Gertrude Lawrence
Born	Gertrude Alexandria Dagmar Lawrence-Klasen July 4, 1898(1898-07-04) London, England
Died	September 6, 1952 (aged 54) New York City, New York, USA
Spouse(s)	Francis Gordon-Howley (1924-1927) Richard Aldrich (1940-1952)

Gertrude Lawrence (July 4, 1898 - September 6, 1952) was an actress and musical comedy performer popular from the 1920s to the 1950s, appearing on stage in London, on Broadway and in several films. Events 836 - Pactum Sicardi, peace between the Principality of Benevento and the Duchy of Naples Year 1898 ( MDCCCXCVIII) was a Common year starting on Saturday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Common London ( ˈlʌndən is the capital and largest urban area in the United Kingdom. England is a Country which is part of the United Kingdom. Its inhabitants account for more than 83% of the total UK population whilst its mainland Events 3114 BC - According to the Proleptic Julian calendar the current era in the Maya Long Count Calendar started Year 1952 ( MCMLII) was a Leap year starting on Tuesday (link will display full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. The City of New York The United States of America —commonly referred to as the Events 836 - Pactum Sicardi, peace between the Principality of Benevento and the Duchy of Naples Year 1898 ( MDCCCXCVIII) was a Common year starting on Saturday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Common Events 3114 BC - According to the Proleptic Julian calendar the current era in the Maya Long Count Calendar started Year 1952 ( MCMLII) was a Leap year starting on Tuesday (link will display full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. The 1920s is sometimes referred to as the " Jazz Age " or the " Roaring Twenties " when speaking about the United States and Canada The 1950s Decade refers to the years of 1950 to 1959 inclusive West End theatre is a popular term for mainstream professional theatre staged in the large theatres of London 's "Theatreland" Broadway theater, commonly called simply Broadway, refers to theatrical performances presented in one of the 39 large professional theaters with 500 seats or more located She is often remembered for performing the light comedies of Noel Coward. Sir Noël Peirce Coward ( 16 December 1899 26 March 1973) was an English Actor, Playwright She also sang risque songs by Cole Porter and played characters that dealt with the controversial topics of race relations, atheism and psychoanalysis. Cole Albert Porter (June 9 1891 &ndash October 15 1964 was an American Composer and songwriter from Peru, Indiana. Atheism Psychoanalysis is a body of ideas developed by Austrian physician Sigmund Freud and his followers which is devoted to the study of human psychological functioning and behavior

Contents 1 Early life 2 Career 2.1 Stage work 2.2 Film work 3 Personal life 4 World War II 5 Post-war concerns 6 Unexpected death and funeral 7 Legacy 8 Filmography 9 Broadway 10 References 11 External links

Early life

She was born Gertrude Alexandria Dagmar Lawrence-Klasen, of English and Danish extraction, in London, England, and was a professional performer by the age of ten. London ( ˈlʌndən is the capital and largest urban area in the United Kingdom. England is a Country which is part of the United Kingdom. Its inhabitants account for more than 83% of the total UK population whilst its mainland She had one Jewish grandparent. ^[1] She was sent to Catholic convent schools and attended the Italia Conti Academy. The Italia Conti Academy is Britain's oldest theatre arts training school. She understudied Beatrice Lillie in the Andre Charlot London revues in the 1920s. Along with Jack Buchanan, she introduced Furber and Braham's song "Limehouse Blues" in the 1921 revue "A to Z. Jack Buchanan ( 2 April 1891 – 20 October 1957) born Walter John Buchanan, was a British theatre and film " She achieved stardom when the revues were brought to Broadway in 1924 and 1926. In 1923, She starred in Noël Coward's first musical revue, André Charlot's London Calling!. Sir Noël Peirce Coward ( 16 December 1899 26 March 1973) was an English Actor, Playwright London Calling! was a Musical revue, produced by André Charlot with music and lyrics by Noël Coward which opened at London's Duke of York's Theatre

Career

Lawrence was one of the foremost comediennes of her day, capable of playing both slapstick clowns and elegant ladies. She crossed over briefly into films, primarily in her native England.

Stage work

Lawrence's onstage persona inspired composers and writers. George and Ira Gershwin wrote the musical Oh, Kay! for her, which included her solo number "Someone to Watch Over Me. George Gershwin (September 26 1898 &ndash July 11 1937 was an American Composer. Ira Gershwin ( 6 December 1896 &ndash 17 August 1983) was an American Lyricist who collaborated with his younger Oh Kay! is a musical with music by George Gershwin, lyrics by Ira Gershwin, and a book by Guy Bolton and P " She was the first British actress to have a lead role on Broadway. Cole Porter wrote Nymph Errant for her to star in, which opened in London in 1933. Cole Albert Porter (June 9 1891 &ndash October 15 1964 was an American Composer and songwriter from Peru, Indiana. London ( ˈlʌndən is the capital and largest urban area in the United Kingdom. Noel Coward wrote Private Lives and Tonight at 8:30 (a cycle of nine one-act musicals and plays) for her. Private Lives is a play written by Noel Coward in 1930 Coward who also starred in the first production alongside Gertrude Lawrence and Laurence Olivier Tonight at 830 (1936 is a unique cycle of short plays by Noel Coward, the first production of which was a bold experiment in the history of theatre She starred as Liza Elliot in Moss Hart, Kurt Weill, and Ira Gershwin's psychoanalytical musical Lady in the Dark (played in the film version by Ginger Rogers). Moss Hart ( October 24 1904 &ndash December 20 1961) was an American Playwright and director of plays and Musical WikipediaWikiProject Composers#Lead section --> Kurt Julian Weill ( March 2, 1900 &ndash April 3, Ira Gershwin ( 6 December 1896 &ndash 17 August 1983) was an American Lyricist who collaborated with his younger Lady in the Dark is a Broadway musical written by Kurt Weill (music Ira Gershwin (lyrics and Moss Hart (book and direction Ginger Rogers ( July 16, 1911 &ndash April 25, 1995) was an Academy Award -winning American film and stage actress

In 1946 Lawrence saw the film version of the book Anna and the King of Siam, which she decided would make a perfect musical. Anna and the King of Siam is a 1944 Book by Margaret Landon, a play and a 1956 movie directed by John Cromwell She persuaded the American team of Rodgers and Hammerstein to write it for her. Richard Charles Rodgers ( June 28, 1902, Arverne Queens, New York City &ndash December 30, 1979, New York Oscar Hammerstein II (ˈhæmɚstaɪn (born Oscar Greeley Clendenning Hammerstein) ( July 12, 1895 – August 23, 1960) was The result was The King and I, which introduced such memorable songs as: "Hello Young Lovers," "Getting to Know You" and "Shall We Dance. The King and I is a musical by Richard Rodgers and Oscar Hammerstein II. "

The King and I opened on Broadway in 1951 with Lawrence in the role of Anna Leonowens and it became her greatest success. That same year she received the prestigious "Woman of the Year" award from Harvard University's famed performance troupe, the Hasty Pudding Theatricals. The Hasty Pudding Theatricals, known informally simply as The Pudding, is a theatrical student society at Harvard University, known for its Burlesque In 1952, she won the Tony Award for Best Actress for her role as Anna. The Antoinette Perry Awards for Excellence in Theatre, more commonly known as the Tony Awards, recognize achievement in live American Theatre and are presented From the fall of 1950 to the spring of 1952 she was a professor of theater at Columbia University. Columbia University is a private University in the United States and a member of the Ivy League. Lawrence died a year-and-a-half after The King and I opened on Broadway. Her understudy, Constance Carpenter, succeeded her. While Lawrence was hospitalized at the end of her life, she requested that Yul Brynner, who played the king and had been an unknown until the show opened, should have his name displayed on the marquee of the St. James Theatre, which showed only Lawrence's name at that time. Yul Brynner (July 11 1920 – October 10 1985 was a Russian born Actor of stage and film, perhaps best known for his portrayal of the The St James Theatre is located at 246 W 44th St Broadway, New York City, New York. ^[1]

Film work

Lawrence made several films in the early sound era of British films. She appeared opposite Laurence Olivier in No Funny Business in 1933 and opposite Douglas Fairbanks, Jr. in 1935's Mimi, a non-musical version of La Boheme. Laurence Kerr Olivier Baron Douglas Elton Fairbanks Jr, KBE, DSC ( December 9, 1909 &ndash May 7, 2000) was an American Actor She appeared in Rembrandt, opposite Charles Laughton and Elsa Lanchester. Rembrandt is a 1936 British Biographical film made by London Film Productions of the life of 17th century Dutch painter Charles Laughton ( 1 July, 1899 &ndash 15 December, 1962) was an English Academy Award -winning stage and Elsa Sullivan Lanchester (born October 28, 1902 - December 26, 1986) was an Oscar -nominated English character

Lawrence never became a star in Hollywood. She filmed a short musical number there for the movie Stage Door Canteen, which also featured Peggy Lee and Benny Goodman. Stage Door Canteen ( 1943) is a Musical film produced by Sol Lesser Productions and distributed by United Artists. Peggy Lee ( May 26, 1920 – January 21, 2002) was an American Jazz and popular music singer and Songwriter This wartime movie is essentially a filmed concert with dozens of cameos.

Lawrence's only other work in Hollywood was playing Amanda Wingfield in The Glass Menagerie. The Glass Menagerie is a play by Tennessee Williams that was originally written as a screenplay for MGM, to whom Williams was contracted This first screen treatment of a Tennessee Williams play co-starred Kirk Douglas as the Gentleman Caller and Jane Wyman as Laura Wingfield. Thomas Lanier Williams III (March 26 1911 &ndash February 25 1983 better known as Tennessee Williams, was a major American playwright who received many of the top theatrical Kirk Douglas (born Issur Danielovitch; December 9, Jane Wyman ( January 5, 1917 &ndash September 10, 2007) was an American actress. It was a box-office success in 1950 even though many critics hated the happy ending that differed greatly from the one Williams presented onstage. The film was very rarely shown on television before the advent of basic cable channels, by which time it was overshadowed by made-for-TV versions of the play that left Williams' ending intact, including one with Katharine Hepburn as Amanda. Katharine Houghton Hepburn (May 12 1907 – June 29 2003 was an American actress of film television and stage

Lawrence was offered the role of Margo Channing in All About Eve, which eventually went to Bette Davis. All About Eve is a Drama film, written and directed by Joseph L Ruth Elizabeth "Bette" Davis (April 5 1908 – October 6 1989 was an American actress of Film, Television and Theatre. ^[2]

Personal life

Lawrence married Francis Gordon-Howley, a director in London's West End theater district, during World War I. West End theatre is a popular term for mainstream professional theatre staged in the large theatres of London 's "Theatreland" Before their divorce in 1928, the couple had a daughter, Pamela. Pamela moved to the United States during World War II and married a doctor who practiced on New York's Upper East Side. Their marriage ended in divorce, and the doctor did not see his mother-in-law (Lawrence) again until the day she died in a hospital across the street from his office.

In 1928, Gertrude Lawrence announced her engagement to Bertrand L. Taylor Jr. , a New York stockbroker, but the marriage was eventually called off. Lawrence then married Richard Aldrich, an American theater owner and producer from a blueblood family in Massachusetts, on July 4, 1940. Events 836 - Pactum Sicardi, peace between the Principality of Benevento and the Duchy of Naples Year 1940 ( MCMXL) was a Leap year starting on Monday (link will display the full 1940 calendar of the Gregorian calendar. They remained married until her death. A Harvard graduate, Aldrich owned several legitimate theaters, including the Cape Playhouse in Dennis, Massachusetts, then as now the oldest summer theater in the United States. Dennis Massachusetts is also a census designated place Dennis is a town in Barnstable County, Massachusetts

In between her marriages, Lawrence allegedly had an affair with film star Douglas Fairbanks Jr. with whom she worked. Douglas Elton Fairbanks Jr, KBE, DSC ( December 9, 1909 &ndash May 7, 2000) was an American Actor She allegedly had lesbian affairs, including possible ones with the British novelist Dame Daphne du Maurier, and with Beatrice Lillie who, when referring to Lawrence, supposedly said: "I knew her better than her husband. Daphne du Maurier Lady Browning DBE ( 13 May, 1907 – 19 April, 1989) (ˈdæfnɪ du ˈmɒɹieɪ was a British " Du Maurier's passionate letters about Lawrence were published in a 1993 biography of the novelist. Lawrence might have had a connection to du Maurier's father, Sir Gerald du Maurier. Sir Gerald Hubert Edward Busson du Maurier ( 26 March 1873 &ndash 11 April 1934) was a British actor and manager Daphne du Maurier referred to Lawrence as "the last of Daddy's actress loves. "

Lawrence's marriages were reported by newspapers and magazines during her lifetime, but alleged affairs with the du Maurier family and with Beatrice Lillie were not mentioned by journalists. A posthumous biography written by her husband, Richard Aldrich, makes no mention of the alleged affairs. After he wrote the book, which became a bestseller in 1955, Aldrich had little to do with the entertainment business. He did not seek publicity again regarding his memories of Lawrence during the 33 years that he survived her.

World War II

Richard Aldrich became a lieutenant in the U. S. Navy during World War II, during which time his wife became one of the most active entertainers at the New York club portrayed in the Hollywood film Stage Door Canteen. Stage Door Canteen ( 1943) is a Musical film produced by Sol Lesser Productions and distributed by United Artists. In the spring of 1944, Lawrence, at home in Dennis, Massachusetts near the Cape Playhouse owned by Aldrich, had a standing invitation from the head of her native Britain's Entertainments National Service Association to perform for British troops. Dennis Massachusetts is also a census designated place Dennis is a town in Barnstable County, Massachusetts The Entertainments National Service Association, or ENSA was an organisation set up in 1939 by Basil Dean and Leslie Henson to provide entertainment Her obstacle was getting to England. As Lawrence wrote in her 1945 memoir, "After weeks of more or less patient waiting, repeated timid, pleading, urgent, and finally importunate requests to the authorities who rule such matters in Washington and London, and a rapid-fire barrage of telegrams, cables, and telephone calls, it had happened. At last I had permission to do what I had been wanting desperately to do for four years — go to England and do my bit on a tour for E. N. S. A. "^[3]

Lawrence's attorney had managed to book the actress on a British Airways flight from Washington, DC to London that lasted 36 hours, including two refueling stops. British Airways plc ( is the national Airline and Flag carrier of the United Kingdom and one of the largest in Europe When Lawrence boarded the plane she discovered that she and Ernest Hemingway were two of the few passengers without diplomatic passports. Ernest Miller Hemingway (July 21 1899 — July 2 1961 was an American novelist short-story writer, and Journalist. Hours after landing near London, she performed with E. N. S. A. for British and American troops who, it turned out, had been deployed for the imminent D-Day invasion at Normandy. D-Day may also refer to Decimal Day in the United Kingdom. D-Day is a term often used in Military parlance to denote Normandy (Normandie Norman: Normaundie) is a geographical region corresponding to the former Duchy of Normandy. Lawrence's husband Richard Aldrich was among them. As Allied forces scored more victories in the South Pacific later that year, Lawrence endured long plane rides and dangerous conditions to perform for troops there. ^[2]

Post-war concerns

After World War II ended, Lawrence and Aldrich returned to their homes in Dennis, Massachusetts and New York. Dennis Massachusetts is also a census designated place Dennis is a town in Barnstable County, Massachusetts Lawrence became the first notable client of a pioneering African-American limousine owner/driver named Roosevelt Zanders. Roosevelt Zanders (1910 &ndash 1995 was a pioneering African-American owner of New York City Limousine service Zanders Auto Rental Service ^[4]

In early 1946, Lawrence toured with Pygmalion (play), playing in Washington, DC. Pygmalion (1913 is a play by George Bernard Shaw based on the Greek myth of the same name. Bringing her African-American personal assistant with her, Lawrence argued with the managers of several DC hotels who refused to let the two women check in. ^[2]

Unexpected death and funeral

In August 1952, two days after performing in The King and I without faltering on the stage, Lawrence was admitted to New York Hospital, today known as Weill Medical Center, with a diagnosis of liver cancer. The Weill Cornell Medical College of Cornell University, formerly named the Joan and Sanford I Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC also called hepatoma) is a primary malignancy (cancer of the Liver. Her former son-in-law was a physician with an office across the street from the hospital. Having lost contact with her years earlier, he did not visit her because the hospital staff expected her to recover. ^[1] After three weeks in a private room, however, Lawrence unexpectedly slipped into a coma before she could be transferred to intensive care. Her former son-in-law and other doctors and nurses "managed to get [Lawrence] out of shock,"^[1] as he recalled many years later. She opened her eyes, seemed puzzled by her former son-in-law's presence and then she died at the age of 54. The medical staff was surprised when they conducted an autopsy and discovered that Lawrence's cancer had spread far beyond the liver. ^[1] She had been able to dance around her hospital room one week earlier until her husband had lifted her up and returned her to bed. ^[2]

Gertrude Lawrence's funeral was described by the New York Times as follows. "Five thousand persons jammed the area of Fifth Avenue and Fifty-fifth Street yesterday [Tuesday, Sept. 9] as 1,800 others filled the flower-banked auditorium of the Fifth Avenue Presbyterian Church for the funeral of Gertrude Lawrence. "^[5]

In the eulogy he delivered, Oscar Hammerstein II quoted from an essay on death written by the poet and novelist Rabindranath Tagore. Oscar Hammerstein II (ˈhæmɚstaɪn (born Oscar Greeley Clendenning Hammerstein) ( July 12, 1895 – August 23, 1960) was ^[5] The 1,800 mourners inside the church included Yul Brynner, her co-star in The King And I, many child actors who played the Siamese king's children, John Davis Lodge, who was then governor of Connecticut, Marlene Dietrich, Tom Ewell, Phil Silvers, Luise Rainer, Moss Hart and his wife Kitty Carlisle. John Davis Lodge ( October 20, 1903 – October 29, 1985) United States Republican politician was governor of Connecticut Marlene Dietrich maɐˈleːnə ˈdiːtrɪç (December 27 &ndashMay 6) was a German -born American Actress, Singer and Entertainer Tom Ewell ( April 29 1909 - September 12, 1994) was an American Tony Award -winning Actor. Phil Silvers ( May 11, 1911 &ndash November 1, 1985) was an American entertainer and Comedy actor Luise Rainer (born January 12, 1910) is a two-time Academy Award -winning German Film Actress. Moss Hart ( October 24 1904 &ndash December 20 1961) was an American Playwright and director of plays and Musical Kitty Carlisle Hart (also billed as Kitty Carlisle; September 3, 1910 &ndash April 17, 2007) was an American Singer Daphne du Maurier was not in the long list of attendees reported by the Times. ^[5] Lawrence was buried in the champagne-colored gown worn during the "Shall We Dance?" number from the second act of The King and I in the Aldrich family plot in Lakeview Cemetery in Upton, Massachusetts. The King and I is a musical by Richard Rodgers and Oscar Hammerstein II. Upton is a town in Worcester County, Massachusetts, United States. The cemetery is near the house in Dennis where Lawrence and Aldrich had lived. In his posthumous biography of his wife, Aldrich claimed she was always nice to locals who recognized her while the couple strolled near his Cape Playhouse. The book includes a photograph of her wearing sunglasses and chatting with a passerby. ^[2]

Legacy

In early 1953, Lawrence's name was on a list of Columbia University professors who had died the previous year and were honored with a memorial service and flags on the campus lowered to half-staff. Columbia University is a private University in the United States and a member of the Ivy League. Another professor on the list was John Dewey, the philosopher and educational reformer. John Dewey (October 20 1859 &ndash June 1 1952 was an American Philosopher, Psychologist, and educational reformer, whose thoughts and ideas have ^[6]

In the musical biopic 1968 film, Star!, loosely based on her life, Lawrence was portrayed by Julie Andrews. Year 1968 ( MCMLXVIII) was a Leap year starting on Monday (link will display full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. Star! is a 1968 American Musical film Biography. William Fairchild 's Screenplay is based on the life of Gertrude Dame Julie Elizabeth Andrews, DBE (born Julia Elizabeth Wells on October 1 1935) is an award-winning English Actress Richard Crenna played the part of Richard Aldrich, who worked as a consultant on the movie. Richard Donald Crenna ( November 30, 1926 – January 17, 2003) was an American Film, Television and A failure at the box office and with critics, the film became Andrews' last Hollywood musical.

The Paley Center for Media has kinescopes and written research material reflecting that Gertrude Lawrence was one of the first stars of either Broadway or Hollywood to appear on the new medium of television. The Paley Center for Media, formerly The Museum of Television & Radio ( MT&R) and The Museum of Broadcasting, founded in 1975 by William S Kinescope (ˈkɪnɨskoʊp originally referred to the Cathode ray tube used in Television receivers as named by inventor Vladimir Zworykin in 1929 In 1938, Lawrence took a night off from performing Susan and God to a packed Broadway audience so she could broadcast some scenes from this play inside a primitive TV studio. When TV broadcasting resumed after World War II and spread with the networks, Lawrence made some live appearances in 1950 and 1951, including an The Ed Sullivan Show segment in which she and Rodgers and Hammerstein performed selections from The King and I. The Ed Sullivan Show was an American television Variety show that ran from June 20, 1948 to June 6, The King and I is a musical by Richard Rodgers and Oscar Hammerstein II.

Lawrence is rarely seen in the electronic media today. Turner Classic Movies and other basic cable channels have revived her British-made film Rembrandt. Turner Classic Movies ( TCM) is a cable television channel featuring commercial -free classic movies mostly from the Turner Entertainment and Warner In 1992, American Movie Classics revived The Glass Menagerie, the only Hollywood film in which she starred. AMC is a cable television network that primarily airs movies The letters originally stood for American Movie Classics. Immediately after the closing credits, the channel's host Bob Dorian summarized Lawrence's long career for cable viewers who might not have been familiar with her.

Lawrence's grandson is Benn Clatworthy, a jazz saxophonist who was born after Lawrence died. Born to Lawrence's daughter, Pamela (who had returned to her native England after her divorce from the New York doctor) and her second husband, Clatworthy performs often at jazz clubs in his home base of Los Angeles.

Filmography

Year	Title	Role	Notes
1929	Early Mourning
	The Battle of Paris	Georgie
1932	Aren't We All?	Margot
	Lord Camber's Ladies	Lady Camber
1933	No Funny Business	Yvonne
1935	Mimi	Mimi
1929	Rembrandt	Geertje Dirx
	Men Are Not Gods	Barbara Halson
1950	The Glass Menagerie	Amanda Wingfield

Broadway

• Andre Charlot's Revue of 1924 - 1924
• Charlot Revue - 1925
• Oh, Kay! - 1926
• Treasure Girl - 1928
• Candle Light - 1929
• The International Review - 1930
• Private Lives - 1931
• Tonight at 8:30 - 1936
• Hands Across the Sea
• Red Peppers
• The Astonished Heart
• We Were Dancing
• Shadow Play
• Fumed Oak
• Ways and Means
• Family Album
• Still Life
• Susan and God - 1937
• Skylark
• Lady in the Dark - 1941
• Gratefully Yours - 1942
• Pygmalion - 1945
• The King and I - 1951

Awards
Preceded by Ethel Merman for Call Me Madam	Tony Award for Best Leading Actress in a Musical 1952 for The King and I	Succeeded by Rosalind Russell for Wonderful Town

References

External links

• Gertrude Lawrence's Internet Broadway Database page
• Gertrude Lawrence's Internet Movie Database page

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