Gertrude Lawrence

Gertrude Lawrence (1898-1952), English actress, noted for her style, charm, and sophistication. She was born Gertrud Alexandra Dagmar Lawrence Klasen in London, and made her stage debut as a child in pantomime. By the 1920s she was the recognized star of musical revues and light comedies, such as Charlot's Revue, which was staged in London and New York. Among her early performances in the latter were those in the musical comedy Oh, Kay! (1926) and in the play Candlelight (1929), her first dramatic role. Lawrence was especially acclaimed for her roles in sophisticated comedies by her friend Noel Coward, such as Private Lives (1930), Tonight at 8:30 (1936), Fallen Angels (1942), and Blithe Spirit (1945). She appeared in numerous other plays, musicals, films, armed-forces productions, and television dramas on both sides of the Atlantic.

Lawrence spent the latter part of her career in the United States. Among her most successful New York stage productions were the musical comedy Lady in the Dark (1941), Pygmalion (1945) by George Bernard Shaw, and the musical comedy The King and I (1951).