Alison Skipworth (born Alison Mary Elliott Margaret Groom; 25 July 18635 July 1952) was an English stage and screen actress.

Early years

Skipworth was born in London. She was the daughter of Dr. Richard Ebenezer Groom and Elizabeth Rodgers, and she had a private education.

Stage

Alison Skipworth made her first stage appearance at Daly's Theatre in London in 1894, in '' A Gaiety Girl''. Her first American performance came the following year at the

Broadway Theatre Broadway theatre,Although ''theater'' is generally the spelling for this common noun in the United States (see American and British English spelling differences#-re, -er, American and British English spelling differences), many of the List of ...

in New York City. She sang in light opera in ''

An Artist's Model ''An Artist's Model'' is a two-act musical theatre, musical by Owen Hall, with lyrics by Harry Greenbank and music by Sidney Jones (composer), Sidney Jones, with additional songs by Joseph and Mary Watson, Paul Lincke, Frederick Ross, Henry Hamilt ...

''. In this production she served as

understudy In theatre, an understudy, referred to in opera as cover or covering, is a performer who learns the lines and blocking or choreography of a regular actor, actress, or other performer in a play. Should the regular actor or actress be unable to ap ...

to Marie Tempest. After performing in two London plays, Skipworth returned to the United States, and made it her home. She joined the company of Daniel Frohman at the Lyceum. There she made her debut as ''Mrs. Ware'' in '' The Princess and the Butterfly'' in 1897. In 1905 and 1906 Skipworth toured with Viola Allen in three productions of Shakespeare, ''

Cymbeline ''Cymbeline'' (), also known as ''The Tragedie of Cymbeline'' or ''Cymbeline, King of Britain'', is a play by William Shakespeare set in British Iron Age, Ancient Britain () and based on legends that formed part of the Matter of Britain concer ...

'', ''

Twelfth Night ''Twelfth Night, or What You Will'' is a romantic comedy by William Shakespeare, believed to have been written around 1601–1602 as a Twelfth Night entertainment for the close of the Christmas season. The play centres on the twins Viola an ...

'', and ''

As You Like It ''As You Like It'' is a pastoral Shakespearean comedy, 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 Wil ...

''. In the following years she played with James K. Hackett and John Drew, Jr., among other theatre celebrities. Productions in which she was featured are '' The Torch-Bearers'', ''The Swan'', ''The Enchanted April'', ''The Grand Duchess and the Waiter'', ''Mrs. Dane's Defence'' and ''Marseilles''.

Film

Skipworth appeared in her first film in 1912, ''A Mardi Gras Mix-Up''. The same year she performed in ''The Pilgrimage'', ''Into the Jungle'', and ''A Political Kidnapping''. In 1930 she made her first

talkie A sound film is a motion picture with synchronized sound, or sound technologically coupled to image, as opposed to a silent film. The first known public exhibition of projected sound films took place in Paris in 1900, but decades passed befo ...

, ''Strictly Unconventional''. Skipworth appeared opposite W. C. Fields as his foil in four films: '' If I Had a Million'' (1932), '' Tillie and Gus'' (1933), '' Alice in Wonderland'' (1933), and '' Six of a Kind'' (1934). Her film career continued until 1938 with many major supporting roles. Her later screen credits include '' The Casino Murder Case'', '' The Girl from 10th Avenue'', ''King of the Newsboys'', ''Wide Open Faces'', and ''Ladies in Distress''.

Personal life

In 1882, Skipworth married Frank Markham Skipworth, an artist for whom she modeled; they later divorced.

Filmography

* ''A Mardi Gras Mix-Up'' (1912, Short) - The Doctor's Wife * ''The Pilgrimage'' (1912, Short) - William's Mother * ''Into the Jungle'' (1912, Short) * ''A Political Kidnapping'' (1912, Short) * '' 39 East'' (1920) - Mrs. de Mailly * '' Handcuffs or Kisses'' (1921) - Miss Strodd * '' Big Pal'' (1925) - Agatha Briggs, truant officer (*uncredited) * ''

Strictly Unconventional ''Strictly Unconventional'' is a 1930 American pre-Code drama film directed by David Burton, written by Sylvia Thalberg and Frank Butler, and starring Catherine Dale Owen, Paul Cavanagh, Tyrell Davis, Lewis Stone and Ernest Torrence. It wa ...

'' (1930) - Lady Catherine Champion-Chene * '' Raffles'' (1930) - Lady Kitty Melrose * '' Outward Bound'' (1930) - Mrs. Cliveden-Banks * '' Du Barry, Woman of Passion'' (1930) - La Gourdan * '' Oh, For a Man!'' (1930) - Laura * ''

The Virtuous Husband ''The Virtuous Husband'' is a 1931 American pre-Code comedy film directed by Vin Moore and written by Jerry Horwin, Edward Ludwig, Fred Niblo, Jr. and Dale Van Every. The film stars Betty Compson, Elliott Nugent, Jean Arthur, J. C. Nugent, Aliso ...

'' (1931) - Mrs. Olwell * '' The Night Angel'' (1931) - Countess von Martini * '' Devotion'' (1931) - Mrs.Matilda Coggins * ''

The Road to Singapore ''The Road to Singapore'' is a 1931 American pre-Code romantic drama film directed by Alfred E. Green and starring William Powell and Doris Kenyon, who play two thirds of a romantic triangle, along with Louis Calhern. It was produced and ...

'' (1931) - Mrs. Wey-Smith * '' Tonight or Never'' (1931) - Marchesa Bianca San Giovanni * '' The Unexpected Father'' (1932) - Mrs. Hawkins * ''

High Pressure In science and engineering the study of high pressure examines its effects on materials and the design and construction of devices, such as a diamond anvil cell, which can create high pressure. ''High pressure'' usually means pressures of thousan ...

'' (1932) - Mrs. Miller (uncredited) * '' Sinners in the Sun'' (1932) - Mrs. Blake * '' Madame Racketeer'' (1932) - Countess von Claudwig / Martha Hicks * '' Night After Night'' (1932) - Miss Mabel Jellyman * '' If I Had a Million'' (1932) - Emily La Rue * '' Tonight Is Ours'' (1933) - Grand Duchess Emilie * '' He Learned About Women'' (1933) - Mme. Vivienne Pompadour * '' A Lady's Profession'' (1933) - Beulah Bonnell * '' The Song of Songs'' (1933) - Mrs. Rasmussen * '' Midnight Club'' (1933) - Lady Barrett-Smythe * '' Tillie and Gus'' (1933) - Tillie Winterbottom * '' Alice in Wonderland'' (1933) - Duchess * '' Six of a Kind'' (1934) - Mrs. K. Rumford * '' Coming Out Party'' (1934) - Miss Gertrude Vanderdoe * '' Wharf Angel'' (1934) - Mother Bright * '' Shoot the Works'' (1934) - The Countess * '' The Notorious Sophie Lang'' (1934) - Aunt Nellie * '' The Captain Hates the Sea'' (1934) - Mrs. Yolanda Magruder * '' Here is My Heart'' (1934) - Countess Rostova * '' The Casino Murder Case'' (1935) - Priscilla Kinkaid Llewellyn * '' The Devil Is a Woman'' (1935) - Senora Perez * '' The Girl from 10th Avenue'' (1935) - Mrs. Martin * '' Becky Sharp'' (1935) - Miss Crawley * ''

Doubting Thomas A doubting Thomas is a skeptic who refuses to believe without direct personal experience—a reference to the Gospel of John's depiction of the Apostle Thomas, who, in John's account, refused to believe the resurrected Jesus had appeared to ...

'' (1935) - Mrs. Pampinelli * ''

Shanghai Shanghai, Shanghainese: , Standard Chinese pronunciation: is a direct-administered municipality and the most populous urban area in China. The city is located on the Chinese shoreline on the southern estuary of the Yangtze River, with the ...

'' (1935) - Aunt Jane * '' Dangerous'' (1935) - Mrs. Williams * '' Hitch Hike Lady'' (1935) - Mrs. Amelia Blake * '' The Princess Comes Across'' (1936) - Lady Gertrude * '' Satan Met a Lady'' (1936) - Madame Barabbas * '' The Gorgeous Hussy'' (1936) - Mrs. Beall * '' Two in a Crowd'' (1936) - Lillie Eckleberger aka Lillie the Toad * '' White Hunter'' (1936) - Aunt Frederika * '' Stolen Holiday'' (1937) - Suzanne * '' Two Wise Maids'' (1937) - Agatha Stanton / Old Lady Ironsides * ''

King of the Newsboys ''King of the Newsboys'' is a 1938 American drama film directed by Bernard Vorhaus. Plot Jerry Flynn's girlfriend leaves him for a gangster with power and money, in order to show her that she made a mistake, Jerry starts his newspaper distrib ...

'' (1938) - Nora * '' Wide Open Faces'' (1938) - Auntie Martha * '' Ladies in Distress'' (1938) - Josephine Bonney (final film role)

References

Sources

* ''The Times-News'' (Burlington, North Carolina), "Hollywood Gossip", 19 December 1933, page 7. * ''

The New York Times ''The New York Times'' (''NYT'') is an American daily newspaper based in New York City. ''The New York Times'' covers domestic, national, and international news, and publishes opinion pieces, investigative reports, and reviews. As one of ...

'', "Alison Skipworth, actress, Dies at 88", 7 July 1952, page 21. * ''

Winnipeg Free Press The ''Free Press'' (or FP; founded as the ''Manitoba Free Press''; previously known as the ''Winnipeg Free Press'') is a daily (excluding Sunday) broadsheet newspaper in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada. It provides coverage of local, provincial, natio ...

'', "Lyceum", 23 January 1936, page 24.

External links

* * *
Alison Skipworth
Aveleyman)
Alison Skipworth
in 1904(Minneapolis Journal May 14, 1904)
the cast of "The Swan" 1924, Skipworth 2nd from right bottom rowSkipworth probably again in 1904
archived) (*note her hair and attire matches the newspaper photo from the Minneapolis Journal May 14 1904) {{DEFAULTSORT:Skipworth, Alison 1863 births 1952 deaths 20th-century English actresses Actresses from London English expatriate actresses in the United States Burials at Kensico Cemetery English women singers English film actresses English silent film actresses English stage actresses Paramount Pictures contract players