Florence Desmond

Florence Desmond
Born	Florence Dawson (1905-05-31)31 May 1905 London, England, UK
Died	16 January 1993(1993-01-16) (aged 87) Guildford, Surrey, England
Spouse(s)	Tom Campbell Black (1935-1936) Charles Hughesdon (1937-1993)

Florence Desmond (31 May 1905 – 16 January 1993) was the stage name of Florence Dawson, an English actress, comedienne and impersonator.

Biography

Early life

Born In London in 1905, Desmond was educated at the Dame Alice Owen's School, Islington. Her brother Fred Desmond was a comedy acrobat from the "Desmond and Marks" double act.

Career

She began her stage career at the age of ten. Upon leaving school in 1920, she embarked on a long and successful career in the theatre, especially as an impersonator of famous stars. She appeared extensively in radio, theatre and occasionally in the cinema.

Personal life

She was married twice, first to the aviator Tom Campbell Black from 1935–1936, after his death to aviator and insurance broker Charles Hughesdon from 1937 with whom she lived at Dunsborough Park in Ripley, Surrey.^[1][2] She died in Guildford, Surrey in 1993 aged 87, where a Ward was named for her at St.Luke's Hospital.

Stage

• Still Dancing, 1925–1926
• This Year of Grace, 1928
• Why Not To-night?, 1933–1934
• Funny Side Up, 1939–1940
• Apple Sauce, 1940–1941
• If the Shoe Fits, 1946

Filmography

References

1. ↑ "Charles Hughesdon, Esq, AFC, FRAeS". Debrett's. Retrieved 3 January 2010. 
2. ↑ Franks, Adrian. "A potted history". Dunsborough Park. Retrieved 3 January 2010. 

3. "Florence Desmond", by Florence Desmond, London: George G. Harrap and Co. Ltd, 1953.

External links

• Florence Desmond at the Internet Movie Database
• Photographs and literature