Margaret Lindsay facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Margaret Lindsay
Lindsay in the 1930s
Born	Margaret Kies (1910-09-19)September 19, 1910 Dubuque, Iowa, U.S.
Died	May 9, 1981(1981-05-09) (aged 70) Los Angeles, California, U.S.
Resting place	Holy Cross Cemetery, Culver City, California
Occupation	Actress
Years active	1932–1963
Relatives	Jane Gilbert (sister)

Margaret Lindsay (born Margaret Kies; September 19, 1910 – May 9, 1981) was an American film actress. She was very busy during the 1930s when she worked for Warner Bros. studio.

She was known for her supporting roles in popular movies like Baby Face, Jezebel (1938), and Scarlet Street (1945). She also played main characters in smaller films, such as the Ellery Queen series in the early 1940s. Many critics believe her best role was Hepzibah Pyncheon in the 1940 movie The House of the Seven Gables.

Early life

Margaret Lindsay was born in Dubuque, Iowa. She was the oldest of six children. Her father was a pharmacist and passed away in 1930.

When she was young, Margaret was a tomboy. She enjoyed climbing pear trees and was very good at roller-skating. She finished school at Visitation Academy in Dubuque in 1930.

Career

1930s

After attending National Park Seminary, Margaret convinced her parents to let her study acting. She went to the American Academy of Dramatic Arts in New York.

She then traveled to England to start her acting career on stage. She performed in plays like Escape and Death Takes a Holiday. People often thought she was British because she was so good at using an English accent.

A fellow acting student, Robert Cummings, pretended to be British. He convinced Margaret Kies to do the same and change her name to Margaret Lindsay.

Universal Studios was impressed by her and signed her for their 1932 movie The Old Dark House. However, when Lindsay returned to America, she found that another actress, Gloria Stuart, had been given her role.

After some small parts in early films like Christopher Strong and Baby Face, Lindsay got a role in the movie Cavalcade. She played Edith Harris, an English bride whose honeymoon trip was on the Titanic.

She got this role by pretending to be British. She even made up a story about being born in London. She later said, "Although I looked and talked English... to tell them I was actually from Iowa would have lost the assignment for me."

Her work in Cavalcade helped her get a contract with Warner Bros.. There, she became a reliable supporting actress. She worked with many famous actors like James Cagney, Bette Davis, Errol Flynn, and Humphrey Bogart.

Lindsay played the love interest of James Cagney four times between 1933 and 1935. These films included Frisco Kid, Devil Dogs of the Air, G Men, and Lady Killer.

Lindsay in Public Enemy's Wife (1936)

She also co-starred with Bette Davis in four Warner Bros. movies. She played Davis's sister in Fog Over Frisco (1934). She was also in Dangerous, for which Davis won her first Best Actress Academy Award.

Glenda Farrell (left) and Lindsay (right) in The Law in Her Hands (1936)

Lindsay also had leading roles in smaller films. For example, in The Law in Her Hands (1936), she played a lawyer who worked for the mob. This movie was special because it showed a woman in a role usually played by men.

Humphrey Bogart, Margaret Lindsay & Donald Woods in Isle of Fury (1936)

1940s

In 1940, Lindsay appeared in The House of the Seven Gables. She starred alongside George Sanders and Vincent Price. The film's music was even nominated for an Academy Award.

Vincent Price said that "Margaret Lindsay was a delight to work with and a very good actress." Film experts have praised her performance in this movie.

Lindsay herself said that her part in The House of the Seven Gables was her "favorite role." She also said that the most fun she had was in The Vigilantes Return (1947). In that movie, she played a saloon singer who chased after the main character. She even sang a song in the style of Mae West.

Lindsay with Boris Karloff in British Intelligence (1940)

In the 1940s, Lindsay also appeared in film series. She played Nikki Porter in Columbia's Ellery Queen series (1940–1942).

She had a supporting role in the 1942 film The Spoilers, which starred Marlene Dietrich and John Wayne. She also appeared in Fritz Lang's Scarlet Street (1945) with Edward G. Robinson.

Later in the 1940s, her film career slowed down. She took roles in smaller films and returned to the stage.

1950s and 1960s

Margaret Lindsay started acting on television in 1950. Her first TV role was in The Importance of Being Earnest. This allowed her to use her excellent British accent again.

She appeared in only four films during the 1950s and two in the 1960s. Her last movie was Tammy and the Doctor in 1963.

Personal life

Early in her career, Margaret lived with her sister Helen in Hollywood. Later, she lived with her youngest sister, Mickie. She never married.

Death

Margaret Lindsay passed away at age 70 in 1981. She died from emphysema in Los Angeles. She was buried at Holy Cross Cemetery, Culver City, California.

Family

Margaret Lindsay's sister, Jane Kies, was also an actress. She used the stage name Jane Gilbert.

Complete filmography

See also

In Spanish: Margaret Lindsay para niños