Dorothy Dickson (1893-1995) was an American-born London theatre star. She also appeared in silent and sound films in Hollywood, France and Great Britain
British postcard in the Picturegoer Series, London, no. T4a. Photo: Dorothy Wilding.
Dorothy Dickson was born in Kansas City, Missouri, USA in 1893. In 1914, she married the son of German-born Carl Constantine Heisen. Carl Jr. eventually changed his surname to Hyson. He and Dickson had a daughter, future British stage and film star Dorothy Hyson, the woman to whom songwriters Rodgers and Hart reportedly dedicated their song 'The Most Beautiful Girl in the World'.
In 1919, Dickson made her film debut in the silent Fox production Eastward Ho! (Emmett J. Flynn, 1919). Her first leading part was in the society drama Paying the Piper (George Fitzmaurice, 1921) with Rod La Rocque.
More film roles followed in silent Hollywood movies like The Silver Lining (Roland West, 1921) with Jewel Carmen and the Western Headin' North (Charles Bartlett, 1921).
Dickson herself headed east to Europe. In Britain, she popularised the song 'Look for the Silver Lining', when she introduced it in London in 1921 in the Jerome Kern musical 'Sally'.
She stayed in London and starred in another Kern musical 'The Cabaret Girl' (1922).
Collector's card in the Stars of Screen & Stage series, no. 34. Collection: Performing Arts / Artes Escénicas.
In 1930 Dorothy Dickson appeared in the French film La route est belle/The Road is Fine (Robert Florey, 1930) with André Baugé, filmed in the British Elstree studio.
She played in British films like Channel Crossing (Milton Rosmer, 1933) with Matheson Lang, and Sword of Honour (Maurice Elvey, 1939) starring Sally Gray. In 1936, she co-starred with Ivor Novello in his 'Careless Rapture' and, in 1937, in his 'Crest of the Wave'.
She also appeared on the New York stage and in the Ziegfield Follies before World War II. During the war, she was one of the leading figures behind the Stage Door Canteen, a popular London club frequented by Allied troops.
In the 1950s, she appeared on the London stage with Fay Compton in 'Red Letter Day' and opposite Jack Buchanan in 'As Long As They're Happy'. Her last stage appearance was in 1980 at a gala performance at the Duke of York's Theater to commemorate 75 years of 'Peter Pan', in which she had performed a half-century earlier.
She maintained a friendship with Queen Elizabeth, the Queen Mother, dating from the 1920s until her death at age 102. Her daughter was the actress Dorothy Hyson, who married Sir Anthony Quayle. Dorothy Hyson Quayle died, aged 81, one year after her mother died in 1995 at age 102.
Dorothy Hyson. British postcard in the Picturegoer Series, London, no. 846. Photo: George Mannell.
Sources: Wikipedia and IMDb.
This post was last updated on 7 January 2024.
British postcard in the Picturegoer Series, London, no. T4a. Photo: Dorothy Wilding.
Heading east
Dorothy Dickson was born in Kansas City, Missouri, USA in 1893. In 1914, she married the son of German-born Carl Constantine Heisen. Carl Jr. eventually changed his surname to Hyson. He and Dickson had a daughter, future British stage and film star Dorothy Hyson, the woman to whom songwriters Rodgers and Hart reportedly dedicated their song 'The Most Beautiful Girl in the World'.
In 1919, Dickson made her film debut in the silent Fox production Eastward Ho! (Emmett J. Flynn, 1919). Her first leading part was in the society drama Paying the Piper (George Fitzmaurice, 1921) with Rod La Rocque.
More film roles followed in silent Hollywood movies like The Silver Lining (Roland West, 1921) with Jewel Carmen and the Western Headin' North (Charles Bartlett, 1921).
Dickson herself headed east to Europe. In Britain, she popularised the song 'Look for the Silver Lining', when she introduced it in London in 1921 in the Jerome Kern musical 'Sally'.
She stayed in London and starred in another Kern musical 'The Cabaret Girl' (1922).
Collector's card in the Stars of Screen & Stage series, no. 34. Collection: Performing Arts / Artes Escénicas.
Ziegfield Follies
In 1930 Dorothy Dickson appeared in the French film La route est belle/The Road is Fine (Robert Florey, 1930) with André Baugé, filmed in the British Elstree studio.
She played in British films like Channel Crossing (Milton Rosmer, 1933) with Matheson Lang, and Sword of Honour (Maurice Elvey, 1939) starring Sally Gray. In 1936, she co-starred with Ivor Novello in his 'Careless Rapture' and, in 1937, in his 'Crest of the Wave'.
She also appeared on the New York stage and in the Ziegfield Follies before World War II. During the war, she was one of the leading figures behind the Stage Door Canteen, a popular London club frequented by Allied troops.
In the 1950s, she appeared on the London stage with Fay Compton in 'Red Letter Day' and opposite Jack Buchanan in 'As Long As They're Happy'. Her last stage appearance was in 1980 at a gala performance at the Duke of York's Theater to commemorate 75 years of 'Peter Pan', in which she had performed a half-century earlier.
She maintained a friendship with Queen Elizabeth, the Queen Mother, dating from the 1920s until her death at age 102. Her daughter was the actress Dorothy Hyson, who married Sir Anthony Quayle. Dorothy Hyson Quayle died, aged 81, one year after her mother died in 1995 at age 102.
Dorothy Hyson. British postcard in the Picturegoer Series, London, no. 846. Photo: George Mannell.
Sources: Wikipedia and IMDb.
This post was last updated on 7 January 2024.
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