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Flora Robson
Life Time
28 March 1902 - 7 July 1984
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Characteristic British theater and film actress, famous for playing the roles of aristocratic ladies, Scottish by birth, Flora Mackenzie Robson was born on March 28, 1902 in South Shields. When she was five years old, she first appeared on stage in the children’s play “Little Orphan Annie”. As a child, she attended private acting classes and participated in amateur performances, in which, because of her high stature, she often played the roles of boys. Her early fascination with theatre led her
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Characteristic British theater and film actress, famous for playing the roles of aristocratic ladies, Scottish by birth, Flora Mackenzie Robson was born on March 28, 1902 in South Shields. When she was five years old, she first appeared on stage in the children’s play “Little Orphan Annie”. As a child, she attended private acting classes and participated in amateur performances, in which, because of her high stature, she often played the roles of boys. Her early fascination with theatre led her to the Royal Academy of Dramatic Arts, which she graduated in 1921 with a bronze medal. From 1921 to 1923, she played in London and Oxford, but a lack of good roles and financial difficulties forced her to leave the stage and get a job as a welfare worker. She returned to the professional stage in 1929, playing first at the Cambridge Festival Theatre, then at London's Old Vic. Her return was successful - in 1931 she achieved success in the play by Eugene O'Neill "Love under the elms", and later forced to talk about himself playing Gwendolen in "The Importance of Being Earnest" by Oscar Wilde and Lady Macbeth in Shakespeare's "Macbeth". The actress did not have a beautiful appearance and did not fit into the role of a romantic heroine. Her role was different - tall, elegant, with a strictly delineated face, she played on the screen of domineering, determined women. Her fame came after she played Queen Elizabeth I of England in Alexander Korda and William Howard’s historical drama Flames Over England (1937). She later reappeared as Elizabeth I in the Hollywood adventure film Seahawk (1940, Michael Curtitz) starring Errol Flynn. This was not her first work in Hollywood - before that she had already starred in William Wyler in his famous film adaptation of Emilia Bronte's novel "Wuthering Heights" (1939) as an innocent housekeeper Ellen.
In 1941, the actress returned to London, where she continued to play in the theater. At the end of the war, she began to appear in films again. Her best post-war roles were the arrogant and insidious Ftatatita, the nanny of Queen Cleopatra in Caesar and Cleopatra (1945, dir.). Gabrielle Pascal, based on a play by Bernard Shaw, and devoted maid Angelique in The Saratoga Railroad (1945, dir. Sam Wood). For the role of Angelica, she was nominated for the Oscar as the best supporting actress. Her most famous film roles also include Phillip's sister abbot in Black Narcissus (1947, Michael Powell and Emerick Pressburger) and the vengeful Countess Platten in Saraband for Dead Lovers (1948, Basil Dearden, Michael Relf). No less successful was her theater career: she achieved great success, playing Shakespeare's roles: Lady Macbeth on Broadway (1948) and Pauline from "Winter's Tale" in the production of Sir John Gilgud (1951). In 1960, for her contribution to theatrical art, she was awarded the title of nobleman. Robson continued to act in film and television until the early eighties. Almost every appearance on the screen testified to the bright personality of the actress and the uniqueness of her acting talent. Unfortunately, her last film was an unfortunate silly fantasy film based on ancient Greek legends "The Battle of the Titans" (1981, Dir. Desmond Davis), in which she starred in a small role. Flora Robson died on 7 July 1984 in Brighton, Sussex. The actress has never been married or had children.
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