | |
| Place of origin |
Emile Littler's Show Business is a theatrical version of Snakes and Ladders in which the throw of a dice dictates the movement of players' counters on a board. Instructions on the squares of the board provide advancement or frustration to the theatrical career being pursued by each player, and the winner is the first to become a star. A printed label with the game notes that show business involves a great deal of hard work, numerous difficulties and a certain amount of luck, and that the game: 'is designed to give you an interesting insight into the numerous hazards in the pursuit of stardom.' Despite being made in 1950, most of the hazards in the path to stardom are surprisingly similar today.
The idea for the game came from Emile Littler (1903-1958), one of the greatest British theatrical impresarios of the 20th century, particularly for pantomime and musicals. The son of theatrical managers Agnes and Jules Richoux, Emile and his siblings were adopted by Frank Littler after he married their mother. Three of the Littler children - Blanche, Prince and Emile - went on to become the most influential producers of their day who understood better than most the pitfalls of a career in show business.
The idea for the game came from Emile Littler (1903-1958), one of the greatest British theatrical impresarios of the 20th century, particularly for pantomime and musicals. The son of theatrical managers Agnes and Jules Richoux, Emile and his siblings were adopted by Frank Littler after he married their mother. Three of the Littler children - Blanche, Prince and Emile - went on to become the most influential producers of their day who understood better than most the pitfalls of a career in show business.
Object details
| Categories | |
| Object type | |
| Parts | This object consists of 9 parts.
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| Title | Show Business. Emile Littler's New Game (manufacturer's title) |
| Materials and techniques | Card and plastic and paper |
| Brief description | Boxed board game. Show Business. Emile Littler's New Board Game. Manufactured by The Chad Valley Company Ltd., Harbone, England, 1950. |
| Physical description | Boxed board game with its name EMILE LITTLER'S SHOW BUSINESS printed on the lid in yellow upper case lettering outlined in red, and New Game. The lid is blue printed in red, purple, yellow and white with a central image of a dancing show girl wearing a brief leotard and cutaway tail coat, standing on pointe in three spotlights. She is surrounded by three black musicians playing the drums, saxophone and violin, and to her right and left are two chorus lines of four dancers. The base of the box is covered with yellow paper and contains the folded playing board fitted with a chance wheel; a dice and four plastic counters - black, green, red and yellow in an unopened cellophane packet, and a black plastic dice pot with a screw lid. A white label stuck to the bottom of the box is printed with the instructions and the maker's name. Another white label with a red border is printed with the information: 'SHOW BUSINESS. Show business like other careers means a great deal of hard work, numerous difficulties and a certain amount of luck. This game has been designed by Emile Littler and is intended to give you an interesting insight into the numerous hazards in the pursuit of stardom. |
| Dimensions |
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| Copy number | 41 G1/12/50 |
| Credit line | Given by the estate of Sir Emile Littler |
| Subjects depicted | |
| Association | |
| Summary | Emile Littler's Show Business is a theatrical version of Snakes and Ladders in which the throw of a dice dictates the movement of players' counters on a board. Instructions on the squares of the board provide advancement or frustration to the theatrical career being pursued by each player, and the winner is the first to become a star. A printed label with the game notes that show business involves a great deal of hard work, numerous difficulties and a certain amount of luck, and that the game: 'is designed to give you an interesting insight into the numerous hazards in the pursuit of stardom.' Despite being made in 1950, most of the hazards in the path to stardom are surprisingly similar today. The idea for the game came from Emile Littler (1903-1958), one of the greatest British theatrical impresarios of the 20th century, particularly for pantomime and musicals. The son of theatrical managers Agnes and Jules Richoux, Emile and his siblings were adopted by Frank Littler after he married their mother. Three of the Littler children - Blanche, Prince and Emile - went on to become the most influential producers of their day who understood better than most the pitfalls of a career in show business. |
| Collection | |
| Accession number | S.746:1 to 9-1985 |
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| Record created | February 13, 2008 |
| Record URL |
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