1. Florence Dawson, better known by her stage name Florence Desmond, was an English actress, comedian and impersonator.
11 Facts About Florence Desmond
1. 2.
Florence Desmond's brother, Fred Desmond, was a comedy acrobat from the "Desmond and Marks" double act.
3.
Florence Desmond began her stage career at the age of ten.
4.
Florence Desmond was employed in 1925 by the impresario C B Cochran, and appeared in several revues.
5.
Florence Desmond began appearing in many popular British films of the 1930s.
6.
Florence Desmond repeated the performance for release as a 78 rpm record for the His Master's Voice, "A Hollywood Party", which became a best-seller.
7.
Florence Desmond continued to tour in revues, and in 1941 starred with Max Miller and Vera Lynn in Apple Sauce, a revue which ran for over 400 performances at the London Palladium.
8.
Florence Desmond continued to perform regularly at the Palladium after the end of the Second World War, and in 1951 made her second and final appearance in a Royal Variety Performance.
9.
Florence Desmond was the subject of This Is Your Life in 1959 when she was surprised by Eamonn Andrews at London's Adelphi Theatre.
10.
Florence Desmond's recording of the risque song "The Deepest Shelter in Town" has been featured in multiple World War II music compilations.
11.
Florence Desmond died in Guildford, Surrey, in 1993, aged 87.