Gwen Ffrangcon-Davies
Encyclopedia
Dame Gwen Lucy Ffrangcon-Davies, DBE
(25 January 1891 – 27 January 1992) was a British
actress and centenarian
. She was born in London
of a Welsh
family; the name "Ffrangcon" originates from a valley in Snowdonia
. Her parents were David Ffrangcon-Davies (né David Thomas Davies) and Annie Francis Rayner.
. In 1924, she played Juliet
opposite John Gielgud
as Romeo
, and Gielgud was grateful to her for the rest of his life for the kindness she showed him, casting her as Queen Anne in Richard of Bordeaux in 1934.
In 1938, she appeared with Ivor Novello
in a production of Henry V
at Drury Lane
. Later the same year she appeared as Mrs Manningham in the first production of Gas Light by Patrick Hamilton
. She played Lady Macbeth
for almost an entire year in 1942 opposite John Gielgud
's Macbeth
. She won the Evening Standard Award in 1958 for her performance as Mary Tyrone in Long Day's Journey Into Night
.
She retired from the stage in 1970, but continued to appear on radio and television. In the 1980s, well into her 90s, she appeared on the Wogan
chat show, in which she recited, word for word, the famous death scene of Juliet
. She made her final acting appearance in a teleplay of the Sherlock Holmes
mystery The Master Blackmailer at the age of 100. Her films included The Witches
(1966) and The Devil Rides Out
(1968), both for Hammer Films
.
in 1991, aged 100, and remains the oldest ever appointee to that Order. She died the following year, two days after her 101st birthday. She never married.
Order of the British Empire
The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is an order of chivalry established on 4 June 1917 by George V of the United Kingdom. The Order comprises five classes in civil and military divisions...
(25 January 1891 – 27 January 1992) was a British
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
actress and centenarian
Centenarian
A centenarian is a person who is or lives beyond the age of 100 years. Because current average life expectancies across the world are less than 100, the term is invariably associated with longevity. Much rarer, a supercentenarian is a person who has lived to the age of 110 or more, something only...
. She was born in London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
of a Welsh
Wales
Wales is a country that is part of the United Kingdom and the island of Great Britain, bordered by England to its east and the Atlantic Ocean and Irish Sea to its west. It has a population of three million, and a total area of 20,779 km²...
family; the name "Ffrangcon" originates from a valley in Snowdonia
Snowdonia
Snowdonia is a region in north Wales and a national park of in area. It was the first to be designated of the three National Parks in Wales, in 1951.-Name and extent:...
. Her parents were David Ffrangcon-Davies (né David Thomas Davies) and Annie Francis Rayner.
Career
She made her stage debut in 1911, as a singer as well as an actress, and received encouragement in her career from Ellen TerryEllen Terry
Dame Ellen Terry, GBE was an English stage actress who became the leading Shakespearean actress in Britain. Among the members of her famous family is her great nephew, John Gielgud....
. In 1924, she played Juliet
Juliet Capulet
Juliet is one of the title characters in William Shakespeare's tragedy Romeo and Juliet, the other being Romeo. She is the daughter of old Capulet, head of the house of Capulet. The story has a long history that precedes Shakespeare himself....
opposite John Gielgud
John Gielgud
Sir Arthur John Gielgud, OM, CH was an English actor, director, and producer. A descendant of the renowned Terry acting family, he achieved early international acclaim for his youthful, emotionally expressive Hamlet which broke box office records on Broadway in 1937...
as Romeo
Romeo Montague
Romeo is one of the fictional protagonists in Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet. Romeo is the son of old Montague and his wife, who secretly loves and marries Juliet, a member of the rival House of Capulet...
, and Gielgud was grateful to her for the rest of his life for the kindness she showed him, casting her as Queen Anne in Richard of Bordeaux in 1934.
In 1938, she appeared with Ivor Novello
Ivor Novello
David Ivor Davies , better known as Ivor Novello, was a Welsh composer, singer and actor who became one of the most popular British entertainers of the first half of the 20th century. Born into a musical family, his first successes were as a songwriter...
in a production of Henry V
Henry V (play)
Henry V is a history play by William Shakespeare, believed to be written in approximately 1599. Its full titles are The Cronicle History of Henry the Fifth and The Life of Henry the Fifth...
at Drury Lane
Drury Lane
Drury Lane is a street on the eastern boundary of the Covent Garden area of London, running between Aldwych and High Holborn. The northern part is in the borough of Camden and the southern part in the City of Westminster....
. Later the same year she appeared as Mrs Manningham in the first production of Gas Light by Patrick Hamilton
Patrick Hamilton (dramatist)
Patrick Hamilton was an English playwright and novelist.He was well regarded by Graham Greene and J. B. Priestley and study of his novels has been revived recently because of their distinctive style, deploying a Dickensian narrative voice to convey aspects of inter-war London street culture...
. She played Lady Macbeth
Lady Macbeth
Lady Macbeth may refer to:*Lady Macbeth, from William Shakespeare's play Macbeth**Queen Gruoch of Scotland, the real-life Queen on whom Shakespeare based the character...
for almost an entire year in 1942 opposite John Gielgud
John Gielgud
Sir Arthur John Gielgud, OM, CH was an English actor, director, and producer. A descendant of the renowned Terry acting family, he achieved early international acclaim for his youthful, emotionally expressive Hamlet which broke box office records on Broadway in 1937...
's Macbeth
Macbeth
The Tragedy of Macbeth is a play by William Shakespeare about a regicide and its aftermath. It is Shakespeare's shortest tragedy and is believed to have been written sometime between 1603 and 1607...
. She won the Evening Standard Award in 1958 for her performance as Mary Tyrone in Long Day's Journey Into Night
Long Day's Journey Into Night
Long Day's Journey Into Night is a 1956 drama in four acts written by American playwright Eugene O'Neill. The play is widely considered to be his masterwork...
.
She retired from the stage in 1970, but continued to appear on radio and television. In the 1980s, well into her 90s, she appeared on the Wogan
Wogan
Wogan was a chat show on British television, hosted by Terry Wogan. It followed the format of a series broadcast in 1980 entitled What's On Wogan?, which failed to gather viewers. The Wogan show was initially broadcast on Tuesday evenings on BBC1 in 1981 and from 1982 to 1984, it moved into the...
chat show, in which she recited, word for word, the famous death scene of Juliet
Juliet Capulet
Juliet is one of the title characters in William Shakespeare's tragedy Romeo and Juliet, the other being Romeo. She is the daughter of old Capulet, head of the house of Capulet. The story has a long history that precedes Shakespeare himself....
. She made her final acting appearance in a teleplay of the Sherlock Holmes
Sherlock Holmes
Sherlock Holmes is a fictional detective created by Scottish author and physician Sir Arthur Conan Doyle. The fantastic London-based "consulting detective", Holmes is famous for his astute logical reasoning, his ability to take almost any disguise, and his use of forensic science skills to solve...
mystery The Master Blackmailer at the age of 100. Her films included The Witches
The Witches (1966 film)
The Witches is a 1966 British horror film made by Hammer Films. It was adapted by Nigel Kneale from the novel The Devil's Own by Norah Lofts, under the pseudonym Peter Curtis...
(1966) and The Devil Rides Out
The Devil Rides Out (film)
The Devil Rides Out is a 1968 British film based on the 1934 novel The Devil Rides Out by Dennis Wheatley...
(1968), both for Hammer Films
Hammer Film Productions
Hammer Film Productions is a film production company based in the United Kingdom. Founded in 1934, the company is best known for a series of Gothic "Hammer Horror" films made from the mid-1950s until the 1970s. Hammer also produced science fiction, thrillers, film noir and comedies and in later...
.
Other
She was created a Dame Commander of the British EmpireOrder of the British Empire
The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is an order of chivalry established on 4 June 1917 by George V of the United Kingdom. The Order comprises five classes in civil and military divisions...
in 1991, aged 100, and remains the oldest ever appointee to that Order. She died the following year, two days after her 101st birthday. She never married.
Sources
- Martial Rose, Forever Juliet: The Life and Letters of Gwen Ffrangcon-Davies 1891-1992 (2003)