Evelyn Laye, a renowned English theatre and musical film actress, was born Elsie Evelyn Lay on July 10, 1900, in Bloomsbury, London, to a family of actors, with her father serving as a theatre manager. She made her stage debut in August 1915 at the Theatre Royal, Brighton, playing the role of Nang-Ping in Mr. Wu, and later appeared in the revue Honi Soit at the East Ham Palace on April 24, 1916, at the tender age of 16.
Initially, Laye primarily performed in musical comedy and operetta, with notable successes including Going Up in 1918, Phi-Phi in 1922, Madame Pompadour in 1923, The Dollar Princess, Blue Eyes in 1928, and Lilac Time. She made her Broadway debut in 1929, starring in the American première of Noël Coward's Bitter Sweet, and went on to appear in several early Hollywood film musicals.
Throughout her career, Laye continued to act in pantomimes such as The Sleeping Beauty and Cinderella. Following World War II, her success waned, but she returned to the West End in 1954, starring in the musical Wedding in Paris. She also appeared alongside her second husband, actor Frank Lawton, in the 1956 sitcom My Husband and I, as well as in several other stage productions, including Silver Wedding in 1957, The Amorous Prawn in 1959, and Phil the Fluter in 1969.
Laye's personal life was marked by a tumultuous marriage to actor Sonnie Hale, which ended in divorce in 1930 after Hale left her for actress Jessie Matthews. The couple had initially tried to reconcile, but ultimately, a divorce was granted, with the judge labeling Matthews an "odious person." Laye later married Lawton, with whom she remained until his death.
In recognition of her contributions to the entertainment industry, Laye was awarded a CBE in 1973. She continued to act well into her nineties, leaving behind a legacy as a talented and enduring figure in the world of theatre and film.
