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May Whitty

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Dame Mary Louise Webster, (née Whitty; 19 June 1865 – 29 May 1948), known professionally as May Whitty and later, for her charity work, Dame May Whitty, was an English stage and film actress. She was one of the first two women entertainers to become a Dame. The British actors' union Equity was established in her home in 1930.

Her film roles included Alfred Hitchcock's thriller The Lady Vanishes (1938) in which she played Miss Froy, a British spy posing as a governess who disappears on a train. After a successful career both on the West End stage and in British films, she moved over to Hollywood films at the age of 72.

BackgroundEdit

Whitty was born in Liverpool, England, to William Alfred Whitty (circa 1837–1876), a newspaper proprietor,<ref>L.H.J., "Histrionic Geography", The Stage (2 March 1893), p. 9.</ref> and Mary Louisa (née Ashton, circa 1837–1894). Her grandfather was Michael James Whitty, Chief Constable in Liverpool and founder of the Liverpool Daily Post.Template:Sfn She made her first stage appearance in Liverpool in 1881, later moving to London to appear in the West End.Template:Sfn

She married the actor-manager Ben Webster on 3 August 1892 in St Giles's Parish Church, London.<ref>Grimalkin, "Chit Chat", The Stage (4 August 1892), p. 11.</ref> In 1895 they visited the United States, where Whitty appeared on Broadway. Their first child, a son, died at birth. Their only surviving child, a daughter born in New York in 1905, Margaret Webster, was a producer who held dual US and UK citizenship. She was chair of the Actresses' Franchise League (AFL).Template:Sfn

Whitty's stage career continued for the rest of her life. In March 1910, she made her transition to middle-aged and elderly character roles, playing Amelia Madras in Harley Granville-Barker's four-act comedy The Madras House.Template:Sfn During World War I she was active in the AFL, working there to help organize the Women's Emergency Corps.<ref name="Law2000">Template:Cite book</ref> In March 1922, she played the role of Mrs. Bennet before the Queen in a benefit performance of Pride and Prejudice. She acted opposite her husband, who played Mr. Darcy.<ref name="Looser106">Template:Cite book</ref>

HonoursEdit

In the 1918 New Year Honours, she was made a Dame Commander of the Order of the British Empire (DBE, gazetted under her legal married name Mary Louise Webster) in recognition of her charitable work during the First World War for the Three Arts Women's Employment Fund and the British Women's Hospitals Committee.Template:Sfn She was the first stage and film actress to receive a damehood, along with the opera singer Nellie Melba, who was also thus honoured in 1918.Template:Sfn<ref>"War Honours", The Times, 8 January 1918, p. 7</ref>

Film career and deathEdit

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Whitty made her Hollywood film debut at the age of 72, recreating her 1935 stage role in the Hollywood film Night Must Fall (1937), which also starred Robert Montgomery and Rosalind Russell. She received an Oscar nomination. This led to several supporting roles in films, including that of the vanishing lady, Miss Froy, in Alfred Hitchcock's The Lady Vanishes (1938).Template:Sfn

In 1939, Whitty permanently moved to the United States - although she never became a US citizen; and appeared both on stage and in Hollywood films, usually playing wealthy dowagers. It was one such part, as Lady Beldon in Mrs. Miniver (1942), that brought her a second Academy Award nomination for Best Supporting Actress.Template:Sfn

She continued to act for the remainder of her life, and died on 29 May 1948 in Beverly Hills, California, from cancer at the age of 82;Template:Sfn her husband had died the previous year during surgery. She is commemorated with a plaque at St Paul's parish church in Covent Garden, London, alongside the plaque to her husband.

Stage rolesEdit

Dates are of the first performance.

Date (year, month, day) Title Author(s) City Theatre Role
1890-02-14 The Home Feud Walter Frith London Comedy Helen JoliffeTemplate:Sfn
1890-07-04 Vanity of Vanities Justin Huntly McCarthy London Shaftesbury Princess NicholasTemplate:Sfn
1891-01-07 Private Enquiry F. C. Burnand (based on Albert Valabrègue's La Sécurité des Familles) London Royal Strand Mrs. BuckleighTemplate:Sfn
1891-02-14 Turned Up Mark Melford London Royal Strand Sabina MedwayTemplate:Sfn
1891-04-01 Linda Grey Sir Charles L. Young London Princes Lady BroughtonTemplate:Sfn
1891-04-15 Our Daughters T.G. Warren & Willie Edouin London Royal Strand Nellie MayhewTemplate:Sfn
1891-07-01 Mrs. Annesley J. F. Cooke London Criterion Estelle BrandrethTemplate:Sfn
1891-07-27 Fate and Fortune, or, The Junior Partner James J. Blood London Princess's Grace HasluckTemplate:Sfn
1892-01-06 The Showman's Daughter Frances Hodgson Burnett London Royalty Linda HurstTemplate:Sfn
1892-02-16 The Silver Shield Sydney Grundy London Vaudeville Lucy PrestonTemplate:Sfn
1892-05-10 A Caprice Justin Huntly McCarthy, adapted from Alfred de Musset's Un Caprice London Vaudeville MathildeTemplate:Sfn
1892-05-25 The Noble Art Eille Norwood London Terry's Gertie FullaloveTemplate:Sfn
1892-05-26 In the Season Langdon Elwyn Mitchell London Vaudeville Sybil MarchTemplate:Sfn
1892-09-14 Our Boys Henry James Byron London Vaudeville Mary MelroseTemplate:Sfn
1893-01-28 The Guv'Nor Robert Reece (writing under the pseudonym E.G. Lankester) London Vaudeville AureliaTemplate:Sfn
1893-02-16 Flight Walter Frith London Terry's Mrs. AmherstTemplate:Sfn
1893-06-09 The Younger Son R.S. Sievier London Gaiety Evelyn BrookfieldTemplate:Sfn
1893-06-19 The Adventures of a Night Meyrick Milton, adaptated from Los Empenos de Seis Horas by Pedro Calderón de la Barca London Royal Strand Donna BiancaTemplate:Sfn
1893-12-21 Beauty's Toils Charles S. Fawcett, founded on Her Fatal Beauty by W.B. Maxell London Royal Strand Ethel CummingTemplate:Sfn
1894-07-02 Our Flot Mrs. H. Musgrave London Royal Strand Margery SylvesterTemplate:Sfn
1895-03-12 A Loving Legacy Fred W. Sidney London Royal Strand Kitty O'RourkeTemplate:Sfn
1895-04-15 Fanny George Robert Sims and Cecil Raleigh London Royal Strand Grace DormerTemplate:Sfn
1895-04-15 The Backslider Osmond Shillingford London Royal Strand Mrs. Agatha DolomiteTemplate:Sfn
1895-06-27 Louis XI Dion Boucicault, adaptated by Saimir Delavigne London Lyceum MarieTemplate:Sfn
1895-07-12 The Lyons Mail Charles Reader, adaptation of Le Courrier de Lyon by Émile Moreau, Giraudin & Delacour London Lyceum Julie LesurquesTemplate:Sfn
1895-07-15 The Corsican Brothers Dion Boucicault, adaptation of Alexandre Dumas's The Corsican Brothers London Lyceum Emelie de l'EsparreTemplate:Sfn
1895-07-24 Macbeth William Shakespeare London Lyceum A gentlewomanTemplate:Sfn
1896-12-03 A Princess of Orange Fred James London Lyceum Louise, Princess of OrangeTemplate:Sfn
1896-12-10 An Old Song Rev. Freeman Wills and A. Fitzmaurice King London Criterion Signora Sara RosettiTemplate:Sfn
1897-12-23 Secret Service: A Romance of the Southern Confederacy William Gillette London Adelphi Edith VarneyTemplate:Sfn
1898-12-03 Cupboard Love Henry V. Esmond London Court Rosamond PillinerTemplate:Sfn
1899-06-06 The Heather Field Edward Martyn London Terry's Grace TyrrellTemplate:Sfn
1899-09-04 The Last Chapter George H. Broadhurst London Royal Strand Katherine BlakeTemplate:Sfn
1901-05-11 Toff Jim Fred Wright London Apollo PrimroseTemplate:Sfn
1908-01-20 Irene Wycherley Anthony P. Wharton New York Astor Carrie HardingeTemplate:Sfn
1910-03-01 The Sentimentalists George Meredith London Duke of York's Dame DresdenTemplate:Sfn
1910-03-10 The Madras House Harley Granville-Barker London Duke of York's Amelia MadrasTemplate:Sfn
1910-04-05 Trelawny of the Wells Arthur Wing Pinero London Duke of York's Miss Trafalgar GowerTemplate:Sfn
1910-11-18 The Home Coming Cicely Hamilton London Aldwych Mrs. DalyTemplate:Sfn
1911-05-08 The First Actress Christabel Marshall London Kingsway Peg WoffingtonTemplate:Sfn
1911-05-12 The Baron's Wager Charles Young London Playhouse Clothislde, Marquise de MarsayTemplate:Sfn
1912-02-01 The Bear-Leaders R. C. Carton London Comedy Dowager Countess of GrimsdalTemplate:Sfn
1912-02-09 Edith Elizabeth Baker London Princess's Mrs. StottTemplate:Sfn
1912-08-12 Ready Money James Montgomery London New Mrs. John TylerTemplate:Sfn
1913-03-31 A Matter of Money (first played in Glasgow under the title The Cutting of the Know) Cicely Hamilton London Little Mrs. ChanningTemplate:Sfn
1913-03-11 Open Windows A.E.W. Mason London St. James's Lady CluffeTemplate:Sfn
1913-10-04 The Grand Seigneur Edward Ferris and Bertram P. Matthews London Savoy Comtesse MaliseTemplate:Sfn
1914-09-08 The Impossible Woman C. Haddon Chambers London Savoy Mrs. TalcotTemplate:Sfn
1915-04-15 The Green Flag Keble Howard London Vaudeville Mrs. KestevenTemplate:Sfn
1915-10-16 Iris Intervenes John Hastings Turner London Kingsway Mary CumbersTemplate:Sfn
1916-02-28 The Arm of the Law Arthur Bourchier, adapted from La Robe Rouge by Eugène Brieux London His Majesty's Mme. VagretTemplate:Sfn
1916-05-28 The Eternal Snows Michael Orme [pseudonym of Alix Augusta Grein] London Criterion Mary ChartwellTemplate:Sfn
1917-04-09 The Passing of the Third Floor Back Jerome K. Jerome London Playhouse Cheat, Mrs. Sharpe, Lady of the HouseTemplate:Sfn
1917-07-27 Trelawny of the Wells Arthur W. Pinero London New Miss Trafalgar GowerTemplate:Sfn
1917-09-07 Trelawny of the Wells Arthur W. Pinero London New Miss Trafalgar GowerTemplate:Sfn
1922-03-01 The Enchanted Cottage Arthur Pinero London Duke of York's Mrs. CorsellisTemplate:Sfn
1922-03-24 Pride and Prejudice Eileen H.A. Squire & J.C. Squire, adapted from Jane Austen's novel London Palace Mrs. BennettTemplate:Sfn
1922-05-18 Life's a Game Michael Orme [pseud. Alix Augusta Grein] London Kingsway Lady RaundsTemplate:Sfn
1922-12-04 Destruction Agnese de Llana London Royalty Ella SingletonTemplate:Sfn
1924-09-18 The Fool Channing Pollock London Apollo Mrs. Henry GilliamTemplate:Sfn
1925-05-11 My Lady's Dress Edward Knblock London Adelphi La GrisaTemplate:Sfn
1925-06-22 March Hares (The Temperamentalists) Harry Wagstaff Gribble London Little Mrs. Janet RodneyTemplate:Sfn
1925-09-22 The Last of Mrs. Cheyney Frederick Lonsdale London St. James's Mrs. EbleyTemplate:Sfn
1927-12-27 Sylvia James Dyrenforth London Vaudeville Mrs. ConsidineTemplate:Sfn
1928-04-19 Come With Me Basil Dean and Margaret Kennedy London New Lady Alethea ZaidnerTemplate:Sfn
1929-06-01 Sybarites H. Dennis Bradley London Arts Lady ByfleetTemplate:Sfn
1929-07-24 Gentlemen of the Jury Francis A. Campton London Arts Lady BlakeneyTemplate:Sfn
1929-09-05 Dear Brutus J. M. Barrie London Playhouse Mrs. CoadeTemplate:Sfn
1929-12-03 The Major Explains W.R. Walkes London Prince of Wales [unnamed role]Template:Sfn
1929-12-03 The Amorists H. Dennis Bradley London Royalty Lady ByfleetTemplate:Sfn
1930-12-26 A Business Marriage Anonymous London Court Mrs. Mabley JonesTemplate:Sfn
1931-10-12 There's Always Juliet John Van Druten London Apollo FlorenceTemplate:Sfn
1931-10-12 There's Always Juliet John Van Druten New York Empire citation CitationClass=web

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1932-08-16 Behold, We Live John van Druten London St. James's Dame Frances EversTemplate:Sfn
1932-10-02 Please Don't Be Nervous Ann Stephenson London Shaftesbury MotherTemplate:Sfn
1933-08-08 In Vino Veritas Walter Hudd London Arts OakleyTemplate:Sfn
1933-08-08 The Long Christmas Dinner Thornton Wilder London Arts Mother BayardTemplate:Sfn
1933-08-01 The Lake Dorothy Massingham (with Murray Macdonald) London Arts Mildred SurregeTemplate:Sfn
1933-08-01 The Lake Dorothy Massingham (with Murray Macdonald) London Westminster Mildred SurregeTemplate:Sfn
1933-11-29 Man Proposes Warren Chetham-Strode London Wyndham's Mary RailtonTemplate:Sfn
1934-05-03 The Voysey Inheritance Harley Granville-Barker London Sadler's Wells Mrs. VoyseyTemplate:Sfn
1934-06-14 Meeting At Night Marjorie Sharp London Globe Mrs. CrowboroughTemplate:Sfn
1934-07-04 The Maitlands Ronald Mackenzie London Wyndham's May MaitlandTemplate:Sfn
1934-11-08 It Happened To Adam David Boehm London Duke of York's Mrs. SloaneTemplate:Sfn
1935-03-11 Ringmaster Keith Winter London Shaftesbury Mrs. WestTemplate:Sfn
1935-04-07 One Must Go On George Porter London Comedy Mrs. John BrownTemplate:Sfn
1935-05-31 Night Must Fall Emlyn Williams London Duchess Mrs. BramsonTemplate:Sfn
1935-12-01 Farm of Three Echoes Noel Langley London Wyndham's Ouma GerartTemplate:Sfn
1936-09-28 Night Must Fall Emlyn Williams New York Ethel Barrymore Mrs. BramsonTemplate:Sfn
1938-01-10 Your Obedient Husband Horace Jackson New York Broadhurst citation CitationClass=web

}}</ref>

1938-05-23 Here's To Our Enterprise Edward Knoblock London Lyceum [herself]Template:Sfn
1940-05-09 Romeo and Juliet William Shakespeare New York 51st Street citation CitationClass=web

}}</ref>

1941-04-08 The Trojan Women Euripides New York Cort citation CitationClass=web

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1945-10-09 Therese Thomas Job, based on Thérèse Raquin by Émile Zola New York Biltmore citation CitationClass=web

}}</ref>

FilmographyEdit

See the British Film Institute.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> Template:Div col

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See alsoEdit

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ReferencesEdit

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Works consultedEdit

Further readingEdit

External linksEdit

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