Jessie Matthews

She was born in the East End of London, and first appeared on the stage in the 1920s, making her film debut in 1923. In 1925, she married the first of her three husbands; all of her marriages ended in divorce. She had many failed relationships, including a romance with Prince George, Duke of Kent.

Her first major success was in the stage production of Evergreen, a musical by Rodgers and Hart, filmed in 1934. After a string of hit films, she developed a following in the USA, where she was dubbed "The Dancing Divinity". Her warbling voice and chubby cheeks made her a familiar and much-loved personality to British film audiences at the beginning of World War II, but her popularity waned. After a few false starts as a straight actress, she played Tom Thumb's mother in the 1958 children's film, and during the 1960s found new fame when she was given the leading role in the BBC's long-running radio serial, Mrs Dale's Diary[?]. When the series ended, her career went with it. She had suffered from ill-health throughout her life, and died of cancer.