Born 1907 in Soho, London, English actress, dancer and singer Jessie Matthews first went on stage in 1919, aged 12, in Bluebell in Fairyland. She made her cinema debut in 1923 in the silent film The Beloved Vagabond.
After a string of hit stage musicals and films in the mid-1930s, Matthews developed a following in the USA, where she was dubbed “The Dancing Divinity”. Her British studio was reluctant to let go of its biggest name, however, which resulted in offers for her to work in Hollywood being repeatedly rejected.
After the decline of her film career, Matthews achieved a comeback in her native Britain when she took over the role of Mary Dale in the popular BBC Radio serial The Dales (previously known as Mrs Dale’s Diary).
Matthews had career continued into the post-war period. Her last appearance was in Night of One Hundred Stars at London’s Royal National Theatre, in 1980. She died of cancer in 1981, aged 74. Take a look at these gorgeous photos to see the beauty of young Jessie Matthews in the 1920s and 1930s.
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