Betty Chancellor (9 January 1910 â€" 27 April 1984) was an Irish
actress.Betty Chancellor was born at 8 Fitzwilliam Place, Dublin on 9
January 1910. Her parents were John William Chancellor, a Dublin
clockmaker, jeweller, and photographer, and Cicely Chancellor (née
Granger). They married in Billericay, Essex in 1904. She had an elder
sister, Joyce Fanny, who also became an actress. She attended
Nightingale Hall and Alexandra College, going on to train as a
secretary. Her first appearance on stage was as a fairy in a benefit
performance at the Gaiety Theatre in 1914. She appeared again at the
Gaiety in 1922 as Gwennie in F. Anstey's The Man from Blankley's,
Chancellor then studied drama under Frank Fay. In the 1920s she acted
in the Dublin Drama League's productions in the Abbey Theatre. Once
she joined the Gate Theatre her career progressed, establishing her as
one of the principal actresses in the Gate by the early
1930s.Chancellor played Naomi alongside Orson Welles in a production
of Jud Süss in October 1931. Welles became infatuated with her and
later described her as "the sexiest thing that ever lived." In 1931
she debuted in J. B. Fagan's production of The new gossoon by George
Shiels as Biddy Henley at the Apollo Theatre. Her most noted roles
were as Toots in Youth's the season in 1932 by Mary Manning; Laura in
a production of Carmilla in 1932, based on the novella by Sheridan Le
Fanu; Ophelia in 1932; and Cicely in The importance of being earnest
in 1933. Touring with the Gate company in 1935, she played Stella in
its production of Lord Longford's Yahoo performed in the Westminster
Theatre, London. She starred with James Mason in the Gate's production
of Pride and Prejudice in 1937. Disappointed with the parts she was
getting at the Gate after that and much to the annoyance of Micheál
Mac Liammóir and Hilton Edwards, she joined Lord Longford's first
provincial tour in 1937.In the late 1930s, Chancellor worked more
often in London. Following her appearance as Baby Furze in the 1938
production of Spring meeting by Molly Keane and John Perry, she was
nominated as "Star of the Future" by the Daily Mail. She acted
alongside Alec Guinness and Peggy Ashcroft in 1940 in Clemence Dane's
Cousin Muriel at the Globe Theatre, directed by John Gielgud. She
returned to the Gaiety Theatre in 1941, to act with Hilton Edwards in
a production of Caesar and Cleopatra by George Bernard Shaw, a
production that marked the 75th anniversary of the Gaiety. The press
welcomed her return to the company, but her fellow actors were
disturbed by the fact she was then living with Denis Johnston, the
husband of fellow actress Shelah Richards.
actress.Betty Chancellor was born at 8 Fitzwilliam Place, Dublin on 9
January 1910. Her parents were John William Chancellor, a Dublin
clockmaker, jeweller, and photographer, and Cicely Chancellor (née
Granger). They married in Billericay, Essex in 1904. She had an elder
sister, Joyce Fanny, who also became an actress. She attended
Nightingale Hall and Alexandra College, going on to train as a
secretary. Her first appearance on stage was as a fairy in a benefit
performance at the Gaiety Theatre in 1914. She appeared again at the
Gaiety in 1922 as Gwennie in F. Anstey's The Man from Blankley's,
Chancellor then studied drama under Frank Fay. In the 1920s she acted
in the Dublin Drama League's productions in the Abbey Theatre. Once
she joined the Gate Theatre her career progressed, establishing her as
one of the principal actresses in the Gate by the early
1930s.Chancellor played Naomi alongside Orson Welles in a production
of Jud Süss in October 1931. Welles became infatuated with her and
later described her as "the sexiest thing that ever lived." In 1931
she debuted in J. B. Fagan's production of The new gossoon by George
Shiels as Biddy Henley at the Apollo Theatre. Her most noted roles
were as Toots in Youth's the season in 1932 by Mary Manning; Laura in
a production of Carmilla in 1932, based on the novella by Sheridan Le
Fanu; Ophelia in 1932; and Cicely in The importance of being earnest
in 1933. Touring with the Gate company in 1935, she played Stella in
its production of Lord Longford's Yahoo performed in the Westminster
Theatre, London. She starred with James Mason in the Gate's production
of Pride and Prejudice in 1937. Disappointed with the parts she was
getting at the Gate after that and much to the annoyance of Micheál
Mac Liammóir and Hilton Edwards, she joined Lord Longford's first
provincial tour in 1937.In the late 1930s, Chancellor worked more
often in London. Following her appearance as Baby Furze in the 1938
production of Spring meeting by Molly Keane and John Perry, she was
nominated as "Star of the Future" by the Daily Mail. She acted
alongside Alec Guinness and Peggy Ashcroft in 1940 in Clemence Dane's
Cousin Muriel at the Globe Theatre, directed by John Gielgud. She
returned to the Gaiety Theatre in 1941, to act with Hilton Edwards in
a production of Caesar and Cleopatra by George Bernard Shaw, a
production that marked the 75th anniversary of the Gaiety. The press
welcomed her return to the company, but her fellow actors were
disturbed by the fact she was then living with Denis Johnston, the
husband of fellow actress Shelah Richards.
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