Anna Neagle
Dame Anna Neagle, DBE; actually Florence Marjorie Robertson ( born October 20, 1904 in Forrest Gate, Essex, † June 3, 1986 in West Byfleet, Surrey ) was a British actress.
Life
Trained by her ambitious mother as a child for the stage, Anna Neagle was already 14 years old known as a dancer in various revues and vaudeville. Through his friendship with the producer Herbert Wilcox Neagle increased since 1930, quickly became the UK's best known film star next to Gracie Fields. Earlier in her career, she was seen mostly in operettas such as Goodnight Vienna and Bittersweet, but only with her portrayal of historical figures, she rose to number one in the box office. She starred as Nell Gwyn and played in Queen Victoria and Sixty Glorious Years twice in quick succession to Queen Victoria of Great Britain. At the height of her career, she went in 1939 in the United States, where it was taken from RKO contract. Her performances as Edith Cavell was not well received by press and public as well as their representation frivolous heroines in light musicals such as No, No, Nanette and Irene were not likely to make her an American star. Neagle returned to their homeland in 1942 and was only in 1945 build with I Live in Grosvenor Square on the side of Michael Wilding on their previous successes. As a result, an entire cycle opulently produced romances Neagle and Wilding in all sorts of romantic entanglements was revealed and mostly played in the better society. Neagle was always seen as perfectly dressed lady who occasionally sang a song. The titles of the films were program and Piccadilly Incident, The Courtney 's of Curzon Street and particularly Maytime in Mayfair were among the most successful British productions of the time at all. Occasionally played Neagle again historical figures, the resistance fighter Odette Sanson in the film Odette from 1950 or Florence Nightingale in The Lady with the Lamp of 1951, however unfavorable comparisons with the interpretation of Kay Francis in the version of 1936, The White Angel provoked.
From the mid- 1950s sank the career of Anna Neagle, which was seven times consecutively selected from 1945 to popular film actress of Great Britain, rapidly in mediocrity. You and Wilcox had to declare the end of the decade bankruptcy. Neagle returned to the stage and secured a place in the Guinness Book of World Records by graduated in 2062 consecutive appearances in the hit piece CharliesGirl 1965-1971. 1969 Neagle was appointed Dame of the British Empire. In 1974 she published her autobiography There's Always Tomorrow.
From 1943 until his death Anna Neagle was married to Herbert Wilcox. The marriage remained childless. The actress died at the age of 81 years.
Filmography (selection)
Writings
- There's Always Tomorrow, Allen, London 1974