Anna Neagle

b. Marjorie Robertson, 20 Oct 1904, Forest Gate, London, Britain, d. 3 June 1986, Surrey, Britain. Perhaps one of the most favorite and durable performers in the annals of United kingdom showbusiness, Neagle was an celebrity, dancer and vocalist in Western world End musicals and United kingdom films, using a profession spanning a lot more than 60 years. She got dance lessons as a kid, and made an appearance in the chorus of Charlot’s Revue and an identical production, Techniques, in 1925. In the past due 20s she undertook even more chorus function in Rose Marie, The Charlot Present Of 1926, The Desert Tune and two London Pavilion revues as you of ‘Mr Cochran’s Little Ladies’. Until then she have been mainly a dancer, but she created additional in 1931 when she got the ingénue business lead opposite Jack port Buchanan in the strike musical comedy OPERATE And Sing, duetting with him for the wonderful ‘There’s Often Tomorrow’. Herbert Wilcox created and aimed her initial film musical, Goodnight Vienna, in 1932, & most of her following pictures, and both were wedded in 1943. Aswell as making several acclaimed dramatic movies through the 30s, Neagle continuing to surface in display screen musicals like the Small Damozel, Bitter Lovely, The Queen’s Affair, Limelight and London Melody (1939). From 1940-41 she and Wilcox had been in America to create films such as for example Irene (where she sang and danced towards the wonderful ‘Alice Blue Dress’), No, No, Nanette and Sunny. They came back to England to produce a group of light and frothy passionate comedies, with the casual musical number, including Spring In Recreation area Street, The Courtneys Of Curzon Road and Maytime In Mayfair (1949). Neagle’s main character was Michael Wilding, which magical partnership guaranteed that the movies had been among the Uk cinema’s top package office attractions of that time period. In the 50s Neagle came back to the level for The Glorious Times (1953), co-starred with Errol Flynn (of most people) in the film edition of that display, Lilacs In The Springtime; and also made an appearance in the display adaptation of Ruler’s Rhapsody. She after that kicked up her pumps with popular vocalist Frankie Vaughan in THE GIRL Is usually A Square (1958). That was her last appearance on display, although she do produce three even more of Vaughan’s movies, These Harmful Years, Wonderful Points! and Center Of A GUY. In the first 60s Wilcox proceeded to go bankrupt when his film organization and several from the few’s other businesses failed. A part of their salvation arrived by means of David Heneker’s smash strike musical Charlie Lady (1965). Neagle remained with the present – in addition to the periodic holiday – throughout its work of over 2, 000 shows and following tours. On your day it had been announced that she was to be produced a Dame from the United kingdom Empire, the ensemble of Charlie Young lady amazed her by performing ‘There Is NOTHING BEATS A Dame’ by the end from the night time’s overall performance. In 1973 the brand new Broadway creation of No, No, Nanette found its way to London, and Neagle performed the role that were used by Ruby Keeler in NY. Four years later on Wilcox passed away, but Neagle continuing to function. In 1977 she was back the Western world End using the musical Maggie; in 1978 she toured as Henry Higgins’ mom within a revival of My Good Female, and in 1982 she performed in the pantomime Cinderella on the Richmond Theater. It had been as the Fairy Godmother in Cinderella that she produced her last stage bow on the London Palladium at Xmas 1985. A couple weeks after it shut she went right into a Surrey nursing house to rest, and passed away there in June.