Margot Stevenson
Margaret Helen Stevenson[1] (February 8, 1912 – January 2, 2011) was an American film, stage and radio actress, known for her role as Margo Lane in the radio adaptation of The Shadow, opposite Orson Welles in 1938.[2][3]
Margot Stevenson | |
|---|---|
Stevenson in the trailer for Calling Philo Vance (1940) | |
| Born | Margaret Helen Stevenson February 8, 1912 Manhattan, New York City, U.S. |
| Died | January 2, 2011 (aged 98) Manhattan, New York City, U.S. |
| Occupation | Actress |
| Years active | 1934–1983 |
| Spouses |
|
| Children | 1 |
Early life
She was born in Manhattan on February 8, 1912,[3] the daughter of Irish-born actor Charles Alexander Stevenson, who was 60 years old when she was born, and his second wife Frances Riley, who was 22 years old at the time.[3] She graduated from Brearley School in Manhattan.[3] Stevenson was about to enroll at Bryn Mawr College in Pennsylvania, when the Great Depression began.[3] She decided to pursue acting to earn an income instead of attending Bryn Mawr.[3]
Career
Stevenson made her Broadway debut in The Firebird in 1932.[2] Her other Broadway credits included The Royal Family (1975), Hostile Witness (1966), One by One (1964), Big Fish, Little Fish (1961), Triple Play (1959), The Young and Beautiful (1955), The Leading Lady (1948), The Rugged Path (1945), Little Women (1944), Golden Wings (1941), You Can't Take It With You (1936), Stage Door (1936), Call It a Day (1936), Truly Valiant (1936), Symphony (1935), The Barretts of Wimpole Street (1935), A Party (1933), and Evensong (1933).[4] She also acted in a West End production of The Seven Year Itch in London in the 1950s in addition to performing frequently in summer stock theatre and regional theater in the United States.[1]
In addition to her work on The Shadow, Stevenson acted on Aunt Jenny's Real Life Stories on old-time radio.[5] She also acted on television and for more than a decade did TV commercials.[6]
Personal life
Her second husband, Val Avery, whom she married in 1953,[7] died on December 12, 2009, at age eighty-five.[8]
By the late 1990s, Stevenson was blind as a result of macular degeneration.[1]
Death
She died at her home in Manhattan on January 2, 2011, at age 98.[2][3] Her ashes were given to her daughter, actress Margot Avery.
Filmography
Film
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1934 | Come to Dinner | Miss Jurgen - Oliver's Daughter | Short film |
| 1939 | Smashing the Money Ring | Peggy | |
| 1939 | Invisible Stripes | Sue | |
| 1940 | Calling Philo Vance | Hilda Lake | |
| 1940 | Granny Get Your Gun | Julie Westcott | |
| 1940 | Castle on the Hudson | Ann Rockford | |
| 1940 | Saturday's Children | Mrs. MacReady (voice) | Uncredited |
| 1940 | Flight Angels | Rita | |
| 1967 | Valley of the Dolls | Anne's Mother | Uncredited |
| 1968 | The Brotherhood | Uncredited | |
| 1970 | Rabbit, Run | Mrs. Tothero | |
| 1979 | Going in Style | Store Cashier |
Television
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1954 | Douglas Fairbanks Presents | Myra | Episode: "Myra and the Moneyman" |
| 1954 | Macbeth | Lady Macduff | Television film |
| 1954–1955 | The Philco Television Playhouse | Mary Venner | 2 episodes |
| 1965 | Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea | Betty | Episode: "Escape from Venice" |
| 1983 | How to Be a Perfect Person in Just Three Days | Old Lady | Television film |
References
- ^ a b c Weber, Bruce (January 8, 2011). "Margo Stevenson, 98; was prolific actress on Broadway". The Boston Globe. Massachusetts, Boston. The New York Times. p. B 9. Retrieved October 20, 2019 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ a b c "Actress Margot Stevenson dies at 98". Variety. January 5, 2011. Retrieved January 14, 2011.
- ^ a b c d e f g Weber, Bruce (January 7, 2011). "Margot Stevenson, Prolific Broadway Actress, Dies at 98". The New York Times. Retrieved January 14, 2011.
- ^ . Internet Broadway Database. The Broadway League. Archived from the original on October 20, 2019. Retrieved October 20, 2019.
- ^ "Studio Notes". The Evening News. Pennsylvania, Harrisburg. January 10, 1938. p. 16. Retrieved October 20, 2019 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ Marino, Eugene (September 6, 1988). "Half-century on stage". Democrat and Chronicle. New York, Rochester. p. 1 C. Retrieved October 20, 2019 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ Lentz, Harris M., III (2014). Obituaries in the Performing Arts, 2011. McFarland. ISBN 9780786491346. Retrieved October 20, 2019.
- ^ Grimes, William (December 15, 2009). "Val Avery, Tough-Guy Actor in Movies, Is Dead at 85". The New York Times. Retrieved January 14, 2011.
External links
- Margot Stevenson at IMDb
- Margot Stevenson at the Internet Broadway Database
- Margot Stevenson at Find a Grave