Guide to the Guide to theatre programs and related material regarding Marie Lohr

Biographical / Historical

Marie Kaye Wouldes Lohr had a career spanning 73 years in the English theatre concurrently with a film career spanning 52 years in English films. She was born in Sydney, N.S.W., July 28, 1890 to Lewis J. Lohr, formerly treasurer of the Opera House, Melbourne, and his wife Kate (nee Bishop) who had been a child player with Ellen Terry at Bristol.

Lohr began her acting career in Sydney in 1894 at the age of three appearing twice with Charles Arnold in Captain Fritz at the Criterion (Feb 24-Mar. 16 and Sept. 29-Oct. 1) and Hans the boatman, The Criterion (Mar. 17-Apr. 7). Then in 1895 in The world against her at Her Majesty's Theatre which ran from 10-23 Aug. She was billed in L'Entracte as "Little Marie Lohr".

The family moved to England in 1900 where Marie made her London debut at the Garrick, Dec. 1901 in Shock headed Peter and The man who stole the castle. She toured with the Kendals in 1902, 1906. She established herself as an important actress in 1908 at the age of 18, when Bernard Shaw chose her to play Mrs Reginald Bridgenorth in the first production of his Getting married. Later that year she began working with Herbert Beerbohm Tree, firstly as Marguerite in Faust, then Lady Teazle in The school for scandal, Ophelia in Hamlet and Cinderella in Pinkie and the fairies. She was to remain with Tree for five years.

Lohr continued playing leading comic and dramatic roles in London for the foremost managers of the day including Charles Froman, George Alexander, Gerald du Maurier. In 1918 she went into management at the Globe Theatre with her husband Henry Anthony Leyland Val Prinsep (divorced 1928). In the nine years until 1927 she produced and starred in most of those productions at the Globe including, Nurse Benson, A voice from the minaret, L'Aiglon, A marriage of convenience, Aren't we all?, The laughing lady.

Late in 1921 Lohr went to Canada and toured in repertory plays, then went on to New York in January 1922 with The voice from the minaret and Fedora. She was to make one more visit to New York in 1931. On her return to London in late 1922 she continued her principal roles opposite Gerald du Maurier, Oscar Asche, Robert Harris, Guy Newall, John Gielgud, Ivor Novello, Frank Lawton, Sybil Thorndike and Edith Evans. Her diversity included musicals, comedy, drama, revues, pantomimes where she repeated her role as Mrs Darling in Peter Pan a number of times.

The thirties saw her in a series of big box office hits. Maugham's The breadwinner (1930), Dodie Smith's Call it a day (1935) and Esther McCracken's Quiet wedding (1935). She was absent from the stage for five years in the 1940s returning to play in John Whiting's A penny for a song (1951). During the fifties she continued playing the mature leading roles and toured the provincial cities extensively prior to performing in the London seasons. She also appeared in John Osborne's controversial musical The world of Paul Slickey (1960). Some of her later successes include Waiting in the wings (Coward), The silver wedding, Ring round the moon, and Treasure hunt. Her final performance was a return to Shaw as Mrs Whitefield in the revival of Man and superman in 1966.

The breadth of her talent meant she performed many times in front of royalty for various pensions funds (1914, 1924), victory celebrations (1919) other gala performances such as Shakespeare Tercentenary Celebrations (1916), Elizabeth II's coronation celebrations (1953), and theatre openings (1958)

She made more than forty films, spanning fifty-two years, the first two being silent films in Real thing at last (1916) and Victory and peace (1918). The thirties saw her make her talkies film debut in Aren't we all? (1932) playing Lady Frinton. Other films in this decade include Road house (1934) and Pygmalion (1936). She made many films in the forties including Major Barbara (1941), The Magic Bow (1947) and Anna Karenina (1948) and in the fifties returned to her Australian roots in A Town like Alice (1956) where she played Mrs. Dudley Frost. Her last film was Great Catherine (1968). Lohr co-starred with Ralph Richardson, Lesley Howard, Vivien Leigh, Rex Harrison, fellow Australian actor Peter Finch, Gertrude Lawrence, Tyrone Power Snr, Stewart Granger, Jack Hawkins, Gordon Jackson, working under directors Jack Lee, Anthony Asquith, Julien Duvivier. She specialised in dowager roles. A filmography is included with her theatre programs in the PROMPT collection. She appeared on television in The Plane and The Glovemakers.

Marie Lohr never returned to Australia and died in London on the 21st January 1975, at the age of 85.