Fay Compton

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Fay Compton

Fay Compton (born September 18, 1894 in West Kensington , London as Virginia Lilian Emeline Compton Mackenzie , † December 12, 1978 in London) was a British actress who came from a family of actors.

Life

Her father Edward Compton and mother Virginia Bateman were recognized actors, as were her sister Viola Compton and some of her uncles and aunts. Her grandfather was the luminarist Henry Compton and the writer Compton Mackenzie was her brother.

Compton had her first public appearances between 1911 and 1913 in The Follies under the direction of H. G. Pelissier , whom she later married. She attracted attention with various plays by J. M. Barrie (the author of Peter Pan ) and thereby introduced him to the London public, most notably in 1920 with the role of Mary Rose . In 1926 she published under the title Rosemary: Some remembrances . Memories of it.

Compton played both classic and contemporary roles and had the opportunity to play the role of Ophelia alongside two of Hamlet's most critically acclaimed actors, John Barrymore and John Gielgud . In 1962 she played "Marya" in Sir Laurence Olivier's production of Uncle Vanya at the Chichester Festival Theater .

Compton's cinematic oeuvre is not as widely recognized as her stage appearances, but between 1914 and 1970 she often played important roles in more than forty films. Her best-known film appearances are Odd Man Out ("Outcast", 1947), Laughter in Paradise ("Last Who Laughs", 1951), Orson Welles ' film adaptation of Othello (1952) and Until the Blood Freezes (1963). In addition to her work in film and on stage, she also participated in recordings on radio , television and records .

Recognized actors such as Alec Guinness , John Le Mesurier , Jan Sterling , Sally Gray , Joe Mitcheson and Elton Hayes attended their Fay Compton School of Dramatic Arts .

One of her last major roles was Aunt Ann in the 1967 BBC adaptation of The Forsyte Saga for television.

Compton is the mother of British director Anthony Pelissier , whose workshop includes the film adaptations of HG Wells ' The History of Mr. Polly (1949), D. H. Lawrence's The Rocking Horse Winner (1950) and Somerset Maugham's Encore (1952). Compton was married four times: The first marriage to HG Pelissier was their son Anthony Pelissier. Her other husbands were Lauri de Frece, Leon Quartermaine and Ralph Michael . British actress Tracy Reed is her granddaughter.

Filmography (selection)

Web links

personal data
SURNAME Compton, Fay
ALTERNATIVE NAMES Compton Mackenzie, Virginia Lilian Emeline
BRIEF DESCRIPTION British actress
DATE OF BIRTH September 18, 1894
PLACE OF BIRTH West Kensington , London , England , United Kingdom
DATE OF DEATH December 12, 1978
Place of death London , England , UK