Grace Matthews (September 3, 1910 – May 15, 1995) was a Canadian actress in the era of
old-time radio
The Golden Age of Radio, also known as the old-time radio (OTR) era, was an era of radio in the United States where it was the dominant electronic home entertainment medium. It began with the birth of commercial radio broadcasting in the earl ...
and the early years of television. She is perhaps best known for portraying
Margo Lane
Margo Lane is a fictional character in ''The Shadow'' stories. Margo is a friend and companion to Lamont Cranston, and an agent for his alter ego, The Shadow, in the wealthy set. Her first appearance was in 1937 in ''The Shadow'' radio drama. ...
in the radio program ''
The Shadow
The Shadow is a fictional character created by American magazine publishers Street & Smith and writer Walter B. Gibson. Originally created to be a mysterious radio show narrator and developed into a distinct literary character in 1931 by Gibs ...
''.
Early years
Matthews was born in Toronto, Canada, on September 3, 1910.
[DeLong, Thomas A. (1996). ''Radio Stars: An Illustrated Biographical Dictionary of 953 Performers, 1920 through 1960''. McFarland & Company, Inc. . P. 186.] She graduated from the
University of Toronto
The University of Toronto (UToronto or U of T) is a public university, public research university whose main campus is located on the grounds that surround Queen's Park (Toronto), Queen's Park in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. It was founded by ...
and from 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 ...
in London, England.
Radio
Matthews played Margo Lane in ''The Shadow'' 1946-1949.
[Sterling, Christopher H. (ed.) (2004). ''Encyclopedia of Radio''. Fitzroy Dearborn. . P. 1252.] Lane was described in the program's scripts as the faithful companion of Lamont Cranston, alter ego of The Shadow. A February 5, 1987, article in the ''
Milwaukee Journal
The ''Milwaukee Journal Sentinel'' is a daily morning broadsheet printed in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, where it is the primary newspaper and also the largest newspaper in the state of Wisconsin, where it is widely read. It was purchased by the G ...
'' reported Matthews' confusion about the programs: "The plots were so complicated I often had difficulty figuring them out. After the show, I'd go home and ask my husband ... to explain what had happened."
Matthews was the lead actress on ''American Portrait'', ''Soldier's Wife'' and ''The Story of Dr. Susan'', and she appeared often on ''Armstrong's Theatre of Today''.
[ She was active in Canadian radio for about five years before she began working on radio in the United States. In later years, she was heard in some episodes of '']CBS Radio Mystery Theater
''CBS Radio Mystery Theater'' (a.k.a. ''Radio Mystery Theater'' and ''Mystery Theater'', sometimes abbreviated as ''CBSRMT'') is a radio drama series created by Himan Brown that was broadcast on CBS Radio Network affiliates from 1974 to 1982, ...
''.[ ]
Stage
Matthews' theatrical work included stock theater in Manitoba, Canada, and Ontario, Canada,[ ]summer stock
In American theater, summer stock theater is a theater that presents stage productions only in the summer. The name combines the season with the tradition of staging shows by a resident company, reusing stock scenery and costumes. Summer stock ...
activities in Marblehead, Massachusetts
Marblehead is a coastal New England town in Essex County, Massachusetts, United States, along the North Shore (Massachusetts), North Shore. Its population was 20,441 at the 2020 United States Census, 2020 census. The town lies on a small peninsu ...
, and the production of ''Dame Nature'' by the Theatre Guild
The Theatre Guild is a theatrical society founded in New York City in 1918 by Lawrence Langner, Philip Moeller, Helen Westley and Theresa Helburn. Langner's wife, Armina Marshall, then served as a co-director. It evolved out of the work of ...
in New York City.[ ]
In Canada, Matthews was active in the Hart House Theatre[ and the John Holden Players.
]
Television
Matthews was seen in ''Road of Life'', ''As the World Turns
''As the World Turns'' (often abbreviated as ''ATWT'') is an American television soap opera that aired on CBS for 54 years from April 2, 1956, to September 17, 2010. Irna Phillips created ''As the World Turns'' as a sister show to her other so ...
'' as Grace Baker #2, and ''The Guiding Light
''Guiding Light'' (known as ''The Guiding Light'' before 1975) is an American radio and television soap opera. ''Guiding Light'' aired on CBS for 57 years between June 30, 1952, and September 18, 2009, overlapping a 19-year broadcast on radio ...
'' as Claudia Dillman. She also spent three years in London, England, acting in programs on ITV and 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 ...
.[
]
Recognition
Matthews' work as an actress on radio in Canada in 1944 earned her three national awards — The Major Genera La Fleche Trophy, Canadian Broadcaster magazine's Beaver Award and a top rating in a poll by Canadian newspapers.
Personal life
Matthews married announcer and actor Court Benson in October 1940.
Death
Matthews died May 15, 1995, in Mount Kisco, New York
Mount Kisco is a Administrative divisions of New York#Village, village and Administrative divisions of New York#Town, town in Westchester County, New York, United States. The town of Mount Kisco is coterminous municipality, coterminous with the ...
.[
]
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Matthews, Grace
1910 births
1995 deaths
American radio actresses
Canadian stage actresses
20th-century American actresses
20th-century Canadian actresses
University of Toronto alumni
Alumni of the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art
Canadian emigrants to the United States