Lawrence, Gertrude (1898-1952), was a popular English star on the British and American stage from the early 1920’s to the early 1950’s. Lawrence performed in both plays and musicals. She starred in several shows by her friend, the British playwright Noel Coward, notably the revue London Calling (1923) and the comedy Private Lives (1930). Lawrence also appeared in such musicals as George Gershwin’s Oh, Kay! (1926), Kurt Weill’s Lady in the Dark (1941), and Rodgers and Hammerstein’s The King and I (1951).
Lawrence was born on July 4, 1898, in London. Her full name was Gertrud Alexandra Dagmar Lawrence Klasen. She began her stage career as a child with her actress mother. She made her Broadway debut in 1924. Lawrence also made a few films, including Rembrandt (1936) and The Glass Menagerie (1950). She wrote an autobiography, A Star Danced (1945). Lawrence died on Sept. 6, 1952.
