Fields, Gracie |
| SINGER, COMEDIAN (ENGLAND) |
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BORN 9 Jan 1898, Rochedale, Lancaster: Molesworth Street - DIED 27 Sep 1979, Capri, Campania: Il Canzone Del Mare BIRTH NAME Stansfield, Grace CAUSE OF DEATH pneumonia GRAVE LOCATION Capri, Campania: Cimitero Acattolico, Via Marina Grande |
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Gracie Fields first appeared on the stage as a child in 1905. Her siblings Edith, Betty an tommy entered the stage as well. In 1910 she first appeared at the Rochdale Hippodrome theatre. She started a collaboration with impresario Archie Pitt starting with the Revue "Yes I Think So" in 1915. They toured Britain until 1924 and they married in 1923. After a successful appearance in the show "Mr Tower of London" her fame rose and she started recording for HMV. In 1931 she appeared in the movie "Sally in Our Alley" and she made several movies in Britain and in the US. Around 1937 she was one of the best paid actresses. In 1939 she broke down and went to Capri to recover. During World War III she entertained the troops in France. She divorced Pitt in 1939 and married the comedian Monty Banks in 1940 and with him she went to the USA and they settled in Santa Monica. Between 1948 and 1951 she performed in Britain again. In 1950 Banks died and on 18/02/1952 on Capri she married Boris Alperovic, a radio repairman from Romania. She lived at her beach club and restaurant La Canzone Del Mare on Capri for the rest of her life. Visitors there included Richard Burton, Elizabeth Taylor, Greta Garbo and Charlie Chaplin. In 1956 she was the first actress who played Miss Marple in "A Murder is Announced." Until the mid 1960s she continued to tour. In February 1979 she became a Dame Commander of the Order of the British Empire. She died later that year on Capri. |
| Images |
 The grave of Gracie Fields at the Cimitero Acattolico, Capri. Picture by Androom (17 Feb 2020) |
Sources • Gracie Fields - Wikipedia |
