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==Career==
==Career==
In 1920 Belmore made her debut in London's [[West End theatre|West End]] at the [[Empire, Leicester Square|Empire Theatre]] as Mrs. Cheston in [[Harry Tierney]]'s ''[[Irene (musical)|Irene]]''; a hit production which ran for 399 performances.<ref name="Stage"/> She then returned to the United States, appearing in the 1921 musical ''Angel Face'' which was staged by [[George Lederer]] for performances in Los Angeles and San Francisco with a cast that included Marguerite Zender, [[Nat Carr]], and Norah Kelly.<ref>{{cite news|title=Out of Town Reviews: Angel Face|work=[[Variety (magazine)|Variety]]|date=October 21, 1912|page=15|volume=64|issue=9}}</ref>
In 1920 Belmore made her debut in London's [[West End theatre|West End]] at the [[Empire, Leicester Square|Empire Theatre]] as Mrs. Cheston in [[Harry Tierney]]'s ''[[Irene (musical)|Irene]]''; a hit production which ran for 399 performances.<ref name="Stage"/> She then returned to the United States, appearing in the 1921 musical ''Angel Face'' which was staged by [[George Lederer]] for performances in Los Angeles and San Francisco with a cast that included Marguerite Zender, [[Nat Carr]], and Norah Kelly.<ref>{{cite news|title=Out of Town Reviews: Angel Face|work=[[Variety (magazine)|Variety]]|date=October 21, 1912|page=15|volume=64|issue=9}}</ref> She returned to Broadway in 1923 in [[Thompson Buchanan]]'s ''The Sporting Thing To Do'' at the [[Walter Kerr Theatre|Ritz Theatre]].<ref>{{cite news|title=Ritz Theater, New York|author=Gordon Whyte|volume=35|issue=9|page=37}}</ref>


After her last film in the UK she appeared in the premiere Broadway production of ''[[By Jupiter]]'' at the Shubert Theatre New York in 1942, in the American premiere of ''[[Antigone (Anouilh play)|Antigone]]'' at the National Theatre (Washington, D.C.) in 1946, and in a programme of the first season, 1950-51 of the television series ''[[The Web (1950 TV series)|The Web]]''.
After her last film in the UK she appeared in the premiere Broadway production of ''[[By Jupiter]]'' at the Shubert Theatre New York in 1942, in the American premiere of ''[[Antigone (Anouilh play)|Antigone]]'' at the National Theatre (Washington, D.C.) in 1946, and in a programme of the first season, 1950-51 of the television series ''[[The Web (1950 TV series)|The Web]]''.

Revision as of 05:24, 16 April 2021

Bertha Belmore
Bertha Belmore
Born
Bertha Cousins

22 December 1882
Died14 December 1953
Years active1933–1951

Bertha Belmore (1882–1953) was a British stage and film actress.[1]

Early career: 1890-1919

Ben Greet's Pastoral Players at the White House in 1911

Born in Manchester, Belmore began her career as a child actress in 1890; making her professional debut at eight years old in a pantomime production of Robinson Crusoe at the Prince's Theatre, Manchester.[2] As a child actress she performed regularly in British music halls and vaudeville entertainment in Continental Europe as member of several variety acts; including the John Tiller Girls, Harwood's "The Six Sunbeams" and Harwood's "Juveniles".[3] She was also frequently seen as Principal Boy in pantomimes in British provincial theaters.[3] As a young adult she spent seven years performing as one of the Belmore Sisters, a variety act in which her comedic and singing talent were featured. [2]

In 1911 Belmore came to the United States as a member of Ben Greet's Pastoral Players, touring the East coast of America in performances of plays by William Shakespeare.[2] One of the stops for the company was the White House. In 1912 she made her Broadway debut at the Lyric Theatre as Portia in Shakespeare's Julius Caesar with William Faversham as Marc Anthony and Fuller Mellish in the title role.[2][3] In 1919 she created the role Mrs. Tom Collins in the world premiere of Harry L. Cort & George E. Stoddard's musical Just A Minute at the Academy of Music in Baltimore which was produced by impresario John Cort.[4]

Career

In 1920 Belmore made her debut in London's West End at the Empire Theatre as Mrs. Cheston in Harry Tierney's Irene; a hit production which ran for 399 performances.[2] She then returned to the United States, appearing in the 1921 musical Angel Face which was staged by George Lederer for performances in Los Angeles and San Francisco with a cast that included Marguerite Zender, Nat Carr, and Norah Kelly.[5] She returned to Broadway in 1923 in Thompson Buchanan's The Sporting Thing To Do at the Ritz Theatre.[6]

After her last film in the UK she appeared in the premiere Broadway production of By Jupiter at the Shubert Theatre New York in 1942, in the American premiere of Antigone at the National Theatre (Washington, D.C.) in 1946, and in a programme of the first season, 1950-51 of the television series The Web.

Selected filmography

References

  1. ^ BFI Database entry
  2. ^ a b c d e "Obituary: Bertha Belmore". The Stage. No. 3, 792. December 17, 1953. p. 8.
  3. ^ a b c "Bertha Belmore, British Actress: Member of 'Ziegfeld Follies,' 70, Last Seen Here in 'Gigi,' Dies in Spain". The New York Times. December 16, 1953. p. 35.
  4. ^ E Edmunds Foster (September 27, 1919). ""Just A Minute". Billboard. Vol. 31, no. 39. p. 99.
  5. ^ "Out of Town Reviews: Angel Face". Variety. Vol. 64, no. 9. October 21, 1912. p. 15.
  6. ^ Gordon Whyte. "Ritz Theater, New York". Vol. 35, no. 9. p. 37.

External links