Lillie, Beatrice (Gladys)

(born May 29, 1894, Toronto, Ont., Can.—died Jan. 20, 1989, Henley-on-Thames, Oxfordshire, Eng.) Canadian-born British comedienne. She made her London stage debut as a singer in 1914 and developed her comic genius in revues produced by André Charlot. She made her New York City debut in 1924, establishing an international reputation as a high-spirited star of sophisticated comedy. She appeared in various revues until 1939; after World War II she starred in the revue Inside U.S.A. (1948–50) and toured worldwide in An Evening with Beatrice Lillie (1952–56). Her last stage performances were in Auntie Mame (1958) and High Spirits (1964).

Source: Encyclopedia Britannica