Muriel Angelus
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Muriel Angelus (b. 10 March 1909, London, England -d. 22 August 2004, Harrisonburg, Virginia) was a stage, musical theatre and film actress.
Of Scottish parentage, the former Muriel Angelus Findlay developed a sweet-voiced soprano at an early age. She made her singing debut at 12, eventually dropping his surname and becoming a popular music hall performer.
She entered films toward the end of the silent era with The Ringer (1928), the first of three movie versions of the Edgar Wallace play. Her second film, Sailor Don't Care (1928) was important only in that she met her first husband, Scots-born actor John Stuart on the set; her role was excised from the film.
Though in her first sound picture, Night Birds (1930), she got to sing a number, most of her films did not usurp her musical talents. The sweet-natured actress who played both ingenues and 'other woman' roles co-starred with husband Stuart in No Exit (1930), Eve's Fall (1930) and Hindle Wakes (1931), and appeared with British star Monty Banks in some of his farcical comedies, including My Wife's Family (1932) and So You Won't Talk (1935). Muriel received a career lift with the glossy musical London hit Balalaika.
This led to her securing the pivotal role of Adriana in the original Broadway production of The Boys From Syracuse, co-starring Eddie Albert. In turn, she received a contract with Paramount Pictures, but never became a star and is largely remembered solely by the acting buffs and nostalgists.
She died in a nursing home, aged 95, survived by her daughter (from her second marriage).
