Marie George (born Clara Marie Georg; 25 June 1876 – 15 July 1955) was an American actress, singer and stage beauty who had a successful career first in New York City and later in London, England during the Edwardian era.
Early life Marie George was born in New York on 25 June 1876 as Clara Marie Georg to German-American parents. On going on the stage she adopted the anglicized version of her surname.
Stage career
On moving with her husband to London she played Dolly Twinkle in The Casino Girl at the Shaftesbury Theatre (1900), was in the American musical comedy The Belle of Bohemia at the Apollo Theatre (1901)Miss Marie George - The Illustrated Sporting and Dramatic News, January to March 1901 and played Cornelia in The White Chrysanthemum at the Criterion Theatre (1905).Miss Marie George - Celebrities of the Stage - Tuck Postcards Database For a number of years she was a regular in the annual pantomime at the Theatre Royal, Drury Lane including: Gretchen in Mother Goose (1902) opposite Dan Leno;J. P. Wearing, The London Stage 1900-1909: A Calendar of Productions, Performers, and Personnel, Rowman & Littlefield (2014) - Google Books pg. 125 Principal Girl in Humpty Dumpty (1903)Wearing, pg. 166 during which she was taken ill and was replaced by Mabel Love; Cupid in The White Cat (1904));Wearing, pg. 214 Ruby in Sinbad (1906);Tom Sutcliffe, We'll know we've made real progress, when colour on stage isn't an issue at all - The Independent 27 October 2012Wearing, pg. 322 Cissie in Babes in the Wood (1907);Marie George - Footlight Notes websiteWearing, pg. 385 and Katrina in Dick Whittington (1908); and the title role in Aladdin (1909).Pantomimes at Drury Lane - It's Behind You website
George appeared as Poll Merrie in Lady Tatters opposite Courtice Pounds and Walter Passmore at the Shaftesbury Theatre (1907)Lady Tatters - Truth, Volume 62, 3 July 1907, pg. 55 and played Mariza opposite Passmore in Baron Trenck at the Strand Theatre (1911). In 1912 she played the title role in a British tour of the musical comedy The Boy Scout with C. Hayden CoffinThe Boy Scout at the Grand Theatre, Leeds (1912) - Leeds Play Bills and in 1915 was Mrs. Pineapple in the first revival of A Chinese Honeymoon at the Prince of Wales Theatre.
In July 1911 Marie George was accompanied by Herbert Sparling in a performance at Brighton Palace Pier, where: ‘Marie George gives the audience twenty minutes of sparkling fun, and makes them regret very much the powers that be which prevent her continuing her part for double that period. She is delightful in her songs, “That’s a Cinch,” and “Over again.” She is most ably assisted by Mr. Herbert Sparling, whose make-up as a pianoforte turner and acting throughout is wonderfully clever.’Brighton & Hove Society, Brighton, Sussex, Thursday, 12 July 1911, p. 4482b
Personal life Marie was married to the American theatrical manager Norman J. Norman.Marie George (1877-1975) - Stage Beauty website She died in London on 15 July 1955, aged 79.
References
External links Photographs of Marie George (1879-1955), Actress - National Portrait Gallery, London