Anna Neagle(1904-1986)
- Actress
- Producer
- Soundtrack
Dame Anna Neagle, the endearingly popular British star during WWII, was
born Florence Marjorie Robertson and began dancing as a professional in
chorus lines at age 14. She starred with actor Jack Buchanan in the
musical "Stand Up and Sing" in the West End and earned her big break
when producer/director Herbert Wilcox, who had caught the show purposely to
consider Buchanan for an upcoming film, was also taken (and smitten) by
Anna, casting her as well in the process. Thus began one of the most
exclusive and successful partnerships in the British cinema.
Under Wilcox's guidance (they married in 1943), Anna became one of the
biggest and brightest celebrities of her time. Always considered an
actress of limited abilities, the lovely Anna nevertheless would prove
to be a sensational box-office commodity for nearly two decades. She
added glamour and sophistication for war-torn London audiences and her
lightweight musicals, comedies and even costumed historical dramas
provided a nicely balanced escape route. The tasteful, ladylike
heroines she portrayed included nurses Edith Cavell and Florence
Nightingale, flyer Amy Johnson and undercover spy Odette; Nell Gwyn and
Queen Victoria also fell within her grasp. She appeared in a number of
frothy post-war retreads co-starring Michael Wilding that the critics turned
their noses on but the audiences ate up - including They Met at Midnight (1946), Katy's Love Affair (1947),
Spring in Park Lane (1948) and The Lady with a Lamp (1951). She tried to extend her fame to Hollywood and
briefly appeared there in three musicals in the early 40s, but failed
to make a dent. Anna's appeal faded somewhat in the late 50s and, after
producing a few film efforts, retired altogether from the screen.
She returned to her theatre roots, which culminated in the long-running
"Charlie Girl", a 1965 production that ran with Anna for nearly six
years. She was bestowed with the honor of Dame of the British Empire in
1969 for her contributions to the theatre. Anna continued to perform
after her husband's death in 1977, later developing Parkinson's disease
in her final years. She died in 1986 of complications.
born Florence Marjorie Robertson and began dancing as a professional in
chorus lines at age 14. She starred with actor Jack Buchanan in the
musical "Stand Up and Sing" in the West End and earned her big break
when producer/director Herbert Wilcox, who had caught the show purposely to
consider Buchanan for an upcoming film, was also taken (and smitten) by
Anna, casting her as well in the process. Thus began one of the most
exclusive and successful partnerships in the British cinema.
Under Wilcox's guidance (they married in 1943), Anna became one of the
biggest and brightest celebrities of her time. Always considered an
actress of limited abilities, the lovely Anna nevertheless would prove
to be a sensational box-office commodity for nearly two decades. She
added glamour and sophistication for war-torn London audiences and her
lightweight musicals, comedies and even costumed historical dramas
provided a nicely balanced escape route. The tasteful, ladylike
heroines she portrayed included nurses Edith Cavell and Florence
Nightingale, flyer Amy Johnson and undercover spy Odette; Nell Gwyn and
Queen Victoria also fell within her grasp. She appeared in a number of
frothy post-war retreads co-starring Michael Wilding that the critics turned
their noses on but the audiences ate up - including They Met at Midnight (1946), Katy's Love Affair (1947),
Spring in Park Lane (1948) and The Lady with a Lamp (1951). She tried to extend her fame to Hollywood and
briefly appeared there in three musicals in the early 40s, but failed
to make a dent. Anna's appeal faded somewhat in the late 50s and, after
producing a few film efforts, retired altogether from the screen.
She returned to her theatre roots, which culminated in the long-running
"Charlie Girl", a 1965 production that ran with Anna for nearly six
years. She was bestowed with the honor of Dame of the British Empire in
1969 for her contributions to the theatre. Anna continued to perform
after her husband's death in 1977, later developing Parkinson's disease
in her final years. She died in 1986 of complications.