Gabrielle Ray (born Gabrielle Elizabeth Clifford Cook, 28 April 1883 – 21 May 1973) was an English stage actress, dancer and singer, best known for her roles in Edwardian musical comedies.

Ray was considered one of the most beautiful actresses on the London stage and became one of the most photographed women in the world. In the first decade of the 20th century, she had a good career in musical theatre. After an unsuccessful marriage, she returned to the stage, but she never recovered the fame that she had enjoyed. She later struggled with depression and spent her last 37 years in a mental hospital.

Biography

Ray was born in Cheadle, Stockport, England. She was the fourth child of William Austin Cook, a prosperous iron merchant and a Justice of the Peace for Cheshire, and his wife Anne Maria Elizabeth née Holden.

Early career

Known as 'Gabs' to family and friends, Ray was back at the Lyric in 1902 to play the title character in the pantomime Little Red Riding Hood.

upright|left|thumb|Ray in the early 1900s

During the first decade of the 20th century, Ray's career had progressed to the point where she was performing at leading West End venues and gaining attention as a beautiful young dancer and actress. Her photograph was much sought after by the various trade publications and leading photographers such of the day. Known across Europe for her looks, she was admired by men such as Alfred Gwynne Vanderbilt and King Manuel of Portugal.

George Edwardes hired Ray to understudy Gertie Millar in The Toreador at the Gaiety Theatre, London, in 1902, where she had the chance to play the role on many occasions. and So-Hie in See See (1906). The same year she also played Eglé in The Merveilleuses. Registered as Mrs Eric Loder, at least part of her long stay at the sanatorium was happy. Ray continued to care for her personal appearance, having a liking for smart clothes and hats. Other Gaiety Girls visited her, including Gertie Millar and Lily Elsie, but she was never visited by family members. Hospital staff later recalled her infectious smile and that she enjoyed walks into the nearby village for shopping and car rides. After her death one of her nurses said, "she was a very quiet lady, small and neat, who did not give any indication of the high life she must have enjoyed".

Ray died in 1973 at the Holloway Sanatorium at the age of 90 and was buried in Englefield Green cemetery. A blue plaque has been erected on the site of her birth.

Notes

References

  • Beaton, Cecil. The Glass of Fashion, Weidenfeld and Nicolson, 1954.
  • Gänzl, Kurt. The encyclopedia of the musical theatre, 2 vols. (1994)
  • Gänzl, Kurt. The British musical theatre, 2 vols. (1986)
  • Parker, J. (ed.) Who's who in the theatre, 6th ed. (1930)
  • Biography and photos of Ray
  • Extensive website about Ray
  • Site with photos and biographical links
  • Numerous postcard photos of Ray
  • National Portrait Gallery photos of Ray
  • Postcards and ephemera of Ray