Marie Kendall

Marie Kendall (Mary Ann Florence Holyome); 1873–1964)^[1] was a British music hall comedienne and actress who had a successful career spanning 50 years.

Marie kendall's plaque 2011

Biography

Marie Kendall was born Mary Ann Florence Holyome on 27th July 1873 in Bethnal Green, London.

When she was five years old, she appeared on stage as Baby Chester and began her career in music halls.^[2] When she was 15, she took the roles of principal boy in Aladdin and Dandini in Cinderella.^[2] For several years she toured England, Wales and Germany as a male impersonator.^[3] She enjoyed significant success in 1893 when she turned to female roles and sang "I'm One of the Girls" over 16 weeks in Camden Town.^[2][3] After that, Kendall performed at major venues in London, securing parts in pantomimes as well as singing Cockney songs in the best music halls.^[3] Her income dramatically increased.^[2] During the 1920s Kendall toured Australia.^[3] In 1931, she was an original star of the Vintage Variety Company.^[2] The following year she performed in the Royal Variety Performance.^[2] Performing regularly well into her 60s, she retired from the stage in 1939.^[2]

Personal life

In 1895, she married singer and songwriter Steven McCarthy, son of music hall comedian John McCarthy.^[3] They had four children; Terry, Shaun, Moya and Pat. As adults, Terry and Pat were a successful brother-sister dance act. Terry's daughter was actress Kay Kendall.^[3]

Marie Kendall died on 5 May 1964 in Clapham, London.^[1]

On 25 September 2011 a commemorative blue plaque was erected to Marie Kendall by the theatre charity The Music Hall Guild of Great Britain and America at her former residence in Clapham.

Filmography

• Say It With Flowers (1934)

References

1. ^ ^{a b} "Marie Kendall". ThePeerage.com. 2006-01-29. http://www.thepeerage.com/p18307.htm#i183065. Retrieved 2008-03-29. 
2. ^ ^{a b c d e f g} Taylor & Francis Group (2003). A Historical Dictionary of British Women. Routledge. pp. 256. ISBN 1857432282. http://books.google.co.uk/books?id=pDtEe4FKolUC. 
3. ^ ^{a b c d e f} Golden, Eve (2002). The Brief, Madcap Life of Kay Kendall. University Press of Kentucky. pp. 8. ISBN 0813122511. http://books.google.co.uk/books?id=zCV_VyO8qJwC. 

External links

• Marie Kendall at the Internet Movie Database

Persondata
Name	Kendall, Marie
Alternative names
Short description
Date of birth	1873
Place of birth
Date of death	1964
Place of death