Evelyn Laye's life was a remarkable tale of a talented individual who shone brightly on the stage and screen. Born in London to actor parents, she was already treading the boards at the tender age of two, with her father managing the Palace Theatre in Brighton, where she first made a name for herself.
As she grew older, Evelyn's talent blossomed, and by the age of fifteen, she was a seasoned stage performer, graduating to the London West End three years later in a small part in "The Beauty Spot". During the 1920s, she became one of England's most popular stars of musical revue and operetta, with hits in "Going Up", "Madame Pompadour", "Betty in Mayfair", and "Merely Molly", the last two at the Adelphi Theatre.
Her performance in "Bitter Sweet" in 1929, with her signature song "I'll See You Again", caught the attention of producer Samuel Goldwyn, who brought her to Hollywood. Dubbed "the Champagne Blonde", Evelyn made her American debut in the operetta "One Heavenly Night" in 1930, directed by George Fitzmaurice. Although the film was a flop, Evelyn's singing and performance were praised by critic Mordaunt Hall.
Four years later, Evelyn returned to Hollywood, starring in "The Night Is Young" in 1935, a continental operetta co-starring Ramon Novarro, featuring songs by Sigmund Romberg and Oscar Hammerstein. The film received mixed reviews, but Evelyn's two British-Gaumont productions, "Waltz Time" and "Evensong", were well-received.
After a three-decade hiatus, Evelyn returned to the screen, appearing in the TV sitcom "My Husband and I" in 1956, alongside her then-husband Frank Lawton. She also appeared in the horror film "Theatre of Death" in 1967 and gave a strong performance as the mother of Jean Simmons in "Say Hello to Yesterday" in 1971.
For the most part, Evelyn continued to act on the stage, performing in plays like "Three Waltzes", "The School for Scandal", "Wedding in Paris", "The Marquise", and "The Amorous Prawn". One of her last plays was Noël Coward's "Semi-Monde" in 1987-88, at the Royalty Theatre in London, alongside fellow cast members Kenneth Branagh and Judi Dench.
Evelyn Laye's remarkable career spanned over seven decades, and she continued to perform well into her nineties, making her farewell tour of Britain in 1992. She passed away three years later at the age of 95, leaving behind a legacy of her remarkable talent and dedication to her craft.
