Dame Flora McKenzie Robson (28 March 19027 July 1984) was an English actress and star of the theatrical stage and cinema, particularly renowned for her performances in plays demanding dramatic and emotional intensity. Her range extended from queens to murderesses.

Early life

Flora McKenzie Robson was born on 28 March 1902 in

South Shields South Shields () is a coastal town in South Tyneside, Tyne and Wear, England; it is on the south bank of the mouth of the River Tyne. The town was once known in Roman Britain, Roman times as ''Arbeia'' and as ''Caer Urfa'' by the Early Middle Ag ...

, County Durham, daughter of David Robson (1864-1947) and Eliza Robson (nee McKenzie; 1870-1953) both of Scottish descent. She had six siblings. Many of her forebears were engineers, mostly in shipping. Her father was a ship's engineer who moved from

Wallsend Wallsend () is a town in North Tyneside, Tyne and Wear, England, at the eastern end of Hadrian's Wall. It has a population of 43,842 and lies east of Newcastle upon Tyne. History Roman Wallsend In Roman times, this was the site of the fort of ...

near Newcastle to Palmers Green in 1907 and Southgate in 1910, both in north London, and later to

Welwyn Garden City Welwyn Garden City ( ) is a town in Hertfordshire, England, north of London. It was the second Garden city movement, garden city in England (founded 1920) and one of the first New towns in the United Kingdom, new towns (designated 1948). It is ...

. She was educated at the Palmers Green High School and the

Royal Academy of Dramatic Art The Royal Academy of Dramatic Art, also known by its abbreviation RADA (), is a drama school in London, England, which provides vocational conservatoire training for theatre, film, television, and radio. It is based in Bloomsbury, Central London ...

, where she won a bronze medal in 1921.

Career

Her father discovered that Flora had a talent for recitation and, from the age of five, she was taken around by horse and carriage to recite, and to compete in recitations. This established a pattern that remained with her. Robson made her stage debut in 1921. By the 1930s she was appearing in several prominent films both in the UK and in Hollywood, alongside such stars as

Laurence Olivier Laurence Kerr Olivier, Baron Olivier ( ; 22 May 1907 – 11 July 1989) was an English actor and director. He and his contemporaries Ralph Richardson and John Gielgud made up a trio of male actors who dominated the British stage of the m ...

, Paul Muni and

George Raft George Raft (né Ranft; September 26, 1901 – November 24, 1980) was an American film actor and dancer identified with portrayals of gangsters in crime melodramas of the 1930s and 1940s. A stylish leading man in dozens of movies, Raft is remembe ...

. Her most notable role was that of

Queen Elizabeth I Elizabeth I (7 September 153324 March 1603) was Queen of England and Ireland from 17 November 1558 until her death in 1603. She was the last and longest reigning monarch of the House of Tudor. Her eventful reign, and its effect on history ...

in both '' Fire Over England'' (1937) and '' The Sea Hawk'' (1940). In 1934, Robson played the Empress Elizabeth in

Alexander Korda Sir Alexander Korda (; born Sándor László Kellner; ; 16 September 1893 – 23 January 1956)

's '' The Rise of Catherine the Great'' (1934). She was nominated for the

Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress The Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress is an award presented annually by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS). It has been awarded since the 9th Academy Awards to an actress who has delivered an outstanding performanc ...

for her role as Angelique Buiton, a servant, in '' Saratoga Trunk'' (1945). The same year, audiences in the U.K. and the U.S. watched her performance as Ftatateeta, the nursemaid and royal confidante and murderess-upon-command to Vivien Leigh's Queen Cleopatra in the screen adaptation of

George Bernard Shaw George Bernard Shaw (26 July 1856 – 2 November 1950), known at his insistence as Bernard Shaw, was an Irish playwright, critic, polemicist and political activist. His influence on Western theatre, culture and politics extended from the 188 ...

's '' Caesar and Cleopatra'' (1945). After the

Second World War World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...

, demonstrating her range, she appeared in ''

Holiday Camp A holiday camp is a type of holiday accommodation, primarily in the United Kingdom, that encourages holidaymakers to stay within the site boundary, and provides entertainment and facilities for them throughout the day. Since the 1970s, the term ...

'' (1947), the first of a series of films which featured the very ordinary Huggett family; as Sister Philippa in '' Black Narcissus'' (1947); as a magistrate in '' Good-Time Girl'' (1948); as a prospective Labour MP in '' Frieda'' (1947); and in the costume melodrama '' Saraband for Dead Lovers'' (1948). Her other film roles included the

Empress Dowager Cixi Empress Dowager Cixi ( ; 29 November 1835 – 15 November 1908) was a Manchu noblewoman of the Yehe Nara clan who effectively but periodically controlled the Chinese government in the late Qing dynasty as empress dowager and regent for almost 50 ...

in '' 55 Days at Peking'' (1963), Miss Milchrest in '' Murder at the Gallop'' (1963), the Queen of Hearts in ''

Alice's Adventures in Wonderland ''Alice's Adventures in Wonderland'' (also known as ''Alice in Wonderland'') is an 1865 English Children's literature, children's novel by Lewis Carroll, a mathematics university don, don at the University of Oxford. It details the story of a ...

'' (1972), and Livia in the aborted '' I, Claudius'' in 1937. She struggled to find a footing in the theatre after she graduated from RADA with a bronze medal since she lacked the conventional good looks which were then an absolute requisite for actresses in dramatic roles. After touring in minor parts with Ben Greet's Shakespeare company she may have played small parts for two seasons in the new repertory company at

Oxford Oxford () is a City status in the United Kingdom, cathedral city and non-metropolitan district in Oxfordshire, England, of which it is the county town. The city is home to the University of Oxford, the List of oldest universities in continuou ...

, but her contract was not renewed. She was told that they required a prettier actress. Unable to secure any acting engagements, she gave up the stage at the age of 23, and she took up work as a welfare officer in the Nabisco shredded wheat factory in Welwyn Garden City.

Tyrone Guthrie Sir William Tyrone Guthrie (2 July 1900 – 15 May 1971) was an English theatrical director instrumental in the founding of the Stratford Festival of Canada, the Guthrie Theater in Minneapolis, Minnesota, and the Tyrone Guthrie Centre at ...

, due to direct a season at the new Festival Theatre, Cambridge, asked her to join his company. Her performance as the stepdaughter in Pirandello's '' Six Characters in Search of an Author'' made her the theatrical talk of Cambridge. She followed with Isabella in ''

Measure for Measure ''Measure for Measure'' is a play by William Shakespeare, believed to have been written in 1603 or 1604 and first performed in 1604. It was published in the First Folio of 1623. The play centers on the despotic and puritan Angelo (Measure for ...

'' with Robert Donat, Pirandello's ''Naked'', the title role in '' Iphigenia in Tauris'', Varya in ''

The Cherry Orchard ''The Cherry Orchard'' () is the last play by Russian playwright Anton Chekhov. Written in 1903, it was first published by '' Znaniye'' (Book Two, 1904), and came out as a separate edition later that year in Saint Petersburg, via A.F. Marks Pu ...

'', and Rebecca West in

Henrik Ibsen Henrik Johan Ibsen (; ; 20 March 1828 – 23 May 1906) was a Norwegian playwright, poet and actor. Ibsen is considered the world's pre-eminent dramatist of the 19th century and is often referred to as "the father of modern drama." He pioneered ...

's '' Rosmersholm''. In 1931, she was cast as the adulterous Abbie in

Eugene O'Neill Eugene Gladstone O'Neill (October 16, 1888 – November 27, 1953) was an American playwright. His poetically titled plays were among the first to introduce into the U.S. the drama techniques of Realism (theatre), realism, earlier associated with ...

's '' Desire Under the Elms''. Her brief, shocking appearance as the doomed prostitute in James Bridie's play ''The Anatomist'' put her firmly on the road to success. "If you are not moved by this girl's performance, then you are immovable" the ''Observer'' critic wrote. This success would lead to her famous 1933 season as leading lady at the

Old Vic Old or OLD may refer to: Places *Old, Baranya, Hungary *Old, Northamptonshire, England *Old Street station, a railway and tube station in London (station code OLD) *OLD, IATA code for Old Town Municipal Airport and Seaplane Base, Old Town, Mai ...

. She continued her acting career late into life, though not on the West End stage, from which she retired at the age of 67, often for American television films, including a lavish production of ''

A Tale of Two Cities ''A Tale of Two Cities'' is a historical novel published in 1859 by English author Charles Dickens, set in London and Paris before and during the French Revolution. The novel tells the story of the French Doctor Manette, his 18-year-long impr ...

'' (in which she played Miss Pross). She also performed for British television, including ''The Shrimp and the Anemone''. In the 1960s, she continued to act in the West End, in '' Ring Round the Moon'', ''

The Importance of Being Earnest ''The Importance of Being Earnest, a Trivial Comedy for Serious People'' is a play by Oscar Wilde, the last of his four drawing-room plays, following ''Lady Windermere's Fan'' (1892), ''A Woman of No Importance'' (1893) and ''An Ideal Husban ...

'' and '' Three Sisters'', among others. She continued to act on film and television. She was last briefly seen as a Stygian Witch in the fantasy adventure '' Clash of the Titans'' in 1981. Both the

BBC The British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) is a British public service broadcaster headquartered at Broadcasting House in London, England. Originally established in 1922 as the British Broadcasting Company, it evolved into its current sta ...

and ITV made special programmes to celebrate her 80th birthday in 1982, and the BBC ran a short season of her best films.

Awards and honours

She was nominated for an

as Angelique Buiton, a Haitian maid, in '' Saratoga Trunk'' (1945). She was created a Commander of the

Order of the British Empire The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is a British order of chivalry, rewarding valuable service in a wide range of useful activities. It comprises five classes of awards across both civil and military divisions, the most senior two o ...

(CBE) in the 1952 New Year Honours, and raised to Dame Commander (DBE) in the 1960 Birthday Honours. She was also the first famous name to become president of the

Brighton Brighton ( ) is a seaside resort in the city status in the United Kingdom, city of Brighton and Hove, East Sussex, England, south of London. Archaeological evidence of settlement in the area dates back to the Bronze Age Britain, Bronze Age, R ...

Little Theatre. She has a road named after her in her birthplace of South Shields. On 4 July 1958, she received an honorary DLitt from

Durham University Durham University (legally the University of Durham) is a collegiate university, collegiate public university, public research university in Durham, England, founded by an Act of Parliament (UK), Act of Parliament in 1832 and incorporated by r ...

at a congregation in Durham Castle.

Personal life and death

Her private life was largely focused on her large family of sisters Margaret and Shela, and her nephews and nieces. She shared a home in Wykeham Terrace, Brighton with her sisters for 8 years before she died in

, aged 82, in her sleep, of cancer. She was never married and had no children. The sisters died around the same time: Shela shortly before Flora, in 1984, and Margaret on 1 February 1985.

Legacies

Dame Flora Robson Avenue, built in 1962, in Simonside,

, is named after her. There is a plaque on the house in Wykeham Terrace, Dyke Road, Brighton, and also one in the doorway of St Nicholas's Church, of which Flora Robson was a great supporter. There is also a plaque to commemorate the opening of the Prince Charles Cinema (Leicester Square, London) by Flora Robson. In 1996, the

British Film Institute The British Film Institute (BFI) is a film and television charitable organisation which promotes and preserves filmmaking and television in the United Kingdom. The BFI uses funds provided by the National Lottery to encourage film production, ...

erected a plaque at number 14 Marine Gardens, location of Flora Robson's other home in

, where she lived from 1961 to 1976. A plaque at 40 Handside Lane in Welwyn Garden City records Flora Robson living there from 1923 to 1925. A

blue plaque A blue plaque is a permanent sign installed in a public place in the United Kingdom, and certain other countries and territories, to commemorate a link between that location and a famous person, event, or former building on the site, serving a ...

sponsored by Southgate District Civic Trust and Robson's former school Palmers Green High School was unveiled at her family home from 1910 to 1921, The Lawe, 65, The Mall, Southgate, on 25 April 2010. Robson attended the opening of the Flora Robson Playhouse in

Jesmond Jesmond ( ) is a suburb of Newcastle upon Tyne, Tyne and Wear, England, situated north of the city centre and to the east of the Town Moor. Jesmond is considered to be one of the most affluent suburbs of Newcastle upon Tyne, with higher aver ...

, Newcastle upon Tyne, in 1962, which was named in her honour. The building was demolished in 1971 and the theatre company it housed relocated to the new University Theatre.

Filmography

Partial television credits

Theatre performances

* Queen Margaret in '' Will Shakespeare'' at the Shaftesbury Theatre, London, 1921 * Shakespearean repertory with Ben Greet's company, 1922 * JB Fagan's company at the Oxford Playhouse, 1923 * Two seasons at the Festival Theatre,

Cambridge Cambridge ( ) is a List of cities in the United Kingdom, city and non-metropolitan district in the county of Cambridgeshire, England. It is the county town of Cambridgeshire and is located on the River Cam, north of London. As of the 2021 Unit ...

, 1929–30 * Abbey Putnam in '' Desire Under the Elms'' at the

Gate Theatre The Gate Theatre is a theatre on Cavendish Row in Dublin, Ireland. It was founded in 1928. History Beginnings The Gate Theatre was founded in 1928 by Hilton Edwards and Micheál MacLiammóir with Daisy Bannard Cogley and Gearóid Ó Lochla ...

, London, 1931 * Herodias in ''

Salome Salome (; , related to , "peace"; ), also known as Salome III, was a Jews, Jewish princess, the daughter of Herod II and princess Herodias. She was granddaughter of Herod the Great and stepdaughter of Herod Antipas. She is known from the New T ...

'' at the Gate Theatre, London, 1931 * Mary Paterson in ''The Anatomist'' at the Westminster Theatre, London, 1931 * Stepdaughter in '' Six Characters in Search of an Author'' at the Westminster Theatre, London, 1932 * Bianca in ''

Othello ''The Tragedy of Othello, the Moor of Venice'', often shortened to ''Othello'' (), is a tragedy written by William Shakespeare around 1603. Set in Venice and Cyprus, the play depicts the Moorish military commander Othello as he is manipulat ...

'' at the St. James' Theatre, London, 1932 * Olwen Peel in '' Dangerous Corner'' at the Lyric Theatre, London, 1932 * Eva in '' For Services Rendered'' at the

Globe Theatre The Globe Theatre was a Theater (structure), theatre in London associated with William Shakespeare. It was built in 1599 at Southwark, close to the south bank of the Thames, by Shakespeare's playing company, the Lord Chamberlain's Men. It was ...

, London, 1932 * Ella Downey in '' All God's Chillun Got Wings'' at the Embassy Theatre, Swiss Cottage, 1933 * A season at the

, London, 1933–34 * Mary Read in '' Mary Read'' at His Majesty's Theatre, London 1934 * Lady Catherine Brooke in ''

Autumn Autumn, also known as fall (especially in US & Canada), is one of the four temperate seasons on Earth. Outside the tropics, autumn marks the transition from summer to winter, in September (Northern Hemisphere) or March ( Southern Hemisphe ...

'' at the St. Martin's Theatre, London, 1937 * Ellen Creed in '' Ladies in Retirement'' at the Henry Miller's Theatre, New York, 1940 * Sarah, Duchess of Malborough in '' Anne of England'' at the St. James Theatre, New York, 1941 * Rhoda Meldrum in '' The Damask Cheek'' at the Playhouse Theatre, New York, 1942–43 * Thérèse Raquin in ''Guilty'' at the Lyric, Hammersmith, 1944 * Agnes Isit in '' A Man About the House'' at the Piccadilly Theatre, 1946 * Lady Macbeth in ''

Macbeth ''The Tragedy of Macbeth'', often shortened to ''Macbeth'' (), is a tragedy by William Shakespeare, estimated to have been first performed in 1606. It dramatises the physically violent and damaging psychological effects of political ambiti ...

'' at the National Theatre, New York, 1948 * Lady Cicely Waynflete in '' Captain Brassbound's Conversion'' at the Lyric, Hammersmith, 1948 * Christine in '' Black Chiffon'', at the Westminster Theatre, 1949 and the 48th Street Theatre, New York, 1950 * Lady Catherine Brooke in ''Autumn'' at the

Q Theatre The Q Theatre was a British theatre located near Kew Bridge in Brentford, west London, which operated between 1924 and 1958. It was built on the site of the former Kew Bridge Studios. The theatre, seating 490 in 25 rows with a central aisle, wa ...

, London, 1951 * Paulina in ''

The Winter's Tale ''The Winter's Tale'' is a play by William Shakespeare originally published in the First Folio of 1623. Although it was grouped among the comedies, many modern editors have relabelled the play as one of Shakespeare's late romances. Some criti ...

'' at the Phoenix Theatre, London, 1951 * ''The Return'' at the Duchess Theatre, London, 1953–54 * Janet in '' The House by the Lake'' at the

Duke of York's Theatre The Duke of York's Theatre is a West End theatre in St Martin's Lane, in the City of Westminster, London. It was built for Frank Wyatt and his wife, Violet Melnotte, who retained ownership of the theatre until her death in 1935. Designed by ...

, London, 1956 * Mrs Alving in ''

Ghosts In folklore, a ghost is the soul or Spirit (supernatural entity), spirit of a dead Human, person or non-human animal that is believed by some people to be able to appear to the living. In ghostlore, descriptions of ghosts vary widely, from a ...

'' at the Old Vic, 1958–59 and the

Prince's Theatre The Shaftesbury Theatre is a West End theatre, located in Shaftesbury Avenue, in the London Borough of Camden. It opened in 1911 as the New Prince's Theatre, with a capacity of 2,500. The current capacity is 1,416. The title "Shaftesbury Theatr ...

, London, 1959 * Miss Tina in '' The Aspern Papers'' at the Queen's Theatre, London, 1959 and on tour to South Africa, 1960 * Grace Rovarte in ''Time and Yellow Roses'' at the St. Martin's Theatre, London, 1961 * Miss Moffatt in ''

The Corn is Green ''The Corn Is Green'' is a 1938 semi-autobiographical play by Welsh dramatist and actor Emlyn Williams. The play premiered in London at the Duchess Theatre in September 1938; with Sybil Thorndike as Miss Moffat and Williams himself portraying Mo ...

'' at the Connaught Theatre, Worthing, the Flora Robson Playhouse, Newcastle upon Tyne and on tour to South Africa, 1962 * Gunhild in '' John Gabriel Borkman'' at the Duchess Theatre, London, 1963 * Lady Bracknell in ''

'' at the Flora Robson Playhouse, Newcastle upon Tyne, 1964 * Hecuba in ''

The Trojan Women ''The Trojan Women'' (, lit. "The Female Trojans") is a tragedy by the Ancient Greece, Greek playwright Euripides, produced in 415 BCE. Also translated as ''The Women of Troy,'' or as its transliterated Greek title ''Troades, The Trojan Women'' ...

'' at the

Edinburgh Festival __NOTOC__ This is a list of Arts festival, arts and cultural festivals regularly taking place in Edinburgh, Scotland. The city has become known for its festivals since the establishment in 1947 of the Edinburgh International Festival and the ...

, 1966 * Miss Prism in ''

'' at the Theatre Royal Haymarket, London, 1968 * Mother in '' Ring Round the Moon'' at the Theatre Royal Haymarket, London, 1968 * Agatha Payne in ''The Old Ladies'' at the Duchess Theatre, London, 1969 * Elizabeth I in ''Elizabeth Tudor, Queen of England'' at the Edinburgh Festival, 1970

References

External links

* * *
Flora Robson performances in the Theatre Archive, University of Bristol
{{DEFAULTSORT:Robson, Flora 1902 births 1984 deaths English people of Scottish descent Alumni of the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art Dames Commander of the Order of the British Empire Actresses awarded damehoods English Anglicans English film actresses English stage actresses English radio actresses English television actresses Actresses from Brighton Actresses from South Shields People educated at Palmers Green High School 20th-century English actresses Deaths from cancer in England