<Archive obituary> Miss Gertrude Lawrence (1898-1952)
Michael Rhodes
<The Times, September 8, 1952>
<MISS GERTRUDE LAWRENCE>
<A MISTRESS OF COMEDY>
Miss Gertrude Lawrence, who died on Saturday in hospital in New York,
was an actress of high vitality, and keen wit and undoubted style, for
many years an ornament of the light comedy and musical comedy stage,
both in this country and the United States.
Like many other actresses of merit (especially in the lighter field)
she was brought up in the theatrical atmosphere from her earliest
years. She was born in London on July 4, 1898, daughter of a Dane,
Arthur Lawrence Klasen, and his English wife, Alice Louise Banks, and
was christened Gertud Alexandra Dagma Lawrence. Her parents' marriage
was dissolved while she was still an infant, and she went to live with
her mother, a small-part actress. Such formal education as she had was
obtained at the Convent of the Secred Coeur, Streatham, but she spent
much of her time with her mother on tour in theatrical lodgings, and
made her own debut as a child dancer at the age of nine at the Brixton
Theatre.
Later, at Christmas, 1911, she was one of 50 girls who appeared at
Olympia in Mr. Charles B. Cochran's spectacular show "The Miracle".
She studied dancing under Mme. Espinosa and had instruction in
elocution and acting under Italia Conti. Christmas of 1912 found her
appearing as principal dancer at the Liverpool Repertory Theatre in
"Fifinella". Thereafter she toured the provinces in various pieces;
and in 1916 she was seen by Lee White and Clay Smith, who in June of
that year brought her to the Vaudeville Theatre as principal dancer
and understudy to Billie Carleton in "Some." She later toured with
this piece in a principal part, and this was her first real stage
success.
Miss Lawrence was then much in demand for musical comedy and revue
parts, in which she danced (as one observer put it) "with magical
lightness". She had a true, clear voice and though not strictly
beautiful, knew how to make the most of her looks. As time went on she
made herself "the ideal musical comedy star". She took a leading part
in "The Midnight Follies" at the Hotel Metropole at Christmas 1922.
Andre Charlot's revues presented her with sundry good opportunities,
and for many years she worked in close collaboration and friendship
with Mr. Noel Coward, whom she had met as a boy actor when she was in
ger early 'teens. In 1930 Mr. Coward wrote "Private Lives" especially
for her, and in it she gave a brilliant and sustained piece of high
comedy acting. Miss Lawrence went to New York in 1924 with "Andre
Charlot's Revue of 1924", and at The Times Theatre endeared herself to
the sophisticated American audiences as she had done in London. Her
United States tour in "Susan and God" (1935) was accounted a dazzling
performance; and she won further laurels in New York in the winter of
1936-37 in Mr. Coward's "To-night at 8.30". Another notable
performance was in "The Skylark" in October, 1939.
Her great popularity in America, where she played in, among other
pieces, "Lady in the Dark" and "Pygmalion", and the work for Ensa
during the war caused her absence from the West End stage for almost
10 years. However, she reappeared in Daphne du Maurier's "September
Tide" at the Aldwych in 1948, displaying all her old charm, and then
again crossed the Atlantic for, as it happened, the last time. At the
time of her death she was captivating New York audiences with her
performance of the governess, Anna, in "The King and I".
Gertrude Lawrence was not only a mistress of light comedy but had a
versatile talent which brought her distinction in a number of serious
parts. She had verve and chic, and a remarkable way of wearing her
clothes that caused Captain Edward Molyneux to give, as his considered
opinion, that she was the ideal subject for haute couture. She was
both slim and graceful.
She was twice married. Her first marriage (to Francis Gordon-Howley)
was dissolved; and in 1940 she married the theatrical producer Mr.
Richard S. Aldrich, who was with her when she died.
Mr. Noel Coward writes:- "This is a brief personal tribute to the
memory of Gertrude Lawrence, my loving and beloved friend both in the
theatre and out of it for 40 years. We first worked together as child
actors in the Playhouse Theatre, Liverpool, in 1912; since then,
whether we have been acting together or not, we have been integrally
part of each other's lives. The last time I saw her was in April. We
lunched together at her house in New York and I promised to write a
play for her to play in England next year. Almost the last words she
said to me were: "I want to come home."
"I wish so very deeply that she had come home and I could have seen
her just once more in a play of mine, for no one I have ever known,
however brilliant and however gifted, as contributed quite what she
contributed to my work. Her quality was, to me, unique and her magic
imperishable. Having acted with her so much and known her so well
there is no trick, mannerisn, intonation, or turn of the head that I
don't know by heart, and yet, watching her, as I have so often watched
her, saying words that have not been written by me in scenes that I
have not directed or even seen rehearsed, she has enslaved me as
completely as if I were an enthusiastic layman seeing her for the
first time."
"An analysis of her talent, however, would require a more detached pen
than mine. I could never be really detached about Gertie if I tried to
the end of my days. We have grown up in the theatre together, and now
she is suddenly dead and I am left with a thousand memories of her,
not one of which will ever fade. I have loved her always, as herself
and as an artist."
END
Michael Rhodes
> <Archive obituary>
>
> <The Times, September 8, 1952>
>
> <MISS GERTRUDE LAWRENCE>
I don't think the obit mentions any movies. Did Gertie do "Private
Lives" on film - - or anything?
--
Michael Rhodes
MKAldin
Message-id: <beb1d3e8.03090...@posting.google.com>
<Archive obituary>
<The Times, September 8, 1952>
<MISS GERTRUDE LAWRENCE>
<She was twice married. Her first marriage (to Francis Gordon-Howley)
was dissolved; and in 1940 she married the theatrical producer Mr.
Richard S. Aldrich, who was with her when she died.>
Odd that there was no mention in the obituary of her only child, Pamela, who is
still alive and well and living in England.