Crews, Laura Hope (1879–1942)

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Crews, Laura Hope (1879–1942)

American actress. Born Dec 12, 1879, in San Francisco, California; died Nov 13, 1942, in New York, NY; dau. of John Thomas Crews (carpenter) and Angelena (Lockwood) Crews (actress).

Debuted at 4 in Bootle's Baby at Woodward's Theatre, San Francisco (c. 1884); had 1st significant success in NY supporting Eleanor Robson in Merely Mary Ann (1904); began lifelong association with Henry Miller in Joseph Entangled (1904) and appeared with him in such plays as The Great Divide (1906); at height of career, appeared with Theatre Guild in works including Mr. Pim Passes By (1922) and Right You Are if You Think You Are (1927); had greatest stage success as Mrs. Phelps in The Silver Cord (1926); with advent of talking films (1930s), taught diction to stars of the silents; appeared in numerous films and is especially remembered for her role as Aunt Pittypat in Gone with the Wind (1939) and as Mme Prudence in Camille (1936).