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Grace George

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Grace George
Grace George in 1903 dressed for role in play "Pretty Polly"
Born
Grace George

December 25, 1879
DiedMay 19, 1961 (aged 81)
New York City, US
OccupationActress
Years active1894–1951[1]

Grace George (December 25, 1879 – May 19, 1961) was a prominent American stage actress, who had a long career on Broadway stage and also appeared in two films.[2]

Biography

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George was born on December 25, 1879. She married producer William A. Brady, a widower, and was stepmother to his daughter, actress Alice Brady.[2]

George starred as Esther in the hugely successful 1899 Broadway adaptation of Ben Hur from Lew Wallace's novel.[3] George appeared in a silent film called Tainted Money in 1915. In 1935, she gave an acclaimed performance as Mary Herries in Edward Chodorov's thriller, Kind Lady, at the Booth Theatre.[4] She appeared in the film, Johnny Come Lately in 1943 with James Cagney. In 1950, she was awarded the Delia Austrian medal. [5]

George died on May 19, 1961, aged 81, in New York City, having outlived both her son and her stepdaughter.[2][6]

Grace George in "Sauce for the Goose," 1911[7]

Personal life

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George married William A. Brady, a widower, in 1899. She became stepmother to his daughter, future actress Alice Brady. Her own son, William A. Brady Jr., was born in 1900 and died on September 26, 1935, in Colts Neck, New Jersey. Brady Jr. married actress Katharine Alexander and had a daughter, Barbara Brady, who became an actress.[citation needed]

Grace George's niece, Maude George, was a silent film character actor who appeared in a number of Erich von Stroheim films.[8]

Filmography

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Year Title Role Notes
1915 Tainted Money
1943 Johnny Come Lately Vinnie McLeod (final film role)

References

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  1. ^ Who Was Who in the Theatre 1912–1976 (Gale Research Company) compiled from John Parker's original annual publications.
  2. ^ a b c "Grace George, 81, Starred On Stage. Widow of W. A. Brady Dies. Noted for Comedy Style". New York Times. May 20, 1961. Retrieved 2013-12-12.
  3. ^ Clapp, John Bouvé; Edgett, Edwin Francis (1902). "Ben Hur". Plays of the Present. NY: The Dunlap Society. pp. 38–39.
  4. ^ "Kind Lady - Grace George Scores as the Pathetic Victim of a Band of Crooks," New York Daily News, April 25, 1935.
  5. ^ "Grace George Honored. Actress Wins the Delia Austrian Medal for Role This Year". New York Times. May 17, 1950. Retrieved 2013-12-12.
  6. ^ Famous Actors and Actresses On the American Stage vol 1, William C. Young, c. 1975.
  7. ^ "Daily Illini" (webpage). Illinois Digital Newspaper Collections. University of Illinois. Feb 25, 1911. p. 3. Retrieved 20 July 2015.
  8. ^ Lowe, Denise - An Encyclopedic Dictionary of Women in Early American Films, 1895-1930 - 2005, Pg. 232; accessed June 29, 2012.
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