Bertha Belmore (22 December 1882 – 14 December 1953) was an English stage and film actress. Part of the Belmore family of British actors through her marriage to actor Herbert Belmore, she began her career as a child actress in British

pantomime Pantomime (; informally panto) is a type of musical comedy stage production designed for family entertainment. It was developed in England and is performed throughout the United Kingdom, Ireland and (to a lesser extent) in other English-speaking ...

s and music hall variety acts. As a young adult she was one of the Belmore Sisters in variety entertainment before beginning a more serious acting career performing in classic plays by

William Shakespeare William Shakespeare ( 26 April 1564 – 23 April 1616) was an English playwright, poet and actor. He is widely regarded as the greatest writer in the English language and the world's pre-eminent dramatist. He is often called England's nation ...

with

Ben Greet Sir Philip Barling Greet (24 September 1857 – 17 May 1936), known professionally as Ben Greet, was a Shakespearean actor, director, impresario and actor-manager. Early life The younger son of Captain William Greet RN and his wife, Sarah Ba ...

's Pastoral Players in a 1911 tour of the United States. She made her

Broadway Broadway may refer to: Theatre * Broadway Theatre (disambiguation) * Broadway theatre, theatrical productions in professional theatres near Broadway, Manhattan, New York City, U.S. ** Broadway (Manhattan), the street **Broadway Theatre (53rd Stree ...

debut as Portia in Shakespeare's ''

Julius Caesar Gaius Julius Caesar (; ; 12 July 100 BC – 15 March 44 BC), was a Roman general and statesman. A member of the First Triumvirate, Caesar led the Roman armies in the Gallic Wars before defeating his political rival Pompey in a civil war, ...

'' in 1912. She returned to Broadway numerous times in mainly comedic character roles over the next 40 years, notably creating parts in the original Broadway productions of Lorenz Hart and Richard Rodgers's ''

By Jupiter ''By Jupiter'' is a musical with a book by Lorenz Hart and Richard Rodgers, music by Rodgers, and lyrics by Hart. The musical is based on the play ''The Warrior's Husband'' by Julian F. Thompson, set in the land of the Amazons. ''By Jupiter'' prem ...

'' (1942) and Anita Loos's '' Gigi'' (1951). She worked in several productions mounted by

Florenz Ziegfeld Jr. Florenz Edward Ziegfeld Jr. (; March 21, 1867 – July 22, 1932) was an American Broadway impresario, notable for his series of theatrical revues, the ''Ziegfeld Follies'' (1907–1931), inspired by the ''Folies Bergère'' of Paris. He also p ...

, including appearing in the '' Ziegfeld Follies of 1925'' with

W.C. Fields WC or wc may refer to: * Water closet or flush toilet Arts and entertainment * ''W.C.'' (film), an Irish feature film * WC (band), a Polish punk rock band * WC (rapper), a rapper from Los Angeles, California * Westside Connection, former ...

and Will Rogers, and starring as Parthy Ann Hawks in the 1929 Australian tour and 1932 Broadway revival of

Jerome Kern Jerome David Kern (January 27, 1885 – November 11, 1945) was an American composer of musical theatre and popular music. One of the most important American theatre composers of the early 20th century, he wrote more than 700 songs, used in ove ...

and Oscar Hammerstein II's ''

Show Boat ''Show Boat'' is a musical with music by Jerome Kern and book and lyrics by Oscar Hammerstein II. It is based on Edna Ferber's best-selling 1926 novel of the same name. The musical follows the lives of the performers, stagehands and dock worke ...

''. In more serious work, Belmore portrayed the nurse in the United States premiere of

Jean Anouilh Jean Marie Lucien Pierre Anouilh (; 23 June 1910 – 3 October 1987) was a French dramatist whose career spanned five decades. Though his work ranged from high drama to absurdist farce, Anouilh is best known for his 1944 play ''Antigone'', an a ...

's ''

Antigone In Greek mythology, Antigone ( ; Ancient Greek: Ἀντιγόνη) is the daughter of Oedipus and either his mother Jocasta or, in another variation of the myth, Euryganeia. She is a sister of Polynices, Eteocles, and Ismene.Roman, L., & R ...

'' (1946), and starred as Ftatateeta in the 1949 revival of

George Bernard Shaw George Bernard Shaw (26 July 1856 – 2 November 1950), known at his insistence simply as Bernard Shaw, was an Irish playwright, critic, polemicist and political activist. His influence on Western theatre, culture and politics extended from ...

's '' Caesar and Cleopatra''. In the latter part of her career she made numerous appearances on American television from 1948 to 1953. Also active as an actress in Great Britain, she worked frequently as a character actress in British cinema from 1933 to 1940 in addition to appearing on the British stage.

Early life and career: 1890-1919

Born Bertha Cousins in Manchester, Belmore began her career as a child actress in 1890; making her professional debut at eight years old in a

production of ''

Robinson Crusoe ''Robinson Crusoe'' () is a novel by Daniel Defoe, first published on 25 April 1719. The first edition credited the work's protagonist Robinson Crusoe as its author, leading many readers to believe he was a real person and the book a tra ...

'' at the

Prince's Theatre, Manchester The Prince's Theatre in Oxford Street, Manchester, England, was built at a cost of £20,000 in 1864. Under the artistic and managerial leadership of Charles Calvert, "Manchester's most celebrated actor-manager", it soon became a great popular suc ...

. As a child actress she performed regularly in British music halls and

vaudeville Vaudeville (; ) is a theatrical genre of variety entertainment born in France at the end of the 19th century. A vaudeville was originally a comedy without psychological or moral intentions, based on a comical situation: a dramatic composition ...

entertainment in Continental Europe as a member of several variety acts; including the

Tiller Girls The Tiller Girls were among the most popular dance troupes of the 1890s, first formed by John Tiller in Manchester, England, in 1889. In theatre Tiller had noticed the overall effect of a chorus of dancers was often spoiled by lack of discipline. ...

, Harwood's "The Six Sunbeams" and Harwood's "Juveniles". She was also frequently seen as Principal Boy in pantomimes in British provincial theatres. As a young adult she spent seven years performing as one of the Belmore Sisters, a variety act organized by the Belmore family of actors in which her comedic and singing talent were featured. She married Herbert "Bertie" Belmore, one of the Belmore acting clan, and thereafter performed under the name Bertha Belmore. In 1911 Belmore went to the United States as a member of

's Pastoral Players, touring the east coast of America in performances of plays by

. One of the stops for the company was the

White House The White House is the official residence and workplace of the president of the United States. It is located at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue NW in Washington, D.C., and has been the residence of every U.S. president since John Adams in ...

. In 1912 she made her Broadway debut at the Lyric Theatre as Portia in Shakespeare's ''

'' with

William Faversham William FavershamBlum, Daniel (c. 1954). ''Great Stars of the American Stage''. "Profile No. 46". 2nd ed. (12 February 1868 – 7 April 1940) was an English stage and film actor, manager, and producer. Biography He was born in London. As a t ...

as Marc Antony and Fuller Mellish in the title role. In 1919 she created the role Mrs. Tom Collins in the world premiere of Harry L. Cort & George E. Stoddard's musical ''Just A Minute'' at the Academy of Music in Baltimore which was produced by impresario John Cort.

Later life and career: 1920-1953

In 1920 Belmore made her debut in London's West End at the Empire Theatre as Helen Cheston in

Harry Tierney Harry Austin Tierney (May 21, 1890 – March 22, 1965) was an American composer of musical theatre, best known for long-running hits such as ''Irene'' (1919), Broadway's longest-running show of the era (620 performances), ''Kid Boots'' (1923) and'' ...

's ''

Irene Irene is a name derived from εἰρήνη (eirēnē), the Greek for "peace". Irene, and related names, may refer to: * Irene (given name) Places * Irene, Gauteng, South Africa * Irene, South Dakota, United States * Irene, Texas, United Stat ...

''; a hit production which ran for 399 performances. She then returned to the United States, appearing in the 1921 musical ''Angel Face'' which was staged by

George Lederer George Washington Lederer (c. 1862, Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania − October 8, 1938) was an American producer and director on Broadway from 1894 to 1931. He was the husband of actresses Reine Davies and Jessie Lewis and the father of Charles Leder ...

for performances in Los Angeles and San Francisco with a cast that included Marguerite Zender,

Nat Carr Nat Carr (August 12, 1886 – July 6, 1944) was an American character actor of the silent and early talking picture eras. During his eighteen-year career, Carr appeared in over 100 films, most of them features. Life and career Carr was bor ...

, and Norah Kelly. She returned to Broadway in 1923 in

Thompson Buchanan Thompson Buchanan (June 21, 1877 - October 15, 1937) was an American writer. While a journalist he began writing novels, and then turned to plays, with 1909's ''A Woman's Way'' starring Grace George being his first hit. He began writing for mov ...

's ''

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'' at the Ritz Theatre. She remained active on Broadway for the next couple of years, appearing as Henriette Deschamps in

Guy Bolton Guy Reginald Bolton (23 November 1884 – 4 September 1979) was an Anglo-American playwright and writer of musical comedies. Born in England and educated in France and the US, he trained as an architect but turned to writing. Bolton preferred ...

's ''Grounds For Divorce'' (1924-1925) and the '' Ziegfeld Follies of 1925'' with

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 ...

and Will Rogers. By 1924 she and Herbert had relocated to the United States, maintaining a home in Beechhurst, Long Island. In 1927 the couple toured Australia in leading roles in plays produced by J. C. Williamson. One of the parts she portrayed there was Ethel in Norma Mitchell and Russell Medcraft's ''Cradle Snatchers''; a role which she repeated at the Baltimore Auditorium in 1928 and the Coliseum Theatre in 1931. In 1929 she returned to Australia to star as Parthy Ann Hawks in the Australian premiere of

and Oscar Hammerstein II's ''

''.

From this point on Belmore maintained an active theatre career on both sides of the Atlantic. In the United States her notable stage achievements included the role of Pomposia in the original Broadway production of Lorenz Hart and Richard Rodgers's ''

'' at the Shubert Theatre in 1942-1943, and the role of the nurse in the American premiere of ''

'' at the National Theatre in Washington, D.C., in 1946. Her other Broadway appearances included

Terence De Marney Terence Arthur De Marney (1 March 190825 May 1971) was a British film, stage, radio and television actor, as well as theatre director and writer. Career Actor The son of Violet Eileen Concanen and Arthur De Marney, and the grandson of n ...

's and Percy Robinson's ''The Whispering Gallery'' (1929, Lady Elliot), Julian F. Thompson's ''The Warrior's Husband'' (1932,

Forrest Theatre The Forrest Theatre is a live theatre venue at 1114 Walnut Street Center City area of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. It has a seating capacity of 1,851 and is managed by The Shubert Organization.

, as Caustica),

and Oscar Hammerstein II's ''

'' (1932, Casino Theatre, Parthy Ann Hawks),

Arthur Schwartz Arthur Schwartz (November 25, 1900 – September 3, 1984) was an American composer and film producer, widely noted for his songwriting collaborations with Howard Dietz. Biography Early life Schwartz was born in Brooklyn, New York City, on Nov ...

's ''

Virginia Virginia, officially the Commonwealth of Virginia, is a state in the Mid-Atlantic and Southeastern regions of the United States, between the Atlantic Coast and the Appalachian Mountains. The geography and climate of the Commonwealth ar ...

'' (1937, Center Theatre, as Minnie Fortesque), Elmer Harris's ''Johnny Belinda'' (1940-1941, Mrs. McKee),

Lesley Storm Lesley Storm was the pen-name of Mabel Cowie (1898–1975), also known by her married name of Mabel Clark. She was a Scottish writer, who wrote a number of plays, some of which were filmed. ''Black Chiffon'' and '' Roar Like a Dove'' were ma ...

's ''Heart of a City'' (1942, Mrs. Good ), Gypsy Rose Lee's '' The Naked Genius'' (1943, Lollie Adams),

Fritz Kreisler Friedrich "Fritz" Kreisler (February 2, 1875 – January 29, 1962) was an Austrian-born American violinist and composer. One of the most noted violin masters of his day, and regarded as one of the greatest violinists of all time, he was known ...

Rhapsody Rhapsody may refer to: * A work of epic poetry, or part of one, that is suitable for recitation at one time ** Rhapsode, a classical Greek professional performer of epic poetry Computer software * Rhapsody (online music service), an online m ...

'' (1944, Frau Tina Hugenhaugen),

Terence Rattigan Sir Terence Mervyn Rattigan (10 June 191130 November 1977) was a British dramatist and screenwriter. He was one of England's most popular mid-20th-century dramatists. His plays are typically set in an upper-middle-class background.Geoffrey Wan ...

's ''Harlequinade'' (1949, Dame Maud Gosport), and

's '' Caesar and Cleopatra'' (1949-1950, Ftatateeta). Her final Broadway appearance was as Sidonie in the original production of

Anita Loos Corinne Anita Loos (April 26, 1888 – August 18, 1981) was an American actress, novelist, playwright and screenwriter. In 1912, she became the first female staff screenwriter in Hollywood (film industry), Hollywood, when D. W. Griffith put h ...

's '' Gigi'' in 1951-1952 with Audrey Hepburn. In the United Kingdom, Belmore's notable stage appearances included Mrs Trellis in

's ''Give Me A Ring'' (1935,

Hippodrome, London The Hippodrome is a building on the corner of Cranbourn Street and Charing Cross Road in the City of Westminster, London. The name was used for many different theatres and music halls, of which the London Hippodrome is one of only a few survi ...

); Frau Lucher in

Robert E. Sherwood Robert Emmet Sherwood (April 4, 1896 – November 14, 1955) was an American playwright and screenwriter. He is the author of '' Waterloo Bridge, Idiot's Delight, Abe Lincoln in Illinois, Rebecca, There Shall Be No Night, The Best Years of Our ...

's ''Reunion in Vienna'' (1934,

Lyric Theatre, London The Lyric Theatre is a West End theatre in Shaftesbury Avenue in the City of Westminster. It was built for the producer Henry Leslie, who financed it from the profits of the light opera hit, '' Dorothy'', which he transferred from its origina ...

); Emily Peabody in ''Yes, Madam?'' (1934,

Manchester Opera House The Opera House in Quay Street, Manchester, England, is a 1,920-seater commercial touring theatre that plays host to touring musicals, ballet, concerts and a Christmas pantomime. It is a Grade II listed building. The Opera House is one of the mai ...

); Miss Pink in

R. P. Weston Robert Patrick Weston ( Harris; 7 March 1878 – 6 November 1936) was an English songwriter. He was responsible for many successful songs and comic monologues between the 1900s and 1930s, mostly written in collaboration with other writers, notab ...

's ''Please Teacher!'' (1935,

); Emmeline Ray in K. R. G. Browne, Bert Lee and Desmond Carter's ''Big Business'' (1937, Hippodrome, London); Mrs. Simmons in

Geoffrey Kerr Geoffrey Kerr (born Geoffrey Kemble Grinham Keen; 26 January 1895 – 1 July 1971) was a British stage and film actor and writer during the middle of the 20th century. Early life Geoffrey Kemble Grinham Keen was born on 26 January 1895, in Lond ...

's ''Oh! You Letty'' (1937 – 1938,

Palace Theatre, London The Palace Theatre is a West End theatre in the City of Westminster in London. Its red-brick facade dominates the west side of Cambridge Circus behind a small plaza near the intersection of Shaftesbury Avenue and Charing Cross Road. The Palace ...

);

's ''Bobby Get Your Gun'' (1938 – 1939,

Adelphi Theatre The Adelphi Theatre is a West End theatre, located on the Strand in the City of Westminster, central London. The present building is the fourth on the site. The theatre has specialised in comedy and musical theatre, and today it is a receiv ...

); Margot Neville and Gerald Kirby's ''Giving the Bride Away'' (1939,

); Nurse McClintock in Guy Bolton's ''

Nap Hand A nap is a short period of sleep, typically taken during daytime hours as an adjunct to the usual nocturnal sleep period. Naps are most often taken as a response to Somnolence, drowsiness during waking hours. A nap is a form of Biphasic and po ...

'' (1940,

Aldwych Theatre The Aldwych Theatre is a West End theatre, located in Aldwych in the City of Westminster, central London. It was listed Grade II on 20 July 1971. Its seating capacity is 1,200 on three levels. History Origins The theatre was constructed in th ...

); Nurse Ironside in R. F. Delderfield's ''Peace Comes To Peckham'' (1947, Princes Theatre, London); and Emily Bompard in Austin Melford's ''Blue For A Boy'' (1950,

Her Majesty's Theatre Her Majesty's Theatre is a West End theatre situated on Haymarket in the City of Westminster, London. The present building was designed by Charles J. Phipps and was constructed in 1897 for actor-manager Herbert Beerbohm Tree, who established t ...

). She was active as a character actress in British cinema from 1933 to 1940; appearing mainly in comedies. From 1948-1953 she made several appearances on American television, including ''

The Philco Television Playhouse ''The Philco Television Playhouse'' is an American television anthology series that was broadcast live on NBC from 1948 to 1955. Produced by Fred Coe, the series was sponsored by Philco. It was one of the most respected dramatic shows of the Golde ...

'' (1948-1950), ''

The Chevrolet Tele-Theatre ''The Chevrolet Tele-Theatre'' is an American anthology series that aired live on NBC Mondays at 8 pm EST from September 27, 1948 to June 26, 1950. The program presented both news headlines and live dramatic performances of either original plays ...

'' (1949), '' The Trap'' (1950), ''

The Web The World Wide Web (WWW), commonly known as the Web, is an information system enabling documents and other web resources to be accessed over the Internet. Documents and downloadable media are made available to the network through web s ...

'' (1951), '' Martin Kane'' (1951), ''

The Ford Theatre Hour ''Ford Theatre'', spelled ''Ford Theater'' for the original radio version and known, in full, as ''The Ford Television Theatre'' for the TV version, is a radio and television anthology series broadcast in the United States in the 1940s and 1950 ...

'' (1951), ''

Studio One in Hollywood ''Studio One'' is an American anthology drama television series that was adapted from a radio series. It was created in 1947 by Canadian director Fletcher Markle, who came to CBS from the CBC. It premiered on November 7, 1948 and ended on Sept ...

'' (1951), and '' The Goldbergs'' (1953). Having never retired, Belmore died at the age of 70 from injuries sustained from a fall at a hospital in Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain in 1953. Her husband, Herbert Belmore, had died a year earlier.

Selected filmography

* '' Happy'' (1933) * '' Going Gay (1933) * '' Keep It Quiet'' (1934) * ''

Over the Garden Wall ''Over the Garden Wall'' is an American animated television miniseries created by Patrick McHale for Cartoon Network. The series centers on two half-brothers who travel across a mysterious forest to find their way home, encountering a variet ...

'' (1934) * ''

Give Her a Ring ''Give Her a Ring'' is a 1934 British musical film directed by Arthur B. Woods and starring Clifford Mollison, Wendy Barrie, and Zelma O'Neal. The film was a remake of the 1932 German film ''Wrong Number, Miss'', and is sometimes known by the t ...

'' (1934) * '' Blossom Time'' (1934) * ''

Are You a Mason? Are You a Mason? is a farce in 3 acts by Leo Ditrichstein, who in turn adapted it from a German play, ''Die Logenbrüder'' (''The Freemason''), by Curt Kraatz and Carl Laufs. The play was performed at the Shaftesbury Theatre in 1901.''The Prince ...

'' (1934) * ''

Royal Cavalcade ''Royal Cavalcade'', also known as ''Regal Cavalcade'', is a 1935 British, black-and-white, drama film directed by six separate directors: Thomas Bentley (Supervising Director), Herbert Brenon, Norman Lee, Walter Summers, W. P. Kellino and Mar ...

'' (1935) * '' Be Careful, Mr. Smith'' (1935) * '' So You Won't Talk'' (1935) * '' In the Soup'' (1936) * '' Broken Blossoms'' (1936) * ''

Over She Goes ''Over She Goes'' is a 1937 British musical comedy film directed by Graham Cutts and starring Stanley Lupino, Claire Luce, Laddie Cliff, Gina Malo and Max Baer. It was based on a successful London stage play by Lupino, with music by Billy Maye ...

'' (1938) * ''

Convict 99 ''Convict 99'' is a 1938 British comedy film directed by Marcel Varnel and starring Will Hay, Moore Marriott, Graham Moffatt and Googie Withers. Plot Incompetent Dr Benjamin Twist (Will Hay) is dismissed from his job as headmaster at St. Mich ...

'' (1938) * ''

Let's Make a Night of It ''Let's Make a Night of It'' is a 1937 British musical comedy film directed by Graham Cutts and starring Charles "Buddy" Rogers, June Clyde and Claire Luce. The screenplay concerns a husband and his wife, who acquire rival nightclubs at the sam ...

'' (1938) * ''

Queer Cargo ''Queer Cargo'' is a 1938 British drama film directed by Harold D. Schuster and starring John Lodge, Judy Kelly and Kenneth Kent. It was made at Elstree Studios.Wood p. 99 It was based on a play of the same title by Noel Langley. Cast * John ...

'' (1938) * '' Hold My Hand'' (1938) * ''

Weddings Are Wonderful ''Weddings Are Wonderful'' is a 1938 British comedy film directed by Maclean Rogers and starring June Clyde, Esmond Knight and René Ray. It was made at Walton Studios.Wood p.99 Synopsis When she discovers that he has been cut off by his fa ...

'' (1938) * '' She Couldn't Say No'' (1939) * ''

Yes, Madam? ''Yes, Madam?'' is a 1938 British musical comedy film directed by Norman Lee and starring Bobby Howes, Diana Churchill and Wylie Watson. Background The film was adapted from a play by K.R.G. Browne, itself based on a novel by the same author.E ...

'' (1939) * '' Discoveries'' (1939) * '' The Midas Touch'' (1940)

References

External links

* * * * {{DEFAULTSORT:Belmore, Bertha 1882 births 1953 deaths 20th-century English actresses Actresses from Manchester English film actresses English stage actresses Musical theatre actresses