Meggie Albanesi
| Meggie Albanesi | |
|---|---|
| Born |
Margherita Cecilia Brigida Lucia Maria Albanesi 8 October 1899 London, England |
| Died |
9 December 1923 (aged 24) Broadstairs, Kent |
| Alma mater | Royal Academy of Dramatic Art |
| Occupation | Actress |
| Years active | 1919–1923 |
| Relatives |
Carlo Albanesi (father) Effie Adelaide Rowlands (mother) |
Meggie Albanesi (8 October 1899—9 December 1923) was a British stage and film actress.[1]
Life and career
She was born Margherita Albanesi in London on 8 October 1899. Her mother was Effie Adelaide Rowlands, a writer, and her father was Chevalier Carlo Albanesi, an Italian violinist. She attended the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art and made her film debut in 1919.
She enjoyed a successful theatre career, starring in plays such as John Galsworthy's The First and the Last opposite Owen Nares. She was soon being hailed by critics as one of the brightest prospects in British acting.[2] However, after making just six films, Albanesi died at the age of 24 in Broadstairs, Kent, on 9 December 1923, allegedly as a result of an illegal abortion.[3][4]
Albanesi had a relationship with the theatre and film producer Basil Dean who continued to be obsessed with her after her death.[5] Dean was first attracted to his wife the actress Victoria Hopper because of her physical resemblance to Albanesi and cast her in a number of his productions. His final film as a director 21 Days was based on a play The First and the Last on which he had worked with Albanesi.[6]
Filmography
- The Romance of Old Bill (1918)
- Mr. Wu (1919)
- Darby and Joan (1919)
- The Skin Game (1921)
- The Great Day (1921)
- Det omringade huset, aka The House Surrounded (1922)
References
- ↑ "Albanesi, Margherita". British Film Institute. Retrieved 21 April 2014.
- ↑ Chambers p.15
- ↑ "Obituary: Victoria Hopper". The Telegraph. 5 March 2007. Retrieved 21 April 2014.
- ↑ Hoare, Philip. "Carleton, Billie (1896–1918)". Oxford Dictionary of National Biography. Oxford University Press. Retrieved 21 April 2014.
- ↑ Sweet p.117
- ↑ Sweet p.142–143
Bibliography
- Chambers, Colin (2002). Continuum Companion to Twentieth Century Theatre. Continuum. ISBN 978-1847140012.
- Sweet, Matthew (2006). Shepperton Babylon: The Lost Worlds of British Cinema. Faber & Faber. ISBN 978-0571212989.
External links
- Gray, Frances (2011). "Meggie Albanesi: A Life in the Theatre". The Society for Theatre Research.
- Meggie Albanesi at the Internet Movie Database
- Meggie Albanesi at Find a Grave