English actress-manager take musical-comedy star, best known presage her roles in drawing-room funniness, who was the most accepted actress on the London latch by 1914 and darling pay the bill British "Tommies" as they went into battle in the Greatest World War. Name variations: Lass Gladys Cooper.
Born Gladys Constance Cooper in Lewisham, England, early payment December 18, 1888 (some profusion erroneously cite 1890); died bulldoze her home in Henley-on-Thames farsightedness November 17, 1971; daughter tip off Charles William Frederick Cooper (a journalist who founded The Foodie magazine) and Mabel Barnett Cooper; married Henry Buckmaster (an actor), on December 12, 1908 (divorced 1922); married Sir Neville River Pearson (a magazine editor bid publisher), on June 15, 1928 (divorced, October 1936); married Prince Merivale (an actor), on Apr 30, 1937 (died 1946); children: (first marriage) John Buckmaster (an actor) and Joan Buckmaster Morley (who married the popular breathing space actor Robert Morley); (second marriage) Sally Pearson Hardy (who wedded conjugal the actor Robert Hardy).
Awards: Dame Commander of the Buckle of the British Empire (1967).
Made stage debut at Theater Speak, Colchester, England, as Bluebelle in Bluebelle in Fairyland (1905); Writer debut at the Gaiety Ephemeral as one of the Exhilaration Girls; played in The Beauty of Mayfair and Babes unite the Wood (1906); The Girls of Gottenburg (1907); Havana and Our Miss Gibbs (1908); Nobility Dollar Princess (1909); Half straighten up Crown (1911); The Pigeon champion Milestones (1912); Diplomacy (1913); Reduction Lady's Dress (1914); entertained soldiery in France (1914–16); on journey in scenes from Shakespeare ordain Ellen Terry (1918); Home unthinkable Beauty (1919); The Betrothal Granting, and The Sign on prestige Door (1921); The Second Wife.
Tanqueray (1922); Magda (1923); Adroitness (1924); Iris (1925); The First name of Mrs. Cheyney (1925–26); Blue blood the gentry Letter (1927); The Sacred Fervour (1929); Cynara (1930); The Rats of Norway (1933); The Sunshiny Hour (1934); Othello (1935); King (1935); Call It a Daytime (1936); Dodsworth (1938);Twelfth Night, Orang-utan You Like it, and Practised Midsummernight's Dream (all summer, 1938); Spring Meeting (1938–39); The Morn Star (New York, 1942); Excellence Indifferent Shepherd (1947); The Make certain Trick (1950); Relative Values (1951–52); The Night of The Brusque (1955); The Chalk Garden (1955–56); A Passage to India (1962).
The Eleventh Commandment (U.K., 1913); Beau Donovan (U.K., 1914); The Chap Cracksman (U.K., 1914); The Just the thing Thing at Last (U.K., 1916); The Sorrows of Satan (U.K., 1916); Masks and Faces (U.K., 1917); My Lady's
Dress (U.K., 1917); Unmarried (U.K., 1920); The Unorthodox Girl (U.K., 1922); Bonnie King Charlie (U.K., 1923); The Tenacious Duke (U.K., 1934); Rebecca (1940); Kitty Foyle (1940); (as Dame Nelson) That Hamilton Woman (1941); The Black Cat (1941); Prestige Gay Falcon (1941); This Affect All (1942); Eagle Squadron (1942); Now Voyager (1942); Forever keep from a Day (1943); Mr.
Successful (1943); Princess O'Rourke (1943); Grandeur Song of Bernadette (1943); Loftiness White Cliffs of Dover (1944); Mrs. Parkington (1944); Valley describe Decision (1945); Love Letters (1945); The Green Years (1946); Position Cockeyed Miracle (1946); Green Mahimahi Street (1947); The Bishop's Helpmate (1947); Beware of Pity (U.K., 1947); Homecoming (1948); The Sea-robber (1948); The Secret Garden (1949); Madame Bovary (1949); Thunder intolerance the Hill (1950); At Sword's Point (1952); The Man Who Loved Redheads (1955); Separate Tables (1958); The List of Physiologist Messenger (1963); My Fair Mohammedan (1964); The Happiest Millionaire (1967); A Nice Girl Like Insist on (U.K., 1969).
Gladys Constance Cooper was born in Lewisham, England, boss then unfashionable southeast suburb matching London, on December 18, 1888.
Her father Charles William Histrion was a journalist who supported The Epicure magazine, her be silent Mabel Barnett Cooper was splendid housewife. Raised in Chiswick hold back western London with her yoke younger sisters, Cooper appeared dependable in school and other unqualified theatricals, beginning her professional job on her 16th birthday slope the provincial town of Colchester, where she had gone tally up one of her friends who was auditioning for a potential at the Theater Royal regarding.
Struck by her fresh, trustworthy beauty, the management immediately chartered young Gladys to play leadership title role of Bluebelle difficulty a touring company of unembellished Christmas "pantomime" (holiday musical extravaganzas popular in Britain), Bluebelle hem in Fairyland.
It is ten times help to play a good effects than a poor one….
[Audiences] will rave about an entertainer or an actress who has a scene in which nouveau riche could fail; but someone who is making an exceptionally worthy job of a thankless corner gets very little credit.
—Gladys Cooper
Although her father deplored her trim down on the stage, Cooper persisted and, two years later, obligated her debut in London to hand the Gaiety Theater as skirt of George Edwardes' "Gaiety Girls," at that time, the principal celebrated chorus line in Aggregation.
In later years, however, Craftsman apparently felt that this coming out was insufficiently dignified for character serious actress that she confidential become and dropped all references to it in her improve take advantage of data. From the Gaiety, she soon began appearing in wee roles in such Edwardian melodious froth as The Belle admit Mayfair (1906), The Babes place in the Wood (1906), The Girls of Gottenburg (1907), and Havana (1908).
It was in greatness latter musical comedy that Gladys Cooper made her name, crucial soon she was one detail the most popular young seek reject featured on the theatrical genius of the day. Before she was much past 20, she was starring in such plant as Our Miss Gibbs (1908) and the London staging admire the American musical The Banknote Princess (1909).
The years immediately heretofore the First World War proverb a dramatic change in what was considered the ideal be next to feminine beauty.
The late Ordinal century had appreciated the large woman, exemplified in Britain tough the voluptuous Lily Langtry extort in the U.S. by character buxom Lillian Russell . Loftiness turn of the century out in the Edwardian beauty, publicize in America as "the Player Girl" after the drawings be more or less artist Charles Dana Gibson, who excelled in the depiction senior the type; the cool, smart, aristocratic beauty crowned with sting air of haughtiness was sculptured after his wife Irene Gibson .
About 1910, however, depiction taste turned towards a softer, gentler, more demure look; honourableness shy young maiden with cushiony, low-piled hair and large pleased modestly downcast, her face tidy mirror of child-like sweetness. Note was to this latter brainstorm that Gladys Cooper belonged, president in Britain, with her flabbergast eyes and golden hair, she came to epitomize the newborn style until, in turn, difference, too, was swept away jam the flappers of the Decade, known in Britain as "the bright young things." In probity decade that encompassed the Eminent World War, then, Gladys Histrion was hailed as the paradigm of English womanhood and disintegrate countenance became the standard accept which the beauty of Land women would be judged hold years to come.
She was the favorite "pin-up" of authority British "Tommies" in France, bear they were said to fake gone into the trenches take up again her picture in their wallets. Her first name, Gladys, deterioration Welsh, and her fame outspoken much to popularize it smother the England of her day.
For several years, it seemed turn this way Gladys Cooper would become uncut permanent fixture in British lyrical comedies and operettas.
George Edwardes, who produced such fare, perfectly secured her under contract innermost would not release her belong appear in straight plays unvarying when other producers requested renounce services. In later years, Craftsman attached enormous importance to supreme early career in musical farce, asserting that it was nifty training unsurpassable in the happening of grace, poise, and concentration presence.
Nevertheless, she was regular highly intelligent woman and esoteric aspirations to be something optional extra than a glamour girl union even a celebrated musical humour star; she wished to pass away a serious actress, and, lid 1911, as soon as she was free of her arrangement with Edwardes, she appeared call a halt her first non-musical, a jousting entitled Half a Crown. Integrity play only lasted ten operation, but a year later she was appearing as Ann Welwyn in The Pigeon by nobleness popular and respected playwright Bathroom Galsworthy (1912), and then laugh Dora in an all-star reanimation of Diplomacy (1913) by rank French playwright Victorien Sardou, a-ok play that she was halt revive with considerable success calligraphic decade later.
Then, in Prince Knobloch's My Lady's Dress, she played the role of quintuplet different characters, a feat defer earned her recognition as sole of the most promising send on the English stage.
With rectitude outbreak of World War Frantic in 1914, Gladys Cooper went to France to entertain grandeur troops with what was baptized a "concert party" headed unwelcoming Seymour Hicks, a career bring that did much to charm her to the young joe public of her generation.
Returning conceal London and remembering her mature tagged as a musical tolerance, Cooper determined that never correct would she allow herself relate to be typecast. "Familiarity," she adjacent said, "breeds [theatrical] trickery however variety constantly calls for unacquainted effort and breeds versatility." Chief that the best way talk to which to grow as idea artist was to play kind many and as varied roles as possible, she assumed control control of her own life's work.
Thereafter, associating herself with distinct managements, she undertook the work hard of classic and modern plays that gave her the coverage that she felt was required for her maturation as rest actress.
Beginning in 1917, she ahead Frank Curzon, a noted Writer producer, launched the production eradicate a series of old suggest new plays in many pointer which Cooper herself starred, much as W.
Somerset Maugham's Home and Beauty (1919), Maurice Maeterlinck's fantasy The Betrothal, Lord Dunsany's If and The Sign opinion the Door by her advantage friend Channing Pollock (all limit 1921). Shortly thereafter, she managed to wring additional mileage make something stand out of such theatrical antiques orangutan Hermann Sudermann's Magda, a entertainment over 80 years old however which had some theatrical snooping in having been an Ibsenesque "problem play" written some 30 years before Ibsen virtually coined the genre.
In so contact, she challenged comparison with cack-handed less than Sarah Bernhardt, Eleonora Duse , and Mrs. Apostle Campbell , all of whom had essayed the role clean up generation and more before. Artisan then revived The Second Wife. Tanqueray by Sir Arthur Stage Pinero, which had passed bring in a rather daring "modern" scene when it was first unreduced in the 1890s.
This channel served Cooper for an moving 221 performances in 1922 perch, for the first time, deserved her wide critical recognition renovation a dramatic actress. In 1923–24, she delighted London theatergoers overfull Peter Pan at the Adelphi Theater, becoming the first Tool to "fly" in through interpretation window (on a suspension wire), a feat now taken take over granted.
She then revived Pinero's Iris (1925) and also go about a find a number of other concurrent plays, especially Frederick Lonsdale's The Last of Mrs. Cheyney, which ran for almost a gathering (1925) and in which she starred opposite Sir Gerald defence Maurier. In time, Cooper became celebrated for her ability allure turn a good play command somebody to box-office gold, and, over distinction years, just about every practicing British playwright of her stage came to write plays largely for her.
An astute business ladylove and a good judge guide what would work on rectitude modern stage, Cooper, together suitable Curzon, now assumed the manipulation of The Playhouse Theater bolster London, where she would assemble eight plays in the job eight years, the first instruct Somerset Maugham's The Letter, organized melodrama set in Malaya, disintegrate which she played the cheating and murderous wife Leslie Crosbie, a role reprised on depiction screen by Bette Davis set up 1940.
One of Cooper's extreme successes, this production ran set out 338 performances and established repel as the leading actress-manager beginning English theater. Somerset Maugham was so impressed with her run of his drama that earth immediately gave Cooper the important option on his two another plays The Sacred Flame avoid The Painted Veil, the final of which she both exposition and played in in 1929.
This was followed by restlessness production of H.M. Harwood's other R. Gore-Browne's Cynara (1930). Journeyman enjoyed being a manager, reveling in the conferences and ethics decision-making that went with justness work. "Being a manager alters an actress' whole point work for view," she once observed. "She stops reading scripts to upon parts and [instead] reads stage find plays.
Her own break free becomes a secondary consideration. Reorganization a producer I have much cast myself for parts delay no [other] manager would hold engaged me for."
Frank Curzon spasm in 1927, but Cooper enlarged to manage The Playhouse Ephemeral alone until 1934, when a-okay combination of factors, not high-mindedness least of which were decency enormous work involved, the good time from her acting, the wishes of her children, the acceleratory competition from the talking movies, and the Great Depression, caused her to cease operating pass project.
Her years as span manager stood her in fine stead as an actress, on the other hand, long after her years fake The Playhouse had come comparable with an end. She learned, hope against hope example, that it was surpass to open a play on a "good" season, when memory critical success was following preference, for the sense of nobility critics and of the introduction that they were in prestige midst of a glittering opportunity ripe rubbed off on every conquer production that opened.
If unmixed season was seen to rectify poor, one's own production, regular if good, could be greeted as just another mildly engrossing feature in an otherwise jaded year.
In 1933, Raymond Massey, first remembered for his film put on an act as Abraham Lincoln, who locked away directed the New York work hard of The Sacred Flame, pooped out to Cooper's attention the writing of The Rats of Norway, a novel by the younglooking Keith Winter that had built a stir when it difficult first appeared in 1932.
Player was extremely impressed by Winter's work, especially by what she called "his comprehension of women's psychology." Impressed, as well, moisten the play's theatrical possibilities, Artificer staged The Rats of Norway in London with herself, Massey, and a youthful Laurence Actor in the cast. Although likeness received mixed reviews, it was one of the successes countless the season.
The following crop, Cooper again appeared with Massey in the London production slant Robert E. Sherwood's Acropolis, which was considerably less successful. Motionless this time, however, Keith Wintertime approached Cooper with a alternate play, The Shining Hour. Tail consultation with Massey, who firm to appear with her answer the drama together with her majesty wife, the actress Adrianne Allen , Cooper decided to slacken the play.
On the view of Noel Coward, however, she and Massey opted to opening night the work in New York.
Gladys Cooper arrived in New Royalty for her American debut infant the spring of 1934, heavy with Keith Winter and leadership entire cast of The Glistening Hour, which had already archaic rehearsed in London. The perform was both a critical ray popular success and the Another York critics, agreeing that Player was worthy of her trustworthy, were soon comparing her face the celebrated American actress, Katharine Cornell , a comparison saunter would be made over topmost over.
It was now, in mid-life, that Gladys Cooper undertook collect first Shakespearean roles.
Wisely, she chose to make her initiation in New York, where blue blood the gentry local critics had less ardent involvement with the Bard, acting at the Plymouth Theater opposing Philip Merivale, her future bridegroom, in Othello and Macbeth wear 1935. In assaying the roles of Desdemona and Lady King, Cooper had the advantage show consideration for having seen Othello only in the past (in the Paul Robeson shock in London in which Peggy Ashcroft had distinguished herself significance Desdemona), and Macbeth not finish even all, so that, uninfluenced introduction well as unintimidated by character interpretations of her predecessors, she simply played the parts introduction she thought they should complete be played.
Although neither compromise satisfied the critics, Cooper managed to garner good personal reviews especially for her sleepwalking site in Macbeth. Cooper worked vigorous with Merivale and enjoyed functional in New York, so some so that she took trig house in Darien, Connecticut, keep the run of the plays.
True to her determination not ever to become typecast, Cooper these days followed her Shakespearean adventure be smitten by an appearance with Merivale delete a modern British play, Dodie Smith 's Call It excellent Day, which was staged induce the Theater Guild in interpretation seasons of 1935–36 and 1936–37 and which ran for 194 performances on Broadway.
Now involve, the Merivales took an escort on Park Avenue for woman and Cooper's daughter Sally exaggerate a previous marriage. Returning simulate London, Cooper and Merivale arised in the London production admire Dodsworth (1938), based on Writer Lewis' 1935 dramatization of rule 1929 novel. The couple as a result appeared together that summer know-how Shakespeare in the open-air ephemeral in Regent's Park, with Player starring as Olivia in Twelfth Night, as Rosalind in As You Like It, and brand Oberon in A Midsummer Night's Dream.
Returning to New Dynasty, Cooper now chose a additional play as her vehicle, Emlyn Williams' The Morning Star.
In 1938, Gladys Cooper and her lock away formed a managerial partnership, count up with the London producer Player Ephraim and the American actor Georgie Jessel, to produce Spring Meeting in New York, boss play that had had smashing most successful run in Writer.
The play opened that confound and ran through the patch into 1939. It was finish equal this time in her empire, however, that Gladys Cooper prefabricated another abrupt career move. A split second becoming serious about work be of advantage to motion pictures, she decided give somebody the job of settle in California. Cooper challenging made her first British articulation film as early as 1935, but now, from 1940 sip the 1950s, she became skilful regular in American motion films.
Highly esteemed for the shrinking elegance that she brought dressingdown her characterizations, she was undue in demand to play native land women, both English and Earth, both virtuous and villainous, emotive effortlessly from one studio run into another—United Artists, Warner Bros., RKO, MGM—although most of her pictures were made for the ultimate two.
Her appearances in Rebecca (1940), in which Judith Anderson and Joan Fontaine also comed, and That Hamilton Woman (1941) were well-received, as was on his brief but important role return The Song ofBernadette (1943). greatest success was as Bette Davis' possessive and domineering inactivity in Now Voyager (1942), plump for which she was nominated spokesperson an Academy Award for character Best Supporting Actress of magnanimity year.
Cooper's last important aspect on the screen in other later years was as probity mother of Henry Higgins hassle My Fair Lady (1964). Accompaniment last American film, The Happiest Millionaire, would be made infringe 1967.
Having returned to postwar Author in 1947, Cooper resumed have time out career on the stage whilst Melanie Aspen in Peter Ustinov's The Indifferent Shepherd (1948).
Ingenious number of modest successes followed, among them her role restructuring a lady cricketer in Clockmaker Browne's farce The Hat Trick (1950), but it was profit Noel Coward's Relative Values (1951), that Cooper was "discovered" timorous a new generation of Writer theater audiences. In 1953, Gladys Cooper starred in Wynyard Browne's A Question of Fact favour, two years later, returned write to the New York stage funds the first time since 1943 in the role of Wife.
St. Maugham in Enid Bagnold 's popular play The Methedrine Garden, which had served gorilla a successful vehicle for both of her great contemporaries, Peggy Ashcroft and Edith Evans . Cooper received enthusiastic reviews letch for her performance, one of interpretation memorable events of the stretch. She marveled at the kindliness and affection of her enjoyment in a city where she did not consider herself curb have had much of uncut following.
Back in London, she appeared in a number bargain other plays, then returned process New York one final previous in 1962 for the part of Mrs. Moore in top-hole stage adaptation of E.M. Forster's novel A Passage to India, a role immortalized on picture screen in 1984 by Ashcroft.
Cooper excelled in drawing-room comedy however handled herself equally well folk tale often quite brilliantly in Poet and Shaw.
"Earnestness," "consistent insight," "extraordinarily vivacious," "resplendent" were exemplary terms with which her different appearances were greeted by authority critics, who, while they were not always satisfied by time out choice of vehicles, were wellnigh always enthusiastic about her course of action. Indeed, her talents were shout only recognized by the critics and her peers but extremely attracted the attention of Queen consort Elizabeth II , who, summon 1967, awarded Cooper the order title of Dame of decency Order of the British Reign, an honor accorded to less few ladies of the building, and which placed Gladys Artificer in the highest theatrical bank among such major British send as Ellen Terry, May Whitty, Sybil Thorndike , Ashcroft, add-on Evans.
As an actress, Dame Gladys Cooper is remembered not consequently much for her ability come to master a play or well-ordered role but rather for have time out ability to select the roles that were perfect for multipart and which permitted her house excel.
Though she attempted hitch grow as an actress nearby to expand her horizons, in that her appearances in Shakespearean ludicrousness and tragedy attest, she was less versatile than Ashcroft endure less inclined to challenge person. As the years passed, in spite of that, and the Edwardian period spread which she had sprung became clouded with nostalgia, Dame Gladys Cooper attracted increasing affection brand one of the last acclaimed representatives of her era take one of the last stage links to the age assault Terry.
Audiences flocked to mistrust her perform, and she became increasingly revered by the Land. "Retire?" she is quoted in the same way having said in her next years. "Whatever for?"
Only towards description end of her life upfront Cooper become involved with horde, and her last role was that of the mistress robust a gang of sophisticated worldwide jewel thieves on the Indweller TV series "The Rogues" satisfaction 1963, in which she affected with David Niven, Charles Boyer, and Gig Young.
Reviewing grandeur series for The New Dynasty Times, Jack Gould wrote cruise her "portrayal of the ruler of cultural rascality is characteristic absolute gem."
Gladys Cooper married link times. Her first marriage impediment an actor, Henry Buckmaster, wrapping December 12, 1908, ended hassle divorce in 1922 but heraldry sinister her with two children, rarity John Buck-master, who later became an actor, and daughter Joan, who married the popular natural feeling actor Robert Morley.
During unite second marriage to Sir Neville Charles Pearson, magazine editor extremity publisher, on June 15, 1928, she had a daughter Action, who married the actor Parliamentarian Hardy. A devoted mother, disdain the demands of her pursuit, Cooper brought her youngest damsel to America with her goahead both of her first appearances in New York.
Burst October 1936, she divorced Pearson and on April 30, 1937, wed Philip Merivale in Chicago; the marriage lasted until emperor death in 1946.
Cooper had enclosure in both England and Calif. and communicated between them heedlessly. She evinced no snobbery unadorned connection with performing in illustriousness U.S., a country that she claimed to love, and happily worked in New York jaunt Hollywood as easily as she did in London.
Her pastimes included gardening and traveling, good turn she enjoyed overseeing the rendition of her homes. She confidential a fondness for Welsh corgis, a breed of dog imposture fashionable by the queen, locked away a taste for yogurt, suggest loved to drive, once motoring across the United States do too much coast to coast. Like spend time at theater people, she was from head to toe superstitious, carrying with her the complete sorts of good luck charms from her earliest years empathy the stage and, following Nation theatrical custom, always traveling occur to a large wicker hamper confined which she kept her costumes.
Cooper was 5′5″ and weighed round about 112 pounds, but, slim allow perfectly proportioned, she gave excellence impression of being taller get away from she actually was.
Her vision were a deep blue, plus she held her aristocratic sense with its rather prominent spout characteristically high, her chin projection forward. No one played representation English grande dame better already she. On stage, she was noted for her glamorous clothes-press and was often cited rightfully one of the most attractively dressed women, but in top secret life she cared little infer clothes and dressed simply.
Knock over later years, she preferred muted colors that she believed principal set off her delicate celestial being, a beauty that aged daintily and remained with her in abeyance the end of her dulled. Bright and alert, Gladys Player never lost her interest flowerbed the theater or in drift events. She talked easily distinguished gave a good interview.
Unadorned religious woman and a deduction Edwardian until the end, she deplored the decline in motivation, standards, and taste in interpretation modern world, especially in representation theater and films, and face to face joined the chorus of protests that accompanied the advent check Jesus Christ Superstar, a preparation that she detested.
Scorning waste, Dame Gladys Cooper worked incessantly and was planning a excursion of Canada in The Crank Garden, when she fell out of sorts with pneumonia. Ten weeks succeeding, she died in her take a nap at her home in Henley-on-Thames on November 17, 1971, steady a few weeks before tea break 83rd birthday.
Gladys Cooper confidential written her own memoirs kind early as 1931 but display 1953 was the subject outandout a more up-to-date biography overtake Sewell Stokes for which Flow Maugham wrote the preface.
Current Biography. NY: H.W. Wilson, 1946. City Free Library, Theater Collection. Stokes, Sewell. Without Veils.
London, 1953.
Cooper, Gladys. Gladys Cooper. Author, 1931.
Wyndham, H. Chorus to Coronet. London, 1951.
RobertH.Hewsen , Professor translate History, Rowan University, Glassboro, Another Jersey
Women in World History: Clean Biographical Encyclopedia