Gertrude Lawrence and Douglas Fairbanks Jr in 'Moonlight is Silver'

Sittersback to top

• Douglas Elton Fairbanks Jr (1909-2000), Actor and producer. Sitter in 34 portraits.
• Gertrude Lawrence (1898-1952), Actress. Sitter associated with 84 portraits.

Artistback to top

• Dorothy Wilding (1893-1976), Photographer. Artist associated with 2092 portraits, Sitter associated with 30 portraits.

This portraitback to top

Gertrude Lawrence starred opposite Douglas Fairbanks Jr (1909-2000) in Winifred Ashton's three act play Moonlight is Silver in 1934, which was written under her pseudonym Clemence Dane. The play was performed at London's Queen's Theatre, 51 Shaftesbury Avenue. Lawrence had an affair with Fairbanks Jr. and a year later played the title role of Mimi opposite his struggling playwright Rodolphe, in Paul Stein's film based upon Henri Murger's novel La Vie de Boheme (1851). Lawrence married theatre producer Richard Aldrich in 1940 and Wilding's 1942 photograph of Lawrence and Aldrich is also in the Collection.

Subject/Themeback to top

• Lounging