Dorothy Hyson was a renowned British cinema and theatre actress, celebrated for her exceptional beauty and striking looks. Her impressive appearance even inspired songwriters Rogers and Hart to dedicate their song "The Most Beautiful Girl in the World" to her. Her second husband, the acclaimed actor Anthony Quayle, further emphasized her beauty by describing her as "the Most Beautiful Creature I Have Ever Seen".
Born in 1914 in Chicago, Dorothy Hyson was the only child of renowned musical comedy star Dorothy Dickson and her husband Carl Heison, who later changed his name to Hyson. At the tender age of 12, she made her London stage debut at the Savoy Theatre in J.M. Barrie's "Quality Street", followed by a role in Daisy Ashford's "The Young Visitors" at the Strand Theatre the next year. Her impressive performance earned her a glowing review from the leading critic of the day, James Agate, who prophesied that she might become the comedienne of the future.
In 1933, Ivor Novello was impressed by her charm and beauty, offering her the role of Gladys Cooper's daughter in his play "Flies in the Sun". Her subsequent successes included Maxwell Anderson's comedy "Saturday's Children and Touch Wood", in which she co-starred with Flora Robson. Later, she appeared alongside Laurence Olivier in the play "The Ringmaster", directed by Raymond Massey in London's West End.
By the age of 20, she had married British film actor Robert Douglas. Throughout the 1930s and 1940s, she remained a constant presence on the West End stage, eventually marrying Anthony Quayle in 1947. Quayle would later acknowledge that his wife had been instrumental in his success, stating, "Without her, I could have been nothing - and done nothing. With her love and help, our two lives joined together, and I could lift the world up and carry it aloft".
As a renowned hostess in London, Dorothy Hyson counted among her close friends H.M. Queen Elizabeth II, Queen Elizabeth the Queen Mother, Noël Coward, and John Gielgud. Upon her retirement from acting, she revealed that she had always prioritized her role as Anthony Quayle's wife and caregiver, stating, "I always tried my best at being an actress - but when I met Anthony Quayle, all I wanted to do was to be his wife and look after him. My acting didn't matter anymore. He always came first for me".
Dorothy Hyson's legacy lives on through her children, including designer Christopher Quayle, actress Rosanna Astley, and actress Jenny Quayle.
