Jessie Matthews, OBE (March 11, 1907 - August 19, 1981) was a popular English actress, dancer, and singer of the 1930s, whose career continued into the post-war period.
Born to a huge, poor family in the East End of London, Jessie became a big stage star in the late 1920s and 1930s, enjoying some cross over success in musical films. Her career never quite relaunched after the war though, but she staged a comeback replacing the lead actress in radio soap "Mrs Dale's Diary" in the 1960s. Her life was blighted by breakdowns of relationships and her own struggles against ill-health and insecurity, and ended, amazingly, buried in an unmarked grave (only rectified after a TV documentary in the late 80s brought this to light - beg, steal or borrow a copy of the BBC's Timewatch documentary "Catch A Fallen Star"). An amazing life.
Actress, dancer and singer on the stage, and UK cinema star in films of the 1930s. Astoundingly graceful and fluid in the dance.
