Lillie, Beatrice, 1894-1989

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Beatrice Lillie, stage star, was born in Toronto, Canada on May 29, 1894. Her first appearances on stage were in 1914 in Canada and in England in musical revues. She made her Broadway debut in Andre Charlot's Revue of 1924 . Miss Lillie's most notable Broadway performances were in The Seven Lively Arts, Inside U. S. A., Ziegfeld Follies of 1957 and High Spirits . She toured the world in An Evening with Beatrice Lillie from 1952 to 1956. Miss Lillie appeared in films and on television. She married Sir Robert Peel in 1920. Beatrice Lillie retired to England in 1977. She died January 20, 1989.

From the guide to the Beatrice Lillie papers, 1919-1989, (The New York Public Library. Billy Rose Theatre Division.)

Beatrice Lillie, comedienne, actress, singer and author, was born May 29, 1894 in Toronto, Ontario.

She left school for the stage at age 15 to tour Canada in The Lillie Trio with her mother Lucy and sister Muriel.

After coming to London in 1914, Lillie joined Andre Charlot's Revue, where she later made her Broadway debut in 1924. With a career spanning more than 50 years, she performed in revues, plays, film, on radio and television and also enjoyed a successful recording career. Lillie frequently performed both in London and the United States, earning her fame as "The Toast of Two Continents."

In 1920 Beatrice married Sir Robert Peel, gaining the title Lady Peel. The couple had one son, Robert Peel Jr., in 1934. She was widowed in 1934 and lost her son to the war in 1942.

Lillie traveled to the Middle East, Africa, France and Germany to perform for the troops during WWII, an effort for which she received a decoration from General Charles de Gaulle. She developed close friendships with other famous figures, including Noel Coward, Winston Churchill, George Bernard Shaw and Charlie Chaplin. During the war Beatrice Lillie met John Phillip Huck who would become her manager and life-long companion.

Ms. Lillie starred in shows by Noel Coward, George Bernard Shaw, Rogers & Hart, Schwartz & Dietz and Cole Porter. Lillie became best known for starring in This Year of Grace (1928), written for her by Noel Coward, and received equal recognition for her version of Coward's song, "Mad dogs and Englishmen." Other notable Broadway performances include The Seven lively arts (1947), Inside USA (1948), Ziegfeld follies of 1957 and High spirits (1964). She toured the world with her one-woman show An Evening with Beatrice Lillie from 1952-1956, winning a Tony Award in 1953. Lady Peel made a handful of films, which met with varying degrees of success. Beginning with an early silent film Exit smiling (1926) and ending on a high note with her role as a Mrs. Meers in Thoroughly modern Millie (1967). Beatrice Lillie published her autobiography, Every other inch a lady, in 1973.

Beatrice Lillie retired to England to recover from a stroke in 1977. She died January 20, 1989 at her home, Henley-on-Thames, England. She was 94 years old.

From the description of Beatrice Lillie papers, 1911-1995. (New York Public Library). WorldCat record id: 122606547

Beatrice Lillie, comedienne, actress, singer, and author was born May 29, 1894 in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. She left school for the stage at age fifteen touring Canada in The Lillie Trio with her mother Lucie and sister Muriel.

After coming to London in 1914, Lillie joined Andre Charlot’s Revue, where she later made her Broadway debut in 1924. With a career spanning more than fifty years, she performed in revues, plays, films, on radio and television and enjoyed a successful recording career. Lillie frequently performed both in London and the United States, earning her fame as “The Toast of Two Continents.”

In 1920 Beatrice married Sir Robert Peel, gaining the title Lady Peel. The couple had one son, Robert Peel Jr., in 1921. Beatrice Lillie was widowed in 1934 and lost her son to the war in 1942.

Lillie traveled to the Middle East, Africa, France and Germany to perform for the troops during WWII, an effort for which she received a decoration from General Charles de Gaulle. She developed close friendships with other famous figures, including Noel Coward, Winston Churchill, George Bernard Shaw, and Charlie Chaplin. During the war Beatrice Lillie met John Philip Huck who would become her manager and life-long companion.

Ms. Lillie starred in shows by Noel Coward, George Bernard Shaw, Richard Rodgers and Lorenz Hart, Arthur Schwartz and Howard Dietz, and Cole Porter. Lillie became best known for starring in This Year Of Grace (1928), written for her by Noel Coward, and received equal recognition for her version of Coward’s song, Mad Dogs and Englishmen. Other notable Broadway performances include The Seven Lively Arts (1947), Inside USA (1948), Ziegfeld Follies 1957, and High Spirits (1964). She toured the world with her one-woman show An Evening With Beatrice Lillie (1952-1956), winning a Tony Award in 1953.

Lady Peel made a handful of films that met with varying degrees of success, beginning with an early silent film Exit Smiling (1926), and ending on a high note with her role as Mrs. Meers in Thoroughly Modern Millie (1967). Beatrice Lillie published her autobiography, Every Other Inch A Lady, (1973.)

Beatrice Lillie retired to England to recover from a stroke in 1977. She died January 20, 1989 at her home, Henley-on-Thames, England. She was 94 years old.

From the guide to the Beatrice Lillie papers, 1911-1995, (The New York Public Library. Billy Rose Theatre Division.)

Archival Resources
Role Title Holding Repository
creatorOf Beatrice Lillie papers, 1911-1995 The New York Public Library. Billy Rose Theatre Division.
referencedIn Souvenir programs of contemporary personalities, 1880-1993. Harvard Theater Collection, Houghton Library, Harvard College Library, Harvard University
referencedIn Lawrence and Lee papers, 1917-1974 The New York Public Library. Billy Rose Theatre Division.
creatorOf Youmans, Vincent, 1898-1946. Oh! Please, libretto, [by] Anne Caldwell and Otto Harbach; founded on a story by Maurice Henneguin and Pierre Veber. New York Public Library System, NYPL
referencedIn Richard Rodgers collection of musicals and interviews [sound recording], 1926-1980 The New York Public Library. Rodgers and Hammerstein Archives of Recorded Sound.
referencedIn Pach Brothers Portrait Photograph Collection, 1867-1947, undated (bulk 1880-1940) New-York Historical Society
referencedIn John Eldon Thayer collection of motion picture memorabilia, 1916-1979. Harvard Theater Collection, Houghton Library, Harvard College Library, Harvard University
referencedIn The Bell Telephone Hour collection of sound recordings [sound recording], 1940-1968 The New York Public Library. Rodgers and Hammerstein Archives of Recorded Sound.
referencedIn Universal Newsreel Volume 40, Release 25 National Archives at College Park
referencedIn Robert Baral papers, 1876-1980 The New York Public Library. Billy Rose Theatre Division.
creatorOf Morris, Richard. Thoroughly modern Millie : final screenplay, 1966 Mar. 22 / by Richard Morris. Ohio State University Libraries
creatorOf Beatrice Lillie papers, 1919-1989 The New York Public Library. Billy Rose Theatre Division.
referencedIn Papers about Beatrice Lillie, 1954-1982 The New York Public Library. Billy Rose Theatre Division.
referencedIn Anton Dolin papers, 1926-1983. Harvard Theater Collection, Houghton Library, Harvard College Library, Harvard University
referencedIn André Charlot Archive, 1822-2004 V & A Department of Theatre and Performance
creatorOf Le Gai, Hilaire. Clifton Webb Collection, [ca. 1930-ca. 1960]. Ohio State University Libraries
referencedIn Souvenir programs for theatrical productions, 1906-2005. Harvard Theater Collection, Houghton Library, Harvard College Library, Harvard University
creatorOf Rodgers, Richard, 1902-1979. Collection of musicals and interviews [sound recording], 1926-1980. New York Public Library System, NYPL
creatorOf Richard Astor Agency. Papers about Beatrice Lillie, 1954-1982. New York Public Library System, NYPL
creatorOf Laffey, Bruce. Beatrice Lillie collection, 1919-1989. New York Public Library System, NYPL
referencedIn American Vaudeville Museum collection, 1845-2007, (bulk 1910-1940) University of Arizona Libraries, Library Special Collections
creatorOf Lillie, Beatrice, 1894-1989. Beatrice Lillie papers, 1911-1995. New York Public Library System, NYPL
referencedIn Robert Benney research materials, 1926-1978 The New York Public Library. Billy Rose Theatre Division.
referencedIn Irving Berlin collection of non-commercial sound recordings [sound recording] The New York Public Library. Rodgers and Hammerstein Archives of Recorded Sound.
referencedIn Philippe Halsman theatrical photographs, 1947-1969 The New York Public Library. Billy Rose Theatre Division.
referencedIn New Yorker records New York Public Library. Manuscripts and Archives Division
referencedIn Dolin, Anton, 1904-. Anton Dolin papers, 1926-1983. Harvard University, Harvard Theater Collection, Harvard College Library
referencedIn The Railroad hour, radio program [sound recording], 1948-1954 The New York Public Library. Rodgers and Hammerstein Archives of Recorded Sound.
referencedIn Rosenberg, Manuel, 1897-1967. Drawings & Sketches, ca.1920-1950. Columbia University in the City of New York, Columbia University Libraries
Role Title Holding Repository
Relation Name
associatedWith American Museum of Vaudeville corporateBody
associatedWith Baral, Robert person
associatedWith Beatrice Lillie person
associatedWith Benney, Robert, 1904-2001 person
associatedWith Berlin, Irving, 1888-1989 person
associatedWith Brandon De Wilde person
associatedWith Bricusse, Leslie. person
associatedWith Bruce Laffey person
associatedWith Charlot, André person
associatedWith Charlot, André, 1882-1956. person
associatedWith Churchill, Winston, 1874-1965. person
associatedWith Clark and McCullough corporateBody
associatedWith Coward, Noel, 1899-1973. person
associatedWith Crosby, Bing, 1907-1977 person
associatedWith Cullen, Frank, 1936- person
associatedWith Darby, Eileen, photographer person
associatedWith De Wilde, Brandon, 1942-1972 person
associatedWith Dietz, Howard, 1896-1983. person
associatedWith Dolin, Anton, 1904- person
associatedWith Gardiner, Reginald, 1903-1980 person
associatedWith Halsman, Philippe person
associatedWith Hamilton, Nancy, 1908-1985. person
associatedWith Hart, Lorenz, 1895-1943. person
associatedWith Hope, Bob, 1903-2003. person
associatedWith Laffey, Bruce. person
associatedWith Lahr, Bert, 1895-1967 person
associatedWith Lawrence, Jerome, 1915-2004 person
associatedWith McNeilly, Donald, 1945- person
associatedWith Morris, Richard. person
associatedWith New Yorker Magazine, Inc corporateBody
associatedWith Novello, Ivor, 1893-1951. person
associatedWith Peel, Robert, 1909-1992. person
associatedWith Porter, Cole, 1891-1964. person
associatedWith Railroad Hour Radio Program corporateBody
associatedWith Richard Astor Agency. corporateBody
associatedWith Rodgers, Richard, 1902-1979. person
associatedWith Rosenberg, Manuel, 1897-1967. person
associatedWith Schwartz, Arthur, 1900-1984. person
associatedWith Sir Robert Peel person
associatedWith Thayer, John Eldon, 1899-1980 person
associatedWith Vandamm Studio corporateBody
associatedWith Youmans, Vincent, 1898-1946. person
Place Name Admin Code Country
Subject
Actresses
Entertainers
Musical theater
Performing arts
Women comedians
Occupation
Performer
Activity

Person

Birth 1894-05-29

Death 1989-01-20

Canadians

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