Eily Malyon (born Eily Sophie Lees-Craston; 30 October 1879 – 26 September 1961) was an English character actress from about 1900 to the 1940s. She had a stage career in Britain, Australia and America before moving to Hollywood to perform in motion pictures.

History

The daughter of Harry Craston, a master boot and lawn tennis shoe manufacturer, and his wife, Malyon was born in the

London London is the capital and largest city of England and the United Kingdom, with a population of just under 9 million. It stands on the River Thames in south-east England at the head of a estuary down to the North Sea, and has been a majo ...

district of

Islington Islington () is a district in the north of Greater London, England, and part of the London Borough of Islington. It is a mainly residential district of Inner London, extending from Islington's High Street to Highbury Fields, encompassing the ar ...

in 1879. Her parents divorced in 1882, and she accompanied her mother, the actress Agnes Thomas, touring the world. Consequently she received much of her education in convent schools in Belgium, England and America. She so enjoyed her stay at the Ursuline convents near

Liège Liège ( , , ; wa, Lîdje ; nl, Luik ; german: Lüttich ) is a major city and municipality of Wallonia and the capital of the Belgian province of Liège. The city is situated in the valley of the Meuse, in the east of Belgium, not far from b ...

and

Visé Visé (; nl, Wezet, ; wa, Vizé) is a city and municipality of Wallonia, located on the river Meuse in the province of Liège, Belgium. The municipality consists of the following districts: Argenteau, Cheratte, Lanaye, Lixhe, Richelle, ...

that she resolved to become a nun, but changed her mind after experience 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 ...

to her mother at

Drury Lane Drury Lane is a street on the eastern boundary of the Covent Garden area of London, running between Aldwych and High Holborn. The northern part is in the borough of Camden and the southern part in the City of Westminster. Notable landmarks ...

. She gained further experience in

repertory A repertory theatre is a theatre in which a resident company presents works from a specified repertoire, usually in alternation or rotation. United Kingdom Annie Horniman founded the first modern repertory theatre in Manchester after withdrawing ...

with the Stage Society in London. She spent some time in Australia, initially as a member of

Ethel Irving Ethel Irving (1869–1963) was a British stage actress. She also appeared in five films. She was the daughter of stage actor Joseph Irving (died 1870) and the wife of actor Gilbert Porteous (died 1928)J. C. Williamson to play '' The Witness for the Defence'', then played for Williamson in an English comedy company touring ''

Milestones A milestone is a marker of distance along roads. Milestone may also refer to: Measurements *Milestone (project management), metaphorically, markers of reaching an identifiable stage in any task or the project *Software release life cycle state, s ...

'', in the role of Rose Sibley. She played in repertory and at the Little Theatre for Frederick Ward in Sydney 1915–1916 and for

Gregan McMahon Gregan McMahon, CBE (2 March 1874 – 30 August 1941)Allan Ashbolt,McMahon, Gregan (1874–1941), Australian Dictionary of Biography, Volume 10, MUP, 1986, pp 336–337. Retrieved 2 October 2009 was an Australian actor and theatrical director ...

in Melbourne 1916–1918. She left Australia for a career on the American stage in September 1925.

Personal life

Malyon married Joshua Plumpton Wilson in Melbourne, Australia, on 9 December 1911. They divorced in May 1922.

Partial filmography

*'' Born to Love'' (1931) - Nurse (uncredited) *'' Lovers Courageous'' (1932) - Landlady (uncredited) *''

The Wet Parade ''The Wet Parade'' is a 1932 American pre-Code drama film directed by Victor Fleming and starring Robert Young, Myrna Loy, Walter Huston, Lewis Stone and Jimmy Durante. It is based on the 1931 novel by Upton Sinclair. The film shows how two ...

'' (1932) - Irish Drunk's Wife (uncredited) *''

Night Court ''Night Court'' is an American television sitcom that aired on NBC from January 4, 1984 to May 31, 1992. The setting was the night shift of a Manhattan municipal court presided over by a young, unorthodox judge, Harold "Harry" T. Stone (portray ...

'' (1932) - Hungry Woman in Court (uncredited) *''

Rasputin and the Empress ''Rasputin and the Empress'' is a 1932 American pre-Code film directed by Richard Boleslawski and written by Charles MacArthur. Produced by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM), the film is set in Imperial Russia and stars the Barrymore siblings (John, as ...

'' (1932) - Woman Yelling 'Blessed Among Women!' (uncredited) *'' Today We Live'' (1933) - Wendy, the Maid (uncredited) *''

Looking Forward ''Looking Forward'' is the third and final studio album by Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young and their fifth, overall. It is the fourteenth and final album when conflated with releases by the trio of Crosby, Stills & Nash. It was released on Reprise ...

'' (1933) - Mrs. Munsey (uncredited) *'' Eight Girls in a Boat'' (1934) - Teacher (uncredited) *''

Nana Nana, Nanna, Na Na or NANA may refer to: People and fictional characters * Nana (given name), including a list of people and characters with the given name * Nana (surname), including a list of people and characters with the surname * Nana ( ...

'' (1934) - Nana's First Employer (uncredited) *''

His Greatest Gamble ''His Greatest Gamble'' is a 1934 American drama film directed by John Robertson from a screenplay by Sidney Buchman and Harry Hervey, based on a story by Salisbury Field. The film stars Richard Dix, Dorothy Wilson, Bruce Cabot, and Erin O' ...

'' (1934) - Jenny *''

Great Expectations ''Great Expectations'' is the thirteenth novel by Charles Dickens and his penultimate completed novel. It depicts the education of an orphan nicknamed Pip (Great Expectations), Pip (the book is a ''bildungsroman''; a coming-of-age story). It ...

'' (1934) - Sarah Pocket *'' Limehouse Blues'' (1934) - Woman Who Finds Pug (uncredited) *''

Forsaking All Others ''Forsaking All Others'' is a 1934 American romance film, romantic comedy-drama, comedy-drama film directed by W.S. Van Dyke, and starring Robert Montgomery (actor), Robert Montgomery, Joan Crawford and Clark Gable. The screenplay was written b ...

'' (1934) - Mrs. Gordon - Customer (uncredited) *'' The Little Minister'' (1934) - Evalina *''

Romance in Manhattan ''Romance in Manhattan'' is a 1935 American comedy/romance film directed by Stephen Roberts, starring Francis Lederer and Ginger Rogers, and released by RKO Radio Pictures. Plot Karel Novak (Lederer), an incredibly naive Czech immigrant, arr ...

'' (1935) - Miss Evans *''

Clive of India Robert Clive, 1st Baron Clive, (29 September 1725 – 22 November 1774), also known as Clive of India, was the first British Governor of the Bengal Presidency. Clive has been widely credited for laying the foundation of the British ...

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

The Florentine Dagger ''The Florentine Dagger '' is a 1935 American film noir mystery film directed by Robert Florey. The film numbers among the first Hollywood movies in which psychoanalysis is a significant factor in the story.Smith, Richard Harland"The Florentin ...

'' (1935) - Frau Fredericka *''

Les Misérables ''Les Misérables'' ( , ) is a French historical novel by Victor Hugo, first published in 1862, that is considered one of the greatest novels of the 19th century. In the English-speaking world, the novel is usually referred to by its original ...

'' (1935) - Mother Superior *'' Mark of the Vampire'' (1935) - Sick Woman (scenes deleted) *''

The Flame Within ''The Flame Within'' is Stream of Passion's second studio album released on May 27, 2009, by Napalm Records. It is the follow-up to their debut album, ''Embrace the Storm''. It is the first album with guitarists Eric Hazebroek and Stephan Schul ...

'' (1935) - Murdock, Lillian's Housekeeper *'' The Farmer Takes a Wife'' (1935) - Angus' Wife (uncredited) *''

Diamond Jim ''Diamond Jim'' is a 1935 biographical film based on the published biography ''Diamond Jim Brady'' by Parker Morell. It follows the life of legendary entrepreneur James Buchanan Brady, including his romance with entertainer Lillian Russell, and s ...

'' (1935) - Organist (uncredited) *'' The Melody Lingers On'' (1935) - Sister Maria *''

I Found Stella Parish ''I Found Stella Parish'' is a 1935 melodrama starring Kay Francis as a beloved actress whose dark secret is revealed to the world.. Plot In London, Stella Parish (Kay Francis) has her greatest stage triumph in a play produced and directed by Ste ...

'' (1935) - Ship's Clothing Clerk (uncredited) *'' Kind Lady'' (1935) - Mrs. Edwards *''

Ah, Wilderness! ''Ah, Wilderness!'' is a comedy by American playwright Eugene O'Neill that premiered on Broadway at the Guild Theatre on October 2, 1933. It differs from a typical O'Neill play in its happy ending for the central character, and depiction of a ...

'' (1935) - Nora - the Maid (uncredited) *''

A Tale of Two Cities ''A Tale of Two Cities'' is a historical novel published in 1859 by Charles Dickens, set in London and Paris before and during the French Revolution. The novel tells the story of the French Doctor Manette, his 18-year-long imprisonment in the ...

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

The Widow from Monte Carlo ''The Widow from Monte Carlo'' is a 1935 American comedy film directed by Arthur Greville Collins and starring Warren William, Dolores del Río, Louise Fazenda and Colin Clive. It was based on the play '' A Present from Margate'' by Ian Hay and ...

'' (1935) - Lady Maynard *''

Little Lord Fauntleroy ''Little Lord Fauntleroy'' is a novel by Frances Hodgson Burnett. It was published as a serial in '' St. Nicholas Magazine'' from November 1885 to October 1886, then as a book by Scribner's (the publisher of ''St. Nicholas'') in 1886. The ill ...

'' (1936) - Landlady *''

Dracula's Daughter ''Dracula's Daughter'' is a 1936 American vampire film, vampire horror film produced by Universal Pictures as a sequel to the 1931 film ''Dracula (1931 English-language film), Dracula''. Directed by Lambert Hillyer from a screenplay by Garrett F ...

'' (1936) - Miss Peabody - Nurse (uncredited) *''

One Rainy Afternoon ''One Rainy Afternoon'' is a 1936 American romantic comedy film directed by Rowland V. Lee, starring Francis Lederer and Ida Lupino, and featuring Hugh Herbert, Roland Young and Erik Rhodes. It also marked the last film appearance by actress ...

'' (1936) - President of Purity League *'' The White Angel'' (1936) - Sister Colomba *''

The Devil-Doll ''The Devil-Doll'' (1936) is a horror film directed by Tod Browning and starring Lionel Barrymore and Maureen O'Sullivan. The film was adapted from the novel ''Burn Witch Burn!'' (1932) by Abraham Merritt. It has become a cult film.Paul Simpson, ...

'' (1936) - Laundry Proprietress (uncredited) *''

Anthony Adverse ''Anthony Adverse'' is a 1936 American epic historical drama film directed by Mervyn LeRoy and starring Fredric March and Olivia de Havilland. The screenplay by Sheridan Gibney draws elements of its plot from eight of the nine books in Herve ...

'' (1936) - Mother Superior *''

A Woman Rebels ''A Woman Rebels'' is a 1936 American historical drama film adapted from the 1930 novel ''Portrait of a Rebel'' by Netta Syrett and starring Katharine Hepburn as Pamela Thistlewaite, who rebels against the social mores of Victorian England. The f ...

'' (1936) - Miss Piper (uncredited) *''

Three Men on a Horse ''Three Men on a Horse'' is a three-act farce co-authored by John Cecil Holm and George Abbott. The comedy focuses on a man who discovers he has a talent for choosing the winning horse in a race as long as he never places a bet himself. Originally ...

'' (1936) - Miss Burns *'' Camille'' (1936) - Therese - Maid in Country House (uncredited) *''

Career Woman A career woman is a term which describes a woman whose main goal in life is to create a career for herself. At the time that the term was first used in the 1930s American context, it was specifically used to differentiate between women who either ...

'' (1936) - Miss Brinkerhoff *''

God's Country and the Woman ''God's Country and the Woman'' is a 1937 American Technicolor lumberjack drama film directed by William Keighley and written by Norman Reilly Raine. The film stars George Brent, Beverly Roberts, Barton MacLane, Robert Barrat, Alan Hale, Sr. a ...

'' (1937) - Mrs. Higgenbottom (uncredited) *''

That I May Live ''That I May Live'' is a 1937 American crime film directed by Allan Dwan, written by Ben Markson and William M. Conselman, and starring Rochelle Hudson, Robert Kent, J. Edward Bromberg, Jack La Rue, Frank Conroy and Fred Kelsey. It was releas ...

'' (1937) - Cally Plivens (uncredited) *''

Night Must Fall ''Night Must Fall'' is a play, a psychological thriller, by Emlyn Williams, first performed in 1935. There have been three film adaptations, '' Night Must Fall'' (1937); a 1954 adaptation on the television anthology series ''Ponds Theater'' sta ...

'' (1937) - Nurse *'' Parnell'' (1937) - Irish Woman with Dead Child (uncredited) *'' Another Dawn'' (1937) - Mrs. Farnold *''

Rebecca of Sunnybrook Farm ''Rebecca of Sunnybrook Farm'' is a classic American 1903 children's novel by Kate Douglas Wiggin that tells the story of Rebecca Rowena Randall and her aunts, one stern and one kind, in the fictional village of Riverboro, Maine. Rebecca's joy ...

'' (1938) - Mrs. Turner *''

Kidnapped Kidnapped may refer to: * subject to the crime of kidnapping Literature * ''Kidnapped'' (novel), an 1886 novel by Robert Louis Stevenson * ''Kidnapped'' (comics), a 2007 graphic novel adaptation of R. L. Stevenson's novel by Alan Grant and Ca ...

'' (1938) - Mrs. Campbell *''

The Young in Heart ''The Young in Heart'' is a 1938 American comedy film produced by David O. Selznick, directed by Richard Wallace (director), Richard Wallace, and starring Janet Gaynor, Douglas Fairbanks Jr., and Paulette Goddard. The supporting cast features Rol ...

'' (1938) - Sarah *'' The Little Princess'' (1939) - Cook *''

The Hound of the Baskervilles ''The Hound of the Baskervilles'' is the third of the four crime novels by British writer Arthur Conan Doyle featuring the detective Sherlock Holmes. Originally serialised in ''The Strand Magazine'' from August 1901 to April 1902, it is set i ...

'' (1939) - Mrs. Barryman *''

The Night Riders The Night Riders was the name given by the press to the militant, terrorist faction of tobacco farmers during a popular resistance to the monopolistic practices of the American Tobacco Company of James B. Duke. On September 24, 1904, the tobacco p ...

'' (1939) - Aunt Martha (uncredited) *''

Confessions of a Nazi Spy ''Confessions of a Nazi Spy'' is a 1939 American spy political thriller film directed by Anatole Litvak for Warner Bros. It was the first explicitly anti-Nazi film to be produced by a major Hollywood studio, being released in May 1939, several m ...

'' (1939) - Mrs. McLaughlin *''

On Borrowed Time ''On Borrowed Time'' is a 1939 film about the role death plays in life, and how humanity cannot live without it. It is adapted from Paul Osborn's 1938 Broadway hit play. The play, based on a novel by Lawrence Edward Watkin, has been revived twi ...

'' (1939) - Demetria Riffle *''

Sabotage Sabotage is a deliberate action aimed at weakening a polity, effort, or organization through subversion, obstruction, disruption, or destruction. One who engages in sabotage is a ''saboteur''. Saboteurs typically try to conceal their identitie ...

'' (1939) - Woman Standing Behind Henry and Laura *'' We Are Not Alone'' (1939) - Archdeacon's Wife *''

Barricade Barricade (from the French ''barrique'' - 'barrel') is any object or structure that creates a barrier or obstacle to control, block passage or force the flow of traffic in the desired direction. Adopted as a military term, a barricade denot ...

'' (1939) - Mrs. Little - Head of Mission *''

Young Tom Edison ''Young Tom Edison'' is a 1940 biographical film about the early life of inventor Thomas Edison directed by Norman Taurog and starring Mickey Rooney. The film was the first of a complementary pair of Edison biopics that Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer releas ...

'' (1940) - Miss Lavina Howard, School Teacher *'' Untamed'' (1940) - Mrs. Sarah McGavity *''

Foreign Correspondent A correspondent or on-the-scene reporter is usually a journalist or commentator for a magazine, or an agent who contributes reports to a newspaper, or radio or television news, or another type of company, from a remote, often distant, locati ...

'' (1940) - College Arms Hotel Cashier (uncredited) *'' Flowing Gold'' (1940) - Cashier (uncredited) *''

Arkansas Judge '' Arkansas Judge '' is a 1941 American Western (genre), Western film directed by Frank McDonald (director), Frank McDonald and starring Roy Rogers, Spring Byington, and Veda Ann Borg. Premise Tom Martel, a judge's son, returns to town out Wes ...

'' (1941) - Widow Smithers *''

Reaching for the Sun ''Reaching for the Sun'' is a 1941 American comedy film directed by William A. Wellman and written by W.L. River. The film stars Joel McCrea, Ellen Drew, Eddie Bracken, Albert Dekker, Billy Gilbert, George Chandler and Bodil Ann Rosing. The f ...

'' (1941) - Landlady *'' Man Hunt'' (1941) - Lyme Regis Postmistress *'' Hit the Road'' (1941) - Cathy Crookshank *''You're Telling Me'' (1942) - Mrs. Appleby *''

The Man in the Trunk ''The Man in the Trunk'' is a 1942 American comedy film directed by Malcolm St. Clair and written by John Larkin. The film stars Lynne Roberts, George Holmes, Raymond Walburn, J. Carrol Naish, Dorothy Peterson and Eily Malyon. The film was re ...

'' (1942) - Abbie Addison *''

Scattergood Survives a Murder ''Scattergood Survives a Murder'' is a 1942 American mystery film directed by Christy Cabanne from a screenplay by Michael L. Simmons, based on the series of short stories about "Scattergood Baines", penned by Clarence Budington Kelland. Cast ...

'' (1942) - Mrs. Grimes *''

I Married a Witch ''I Married a Witch'' is a 1942 American fantasy romantic comedy film, directed by René Clair, and starring Veronica Lake as a witch whose plan for revenge goes comically awry, with Fredric March as her foil. The film also features Robert Benchl ...

'' (1942) - Tabitha Wooley *''

The Undying Monster ''The Undying Monster'', also known as ''The Hammond Mystery'', is a 1942 American mystery horror film directed by John Brahm and written by Lillie Hayward and Michel Jacoby, based on Jessie Douglas Kerruish's 1922 novel of the same name.Meehan ...

'' (1942) - Mrs. Walton (uncredited) *''

Shadow of a Doubt ''Shadow of a Doubt'' is a 1943 American psychological thriller film directed by Alfred Hitchcock, and starring Teresa Wright and Joseph Cotten. Written by Thornton Wilder, Sally Benson, and Alma Reville, the film was nominated for an Academy ...

'' (1943) - Mrs. Cochran (uncredited) *'' Above Suspicion'' (1943) - Walmer Hotel Proprietess (uncredited) *''

The Man from Down Under ''The Man from Down Under'' is an American 1943 drama film starring Charles Laughton as a man who raises two war orphans. It was called "Hollywood's first full-length film dealing exclusively with Australia and Australians". Plot After the end ...

'' (1943) - Sarah - Aggie's Maid (uncredited) *''

Jane Eyre ''Jane Eyre'' ( ; originally published as ''Jane Eyre: An Autobiography'') is a novel by the English writer Charlotte Brontë. It was published under her pen name "Currer Bell" on 19 October 1847 by Smith, Elder & Co. of London. The first ...

'' (1943) - Mrs. Skatcher (uncredited) *''

Going My Way ''Going My Way'' is a 1944 American musical comedy drama film directed by Leo McCarey and starring Bing Crosby and Barry Fitzgerald. Written by Frank Butler and Frank Cavett based on a story by McCarey, the film is about a new young priest ta ...

'' (1944) - Mrs. Carmody *''

The Seventh Cross ''The Seventh Cross'' (german: Das siebte Kreuz) is a novel by Anna Seghers, one of the better-known examples of German literature circa World War II. It was first published in Mexico by ''El Libro Libre'' In 1942. The English translation came o ...

'' (1944) - Fraulein Bachmann *''

Grissly's Millions ''Grissly's Millions'' is a 1945 American mystery film directed by John English and written by Muriel Roy Bolton. The film stars Paul Kelly, Virginia Grey, Don Douglas, Elisabeth Risdon, Robert Barrat and Clem Bevans. The film was released o ...

'' (1945) - Mattie *'' Roughly Speaking'' (1945) - The Dean (uncredited) *''

Son of Lassie ''Son of Lassie'' (also known as ''Laddie, Son of Lassie'') is a 1945 American Technicolor feature film produced by MGM based on characters created by Eric Knight, and starring Peter Lawford, Donald Crisp, June Lockhart and Pal (credited as L ...

'' (1945) - Washwoman *'' Scared Stiff'' (1945) - Mrs. Cooke *'' Paris Underground'' (1945) - Madame Martin *''

She Wouldn't Say Yes ''She Wouldn't Say Yes'' is a 1945 screwball comedy film directed by Alexander Hall and starring Rosalind Russell and Lee Bowman. Plot A psychiatrist, Dr. Susan Lane, is leaving a military hospital after spending two weeks working with patients ...

'' (1945) - Spinster on Train (uncredited) *''

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 ...

'' (1946) - Mrs. Thornton's Friend at the Ball (uncredited) *'' She-Wolf of London'' (1946) - Hannah *''

The Secret Heart ''The Secret Heart'' is a 1946 film directed by Robert Z. Leonard and starring Claudette Colbert, Walter Pidgeon and June Allyson. Plot Lee (Claudette Colbert) is engaged to marry Larry Adams (Richard Derr), a spendthrift widower with two childr ...

'' (1946) - Miss Hunter *'' The Challenge'' (1948) - Kitty Fyffe (final film role)

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Malyon, Eily 1879 births 1961 deaths Deaths from cancer in California English film actresses Actresses from London Actresses from Pasadena, California 20th-century American actresses 20th-century English actresses British expatriate actresses in the United States British expatriate actresses in Australia