Catholic Communications, Sydney Archdiocese,
12 Oct 2012
Memories will no doubt come flooding back for many people attending the annual Marriage Sunday Mass at St Mary's Cathedral this week. However for one man it will be the memory of the time he was a page boy at his uncle's wedding - St Mary's and the city's first big "celebrity" wedding.
Long before the paparazzi and the rise of international superstars there was Cyril Ritchard whose marriage to Sydney actress, Madge Elliott at St Mary's Cathedral on 16 September 1935 was a huge event.
The wedding between the stars of J.C. Williamson musicals as well as smash hit shows in London's West End attracted a crowd of more than 7000 on College Street around the Western doors of St Mary's Cathedral.
Unsurprisingly, most of those in the crowd were female and ardent fans of the handsome, dashing, Cyril Ritchard who would later go on to become a Broadway and movie star, an acclaimed director and winner of countless awards.
By 1935 he was already well on his way having played a pivotal role in Alfred Hitchcock's 1931 thriller, Blackmail followed by roles in English films such as Danny Boy and Piccadilly.
Fans of both Cyril and Madge began gathering outside the Cathedral early on the morning of their wedding. By noon numbers had swelled to several thousand and police were brought in to erect barricades to contain the crowd and prevent accidents from the trams going up and down College Street.
The crowd jostled against one another impatiently waiting for the groom and the bride to make their appearance. Finally at 2.45 pm the couple's 300 invited wedding guests began making their way into the Cathedral. Then shortly before 3 pm Cyril himself arrived to loud cheers. A short time later the roar of the crowd reached fever pitch as the bride wearing a London-designed gown and carrying a bouquet of lilies stepped out of the bridal car followed by her bridesmaids and a five-year-old pageboy.
The pageboy was Cyril's nephew, John Goldrick who 22 years later, emulated his uncle by falling in love and choosing to be married at St Mary's Cathedral. John and Margaret Goldrick's wedding took place at the Cathedral on 6 July 1957.
Fifty-five years later, former pageboy John Goldrick and his bride, Margaret are still very much in love and the proud parents of five children and devoted grandparents to 13.
Now in their 80s, they never miss the 10.30 Solemn High Mass at St Mary's Cathedral each Sunday. But this Sunday will have a very special meaning for them both when they join 50 other couples who were also married at the Cathedral.
Sunday, 14 October is Marriage Sunday at the Cathedral when St Mary's annual Mass of Thanksgiving for those who married at the Cathedral is held and where the couples have a chance to renew their vows and receive a special blessing.
With the Archbishop of Sydney, Cardinal George Pell currently in Rome for the Synod of Bishops, the Mass of Thanksgiving this weekend will be celebrated by the Cathedral's Dean, Father Paul Hilder. As is customary, Fr Hilder will also present commemorative certificates to those couples who celebrated a milestone wedding anniversary this year.
After the 10.30 am Mass, the 50 couples and family members will join Fr Hilder at the Cathedral's Chapel House to share their stories, meet one another and enjoy morning tea. Also there will be a pianist who will entertain the group on the Chapel House Steinway Grand Piano with a selection of special favourites.
For the couples attending this year's Mass of Thanksgiving for those married at the Cathedral, the day is certain to bring back many memories, especially of their own wedding day whether it was just last year or more than half a century ago.
But for Margaret Goldrick's husband John, the day will not only trigger recollections of his own marriage in 1957, but will spark recollections of the wedding 77 years ago when dressed in pale blue velvet and on his very best behaviour, he served as pageboy at his uncle Cyril's wedding to his on-stage partner, Madge Elliott.
While Cyril Ritchard is largely unknown to Gen Y and Gen X, older movie fans and film buffs will recall him and the time when he had an enormous following not only as Australia's favourite actor and leading man but as one of our first bona fide international movie stars.
The eldest of five, Cyril was born in Sydney in 1897, grew up in Double Bay and attended St Aloysius College, Riverwood. Although he originally began to study medicine at the University of Sydney, after being cast in the university shows and revues and against the wishes of his family he quit his medical studies and entered show business.
Performing in J C Williamson hit musicals, Cyril and rising young star, actress-dancer Madge Elliott became famous as a partnership on stage and after arriving in London, the partnership became legendary after they starred in a series of musicals and revues. They returned to Australia in 1932 as two of the nation's most popular stars.
After their marriage in 1935, the pair was dubbed "the Musical Lunts" after America's first couple of stage, Alfred and Lynn Lunt and starred together in plays and musicals. But although Cyril's early popularity was as a dashing leading man, he would find international stardom and acclaim as a director as well as a character actor. He won a Tony for his performance as Captain Hook on Broadway in a production of Peter Pan, starring opposite Mary Martin. Tragically it was while he was playing Hook on stage in New York that Madge, was diagnosed with leukaemia. Married for 20 years, this was devastating news and came on top of the couple's sadness at their only child being stillborn.
Madge died in 1955 of bone cancer.
Cyril who had been a devout Catholic all his life, lived another 22 years winning awards for roles in the hit musicals such as The Smell of the Greasepaint, the Roar of the Crowd as well as working in movies such as Half a Sixpence with Tommy Steele.
Throughout his life he kept in touch with his family in Sydney and make frequent visits home.
The actor-director died in Chicago in December `1977. He was 80 years old.
Marriage Sunday and the Mass of Thanksgiving will be held at St Mary's Cathedral at 10.30 am on Sunday, 14 October.
SHARED FROM ARCHDIOCESE OF SYDNEY
12 Oct 2012
Cyril Ritchard and Madge Elliott leave St Mary's after their wedding on 16 September 1935
Long before the paparazzi and the rise of international superstars there was Cyril Ritchard whose marriage to Sydney actress, Madge Elliott at St Mary's Cathedral on 16 September 1935 was a huge event.
The wedding between the stars of J.C. Williamson musicals as well as smash hit shows in London's West End attracted a crowd of more than 7000 on College Street around the Western doors of St Mary's Cathedral.
Unsurprisingly, most of those in the crowd were female and ardent fans of the handsome, dashing, Cyril Ritchard who would later go on to become a Broadway and movie star, an acclaimed director and winner of countless awards.
By 1935 he was already well on his way having played a pivotal role in Alfred Hitchcock's 1931 thriller, Blackmail followed by roles in English films such as Danny Boy and Piccadilly.
Cyril Ritchard and Madge Elliott headlined in musicals and revues in Australia and London
The crowd jostled against one another impatiently waiting for the groom and the bride to make their appearance. Finally at 2.45 pm the couple's 300 invited wedding guests began making their way into the Cathedral. Then shortly before 3 pm Cyril himself arrived to loud cheers. A short time later the roar of the crowd reached fever pitch as the bride wearing a London-designed gown and carrying a bouquet of lilies stepped out of the bridal car followed by her bridesmaids and a five-year-old pageboy.
The pageboy was Cyril's nephew, John Goldrick who 22 years later, emulated his uncle by falling in love and choosing to be married at St Mary's Cathedral. John and Margaret Goldrick's wedding took place at the Cathedral on 6 July 1957.
John and Margaret Goldrick leave St Mary's Cathedral after their wedding on 6 July 1957
Now in their 80s, they never miss the 10.30 Solemn High Mass at St Mary's Cathedral each Sunday. But this Sunday will have a very special meaning for them both when they join 50 other couples who were also married at the Cathedral.
Sunday, 14 October is Marriage Sunday at the Cathedral when St Mary's annual Mass of Thanksgiving for those who married at the Cathedral is held and where the couples have a chance to renew their vows and receive a special blessing.
With the Archbishop of Sydney, Cardinal George Pell currently in Rome for the Synod of Bishops, the Mass of Thanksgiving this weekend will be celebrated by the Cathedral's Dean, Father Paul Hilder. As is customary, Fr Hilder will also present commemorative certificates to those couples who celebrated a milestone wedding anniversary this year.
Five year old pageboy, John Goldrick with Cyril Ritchard's bride,Madge Elliott and her bridesmaids
For the couples attending this year's Mass of Thanksgiving for those married at the Cathedral, the day is certain to bring back many memories, especially of their own wedding day whether it was just last year or more than half a century ago.
But for Margaret Goldrick's husband John, the day will not only trigger recollections of his own marriage in 1957, but will spark recollections of the wedding 77 years ago when dressed in pale blue velvet and on his very best behaviour, he served as pageboy at his uncle Cyril's wedding to his on-stage partner, Madge Elliott.
While Cyril Ritchard is largely unknown to Gen Y and Gen X, older movie fans and film buffs will recall him and the time when he had an enormous following not only as Australia's favourite actor and leading man but as one of our first bona fide international movie stars.
The eldest of five, Cyril was born in Sydney in 1897, grew up in Double Bay and attended St Aloysius College, Riverwood. Although he originally began to study medicine at the University of Sydney, after being cast in the university shows and revues and against the wishes of his family he quit his medical studies and entered show business.
Cyril Ritchard and Anny Ogden in Hitchcock's 1931 thriller Blackmail
After their marriage in 1935, the pair was dubbed "the Musical Lunts" after America's first couple of stage, Alfred and Lynn Lunt and starred together in plays and musicals. But although Cyril's early popularity was as a dashing leading man, he would find international stardom and acclaim as a director as well as a character actor. He won a Tony for his performance as Captain Hook on Broadway in a production of Peter Pan, starring opposite Mary Martin. Tragically it was while he was playing Hook on stage in New York that Madge, was diagnosed with leukaemia. Married for 20 years, this was devastating news and came on top of the couple's sadness at their only child being stillborn.
Cyril Ritchard in his Tony winning role as Captain Hook on Broadway
Cyril who had been a devout Catholic all his life, lived another 22 years winning awards for roles in the hit musicals such as The Smell of the Greasepaint, the Roar of the Crowd as well as working in movies such as Half a Sixpence with Tommy Steele.
Throughout his life he kept in touch with his family in Sydney and make frequent visits home.
The actor-director died in Chicago in December `1977. He was 80 years old.
Marriage Sunday and the Mass of Thanksgiving will be held at St Mary's Cathedral at 10.30 am on Sunday, 14 October.
SHARED FROM ARCHDIOCESE OF SYDNEY
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