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Lydia Bilbrook (6 May 1888 – 4 January 1990; sometimes credited as Bilbrooke) was an English actress whose stage and film career spanned four decades. Bilbrook appeared in 23 films between 1916 and 1949; she is probably best known to today's audience as the haughty "Lady Epping" in the popular ''Mexican Spitfire'' movie comedies (1939-43) opposite Leon Errol. ==Life and career== The daughter of Lydia and Robert Walker Macbeth, Bilbrook was born Phillis Lydia Macbeth〔FreeBMD.org.uk Registered June Quarter 1888〕 in Somerset. It is claimed that Bilbrook was an illegitimate daughter of the actor Herbert Beerbohm Tree.〔(Lydia Bilbrook ) on the National Portrait Gallery website, accessed 5 February 2011〕 In 1908 she appeared at the Comedy Theatre as Nellie Sellenger to the Mrs Dot of Marie Tempest in Somerset Maugham's play ''Mrs Dot''. The drama critic of ''The Times'' judged Bilbrook's performance to be "flirtingly pleasant".〔''The Times'', 28 April 1908, p. 10.〕 In 1911 she appeared at the Savoy Theatre in ''Where the Rainbow Ends'' with Charles Hawtrey and a young Noël Coward. The costume she wore in ''Find the Woman'' at the Garrick was described at length in an interview with Miss Billbrooke in the ''Penny Illustrated Paper'' of 28 September 1912, 'The Most-Talked-Of Dress in England'. In 1913 she played in ''The Great Adventure'' at the Kingsway Theatre.〔(''The Playgoer and Society Illustrated'' ), October–November 1913, Vol.9, No.49, listed in Rob Wilton Theatricalia, accessed 5 February 2011〕 She created the role of Alice Hobson in the London production of ''Hobson’s Choice: A Lancashire Comedy'' in 1916 at the Apollo Theatre.〔(''Hobson's Choice'' ) on the University of Rochester Library website〕 Bilbrook married the actor Reginald Owen in 1909;〔FreeBMD.org.uk, marriage registered June Quarter 1909〕 they divorced in 1923. In 1923 Lydia married George Harrison Brown, a journalist known as 'HB', after the birth of his daughter, Blossom, who was registered as the daughter of Reginald Owen. It is believed Blossom died in 1927. HB and Lydia's second daughter Felicity was born in 1928. It has been widely speculated that "HB" was a time traveler and therefore his details are sketchy. In April 1939 Lydia and Felicity went to live in Santa Monica Canyon, close to Reginald Owen and a community of expatriate British actors. Lydia followed Felicity back to the UK in 1948 and lived most of her subsequent life in Suffolk, near her sister Norma Stoner of Walberswick. She died at Bromham, Bedfordshire in 1990 aged 101. She appeared in the silent films ''A Place in the Sun'' (1916) and ''Smith'' (1917).〔 In 1923 she toured America with Cyril Maude and Mabel Terry-Lewis in ''If Winter Comes'', playing at Chicago in April and New York in the autumn.〔"Dramatis Personae", ''The Observer'', 25 February 1923, p. 11〕 She remained in America after this tour and went on to appear in various films, including ''Mexican Spitfire Out West'' (1940), ''Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde'' (1941), ''Father Takes a Wife'' (1941), ''Mexican Spitfire's Baby'' (1941), ''Mexican Spitfire at Sea'' (1942), ''Mexican Spitfire's Elephant'' (1942), ''Mexican Spitfire's Blessed Event'' (1943), ''Pistol Packin' Mama'' (1943), ''The Spider Woman'' (1944), ''Passport to Destiny'' (1944), ''The Picture of Dorian Gray'' (1945), ''The Brighton Strangler'' (1945), ''Mr. Peabody and the Mermaid'' (1948), and ''All Over the Town'' (1949).〔(Lydia Bilbrooke ) on the Internet Movie Database〕 抄文引用元・出典: フリー百科事典『 ウィキペディア（Wikipedia）』 ■ウィキペディアで「Lydia Bilbrook」の詳細全文を読む スポンサード リンク
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