The famous British theater actress Dame May Whitty (Dame May Whitty) made a name for herself in Hollywood at a young age - unlike many other stars. Then she became Dame, and on June 19, 1865 in Liverpool, in the family of the editor of the local newspaper “Liverpool Post”, a girl was born, who was named May Witty. May was professionally engaged in ballet, at the age of 16 she danced as part of a ballet company. Then, in his youth, made himself felt the talent of a dramatic actress: at the age of
more
The famous British theater actress Dame May Whitty (Dame May Whitty) made a name for herself in Hollywood at a young age - unlike many other stars. Then she became Dame, and on June 19, 1865 in Liverpool, in the family of the editor of the local newspaper “Liverpool Post”, a girl was born, who was named May Witty.
May was professionally engaged in ballet, at the age of 16 she danced as part of a ballet company. Then, in his youth, made himself felt the talent of a dramatic actress: at the age of 17, Whitty began to play on the London stage, replacing other actresses.
May’s talent soon went beyond dubbing: she played so that she became a celebrity not only in her country, but also in the United States of America.
The first steps in cinema were connected for Witty with silent cinema: in 1914 she starred in the film “Enoch Arden”, the film adaptation of the works of the English poet Alfred Tennyson. However, until the middle of the thirties, May preferred theater and was rarely filmed in films.
During the First World War, the actress repeatedly performed in front of the military, and for this she was awarded the title of nobility (Dame Commander) - hence the pseudonym Whitty, with whom she subsequently did not part.
In the 30s, Dame Whitty successfully participated in Broadway productions. Since 1936, the actress resumed her work in cinema - she began to cooperate with Hollywood. Trying to match her aristocratic position, Lady Whitty played ladies of noble birth, and these roles were very suitable for her.
During her career, Dame Whitty was nominated twice for Best Supporting Actress for The Night Must Pass (1937, Richard Thorpe) and
"Mrs. Miniver" (1942, dir. William Wyler). One of the most memorable images of the actress was the role of a spy Miss Froy in the film “Lady disappears”, created by British director Alfred Hitchcock.
Days Dame Whitty has reduced cancer: she died at the age of 83 in Beverly Hills, California. Her last role in the movie was the heroine of the film by American director John Sturges “The Sign of Aries”. /