Betty Compton (born Violet Halling Compton; May 13, 1904 – July 12, 1944), was an English actress and singer, who married New York City mayor

Jimmy Walker James John Walker (June 19, 1881November 18, 1946), known colloquially as Beau James, was mayor of New York City from 1926 to 1932. A flamboyant politician, he was a liberal Democrat and part of the powerful Tammany Hall machine. He was forced t ...

in 1933. Compton was born Violet Halling Compton in Sandown,

Isle of Wight The Isle of Wight ( ) is a Counties of England, county in the English Channel, off the coast of Hampshire, from which it is separated by the Solent. It is the List of islands of England#Largest islands, largest and List of islands of England#Mo ...

. She moved to Canada with her parents when she was seven years old. She studied singing in New York City with Estelle Liebling. A member of the

Ziegfeld Follies The ''Ziegfeld Follies'' was a series of elaborate theatrical revue productions on Broadway in New York City from 1907 to 1931, with renewals in 1934 and 1936. They became a radio program in 1932 and 1936 as ''The Ziegfeld Follies of the Ai ...

, she appeared in the original stage production of ''

Funny Face ''Funny Face'' is a 1957 American musical romantic comedy film directed by Stanley Donen and written by Leonard Gershe, containing assorted songs by George and Ira Gershwin. Although having the same title as the 1927 Broadway musical ''Funny ...

'' (1927) alongside

Fred Astaire Fred Astaire (born Frederick Austerlitz; May 10, 1899 – June 22, 1987) was an American dancer, choreographer, actor, and singer. He is often called the greatest dancer in Hollywood film history. Astaire's career in stage, film, and tele ...

and

Adele Astaire Adele Astaire Douglass (born Adele Marie Austerlitz, later known as Lady Charles Cavendish; September 10, 1896 – January 25, 1981), was an American dancer, stage actress, and singer. After beginning work as a dancer and vaudeville perfor ...

, as well as '' Oh, Kay!'' in 1926. Compton married film dialog director Edward D. Dowling on February 16, 1931, in Cuernavaca, Mexico, and they were divorced in that city on March 20, 1931. She had received a divorce from a previous marriage in 1923. She married Walker on April 18, 1933, in Cannes, France. On May 11, 1942, Compton married consulting engineer Theodore Knappen in Jersey City. That was her fourth wedding. She and Knappen had a son, Theodore Compton Knappen. She and Walker adopted a son, James J. Walker II, and a daughter, Mary Ann Walker. On July 12, 1944, Compton died of

breast cancer Breast cancer is cancer that develops from breast tissue. Signs of breast cancer may include a lump in the breast, a change in breast shape, dimpling of the skin, milk rejection, fluid coming from the nipple, a newly inverted nipple, or a r ...

in Doctors Hospital, New York, aged 40.

References

Sources

''Isle of Wight Family History Society''

External links

* *
portrait
archived)
Betty Compton
and Jimmy Walker appear in court during adoption process(archived) *three portraits of Betty Compton
one

two

three
1904 births 1944 deaths 20th-century English actresses English musical theatre actresses English film actresses English women singers Deaths from cancer in New York (state) People from Sandown Deaths from breast cancer British emigrants to the United States 20th-century English singers 20th-century American women singers 20th-century American actresses 20th-century American singers {{US-singer-stub