Daisy Burrell (born Daisy Isobel Eaglesfield Ratton; 16 June 1892 – 10 June 1982) was a British stage actress and

Edwardian musical comedy Edwardian musical comedy was a form of British musical theatre that extended beyond the reign of King Edward VII in both directions, beginning in the early 1890s, when the Gilbert and Sullivan operas' dominance had ended, until the rise of the A ...

performer who also appeared as a

leading lady A leading actor, leading actress, or simply lead (), plays the role of the protagonist of a film, television show or play. The word ''lead'' may also refer to the largest role in the piece, and ''leading actor'' may refer to a person who typica ...

silent film A silent film is a film with no synchronized recorded sound (or more generally, no audible dialogue). Though silent films convey narrative and emotion visually, various plot elements (such as a setting or era) or key lines of dialogue may, when ...

s and in

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 ...

. In 1951 she appeared in '' The Golden Year'', the first

musical comedy Musical theatre is a form of theatrical performance that combines songs, spoken dialogue, acting and dance. The story and emotional content of a musical – humor, pathos, love, anger – are communicated through words, music, movemen ...

produced for television.

Background

Daisy Ratton was born in

Wandsworth Wandsworth Town () is a district of south London, within the London Borough of Wandsworth southwest of Charing Cross. The area is identified in the London Plan The London Plan is the statutory spatial development strategy for the Gre ...

in 1892, although according to ''Who Was Who in the Theatre 1912–1976'' she was born in

Singapore Singapore (), officially the Republic of Singapore, is a sovereign island country and city-state in maritime Southeast Asia. It lies about one degree of latitude () north of the equator, off the southern tip of the Malay Peninsula, borde ...

in 1893.''Who Was Who in the Theatre, 1912–1976'
vol. 1, p. 339
/ref> She had a complicated family history, marred by early deaths. Her grandfather, Charles George Ratton, was a stockbroker from an Anglo-Portuguese Roman Catholic family. In 1867 he married Isabella Iphigenia de Pavia, and they lived at

Stoke Newington Stoke Newington is an area occupying the north-west part of the London Borough of Hackney in north-east London, England. It is northeast of Charing Cross. The Manor of Stoke Newington gave its name to Stoke Newington the ancient parish. The ...

, but he died in 1873, aged 35, leaving a young son and daughter. His widow, Daisy's grandmother, married Hassan Farreed the next year and died in 1890, aged 42. In 1891, Daisy's father, Charles Morris Ratton, married Ethel Eaglesfield Griffith, the daughter of another stockbroker, but by the end of 1892 he disappears from the records. Her grandfather, E. J. Griffith, died in 1895 as a hospital clerk at Guy’s Hospital, leaving a modest £365. His widow, Matilda Catherine Lovibond Griffith, the youngest child of Dr Edward Long MRCS, died in October 1898 at

Lavender Hill The A3036 is an A roads in Great Britain, A road in London, England, running from Waterloo, London, Waterloo to Wandsworth. Route It starts at the southern tip of the County Hall roundabout where the A302 road, A302 Westminster Bridge, York ...

. Daisy Burrell’s mother, Ethel Ratton, was by 1898 the partner of Henry S. Burrell, licensee of the Clarence Hotel, Stoke Newington. Their son, John Griffith Burrell, was born in March 1899, and christened in August 1907; their daughter Edwina Ethel was born in September 1908. In 1900, H. S. Burrell had the Old Star in Wapping. He also had a career as a singer, using the stage name of Harry Saunders, and at the time of the 1901 census the Burrell family was in Willesden, using the name Saunders, apart from Daisy, whose name was given as Ratton. In 1911, the family was in Stoke Newington, and was again called Burrell. Later it lived mostly in Kent, at

Hythe Hythe, from Anglo-Saxon ''hȳð'', may refer to a landing-place, port or haven, either as an element in a toponym, such as Rotherhithe in London, or to: Places Australia * Hythe, Tasmania Canada *Hythe, Alberta, a village in Canada England * T ...

and

Folkestone Folkestone ( ) is a port town on the English Channel, in Kent, south-east England. The town lies on the southern edge of the North Downs at a valley between two cliffs. It was an important harbour and shipping port for most of the 19th and 20t ...

. H. S. Burrell was licensee of the Swan Hotel, Hythe, during the First World War. In 1939, Henry and Ethel Burrell were living at 77, Castle Road, Hythe, with their daughter Edwina. Ethel Burrell died in 1944, and Henry Burrell in 1955, leaving an estate valued at £5,166. Charles M. Ratton had a sister, Laura Theresa Ratton, Daisy Burrell’s aunt, who lived in Worthing and died unmarried in 1944.

Early career

Taking her step-father's surname, at least as a performer, Burrell first appeared on stage at the

London Hippodrome 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 su ...

in July 1903, playing the part of Kitty in ''The Redskins'', a water spectacular by

Alicia Ramsey Alicia Ramsey (1864–1933) was a British playwright and screenwriter. She was born Alice Joanna Royston. Life Alice Joanna Royston was born in Chelsea, the daughter of William Hayelett Royston, gentleman.Register of Marriages solemnized at S ...

. Walter James MacQueen-Pope, ''The melodies linger on: the story of music hall'' (1950): "''The Bandits'' was followed by ''The Redskins'' in which Indians in canoes shot rapids seventy feet high, or deep"; 'London Hippodrome', in ''Marquee'', vols. 25–26 (Theatre Historical Society, 1993): "water spectacles which made history at the Hippodrome were "Siberia," "The Bandits," "Tally Ho," "The Redskins" (in which a one-legged diver plunged into the seething waters below from a height of 30 feet)" She went on to study at the Guildhall School of Music, and in 1909 played the part of Youth in ''Give Heed'', a modern morality play by Blanche G. Vulliamy, performed by students of the Guildhall School at the Court Theatre.''The Era Almanack'' (1910), p. 163 On leaving, Burrell went into

at the

Theatre Royal, Drury Lane The Theatre Royal, Drury Lane, commonly known as Drury Lane, is a West End theatre and Grade I listed building in Covent Garden, London, England. The building faces Catherine Street (earlier named Bridges or Brydges Street) and backs onto Dr ...

, and in 1910 ''

The Illustrated London News ''The Illustrated London News'' appeared first on Saturday 14 May 1842, as the world's first illustrated weekly news magazine. Founded by Herbert Ingram, it appeared weekly until 1971, then less frequently thereafter, and ceased publication in ...

'' noted her appearing as

Cinderella "Cinderella",; french: link=no, Cendrillon; german: link=no, Aschenputtel) or "The Little Glass Slipper", is a folk tale with thousands of variants throughout the world.Dundes, Alan. Cinderella, a Casebook. Madison, Wis: University of Wisconsi ...

at the new

Palladium Palladium is a chemical element with the symbol Pd and atomic number 46. It is a rare and lustrous silvery-white metal discovered in 1803 by the English chemist William Hyde Wollaston. He named it after the asteroid Pallas, which was itself na ...

. She first came to wide attention the same year, appearing at the

Vaudeville Theatre The Vaudeville Theatre is a West End theatre on the Strand in the City of Westminster. As the name suggests, the theatre held mostly vaudeville shows and musical revues in its early days. It opened in 1870 and was rebuilt twice, although each ...

in '' The Girl in the Train''. After closing in London this production, starring Burrell in the title role, went on tour until 1911,Swansea Grand Theatre Archive 1911–1925
at swanseasgrand.co.uk, accessed 22 January 2012 with the ''

Gloucestershire Echo The ''Gloucestershire Echo'' is a local weekly newspaper based in Gloucester, England. Published every Thursday, it covers the areas of Bishops Cleeve, Cheltenham, Moreton-in-Marsh, Northleach, Stow-on-the-Wold and Tewkesbury. The newspaper is ...

'' reporting that "Miss Daisy Burrell acts and sings delightfully Gonda Van der Loo"."The Girl in the Train" in ''

'' (Gloucestershire, England) dated 27 October 1911 After that, Burrell was with

George Edwardes George Joseph Edwardes (né Edwards; 8 October 1855 – 4 October 1915) was an English theatre manager and producer of Irish ancestry who brought a new era in musical theatre to the British stage and beyond. Edwardes started out in theatre ma ...

's touring company for six years, appearing in the hit

Edwardian musical comedies Edwardian musical comedy was a form of British musical theatre that extended beyond the reign of King Edward VII in both directions, beginning in the early 1890s, when the Gilbert and Sullivan operas' dominance had ended, until the rise of the A ...

The Marriage Market ''The Marriage Market'' (Leányvásár) is an operetta by Hungarian composer Victor Jacobi. It was premiered on 14 November 1911 at the Király Színház (King Theater) in Budapest and was the composer's first significant success not only in Hu ...

'', '' Peggy'', ''

The Sunshine Girl ''The Sunshine Girl'' is an Edwardian musical comedy in two acts with a book by Paul A. Rubens and Cecil Raleigh, lyrics and music by Rubens and additional lyrics by Arthur Wimperis. The story involves a working girl who falls in love with ...

'' and others. In ''The Marriage Market'', she played a

midshipman A midshipman is an officer of the lowest rank, in the Royal Navy, United States Navy, and many Commonwealth navies. Commonwealth countries which use the rank include Canada (Naval Cadet), Australia, Bangladesh, Namibia, New Zealand, South Afr ...

.Phyllis Ismay Inshaw Rodway, Lois Harford Slingsby, ''Philip Rodway and a tale of two theatres'' (1934), p. 239: "The Cinderella of the season, Daisy Burrell, had been hitherto unassociated with such a part, as her latest appearance in Birmingham had been that of a midshipman in ''The Marriage Market''." In 1912, she sang the part of Juliette in a production of

Franz Lehár Franz Lehár ( ; hu, Lehár Ferenc ; 30 April 1870 – 24 October 1948) was an Austro-Hungarian composer. He is mainly known for his operettas, of which the most successful and best known is ''The Merry Widow'' (''Die lustige Witwe''). Life ...

operetta Operetta is a form of theatre and a genre of light opera. It includes spoken dialogue, songs, and dances. It is lighter than opera in terms of its music, orchestral size, length of the work, and at face value, subject matter. Apart from its s ...

The Count of Luxembourg ''The Count of Luxembourg'' is an operetta in two acts with English lyrics and libretto by Basil Hood and Adrian Ross, music by Franz Lehár, based on Lehár's three-act German operetta ''Der Graf von Luxemburg'' which had premiered in Vienna in ...

'',W. J. MacQueen-Pope, ''Shirtfronts and sables: a story of the days when money could be spent'' (Hale, 1953), p. 59Daisy Burrell
at Scottish Theatre Archive, accessed 16 January 2012 as one of the five principals, together with Phyllis le Grand,

Eric Thorne Frederick Thomas Thorne (1862 – 26 November 1922), stage name Eric Thorne, was an English singer and actor in musical theatre and comic opera. His professional career began in 1884 with the D'Oyly Carte Opera Company where he worked for ...

Lauri de Frece Lauri de Frece (3 March 1880 – 25 August 1921) was an English actor and singer who appeared in musical theatre and in films of the silent era. His original name was Maurice de Frece. He was the younger brother of Walter de Frece and the husban ...

, and

Robert Michaelis Robert Armand René Michaelis (22 December 1878 – 29 August 1965) was a French-born actor and singer who worked in musical theatre, mainly in England, but he also made appearances on Broadway. By 1901, Michaelis and his parents had settled in ...

, who were collectively described by the ''Musical News'' as "all consummate artists in their own style". The next year she appeared in his '' Gipsy Love''. The manager of the ''Count of Luxembourg'' production of 1912 was J. Garret Todd, who went on to become manager of

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 ...

. Burrell played a boy, David Playne, in the original cast of Lonsdale,

Unger Unger may refer to: * Unger (Bishop of Poland) (died 1012), bishop of Poznań starting in 1000 * Unger, West Virginia * Unger Island, a small, ice-free island of Antarctica People * Unger (Bishop of Poland) (died 1012), bishop of Poznań * Andrew ...

, and Rubens's new musical ''

Betty Betty or Bettie is a name, a common diminutive for the names Bethany and Elizabeth. In Latin America, it is also a common diminutive for the given name Beatriz, the Spanish and Portuguese form of the Latin name Beatrix and the English name Beat ...

'', which opened at the

Prince's Theatre The Shaftesbury Theatre is a West End theatre, located on Shaftesbury Avenue, in the London Borough of Camden. Opened in 1911 as the New Prince's Theatre, it was the last theatre to be built in Shaftesbury Avenue. History The theatre was d ...

Manchester Manchester () is a city in Greater Manchester, England. It had a population of 552,000 in 2021. It is bordered by the Cheshire Plain to the south, the Pennines to the north and east, and the neighbouring city of Salford to the west. The t ...

on Christmas Eve, 1914, and transferred to Daly's Theatre in the West End on 24 April 1915. Interviewed in the ''Daily Sketch'' dated 11 May 1915, Burrell said this was the first time she had originated a part in London, and while she loved playing at Daly's, she was "tremendously envious of skirts and pretty clothes". In reviewing the play, ''

The Tatler ''Tatler'' is a British magazine published by Condé Nast Publications focusing on fashion and lifestyle, as well as coverage of high society and politics. It is targeted towards the British upper-middle class and upper class, and those interes ...

'' hailed Burrell as “a Great Girl-Boy”. A year later, Burrell was interviewed for '' The Era'' and was asked “And those boys’ parts you have made so famous?” She replied “Merci, Monsieur. I am now coming to that.“ Also in 1915, Burrell played the title role of

in the pantomime, with the ''

Illustrated Sporting and Dramatic News The ''Illustrated Sporting and Dramatic News'' was a British weekly magazine founded in 1874 and published in London. In 1945 it changed its name to the ''Sport and Country'', and in 1957 to the ''Farm and Country'', before closing in 1970. Hi ...

'' commenting that “the Cinderella of Miss Daisy Burrell contributes very much, for she is a sweet and attractive little heroine... As a spectacle, her adventures are all prettiness and daintiness.”

Marriages

In October 1912, under her name at birth of Daisy Ratton, Burrell married T. W. G. Carleton (1887–1957), of Stoke Newington, who was then a commercial traveller. During the

First World War World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, the United States, and the Ottoman Empire, with fightin ...

, he was commissioned into the

Royal Horse Artillery The Royal Horse Artillery (RHA) was formed in 1793 as a distinct arm of the Royal Regiment of Artillery (commonly termed Royal Artillery) to provide horse artillery support to the cavalry units of the British Army. (Although the cavalry link ...

, serving with it until April 1920. In 1919, Burrell filed a petition for the

restitution of conjugal rights In English law, restitution of conjugal rights was an action in the ecclesiastical courts and later in the Court for Divorce and Matrimonial Causes. It was one of the actions relating to marriage, over which the ecclesiastical courts formerly had j ...

, and in 1920 she petitioned for divorce. By 1924 they were divorced, and in the spring of that year at

Holborn Holborn ( or ) is a district in central London, which covers the south-eastern part of the London Borough of Camden and a part ( St Andrew Holborn Below the Bars) of the Ward of Farringdon Without in the City of London. The area has its roots ...

Carleton married secondly Dorothy Knight, otherwise Hunt. In

Westminster Westminster is an area of Central London, part of the wider City of Westminster. The area, which extends from the River Thames to Oxford Street, has many visitor attractions and historic landmarks, including the Palace of Westminster, Bu ...

on 1 November 1924, as Daisy Carleton, Burrell married Herbert William Young, of Liverpool.''Folkestone, Hythe, Sandgate & Cheriton Herald'' dated Saturday 8 November 1924: “MARRIAGES ... YOUNG—CARLETON— On Nov. Ist, 1924, in London, Herbert William Young, of Liverpool, to Daisy Isobel Eaglesfield Carleton (Daisy Burrell), eldest daughter of Mrs. H. S. Burrell, of 9, Langhorne Gdns, Folkestone.” Young was a Liverpool cotton merchant who retired to live in France.“Home-Made Will Problem of City Merchant's Estate” in ''

Liverpool Echo The ''Liverpool Echo'' is a newspaper published by Trinity Mirror North West & North Wales – a subsidiary company of Reach plc and is based in St Paul's Square, Liverpool, Merseyside, England. It is published Monday to Sunday, and is Liverp ...

'' (Lancashire, England), Thursday 6 July 1961, p. 18 He died in 1943, aged 81. At the time of his death, he was of Flat 6, 14 Pall Mall,

St James's St James's is a central district in the City of Westminster, London, forming part of the West End. In the 17th century the area developed as a residential location for the British aristocracy, and around the 19th century was the focus of the de ...

, and left an estate valued at £43,838, . In his will, Young appointed his three sisters as executors and left his widow Daisy Isobel Eaglesfield Young the principal of a £9,900 marriage settlement, plus one quarter of the income from a fund of £43,000. That fund was also to go to his widow if his sisters died before her. There was a dispute over the will, and in the High Court in July 1961 Mr Justice Russell, was "asked to construe the home-made will of a retired Liverpool cotton-merchant". Burrell's first husband, Carleton, died at

King's College Hospital King's College Hospital is a major teaching hospital and major trauma centre in Denmark Hill, Camberwell in the London Borough of Lambeth, referred to locally and by staff simply as "King's" or abbreviated internally to "KCH". It is managed b ...

in June 1957, also leaving a substantial estate for that time, £16,162.

Films and later career

Burrell's start in films came from

G. B. Samuelson George Berthold Samuelson (6 July 1889 – 17 April 1947) was a director and film producer. Born in Southport, Lancashire, Samuelson was the youngest son of Henschel and Bertha Samuelson, tobacconists originally from Prussia. By 1891, his mother ...

, and she appeared in several of his early silent movies. The first of these was ''

The Valley of Fear ''The Valley of Fear'' is the fourth and final Sherlock Holmes novel by British writer Arthur Conan Doyle. It is loosely based on the Molly Maguires and Pinkerton agent James McParland. The story was first published in the ''Strand Magazine ...

'' (1916), an early

Sherlock Holmes Sherlock Holmes () is a fictional detective created by British author Arthur Conan Doyle. Referring to himself as a " consulting detective" in the stories, Holmes is known for his proficiency with observation, deduction, forensic science and ...

film, in which she was the

. She was offered the part after Samuelson saw her playing ''

'' at the

London Palladium The London Palladium () is a Grade II* West End theatre located on Argyll Street, London, in the famous area of Soho. The theatre holds 2,286 seats. Of the roster of stars who have played there, many have televised performances. Between 1955 an ...

,''The Straits Times'', 2 November 1920, p. 8 in a production by his brother

Julian Wylie Julian Wylie (1 August 1878 – 6 December 1934), originally Julian Ulrich Samuelson Metzenberg, was a British theatrical agent and producer. He began as an accountant and took an interest in entertainment through his brothers, Lauri Wylie and ...

, who was also Burrell’s agent. Wylie boasted in ''The Stage Year Book'': "During 1916 I made Contracts for the following Artistes: Bairnsfather's "Fragments from France", Daisy Burrell,

Gladys Cooper Dame Gladys Constance Cooper, (18 December 1888 – 17 November 1971) was an English actress, theatrical manager and producer, whose career spanned seven decades on stage, in films and on television. Beginning as a teenager in Edwardian musi ...

, Phyllis Dare, ...

Mabel Love Mabel Love (16 October 1874 – 15 May 1953), was a British dancer and stage actress. She was considered to be one of the great stage beauties of her age, and her career spanned the late Victorian era and the Edwardian period. In 1894, Winston ...

...

Vesta Tilley Matilda Alice Powles, Lady de Frece (13May 186416September 1952) was an English music hall performer. She adopted the stage name Vesta Tilley and became one of the best-known male impersonators of her era. Her career lasted from 1869 until 19 ...

Madge Titheradge Madge Titheradge (2 July 1887 14 November 1961) was an Australian-born actress who became a leading actress in the West End of London and on Broadway. She began as a child actress before the First World War, and went on to star in the 1920s and ...

&c. &c." Several other film roles followed. In her second film, ''

Just a Girl "Just a Girl" is a song by American band No Doubt for their third studio album, ''Tragic Kingdom'' (1995). Released as the record's lead single in the United States on September 21, 1995, it was written by Gwen Stefani and Tom Dumont, and prod ...

'' (1916), Burrell played the

Australia Australia, officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a Sovereign state, sovereign country comprising the mainland of the Australia (continent), Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous List of islands of Australia, sma ...

n heiress Esmeralda, who spurns an English lord (played by

Owen Nares Owen Ramsay Nares (11 August 1888 – 30 July 1943) was an English stage and film actor. Besides his acting career, he was the author of ''Myself, and Some Others'' (1925). Early life Educated at Reading School, Nares was encouraged by his mo ...

) to marry a miner.Connelly (1988), p. 132: "''Just a Girl''** (1916, Brit.) 7 reels Samuelson/Moss bw Owen Nares (Lord Trafford), Daisy Burrell (Esmeralda), J. Hastings Batson (The Duke),

Minna Grey Minna Grey (1877 in London, England – 1935) was an English actress of the silent era. Death Grey died in 1935, 2 days before her 59th birthday. Selected filmography * '' The Shulamite'' (1915) * ''Just a Girl'' (1916) * '' The Second Mrs. T ...

(The Duchess), Paul England (The Miner). In another of those British social-class soap operas, an Australian heiress rejects an impoverished lord to marry the miner she really loves. d, Alexander Butler; w, Harry Engholm (based on the novel by Charles Garvice)." In '' Little Women'' (1917), directed by

Alexander Butler Alexander Butler was a British film director who made over sixty features and short films during the 1910s and 1920s including many for G. B. Samuelson's production company. Butler directed several British films in Hollywood in 1920, where Samuel ...

, Burrell played Amy, the youngest of the four girls. In 1919, she had leading roles in '' The Bridal Chair'',Robert B. Connelly, ''The silents: silent feature films, 1910–36'', vol. 40 (December Press, 1998), p. 35 ''

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 ...

'', and ''

The Artistic Temperament ''The Artistic Temperament'' is a British silent motion picture of 1919 produced by David Falcke and directed by Fred Goodwins. It stars Lewis Willoughby, Margot Kelly, and Frank Adair, with Daisy Burrell and Patrick Turnbull. Premise ...

'', and in May 1919 she was the

cover girl A cover girl is a woman whose photograph features on the front cover of a magazine. She may be a model, celebrity or entertainer. The term would generally not be used to describe a casual, once-off appearance by a person on the cover of a maga ...

for an issue of the magazine '' Pictures and Picturegoer''. In April 1920, a theatrical gossip column in New Zealand described Burrell as "Miss Daisy Burrell, the well-known musical comedy star", while later the same year ''

The Straits Times ''The Straits Times'' is an English-language daily broadsheet newspaper based in Singapore and currently owned by SPH Media Trust (previously Singapore Press Holdings). ''The Sunday Times'' is its Sunday edition. The newspaper was established ...

'' of Singapore called her "Daisy Burrell, the golden-haired film star". In ''

The Last Rose of Summer "The Last Rose of Summer" is a poem by the Irish poet Thomas Moore. He wrote it in 1805, while staying at Jenkinstown Castle in County Kilkenny, Ireland, where he was said to have been inspired by a specimen of Rosa 'Old Blush'. The poem is ...

'' (1920), "a melodramatic tale of a spinster betrayed for the sake of a valuable

tea set Pink Floyd are an English rock band formed in London in 1965. Gaining an early following as one of the first British psychedelic groups, they were distinguished by their extended compositions, sonic experimentation, philosophical lyrics and ...

", she again had a leading role. In December 1920 she received good reviews for her part in '' The Pride of the Fancy'', a

about a champion boxer who woos her successfully, although ''

Variety Variety may refer to: Arts and entertainment Entertainment formats * Variety (radio) * Variety show, in theater and television Films * ''Variety'' (1925 film), a German silent film directed by Ewald Andre Dupont * ''Variety'' (1935 film), ...

'' commented on that "Daisy Burrell is a charming Kitty, although she is rather inclined to overact." During her years on the silver screen, Burrell continued to appear on stage. On 23 November 1916 she took part in the first ever performance at the new

St Martin's Theatre St Martin's Theatre is a West End theatre which has staged the production of ''The Mousetrap'' since March 1974, making it the longest continuous run of any show in the world. The theatre is located in West Street, near Shaftesbury Avenue, in t ...

, the first night of Fred Thompson's extravaganza ''

Houp La! ''Houp La!'' is an Edwardian musical comedy extravaganza, with music by Nat D. Ayer and Howard Talbot, lyrics by Percy Greenbank and Hugh E. Wright, and a book by Fred Thompson and Hugh E. Wright. The story combines the comic financial troubles ...

'', playing Aggie,

J. P. Wearing John Peter Wearing (born c. 1945) is an Anglo-American theatre historian and professor, who has written numerous books and articles about nineteenth and twentieth-century drama and theatre, including ''The Shakespeare Diaries: A Fictional Autobi ...

, ''The London stage, 1910–1919: a calendar of plays and players'', vol. 1 (Scarecrow Press, 1982), p. 542; Lionel Carson, ''The Stage Year Book'' (Stage Offices, 1917), p. 125 and this production ran until late February 1917."Theatres" in ''The Times'' dated 24 February 1917, p. 8 In April 1917 she opened in a revue called ''£150'' at the Ambassadors Theatre."Theatrical Plans: Last Performances and New Revues", ''The Times'', issue 41453 dated 16 April 1917, p. 11, col. E In September 1918 she took the leading role of Desirée in

Emmerich Kálmán Emmerich Kálmán ( hu, Kálmán Imre; 24 October 1882 – 30 October 1953) was a Hungarian composer of operettas and a prominent figure in the development of Viennese operetta in the 20th century. Among his most popular works are '' Die Csár ...

's operetta ''

Soldier Boy Soldier Boy is the name of three superhero characters in the comic book series ''Herogasm'' and '' The Boys'', created by Garth Ennis and Darick Robertson. The first character introduced (the second successor to the mantle, made by Vought along w ...

'' at the

Apollo Theatre The Apollo Theatre is a Grade II listed West End theatre, on Shaftesbury Avenue in the City of Westminster, in central London.

, succeeding Vera Wilkinson.Caption to quarter-page photograph in ''Everyweek'' magazine dated 12 September 1918: "Miss Daisy Burrell, who is appearing in "Soldier Boy" at the Apollo"''Illustrated Sporting and Dramatic News'', vol. 89 (1918), p. 725: "...the next witness, who was MISS DAISY BURRELL, who is now appearing as Desirée, in succession to Miss Vera Wilkinson, in “Soldier Boy” at the Apollo Theatre..." In July and August 1919 she played Mollie Maybud in '' Nobody's Boy'' at the

Garrick Theatre The Garrick Theatre is a West End theatre, located in Charing Cross Road, in the City of Westminster, named after the stage actor David Garrick. It opened in 1889 with ''The Profligate'', a play by Arthur Wing Pinero, and another Pinero play ...

."The 'Old Mogul' in New Guise Mr. Huntley Wright's Return"' ''

The Times ''The Times'' is a British daily national newspaper based in London. It began in 1785 under the title ''The Daily Universal Register'', adopting its current name on 1 January 1788. ''The Times'' and its sister paper ''The Sunday Times'' (fou ...

'', issue 42088 dated 1 May 1919, p. 15, col. D; ''The Times'', issue 42147, 9 July 1919, p. 12, col. F In 1920 Burrell returned to pantomime in the title role of

and James W. Tate's ''

'' at the Empire Theatre,

Sheffield Sheffield is a city status in the United Kingdom, city in South Yorkshire, England, whose name derives from the River Sheaf which runs through it. The city serves as the administrative centre of the City of Sheffield. It is Historic counties o ...

, continued in 1921 at the Empire,

Cardiff Cardiff (; cy, Caerdydd ) is the capital and largest city of Wales. It forms a principal area, officially known as the City and County of Cardiff ( cy, Dinas a Sir Caerdydd, links=no), and the city is the eleventh-largest in the United Kingd ...

, with Stanley Lupino."The Impresarios: Wylie-Tate"
at Its-behind-you.com, accessed 15 January 2012 From December 1922 to March 1923 she appeared again as Cinderella for Wylie & Tate at the London Hippodrome, opposite

Clarice Mayne Clarice Mayne (6 February 1886 – 16 January 1966) was a music hall and variety theatre singer and performer. Life and career Clarice Mabel Dulley, whose stage name was Clarice Mayne, was born in London in 1886. She is best known for the s ...

as Prince Charming and Lupino as Buttons, this production running to 176 performances.'Cinderella. Hippodrome Theatre, London', i
cin8
at lib.rochester.edu, accessed 16 January 2012: "Opened 21 December 1922 to March 1923. 176 performances... Cast: Daisy Burrell (Cinderella)..." ''

'' said of Burrell's Cinderella "She sings, dances and acts with equal ease."'Cinderella's Slipper. New Pantomime Incident at the Hippodrome' in ''The Times'', issue 43221, dated 22 December 1922, p. 8, col. A

In October 1920 the ''

Leeds Mercury The ''Leeds Mercury'' was a newspaper published in Leeds, West Yorkshire, England. It was published from 1718 to 1755 and again from 1767. Initially it consisted of 12 pages and cost three halfpennies. In 1794 it had a circulation of about 3,00 ...

'' reported that "Miss Daisy Burrell... is said to possess the tiniest feet in film-land", and in 1922 came a report that a London theatre was offering a prize for “the lady who can wear the Cinderella slipper of Miss Daisy Burrell”. In May 1924 Burrell entered a competition promoted by the sculptor and

Royal Academician The Royal Academy of Arts (RA) is an art institution based in Burlington House on Piccadilly in London. Founded in 1768, it has a unique position as an independent, privately funded institution led by eminent artists and architects. Its pur ...

F. W. Pomeroy Frederick William Pomeroy (9 October 1856 – 26 May 1924) was a prolific British sculptor of architectural and monumental works. He became a leading sculptor in the New Sculpture movement, a group distinguished by a stylistic turn towards Natu ...

(1856–1924), who had offered a prize "for the most perfect pair of feet". She tied with the dancer Margery Prince for the first prize of £50, and ''

The Miami News ''The Miami News'' was an evening newspaper in Miami, Florida. It was the media market competitor to the morning edition of the ''Miami Herald'' for most of the 20th century. The paper started publishing in May 1896 as a weekly called ''The Miami ...

'' reported that Burrell had been chosen eight times to play Cinderella on account of the daintiness of her feet. Pomeroy died on 26 May. In July 1924 Burrell joined a touring company for

George M. Cohan George Michael Cohan (July 3, 1878November 5, 1942) was an American entertainer, playwright, composer, lyricist, actor, singer, dancer and theatrical producer. Cohan began his career as a child, performing with his parents and sister in a vaudev ...

's musical ''

Little Nellie Kelly ''Little Nellie Kelly'' is a 1940 American musical-comedy film based on the stage musical of the same title by George M. Cohan which was a hit on Broadway in 1922 and 1923. The film was written by Jack McGowan and directed by Norman Taurog. It ...

'', playing the lead part of Nellie. In late August, she was taken ill and Patrina Carlyon stepped into the role. By this point in her stage career she was represented by the Akerman May Agency, of 16 Green Street, London WC2. ''Who Was Who in the Theatre, 1912–1976'' records no performances for Burrell after 1924, which was the year of her second marriage, but until February 1925 ''

The Stage ''The Stage'' is a British weekly newspaper and website covering the entertainment industry and particularly theatre. It was founded in 1880. It contains news, reviews, opinion, features, and recruitment advertising, mainly directed at those wh ...

'' continued to carry a notice that she was disengaged. Palmer's ''British Film Actors' Credits, 1895–1987'' identifies her with the Daisy Burrell who played two minor parts in the British films '' Woman to Woman'' (1947) and ''

Green Fingers ''Green Fingers'' is a 1947 British drama film directed by John Harlow and starring Robert Beatty, Carol Raye and Nova Pilbeam. The film title does not use the term green fingers in its normal context, alluding to an untaught and natural skil ...

'' (1947), as does the online database of the

British Film Institute The British Film Institute (BFI) is a film and television charitable organisation which promotes and preserves film-making and television in the United Kingdom. The BFI uses funds provided by the National Lottery to encourage film production, ...

. She later appeared on

BBC Television BBC Television is a service of the BBC. The corporation has operated a public broadcast television service in the United Kingdom, under the terms of a royal charter, since 1927. It produced television programmes from its own studios from 193 ...

in '' The Perfect Alibi'' (1949)BBC tv listings for 6 August 1949
at bbc.co.uk, accessed 7 May 2020 and in '' The Golden Year'' (1951), the first

produced for television,''The Annual Register of World Events: A Review of the Year'', Volume 193 (Longmans, Green, 1952), p. 400 and disappeared from the performing record again after that.

Final years

At the time of the High Court challenge to her second husband’s will in 1961, Burrell was living at the De Vere Court Hotel, 32

De Vere Gardens De Vere Gardens is a street in Kensington, London, that in 2015 was considered the fifth most expensive street in England. Location The street runs roughly north to south, from Kensington Road to Canning Place, and parallel to Victoria Road, Ken ...

, Kensington. She ended her long life living at Flat 203,

Nell Gwynn House Nell Gwynn House is a ten-storey residential building in Sloane Avenue, Chelsea, London, designed in the Art Deco style by G. Kay Green. Completed in 1937, it stands next to the same architect's Sloane Avenue Mansions, built a few years earlier. ...

Sloane Avenue Sloane Avenue is a road in London. Sloane Avenue runs roughly north-west to south-east from Brompton Road in Kensington to a junction with Elystan Place and Bray Place, and its short southern continuation, Anderson Street, joins the King's Road i ...

, London SW3.Young, Daisy Isobel Eaglesfield Ratton
in Probate Index for England and Wales, 1982, at probatesearch.gov.uk, accessed 22 July 2016: “Young, Daisy Isobel Eaglesfield Ratton otherwise Daisy Isobel Eaglesfield of 203 Nell Gwynn House Sloane Av London SW3 died 10 June 1982 Probate London 8 September £66170 820015182A" The building had a restaurant, a bar, a hairdressing salon, reception rooms, its own live music club, and other notable residents. She died on 10 June 1982, six days short of her 90th birthday, leaving an estate of £66,170. Burrell’s half-sister, Edwina Ethel Slade, of The Keep, Kings Road,

Kingston upon Thames Kingston upon Thames (hyphenated until 1965, colloquially known as Kingston) is a town in the Royal Borough of Kingston upon Thames, southwest London, England. It is situated on the River Thames and southwest of Charing Cross. It is notable as ...

, died in July 1987, leaving an estate of £48,795.

Portraits

The National Portrait Gallery in London has fourteen portrait photographs of Burrell by Bassano, dated between 1919 and 1922. Several of these are in ''Cinderella'' costume, and four include Clarice Mayne.

Filmography

Burrell appeared in the following films: Daisy Burrell
at bfi.org.uk, accessed 19 January 2012; Scott Palmer, ''British Film Actors' Credits, 1895–1987'' (McFarland, 1988), p. 102 * ''

'' (1916) – Ettie Shafter * ''

'' (1916) – Esmeralda * '' It's Always the Woman'' (1916) – Mrs Sterrington * '' Little Women'' (1917) – Amy March * '' The Bridal Chair'' (1919) – Jill Hargreaves * ''

'' (1919) – Geraldine Lucas * ''

'' (1919) * '' The Pride of the Fancy'' (1920) – Kitty Ruston * ''

'' (1920) – Lotus Devine * '' Woman to Woman'' (1947) – Stage Box Committee * ''

'' (1947) – Stone's receptionist * '' The Perfect Alibi'' (1949 BBC TV movie) – Mrs Fulverton-Fane * '' The Golden Year'' (1951) – Lady Grenleigh

Musical theatre appearances

:''This list is not complete'' *''The Redskins'', by

(1903), as Kitty *''Give Heed: a Modern Morality'' by Blanche G. Vulliamy, Court Theatre (1909), as Youth *

Drury Lane pantomime Drury Lane pantomime is a long tradition at the Theatre Royal, Drury Lane, dating from the early 18th century. In every Christmas season, a pantomime is produced which has a leading place among the many other pantomimes of the capital. Other pantom ...

s at the

(1910) *'' The Girl in the Train'',

and tour (1910–1911), on the tour starring as Gonda van der Loo *'' Peggy'', George Edwardes's touring company (1911) *''

'' by

, Edinburgh (1912), as Juliette *''

'', George Edwardes's touring company *'' Gipsy Love'', by Franz Lehár (touring production, 1913) *''

'' (1913), as Cinderella *''

'',

's touring company (1913), as Midshipman *''

'',

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 ...

(1914) and

(1915), as David Playne"Plays of the Year" in ''The Stage Year Book'', p. 86 *''Cinderella'' at the

, 1916, as Cinderella *''

'', by Fred Thompson (

, November 1916 — February 1917), as Aggie *''£150'' ( Ambassadors Theatre, April 1917) *''Cinderella'' (

Theatre Royal, Birmingham The Theatre Royal, until 1807 the New Street Theatre, or, colloquially, New Theatre, was a 2000-seat theatre located on New Street in Birmingham, England. It was erected in 1774 and demolished in 1956. The theatre was damaged by fire in 1792 ...

, Christmas 1917), as Cinderella"Burrell, Daisy" in ''Who's Who in the Theatre'' (1922), p. 112 *''

'' by

(Apollo Theatre, September 1918), as Desirée *'' Nobody's Boy'' (

, July/August 1919), as Mollie Maybud

, ''The London Stage 1910-1919: A Calendar of Productions, Performers, and Personnel'' (London: Scarecrow Press, 1982), p. 872 repeated at Empire Theatre, Sheffield, at Christmas 1920 *''Cinderella'' (1920 and 1921), as Cinderella ( Wylie &

Tate Tate is an institution that houses, in a network of four art galleries, the United Kingdom's national collection of British art, and international modern and contemporary art. It is not a government institution, but its main sponsor is the U ...

, Empire Theatre, Sheffield, and Empire Theatre, Cardiff) *''Cinderella'' (December 1922 — March 1923) as Cinderella (Wylie & Tate, London Hippodrome)

Notes

References

*Robert Connelly, ed., ''Motion Picture Guide Silent Film 1910–1936'' (Cinebooks, 1988) *''Who Was Who in the Theatre, 1912–1976: a biographical dictionary of actors, actresses, directors, playwrights, and producers of the English-speaking theatre'', vol. 1 (Detroit: Gale Research Co., 1978)

National Portrait Gallery, London The National Portrait Gallery (NPG) is an art gallery in London housing a collection of portraits of historically important and famous British people. It was arguably the first national public gallery dedicated to portraits in the world when it ...

) {{DEFAULTSORT:Burrell, Daisy 1892 births 1982 deaths Alumni of the Guildhall School of Music and Drama English silent film actresses English stage actresses English musical theatre actresses English television actresses People from Wandsworth 20th-century English actresses 20th-century English women singers 20th-century English singers