Aussie actor bios – index to other accounts

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

The following entries are listed alphabetically by surname.
These are links to accounts of Australian actors written by other authors that I have found useful.
(ADB stands for Australian Dictionary of Biography)

CLAIRE ADAMS

Born [Beryl Vere Nassau Adams later Mckinnon] Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada, 24 September 1896.
Died Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, 25 September 1978
(Photo – The Moving Picture World, September 1921)

ANNETTE ANDRE

Born [Annette Christine Andreallo] Sydney, New South Wales, Australia, 24 June, 1939.
(Photo – screengrab Youtube. The Saint.S3, Ep7 The Loving Brothers)

JUDITH ANDERSON

Born [Frances Margaret Anderson] Adelaide, South Australia, Australia, 10 Feb 1897. Died California, USA , 3 Jan 1992
(Photo – The Green Room magazine. August 1917. State Library of NSW)

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

JUDITH ARTHY

Born (Judith Arthy), Brisbane, Queensland, Australia, 12 November 1940.
(Photo – The Australian Women’s Weekly, 4 June 1969, p3)

No detailed interview or account has yet been found, but Judith Arthy is worthy of one. This was even noted by Hal Porter on the final pages of his Stars of Australian Stage and Screen in 1965:
‘Judith Arthy’s realistic and forthright approach to the needs and hazards of a present day player in Australia does not taint her idealism. She remains dedicated. Her own words are the words of many young players who resent being forced into expatriatism: “I’m in the theatre because that’s the work I want to do. Of course I want to travel overseas, to learn, to experience. But whatever happens I shall return to Australia for I believe in it and love it…. Although I deplore its cultural apathy, the land and the people have so much to give…” ‘(Porter, 1965, p275-6)

FIFI BANVARD

Born [Yvonne (Fifi) Banvard] Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, 25 December 1901. Died Sydney, NSW, Australia,
24 June 1962.
(Photo – National Library of Australia)

GEORGE BERANGER


Born [George Augustus Beringer] Sydney, New South Wales, Australia. 27 March 1893. Died Los Angeles, California, USA, 8 March 1973
(Photo – US National Archives passport application)

OLGA BRANDON

Born [Olga Lazzarevich] Redcastle, Victoria, Australia, 21 December 1863. Died London, England, 8 May 1906
(Photo – New York Public Library)

CYNTHIA BROOKE

Born [Constance Louisa Beaufoy Merlin] Warrnambool, Victoria, Australia,15 Dec 1868.
Died New York, 11 Sept 1949
(Photo – Ogden’s cigarette card, courtesy Jean Ritsema)

CORAL BROWNE

Born [Coral Edith Browne] Melbourne, Vic, Australia 23 July 1913. Died Los Angeles, California, USA,
29 May, 1991
(Cartoon – Stanley Parker, Table Talk, 1933)

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

MAE BUSCH

Born [Annie May Busch] Melbourne, Victoria, Australia 18 June 1891.
Died California, USA 20 April 1946.
(Image – Picture-Play Magazine, Mar-Aug 1923. Sketch credited to Russell Iredell)

ZOE CALDWELL

Born [Zoe Ada Caldwell] Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, 14 September 1933. Died New York, USA, 16 February 2020
(Photo – The Bulletin, Vol. 89 No. 4594, 23 Mar 1968)

  • Zoe Caldwell (2001) I Will be Cleopatra, An Actress’s Journey. Text Publishing
  • Desley Deacon (2020) Zoe Caldwell’s Many Faces. Theatre Heritage Australia

ELSA CHAUVEL

Born [Elsie May Wilcox], 10 February 1898 Collingwood, Victoria, Australia.
Died Toowoomba, Queensland, Australia, 22 August, 1983. 
(Photo – John Oxley Library, State Library of Queensland. c1940)

  • 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.
  • Elsa Chauvel (2019) My life with Charles Chauvel. Australian Scholarly Publishing
  • ADB account by Pam Crichton – Elsa Chauvel

CON COLLEANO

Born [Cornelius Sullivan] Lismore, New South Wales, Australia 26 December 1899. Died Miami, Florida, USA 13 November 1973.
(Photo- Performing Arts Collection, Melbourne. Colleano Family Collection)

DOROTHY CUMMING

Born [Dorothy Greville Cumming] Boorowa, New South Wales, Australia, 12 April 1894.
Died New York, USA, 10 December 1983.

(Photo – State Library of Victoria. By May and Mina Moore, c 1910-1913)

AL DAFF

Born [Alfred Edward Daff] Melbourne Victoria, Australia, 18 August 1902.
Died 19 Feb 1991 California, USA.
(Photo – Screengrab. Interview c1975. National Film & Sound Archive)

  • Greg Lynch (2023) Al Daff. Down Under in Hollywood-land Three Dimensional Productions.

MAY DAHLBERG

Born [May Charlotte Dahlberg] Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, 24 May 1888.
Died New York c1969
(Photo – The Playgoer. 5 April 1910)

  • Steve Rattle and Graeme Haigh research on Mae Dahlberg
    {Apologies – Link currently broken}

MADGE ELLIOT and CYRIL RITCHARD

Born [Leah Madeleine Elliott] London, UK, 12 May 1896. Died New York, 8 August 1955.
Born [Cyril Joseph Ritchard] Sydney NSW, Australia, 1 December 1897. Died Chicago, USA, 18 Dec 1977
(Photo – program from January 1947. Author’s collection)

AGNES GAVIN

Born [Agnes Adele Wangenheim] Sydney, NSW, Australia, 1872.
Died Sydney, New South Wales, Australia, 9 Jan 1947
(Photo – None available at present)

  • 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. 

DOROTHY GORDON

Born [Dorothy Gordon Jenner] Narrabri, NSW, Australia, 1 March 1891.
Died Sydney, New South Wales, Australia, 24 March 1985
(Photo – Dorothy Gordon Jenner in Pix. Vol. 7 No. 24, 14 June 1941)

  • 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. 
  • Trish Sheppard (1975) Darlings, I’ve had a ball [as Andrea]. Ure Smith

MAUD JEFFRIES

Born [Maud Evelyn Craven Jeffries] Lula Mississippi, USA, 14 December 1869.
Died Gundaroo, NSW  Australia, 26 September 1946.
(Photo – Maud Jeffries, undated. National Library of Australia)

ANNETTE KELLERMAN

Born [Annette Marie Kellerman] Sydney, NSW, Australia, 6 July 1886. Died Southport, Queensland, Australia, 6 November 1975.
(Photo – The Theatre magazine. 1 July 1912)

LOTTIE LYELL

Born [Lottie Edith Lyell] Sydney, NSW, Australia 23 February 1890.
Died Sydney, NSW, Australia, 21 December 1925.
(Photo – National Museum of Australia/NFSA. Lottie Lyell c1919)

  • 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.

LOUISE LOVELY

Born [Louise Nellie Lovely] Sydney, NSW, Australia 28 February 1895.
Died Hobart, Tas, Australia, 17 March 1980
(Photo – Hoyts Theatres Australia)

  • 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.

MCDONAGH SISTERS

Paulette born [Paulette de Vere McDonagh] Sydney, New South Wales, 11 June 1901. Died Sydney New South Wales 30 August 1978
Isabella aka Marie Lorraine born [Isabella Mercia McDonagh] Sydney, New South Wales, 3 January 1899. Died London England, 5 March 1982
Phyllis born [Phyllis Glory McDonagh] Sydney, New South Wales, 7 January 1900. Died Sydney New South Wales 17 October 1978

(Photo – Marie Lorraine (Isabella Mercia McDonagh) undated. Author’s Collection.)

MERLE OBERON

Born [Estelle Merle Thompson], Bombay, India, 18 February 1911.
Died California, USA 23 November 1979.
(Photo – undated fan card. Author’s collection)

  • Mayukh Sen (2025) Love Queenie. Merle Oberon, Hollywood’s first South Asian Star. W.W. Norton & Co
  • Angela Woollacott (2011)Race and the Modern Exotic. Three ‘Australian’ Women on Global Display. Monash University Publishing.

ROSE QUONG

Born [Rose Maud Quong] Melbourne, Victoria, Australia 15 August 1879
Died New York City, USA, 14 December 1972.
(Image – St. Louis Post-Dispatch, December 23, 1934 )

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

C MONTAGUE SHAW

Born [Charles Montague Discombe Sparrow] Adelaide, South Australia, Australia, 23 March 1882.
Died California USA, 6 Feb 1968
(Photo – Shaw acting as Orlando under the name Charles Sparrow in England in 1910. Observer (Adelaide)19 March 1910)

MURIEL STEINBECK

Born [Muriel Myee Steinbeck]13 July 1913, Broken Hill, New South Wales, Australia. Died 20 July 1982, Orange, New South Wales, Australia
(Photo – undated – Author’s collection)

BETTY STOCKFELD

Born [Elizabeth Baddeley Stockfeld] Sydney, NSW, Australia, 15 January 1904.
Died Tadworth, England, 27 January 1966
(Photo – Allen’s Lollies, collectors card)

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