Dame.May Whitty
(1865 - 1948)She was titled Dame so long that many people thought Dame was her first name. A beloved, grandmotherly lady she was a quite popular actress and was cherished on both sides of the Atlantic. Although an actress for over 62 years, she hit her stride as a senior in portrayals of elderly ladies mostly aristocrats, dowagers and widows. Small, plump but dainty, with a doughy face, sparkling eyes, a warm smile and a sweet English accent she won the hearts of movie fans the world over. She was born Mary Whitty on June 19, 1865 in Liverpool, England. Her father was the editor of the Liverpool Post newspaper. She made her performing debut in a ballet at age 16. By age 17 she appeared on the London stage. Switching primarily to acting she built up a reputation as an acclaimed actress in both Europe and the U.S. She married Ben Webster in 1892 and they had a daughter Margaret. In 1918 she was created Dame Commander of the British Empire for her service to Britain during World War I and for her contribution to the arts. Her film career began in silent films. Her film debut was in "Little Minister" (1915) as Nanny Webster. Her other films included: "Enoch Arden" (1915) in a supporting role; "Keep Your Seats, Please" (1936) uncredited as a Dowager; "Night Must Fall" (1937) as Mrs. Bramson, for which she received an Oscar nomination as Best Supporting Actress; "Conquest" (1937) as Laetitia Bonaparte; "The Thirteenth Chair" (1937) as Mme. Rosalie a Grange; "I Met My Love Again" (1938) as Aunt William; Hitchcock’s "The Lady Vanishes" (1938) as Miss Froy, Governess and title character, in one of her best roles; "Raffles" (1940) with David Niven and Olivia de Havilland, as Lady Kitty Melrose; "A Bill of Divorcement" (1940) as Aunt Hester Fairfield; "Return to Yesterday" (1940) as Mrs. Truscott; "One Night in Lisbon" (1941) as Florence; "Suspicion" (1941) as Mrs. Martha McLaidlaw; "Mrs. Miniver" (1942) with Greer Garson, as Lady Beldon, for which she received her second Best Supporting Actress Oscar nomination; "Thunder Birds" (1942) as Lady Stackhouse; "Forever and a Day" (1943) as Mrs. Eustace (Lucy) Trimble; "Crash Dive" (1943) as Grandmother; "Stage Door Canteen" (1943) as Herself; "Lassie Come Home" (1943) with Roddy McDowall, as Dally, one of my favorite of her roles; "Flesh and Fantasy" as Lady Pamela Hardwick; "Madame Curie" (1943) as Madame Eugene Curie; "Slightly Dangerous" (1943) as Baba; "The Constant Nymph" (1943) as Lady Longborough; "The White Cliffs of Dover" (1944) as Nanny; "Gaslight" (1944) with Ingrid Bergman, as Miss Thwaites; "My Name is Julia Ross" (1945) as Mrs. Hughes; "Devotion" (1946) as Lady Thornton; "This Time for Keeps" (1947) as Grandmother Cambaretti; "Green Dolphin Street" (1947) as Mother Superior; "If Winter Comes" (1947) as Mrs. Perch; "The Sign of the Ram" (1948) as Clara Brastock and "The Return of October" (1948) as Aunt Martha Grant, her last film role. Her husband Ben died in 1947 a year before her. She once said, "I’ve got everything Betty Grable has…only I’ve had it longer." She died of cancer on May 29, 1948 in Beverly Hills, California at age 82.
From Great Character Actors, Page 9.
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