Mary Dresselhuys (January 22, 1907 – May 19, 2004) was a Dutch stage actress, although she appeared in a few movies as well. She was born in

Tiel Tiel () is a municipality and a town in the middle of the Netherlands. The town is enclosed by the Waal river and the Linge river to the South and the North, and the Amsterdam-Rhine Canal to the East. Tiel comprises the population centres Kapel- ...

, the

Netherlands ) , anthem = ( en, "William of Nassau") , image_map = , map_caption = , subdivision_type = Sovereign state , subdivision_name = Kingdom of the Netherlands , established_title = Before independence , established_date = Spanish Netherl ...

, and died in

Amsterdam Amsterdam ( , , , lit. ''The Dam on the River Amstel'') is the Capital of the Netherlands, capital and Municipalities of the Netherlands, most populous city of the Netherlands, with The Hague being the seat of government. It has a population ...

. Mary Dresselhuys played more than 150 roles during her long career. She played a wide range of roles, but got most known as the ''Queen of Comedy''. She performed till high age. After she turned 80, she asked

Paul Haenen Paul Haenen ɔɫ 'haːnə(n)(born 30 April 1946) is a Dutch comedian and voice actor. Career Paul Haenen is a well-known comedian in the Netherlands and also provides the voices of Bert, Grover and other minor characters on '' Sesamstraat' ...

to write a play (''Een bijzonder prettig vergezicht'') in which she and her daughter Petra played. At the age of 85 she played a part in the movie ''

Eline Vere ''Eline Vere'' is an 1889 novel by the Dutch writer Louis Couperus. It was adapted into the 1991 film '' Eline Vere'', directed by Harry Kümel. Couperus wrote ''Eline Vere'' in the house at Surinamestraat 20, The Hague. Reception The naturalis ...

'', and at 90, she was on stage again, where she, together with

, looked back at her career.

Early years

Mary played her first parts while she was still a gymnasium student. She spent her vacations with her grandmother in

The Hague The Hague ( ; nl, Den Haag or ) is a city and municipality of the Netherlands, situated on the west coast facing the North Sea. The Hague is the country's administrative centre and its seat of government, and while the official capital of ...

, where she grabbed every opportunity to go to the

theatre Theatre or theater is a collaborative form of performing art that uses live performers, usually actors or actresses, to present the experience of a real or imagined event before a live audience in a specific place, often a stage. The perform ...

getting a front row seat if possible. In her teen years, she managed to see about 200 plays keeping notes about the plays and actors she saw in a notebook, which she kept throughout her life. After high school, she spend half a year in an

English English usually refers to: * English language * English people English may also refer to: Peoples, culture, and language * ''English'', an adjective for something of, from, or related to England ** English national ide ...

boarding school A boarding school is a school where pupils live within premises while being given formal instruction. The word "boarding" is used in the sense of "room and board", i.e. lodging and meals. As they have existed for many centuries, and now exten ...

after which she took an entering exam for the ''Toneelschool'' (acting school) in

, without her parents knowledge. She passed the exam. After her graduation in 1929, Mary played her first part, in the play ''Men trouwt geen meisjes zonder geld'' (''One Doesn't Marry Girls Without Money''). From 1931 till 1945, she played with the company ''Centraal Tooneel''. She appeared on stage in ''Wie is Janus?'' (''Who is Janus?'')), a translation of Carolyn Green's play ''

Janus In ancient Roman religion and myth, Janus ( ; la, Ianvs ) is the god of beginnings, gates, transitions, time, duality, doorways, passages, frames, and endings. He is usually depicted as having two faces. The month of January is named for Janu ...

'', in 1958. Among the films in which she appeared are: *''

De Kribbebijter ''The Cross-Patch'' ( nl, De Kribbebijter) is a 1935 Dutch film directed by Henry Koster and Ernst Winar. It is based upon the German three-act play "Willis Frau" ("Willy's Wife") by Max Reimann and Otto Schwartz. Plot In a Dutch mansion lives Bar ...

'' (1935) .... Mary *'' Dorp aan de rivier'' (1958) .... Mrs. Van Taeke *''Vroeger kon je lachen'' (1983) .... Vrouw op station *''Eline Vere'' (1991) .... Mevrouw van Raat

References

External links

* * {{DEFAULTSORT:Dresselhuys, Mary 1907 births 2004 deaths Dutch film actresses Dutch stage actresses People from Tiel 20th-century Dutch actresses 21st-century Dutch actresses