Mary Marguerite Potter (24 March 1905 – 9 September 1990), known professionally as Molly Adair, was an English

stage Stage, stages, or staging may refer to: Arts and media Acting * Stage (theatre), a space for the performance of theatrical productions * Theatre, a branch of the performing arts, often referred to as "the stage" * ''The Stage'', a weekly Brit ...

and silent screen actress.

Biography

Adair was of

Irish-American Irish Americans () are Irish ethnics who live within in the United States, whether immigrants from Ireland or Americans with full or partial Irish ancestry. Irish immigration to the United States From the 17th century to the mid-19th c ...

descent. She was born as Mary Marguerite Potter on 24 March 1905 in

Brentford Brentford is a suburban town in West (London sub region), West London, England and part of the London Borough of Hounslow. It lies at the confluence of the River Brent and the River Thames, Thames, west of Charing Cross. Its economy has dive ...

, West London, England. Adair worked as a

and silent screen actress. One of her earliest silent film roles was as the titular character in ''

Stella Stella or STELLA may refer to: Art, entertainment, and media Films * ''Stella'' (1921 film), directed by Edwin J. Collins * ''Stella'' (1943 film), with Zully Moreno * ''Stella'' (1950 film), with Ann Sheridan and Victor Mature * ''Stella'' (1955 ...

'' (1921), directed by

Edwin J. Collins Edwin J. Collins (1875 – 14 January 1937) was a British film director of the silent era. Selected filmography * ''Doing His Bit'' (1917) * ''Tom Jones (1917 film), Tom Jones'' (1917) * ''God and the Man'' (1918) * ''Calvary (1920 film), C ...

and based on the 1904 novel ''

Stella Fregelius ''Stella Fregelius: A Tale of Three Destinies'' is a 1904 novel by the British writer H. Rider Haggard about a young inventor who falls in love with a mysterious stranger while he is engaged to another woman. As a novelist, Haggard is known prim ...

'' by

H. Rider Haggard Sir Henry Rider Haggard (; 22 June 1856 – 14 May 1925) was an English writer of adventure fiction romances set in exotic locations, predominantly Africa, and a pioneer of the lost world literary genre. He was also involved in land reform t ...

. When she was 17, Adair travelled to the

Union of South Africa The Union of South Africa (; , ) was the historical predecessor to the present-day South Africa, Republic of South Africa. It came into existence on 31 May 1910 with the unification of the British Cape Colony, Cape, Colony of Natal, Natal, Tra ...

, employed by African Film Productions Ltd., to star in two film adaptions of Henry de Vere Stacpoole works. These were '' The Blue Lagoon'' (1923) and ''The Reef of Stars'' (1923). directed by

Dick Cruikshanks Dick Cruikshanks (1874 – March 3, 1947) was a South African actor and director. His work includes five short comedies filmed in 1917, three of them with African actors. Partial filmography Actor *'' De Voortrekkers'' (1916) as Piet Retief *'' ...

and William Bowden. Adair was the mother of the actress, artist and model

Jill Adams Jill Adams (22 July 1930 – 13 May 2008) was an English actress, artist and fashion model. She featured or starred in over 25 films during the 1950s and 1960s. Early life Jill Adams was born Jill Siggins in London in 1930, the daughter of ...

(1930–2008). She met Jill's New Zealand-born father, Arthur James Siggins, while she was filming ''The Blue Lagoon'' (1923) in Tanganyika,

East Africa East Africa, also known as Eastern Africa or the East of Africa, is a region at the eastern edge of the Africa, African continent, distinguished by its unique geographical, historical, and cultural landscape. Defined in varying scopes, the regi ...

(now

Tanzania Tanzania, officially the United Republic of Tanzania, is a country in East Africa within the African Great Lakes region. It is bordered by Uganda to the northwest; Kenya to the northeast; the Indian Ocean to the east; Mozambique and Malawi to t ...

). Siggins was a sergeant in the

British South African Police The British South Africa Police (BSAP) was, for most of its existence, the police force of Southern Rhodesia and Rhodesia (renamed Zimbabwe in 1980). It was formed as a paramilitary force of mounted infantrymen in 1889 by Cecil Rhodes' British ...

(BSAP) in Rhodesia and later worked as an animal handler during silent film productions. The family moved to Bryn-y-Maen, near

Colwyn Bay Colwyn Bay () is a town, Community (Wales), community and seaside resort in Conwy County Borough on the north coast of Wales overlooking the Irish Sea. It lies within the historic counties of Wales, historic county boundaries of Denbighshire (h ...

in Wales during

World War II 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 ...

. Adair died on 9 September 1990 in

Watford Watford () is a town and non-metropolitan district with Borough status in the United Kingdom, borough status in Hertfordshire, England, northwest of Central London, on the banks of the River Colne, Hertfordshire, River Colne. Initially a smal ...

Hertfordshire Hertfordshire ( or ; often abbreviated Herts) is a ceremonial county in the East of England and one of the home counties. It borders Bedfordshire to the north-west, Cambridgeshire to the north-east, Essex to the east, Greater London to the ...

, England, aged 85.

Selected filmography

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Adair, Molly 1905 births 1990 deaths English film actresses 20th-century English actresses English silent film actresses English stage actresses English people of Irish descent English people of American descent