May Robson
(1858 - 1942)Two famous actresses share the surname Robson, but are unrelated. Both appeared most often in character parts. We begin with May Robson. She was a familiar face in old movies and most often played a kind-hearted, sympathetic, grandmotherly type but she could just as easily play a domineering, snooty society matron. A short, squat little lady with a very kindly, gentle face and sparkling eyes she was an endearing star of the stage and silver screen. She was born Mary Jeanette Robison on April 19, 1858 in Melbourne, Australia. She was educated in Brussels, Paris and London and married at the age of 16 to E. H. Gore a British inventor. Soon after she moved to America where her husband died and she was left with three children. She worked as a dressmaker and jewelry designer which eventually brought her into contact with theatre people where she was offered and opportunity to act. The misspelling of her name on a theatre programme led her to use May Robson as her stage name. She had a long and distinguished stage career and often worked in silent films but it wasn't until the 1930s when she hit her stride in wonderful character roles. She appeared in over 50 films in the 1930s and early 1940s. Her films included: "How Molly Malone Made Good" (1915) a silent, as Herself in her film debut; "A Night Out" (1915) a silent, as Granmum; "King of Kings" (1927) a silent, as Mother of Gesta; "Chicago" (1927) as Matron; "The She-Wolf" (1931) as Harriet Breen; "Strange Interlude" (1932) as Mrs. Evans; "Little Orphan Annie" (1932) as Mrs. Stewart; "If I Had a Million" (1932) as Mrs. Mary Walker; "Dinner at Eight" (1933) as Mrs. Wendel the Cook; "Beauty For Sale" (1933) as Mrs. Merrick; "Lady for a Day" (1933) as Apple Annie, a terrific role for which she received an Oscar nomination as Best Actress; "Solitaire Man" (1933) as Mrs. Vail; "Alice in Wonderland" (1933) with Charlotte Henry, as the Queen of Hearts; "You Can't Buy Everything" (1934) as Hannah; "Strangers All" (1935) as Anna Carter; "Anna Karenina" (1935) as Countess Vronsky; "Reckless" (1935) as Granny; "Age of Indiscretion" (1935) as Emma Shaw; "A Star is Born" (1937) as Grandma Lettie; "The Adventures of Tom Sawyer" (1938) as Aunt Polly, one of my favorite of her roles; the film classic "Bringing Up Baby" (1938) with Cary Grant and Katharine Hepburn, as Mrs. Elizabeth Carlton Random, one of her greatest and best known roles; "That's Right You're Wrong" (1939) as Grandma; "Four Wives" (1939) as Aunt Etta; "Granny Get Your Gun" (1940) as Minerva Hatton; "Irene" (1940) as Granny O'Dare; "Million Dollar Baby" (1941) as Cornelia Wheelwright; "Four Mothers" (1941) again as Aunt Etta and "Joan of Paris" (1942) as Mademoiselle Rosay, her last film. She was the earliest born person ever to receive an Oscar nomination but she lost to Katharine Hepburn in "Morning Glory." Her second husband was A. H. Brown who she was married to from 1889 to his death in 1922. She died on October 20, 1942 of natural causes in Beverly Hills, California at age 84.
From Great Character Actors, Page 6.
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