Rosina Lawrence

Rosina Lawrence

American actress born in Canada
Date of Birth: 30.12.1912
Country: USA

Content:
  1. Biography of Rosina Lawrence
  2. Debut and Rising Fame
  3. Success with "Our Gang"
  4. Later Life and Legacy

Biography of Rosina Lawrence

Early Life and Career

Rosina Lawrence was born in 1912 in Westboro, Ontario, Canada. Her parents were British, and she spent her childhood in Canada, Great Britain, and the United States. Her father, George F. Lawrence, worked as a laborer in the film industry, exposing Rosina to the atmosphere of Hollywood from a young age. Though her early dance lessons were cut short due to a leg injury, Rosina grew up to be a highly artistic girl, participating in school plays and later taking acting lessons from renowned Shakespearean actor Joseph DeGrasse.

Rosina Lawrence

Debut and Rising Fame

Rosina made her film debut at the age of 10 in the 1923 film "Lady of Quality." She then appeared in various musicals and vaudeville shows before returning to the big screen in 1927 with "The Angel of Broadway." In 1934, she signed a contract with Fox Film Corporation along with her friend and fellow aspiring actress Rita Hayworth. This contract secured her roles in five films such as "Welcome Home," "Charlie Chan's Secret," and "Music Is Magic." However, her career faced a setback when Fox merged with 20th Century, resulting in the termination of all actor contracts.

Rosina Lawrence

Success with "Our Gang"

Rosina was soon cast in the "Our Gang" series, where she gained incredible popularity for her portrayal of a schoolteacher in the renowned comedic episodes. Audiences recognized her as Miss Lawrence from "Bored of Education" and "Three Smart Boys" and as Miss Jones from "Reunion in Rhythm" and "Hearts Are Thumps." This period marked the peak of Rosina's fame, with her popularity reaching its height in the mid to late 1930s.

Rosina Lawrence

Later Life and Legacy

However, her career began to decline towards the end of the 1930s. In 1937, she appeared in Edward Sedgwick's musical "Pick a Star" before traveling to Italy, where she starred as an American girl in "In campagna è caduta una stella." With the outbreak of World War II in Europe, Rosina was forced to return to the United States. In 1939, she married lawyer Juvenal P. Marchisio, with whom she had three children. After her husband's death in 1973, Rosina remarried John C. McCabe in 1987. John passed away in 1997. Rosina Lawrence died on June 23, 1997, at the age of 84 from cancer.

Despite her undeniable talent, incredible charm, and immense desire to act, Rosina Lawrence is often considered an "undiscovered star." Some attribute this to bad luck, while others believe that Rosina herself may have lacked the necessary drive and aggression for acting fame. Nevertheless, Rosina Lawrence was content with her career, stating, "It was wonderful! I enjoyed every minute of it!" as she looked back on her life.

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