Sara Montiel

Spanish singer and actress Sara Montiel (1928-2013), also known as Sarita and Saritísima, was a much-loved and internationally known name in the Spanish-speaking cinema. In the late 1950s, Montiel achieved the status of mega-star in Europe and Latin America with El Último Cuple / The Last Torch Song (1957). This film and La Violetera / The Violet Peddler (1958) netted the highest gross revenues ever recorded for films made in the Spanish-speaking film industry. Montiel was also the first woman to distill sex openly in Spanish cinema at a time when even a low-cut dress was not acceptable.


French postcard by Editions du Globe, Paris, no. 738. Photo: Sam Lévin.


Spanish collector card by Cifesa.


Romanian postcard by Casa Filmului Acin, no. 39. Photo: MGM. Gary Cooper, Sara Montiel, Denise Darcel and Burt Lancaster in Vera Cruz (Robert Aldrich, 1954).


Spanish postcard by Archivo Bermejo, no. 6981. Photo: Warner Bros. Sara Montiel in Serenade (Anthony Mann, 1956).


French postcard by E.D.U.G., no. 54. Photo: publicity still for Carmen de la Ronda / The Devil Made a Woman (Tulio Demicheli, 1959).


Spanish postcard. Photo: Produccion Benito Perojo / Filmayer S.A. Sara Montiel in Carmen, la de Ronda / The Devil Made A Woman (Tulio Demicheli, 1959).

Enormous potential

Sara Montiel was born as María Antonia Alejandra Vicenta Elpidia Isidora Abad Fernández in the village of Campo de Criptana in the province of Ciudad Real, Spain, in 1928. Her parents were Isidoro Abad, a peasant who later operated a bar, and Maria Vicenta Fernández, a door-to-door beautician.

At 15, Montiel won a beauty and talent contest held by Cifesa, the most influential film studio at that time in Spain. The next year, she made her film debut in Te Quiero Para Mí / I Want You for Myself (Ladislao Vajda, 1943), credited as Maria Alejandra, a shortened version of her real name. In spite of the small part, the young actress caught the attention of producers and directors who realised her enormous potential.

By the end of 1944, she was given the starring role in the film Empezó En Boda / It Started at the Wedding (Raffaello Matarazzo, 1944), which introduced her with a new image and a new name: she was now a sophisticated blonde named Sara Montiel. In the next four years, she appeared in 14 films. Soon her colleagues started calling her Sarita (Little Sara) due to her youth. The nickname caught on with the press and the public. Since then, both Sara and Sarita have been used in credits and publicity.

In 1947, she played the role of Antonia, the niece of Don Quixote in Don Quijote de la Mancha / Don Quixote (Rafael Gil, 1947), the Spanish film version of Cervantes' great novel. Her first international success was her role as an Islamic princess in Locura de Amor / The Mad Queen (Juan de Orduña, 1948) with Fernando Rey. Locura de Amor led to a contract in Mexico, where she established herself as one of the most popular film actors of the decade. She made a total of 13 films between 1950 and 1954.

Due to her popularity in Mexico, Hollywood came calling, and she was introduced to American filmgoers in the Western Vera Cruz (Robert Aldrich, 1954), co-starring with Gary Cooper and Burt Lancaster. She was offered the standard seven-year contract at Columbia Pictures, but she refused, afraid of Hollywood's typecasting policies for Hispanics. Instead, she free-lanced at Warner Bros. in Serenade (Anthony Mann, 1956) with Mario Lanza and Joan Fontaine, and at RKO in Run of the Arrow (Samuel Fuller, 1957), opposite Rod Steiger and Charles Bronson. Director Anthony Mann became her first husband.


Spanish collector card by Gevaert Rollfilms. Photo: Ballesteros. Sara Montiel in Mariona Rebull (José Luis Sáenz de Heredia, 1947).


Romanian postcard by Casa Filmului Acin, no. 43. Photo: United Artists. Sara Montiel and Gary Cooper in Vera Cruz (Robert Aldrich, 1954).


Spanish postcard by J.R.B.. Retail price: 2'50 Pesetas. Photo: Cifeso. Publicity still for El Último Cuplé / The Last Torch Song (Juan de Orduña, 1957).


Spanish card by Archivo Bermejo. Retail price: 2'50 Pesetas. Photo: Dipenfa. Publicity still for La violetera / The Violet Peddler (Luis César Amadori, 1958) with Raf Vallone.


Spanish postcard by F.A.G. Photo: Cosmofilm. Sara Montiel and Maurice Ronet in Carmen de la Ronda / The Devil Made a Woman (Tulio Demicheli, 1959).


Spanish postcard by Edición Archivo Bermejos, no. 7028. Photo: Suevia Films. Sara Montiel and Maurice Ronet in Mi último tango / My Last Tango (Luis César Amadori, 1960).


Romanian postcard by Casa Filmului Acin, no. 535. Sara Montiel in Pecado de Amor / Sin of Love (Tulio Demicheli, 1961).

The last torch song

Back in Europe, Sara Montiel became the most commercially successful Spanish actress during the mid-20th century. The film musical El Último Cuplé / The Last Torch Song (Juan de Orduña, 1957) was an unexpected success. It played for a year in the same theatres in which it opened. A similar reaction followed in the other European countries and in Latin America. El Último Cuplé turned Montiel into an overnight sensation both as an actor and a singer.

Then she achieved the status of mega-star with La Violetera / The Violet Peddler (Luis César Amadori, 1958) with Raf Vallone. It broke the box-office records set by El Último Cuplé. She won the Premio del Sindicato (at the time Spain's equivalent to the Oscar) for best actress two years in a row for her performances in El Último Cuplé and La Violetera.

From then on, she combined filming highly successful vehicles, recording songs in five languages and performing live all over the world. Among the films that continued her immense popularity were Carmen, la de Ronda / The Devil Made A Woman (Tulio Demicheli, 1959) with Jorge Mistral, Mi Ultimo Tango / My Last Tango (Luis César Amadori, 1960), and Pecado de Amor / Sin of Love (Tulio Demicheli, 1961). By 1962, she had become a legend to millions worldwide, reaching markets that had previously been ‘uncharted territory for the Spanish cinema.

La Bella Lola (Tulio Demicheli, 1962), a new version of Camille with Antonio Cifariello and Maurice Ronet, La Reina del Chantecler / The Queen of Chantecler (1963), and Noches de Casablanca / Nights of Casablanca (Henri Decoin, 1963) with Maurice Ronet spread Sarita's popularity to Eastern Europe, Greece, Turkey, Israel and Japan. Samba (Rafael Gil, 1964) with Italian actor Fosco Giachetti, La mujer perdida / The Lost Woman (Tulio Demicheli, 1966) with Massimo Serato, Tuset Street (Jorge Grau, Luis Marquina, 1967) with Patrick Bauchau, and Esa Mujer / That Woman (Mario Camus, 1969) followed.

In 1973, her film Varietés (Juan Antonio Bardem, 1971) was banned in Beijing. By then, she had become a legend to her millions of fans, but she became dissatisfied with the film industry when producers started offering her roles in soft-core porno films.


Scan. Collection: Véronique3.


Postcard by Casa Filmului Acin, no. 534. C.P.C.S. With Raphael Alonzo. Collection: Véronique3.


Scan. Collection: Véronique3.


Romanian collector card. Jorge Mistral and Sara Montiel in Carmen de la Ronda / A Girl Against Napoleon (Tulio Demicheli, 1959).


Romanian collector card. Sara Montiel in La reina del Chantecler / The Queen of Chantecler (Rafael Gil, 1962).

Small Romanian collector card. Sara Montiel in Samba (Rafael Gil, 1965).

Bad education

Sara Montiel has been married four times: to American film director Anthony Mann (1957-1963), industrial attorney José Vicente Ramírez Olalla (1964-1978), attorney-journalist José Tous Barberán (1979-1992), and Cuban videotape operator Antonio Hernández (2002-2005). With José Tous Barberán, she adopted two children: Thais (1979) and Zeus (1982). Before, during and after these marriages, she had countless affairs.

During the Franco dictatorship, Spanish stars were forbidden to behave in any way that could be perceived at odds with Christian principles and morality; consequently, they kept their private lives very private. Montiel was no exception. Pre-marital or out-of-wedlock relationships were never mentioned, and her civil marriage to Anthony Mann was underplayed, along with the divorce. After starring in the film Cinco Almohadas Para Una Noche / Five Pillows for a Night (Pedro Lazaga, 1974), Montiel announced her retirement from the cinema.

For a long time she concentrated on highly successful stage musicals: 'Sara en Persona' (1970-1973), 'Saritísima' (1974-1975), 'Increible Sara' (1977-1978), 'Super Sara Show' (1979-1980), 'Doña Sara de La Mancha' (1981-1982), 'Taxi Vamos Al Victoria' (1983-1984), 'Nostalgia' (1984-1985), 'Sara, Mes Que Mai !!' (1986), 'Sara, Siempre Sara' (1987-1988) and 'Saritízate' (1989-1990).

In the 1990s, Montiel surprised everyone by branching out into television: Sara y Punto (1990), a mini-series of seven one-hour episodes, included a serialised biography of the star, many popular guests, including Luciano Pavarotti and Charles Aznavour, and Montiel singing her greatest hits in addition to new songs written especially for her. Next came Ven al Paralelo / Come to Paralelo (1992), taped in a Barcelona theatre where Montiel hosted, sang and acted in comedy sketches in front of a live audience. In 2000, she published her autobiography 'Vivir es un placer' (Memories: To Live Is A Pleasure), an instant bestseller with ten editions to date. A sequel, 'Sara and Sex', followed in 2003. In these books, Montiel revealed other relationships in her past, including one-night stands with writer Ernest Hemingway as well as actor James Dean. She also claimed a long-term affair in the 1940s with playwright Miguel Mihura and mentioned that science wizard Severo Ochoa, a Nobel Prize winner, was the true love of her life.

She was portrayed in the Pedro Almodóvar film La mala educación / Bad Education (2004) by Gael García Bernal as the transsexual character Zahara, and a clip from one of her films was used as well. In 2009, the pop group Fangoria invited Montiel to record a track for the re-release of the band's album 'Absolutamente'. The title track, 'Absolutamente', became a Top 10 hit. After almost 40 years without making a film, she accepted a role in the comedy Abrázame / Hold (Óscar Parra de Carrizosa, 2011). The film was shot on location in Montiel's birthplace in La Mancha. According to the star, in this film, she dared to do "a parody of her old screen image, just for fun." Sara Montiel died in 2013 at home. She was survived by her children, Thais and Zeus.


Romanian collector card. Sara Montiel in Samba (Rafael Gill, 1965).


French poster card by BS, no. 24, 2005. French affiche by Pierre Okley for Sara Montiel in Carmen, la de Ronda / The Devil Made A Woman (Tulio Demicheli, 1959). The French title was Carmen de Granada.


French poster card by BS, no. 28, 2005. French affiche by Pierre Okley / Rialto Films for Sara Montiel in Pecado de Amor / Sin of Love (Tulio Demicheli, 1961). The French title was Ave Maria - Peche d'amour.


Trailer for El Último Cuplé / The Last Torch Song (1957). Source: Soryeye (YouTube).


Sara Montiel sings 'La Paloma' in La Bella Lola (1962). Source: Egor Savin (YouTube).


Sara Montiel sings 'Quizàs, Quizàs, Quizàs'. Source: AlexandreN57 (YouTube).

Sources: InfoMontiel, Raremar (IMDb), Wikipedia, and IMDb.

Raj Kapoor

Bollywood actor and director Raj Kapoor (1924-1988) is often celebrated as 'the greatest showman of Indian cinema'. He was a visionary filmmaker whose impact stretched far beyond India's borders. His career spanned several decades and shaped the course of Hindi cinema with groundbreaking films that combined social commentary, romance, and an iconic 'tramp' persona. He was a master storyteller who not only starred in but also directed and produced numerous classics under his label, R.K. Films, leaving an indelible mark on global film history.


Russian postcard.


Russian postcard, no. AB05701.

The lovable, penniless vagabond

Raj Kapoor was born as Ranbir Raj Kapoor in 1924, in Peshawar, North-West Frontier Province, British India (now Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan). He was the son of prominent actor Prithviraj Kapoor, who acted both in film and on stage.

His entry into cinema was almost preordained. After apprenticing in the Bollywood studios of the 1940s, the 24-year-old Kapoor made his directorial debut with Aag / Fire (Raj Kapoor, 1948), in which he also starred.

His co-star was Nargis, with whom he had an off-screen romance. Raj, who was already married to Krishna Kapoor, refused to divorce his wife. That same year, he founded his production studio, R.K. Films. The subsequent success of Barsaat / Rain (Raj Kapoor, 1949) solidified his early career.

Kapoor quickly developed his signature screen persona as the lovable, penniless vagabond, most famously portrayed in the megahit Awaara / The Vagabond (Raj Kapoor, 1951). This film earned a Palme d'Or nomination at the Cannes Film Festival and made him an international star. Awaara gained popular acclaim in Russia, where the film and songs were dubbed into Russian.

This was followed by another massive success, Shree 420 / Mister 420 (Raj Kapoor, 1955), which further cemented his worldwide popularity.


Vintage minicard, could be a cigarette or chocolate card. Raj Kapoor in the crime drama Awaara / The Vagabond (Raj Kapoor, 1951). Kapoor's little tramp character, inspired by Chaplin, would be developed in later films such as Shree 420. As Wikipedia writes, "Awaara is considered a milestone in the history of Bollywood." The film was a huge success in the Soviet Union.


East German leaflet, a special issue of Progress Film-Programm. Raj Kapoor in Shree 420 / Mister 420 (Raj Kapoor, 1955). East German title: Der Prinz von Piplinagar.


East German flyer, a special issue of Progress Film-Programm, no. 52-53. Raj Kapoor in Jagte Raho / Stay Alert (Amit Mitra, Sombhu Mitra, 1956). The East German title was 'Unter den Mantel der Nacht' (Under the cloak of the night).

An unrivalled legacy in world cinema

In the 1960s, Raj Kapoor continued to innovate and directed his first colour film, the romantic drama Sangam / Confluence (Raj Kapoor, 1964).

This was followed by his most ambitious, semi-autobiographical project, Mera Naam Joker / My Name Is Joker (Raj Kapoor, 1970), in which he described the life of a clown in three acts. Although the film was initially a commercial failure, it later gained a large following of loyal fans.

In 1973, he successfully launched his son Rishi Kapoor in the popular teen romance Bobby (Raj Kapoor, 1973). Kapoor's last directing project was Ram Teri Ganga Maili / Ram's Holy Ganges (Raj Kapoor, 1985), which was a huge box office success.

In 1987, Kapoor received India's highest film honour, the Dadasaheb Phalke Award. Raj Kapoor died in 1988, in New Delhi, India, from complications related to asthma, leaving behind an unrivalled legacy in world cinema. He had five children: Randhir Kapoor, Ritu Kapoor Nanda, Rishi Kapoor, Rima Kapoor and Jain Rajeev Kapoor.

In 2024, R.K. Films, Film Heritage Foundation, NFDC-National Film Archive of India, in association with PVR-Inox and Cinepolis, organised a big retrospective of ten of Kapoor's films, entitled 'Raj Kapoor 100 – Celebrating the Centenary of the Greatest Showman', screened all over India.


Soviet-Russian postcard. Nargis.


Soviet-Russian postcard.


Soviet-Russian card. Photo: Schlesinger, 1976.

Sources: BBC, Britannica, Wikipedia and IMDb.

Mia Farrow

Mia Farrow (1945) is an American actress and activist who has built a remarkable film career spanning over six decades. She had her breakthrough on TV in the series Peyton Place (1965-1966). Her films include Rosemary's Baby (1968), The Great Gatsby (1974), and 13 films with Woody Allen. Farrow is also celebrated for her humanitarian work.


French collector card by Cinécard, no. 20.


Vintage postcard, no. A 5161-4.


Spanish poster postcard from the series 'Yo amo el cine'. Poster: Lauren Films. Poster for Radio Days (Woody Allen, 1987).

A rising star, known for her 'hippie' look and vulnerability

Mia Farrow was born Maria de Lourdes Villiers Farrow in 1945, in Los Angeles, California, USA. She grew up in a privileged Hollywood household as the third child and eldest daughter of Australian film director John Farrow and Irish actress Maureen O'Sullivan, who was famous for playing Jane in the classic Tarzan films. Her childhood godparents included the famous director George Cukor and gossip journalist Louella Parsons.

At the age of nine, she contracted polio, an illness that required her to be isolated during her recovery. A few years later, her eldest brother, Michael, sadly died in a plane crash at just 19 years old. These experiences had a big impact on her. Farrow began her career as a fashion model and appeared in a few small, uncredited film roles, including one for her father in John Paul Jones (John Farrow, 1959).

Her big break came in the mid-1960s when she landed the role of Allison MacKenzie in the popular American television soap opera Peyton Place (1964-1966). Her performance made her a household name in the US and established her as a rising star, known for her 'hippie' look and vulnerability. After leaving Peyton Place and her short-lived, high-profile marriage to singer Frank Sinatra in the late 1960s, Farrow focused on her film career.

Her most iconic and defining role came in the psychological Horror film Rosemary's Baby (Roman Polanski, 1968). In this chilling film, she played a young, pregnant woman who suspects her neighbours are part of a satanic cult. Critic Roger Ebert: "The characters and the story transcend the plot. In most Horror films, and indeed in most suspense films of the Alfred Hitchcock tradition, the characters are at the mercy of the plot. In this one, they emerge as human beings actually doing these things. A great deal of the credit for this achievement must go to Mia Farrow, as Rosemary, and Ruth Gordon, as Mrs Castevet, the next-door neighbour. Here are two of the finest performances by actresses this year." Her performance earned her a BAFTA and a Golden Globe nomination for Best Actress.

Throughout the 1970s, Farrow explored diverse roles in both theatre and film. She became the first American actress to join the prestigious Royal Shakespeare Company in London. Notable film appearances during this time included playing the beautiful but complex character of Daisy Buchanan in The Great Gatsby (Jack Clayton, 1974) opposite Robert Redford and a supporting role in the star-studded mystery film Death on the Nile (John Guillermin, 1978).


Chinese postcard. Mia Farrow in Rosemary's Baby (Roman Polanski, 1968).


Romanian postcard by Casa Filmului Acin.


Canadian postcard by Canadian Postcard, no. A 228. Mia Farrow and Robert Redford in The Great Gatsby (Jack Clayton, 1974).


Belgian postcard Raider Bounty / Joepie. Mia Farrow and Robert Redford in The Great Gatsby (Jack Clayton, 1974).

The muse of Woody Allen in 13 films

Mia Farrow's professional and personal life took a significant turn in the early 1980s when she began a long relationship with the writer and director Woody Allen. Over a decade, she became his muse and appeared in 13 of his films, showcasing her versatility and range. These collaborations are among her most celebrated works. Their first film together was the charming fantasy The Purple Rose of Cairo (Woody Allen, 1985), where she played a lonely waitress whose film hero steps off the screen.

Roger Ebert: "'Purple Rose' is delightful from beginning to end, not only because of the clarity and charm with which (Jeff) Daniels and Farrow explore the problems of their characters, but also because the movie is so intelligent. It’s not brainy or intellectual—no one in the whole movie speaks with more complexity than your average 1930s movie hero—but the movie is filled with wit and invention, and Allen trusts us to find the ironies, relish the contradictions, and figure things out for ourselves."

She also starred in the critically acclaimed comedy-drama Hannah and Her Sisters (Woody Allen, 1986), playing the central character, a dedicated, anxious woman. Other major roles in Allen's films included Zelig (Woody Allen, 1983), a mockumentary about a man who can change his appearance to look like anyone around him; the comedy Broadway Danny Rose (Woody Allen, 1984), where she played a tough, gum-chewing mob widow; and the drama Crimes and Misdemeanours (Woody Allen, 1989). These roles solidified her reputation as one of the era's leading actresses, earning her more award nominations.

The relationship with Allen ended in the early 1990s in a very public and painful scandal involving a custody battle over their children. This highly publicised period shifted some of the media's focus from her acting to her personal life and family. Beyond the screen, Farrow is perhaps even more well-known for her extensive humanitarian work. She has served as a UNICEF Goodwill Ambassador, travelling to war zones and areas affected by poverty and disease, particularly in Africa. Her efforts in places like Darfur and Chad have drawn international attention to crises and made her one of Time magazine's most influential people in the world in 2008.

Mia Farrow has a very large family, with 14 children in total, many of whom are adopted. She raised her family primarily in New York and Connecticut. Her memoir, 'What Falls Away', published in 1997, discusses her life journey, from her Hollywood childhood and the polio ward to her marriages and her struggle to protect her children during difficult times. In recent years, Farrow has continued to act occasionally, with supporting roles in films like the Horror remake The Omen (John Moore, 2006) and the comedy Be Kind Rewind (Michel Gondry, 2008). She also returned to the stage, earning a Tony Award nomination for her performance in the play 'The Roommate' on Broadway in 2025.


French postcard by Eds. Humour à la carte. Poster design: J.M. Folon / Spadem, 1985. French affiche for The Purple Rose of Cairo (Woody Allen, 1985).


Spanish poster postcard by Yo amo el cine, Rovensa. Image: Lauren Films. Poster design: J.M. Folon. French affiche for September (Woody Allen, 1987).


French poster card by Cart'Postal System, Bourgoin. French affiche for Another Woman (Woody Allen, 1988), starring Mia Farrow and Gena Rowlands.

Sources: Roger Ebert (Roger Ebert.com), Alexis Soloski (New York Times), Britannica, Wikipedia (English, German and Dutch) and IMDb.

Ellaline Terriss

Ellaline Terriss (1871-1971) was a popular English actress and singer in the late Victorian Era, throughout the Edwardian Era, and into the Modern Era. She was best known for her performances in Edwardian musical comedies. From 1893 till his death in 1949, she was married to the famous actor-producer Seymour Hicks. The two collaborated on many stage and film projects.


British postcard by Rotary Photo, E.C., no. 4018 J. Photo: Foulsham & Banfield.


British postcard by Rotary Photo, E.C., no. 1277 F. Photo: Foulsham & Banfield. Seymour Hicks as Dickie and Ellaline Terriss as Blue Bell in the play 'Bluebell in Fairyland' (1901).


British postcard by Rotary Photo, E.C., no. 1597 Q. Seymour Hicks and Ellaline Terriss in the play 'The Beauty of Bath' (1906).


British postcard by Rotary Photo, no. 11509 D. Photo: Foulsham & Banfield. Ellaline Terriss as Duc du Richelieu in the musical play, 'The Dashing Little Duke', by her husband, Seymour Hicks, with lyrics by Ardian Ross and music by Frank E. Tours. The production, the cast of which also included Hayden Coffin, Courtice Pounds, Elizabeth Firth and Coralie Blythe, opened at the Hicks Theatre (now the Gielgud), London, on 17 February 1909, following an out-of-town trial at the Theatre Royal, Nottingham. It ran for a disappointing 95 performances.

The most popular couple on the London stage

Ellaline Terriss's real name was Mary Ellaline Lewin, and she was born in 1871 in Port Stanley, the capital of the British colony of the Falkland Islands. Her father, William Lewin, was a cattle farmer there. Her mother, Isabel (née Lewis), acted under the stage name Amy Fellowes. Her adventurous father had been a sailor and tea farmer, as well as an actor, before raising sheep in the South Atlantic. Shortly after Ellaline's birth, he returned to England, where he became a great success as an actor under the stage name William Terriss. Because of his swashbuckling style, he was known as 'Breezy Bill'. Ellaline's brother, Tom Terriss, became an actor, screenwriter and well-known film director.

Ellaline performed from an early age, although she had no real ambition to act professionally. At 17, she appeared in pantomime at the Alexandra Theatre, Liverpool. Wikipedia: "Petite, pretty and talented, she attracted the praise of both critics and the public. She came to the attention of Herbert Beerbohm Tree, who signed her to make her professional London debut." She debuted on the London stage as Mary Herbert in 'Cupid's Messenger' (1888). Terriss won over critics and audiences alike. She landed a three-year contract with producer Charles Wyndham, her first role being Madge in 'Why Women Weep'. Ellaline also attracted the attention of a promising actor, Seymour Hicks, whom she married in 1893.

In December 1893, Terriss starred in the title role of the successful and lavish version of the fairy pantomime 'Cinderella', produced by Henry Irving with music by Oscar Barrett. Toward the end of the run, Hicks took over the role of Thisbe, one of Cinderella's half-sisters. The play was performed in the United States under the management of George Edwardes. The following season, Terriss performed in W. S. Gilbert and Frank Osmond Carr's comic opera 'His Excellency'. In 1895, Terriss worked in London with her husband as co-star in a George Edwardes hit, 'The Shop Girl', which they reprised on Broadway. They travelled to the United States in 1895, where they befriended the novelist Richard Harding Davis. At W.S. Gilbert's urging, Hicks wrote a drama called 'One of the Best, a vehicle for Terriss's father's show at the Adelphi Theatre, based on the famous Dreyfus case. Another of the couple's early successes was 'The Circus Girl' (1896). Terriss made Lionel Monckton's song, 'A Simple Little String' from 'The Circus Girl' into a major hit.

In December 1897, William Terriss was murdered outside the Adelphi Theatre in London's West End by an unemployed, deranged actor, Richard Archer Prince, who thought Terriss had been blackballing him. Ellaline's mother died shortly afterwards. The murder and Prince's trial occupied the nation's press for weeks. At the time, the most popular couple on the London stage, Terriss and Hicks, received a great deal of sympathy. In the aftermath, Terriss starred in the title role of a new play co-authored by Hicks, 'A Runaway Girl' (1898), which was one of the Gaiety Theatre's most successful shows. This was followed by 'With Flying Colours' (1899).

The Hickses teamed up with producer Charles Frohman. Over seven years, they performed in his company in a series of musicals written by Hicks. These included 'Bluebell in Fairyland' (1901) with music by Charles H. Taylor, 'The Cherry Girl' (1902), 'The Beauty of Bath' (1906), which included lyrics and additional music by P. G. Wodehouse and Jerome Kern, and opened the Hicks Theatre, and 'The Gay Gordons' (1907). Hicks and Terriss also starred in 'Quality Street' in 1902.


British postcard by Rotar Photo, E.C., no. 4051 A. Photo: Foulsham & Bansfield. Caption: Mrs. Seymour Hicks (Miss Ellaline Terriss), Baby Betty and Mr. Seymour Hicks.


British postcard by Rotary Photo, E.C., no. 4857 N. Photo: Foulsham & Banfield. Ellaline Terriss as Peggy Quainton in 'The Gay Gordons' (1907), an Edwardian musical comedy with a libretto by Seymour Hicks, music by Guy Jones and lyrics by Arthur Wimperis, C. H. Bovill, Henry Hamilton and P. G. Wodehouse. The title refers to both the Clan Gordon and the famed Scottish regiment, the Gordon Highlanders, as the plot involves the heir to the clan and a soldier from the regiment. The original production was produced by Charles Frohman and opened at London's Aldwych Theatre on 11 September 1907. The piece starred Hicks as Angus Graeme and Terriss as Peggy Quainton. William Lugg played Andrew Quainton, Zena Dare played Victoria Siddons, and when the show went on tour, she played Peggy Quainton.


British postcard by Rotary Photo E.C., no. 4409 F. Photo: Foulsham & Banfield. Caption: Miss Betty & Mrs. Seymour Hicks (Miss Ellaline Terriss). As Betty Hicks was born in 1907, this photo may be of ca. 1910.


British postcard by Rotary Photo, E.C., no. 1277 G. Photo: Foulsham & Banfield. Seymour Hicks as Dickie and Ellaline Terriss as Blue Bell in 'Bluebell in Fairyland' (1901).

Acting in nearly a dozen British and American films

Ellaline Terriss and Seymour Hicks continued to perform consistently, both in London and on tour in the United States. There was an intermission when Terriss adopted their first child, Mabel, in 1904. In 1905, Terriss took over the role of Angela in her husband's play 'The Catch of the Season', which had been played by Zena Dare during Terriss's pregnancy. Terriss later ceded the role to Dare's sister, Phyllis Dare. After the birth of her second daughter, Betty, in 1907, Terriss reduced the steady activity she had maintained for nearly twenty years. She continued to work in a limited number of plays, including 'The Dashing Little Duke' (1909), with C. Hayden Coffin, Courtice Pounds and Louie Pounds. Although she played the title role, the production had little success. When she missed several performances due to illness, Hicks replaced her in the role - possibly the only instance in the history of a musical in which a husband replaced the wife.

After the failure of 'Captain Kidd' (1910), Hicks and Terriss concentrated on comedy and music hall tours. They did a tour in South Africa in 1911 and a subsequent tour of France after the outbreak of World War I to give concerts to British troops stationed at the front. Her only return to musical comedy, 'Cash on Delivery' (1917), confirmed the decision to turn her career around. From 1917 onwards, Terriss returned to the stage only on special occasions. In December 1925, she performed at the Lyceum with her husband in 'The Man in Dress Clothes', a French farce which he had translated, and in which their daughter Betty made her debut. It was intended to run for a short season, but it was such a success that performances were extended.

Terriss also acted in nearly a dozen British and American films. She made her screen debut in My Indian Anna (Arthur Gilbert, 1907), followed by Glow Little Glow Worm, Glow (Arthur Gilbert, 1907). In 1913-1914, she acted in three films with her husband Seymour Hicks: Scrooge (1913), David Garrick (1913), and Always Tell Your Wife (1914). All were directed by Leedham Bantock. She then moved to the United States to act in two films directed by her brother, Tom Terriss, for his own company, Terriss Feature Film Company, starting with The Flame of Passion (1915), which was shot in Jamaica. Tom Terriss often played the male lead in his own films, including in this one. After a second film by Tom Terriss, A Woman of the World (1916), Ellaline returned to Britain. Tom, after eight films for his own company, started to work for Vitagraph and hence focused on directing.

In 1923, Seymour Hicks and Ellaline Terriss did a remake of Always Tell Your Wife, for which Alfred Hitchcock took over direction after the initial director, Hugh Croise, was fired. In the late 1920s, Terriss acted opposite Lillian Hall-Davis in Blighty (Adrian Brunel, 1927) and opposite Robin Irvine in the Spy film Land of Hope and Glory (Harry Knoles, 1927). In 1929, she acted in her first talking picture, the Titanic disaster-film Atlantic by E.A. Dupont, opposite John Stuart and Madeleine Carroll. This was followed by parts in the films A Man of Mayfair (Louis Mercanton, 1931) and Glamour (Seymour Hicks, Harry Hughes, 1931) with her husband as co-director and star. In The Iron Duke (Victor Saville, 1934), she played Lady Wellington opposite George Arliss as Arthur Wellesley, the first duke of Wellington, who faced down Napoleon's armies at Waterloo, and served as prime minister. Her last film was the thriller The Four Just Men (Walter Forde, 1939) starring Hugh Sinclair and Griffith Jones.

Seymour Hicks was knighted in 1934, which made Ellaline 'Lady Hicks'. In 1940, Terriss and Hicks went to the Middle East to entertain the British troops in World War II. After the war, Terriss retired from the stage. She and Hicks moved to South Africa, where she took up painting and was tutored by the marine artist George Pilkington. So good were her works that an exhibition was held at Foyle's Art Gallery, London, in 1959. Ellaline Terriss was married to Seymour Hicks until he died in 1949. Terriss died at the Holy Family Nursing Home, Hampstead, London, in 1971, at the high age of 100. Her daughter, Betty Hicks, was a stage actress as well.


British postcard by Rotary Photo, E.C., no. 4857 V. Photo: Foulsham & Banfield. Ellaline Terriss as Peggy Quainton in 'The Gay Gordons' (1907).


British postcard by Rotary Photo, E.C., no. 4081 X. Photo: Foulsham & Banfield.


British postcard by Rotary Photo E.C., no. 7401 E. Photo: Foulsham & Banfield. Caption: Father, this is the man I love. Barbara Deane, Ellaline Terriss, Seymour Hicks, William Lugg and Zena Dare in 'The Gay Gordons' (1907).


British postcard by J. Beagles & Co., no. 2. Photo: Ellis and Walery. Seymour Hicks and Ellaline Terriss as Pierrot and Columbine.

Sources: Jon C. Hopwood (IMDb), Wikipedia (English and Spanish) and IMDb.