Gabrielle Elizabeth Clifford Cook (1883 - 1973)

Born 28 Apr 1883 in Cheadle, Cheshire, England, United Kingdom

Died 21 May 1973 at age 90 in Egham, Surrey, England, United Kingdom

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Biography

Gabrielle Ray Cook is Notable.

English stage actress, dancer and singer, best known for her roles in Edwardian musical comedies.

She was considered one of the most beautiful actresses on the London stage and became one of the most photographed women in the world. In the first decade of the 20th century, she had a good career in musical theatre. After an unsuccessful marriage that lasted only about 2 years, she never recovered the fame that she had enjoyed. She spent many of her later years in mental hospitals.

Gabrielle announced her retirement to marry the wealthy Eric Loder (1888–1966) in early 1912 and left the production of Peggy. She did not appear her wedding ceremony at St Edwards Roman Catholic Church in Windsor because of his failure to sign the prenuptial contract, but the marriage took place soon afterwards. He was unfaithful, however, and the couple divorced in 1914.

The broken marriage was difficult for Ray, but in 1915, she returned to the stage to play the role of Estelle in the musical Betty at the Gaiety Theatre and, in the following year, in the revue Flying Colours at the London Hippodrome. These were her last appearances on the West End, but for nearly a decade afterwards, she appeared occasionally in provincial variety tours and pantomimes, finally leaving the stage about 1924. For instance, she played Maid Marian in The Babes in the Wood at Prince's Theatre in Bradford at Christmas 1919 and was Mother Goose at the Theatre Royal, Manchester, at Christmas 1920.

After this, Ray struggled with depression and alcohol abuse. In 1936, she suffered a mental breakdown and was institutionalized for nearly forty years. She died in 1973 at Holloway Sanatorium.

There is a plaque commemorating her. It reads: "On this site Miss Gabrielle Ray was born April 28th 1883. Gaiety girl, actress, singer and dancer, she was the most photographed stage beauty of the Edwardian Age"

Perhaps the most astonishing affair is that of Gabrielle Ray and Eric Loder. These young people were only married on February 29, 1912. Gabrielle Ray is considered by excellent authorities to be the most statuesque beauty that ever appeared on the English stage. Every Johnny of international fame, from Alfred Vanderbilt to King Manuel of Portugal, worshipped at this beauty's feet. It was whispered that dukes and earls wanted to marry her. Out of the whole crowd she picked young Eric Loder, who had a fortune of $10,000.000. Although his family made their money in tallow, they have a fine social position, and one of them is a baronet.

The wedding day arrived, and every ornament of stage and peerage was waiting at the church. There, too, was the bridegroom. But the fair bride did not come, and the ceremony was deferred. People thought it was an exhibition of the beauty's capricious ways. Closer investigation showed it was rather an exhibition of business sense. Loder had failed to sign the stipulated marriage settlement, securing her the income she needed. He pleaded that excessive prenuptial hospitality had caused him to overlook the formality. He signed up and the wedding took place three days later.

Now, after barely a year of married life, they, have quarrelled, and Gabrielle is seeking a divorce. Her stage friends say that the inconstant millionaire found perfect beauty a perfect bore, and sought consolation with one who was less beautiful but more amusing.

Sources

See Also:

• https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gabrielle_Ray
• http://www.stagebeauty.net/th-frames.html?http&&&www.stagebeauty.net/ray/ray-g2.html
• http://www.stagebeauty.net/th-fourgr.html
• https://openplaques.org/plaques/3616