Anna Neagle facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Dame Anna Neagle DBE OStJ
Neagle in 1935
Born	Florence Marjorie Robertson (1904-10-20)20 October 1904 Forest Gate, Essex, England
Died	3 June 1986(1986-06-03) (aged 81) West Byfleet, Surrey, England
Resting place	City of London Cemetery, Manor Park, London, England
Occupation	Actress, singer
Years active	1917–1986
Spouse(s)	Herbert Wilcox ​ ​ (m. 1943; died 1977)​
Relatives	Nicholas Hoult (grand-nephew)

Dame Anna Neagle (born Florence Marjorie Robertson; 20 October 1904 – 3 June 1986) was a famous English actress, singer, and dancer. She was a huge star in British movies for 20 years. In 1949, people voted her the most popular star in Britain!

Neagle with Paul Hartman and Ray Bolger in the film Sunny

Anna Neagle brought a touch of glamour and style to audiences in London, especially during World War II. She starred in fun musicals, comedies, and exciting historical dramas. Most of her films were made by Herbert Wilcox, who was also her husband.

She was especially known for playing important British historical figures. These included Nell Gwyn (in the film Nell Gwyn, 1934), Queen Victoria (in Victoria the Great, 1937, and Sixty Glorious Years, 1938), Edith Cavell (in Nurse Edith Cavell, 1939), and Florence Nightingale (in The Lady with a Lamp, 1951).

Biography

Early Life and First Steps

Florence Marjorie Robertson was born in Forest Gate, Essex, England. Her father was a captain in the Merchant Navy. She went to school in Glasgow and St Albans High School for Girls.

She started her career as a dancer in 1917. Later, she performed in the chorus of popular stage shows called revues. In 1931, she got a big role in a musical called Stand Up and Sing with actor Jack Buchanan.

For this play, she started using the name Anna Neagle, which was her mother's maiden name. The play was a big hit! A film producer and director named Herbert Wilcox saw her in the show and thought she would be great in movies.

Becoming a Movie Star

Anna Neagle and Herbert Wilcox started working together. Her first main film role was in the musical Goodnight, Vienna (1932), again with Jack Buchanan. This movie made her an instant favorite. Even though it cost little to make, it earned a lot of money.

After another film, The Flag Lieutenant (1932), she worked almost only with Wilcox. She quickly became one of Britain's biggest movie stars. She continued making musicals, like Bitter Sweet (1933).

Her first major success was Nell Gwyn (1934). She played Nell Gwyn, who became the friend of King Charles II. Two years later, she played another real-life person, the Irish actress Peg Woffington, in Peg of Old Drury (1936).

In 1937, Anna Neagle played her most famous role yet: Queen Victoria in Victoria the Great. Anton Walbrook played Prince Albert. The film showed both the political and personal sides of the royal couple. It was a huge international success!

Because of its popularity, Neagle and Walbrook played their roles again in a colorful sequel, Sixty Glorious Years (1938). While these films were popular, Neagle also performed on stage. She even played the lead role in Peter Pan.

Adventures in Hollywood

Neagle giving a radio interview in Montreal in 1937

The success of her Queen Victoria films caught the eye of Hollywood studios. Anna Neagle and Herbert Wilcox then worked with RKO Radio Pictures. Their first American film was Nurse Edith Cavell (1939). In this movie, Neagle played a nurse who was shot by the Germans in World War I. This film was very powerful as World War II was about to begin.

After this serious drama, they made three musical comedies. These included Irene (1940) with Ray Milland, where she sang "Alice Blue Gown". She also starred in No, No, Nanette (1940) and Sunny (1941).

Their last American film was Forever and a Day (1943). This movie told the story of a London family home from 1804 to the 1940 London bombings. Many famous actors appeared in it, and the money earned went to help with the war effort.

Back in the UK

Returning to the UK, Neagle and Wilcox made They Flew Alone (1942). Neagle played the famous aviator Amy Johnson, who had recently died in a flying accident. Anna Neagle and Herbert Wilcox got married in August 1943 in London.

They then made Yellow Canary (1943), a spy story. Neagle played a character who seemed to be a German supporter but was actually an undercover agent.

In 1945, Neagle appeared in the film I Live in Grosvenor Square with Rex Harrison. She then starred in Piccadilly Incident (1946) with Michael Wilding. This film was a huge hit and started a very popular movie partnership. Even though Neagle was older than Wilding, they were a very successful romantic duo on screen.

Neagle and Wilding made more popular films together. These included The Courtneys of Curzon Street (1947), a drama that was the top movie of the year. They also starred in the comedy Spring in Park Lane (1948) and the colorful romance Maytime in Mayfair (1949).

At her peak, Anna Neagle made what she said was her favorite film, Odette (1950). She played Odette Sansom, a brave Anglo-French resistance fighter during World War II. In 1951, she played Florence Nightingale in The Lady with a Lamp.

In 1953, she returned to the stage in The Glorious Days, which ran for a long time. Neagle and Wilcox turned this play into the film Lilacs in the Spring (1954), co-starring Errol Flynn.

Later Years and Stage Comeback

Anna Neagle's films became less popular in the mid-1950s. Her last big movie hit was My Teenage Daughter (1956). She played a mother trying to help her daughter (Sylvia Syms) avoid trouble. She made her final film appearance in The Lady Is a Square (1959).

Herbert Wilcox faced financial difficulties by 1964. But Anna Neagle helped turn things around. She made a big comeback on stage in 1965 in the musical Charlie Girl. This show ran for six years and over 2,000 performances! It even earned her a spot in the Guinness Book of World Records for her lasting popularity.

Memorial plaque to Neagle in St Paul's, Covent Garden

She continued acting on stage in later years, even appearing in a revival of No, No, Nanette. In 1978, after her husband passed away, she performed in Most Gracious Lady.

In her final years, Anna Neagle was affected by Parkinson's disease. However, she remained active. She appeared in a new production of My Fair Lady and played the Fairy Godmother in Cinderella in 1985.

Anna Neagle's grand-nephew is the actor Nicholas Hoult. She passed away on 3 June 1986, at the age of 81. A special service was held for her at Westminster Abbey. She is buried next to her husband in the City of London Cemetery. There are memorial plaques in her honor in London.

Awards

Anna Neagle received special honors for her contributions to entertainment. She was made a Commander of the Order of the British Empire (CBE) in 1952. Later, for her work in theatre, she was made a Dame Commander of the Order of the British Empire (DBE) in 1969. This means she was given the title "Dame," similar to a "Sir" for men.

Filmography

This list shows all the feature films Anna Neagle acted in. Most of her films were directed by Herbert Wilcox and made in the United Kingdom.

Box Office Popularity

Anna Neagle was consistently one of the most popular stars in Britain. Here's how she ranked in annual polls of British movie theaters:

• 1936 – 14th-most popular British star
• 1937 – 8th-most popular British star
• 1938 – 8th-most popular British star
• 1939 – 5th-most popular British star
• 1940 – 10th-most popular British star
• 1941 – 7th-most popular British star
• 1942 – Most popular female British star
• 1944 – 9th-most popular British star
• 1945 – 8th most popular British star
• 1946 – 5th-most popular British star
• 1947 – 3rd-most popular star (2nd most popular British star)
• 1948 – Most popular British star (2nd overall)
• 1949 – Most popular star – the first time a British star was the most popular overall!
• 1950 – 3rd-most popular star – third year in a row as most popular British star
• 1951 – 6th-most popular star (2nd most popular British star)
• 1952 – 8th-most popular British star – 6th year in a row as most popular female British star

See Also

• List of people from Newham