Mary Ellis facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Mary Ellis
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Ellis in 1920
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May Belle Elsas
June 15, 1897 Manhattan, New York City, U.S.
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| Died | January 30, 2003 (aged 105) London, England
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| Years active | 1918–1994 |
Mary Ellis (born May Belle Elsas, June 15, 1897 – January 30, 2003) was an American actress and singer. She performed on stage, radio, television, and in movies. She was especially known for her roles in musical theatre, particularly in shows by Ivor Novello. Mary Ellis started her career with the Metropolitan Opera in 1918. Later, she acted on Broadway, where she played the main character in Rose-Marie. In 1930, she moved to England. There, she became even more famous and kept performing until the 1990s. She also appeared in films, like The 3 Worlds of Gulliver in 1960.
Contents
Early Life and Opera Career
Mary Ellis was born in Manhattan, New York City. Her parents, Herman and Caroline Elsas, were from Germany. Her mother, Caroline, was a pianist. Mary became interested in performing around 1910. She trained her voice to be a lyric soprano (a high singing voice). Her teachers were Freida de Goebele and Fernando Tanara.
She made her first appearance with the Metropolitan Opera on December 14, 1918. This was in the first ever performance of Puccini's Il trittico. She created the role of Genovieffa in Suor Angelica. Later, she also played Lauretta in Gianni Schicchi, another part of the same show. In 1919, she sang as Mytyl in the premiere of L'oiseau bleu. While at the Metropolitan, she sang with famous opera stars like Enrico Caruso and Feodor Chaliapin.
Broadway Star
On Broadway, Mary Ellis played different roles. In 1921, she was a street urchin in Louis. She played Nerissa in Merchant of Venice in 1922. In 1923, she was The Dancer from Milan in Casanova. She became more widely known when she played the main role in Rudolf Friml's popular operetta Rose-Marie in 1924. This show ran for a long time.
She also played Leah in The Dybbuk in 1925. Her later Broadway roles included Anna in The Crown Prince (1927) and Kate in The Taming of the Shrew (1927–1928). In 1929, she acted as Becky Sharp in an adaptation of Vanity Fair. In 1930, she played Laetitia in Children of Darkness.
Moving to England
In 1930, Mary Ellis moved to England with Basil Sydney. He was her third husband. In London's West End, she starred in Jerome Kern's Music in the Air (1933). She then became famous for playing the main female roles in three operettas by Ivor Novello. These were Glamorous Night (1935), The Dancing Years (1939), and Arc de Triomphe (1943). She also appeared in several films in the 1930s. This included a movie version of Glamorous Night in 1937.
Later Career and Films
During most of World War II, Mary Ellis did not perform much in the theatre. Instead, she helped in hospitals. She also gave concerts to entertain soldiers. After the war, she returned to the stage. In 1944 and 1947, she was successful in Noël Coward's play Point Valaine. She played a hotel keeper in this show. In 1948, she gave a highly praised performance as Millie Crocker-Harris in The Browning Version. In 1952, she played Volumnia in Coriolanus for the Stratford season.
In 1954, Mary Ellis was cast as Mrs. Erlynne in Coward's musical After the Ball. However, her singing voice was not as strong as it used to be. Because of this, much of her singing part had to be removed. She appeared in the 1960 movie The 3 Worlds of Gulliver. Her last stage appearance was in 1970. She played Mrs Warren in Shaw's Mrs Warren's Profession. In 1993, she appeared in the TV series Sherlock Holmes. She was in it again in 1994, playing Mary Maberley.
Mary Ellis turned 100 years old in 1997. She passed away at her home in London on January 30, 2003. She was 105 years old.
Her Books
Mary Ellis wrote her memories in a book called Those Dancing Years. It was published in 1982. She wrote another book about her life called Moments of Truth in 1986. She was the last living performer who had created a role in an opera by Puccini. She was also the last person to have sung alongside the famous singer Caruso.
Filmography
- Bella Donna (1934)
- All the King's Horses (1935)
- Paris in Spring (1935)
- Fatal Lady (1936)
- Glamorous Night (1937)
- The Astonished Heart (1949)
- The Magic Box (1951)
- The 3 Worlds of Gulliver (1960)
See also
In Spanish: Mary Ellis para niños
- List of centenarians (actors, filmmakers and entertainers)
