Priscilla Lawson

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Priscilla Lawson (March 8, 1914 in Indianapolis, Indiana, d. August 27, 1958 in Los Angeles, California), born Priscilla Shortridge, was an American actress known for her role as Princess Aura in the original Flash Gordon serial (1936).

She was a professional model by her early twenties and was crowned Miss Miami Beach in 1935. She then received a contract with Universal Pictures, which led to her role in Flash Gordon as the daughter of Ming the Merciless. Princess Aura's rivalry with Dale Arden for Flash Gordon's affections was one of the centerpieces of the serial. The role brought her cult figure status.

Following Flash Gordon, Priscilla Lawson married actor Alan Curtis and joined the armed forces in World War II under her married name. It is undocumented, but some people believe that she lost a leg in an accident while serving in the Women's Army Corps. Another report claims that she lost her right leg in a 1937 automobile accident. Lawson and Curtis eventually divorced, and she later managed a stationery shop in Los Angeles.

Her untimely death at the young age of 44 resulted from upper gastrointestinal bleeding caused by a duodenal ulcer. She is interred at Live Oak Memorial Park in Los Angeles County, California.

[edit] External links

Priscilla Lawson at Findagrave.com

v • d • e Universal serials

Silent Serials (1914-1929)	Lucille Love, Girl of Mystery • The Master Key • The Trey o' Hearts • The Black Box • The Broken Coin • Graft • Under the Crescent • The Adventures of Peg o' the Ring • Liberty • The Mystery Ship • The Red Ace • The Gray Ghost • The Voice on the Wire • The Brass Bullet • Bull's Eye • The Lion's Claws • Lure of the Circus • The Red Glove • The Great Radium Mystery • The Lion Man • The Midnight Man • The Flaming Disc • The Moon Riders • King of the Circus • The Vanishing Dagger • The Dragon's Net • The Diamond Queen • Do or Die • The Secret Four • Terror Trail • The White Horseman • Winners of the West • The Adventures of Robinson Crusoe • In the Days of Buffalo Bill • Perils of the Yukon • The Radio King • With Stanley in Africa • Around the World in Eighteen Days • Beasts of Paradise • The Eagle's Talons • The Ghost City • In the Days of Daniel Boone • The Oregon Trail • The Phantom Fortune • The Social Buccaneer • The Steel Trail • The Fast Express • The Fighting Ranger • The Iron Man • The Riddle Rider • Wolves of the North • Ace of Spades • The Great Circus Mystery • The Scarlet Streak • Fighting with Buffalo Bill • Strings of Steel • The Winking Idol • Blake of Scotland Yard • The Fire Fighters • The Return of the Riddle Rider • The Trail of the Tiger • Whispering Smith Rides • Haunted Island • Tarzan the Mighty • The Vanishing Rider • The Diamond Master • A Final Reckoning • The Pirate of Panama

Part-sound Serials (1929-1930)	The Ace of Scotland Yard • Tarzan the Tiger • The Jade Box • The Lightning Express • Terry of the Times • The Indians Are Coming

Pre-war Sound Serials (1931-1942)	Finger Prints • Heroes of the Flames • Danger Island • Battling with Buffalo Bill • The Spell of the Circus • Detective Lloyd • The Airmail Mystery • Heroes of the West • The Jungle Mystery • The Lost Special • Clancy of the Mounted • The Phantom of the Air • Gordon of Ghost City • The Perils of Pauline • Pirate Treasure • The Vanishing Shadow • The Red Rider • Tailspin Tommy • Rustlers of Red Dog • The Call of the Savage • The Roaring West • Tailspin Tommy in the Great Air Mystery • The Adventures of Frank Merriwell • Flash Gordon • The Phantom Rider • Ace Drummond • Jungle Jim • Secret Agent X-9 • Wild West Days • Radio Patrol • Tim Tyler's Luck • Flash Gordon's Trip to Mars • Flaming Frontiers • Red Barry • Scouts to the Rescue • Buck Rogers • The Oregon Trail • The Phantom Creeps • The Green Hornet • Flash Gordon Conquers the Universe • Winners of the West • Junior G-Men • The Green Hornet Strikes Again • Sky Raiders • Riders of Death Valley • Sea Raiders

War-time Serials (1942-1945)	Don Winslow of the Navy • Gang Busters • Junior G-Men of the Air • Overland Mail • The Adventures of Smilin' Jack • Don Winslow of the Coast Guard • Adventures of the Flying Cadets • The Great Alaskan Mystery • Raiders of Ghost City • Mystery of the River Boat • Jungle Queen • The Master Key • Secret Agent X-9

Post-war Serials (1945-1946)	The Royal Mounted Rides Again • The Scarlet Horseman • Lost City of the Jungle • The Mysterious Mr. M

Actors and Actresses	Buster Crabbe • Priscilla Lawson • Béla Lugosi • Frank Merrill • Charles B. Middleton • Jean Rogers • Frank Shannon

Production crew	Ford Beebe • Lewis D. Collins • Robert F. Hill • Lew Landers • Henry MacRae • J. P. McGowan • George H. Plympton • Clifford Smith • Ray Taylor

See also	Film serials • List of film serials • List of film serials by studio