Nora Swinburne

Nora Swinburne
Born Leonora Mary Johnson
(1902-07-24)24 July 1902
Bath, Somerset, England
Died 1 May 2000(2000-05-01) (aged 97)
London, England, UK
Occupation Actress
Years active 1920–1974
Spouse(s) Esmond Knight (1946–1987; his death)
Edward Ashley-Cooper (1934–1938; divorced)
Francis Lister (1924–1932; divorced)
Children 1

Nora Swinburne (born Leonora Mary Johnson;[1] 24 July 1902 – 1 May 2000) was a British actress, best known for her appearances in many British films.

She married English character actor Francis Lister in 1924, actor Edward Ashley-Cooper in 1934, and actor Esmond Knight in 1946. Her stepdaughter is the actress Rosalind Knight.

Early years

Swinburne was born in Bath, Somerset, the daughter of Henry Swinburne Johnson and his wife Leonora Tamar (née Brain). She was educated at Rosholme College, Weston-super-Mare, and studied for the stage at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art. As a member of Clive Currie's Young Players in 1914, she appeared at the Grand, Croydon, Court and Little Theatres, during that year.

In 1914 she attended an audition with the ballerina Phyllis Bedells and later Anna Pavlova who considered her too young, even if very talented, for the corps de ballet. Nora instead joined Italia Conti school where she obtained her first real part as a child actress in Where the Rainbow Ends. She performed in the show in London and in all the big cities of England for eighteen shillings a week.[2]

At the end of 1915 she gained a place at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art. While still a student at the Academy she appeared at the New Theatre on 11 April 1916 as The Wild Flowers in Paddly Pools; appeared at the Comedy Theatre, September 1916, as a dancer in the revue, This and That; and in October 1916 appeared in Samples at the Globe Theatre (now the Gielgud Theatre). She also appeared at the Globe in March 1917 as Gabrielle in Suzette. Other early roles included Lulu in Yes, Uncle! at the Prince of Wales Theatre in December 1917, and Regina Waterhouse at the Strand Theatre in December 1918.

At the Apollo Theatre in 1919 she played the title role in Tilly of Bloomsbury "for about six weeks", according to her personal notes in Who's Who in the Theatre, followed by the role of Roselle in The Betrothal at the Gaiety in January 1921, concluding the year with what she charmingly called "several cinema plays".[3]

Stage career

Subsequent theatre roles included:

Filmography

Television appearances

References

  1. ↑ High Court Of Justice Probate, Divorce, And Admiralty Division, Actor Cites Actor In Divorce Suit, Lister v. Lister And Ashley Cooper, The Times, Tuesday, 9 February 1932; p. 5.
  2. ↑ esmondknight.org.uk family-Nora Swinburne
  3. ↑ Who's Who in the Theatre 8th edition (1936).
  4. ↑ Who's Who in the Theatre 9th edition (1939).

Sources

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