Flora Robson
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Dame Flora McKenzie Robson DBE (28 March 1902–7 July 1984) was an Oscar-nominated English actress, renowned as one of the great character players and one of Britain's theatrical grandes dames.
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Early life
She was born in South Shields, of Scottish descent.
Career
Robson made her stage debut in 1921 at the age of nineteen. Standing 5 ft 9 in (1.75 m), but decidedly lacking the glamorous looks of a leading lady, she specialized in character roles, notably that of Queen Elizabeth I in both Fire over England (1937) and The Sea Hawk (1940).
At the age of thirty two, Robson played the old Empress Elizabeth in Alexander Korda's Catherine the Great (1934).
After the war, demonstrating her range, she appeared in Holiday Camp (1947), the first of a series of films which featured the very ordinary Huggett family; as the Anglican Mother Superior in Black Narcissus (1947); as a magistrate in Goodtime Girl (1948); as a prospective Labour MP in Frieda (1947); and in costume melodrama, Saraband for Dead Lovers (1948).
It was her success in Hollywood that brought her recognition. She was created a Commander of the British Empire (CBE) in 1952, and raised to Dame Commander (DBE) in 1960.
Death
She died in Brighton of cancer at the age of 82, never having married or had children.