Alison Skipworth (born Alison Mary Elliott Margaret Groom; 25 July 18635 July 1952) was an English stage and screen actress.

Early years

Skipworth was born in London. She was the daughter of Dr. Richard Ebenezer Groom and Elizabeth Rodgers, and she had a private education.

Stage

Alison Skipworth made her first stage appearance at

Daly's Theatre Daly's Theatre was a theatre in the City of Westminster. It was located at 2 Cranbourn Street, just off Leicester Square. It opened on 27 June 1893, and was demolished in 1937. The theatre was built for and named after the American impresar ...

in London in 1894, in ''

A Gaiety Girl ''A Gaiety Girl'' is an English musical comedy in two acts by a team of musical comedy neophytes: Owen Hall (book, on an outline by James T. Tanner), Harry Greenbank (lyrics) and Sidney Jones (music). It opened at Prince of Wales Theatre in ...

''. Her first American performance came the following year at the

Broadway Theatre Broadway theatre,Although ''theater'' is generally the spelling for this common noun in the United States (see American and British English spelling differences), 130 of the 144 extant and extinct Broadway venues use (used) the spelling ''Th ...

in New York City. She sang in

light opera Comic opera, sometimes known as light opera, is a sung dramatic work of a light or comic nature, usually with a happy ending and often including spoken dialogue. Forms of comic opera first developed in late 17th-century Italy. By the 1730s, a ne ...

in ''

An Artist's Model ''An Artist's Model'' is a two-act musical by Owen Hall, with lyrics by Harry Greenbank and music by Sidney Jones, with additional songs by Joseph and Mary Watson, Paul Lincke, Frederick Ross, Henry Hamilton and Leopold Wenzel. It opened at Dal ...

''. In this production she served as

understudy In theater, an understudy, referred to in opera as cover or covering, is a performer who learns the lines and blocking or choreography of a regular actor, actress, or other performer in a play. Should the regular actor or actress be unable to ap ...

Marie Tempest Dame Mary Susan Etherington, (15 July 1864 – 15 October 1942), known professionally as Marie Tempest, was an English singer and actress. Tempest became a famous soprano in late Victorian light opera and Edwardian musical comedies. Later, s ...

. After performing in two London plays, Skipworth returned to the United States, and made it her home. She joined the company of

Daniel Frohman Daniel Frohman (August 22, 1851 – December 26, 1940) was an American theatrical producer and manager, and an early film producer. Biography Frohman was born to a Jewish family in Sandusky, Ohio. His parents were Henry (1826–1899) and Ba ...

at the Lyceum. There she made her debut as ''Mrs. Ware'' in '' The Princess and the Butterfly'' in 1897. In 1905 and 1906 Skipworth toured with

Viola Allen Viola Emily Allen (October 27, 1867 – May 9, 1948) was an American stage actress who played leading roles in Shakespeare and other plays, including many original plays. She starred in over two dozen Broadway productions from 1885 to 1916. Be ...

in three productions of Shakespeare, ''

Cymbeline ''Cymbeline'' , also known as ''The Tragedie of Cymbeline'' or ''Cymbeline, King of Britain'', is a play by William Shakespeare set in Ancient Britain () and based on legends that formed part of the Matter of Britain concerning the early Celti ...

'', ''

Twelfth Night ''Twelfth Night'', or ''What You Will'' is a romantic comedy by William Shakespeare, believed to have been written around 1601–1602 as a Twelfth Night's entertainment for the close of the Christmas season. The play centres on the twins Vio ...

'', and ''

As You Like It ''As You Like It'' is a pastoral comedy by William Shakespeare believed to have been written in 1599 and first published in the First Folio in 1623. The play's first performance is uncertain, though a performance at Wilton House in 1603 has b ...

''. In the following years she played with James K. Hackett and

John Drew, Jr. John Drew Jr. (November 13, 1853 – July 9, 1927), commonly known as John Drew during his life, was an American stage actor noted for his roles in Shakespearean comedy, society drama, and light comedies. He was the eldest son of John Drew ...

, among other theatre celebrities. Productions in which she was featured are ''

The Torch-Bearers ''The Torch-Bearers'' is a 1922 stage play by George Kelly (playwright), George Kelly about a housewife who becomes an actress (the original actress became a widow and withdrew) while her husband is away on business, with Act I being the rehearsal ...

'', ''The Swan'', ''The Enchanted April'', ''The Grand Duchess and the Waiter'', ''Mrs. Dane's Defence'' and ''Marseilles''.

Film

Skipworth appeared in her first film in 1912, ''A Mardi Gras Mix-Up''. The same year she performed in ''The Pilgrimage'', ''Into the Jungle'', and ''A Political Kidnapping''. In 1930 she made her first

talkie A sound film is a motion picture A film also called a movie, motion picture, moving picture, picture, photoplay or (slang) flick is a work of visual art that simulates experiences and otherwise communicates ideas, stories, percep ...

, ''Strictly Unconventional''. Skipworth appeared opposite

W. C. Fields William Claude Dukenfield (January 29, 1880 – December 25, 1946), better known as W. C. Fields, was an American comedian, actor, juggler, and writer. Fields's comic persona was a misanthropic and hard-drinking egotist who remained a sympathe ...

as his foil in four films: ''

If I Had a Million ''If I Had a Million'' is a 1932 American pre-Code Paramount Studios anthology film starring Gary Cooper, George Raft, Charles Laughton, W.C. Fields, Jack Oakie, Frances Dee and Charlie Ruggles, among others. There were seven directors: Ern ...

'' (1932), ''

Tillie and Gus ''Tillie and Gus'' is a 1933 American pre-Code comedy film directed by Francis Martin, co-written by Martin and Walter DeLeon, and starring W.C. Fields, Alison Skipworth, Baby LeRoy, Julie Bishop, and Clarence Wilson. It is based on a short ...

'' (1933), '' Alice in Wonderland'' (1933), and ''

Six of a Kind ''Six of a Kind'' is an American 1934 pre-Code comedy film directed by Leo McCarey and starring Charles Ruggles, Mary Boland, W.C. Fields, George Burns, and Gracie Allen. It is a whimsical and often absurd road movie about two couples who decid ...

'' (1934). Her film career continued until 1938 with many major supporting roles. Her later screen credits include ''

The Casino Murder Case ''The Casino Murder Case'' is a 1934 novel written by S. S. Van Dine in the series about fictional detective Philo Vance. In this outing, a murder investigation is connected with a private casino on New York's Upper West Side, and the wealthy a ...

'', ''

The Girl from 10th Avenue ''The Girl from 10th Avenue'' is a 1935 American drama film directed by Alfred E. Green. The screenplay by Charles Kenyon is based on the 1914 play ''Outcast'' by Hubert Henry Davies. The film was released in the United Kingdom as ''Men on Her M ...

'', ''King of the Newsboys'', ''Wide Open Faces'', and ''Ladies in Distress''.

Personal life

In 1882, Skipworth married Frank Markham Skipworth, an artist for whom she modeled; they later divorced. Nicknamed "Skippy", Skipworth resided in an ordinary Hollywood flat, drove a

Ford Ford commonly refers to: * Ford Motor Company, an automobile manufacturer founded by Henry Ford * Ford (crossing), a shallow crossing on a river Ford may also refer to: Ford Motor Company * Henry Ford, founder of the Ford Motor Company * Ford F ...

, and drank tea daily in her own garden each afternoon when she was not working.

Death

Skipworth died of natural causes on 5 July 1952 at her home in New York City.

Filmography

* ''A Mardi Gras Mix-Up'' (1912, Short) - The Doctor's Wife * ''The Pilgrimage'' (1912, Short) - William's Mother * ''Into the Jungle'' (1912, Short) * ''A Political Kidnapping'' (1912, Short) * '' 39 East'' (1920) - Mrs. de Mailly * '' Handcuffs or Kisses'' (1921) - Miss Strodd * '' Big Pal'' (1925) - Agatha Briggs, truant officer (*uncredited) * ''

Strictly Unconventional ''Strictly Unconventional'' is a 1930 American pre-Code drama film directed by David Burton, written by Sylvia Thalberg and Frank Butler, and starring Catherine Dale Owen, Paul Cavanagh, Tyrell Davis, Lewis Stone and Ernest Torrence. It was ...

'' (1930) - Lady Catherine Champion-Chene * '' Raffles'' (1930) - Lady Kitty Melrose * ''

Outward Bound Outward Bound (OB) is an international network of outdoor education organizations that was founded in the United Kingdom by Lawrence Holt and Kurt Hahn in 1941. Today there are organizations, called schools, in over 35 countries which are att ...

'' (1930) - Mrs. Cliveden-Banks * ''

Du Barry, Woman of Passion ''Du Barry, Woman of Passion'' is a 1930 American pre-Code dramatic film starring Norma Talmadge, produced by her husband Joseph Schenck, released through United Artists, and based on a 1901 stage play ''Du Barry'' written and produced by David ...

'' (1930) - La Gourdan * ''

Oh, For a Man! ''Oh, For a Man!'' is a 1930 American black-and-white musical comedy film based on a short story, "Stolen Thunder" by Mary F. Watkins. The original story appeared in The Saturday Evening Post June 7, 1930. Lugosi's character of Frescatti was lat ...

'' (1930) - Laura * ''

The Virtuous Husband ''The Virtuous Husband'' is a 1931 American pre-Code comedy film directed by Vin Moore and written by Jerry Horwin, Edward Ludwig, Fred Niblo, Jr. and Dale Van Every. The film stars Betty Compson, Elliott Nugent, Jean Arthur, J. C. Nugent, Ali ...

'' (1931) - Mrs. Olwell * ''

The Night Angel ''The Night Angel'' is a 1931 American pre-Code drama film written and directed by Edmund Goulding. The film stars Nancy Carroll, Fredric March, Phoebe Foster, Alison Skipworth and Alan Hale, Sr. The film was released on July 18, 1931, by Paramo ...

'' (1931) - Countess von Martini * ''

Devotion Devotion or Devotions may refer to: Religion * Faith, confidence or trust in a person, thing, or concept * Anglican devotions, private prayers and practices used by Anglican Christians * Buddhist devotion, commitment to religious observance * Cat ...

'' (1931) - Mrs.Matilda Coggins * ''

The Road to Singapore ''The Road to Singapore'' is a 1931 American pre-Code romantic drama film directed by Alfred E. Green and starring William Powell and Doris Kenyon, who play two thirds of a romantic triangle, along with Louis Calhern. It was produced and dis ...

'' (1931) - Mrs. Wey-Smith * '' Tonight or Never'' (1931) - Marchesa Bianca San Giovanni * ''

The Unexpected Father ''The Unexpected Father'' is a 1932 American comedy film directed by Thornton Freeland and starring Slim Summerville, Zasu Pitts, and Cora Sue Collins.Stumpf p. 136 The film's sets were designed by the art director Thomas F. O'Neill. Plot ...

'' (1932) - Mrs. Hawkins * ''

High Pressure In science and engineering the study of high pressure examines its effects on materials and the design and construction of devices, such as a diamond anvil cell, which can create high pressure. By ''high pressure'' is usually meant pressures of th ...

'' (1932) - Mrs. Miller (uncredited) * ''

Sinners in the Sun ''Sinners in the Sun'' is a 1932 American pre-Code romantic drama film directed by Alexander Hall, and starring Carole Lombard, Chester Morris, Adrienne Ames, and Alison Skipworth. It was produced and distributed by Paramount Pictures. Plot Do ...

'' (1932) - Mrs. Blake * ''

Madame Racketeer ''Madame Racketeer'' is a 1932 American pre-Code comedy film featuring Alison Skipworth, Richard Bennett and George Raft. The movie was directed by Harry Wagstaff Gribble and Alexander Hall.Everett Aaker, ''The Films of George Raft'', McFarla ...

'' (1932) - Countess von Claudwig / Martha Hicks * '' Night After Night'' (1932) - Miss Mabel Jellyman * ''

'' (1932) - Emily La Rue * '' Tonight Is Ours'' (1933) - Grand Duchess Emilie * ''

He Learned About Women ''He Learned About Women'' is a 1933 American pre-Code comedy film directed by Lloyd Corrigan and written by Lloyd Corrigan, Harlan Thompson and Ray Harris. The film stars Stuart Erwin, Susan Fleming, Alison Skipworth, Gordon Westcott, Gra ...

'' (1933) - Mme. Vivienne Pompadour * '' A Lady's Profession'' (1933) - Beulah Bonnell * '' The Song of Songs'' (1933) - Mrs. Rasmussen * ''

Midnight Club ''Midnight Club'' is a series of arcade-style racing video games developed by Rockstar San Diego (formerly known as Angel Studios) and published by Rockstar Games. ''Midnight Club'' is similar to the '' Midtown Madness'' series (previously de ...

'' (1933) - Lady Barrett-Smythe * ''

'' (1933) - Tillie Winterbottom * '' Alice in Wonderland'' (1933) - Duchess * ''

'' (1934) - Mrs. K. Rumford * ''

Coming Out Party ''Coming Out Party'' is a 1934 American Pre-Code Hollywood, Pre-Code drama film directed by John G. Blystone starring Frances Dee, Gene Raymond, Alison Skipworth and Nigel Bruce. It was produced and distributed by the Fox Film Corporation. Syno ...

'' (1934) - Miss Gertrude Vanderdoe * '' Wharf Angel'' (1934) - Mother Bright * '' Shoot the Works'' (1934) - The Countess * ''

The Notorious Sophie Lang ''The Notorious Sophie Lang'' is a 1934 American crime drama film directed by Ralph Murphy and starring Gertrude Michael, Paul Cavanagh and Alison Skipworth.The Captain Hates the Sea ''The Captain Hates the Sea'' is a 1934 comedy film directed by Lewis Milestone and released by Columbia Pictures. The film, which involves a ''Grand Hotel''-style series of intertwining stories involving the passengers on a cruise ship, is notab ...

'' (1934) - Mrs. Yolanda Magruder * ''

Here is My Heart ''Here Is My Heart'' is a 1934 American musical comedy film directed by Frank Tuttle and starring Bing Crosby, Kitty Carlisle, and Roland Young. Based on the play ''La Grande-duchesse et le garçon d'étage'' by Alfred Savoir, the film is about a ...

'' (1934) - Countess Rostova * ''

'' (1935) - Priscilla Kinkaid Llewellyn * '' The Devil Is a Woman'' (1935) - Senora Perez * ''

'' (1935) - Mrs. Martin * ''

Becky Sharp Rebecca "Becky" Sharp, later describing herself as Rebecca, Lady Crawley, is the main protagonist of William Makepeace Thackeray's 1847–48 novel ''Vanity Fair''. She is presented as a cynical social climber who uses her charms to fascinate an ...

'' (1935) - Miss Crawley * ''

Doubting Thomas A doubting Thomas is a skeptic who refuses to believe without direct personal experience — a reference to the Gospel of John's depiction of the Apostle Thomas, who, in John's account, refused to believe the resurrected Jesus had appeared to ...

'' (1935) - Mrs. Pampinelli * ''

Shanghai Shanghai (; , , Standard Mandarin pronunciation: ) is one of the four direct-administered municipalities of the People's Republic of China (PRC). The city is located on the southern estuary of the Yangtze River, with the Huangpu River flow ...

'' (1935) - Aunt Jane * ''

Dangerous Dangerous may refer to: Film and television * ''Dangerous'' (1935 film), an American film starring Bette Davis * '' Dangerous: The Short Films'', a 1993 collection of music videos by Michael Jackson * ''Dangerous'' (2021 film), a Canadian-Ameri ...

'' (1935) - Mrs. Williams * ''

Hitch Hike Lady ''Hitch Hike Lady'' is a 1935 American comedy film directed by Aubrey Scotto and written by Gordon Rigby and Lester Cole. The film stars Alison Skipworth, Mae Clarke, Arthur Treacher, James Ellison, Warren Hymer and Beryl Mercer. The film was re ...

'' (1935) - Mrs. Amelia Blake * ''

The Princess Comes Across ''The Princess Comes Across'' is a 1936 mystery/comedy film directed by William K. Howard and starring Carole Lombard and Fred MacMurray, the second of the four times they were paired together. Lombard, playing an actress from Brooklyn preten ...

'' (1936) - Lady Gertrude * ''

Satan Met a Lady ''Satan Met a Lady'' is a 1936 American detective film directed by William Dieterle and starring Bette Davis and Warren William. The screenplay by Brown Holmes is a loose adaptation of the 1929 novel '' The Maltese Falcon'' by Dashiell Hammett ...

'' (1936) - Madame Barabbas * ''

The Gorgeous Hussy ''The Gorgeous Hussy'' is a 1936 American period film directed by Clarence Brown, and starring Joan Crawford and Robert Taylor. The screenplay was written by Stephen Morehouse Avery and Ainsworth Morgan, which was based on a 1934 novel by Samuel ...

'' (1936) - Mrs. Beall * ''

Two in a Crowd ''Two in a Crowd'' is a 1936 romantic comedy film directed by Alfred E. Green and starring Joan Bennett and Joel McCrea. It was released by Universal Pictures. The screenplay was written by Lewis R. Foster, Doris Malloy, and Earle Snell, based ...

'' (1936) - Lillie Eckleberger aka Lillie the Toad * ''

White Hunter White hunter is a literary term used for professional big game hunting, big game hunters of European or North American backgrounds who plied their trade in Africa, especially during the first half of the 20th century. The activity continues in t ...

'' (1936) - Aunt Frederika * ''

Stolen Holiday ''Stolen Holiday'' is a 1937 film directed by Michael Curtiz and starring Kay Francis, Claude Rains and Ian Hunter. It is loosely based on the Stavisky Affair, a French political scandal. A Russian con artist worms his way into the upper reach ...

'' (1937) - Suzanne * ''

Two Wise Maids ''Two Wise Maids'' is a 1937 American drama film directed by Phil Rosen, written by Samuel Ornitz, and starring Alison Skipworth, Polly Moran, Irene Manning, Donald Cook, Jackie Searl, and Lila Lee. It was released on February 15, 1937, by Repub ...

'' (1937) - Agatha Stanton / Old Lady Ironsides * ''

King of the Newsboys ''King of the Newsboys'' is a 1938 American film directed by Bernard Vorhaus. Plot Jerry Flynn's girlfriend leaves him for a gangster with power and money, in order to show her that she made a mistake, Jerry starts his newspaper distribution ...

'' (1938) - Nora * ''

Wide Open Faces ''Wide Open Faces'' is a 1938 American comedy film directed by Kurt Neumann and starring Joe E. Brown, Jane Wyman and Alison Skipworth.Quinlan p.72 The screenplay concerns a man who tries to prevent mobsters getting their hands on loot that th ...

'' (1938) - Auntie Martha * ''

Ladies in Distress ''Ladies in Distress'' is a 1938 American drama film directed by Gus Meins and written by Dorrell McGowan and Stuart E. McGowan. The film stars Alison Skipworth, Polly Moran, Robert Livingston, Virginia Grey, Max Terhune and Berton Churchill. T ...

'' (1938) - Josephine Bonney (final film role)

References

Sources

* ''The Times-News'' (Burlington, North Carolina), "Hollywood Gossip", 19 December 1933, page 7. * ''

The New York Times ''The New York Times'' (''the Times'', ''NYT'', or the Gray Lady) is a daily newspaper based in New York City with a worldwide readership reported in 2020 to comprise a declining 840,000 paid print subscribers, and a growing 6 million paid ...

'', "Alison Skipworth, actress, Dies at 88", 7 July 1952, page 21. * ''

Winnipeg Free Press The ''Winnipeg Free Press'' (or WFP; founded as the ''Manitoba Free Press'') is a daily (excluding Sunday) broadsheet newspaper in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada. It provides coverage of local, provincial, national, and international news, as well as ...

'', "Lyceum", 23 January 1936, page 24.

External links

* * *
Alison Skipworth
Aveleyman)
Alison Skipworth
in 1904(Minneapolis Journal May 14, 1904)
the cast of "The Swan" 1924, Skipworth 2nd from right bottom rowSkipworth probably again in 1904
archived) (*note her hair and attire matches the newspaper photo from the Minneapolis Journal May 14 1904) {{DEFAULTSORT:Skipworth, Alison 1863 births 1952 deaths 20th-century English actresses Actresses from London British expatriate actresses in the United States Burials at Kensico Cemetery English women singers English film actresses English silent film actresses English stage actresses Paramount Pictures contract players