Lillian Lawrence (February 17, 1868 – May 7, 1926) was an American

theatre Theatre or theater is a collaborative form of performing art that uses live performers, usually actors to present experiences of a real or imagined event before a live audience in a specific place, often a Stage (theatre), stage. The performe ...

and

silent film A silent film is a film without synchronized recorded sound (or more generally, no audible dialogue). Though silent films convey narrative and emotion visually, various plot elements (such as a setting or era) or key lines of dialogue may, w ...

actress. Her daughter

Ethel Grey Terry Ethel Grey Terry (October 2, 1882 – January 6, 1931) was an American actress of the silent era. She is best remembered for her role in '' The Penalty'' with Lon Chaney. Early years Ethel Grey Terry was born in Oakland, California, the ...

was also an actress.

Biography

Lawrence was born in either

Alexandria, Virginia Alexandria is an independent city (United States), independent city in Northern Virginia, United States. It lies on the western bank of the Potomac River approximately south of Washington, D.C., D.C. The city's population of 159,467 at the 2020 ...

or Alexander, West Virginia but moved to

San Francisco San Francisco, officially the City and County of San Francisco, is a commercial, Financial District, San Francisco, financial, and Culture of San Francisco, cultural center of Northern California. With a population of 827,526 residents as of ...

at the age of two. She made her stage debut there as a 13-year-old girl as a chess piece in the

operetta Operetta is a form of theatre and a genre of light opera. It includes spoken dialogue, songs and including dances. It is lighter than opera in terms of its music, orchestral size, and length of the work. Apart from its shorter length, the oper ...

''The Royal Middy''. Following that, she sang opera for the California Theatre for three years. At age 20, she joined a touring company, followed by a role in '' The Two Orphans''. Afterwards, she joined a

repertory theatre A repertory theatre, also called repertory, rep, true rep or stock, which are also called producing theatres, is a theatre in which a resident company presents works from a specified repertoire, usually in alternation or rotation. United Kingdom ...

Oakland Oakland is a city in the East Bay region of the San Francisco Bay Area in the U.S. state of California. It is the county seat and most populous city in Alameda County, with a population of 440,646 in 2020. A major West Coast port, Oakland is ...

. In 1882 at the age of 14, she gave birth to her daughter Ethel, but Lawrence remained unmarried. In 1892, she moved to

New York City New York, often called New York City (NYC), is the most populous city in the United States, located at the southern tip of New York State on one of the world's largest natural harbors. The city comprises five boroughs, each coextensive w ...

and then back to

Dayton, Ohio Dayton () is a city in Montgomery County, Ohio, United States, and its county seat. It is the List of cities in Ohio, sixth-most populous city in Ohio, with a population of 137,644 at the 2020 United States census, 2020 census. The Dayton metro ...

the next year. She then won the lead role in a production of ''The Two Orphans'' with Kate Claxton. Lawrence returned to New York, followed by a position with the National Theatre Stock Company in

Washington, D.C. Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly known as Washington or D.C., is the capital city and federal district of the United States. The city is on the Potomac River, across from Virginia, and shares land borders with ...

, then had Shakespearean roles with Thomas W. Keene. In 1897, she joined the Castle Square Stock Company, another repertory theatre. As stock theatres often put on new plays on a weekly basis, by summer 1897, she had taken on over 300 operatic and 500 dramatic roles over the course of her career. She spent six years with the company and was known as the company's "Leading Lady". Her popularity was such that when she temporarily left the group in 1901 on a 16-month sabbatical, she received a rousing ovation and tribute. Lawrence returned to San Francisco in 1904, joining the repertory at the Alcazar Theatre and becoming immediately popular. After a short period in

Portland, Oregon Portland ( ) is the List of cities in Oregon, most populous city in the U.S. state of Oregon, located in the Pacific Northwest region. Situated close to northwest Oregon at the confluence of the Willamette River, Willamette and Columbia River, ...

, she returned to the East Coast with the Orpheum Dramatic Stock Theatre at the Chestnut Street Theatre in

Philadelphia Philadelphia ( ), colloquially referred to as Philly, is the List of municipalities in Pennsylvania, most populous city in the U.S. state of Pennsylvania and the List of United States cities by population, sixth-most populous city in the Unit ...

, and the Harry Davis Stock Players at the Grand Theatre in

Pittsburgh Pittsburgh ( ) is a city in Allegheny County, Pennsylvania, United States, and its county seat. It is the List of municipalities in Pennsylvania#Municipalities, second-most populous city in Pennsylvania (after Philadelphia) and the List of Un ...

. She also returned to Boston to play with John Craig Stock Company at the Globe Theatre, Boston, made special appearances with the Castle Square Company, She appeared in

Broadway plays Broadway may refer to: Theatre * Broadway Theatre (disambiguation) * Broadway theatre, theatrical productions in professional theatres near Broadway, Manhattan, New York City, U.S. ** Broadway (Manhattan), the street ** Broadway Theatre (53rd Stre ...

as well; including playing Grandma, "the Demon", in '' His Majesty Bunker Bean'' in 1916 at the Astor Theatre. She joined Ethel in

Los Angeles Los Angeles, often referred to by its initials L.A., is the List of municipalities in California, most populous city in the U.S. state of California, and the commercial, Financial District, Los Angeles, financial, and Culture of Los Angeles, ...

in 1919 and appeared in both films and theatre while there. Lawrence died of

heart disease Cardiovascular disease (CVD) is any disease involving the heart or blood vessels. CVDs constitute a class of diseases that includes: coronary artery diseases (e.g. angina pectoris, angina, myocardial infarction, heart attack), heart failure, ...

in 1926 at her daughter's home in

Beverly Hills Beverly Hills is a city located in Los Angeles County, California, United States. A notable and historic suburb of Los Angeles, it is located just southwest of the Hollywood Hills, approximately northwest of downtown Los Angeles. Beverly Hil ...

. Her ashes are interred at Hollywood Forever Cemetery.

Partial filmography

* '' The Galley Slave'' (1915) * '' A Fallen Idol'' (1919) * '' The Social Pirate'' (1919) * '' Black Is White'' (1920) * ''

A Parisian Scandal ''A Parisian Scandal'' is a 1921 American silent comedy-drama film, directed by George L. Cox. It stars George Periolat, Lillian Lawrence, and Marie Prevost, and was released on December 5, 1921. Plot As described in a film magazine, Liane-D ...

'' (1921) * ''

A Girl's Desire ''A Girl's Desire'' is a 1922 American silent comedy film directed by David Smith and starring Alice Calhoun, Warner Baxter and Frank Hall Crane.Connelly p.354 Plot A wealthy and socially ambitious American woman plans to buy social position ...

'' (1922) * '' East Is West'' (1922) * ''

White Shoulders ''White Shoulders'' is a lost film, lost 1931 American Pre-Code Hollywood, pre-Code comedy-drama film directed by Melville W. Brown and starring Mary Astor and Jack Holt (actor), Jack Holt, with major supporting roles by Ricardo Cortez and Sidn ...

'' (1922) * ''

The Voice from the Minaret ''The Voice from the Minaret'' is a 1923 American silent romantic drama film directed by Frank Lloyd and starring Norma Talmadge, Eugene O'Brien, and Winter Hall. The film is based on the play of the same name by Robert Smythe Hichens (London, ...

'' (1923) * ''

Fashionable Fakers ''Fashionable Fakers'' is a 1923 American silent comedy film directed by William Worthington and starring Johnnie Walker, Mildred June and Lillian Lawrence.Munden p.231 It was released in Britain with the alternative title ''A Going Concern''. ...

'' (1923) * '' The Common Law'' (1923) * ''

Three Ages ''Three Ages'' is a 1923 Black and white, black-and-white American feature-length silent comedy film starring comedian Buster Keaton and Wallace Beery. The first feature Keaton wrote, directed, produced, and starred in (unlike ''The Saphead,'' ...

'' (1923) * ''

Crinoline and Romance ''Crinoline and Romance'' is a 1923 American silent comedy film directed by Harry Beaumont and starring Viola Dana, Claude Gillingwater, and John Bowers. Plot As described in a film magazine, Colonel Charles E. Cavanaugh (Gillingwater) lives i ...

'' (1923) * '' Christine of the Hungry Heart'' (1924) * ''

Graustark Graustark is a fictional country in Eastern Europe used as a setting for several novels by George Barr McCutcheon. Graustark's neighbors, which also figure in the stories, are Axphain to the north and Dawsbergen to the south. Description Gra ...

'' (1925) * '' Stella Maris'' (1925)

References

External links

* * * {{DEFAULTSORT:Lawrence, Lillian 1868 births 1926 deaths American opera singers 19th-century American actresses American stage actresses 20th-century American actresses American silent film actresses Actresses from San Francisco Burials at Hollywood Forever Cemetery 19th-century American singers 19th-century American women singers