Other biographies

Above: Signed portrait of Australian actor Marie Lorraine (Isabella Mercia McDonagh)(1899-1982) Author’s Collection.

The following are links to online accounts of other Australian actors that the author has found useful. (Click here for a general list of published texts and digital resources) ADB stands for Australian Dictionary of Biography.

ANNETTE ANDRE

JUDITH ANDERSON

  • Desley Deacon (2019) Judith Anderson, Australian Star, First Lady of the American Stage. Kerr Publishing.

    Born [Frances Margaret Anderson] Adelaide, SA, Australia, 10 Feb 1897,
    Died California, USA , 3 Jan 1992

FIFI BANVARD

  • Yvonne Fifi Banvard by Camille Scaysbrook – Brooksie at the Movies
  • ADB account by Anne-Marie Gaudry

    Born [Yvonne (Fifi) Banvard] Melbourne, Vic, Australia, 25 December 1901.
    Died Sydney, NSW, Australia, 24 June 1962.

GEORGE BERANGER

OLGA BRANDON

  • Olga Brandon by Bob Davenport

    Born [Ollga (sic) Lazzarevich] Redcastle, Victoria, Australia, 21 December 1863.
    Died London, England, 8 May 1906

CORAL BROWNE

  • ADB account by Anne Rees – Coral Edith Browne
  • Rose Collis (2007) Coral Browne, This Effing Lady, Oberon Books.

    Born [Coral Edith Browne] Melbourne, Vic, Australia 23 July 1913.
    Died Los Angeles, California, USA, 29 May, 1991

ZOE CALDWELL

  • Zoe Caldwell‘s own 2001 autobiography I Will be Cleopatra, An Actress’s Journey. Text Publishing

    Born [Zoe Ada Caldwell] Melbourne, Vic, Australia, 14 September 1933.
    Died New York, USA, 16 February 2020

ELSA CHAUVEL

  • Ina Bertrand (2015) Elsa Chauvel. In Jane Gaines, Radha Vatsal, and Monica Dall’Asta, eds. Women Film Pioneers Project. New York, NY: Columbia University Libraries, 2015.

    Born [Elsie May Wilcox], 10 February 1898 Collingwood, Victoria, Australia.
    Died Toowoomba, Queensland, Australia, 22 August, 1983. 

AL DAFF

  • Greg Lynch’s new biography is Al Daff. Down Under in Hollywood-land Three Dimensional Productions.

    Born Alfred Edward Daff 18 August 1902, Melbourne Victoria, Australia.
    Died 1991 California, USA.

MAY DAHLBERG

MADGE ELLIOT and CYRIL RITCHARD

AGNES GAVIN

  • Ina Bertrand (2013) Agnes Gavin. In Jane Gaines, Radha Vatsal, and Monica Dall’Asta, eds. Women Film Pioneers Project. New York, NY, Columbia University Libraries. 

    Born [Agnes Adele Wangenheim] Sydney, NSW, Australia, 1872.
    Died Sydney, New South Wales, Australia, 9 Jan 1947

DOROTHY GORDON

  • Deb Verhoeven (2013) Dorothy Gordon aka ‘Andrea’. In Jane Gaines, Radha Vatsal, and Monica Dall’Asta, eds. Women Film Pioneers Project. New York, NY, Columbia University Libraries. 

    Born [Dorothy Gordon Jenner] Narrabri, NSW, Australia, 1 March 1891.
    Died Sydney, New South Wales, Australia, 24 March 1985

MAUD JEFFRIES

ANNETTE KELLERMAN

  • ADB account by GP Walsh Annette Kellerman
  • Angela Woollacott (2011) Race and the Modern Exotic. Three ‘Australian’ Women on Global Display. Monash University Publishing. Chapter 1

    Born [Annette Marie Kellerman] Sydney, NSW, Australia, 6 July 1886.
    Died Southport, Queensland, Australia, 6 November 1975.

LOTTIE LYELL

  • ADB account by Mervyn J Wasson Lottie Lyell
  • Margot Nash (2018) “Lottie Lyell.” In Jane Gaines, Radha Vatsal, and Monica Dall’Asta, eds. Women Film Pioneers Project. New York, NY: Columbia University Libraries.

    Born [Lottie Edith Lyell] Sydney, NSW, Australia 23 February 1890.
    Died Sydney, NSW, Australia, 21 December 1925.

LOUISE LOVELY

  • ADB account by Ina Bertrand Louise Lovely
  • Jeannette Delamoir (2013) “Louise Lovely.” In Jane Gaines, Radha Vatsal, and Monica Dall’Asta, eds. Women Film Pioneers Project. New York, NY: Columbia University Libraries.

    Born [Louise Nellie Lovely] Sydney, NSW, Australia 28 February 1895.
    Died Hobart, Tas, Australia, 17 March 1980

MCDONAGH SISTERS

CLAIRE ADAMS (MCKINNON)

  • ADB account by Virginia Maxwell: Claire Adams Mckinnon

    Born [Beryl Vere Nassau Adams] Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada, 24 September 1896.
    Died Melbourne, Vic, Australia, 25 September 1978

MERLE OBERON

  • Angela Woollacott (2011) Race and the Modern Exotic. Three ‘Australian’ Women on Global Display. Monash University Publishing. Chapter 3

    Born Estelle Merle O’Brien Thompson, Bombay India, 19 February 1911.
    Died California, USA 23 November 1979.

ROSE QUONG

  • Angela Woollacott (2011) Race and the Modern Exotic. Three ‘Australian’ Women on Global Display. Monash University Publishing. Chapter 2

    Born [Rose Maud Quong] Melbourne Australia 15 August 1879
    Died New York City, USA, 14 December 1972.

C MONTAGUE SHAW

  • C Montague Shaw by Kitty Parks

    Born [Charles Montague Shaw] Adelaide, SA, Australia, 23 March 1882.
    Died California USA, 6 Feb 1968

BETTY STOCKFELD

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