Minnie Rayner (2 May 1869 – 13 December 1941) was a British

stage Stage or stages may refer to: Acting * Stage (theatre), a space for the performance of theatrical productions * Theatre, a branch of the performing arts, often referred to as "the stage" * ''The Stage'', a weekly British theatre newspaper * Sta ...

and

film actress An actor or actress is a person who portrays a character in a performance. The actor performs "in the flesh" in the traditional medium of the theatre or in modern media such as film, radio, and television. The analogous Greek term is (), lite ...

. In 1889, while in South Africa, she acted in the comic opera '' Falka'' as Edwige, the fiery Gipsey girl and sister of the brigand chief. The play was staged at the

Globe Theatre The Globe Theatre was a theatre in London associated with William Shakespeare. It was built in 1599 by Shakespeare's playing company, the Lord Chamberlain's Men, on land owned by Thomas Brend and inherited by his son, Nicholas Brend, and gra ...

in Johannesburg and produced by Mr. Perkins of

The Edgar Perkins Lyric Opera Company ''The'' () is a grammatical Article (grammar), article in English language, English, denoting persons or things already mentioned, under discussion, implied or otherwise presumed familiar to listeners, readers, or speakers. It is the definite ...

. A

character actress A character actor is a supporting actor who plays unusual, interesting, or eccentric characters.28 April 2013, The New York Acting SchoolTen Best Character Actors of All Time Retrieved 7 August 2014, "..a breed of actor who has the ability to be ...

, she played

working class The working class (or labouring class) comprises those engaged in manual-labour occupations or industrial work, who are remunerated via waged or salaried contracts. Working-class occupations (see also " Designation of workers by collar colou ...

figures, often mothers, in films of the 1930s. Her roles include the matriarch of the working-class

Fulham Fulham () is an area of the London Borough of Hammersmith & Fulham in West London, England, southwest of Charing Cross. It lies on the north bank of the River Thames, bordering Hammersmith, Kensington and Chelsea. The area faces Wandsworth ...

family who takes in an exiled Russian prince ( Ivor Novello) as a lodger in the comedy '' I Lived with You'' (1933). The same year she played

Gracie Fields Dame Gracie Fields (born Grace Stansfield; 9 January 189827 September 1979) was an English actress, singer, comedian and star of cinema and music hall who was one of the top ten film stars in Britain during the 1930s and was considered the h ...

's mother in ''

This Week of Grace ''This Week of Grace'' is a 1933 British comedy film directed by Maurice Elvey and starring Gracie Fields, Henry Kendall and John Stuart. The screenplay concerns a poor, unemployed woman who is made housekeeper at the estate of a wealthy du ...

''. A recurring role was that of the landlady

Mrs. Hudson Mrs. Hudson is a fictional character in the Sherlock Holmes novels and short stories by Arthur Conan Doyle. She is the landlady of 221B Baker Street, the London residence in which Sherlock Holmes lives. Mrs. Hudson appears or is mentioned in man ...

in a series of

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 ...

adaptations starring

Arthur Wontner Arthur Wontner (21 January 1875 – 10 July 1960) was a British actor best known for playing Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's master detective Sherlock Holmes in five films from 1931 to 1937. Career Wontner's acting career began on the stage where he ...

. Her stage work included the part of Clara in the original production of

Noël Coward Sir Noël Peirce Coward (16 December 189926 March 1973) was an English playwright, composer, director, actor, and singer, known for his wit, flamboyance, and what ''Time'' magazine called "a sense of personal style, a combination of cheek and ...

's ''

Hay Fever Allergic rhinitis, of which the seasonal type is called hay fever, is a type of inflammation in the nose that occurs when the immune system overreacts to allergens in the air. Signs and symptoms include a runny or stuffy nose, sneezing, red, i ...

'' at the Ambassadors Theatre, London, in 1925. She also appeared in a series of Ivor Novello's plays and musicals in the West End: ''Symphony in Two Flats'' (1929), ''

Fresh Fields ''Fresh Fields'' is a British sitcom starring Julia McKenzie and Anton Rodgers. A ratings success at the time, it was written by John Chapman and produced by Thames Television for ITV, running for four series between 7 March 1984 and 23 Octob ...

'' (1933), ''

Glamorous Night ''Glamorous Night'' is a musical with a book and music by Ivor Novello and lyrics by Christopher Hassall, Novello's collaborator in six of the eight Novello musicals staged between 1935 and 1951. ''Glamorous Night'' was the first of severa ...

'' (1935), ''

Careless Rapture ''Careless Rapture'' is a 'musical play' by the Welsh composer Ivor Novello and lyrics by Christopher Hassall. It premiered on 11 September 1936 at the Theatre Royal, Drury Lane. It ran for 295 performances, a relatively modest success given Nove ...

'' (1936), '' Crest of the Wave'' (1937), and ''

The Dancing Years ''The Dancing Years'' is a musical with book and music by Ivor Novello and lyrics by Christopher Hassall. The story takes place in Vienna, from 1911 until 1938. It follows the life of a penniless Jewish composer and his love for two women of di ...

'' (1939). In 1930, she reprised her performance as Mabel in ''Symphony in Two Flats'' in the

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 ...

stage and British film versions.

Filmography

* ''

The Pickwick Papers ''The Posthumous Papers of the Pickwick Club'' (also known as ''The Pickwick Papers'') was Charles Dickens's first novel. Because of his success with ''Sketches by Boz'' published in 1836, Dickens was asked by the publisher Chapman & Hall to s ...

'' (1913) * '' My Old Dutch'' (1915) * '' Lost and Won'' (1915) * '' Sunken Rocks'' (1919) * ''

The Auction Mart ''The Auction Mart'' is a 1920 British silent drama film directed by Duncan McRae and starring Gertrude McCoy, Charles Quatermaine and Gerald Moore.Low p.332 Cast * Gertrude McCoy as Jacqueline * Charles Quatermaine as Jacqueline's Father * ...

'' (1920) * ''

Mary Latimer, Nun ''Mary Latimer, Nun'' is a 1920 British silent drama film directed by Bert Haldane and starring Malvina Longfellow, Warwick Ward and Ethel Fisher. The film is based on a novel by Eve Elwen.Goble p.146 The screenplay concerns a girl from the s ...

'' (1920) * ''

The Old Curiosity Shop ''The Old Curiosity Shop'' is one of two novels (the other being ''Barnaby Rudge'') which Charles Dickens published along with short stories in his weekly serial ''Master Humphrey's Clock'', from 1840 to 1841. It was so popular that New York r ...

'' (1921) * ''

If Youth But Knew ''If Youth But Knew'' is a 1926 British silent romance film directed by George A. Cooper and starring Godfrey Tearle, Lillian Hall-Davis and Wyndham Standing. It is a love story spanning two generations. It was made at Southall Studios. Cast ...

'' (1926) * '' The Ring'' (1927) * '' Symphony in Two Flats'' (1930) * ''

The Sleeping Cardinal ''The Sleeping Cardinal'', also known as ''Sherlock Holmes' Fatal Hour'' in the United States, is a 1931 British mystery film directed by Leslie S. Hiscott and starring Arthur Wontner and Ian Fleming. The film is an adaptation of the Sherlock H ...

'' (1931) * ''

These Charming People ''These Charming People'' is a 1932 British drama film directed by Louis Mercanton and starring Cyril Maude, Godfrey Tearle and Nora Swinburne. It was produced at Elstree Studios outside London by the British subsidiary of Paramount Pictures. ...

'' (1931) * ''

The Man at Six ''The Man at Six'' is a 1931 British mystery film directed by Harry Hughes and starring Anne Grey, Lester Matthews and Gerald Rawlinson. It was released in America the following year under the alternative title ''The Gables Mystery''. It was pro ...

'' (1931) * '' Stranglehold'' (1931) * '' Hobson's Choice'' (1931) * ''

The Missing Rembrandt ''The Missing Rembrandt'' is a 1932 British mystery film directed by Leslie S. Hiscott and starring Arthur Wontner, Jane Welsh, Miles Mander, and Francis L. Sullivan. It is considered a lost film. The film was loosely based on the 1904 Sherlock ...

'' (1932) * ''

The Veteran of Waterloo ''The Veteran of Waterloo'' is a 1933 British short drama film directed by A. V. Bramble and starring Jerrold Robertshaw, Roger Livesey and Joan Kemp-Welch. The screenplay concerns an old soldier who recounts his participation in the 1815 Battle ...

'' (1933) * '' I Lived with You'' (1933) * '' Excess Baggage'' (1933) * ''

'' (1933) * '' Dora'' (1933 short) * ''

Murder at the Inn ''Murder at the Inn'' is a 1934 British crime film directed by George King and starring Wendy Barrie, Harold French and Jane Carr. It was a quota quickie, made at Teddington Studios by the British subsidiary of Warner Brothers.Wood p.78 Cast * ...

'' (1934) * ''

Song at Eventide ''Song at Eventide'' is a 1934 British musical film directed by Harry Hughes and starring Fay Compton, Lester Matthews and Nancy Burne. The screenplay concerns a top cabaret singer who is blackmailed in a scandal that threatens to ruin her and h ...

'' (1934) * ''

Flood Tide Tides are the rise and fall of sea levels caused by the combined effects of the gravitational forces exerted by the Moon (and to a much lesser extent, the Sun) and are also caused by the Earth and Moon orbiting one another. Tide tables can ...

'' (1934) * '' Sometimes Good'' (1934) * '' It Happened in Paris'' (1935) * '' Barnacle Bill'' (1935) * ''

The Triumph of Sherlock Holmes ''The Triumph of Sherlock Holmes'' is a 1935 British mystery film directed by Leslie S. Hiscott and starring Arthur Wontner. It was based on the 1915 Sherlock Holmes novel '' The Valley of Fear'' by Arthur Conan Doyle. It is the fourth film ...

'' (1935) * ''

The Small Man ''The Small Man'' is a 1936 British drama film directed by John Baxter and starring George Carney, Minnie Rayner and Lilian Oldland. It was made at Cricklewood Studios Cricklewood Studios, also known as the Stoll Film Studios, were British ...

'' (1936) * '' A Woman Alone'' (1936) * ''

The House of the Spaniard ''The House of the Spaniard'' is a 1936 British comedy thriller film directed by Reginald Denham and starring Peter Haddon, Brigitte Horney and Allan Jeayes. It is set in Lancashire and Spain, during the ongoing Spanish Civil War. It was shot a ...

'' (1936) * ''

If I Were Rich If I Were Rich may refer to: * If I Were Rich (1936 film), a British comedy film * If I Were Rich (2019 film) ''If I Were Rich'' ( es, Si yo fuera rico, links=no) is a 2019 Spanish comedy film directed by Álvaro Fernández Armero and consisting o ...

'' (1936) * '' Dreams Come True'' (1936) * '' Silver Blaze'' (1937) * ''

Gaslight Gas lighting is the production of artificial light from combustion of a gaseous fuel, such as hydrogen, methane, carbon monoxide, propane, butane, acetylene, ethylene, coal gas (town gas) or natural gas. The light is produced either direct ...

'' (1940) as Elizabeth, the Cook * ''

Old Mother Riley in Society ''Old Mother Riley in Society'' is a low budget 1940 black and white British comedy film, directed by John Baxter, and starring Arthur Lucan and Kitty McShane. It is the fifth in the long running Old Mother Riley series, and features the screen ...

'' (1940)

References

External links

* * 1869 births 1941 deaths English stage actresses English film actresses English silent film actresses 20th-century English actresses Actresses from London {{UK-film-actor-stub