Lily Langtry

Born - Oct 13, 1853   |   Died - Feb 12, 1929   |  

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Biography by AllMovie

One of the Victorian era's great courtesans, Lily Langtry (sometimes spelled Lillie) based her theatrical fame on two roles: Rosalind in As You Like It and Kate in She Stoops to Conquer. Born Emilie Charlotte Le Breton on the English channel island of Jersey, Langtry's theatrical career was always eclipsed by her societal position as the mistress of Edward VII and his nephew Louis of Battenberg. She was idolized by Americans, especially after purchasing a ranch in California, and is today probably best remembered for her legendary (if highly speculative) encounter with the notorious Judge Roy Bean, who named a Texas town in her honor. (The occasion was depicted in the 1940 Western The Westerner in which she was portrayed by Lillian Bond). Langtry condescended to make what she hoped would be a permanent example of her art, appearing opposite Sidney Mason in His Neighbor's Wife, a two-reel drama directed by Edwin Porter for Famous Players in 1913. Judging by extant stills, the "Jersey Lily" had lost most of her legendary beauty by then and appeared rather frumpy. She died of a heart attack.