Description: Dame Gracie Fields (born Grace Stansfield; 9 January 1898 – 27 September 1979), was a British actress, singer, and comedian. A star of cinema and music hall, she was one of the top ten film stars in Britain during the 1930s and was considered the highest-paid film star in the world in 1937. Hand Autographed Signed 3" X 5" Blue Card Dated London 1977. Excellent Condition.Two Cards Available. Please Let Me Know Which One You Are Purchasing. #1 or #2 Fields was known affectionately as Our Gracie and the Lancashire Lass and for never losing her strong, native Lancashire accent. She was appointed a Commander of the Order of the British Empire (CBE) and an Officer of the Venerable Order of St John (OStJ) in 1938, and a Dame Commander of the Order of the British Empire (DBE) in 1979. Fields came to major public notice in Mr Tower of London, a show staged in London's West End. Her career accelerated from this point, with dramatic performances and the beginning of a recording career on His Master's Voice (HMV). She was one of the most successful recording artists at the label, her first record, My Blue Heaven sold 500,000 copies in 1928. In 1933, HMV produced the four millionth Fields record, which was pressed by the singer herself on camera and celebrated with a special 'Lancashire Lunch' at the Trocadero. At one point, Fields was playing three shows a night in the West End. She appeared in the production SOS with Gerald Du Maurier, a play staged at the St. James Theater. Fields' most famous song, "Sally", which became her theme, was written for her first film, Sally in Our Alley (1931), a major box office hit. She went on to make several films, initially in Britain and later in the United States (when she was paid a record fee of £200,000 for four films). Regardless, she never enjoyed performing without a live audience and found the process of film-making boring. She tried to opt out of filming, before director Monty Banks persuaded her otherwise, landing her a lucrative Hollywood deal. Fields demanded that the four pictures be filmed in Britain and not Hollywood. The final few lines of the song "Sally", which Fields sang at every performance from 1931 onwards, were written by her husband's mistress, Annie Lipman. Fields claimed in later life that she wanted to "Drown blasted Sally with Walter with the aspidistra on top!", a reference to two other of her well-known songs, "Walter, Walter", and "The Biggest Aspidistra in the World" The famous opera star Luisa Tetrazzini heard her singing an aria and asked her to sing in the Grand Opera. Fields decided to stay "where I knew I belonged." Fields' health declined in July 1979, when she contracted pneumonia after performing an open-air concert on the Royal Yacht which was docked in Capri's harbor. After a spell in hospital, she seemed to be recovering but died on 27 September 1979. The press reported she died holding her husband's hand, but in reality, he was at their Anacapri home at the time, while Gracie was home with the housekeeper, Irena. She is buried in Capri's Protestant Cemetery, in a white marble tomb. Her coffin was carried by staff from her restaurant. Fields was the mystery guest on the 1 May 1955 edition of What's My Line? After Bennett Cerf asked about one of her songs, Dorothy Kilgallen correctly guessed it was her. Fields was granted the Freedom of Rochdale. In early 1985, an episode of the BBC television series Halls of Fame, which presented a nostalgic look at various famous regional theatres, included a medley of Fields' songs at the Palace Theater, Manchester, sung by Marti Webb. At the 1985 Royal Variety Performance, Su Pollard performed "Sally" in tribute to her. The following year's Performance also featured a section with a medley of Fields' songs, again sung by Webb. Following her death, she was referenced in the 1987 film Wish You Were Here, the 1996 film Intimate Relations, and the 2006 film The History Boys. Gracie! was a 2009 biopic TV film on her life, with Jane Horrocks playing Fields and Tom Hollander her husband Monty Banks. It covers her career before the Second World War and the decline in her popularity during the war. Filmography1931 Sally in Our Alley 1932 Looking on the Bright Side 1933 This Week of Grace, Love Life, and Laughter 1934 Sing As We Go 1935 Look Up and Laugh 1936 Queen of Hearts 1937 The Show Goes On, We're Going To Be Rich 1938 Young and Beautiful, Keep Smiling 1939 Shipyard Sally, Stage Door Canteen 1943 Holy Matrimony, Molly and Me 1945 Paris Underground There is no extra charge for each additional signed card purchased when paying with one single payment. Please select the autographed card(s) from the drop-down menu and add them to your shopping cart before paying. ALL MY ITEMS SOLD HAVE A 100% UNCONDITIONAL MONEY BACK GUARANTEE
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End Time: 2024-12-01T18:16:33.000Z
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