Laura Nelson Hall
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Laura Nelson Hall(July 11, 1876) - (July 11, 1936) was an actress in theater and vaudeville stock companies in the late 19th century and early 20th century.
She was from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Her father was a veteran journalist in the city.
[edit] Stage actress
The Two Escutcheons had a long run at the Bijou Theatre in 1899. Written by Sydney Rosenfeld, the farce was acted by the Augustin Daly company with Hall among the players.
Actor Ned Howard Fowler, Hall's husband, committed suicide in January 1904. Hall and Dr. Starling Wilcox were with him when he shot himself. Wilcox had been called to attend Fowler, who was exceedingly nervous from overwork. Hall and Fowler were both employed by the Empire Theatre stock company. They had wed after arriving with their troupe in Columbus, Ohio, where Fowler killed himself.
Hall was a leading lady of the Arden Stock Company in Washington, D.C. before moving on to New Orleans, Louisiana. There she became prominent, appearing with the Grand Opera House Stock Company. In October 1905 she was the featured actress in a production of A Modern Magdalene. The New Orleans Times-Picayune praised her work in the play, commenting about her role as Katinka, The young and beautiful leading lady is a most capable actress, and it would be more difficult to imagine a more intelligent interpretation of the role than that given by Miss Hall.
The Coming of Mrs. Patrick opened at the Madison Square Theatre, 24th Street, in November 1907, with Hall in the title role. Mrs. Patrick possesses a joy of living which contrasts with her family whose other members are cantankerous and brooding. An observer noted there are a wholesomeness, a breadth of style and a sympathetic quality in the acting of Miss Hall that make her an ideal selection for this particular role.
Daly's Theatre on Broadway presented Girls in April 1908. Hall was in the original cast but was replace by Bessie Toner. Hall was in a three-act drama, New York which premiered at the Garrick Theatre in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, in September 1910. Produced by William J. Hurlbut, the play was introduced at the Columbia Theater in Washington, D.C., several weeks later.
A 1910 staging of Children of Destiny at the Savoy Theatre, 112 West 34th Street (Manhattan), was given a negative review by one critic who called it clumsy. Hall's participation was received in a more positive light. She was credited with conveying an underlying gentleness and sweetness of character. The play was a drama in three acts, another Rosenfeld composition.
The first production of Everywoman by Walter Browne came at the Herald Square Theatre in February 1911. Hall was in the production together with Patricia Collinge and Wilda Bennett. In November 1916 Hall and company performed a new skit by Frances Nordstrum at the Orpheum Theater in Los Angeles, California.
[edit] Movies
Hall was in several motion pictures in Hollywood. They are Dope (1914) and The Stubbornness of Geraldine (1915).
[edit] References
- "Everywoman Most Famous Play On Screen", Ada Evening News, September 2, 1920, p. 8.
- "The Purple Lady", Cedar Rapids Evening Gazette, November 18, 1899, p. 3.
- "Actor Kills Himself In Dramatic Fashion", Conellsville Courier, January 23, 1904, p. 3.
- "The Coming of Mrs. Patrick", Elyria Republican, November 28, 1907, p. 3.
- "Hagenbeck Escaped With His Life", Los Angeles Times, August 13, 1902, p. 5.
- "Stage and Screen", Los Angeles Times, November 16, 1916, p. II3.
- "Young Women Prominent In Current Attractions On The New York Stage", New York Times, April 19, 1908, p. 52.
- "Hifalutin Play By Sydney Rosenfeld", New York Times, February 22, 1910, p. 9.
- "Laura Hall Popular In New Orleans", Washington Post, October 29, 1905, p. 12.
- "Coming To The Theaters", Washington Post, September 25, 1910, p. 48.
