occupation cicely courtneidge
Dame Esmerelda Cicely Courtneidge DBE ( 1 April 1893 -- 26 April 1980 ) was an English ___MASK91___ , comedienne and ___MASK20___ . The daughter of the producer Robert Courtneidge , she was appearing in his productions in the West End , by the age of 16 , and was quickly promoted from minor to major roles in his Edwardian musical comedies . After the outbreak of the First World War , her father had a series of failures and temporarily withdrew from production . No other producers offered the young Courtneidge leading roles in musical comedies , and she turned instead to the music hall , learning her craft as a comedienne . In 1916 she married the actor and dancer Jack Hulbert , with whom she formed a professional as well as a private partnership that lasted until his death 62 years later . They acted together on stage and screen , initially in a series of revues , with Hulbert frequently producing as well as performing . Courtneidge appeared in 11 British films in the 1930s , and one in Hollywood , finding this work to be very lucrative . She and Hulbert also recorded for Columbia and HMV , returning to the stage in the late 1930s . During the Second World War , Courtneidge entertained the armed forces and raised funds for the troops . She then had a long run in Under the Counter , a comedy in which she received glowing notices . Notable among her other successes was Courtneidge ' s performance in Ivor Novello ' s musical Gay ' s the Word in 1951 -- 52 . During the rest of the decade , she focused on revues and straight plays . After the mid - 1960s , Courtneidge concentrated on the non - musical theatre , appearing in the West End and on tour in a range of plays , both serious and comic . While appearing in her last West End run in 1971 , she celebrated 70 years on the stage . Afterwards , she continued to work for a further five years before retiring . Robert Courtneidge ( 29 June 1859  6 April 1939 ) was a British theatrical ___MASK38___ - ___MASK25___ and ___MASK56___ . He is best remembered as the co - author of the light ___MASK57___ " Tom Jones " ( 1907 ) and the ___MASK25___ of " The Arcadians " ( 1909 ). He was the father of the actress Cicely Courtneidge , who played in many of his early 20th century productions . Dame Esmerelda Cicely Courtneidge DBE ( 1 April 1893  26 April 1980 ) was an English ___MASK91___ , ___MASK99___ and singer . The daughter of the producer and playwright Robert Courtneidge , she was appearing in his productions in the West End , by the age of 16 , and was quickly promoted from minor to major roles in his Edwardian musical comedies .