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Sybil Thorndike


1882 - 1976

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The actress Sybil Thorndike belonged to the most successful and most popular stage actresses in England who impersonated nearly all classical women's role - to these roles belong Medea, Lady Macbeth and St. Joan in 1924, a play which was written especially for her by Georg Bernard Shaw.

She learnt her trade at the Ben Greet Academy and from 1904 she toured with a group through England and the USA. Later she was a member of the Old Vic Company.
Sybil Thorndike also appeared in front of the camera from 1921 and became popular to a huge audience.

To her first silent movies belong "Moth and Rust" (21), "The Scarlet Letter" (22), "Macbeth" (22), "The Lady of the Camellias" (22), "Jane Shore" (22), "Saint Joan" (27) and "Dawn" (28).

The talkies offered her interesting roles too. To her movies of the 30's belong among others "Hindle Wakes" (31), "A Gentleman in Paris" (31) and "Sun Up" (39).

In later years she took part in the productions "Nicholas Nickleby" (47), "Stage Fright" (50), "The Magic Box" (51), "Melba" (53), "The Prince and the Showgirl" (57) mit Laurence Olivier, "Shake Hands with the Devil" (59), "Uncle Vanya" (63), "Passage to India" (65) and "The Great Inimitalbe Mr. Dickens" (70).

Besides many other awards Sybil thorndike became "Dame of British Empire" in 1931. 
In 1969 she played in the first play during the opening of the Londoner theater which was named after her.
An other honour was given to her when she was immortalizied on a postage stamp as the first British actress.
 

Other movies with Sybil Thorndike:
Tense Moments with Great Authors (22) The Merchant of Venice (22) Bleak House (22) Esmeralda (22) To What Red Hell (29) Tudor Rose (36) Major Barbara (41) Britannia Mews (49) Gone to Earth (50) The Lady with a Lamp (51) The Wild Heart (52) The Weak and the Wicked (53) Serie "Douglas Fairbanks, jr., Presents: The Heirloom" (54) Serie "Douglas Fairbanks, Jr., Presents: Mr. Sampson" (54) Jet Storm (59) Smiley Gets a Gun (59) Alive and Kicking (59) Hand in Hand (60) The Big Gamble (61)


 
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