The King's Speech

Lionel Logue was born in Adelaide in 1880. He was the eldest of four children and his father, George, operated a hotel. He does not excel at school until he finds a subject that captivates him: elocution. Logue studies under an elocution teacher named Edward Reeves, who gives a performance to “packed audience in the Victoria Hall” (26), memorizing many texts. Elocution as a subject has risen in popularity throughout the English-speaking world. In Australia, this is partly due to the divergence between the English and the Australian accents, which are often criticized and regarded as low class signifiers of “the characteristic Australian disease” (27).

Logue begins to deliver performances and recitals that are well-received, though his father dies when Logue is in his early twenties. Logue eventually sets up his own elocution practice. Later, he moves from Adelaide to Kalgoorlie and then to Perth, where he meets Myrtle, an “imposing young woman several inches taller than Lionel” (29) and five years his junior. They marry in 1907; their first son—Laurie Paris Logue—is born in 1908; then they begin a six-month tour of the world. Little Laurie stays behind with Myrtle’s mother. Logue has become somewhat famous in Perth and hopes to “widen his professional experience” (30).

They travel first around Australia (Myrtle loves Sydney but hates Brisbane). While crossing the Pacific, the water makes many passengers (including Logue) sick. They arrive in Vancouver and travel to Minneapolis, St. Paul, and then Chicago (which they “loved” (32)). America’s technological advances impress them, though local manners leave a lot to be desired. The Logues are well received in Chicago and invited to many places. They leave to New York via Niagara Falls. The size of New York City surprises them; Myrtle describes it as “a city of atrocities and lawlessness” (33) and Logue carries a gun everywhere. On his travels, Logue seeks out “experts in his field” (33) and meets with them. He also meets Woodrow Wilson, the future President, who impresses him.

After several months, they depart for England. Their time in America was “lovely” (33) but they do not believe it is a suitable place to rear children. After docking in Liverpool, they take the train to London, which looks almost “provincial” (34) next to New York. However, the city quickly grows on them. They visit the theatre and dine out often. They are present in the city for the coronation of King George V and stand in huge crowds as the King and Queen pass. They even visit Edith Nesbit, the famous author of the Railway Children, who is a distant cousin. Though they had originally planned to travel on to Europe, an issue with Logue’s investments leaves them short of money. After staying a short time in Birmingham, they catch a ship back to Australia.

Logue, a local celebrity, uses his travels to expand his fame. He has become “a notable figure on Perth’s social scene” (36). His acting troupe sees much success and Myrtle opens a “school of physical culture (Swedish) and fencing for women and girls” (36). Though they live a comfortable life, they keep thinking about life abroad. Their second son, Valentine Darte, is born in 1913, so stalls any plans to move, as does the outbreak of the First World War. The war devastates a generation of young Australian men, particularly the Gallipoli campaign. This dents “Australian confidence in the superiority of the British Empire” (38). Logue volunteers for medical service at the age of 38 but is rejected on medical grounds. Instead, he raises money for charities and uses his elocution skills to help returning veterans who suffer from shell-shock. One particular case—that of Jack O’Dwyer—becomes famous and Logue repeats his success with many more patients. He provides his services free of charge.

In 1924, the Logue family finally sets off for England, travelling third class. Lionel and Myrtle are joined by their three sons: Laurie, Valentine, and Antony. Securing passage is difficult; in 1924, George V was due to open the British Empire Exhibition in Wembley, a popular event and showcase for the Empire. Cancellations and the help of a friend book the family space on the month-long voyage.

They arrive in Britain and discover “a country in turmoil” (43). The First World War has taken a heavy toll, as has the recession of 1921. His savings rapidly dwindling, Logue needs a job. He takes a gamble and rents an expensive consulting room on London’s famous Harley Street. To drum up business, Logue begins to make friends. He begins with London’s Australian community, who pass along information. Logue charges high rates to the rich to subsidize treatment of the poor.

Speech impediments are as old as man’s ability to speak. Even the Old Testament contains references to stammering; it is also evident in ancient Egypt and Hellenic Greece. Interest in such impediments grew during the 17th and 18th century, occasionally leading to strange remedies, which included ineffectual surgeries on the tongue. By the time Logue arrives in London, most speech therapists “tended to come from schools of speech and drama” (49). Suggestions for cures include singing, poetry, and ballroom dancing. Logue is a great believer in “physical explanations for stammering” (49) and says that there are “three main obstacles [to] good speaking: defective breathing, defective voice production and incorrect pronunciation and enunciation” (50). Logue develops a number of innovative experiments to cure vocal ailments.