Margaret Stella Lee (20 June 1923 – 16 October 1987) credited as Margo Lee, was an Australian actor and singer of radio, stage, film and TV.
Early life Lee was born on 20 June 1923 in the Sydney suburb of Leichhardt, to Margaret Clara (née Draper, formerly Watts) and John Llewellin Hogg. Her father was a dentist in Strathfield, followed by Gloucester.
Lee went to school at the local convent, where she received piano lessons from one of the nuns. From the age of 12, she boarded with an aunt at Strathfield and in 1937 attended high school at the New South Wales State Conservatorium of Music. She studied under Frank Hutchens, keen on becoming a concert pianist, and won the under-18 piano championship at the City of Sydney Eisteddfod in 1939.
Career Lee abandoned her career as a pianist, to workman actress in radio with George Edwards before joining 'The Youth Show' on the Macquarie Network in 1941, alongside Joy Nichols and Michael Pate, in which she was known as the 'Golden Girl'. Adopting the stage name 'Margo Lee', she sang and played comedy roles with Colin Croft. During World War II, she acted in radio serials, including anthology series Lux Radio Theatre.
Lee began performing in theatre, appearing at Sydney's Minerva Theatre from 1943. She also had a role in the 1949 racecourse film Into the Straight.
From 1952, Lee was a panellist for eight years on Leave It to the Girls, beginning on Sydney radio station 2GB before moving to the television version. She also appeared on stage in a 1954 production of Top of the Bill at Sydney's Phillip Street Theatre, in their very first revue.
Lee played leading roles in ABC radio plays including Major Barbara (1953), The Merchant of Venice (1954), Kind Hearts and Coronets (1959) and The Importance of Being Earnest (1964), as well as Noël Coward comedies.
Her performance alongside American actor Vincent Price in 1984, earned her the 1955 Lux Radio Theatre Award for Best Actress of the Year. The win was accompanied by a trip to Hollywood, to star in a TV play with Lux Video Theatre. While there for a period of four weeks, she was offered television parts and two film offers, but turned them down, not wanting to be away from her husband and sons for a great deal of time.
On her return to Australia, Lee appeared in Australia's first live television drama, the ABC play J. M. Barrie's The Twelve-Pound Look in 1956. She then starred in Stormy Petrel (1960), playing Elizabeth Macarthur. Roles followed in Boney and the Devil's Steps (1972) and Ride on Stranger (1979).
Lee continued working for stage, with a tap dancing role in a 1971 Melbourne production of musical comedy Charlie Girl, alongside a young John Farnham. She also performed as Gertrude opposite John Bell in a 1973 production of Hamlet at Sydney's Nimrod Theatre and played the Queen of Hearts in an Alice in Wonderland pantomime in 1976.
In 1978, Lee appeared in the films The Journalist and Tim, the latter alongside Mel Gibson in an early role. She also featured in Now and Then. Her television credits from the era included short-lived soap opera Catwalk and Crawford Productions police procedural series Division 4, as well as Cop Shop, Patrol Boat and Mismatch. From 1982 to 1985, Lee portrayed Caroline Smithers in long-running television series A Country Practice.
Lee had a role in a 1980 stage production of The Old Country, and in 1982, performed in a STC production of You Can't Take It With You at the Sydney Opera House, playing the Russian Grand Duchess. She playing lead in the Phillip Street revue Sister Mary Ignatius Explains It All for You, the following year.
In 1985, Lee won a Green Room Award for her supporting role in a stage production of Stepping Out.
Lee appeared posthumously as Miss Dawson in 1988 miniseries Melba.
Awards Year Work Award Category Result Ref. 1955 1984 Lux Radio Theatre Awards Best Actress of the Year 1985 Stepping Out Green Room Awards Best Supporting Female (Music Theatre)
Personal life and death On 1 November 1945, Lee married Joseph Francis (Frank) Sidney Brooks (d.1984), an advertising agent, at the Vaucluse Congregational Church. Together the couple had two sons, Derek and Richard. In 1956, the family moved into a house that they had built at Seaforth. In 1978, her sons still lived at home.
Lee died of breast cancer on 16 October 1987 in St Leonards, Sydney. She was survived by her sons.
Filmography
Film Year Title Role Type Ref. 1949 Into the Straight Zara Marlowe 1978 Tim Mrs Harrington 1979 The Journalist Editor 1982 Heatwave Wealthy Woman Starstruck Pearl 1985 I Can't Get Started Avril Williams 1987 The Place at the Coast May Ryan
Television Year Title Role Type Ref.1952 Leave It to the Girls Panellist I Found Joe Barton Florrie Short TV film 1956 Lux Video Theatre Laurie Episode: "The Steel Trap" The Twelve Pound Look Kate TV play 1957 Three Cornered Moon Leonara the Duchess of Mal TV play The Importance of Being Earnest Gwendolyn Fairfax TV play Leave It to the Girls 21 episodes 1958 A Rose Without a Thorn Catherine Howard TV play 1960 Stormy Petrel Elizabeth Macarthur 5 episodes 1961 Whiplash Anna Eddington / Rosie London / Terri McKenna 3 episodes The Outcasts Mrs John MacArthur 3 episodes Two-Headed Eagle The Queen TV play 1963 Flowering Cherry Isobel Cherry TV play Don't Listen Ladies Madeleine TV play 1964 Tribunal Lady Emma Hamilton 1 episode The Purple Jacaranda Anne James Miniseries, 7 episodes 1967 Hunter Valerie Cummings 2 episodes 1969 Woobinda (Animal Doctor) Helen Mason 1 episode Voyage Out Tessa TV play 1970 Eden House Maxine TV play Phoenix Five Dr Sarah Fall 1 episode Delta Veronica 1 episode 1971 Catwalk Marguerite Sommers 1 episode 1973 Boney Miss Jade 1 episode: "Boney and the Devil's Steps" Division 4 Bella Morris 1 episode 1974 Class of '75 Janet Henderson 1975 Behind the Legend Miss Brennan 1 episode 1976 McManus MPB Renee Soundtree TV pilot 1978 Run From the Morning Mrs Hennessy Miniseries, 6 episodes 1979 Cop Shop Pearl Singleton 2 episodes Ride on Stranger Lucy Rossingdale Miniseries, 1 episode The Mismatch TV movie 1979–1983 Patrol Boat Matron Whylie 2 episodes 1981 The Young Doctors Louise Fielding 8 episodes 1982–1985 A Country Practice Caroline Smithers 8 episodes 1983 M.P.S.I.B. 1 episode Carson's Law Mrs Emily Talbot 3 episodes Prisoner Sonia Hanlon 1 episode The Girl From Moonooloo TV movie 1985 Colour in the Creek Mrs Anderson Miniseries, 5 episodes 1988 Melba Miss Dawson Miniseries, 2 episodes
Theatre Year Title Role Type Ref.1943 Janie Minerva Theatre, Sydney with J. C. Williamson's & Whitehall Productions George Washington Slept Here Minerva Theatre, Sydney with Whitehall Productions 1947 Youth at the Helm 1948 A Pickwick Story Sydney Town Hall with Mercury Mobile Players 1950 Amphitryon 38 Independent Theatre, Sydney 1954 Top of the Bill Phillip St Theatre, Sydney 1955–1956 Happy Returns 1956–1957 All for Mary Mary Millar Theatre Royal, Sydney, Her Majesty's Theatre, Brisbane, Roxy Theatre, Newcastle, Theatre Royal, Adelaide with J. C. Williamson's 1959 For Amusement Only Theatre Royal Sydney with J. C. Williamson's 1960 The Rape of the Belt Elizabethan Theatre, Sydney 1962 Shipwreck Lucretia University of Sydney with AETT 1964 Sweet Day of Decision University of NSW Old Tote Theatre, Sydney with AETT 1965 The Gallant Imposter, or She Wooed and She Would Not Neutral Bay Music Hall, Sydney with George Miller An Evening With Noel Coward St James Playhouse, Sydney with AETT 1966 Where Did Vortex Go? Killara Soldiers Memorial Hall, Sydney Summer of the Seventeenth Doll AMP Theatrette, Sydney with Q Theatre Company 1967 A Lily in Little India Independent Theatre, Sydney 1968 The Runaway Steamboat Amy Australia Hall, Adelaide with ATYP Little Me Miss Poitrine Australian Production 1970–1971 Charlie Girl Kay Connor St. James Theatre, Auckland, Her Majesty's Theatre, Melbourne with Williamson-Edgley Theatres 1973–1974 Hamlet Gertrude Nimrod Theatre, Playhouse, Canberra 1974 Don't Listen Ladies Marian St Theatre, Sydney 1975 A Slight Ache AMP Theatrette, Sydney with Q Theatre Company 1976 A Very Good Year Music Loft Theatre, Sydney All Over The Mistress Nimrod Theatre, Sydney Alice in Wonderland Queen of Hearts York Theatre, Sydney with William Orr Productions 1977 Revue at the Loft Music Loft Theatre, Sydney 1978 A Visit With the Family Mother Nimrod Theatre, Sydney 1980 The Old Country Bron Comedy Theatre, Melbourne, Theatre Royal Sydney with Paul Dainty Corporation & Phillip Emanuel Productions Mourning Becomes Electra Christine SGIO Theatre, Brisbane with QTC 1982 You Can't Take It With You Russian Grand Duchess Sydney Opera House with STC 1983 The Fields of Heaven Sister Mary Ignatius Explains It All for You Lead role Phillip St Theatre, Sydney with Peter Williams Productions & Margaret Kelly, Productions Tikki and Johns's Theatre Music Hall Music Hall, Melbourne 1985 Stepping Out Australian tour with Promcon Corporation, Paul Dainty Corporation, Wilton Morley & Peter Davis
Radio Year Title Role Notes Ref. 1941 The Youth Show Golden Girl 2GB 1940s Heritage Hall 2UE / 2KO 1950 Deadly Nightshade Evelyn Channell 1951 Stamboul Train Carol Musker 2GB 1952– Leave It to the Girls Panellist 1953 Major Barbara Major Barbara Undershaft ABC Radio A Place of Honour 2UW c.1953–1964 Life with Dexter Jessie 2GB 1954 The Merchant of Venice Portia ABC Radio Fat Man 2UW c.1954 Stairway to Fame 1954–1955 Reach for the Sky 2UE 1955 1984 Julia Lux Radio Theatre on 2GZ Fallen Angel Angel Fairfax Bridge Against the Sky Nola ABC Radio Harry Dearth's Playhouse: The Little Glass Clock 2UW c.1955 Starlight Theatre 1956 Unknown Quantity Sarah Travers The Clock Virginia Episode 35: "Flaming Frances" Delilah Episode 46: "Lefty & Delilah" c.1956 Short Story 1959 Kind Hearts and Coronets Lead role ABC Radio 1950s Book Club of the Air 2TM Dinner at Antoine's Odile St Amant 2UW / 3UZ The Right to Happiness Joan 1950s–1960s Occupational Hazard Rick O'Shea 1961 Cattleman 1962 Sara Dane Sara Dane c.1963 The Letter from Spain Ethel Crewe 1964 The Importance of Being Earnest Lead role ABC Radio 1960s The Big Fisherman Sound of Thunder Sylvia Enger Big City
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