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| birth_name = Priscilla Jones Shortridge |
| birth_name = Priscilla Jones Shortridge |
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| birth_date = {{birth date|1914|3|8}} |
| birth_date = {{birth date|1914|3|8}} |
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| birth_place = [[Indianapolis, Indiana]] |
| birth_place = [[Indianapolis, Indiana]], U.S. |
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| death_date = {{death date and age|1958|8|27|1914|2|8}} |
| death_date = {{death date and age|1958|8|27|1914|2|8}} |
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| death_place = [[Los Angeles, California]] |
| death_place = [[Los Angeles, California]], U.S. |
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| occupation = Film actress |
| occupation = Film actress |
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| yearsactive = 1935-1941 |
| yearsactive = 1935-1941 |
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| Line 18: | Line 18: | ||
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}} |
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'''Priscilla Jones Lawson''' ( |
'''Priscilla Jones Lawson''' ({{nee}} '''Shortridge'''; March 8, 1914 – August 27, 1958), was an American actress best known for her role as [[Princess Aura]] in the original ''[[Flash Gordon (serial)|Flash Gordon]]'' serial (1936). |
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==Early years== |
==Early years== |
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Born in |
Born in [[Indianapolis, Indiana]], Lawson was the daughter of Elmer Shortridge, a railroad yard foreman and machinist, and his wife, Elizabeth (née Hess) Shortridge.<ref>{{cite news|title=Father of Actress, Miss Lawson, Dies|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/10290910/the_oshkosh_northwestern/|work=The Oshkosh Northwestern|agency=Associated Press|date=March 15, 1939|location=Wisconsin, Oshkosh|page=10|via = [[Newspapers.com]]|accessdate = April 15, 2017}} {{Open access}}</ref> |
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== Career == |
== Career == |
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Lawson was a professional model<ref>{{cite news|title=Typical Cinderellas|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/10291224/ironwood_daily_globe/|work=Ironwood Daily Globe|date=January 8, 1937|location=Michigan, Ironwood|page=14|via = [[Newspapers.com]]|accessdate = April 15, 2017}} {{Open access}}</ref> by her early twenties and was named Miss Miami Beach in 1935, after which she was employed as an [[Earl Carroll]] chorus girl at the Miami Casino. This gained her a contract with [[Universal Studios]], which used her in a variety of small roles. However, in 1936 she was cast in the serial ''[[Flash Gordon (serial)|Flash Gordon]]'' as the voluptuous daughter of the villain, [[Ming the Merciless]]. Princess Aura's rivalry with [[Dale Arden]] for Flash Gordon's affection was one of the centerpieces of the serial and gained Lawson [[cult figure]] status. |
Lawson was a professional model<ref>{{cite news|title=Typical Cinderellas|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/10291224/ironwood_daily_globe/|work=Ironwood Daily Globe|date=January 8, 1937|location=Michigan, Ironwood|page=14|via = [[Newspapers.com]]|accessdate = April 15, 2017}} {{Open access}}</ref> by her early twenties and was named Miss Miami Beach in 1935, after which she was employed as an [[Earl Carroll]] chorus girl at the Miami Casino. This gained her a contract with [[Universal Pictures|Universal Studios]], which used her in a variety of small roles. However, in 1936 she was cast in the serial ''[[Flash Gordon (serial)|Flash Gordon]]'' as the voluptuous daughter of the villain, [[Ming the Merciless]]. Princess Aura's rivalry with [[Dale Arden]] for Flash Gordon's affection was one of the centerpieces of the serial and gained Lawson [[cult figure]] status. |
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Roy Kinnard wrote in ''Science Fiction Serials'' that "Lawson's notable physical assets were responsible for incurring the wrath of censors" in the filming of ''Flash Gordon''.<ref name=sfs>{{cite book|last1=Kinnard|first1=Roy|title=Science Fiction Serials: A Critical Filmography of the 31 Hard SF Cliffhangers; With an Appendix of the 37 Serials with Slight SF Content|date=1998|publisher=McFarland|isbn=9780786437450|page=39|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=5XFoCgAAQBAJ&q=%22Priscilla+Lawson%22+actress&pg=PA39|accessdate=15 April 2017|language=en}}</ref> Co-star [[Jean Rogers]] told him that censors ordered retakes of Chapter 1 of the serial with Lawson "wearing slightly less revealing garb."<ref name=sfs/> |
Roy Kinnard wrote in ''Science Fiction Serials'' that "Lawson's notable physical assets were responsible for incurring the wrath of censors" in the filming of ''Flash Gordon''.<ref name=sfs>{{cite book|last1=Kinnard|first1=Roy|title=Science Fiction Serials: A Critical Filmography of the 31 Hard SF Cliffhangers; With an Appendix of the 37 Serials with Slight SF Content|date=1998|publisher=McFarland|isbn=9780786437450|page=39|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=5XFoCgAAQBAJ&q=%22Priscilla+Lawson%22+actress&pg=PA39|accessdate=15 April 2017|language=en}}</ref> Co-star [[Jean Rogers]] told him that censors ordered retakes of Chapter 1 of the serial with Lawson "wearing slightly less revealing garb."<ref name=sfs/> Her screen career ended in 1941.<ref>[https://catalog.afi.com/Person/126128-Priscilla-Lawson?sid=e11d2c72-bb92-48b4-8dfd-7f5ccbf3eb6c&sr=11.687032&cp=1&pos=0&isMiscCredit=false "Priscilla Lawson"] at the [[AFI Film Catalog]]</ref> |
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Her screen career ended in 1941.<ref>[https://catalog.afi.com/Person/126128-Priscilla-Lawson?sid=e11d2c72-bb92-48b4-8dfd-7f5ccbf3eb6c&sr=11.687032&cp=1&pos=0&isMiscCredit=false "Priscilla Lawson"] at the [[AFI Film Catalog]]</ref> |
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== Personal life == |
== Personal life == |
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Lawson was married to: |
Lawson was married to: |
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*Gerald A. Lawson (1906-1933), a furniture salesman, on |
*Gerald A. Lawson (1906-1933), a furniture salesman, on March 8, 1932; he died the following year of croupous pneumonia. |
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*[[Alan Curtis (American actor)|Alan Curtis]] (1909-1953), |
*[[Alan Curtis (American actor)|Alan Curtis]] (1909-1953), American actor, in November 1937. They divorced in 1940.<ref name="pm">{{cite news|title=Not Wanted|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/10290671/pottstown_mercury/|work=Pottstown Mercury|agency=Associated Press|date=March 14, 1940|location=Pennsylvania, Pottstown|page=13|via = [[Newspapers.com]]|accessdate = April 15, 2017}} {{Open access}}</ref> |
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== Later life == |
== Later life == |
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{{moresources|section|date=November 2023}} |
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After her second marriage ended, Lawson enlisted in the [[Women's Army Corps]] during [[World War II]]. An unverified rumor claims she lost a leg in an accident while serving in the Army. Another version is that she lost a leg in a 1937 car crash. However, her ''Flash Gordon'' co-star [[Jean Rogers]] denied that Lawson had lost a leg, and it was also rejected in a biographical review in an Indianapolis journal. |
After her second marriage ended, Lawson enlisted in the [[Women's Army Corps]] during [[World War II]]. An unverified rumor claims she lost a leg in an accident while serving in the Army. Another version is that she lost a leg in a 1937 car crash. However, her ''Flash Gordon'' co-star [[Jean Rogers]] denied that Lawson had lost a leg, and it was also rejected in a biographical review in an Indianapolis journal. In later life, she managed a stationery shop in [[Los Angeles]], [[California]], and worked for two pottery companies as a finisher. |
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In later life, she managed a stationery shop in [[Los Angeles]], [[California]], and worked for two pottery companies as a finisher. |
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== Death == |
== Death == |
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On August 27, 1958, Lawson died at 44 in [[Monrovia, California]], due to cirrhosis and upper gastrointestinal bleeding caused by a [[Peptic ulcer|duodenal ulcer]]. She was interred at Live Oak Memorial Park in Monrovia.<ref name="rp">{{cite book|last1=Wilson|first1=Scott|title=Resting Places: The Burial Sites of More Than 14,000 Famous Persons, 3d ed. (2 volume set)|date=2016|publisher=McFarland|isbn=9781476625997|page=430|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=FOHgDAAAQBAJ&q=%22Priscilla+Shortridge%22&pg=PA430|accessdate=15 April 2017|language=en}}</ref> |
On August 27, 1958, Lawson died at 44 in [[Monrovia, California]], due to cirrhosis and upper gastrointestinal bleeding caused by a [[Peptic ulcer|duodenal ulcer]]. She was interred at Live Oak Memorial Park in Monrovia.<ref name="rp">{{cite book|last1=Wilson|first1=Scott|title=Resting Places: The Burial Sites of More Than 14,000 Famous Persons, 3d ed. (2 volume set)|date=2016|publisher=McFarland|isbn=9781476625997|page=430|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=FOHgDAAAQBAJ&q=%22Priscilla+Shortridge%22&pg=PA430|accessdate=15 April 2017|language=en}}</ref> |
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Latest revision as of 19:36, 26 November 2024
Priscilla Lawson | |
|---|---|
.jpg) Lawson in 1936 | |
| Born | Priscilla Jones Shortridge March 8, 1914 Indianapolis, Indiana, U.S. |
| Died | August 27, 1958 (aged 44) Los Angeles, California, U.S. |
| Occupation | Film actress |
| Years active | 1935-1941 |
| Spouses | |
Priscilla Jones Lawson (née Shortridge; March 8, 1914 – August 27, 1958), was an American actress best known for her role as Princess Aura in the original Flash Gordon serial (1936).
Early years
[edit]Born in Indianapolis, Indiana, Lawson was the daughter of Elmer Shortridge, a railroad yard foreman and machinist, and his wife, Elizabeth (née Hess) Shortridge.[1]
Career
[edit]Lawson was a professional model[2] by her early twenties and was named Miss Miami Beach in 1935, after which she was employed as an Earl Carroll chorus girl at the Miami Casino. This gained her a contract with Universal Studios, which used her in a variety of small roles. However, in 1936 she was cast in the serial Flash Gordon as the voluptuous daughter of the villain, Ming the Merciless. Princess Aura's rivalry with Dale Arden for Flash Gordon's affection was one of the centerpieces of the serial and gained Lawson cult figure status.
Roy Kinnard wrote in Science Fiction Serials that "Lawson's notable physical assets were responsible for incurring the wrath of censors" in the filming of Flash Gordon.[3] Co-star Jean Rogers told him that censors ordered retakes of Chapter 1 of the serial with Lawson "wearing slightly less revealing garb."[3] Her screen career ended in 1941.[4]
Personal life
[edit]Lawson was married to:
- Gerald A. Lawson (1906-1933), a furniture salesman, on March 8, 1932; he died the following year of croupous pneumonia.
- Alan Curtis (1909-1953), American actor, in November 1937. They divorced in 1940.[5]
Later life
[edit] | This section needs additional citations for verification. (November 2023) |
After her second marriage ended, Lawson enlisted in the Women's Army Corps during World War II. An unverified rumor claims she lost a leg in an accident while serving in the Army. Another version is that she lost a leg in a 1937 car crash. However, her Flash Gordon co-star Jean Rogers denied that Lawson had lost a leg, and it was also rejected in a biographical review in an Indianapolis journal. In later life, she managed a stationery shop in Los Angeles, California, and worked for two pottery companies as a finisher.
Death
[edit]On August 27, 1958, Lawson died at 44 in Monrovia, California, due to cirrhosis and upper gastrointestinal bleeding caused by a duodenal ulcer. She was interred at Live Oak Memorial Park in Monrovia.[6]
Filmography
[edit]
| Film | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
| 1935 | His Night Out | Hatcheck Girl | Uncredited |
| 1935 | The Great Impersonation | Maid | Uncredited |
| 1936 | Dangerous Waters | Valparaiso Bar Girl - Back to Wall | Uncredited |
| 1936 | Don't Get Personal | Bridesmaid | Uncredited |
| 1936 | Sutter's Gold | Native Girl | Uncredited |
| 1936 | Flash Gordon | Princess Aura | Serial |
| 1936 | The Phantom Rider | Dance-Hall Girl | Serial, Uncredited |
| 1936 | Yours for the Asking | Minor Role | Uncredited |
| 1936 | Straight from the Shoulder | Minor Role | Uncredited |
| 1936 | Wives Never Know | Laboratory Assistant | Uncredited |
| 1936 | The Big Broadcast of 1937 | Minor Role | Uncredited |
| 1936 | Rose Bowl | Florence Taylor | |
| 1936 | The Accusing Finger | Hat Check Girl | Uncredited |
| 1936 | College Holiday | Student / Phone Operator | Uncredited |
| 1937 | Internes Can't Take Money | Nurse | Uncredited |
| 1937 | King of Gamblers | Grace | Uncredited |
| 1937 | Double Wedding | Felice | |
| 1937 | The Last Gangster | Girl in Dive | Uncredited |
| 1938 | Arsène Lupin Returns | Switchboard Operator | Uncredited |
| 1938 | The First Hundred Years | Mary Brown - Lynn's Secretary | Uncredited |
| 1938 | The Girl of the Golden West | Nina Martinez | |
| 1938 | Test Pilot | Mabel | |
| 1938 | Three Comrades | Frau Brunner - Sanatorium Clerk | Uncredited |
| 1938 | The Toy Wife | Dark Woman | Uncredited |
| 1938 | Heroes of the Hills | Madeline Reynolds | |
| 1938 | Three Loves Has Nancy | Gertie - at the Party | Uncredited |
| 1939 | The Women | Hairdresser #1 | Uncredited |
| 1941 | Billy the Kid | Bessie - Barmaid | Uncredited, (final film role) |
References
[edit]- ^ "Father of Actress, Miss Lawson, Dies". The Oshkosh Northwestern. Wisconsin, Oshkosh. Associated Press. March 15, 1939. p. 10. Retrieved April 15, 2017 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ "Typical Cinderellas". Ironwood Daily Globe. Michigan, Ironwood. January 8, 1937. p. 14. Retrieved April 15, 2017 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ a b Kinnard, Roy (1998). Science Fiction Serials: A Critical Filmography of the 31 Hard SF Cliffhangers; With an Appendix of the 37 Serials with Slight SF Content. McFarland. p. 39. ISBN 9780786437450. Retrieved 15 April 2017.
- ^ "Priscilla Lawson" at the AFI Film Catalog
- ^ "Not Wanted". Pottstown Mercury. Pennsylvania, Pottstown. Associated Press. March 14, 1940. p. 13. Retrieved April 15, 2017 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ Wilson, Scott (2016). Resting Places: The Burial Sites of More Than 14,000 Famous Persons, 3d ed. (2 volume set). McFarland. p. 430. ISBN 9781476625997. Retrieved 15 April 2017.
