Pamela Margaret Stanley (6 September 1909 – 30 June 1991) was a British actress who appeared in a number of stage and film roles in Britain and the United States; the role with which she became most identified with was that of

Queen Victoria Victoria (Alexandrina Victoria; 24 May 1819 – 22 January 1901) was Queen of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland from 20 June 1837 until her death in 1901. Her reign of 63 years and 216 days was longer than that of any previo ...

Biography

Early life

Stanley was born in

Nether Alderley Nether Alderley is a village and civil parish in Cheshire, England, on the A34 a mile and a half south of Alderley Edge. The civil parish includes the hamlets of Monk's Heath and Soss Moss. At Monk's Heath crossroads, the A34 crosses the A537 ...

, Cheshire. She was the daughter of Sir Arthur Lyulph Stanley, the fifth

Baron Stanley of Alderley Baron Stanley of Alderley, in the County of Chester, is a title in the Peerage of the United Kingdom. It was created in 1839 for the politician and landowner Sir John Stanley, 7th Baronet. Upon his death in 1850, he was succeeded as 2nd Baron ...

and his wife Margaret Evans-Gordon, the daughter of MP Henry Evans-Gordon. She spent her early childhood in Australia, where her father was

Governor of Victoria The governor of Victoria is the representative of the monarch, King Charles III, in the Australian state of Victoria. The governor is one of seven viceregal representatives in the country, analogous to the governors of the other states, and th ...

between 1914 - 1919. She was educated in France and Switzerland, later studying at the Webber Douglas School of Acting and Singing. Her mother was a noted amateur actress, descended from the Kemble family of actors.

Career

Theatre

She made her stage début in '' Derby Day'' in 1932 at the Lyric Theatre in Hammersmith. This was followed by six months at the Oxford Repertory Company in which she appeared as Mrs. Marwood in ''

The Way of the World ''The Way of the World'' is a play written by the English playwright William Congreve. It premiered in early March 1700 in the theatre in Lincoln's Inn Fields in London. It is widely regarded as one of the best Restoration comedies and is stil ...

''. She appeared with Martin Harvey in

Leopold David Lewis Leopold David Lewis (19 November 1828 – 23 February 1890), was an English dramatist. Lewis was born in London in 1828, the son of Elizabeth and David Leopold Lewis, a surgeon, and was educated at the King's College School, and upon graduat ...

' '' The Bells'' (1933) at the

Savoy Theatre The Savoy Theatre is a West End theatre in the Strand in the City of Westminster, London, England. The theatre was designed by C. J. Phipps for Richard D'Oyly Carte and opened on 10 October 1881 on a site previously occupied by the Savoy P ...

, and also as Wendy in ''

Peter Pan Peter Pan is a fictional character created by Scottish novelist and playwright J. M. Barrie. A free-spirited and mischievous young boy who can fly and never grows up, Peter Pan spends his never-ending childhood having adventures on the mythi ...

'' in 1934. In the same year she acted in two productions by Sir Robert Atkins at the

Regent's Park Open Air Theatre Regent's Park Open Air Theatre is an open-air theatre in Regent's Park in central London. The theatre Established in 1932, Regent’s Park Open Air Theatre is one of the largest theatres in London (1,256 seats) and is situated in Queen Mary� ...

, where she played Titania in '' A Midsummer Night's Dream'' with

Phyllis Neilson-Terry Phyllis Neilson-Terry (15 October 1892 – 25 September 1977) was an English actress. She was a member of the third generation of the theatrical dynasty the Terry family. After early successes in the classics, including several leading Shakesp ...

, Leslie French, and

Greer Garson Eileen Evelyn Greer Garson (29 September 1904 – 6 April 1996) was an English-American actress and singer. She was a major star at Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer who became popular during the Second World War for her portrayal of strong women on the hom ...

as an uncredited extra; in '' The Tempest'' she was Miranda to John Drinkwater's Prospero, with Leslie French as Ariel and Atkins as Caliban. Stanley appeared as

in ''

Victoria Regina Victoria Regina or ''variation'', may also refer to: * Victoria Regina (or Victoria R.), a latinate form of address for queens named Victoria, see Queen Victoria (disambiguation) * ''Victoria Regina'' (play), a 1934 stageplay by Laurence Housman ...

'' by

Laurence Housman Laurence Housman (; 18 July 1865 – 20 February 1959) was an English playwright, writer and illustrator whose career stretched from the 1890s to the 1950s. He studied art in London. He was a younger brother of the poet A. E. Housman and his ...

at the Gate Theatre in 1935, and in 1936 she played Ophelia in ''

Hamlet ''The Tragedy of Hamlet, Prince of Denmark'', often shortened to ''Hamlet'' (), is a tragedy written by William Shakespeare sometime between 1599 and 1601. It is Shakespeare's longest play, with 29,551 words. Set in Denmark, the play depicts ...

'' on

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 ...

with

Leslie Howard Leslie Howard Steiner (3 April 18931 June 1943) was an English actor, director and producer.Obituary ''Variety'', 9 June 1943. He wrote many stories and articles for ''The New York Times'', ''The New Yorker'', and ''Vanity Fair'' and was one o ...

. However,

John Gielgud Sir Arthur John Gielgud, (; 14 April 1904 – 21 May 2000) was an English actor and theatre director whose career spanned eight decades. With Ralph Richardson and Laurence Olivier, he was one of the trinity of actors who dominated the Brit ...

had just ended a very successful Broadway run of the same play; the critics were not impressed and the show closed after 39 performances.

Film

She was cast as Queen Victoria in the 1936 film ''

David Livingstone David Livingstone (; 19 March 1813 – 1 May 1873) was a Scottish physician, Congregationalist, and pioneer Christian missionary with the London Missionary Society, an explorer in Africa, and one of the most popular British heroes of t ...

'' before returning to the Lyric for another season in ''Victoria Regina'' (1937–1938). The noted theatre critic

James Agate James Evershed Agate (9 September 1877 – 6 June 1947) was an English diarist and theatre critic between the two world wars. He took up journalism in his late twenties and was on the staff of ''The Manchester Guardian'' in 1907–1914. He later ...

compared Stanley's performance with a New York production starring Helen Hayes; unfortunately he found Hayes' portrayal of Queen Victoria like "a blazing sun, and I am so blinded by the dazzling performance of Helen Hayes that I literally cannot see Pamela Stanley." Nevertheless, he found the audience very appreciative: "All around me on the first night the air hummed with pretty comments, and blasts of ''Isn't she sweet?'' blew down my neck." But he thought that Stanley had "moments of real emotion which, being genuinely her own, genuinely move her audience." Contemporary photographs show that her resemblance to the queen was remarkable. She appeared yet again as Victoria in the 1938 film '' Marigold''.

Family life

Stanley married Sir David Cunynghame (eleventh baronet) in 1941, becoming Lady Cunynghame. They had three sons, Andrew, John and Arthur; Andrew succeeded his father as the twelfth baronet in 1978. David Cunynghame was a film production manager, and amongst other films he worked on: '' Things to Come'' with Ralph Richardson; three films starring

Robert Donat Friedrich Robert Donat (18 March 1905 – 9 June 1958) was an English actor. He is best remembered for his roles in Alfred Hitchcock's '' The 39 Steps'' (1935) and '' Goodbye, Mr. Chips'' (1939), winning for the latter the Academy Award f ...

(''

The Private Life of Henry VIII ''The Private Life of Henry VIII'' is a 1933 British film directed and co-produced by Alexander Korda and starring Charles Laughton, Robert Donat, Merle Oberon and Elsa Lanchester. It was written by Lajos Bíró and Arthur Wimperis for London F ...

'', ''

The Ghost Goes West ''The Ghost Goes West'' is a 1935 British romantic comedy/fantasy film starring Robert Donat, Jean Parker, and Eugene Pallette, and directed by René Clair, his first English-language film. The film shows an Old World ghost dealing with American ...

'' and ''

Knight Without Armour ''Knight Without Armour'' (styled as ''Knight Without Armor'' in some releases) is a 1937 British historical drama film starring Marlene Dietrich and Robert Donat. It was directed by Jacques Feyder and produced by Alexander Korda from a screenp ...

'' with

Marlene Dietrich Marie Magdalene "Marlene" DietrichBorn as Maria Magdalena, not Marie Magdalene, according to Dietrich's biography by her daughter, Maria Riva ; however Dietrich's biography by Charlotte Chandler cites "Marie Magdalene" as her birth name . (, ; ...

); and two films by

Michael Powell Michael Latham Powell (30 September 1905 – 19 February 1990) was an English filmmaker, celebrated for his partnership with Emeric Pressburger. Through their production company The Archers, they together wrote, produced and directed a seri ...

, ''

The Lion Has Wings ''The Lion Has Wings'' is a 1939 British, black-and-white, documentary-style, propaganda war film that was directed by Adrian Brunel, Brian Desmond Hurst, Alexander Korda and Michael Powell. The film was produced by London Film Productions and ...

'' and '' The Thief of Bagdad''.

Later career

Stanley made a brief return to the stage in 1968 when she appeared for the last time as Queen Victoria in ''The Queen’s Highland Servant'' by

William Douglas-Home William Douglas Home (3 June 1912 – 28 September 1992) was a British dramatist and politician. Early life Douglas-Home (he later dropped the hyphen from his surname) was the third son of Charles Douglas-Home, 13th Earl of Home, and Lady Lili ...

at the Savoy Theatre in London. According to the author's memoirs, this was his favourite play. She made a final appearance in a small, uncredited part in ''The Last Hand Grenade'' as the Governor's Wife. The film, directed by

Gordon Flemyng Gordon William Flemyng (7 March 1934 – 12 July 1995) was a Scottish television and film director. He was also a writer and producer. He directed six theatrical features, several television films and numerous episodes of television series, some ...

starred

Stanley Baker Sir William Stanley Baker (28 February 192828 June 1976) was a Welsh actor and film producer. Known for his rugged appearance and intense, grounded screen persona, he was one of the top British male film stars of the late 1950s, and later a pro ...

Honor Blackman Honor Blackman (22 August 1925 – 5 April 2020) was an English actress, known for the roles of Cathy Gale in '' The Avengers''Aaker, Everett (2006). ''Encyclopedia of Early Television Crime Fighters''. McFarland & Company, Inc. . P. 58. (1962 ...

and Richard Attenborough. Stanley survived her husband (as the Dowager Lady Cunynghame) and died on 30 June 1991 aged eighty-one.

Family tree

May Sartoris, Mrs Henry Evans Gordon by Frederic Leighton

Her grandmother ( Mrs. Henry Evans-Gordon) was born Mary Theodosia (May) Sartoris, and was painted several times by

Frederic Leighton Frederic Leighton, 1st Baron Leighton, (3 December 1830 – 25 January 1896), known as Sir Frederic Leighton between 1878 and 1896, was a British painter, draughtsman, and sculptor. His works depicted historical, biblical, and classical subjec ...

. May Sartoris' father

Edward John Sartoris Edward John Sartoris (30 May 1814 – 23 November 1888) was a British landowner and Liberal politician of French ancestry. Early life The eldest son of Peter Urban Sartoris (1767-1833) of Sceaux, near Paris and his wife Matilda, the daughter o ...

was Leighton's patron. Her brother married Nellie Grant, the daughter of

Ulysses S. Grant Ulysses S. Grant (born Hiram Ulysses Grant ; April 27, 1822July 23, 1885) was an American military officer and politician who served as the 18th president of the United States from 1869 to 1877. As Commanding General, he led the Union Ar ...

. May's mother was the opera singer

Adelaide Kemble Adelaide Kemble (13 February 18154 August 1879) was an English opera singer of the Victorian era, and a member of the Kemble family of actors. She was the younger sister of Fanny Kemble, the famous actress and anti-slavery activist. Her father wa ...

(whose cousin, Gertrude Kemble, married

Charles Santley Sir Charles Santley (28 February 1834 – 22 September 1922) was an English opera and oratorio singer with a ''bravura''From the Italian verb ''bravare'', to show off. A florid, ostentatious style or a passage of music requiring technical skill ...

); her aunt was

Fanny Kemble Frances Anne "Fanny" Kemble (27 November 180915 January 1893) was a British actress from a theatre family in the early and mid-19th century. She was a well-known and popular writer and abolitionist, whose published works included plays, poetry ...

and her great-aunt was

Sarah Siddons Sarah Siddons (''née'' Kemble; 5 July 1755 – 8 June 1831) was a Welsh actress, the best-known tragedienne of the 18th century. Contemporaneous critic William Hazlitt dubbed Siddons as "tragedy personified". She was the elder sister of Joh ...

. Parker, p. 1534 Stanley's aunt (her father's sister) was

Venetia Stanley Venetia Anastasia Digby (née Stanley) (December 1600 – 1 May 1633) was a celebrated beauty of the Stuart period and the wife of a prominent courtier and scientist, Kenelm Digby. She was a granddaughter of Thomas Percy, 7th Earl of Nort ...

who was the recipient of a great many letters from the Prime Minister,

H. H. Asquith Herbert Henry Asquith, 1st Earl of Oxford and Asquith, (12 September 1852 – 15 February 1928), generally known as H. H. Asquith, was a British statesman and Liberal Party politician who served as Prime Minister of the United Kingdom f ...

. The Barons Stanley of Alderley and the

Earls of Derby Earl of Derby ( ) is a title in the Peerage of England. The title was first adopted by Robert de Ferrers, 1st Earl of Derby, under a creation of 1139. It continued with the Ferrers family until the 6th Earl forfeited his property toward the en ...

(the Stanleys of Bickerstaffe) are descended from

Thomas Stanley, 1st Baron Stanley Sir Thomas Stanley, 1st Baron Stanley, titular King of Mann, KG (c. 1405 – 11 or 20 February 1459), of Lathom and Knowsley, Lancashire, was a Privy Councillor, Comptroller of the Royal Household The Comptroller of the Household is an ancie ...

. The

Derby Stakes The Derby Stakes, also known as the Epsom Derby or the Derby, and as the Cazoo Derby for sponsorship reasons, is a Group 1 flat horse race in England open to three-year-old colts and fillies. It is run at Epsom Downs Racecourse in Surrey ...

were named after the 12th Earl of Derby, Edward Smith-Stanley, thus giving rise to the play in which Pamela Stanley made her stage début.

Selected filmography

* ''

'' (1936) * '' Marigold'' (1938)

References

Sources

* ''The American Film Institute Catalog of Motion Pictures Produced in the United States: Feature Films, 1961-1970''. Berkeley: University of California Press, 1997
Google Books preview
accessed 25 June 2010 * Agate, James: ''Amazing Theatre''. New York: Benjamin Blom, 1939. Reissued Ayer Publishing, 1972
Google Books preview
accessed 25 June 2010 * Cham, Elizabeth: ''Stanley, Sir Arthur Lyulph (1875–1931)'', in ''Australian Dictionary of Biography'', Volume 12. Melbourne University Press, 199

/cite> * Chapman, Don, Society for Theatre Research: ''Oxford Playhouse: high and low drama in a university city''. University of Hertfordshire Press, 2009.
Google Books preview
accessed 25 June 2010 * Croall, Jonathan: ''Gielgud: A Theatrical Life 1904-2000''. Continuum, 2001. . * Dymkowski, Christine (ed): ''The Tempest: Shakespeare in production''. Cambridge University Press, 2000.
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accessed 26 June 2010 * Elliot, William Gerald: ''In My Anecdotage''. London: Philip Allan & Co., 1925 * Douglas-Home, William: ''Old Men Remember''. Collins & Brown, 1991. * Kidd, Charles & Williamson, David (eds). ''Debrett's Peerage and Baronetage'', (1990 edition). London: Palgrave Macmillan. . * Low, Rachael: ''The history of British film''. London: Routledge, 199
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accessed 25 June 2010 * Mitford, Nancy: ''The Stanleys of Alderley: their letters between the years 1851-1865''. London: Chapman & Hall, 1939 * ''The National and English Review'', Vol. 108. (July–December 1937) London, 1937. * Parker, John: ''Who's who in the theatre'', Volume 17, Part 1. Pitman, 195
Google Books limited view
accessed 25 June 2010 * ''The Stage Year Book, 1969''. Carson & Comerford, Ltd., 1969. * Troyan, Michael: ''A Rose for Mrs. Miniver: The Life of Greer Garson''. Lexington, KY: University Press of Kentucky, 2005
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accessed 26 June 2010

External links

1937 Pathé newsreel interview
with Pamela Stanley as Queen Victoria, at the Lyric Theatre
Photographs of Pamela Stanley as Queen Victoria
at the National Portrait Gallery * Two lithographs of the set for th

by Eugene C. Fitsch
Kemble Family Tree

British Film Institute listing of David Cunynghame

''David Livingstone''
a
IMDb

''Marigold''
a
IMDb

''The Last Hand Grenade''
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IMDb
{{DEFAULTSORT:Stanley, Pamela 1909 births 1991 deaths 20th-century English actresses Actresses from Cheshire British expatriate actresses in Australia British expatriate actresses in the United States Daughters of barons English expatriates in Australia English expatriates in France English expatriates in Switzerland English expatriates in the United States English film actresses Stanley family Wives of baronets