Kate Lester
Encyclopedia
Kate Lester born Sarah Cody was an English theatrical and silent film
actress born in Shouldham Thorpe
, Norfolk
, England
. Her family, the Suydams of New York, were staying in England at the time of her birth.
. The character, Dr. Butts, was in the play Henry VIII by William Shakespeare
. His portrait hangs in the National Gallery in London, England. Lester was brought up in New York and educated in the most exclusive schools. After completing normal school she studied dramatic art, which was the custom of the time. She learned drama from Dion Boucicault
, a famed instructor.
that she made her debut on the New York stage. She was in her twenties.
The woman scheduled to play Lady Silverdale in Partners became ill on the eve of the premiere. During Lester's stage career she acted with Richard Mansfield
, John Drew Jr.
, William H. Crane, Mrs. Fiske
, Robert B. Mantell
, Henrietta Crosman
, Julia Marlowe
, Margaret Anglin
and even James J Corbett.
Her first silent features were in 1916. The film titles are Molly Make-Believe, Destiny's Toy, The Social Secretary, The Kiss, and A Coney Island
Princess. Lester's last films were released in 1925. They are The Meddler, Raffles, and The Price of Pleasure.
She attained initial success in emotional roles. She began to develop her grand dame line of characters when her hair turned white prematurely.
in Hollywood on 12 October 1924. She was taken to Hollywood Hospital where she succumbed from burns to her hair, face, hands, and upper body. She was taken unconscious to the emergency room. Studio personnel broke down the door to her dressing room.
It was suspected that the connections to a gas stove in Lester's dressing room had been leaking. When she attempted to light the gas, an explosion followed.
Kate Lester's body was removed to the J.W. Todd undertaking establishment in Culver City, California
. She was 67 years old. In private life she was Mrs. Sarah Cody. Her residence was 7131 Bagley Avenue, Culver City.
Silent film
A silent film is a film with no synchronized recorded sound, especially with no spoken dialogue. In silent films for entertainment the dialogue is transmitted through muted gestures, pantomime and title cards...
actress born in Shouldham Thorpe
Shouldham Thorpe
Shouldham Thorpe is a civil parish in the English county of Norfolk.It covers an area of and had a population of 157 in 66 households as of the 2001 census....
, Norfolk
Norfolk
Norfolk is a low-lying county in the East of England. It has borders with Lincolnshire to the west, Cambridgeshire to the west and southwest and Suffolk to the south. Its northern and eastern boundaries are the North Sea coast and to the north-west the county is bordered by The Wash. The county...
, England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
. Her family, the Suydams of New York, were staying in England at the time of her birth.
Distinguished heritage
Her family had been well known for some five hundred years. One of her ancestors, Sir William Butts, was physician to King Henry VIIIHenry VIII of England
Henry VIII was King of England from 21 April 1509 until his death. He was Lord, and later King, of Ireland, as well as continuing the nominal claim by the English monarchs to the Kingdom of France...
. The character, Dr. Butts, was in the play Henry VIII by William Shakespeare
William Shakespeare
William Shakespeare was an English poet and playwright, widely regarded as the greatest writer in the English language and the world's pre-eminent dramatist. He is often called England's national poet and the "Bard of Avon"...
. His portrait hangs in the National Gallery in London, England. Lester was brought up in New York and educated in the most exclusive schools. After completing normal school she studied dramatic art, which was the custom of the time. She learned drama from Dion Boucicault
Dion Boucicault
Dionysius Lardner Boursiquot , commonly known as Dion Boucicault, was an Irish actor and playwright famed for his melodramas. By the later part of the 19th century, Boucicault had become known on both sides of the Atlantic as one of the most successful actor-playwright-managers then in the...
, a famed instructor.
Stage and film actress
Lester was a beauty of the stage in the late 19th century. Later she began to play maternal characters in motion pictures. It was as a grand damethat she made her debut on the New York stage. She was in her twenties.
The woman scheduled to play Lady Silverdale in Partners became ill on the eve of the premiere. During Lester's stage career she acted with Richard Mansfield
Richard Mansfield
Richard Mansfield was an English actor-manager best known for his performances in Shakespeare plays, Gilbert and Sullivan operas and for his portrayal of the dual title roles in Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde....
, John Drew Jr.
John Drew Jr.
John Drew, Jr. was an American stage actor noted for his roles in Shakespearean comedy, society drama, and light comedies. He was the eldest son of John Drew, who had given up a blossoming career in whaling for acting, and Louisa Lane Drew, and the brother of Louisa Drew, Georgiana Drew & Sidney...
, William H. Crane, Mrs. Fiske
Mrs. Fiske
Minnie Maddern Fiske , born as Marie Augusta Davey, but often billed simply as Mrs. Fiske, was one of the leading American actresses of the late nineteenth and early twentieth century. She also spearheaded the fight against the Theatrical Syndicate for the sake of artistic freedom...
, Robert B. Mantell
Robert B. Mantell
Robert Bruce Mantell was a heralded Shakespearean stage actor who made several silent films. His mother was Elizabeth Bruce Mantell who objected to her son becoming an actor so he used the name 'Robert Hudson' early in his career. Mantell first came to the United States in 1874 and stayed two...
, Henrietta Crosman
Henrietta Crosman
Henrietta Crosman was an American stage and film actress. She was born in Wheeling West Virginia to George Crosman, a Civil War Major and Mary B. Wick, who was a niece of Stephen Foster.-Theatrical career:...
, Julia Marlowe
Julia Marlowe
Julia Marlowe was an English-born American actress known for her interpretations of William Shakespeare.-Life and career:...
, Margaret Anglin
Margaret Anglin
Mary Margaret Anglin was a Canadian-born Broadway actress, director and producer whom Encyclopædia Britannica calls "one of the most brilliant actresses of her day."...
and even James J Corbett.
Her first silent features were in 1916. The film titles are Molly Make-Believe, Destiny's Toy, The Social Secretary, The Kiss, and A Coney Island
Coney Island
Coney Island is a peninsula and beach on the Atlantic Ocean in southern Brooklyn, New York, United States. The site was formerly an outer barrier island, but became partially connected to the mainland by landfill....
Princess. Lester's last films were released in 1925. They are The Meddler, Raffles, and The Price of Pleasure.
She attained initial success in emotional roles. She began to develop her grand dame line of characters when her hair turned white prematurely.
Death
Lester died from burns she sustained during an explosion inside her dressing room at Universal StudiosUniversal Studios
Universal Pictures , a subsidiary of NBCUniversal, is one of the six major movie studios....
in Hollywood on 12 October 1924. She was taken to Hollywood Hospital where she succumbed from burns to her hair, face, hands, and upper body. She was taken unconscious to the emergency room. Studio personnel broke down the door to her dressing room.
It was suspected that the connections to a gas stove in Lester's dressing room had been leaking. When she attempted to light the gas, an explosion followed.
Kate Lester's body was removed to the J.W. Todd undertaking establishment in Culver City, California
Culver City, California
Culver City is a city in western Los Angeles County, California. As of the 2010 census, the city had a population of 38,883, up from 38,816 at the 2000 census. It is mostly surrounded by the city of Los Angeles, but also shares a border with unincorporated areas of Los Angeles County. Culver...
. She was 67 years old. In private life she was Mrs. Sarah Cody. Her residence was 7131 Bagley Avenue, Culver City.