Dame Florence Lilian Braithwaite, (9 March 1873 – 17 September 1948), known professionally as Lilian Braithwaite, was an English actress, primarily of the stage, although she appeared in both silent and talkie films.

Early life

She was born in

Ramsgate Ramsgate is a seaside town in the district of Thanet in east Kent, England. It was one of the great English seaside towns of the 19th century. In 2001 it had a population of about 40,000. In 2011, according to the Census, there was a populati ...

Kent Kent is a county in South East England and one of the home counties. It borders Greater London to the north-west, Surrey to the west and East Sussex to the south-west, and Essex to the north across the estuary of the River Thames; it faces ...

, the daughter of the Revd John Masterman Braithwaite (1846–1889), then a curate and later vicar of Croydon, and his wife, Elizabeth Jane, daughter of Colonel Thomas Sidney Powell, CB.Biography of Dame Lilian Braithwaite - encyclopedia.com
/ref> Educated at

Croydon High School Croydon High School is an independent day school for girls located near Croydon, London, England. It is one of the original schools founded by the Girls' Day School Trust. History The school was founded in 1874 in Wellesley Road just north of th ...

, she was the eldest of seven children, having five brothers, two of whom - Colonel Francis Powell Braithwaite and Vice-Admiral Lawrence Walter Braithwaite - served with distinction in the military.Dame Lilian Braithwaite
-

Oxford Dictionary of National Biography The ''Dictionary of National Biography'' (''DNB'') is a standard work of reference on notable figures from British history, published since 1885. The updated ''Oxford Dictionary of National Biography'' (''ODNB'') was published on 23 September ...

(ODNB) Her sister Dorothy Louisa married Philip Maud. Lilian Braithwaite first acted with amateur companies including the Strolling Players and the

Oxford University Dramatic Society The Oxford University Dramatic Society (OUDS) is the principal funding body and provider of theatrical services to the many independent student productions put on by students in Oxford, England. Not all student productions at Oxford University ...

, but her decision to turn professional was met with strong opposition from her parents. However, in 1897 at the age of 24, she joined the

William Haviland William Haviland (1718 – 16 September 1784) was an Irish-born general in the British Army. He is best known for his service in North America during the Seven Years' War. Life William Haviland was born in Ireland in 1718. He entered milita ...

and

Gerald Lawrence Gerald Leslie Lawrence (23 March 1873 – 9 May 1957) was a British actor and manager. Lawrence was born in London in 1873, the son of Emily Mills ''née'' Asher (1832-1912) and John Moss Lawrence (1827-1888), an investor. Lawrence studied sta ...

Shakespearean company, making her first professional appearances in minor roles during a tour of South Africa in 1897. She had married Lawrence on 2 June 1897 at the church of St Stephen in Kensington in London, and their daughter, the actress Joyce Carey (1898–1993) was born on their return to London from South Africa. The couple divorced in 1905 following his adultery and desertion.

Career

Braithwaite made her first professional London appearance as Celia in ''

As You Like It ''As You Like It'' is a pastoral comedy by William Shakespeare believed to have been written in 1599 and first published in the First Folio in 1623. The play's first performance is uncertain, though a performance at Wilton House in 1603 h ...

'' in 1900. Next she appeared in Paul Kester's ''Sweet Nell of Old Drury'' at the

Theatre Royal Haymarket The Theatre Royal Haymarket (also known as Haymarket Theatre or the Little Theatre) is a West End theatre on Haymarket in the City of Westminster which dates back to 1720, making it the third-oldest London playhouse still in use. Samuel Foot ...

. In 1901 she joined the company of Frank Benson and with him appeared in a season of the works of Shakespeare at the

Comedy Theatre The Harold Pinter Theatre, known as the Comedy Theatre until 2011,

. She then toured with George Alexander and appeared under his management at the

St James's Theatre The St James's Theatre was in King Street, St James's, London. It opened in 1835 and was demolished in 1957. The theatre was conceived by and built for a popular singer, John Braham; it lost money and after three seasons he retired. A succ ...

from 1901 to 1904. In 1912 she appeared as the Madonna in

C. B. Cochran Sir Charles Blake Cochran (25 September 1872 31 January 1951), generally known as C. B. Cochran, was an English theatrical manager and impresario. He produced some of the most successful musical revues, musicals and plays of the 1920s and 193 ...

's production of the mystery play ''The Miracle at Olympia'' while in 1913 she played Mrs Gregory in ''Mr. Wu''. In 1921 she was Margaret Fairfield in '' A Bill of Divorcement'' by

Clemence Dane Clemence Dane CBE is the pseudonym of Winifred Ashton (21 February 1888 – 28 March 1965), an English novelist and playwright. Life and career After completing her education, Dane went to Switzerland to work as a French tutor, but returned h ...

Her greatest triumph was as the alcoholic mother in

Noël Coward Sir Noël Peirce Coward (16 December 189926 March 1973) was an English playwright, composer, director, actor, and singer, known for his wit, flamboyance, and what ''Time'' magazine called "a sense of personal style, a combination of cheek and ...

's ground-breaking drama ''

The Vortex ''The Vortex'' is a play in three acts by the English writer and actor Noël Coward. The play depicts the sexual vanity of a rich, ageing beauty, her troubled relationship with her adult son, and drug abuse in British society circles after the ...

'' in 1924. She appeared in the

1927 Events January * January 1 – The British Broadcasting ''Company'' becomes the British Broadcasting ''Corporation'', when its Royal Charter of incorporation takes effect. John Reith becomes the first Director-General. * January 7 ...

Alfred Hitchcock Sir Alfred Joseph Hitchcock (13 August 1899 – 29 April 1980) was an English filmmaker. He is widely regarded as one of the most influential figures in the history of cinema. In a career spanning six decades, he directed over 50 featur ...

film '' Downhill''. Until then associated with tragic heroines, she proved that comedy was her greatest asset in a succession of drawing-room dramas and light comedies. In 1928 Braithwaite demonstrated her talent as a light comedienne when she played a ‘ten per cent lady’ in

Ivor Novello Ivor Novello (born David Ivor Davies; 15 January 1893 – 6 March 1951) was a Welsh actor, dramatist, singer and composer who became one of the most popular British entertainers of the first half of the 20th century. He was born into a musical ...

's '' The Truth Game'' at the

Globe Theatre The Globe Theatre was a theatre in London associated with William Shakespeare. It was built in 1599 by Shakespeare's playing company, the Lord Chamberlain's Men, on land owned by Thomas Brend and inherited by his son, Nicholas Brend, and ...

. She went on to play in a succession of successful comedies including ''Flat to Let'', ''

Fresh Fields ''Fresh Fields'' is a British sitcom starring Julia McKenzie and Anton Rodgers. A ratings success at the time, it was written by John Chapman and produced by Thames Television for ITV, running for four series between 7 March 1984 and 23 Oc ...

'' (1933), ''Family Affairs'', ''Full House'', ''The Lady of La Paz'' and ''Bats in the Belfry''. However, she did not turn her back on more serious roles when she played the title role in ''Elizabeth, la femme sans homme'' at the Haymarket Theatre (1938) and Lady Mountstephan in ''A House in the Square'' (1940) at St Martin's Theatre. In 1940, during World War II, Braithwaite served as chairman and chief organiser of the hospital division of

Entertainments National Service Association The Entertainments National Service Association (ENSA) was an organisation established in 1939 by Basil Dean and Leslie Henson to provide entertainment for British armed forces personnel during World War II. ENSA operated as part of the Navy, ...

(ENSA) and in 1943 she was appointed a

Dame Commander of the Order of the British Empire The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is a British order of chivalry, rewarding contributions to the arts and sciences, work with charitable and welfare organisations, and public service outside the civil service. It was established ...

(DBE), for services to the stage. She returned to comedy in '' Arsenic and Old Lace'' in December 1942 which played for three years. Her last known notable performance was as Mrs. Armitage in the film ''

A Man About the House ''A Man About the House'' is a British drama film directed by Leslie Arliss and released in 1947. The film is a melodrama, adapted for the screen by J. B. Williams from the 1942 novel of the same name by Francis Brett Young. A theatrical adapt ...

'' (1947). Braithwaite responded to the assertion of critic

James Agate James Evershed Agate (9 September 1877 – 6 June 1947) was an English diarist and theatre critic between the two world wars. He took up journalism in his late twenties and was on the staff of ''The Manchester Guardian'' in 1907–1914. He later ...

that she was "the second most beautiful woman in London" by replying "I shall long cherish that, coming from our second-best theatre critic."Nightingale, Benedict, "For love and money", ''The Times Literary Supplement'', 11 April 1986, p. 383 Dame Lilian Braithwaite died in London on 17 September 1948 in the belief that her illness was temporary and that soon she would be rehearsing a new play.

Selected filmography

* '' The World's Desire'' (1915) * ''

Justice Justice, in its broadest sense, is the principle that people receive that which they deserve, with the interpretation of what then constitutes "deserving" being impacted upon by numerous fields, with many differing viewpoints and perspective ...

'' (1917) * ''

Dombey and Son ''Dombey and Son'' is a novel by English author Charles Dickens. It follows the fortunes of a shipping firm owner, who is frustrated at the lack of a son to follow him in his footsteps; he initially rejects his daughter's love before eventual ...

'' (1917) * '' The Gay Lord Quex'' (1917) * '' Because'' (1918) * '' Castles in Spain'' (1920) * ''

Mary Find the Gold ''Mary-Find-the-Gold'' (or ''Mary Find the Gold'') is a 1921 British silent drama film directed by George Pearson and starring Betty Balfour, Tom Coventry and Hugh E. Wright.Low p.409 Cast * Betty Balfour as Mary Smith * Tom Coventry as Tom ...

'' (1921) * ''

A Man of Mayfair ''A Man of Mayfair'' is a 1932 British musical comedy film directed by Louis Mercanton and starring Jack Buchanan, Joan Barry and Warwick Ward. Production It was made at British and Dominions Elstree Studios by the British subsidiary of Param ...

'' (1931) * '' The Chinese Puzzle'' (1932) * ''

Moscow Nights __NOTOC__ "Moscow Nights" ( rus, Подмосковные вечера, r=Podmoskovnyje večera, ), later covered as "Midnight in Moscow", is a Soviet Russian song. Composition and initial success Composer Vasily Solovyov-Sedoi and poet Mikhai ...

'' (1935) * ''

'' (1947)

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Braithwaite, Lilian 1873 births 1948 deaths Actresses awarded British damehoods Dames Commander of the Order of the British Empire English stage actresses English film actresses English silent film actresses People from Ramsgate People educated at Croydon High School 19th-century British actresses British stage actresses 20th-century English actresses Actresses from Kent 19th-century English women 19th-century English people