British postcard by Beagles' Postcards, no. 237. J. Photo: Bassano.
British postcard. Doris Keane in the dress of 'Romance' (1913), her most popular stage play, which was eventually filmed too, in 1920.
British postcard in the Arcadian Series by Rotary Photo, no. 17-2. Photo: Foulsham and Banfield Ltd. Doris Keane and Owen Nares in the stage play 'Romance' (1913). This postcard promotes the London stage version of the play, performed in 1915 at the Duke of York's Theatre. It was Keane's most popular play and was eventually filmed too in 1920, again with Keane.
The 7th-longest-running play in London and New York
Doris Keane was born in St. Joseph, Michigan, in 1881. Her parents were Joseph Keane and Minnie Florence Winter. She was educated privately in Chicago, New York, Paris, and Rome and at the American Academy of Dramatic Arts.
Doris Keane debuted on stage in 1903 in a minor role in 'Whitewashing Julia', but she went on to play leading roles in 'The Happy Marriage' in 1909 and 'The Lights o' London' in 1911.
Keane's claim to fame was her part as Margherita Cavallini in 'Romance', a play written in 1913 by Edward Sheldon, which Keane brought to success in various stage productions from 1913, both in the US and in Europe.
The play opened on 10 February 1913 at the Maxine Elliott Theatre, New York. William Courtenay co-starred as the bishop who falls in love with a woman. Sheldon reportedly fell in love with her and yearned for her all his life.
In London, Keane played opposite Owen Nares in the play in 1915-1916. It was a huge success, resulting in almost 1050 performances, at first at the Duke of York's Theater and afterwards at the Lyric Theatre - making it the 7th longest running play in London and New York.
British postcard by Lilywhite LTD, no. LE 71.
British postcard by Rotary Photo E.C., no. 11872 A. Photo: Sarony N.Y.
The only film Keane ever made
In the 1920s, Doris Keane did revivals of the play, from 1921 at the Playhouse Theatre in New York, with Basil Sydney as her co-star, and in 1927 in London, again opposite Owen Nares.
The only film Keane ever made was the film adaptation of the play, made in 1920, directed by Chester Withey, and produced by the legendary D.W. Griffith. The film was released by the newly formed company United Artists. The silent film Romance is now considered lost.
Keane was married to fellow actor Basil Sydney, who was 13 years her junior. They acted together in the film adaptation of Romance (1920). She played Catherine the Great in 'Czarina' in 1922 after Sheldon had revised the play for her. Their marriage lasted from 1918 to 1925. Keane also finished her stage career in 1925, with the play 'Starlight'.
In 1930, Greta Garbo played in the early sound film adaptation Romance, directed by Clarence Brown. Her co-stars were Lewis Stone and Gavin Gordon. It was Garbo's second sound film and is seen as one of her lesser films.
Doris Keane died in 1945 in New York at the LeRoy Sanitarium, where she had been admitted sick with cancer. She had one child, Ronda Keane (1915–2008), born in Cannes, France. Ronda's father was the financier Howard Gould. He acknowledged his paternity but never married Doris. Keane was a favourite subject for artists of the day, among them the sculptor Jacob Epstein and the portraitist De Laszlo. There are at least two Royal Doulton figurines of her, one holding the monkey that was part of the play 'Romance'.
British postcard by Beagles, no. 237. R. Photo: Foulsham & Banfield, LTD. Owen Nares and Doris Keane in 'Romance'.
British postcard in the Arcadian Series by Rotary Photo, no. 17-3. Photo: Foulsham & Manfield LTD. Owen Nares and Doris Keane.
Sources: Wikipedia (English, French and Italian) and IMDb.
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