Loftus, Marie (1857–1940)

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Loftus, Marie (1857–1940)

Scottish music-hall star. Born in Glasgow, Scotland, in 1857; died in 1940; married Ben Brown (an actor in a minstrel show); children: Marie Cecilia Brown (1876–1943, who performed as Cissie Loftus).

A music-hall luminary known as "the Sarah Bernhardt of the Halls," Marie Loftus often appeared as a principal boy, always stunningly dressed. She made her debut in Glasgow in 1874, and her London debut in Oxford in 1877, then had a successful tour in South Africa and America. In 1892, Marie was involved with the Drury Lane all-star pantomime which included Marie Lloyd, Ada Blanche , Dan Leno, Herbert Campbell, and Mabel Love . Marie Loftus was the mother of Cissie Loftus .