Ethyle Batley (born Alice Ethel Murray; 3 December 1876 – 23 April 1917) was a British film director, actress and screenwriter. She made nearly 70 films between 1912 and her early death in 1917.

Early life and career

Batley was born in December 1876 in

Wigan Wigan ( ) is a town in Greater Manchester, England. The town is midway between the two cities of Manchester, to the south-east, and Liverpool, to the south-west. It is the largest settlement in the Metropolitan Borough of Wigan and is its ad ...

, northwest England, the second daughter of an iron merchant. In the late 1890s, she travelled to London to work as a theatre actress, performing under the name Ethyle Gordon Murray. While working with a touring theatre company, Murray met Ernest Batley, an actor from East London. They were married on 22 June 1901 at a

registry office A register office, commonly referred to unofficially as a registry office or registrar's office is an office in the United Kingdom, Republic of Ireland and some Commonwealth of Nations, Commonwealth countries responsible for the civil registration ...

ceremony in

Wandsworth Wandsworth Town () is a district of south London, within the London Borough of Wandsworth southwest of Charing Cross. The area is identified in the London Plan as one of 35 major centres in Greater London. Toponymy Wandsworth takes its name ...

, and began their married life living in

Battersea Battersea is a large district in southwest London, part of the London Borough of Wandsworth, England. It is centred southwest of Charing Cross and also extends along the south bank of the Thames Tideway. It includes the Battersea Park. Hist ...

. In 1902, Ernest and Ethyle had their first child, actress Dorothy Audrey Batley, who was born on 18 January.

Film career

Ethyle's first directing credit was in October 1912, with the film '' Peggy Gets Rid of the Baby'', which starred Dorothy in the lead role. During the

First World War World War I or the First World War (28 July 1914 – 11 November 1918), also known as the Great War, was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War I, Allies (or Entente) and the Central Powers. Fighting to ...

, Batley was one of the most active directors of patriotic films.

Legacy

Batley's contribution to the early history of cinema in Britain has often been overlooked or understated. In 2009, film historian Gerry Turvey described her as a "unique figure" who "merits fuller recognition than she has so far received".

References

;Bibliography *

External links

* 1876 births 1917 deaths British film actresses British film directors People from Wigan 20th-century British actresses Women film pioneers British women film directors {{UK-film-director-stub