Remember Jessie Matthews. She graced the stage and screen during the 1920s and 1930s. This plaque honors her birth on Berwick Street.
Jessie Margaret Matthews was born on March 11 1907. Her family lived above a butcher’s shop. It was at 94 Berwick Street. Jessie’s father sold fruits and vegetables. He provided for a large family of sixteen children.
At only 12 years old Jessie Matthews debuted. It was in Bluebell in Fairyland. The Metropolitan Music Hall hosted the show. She then took dancing lessons. It was in a room above a pub at 22 Berwick Street.
Did you know Jessie Matthews’ early life was marked by relative poverty? The family moved often within Soho and Camden Town. She attended local schools including St Matthew’s School. Later she went to Pulteney Street London County Council School for Girls.
In 1923 Jessie Matthews made her silent film debut. It was in The Beloved Vagabond. That same year she debuted in the West End. She appeared in C. B. Cochran’s production of Irving Berlin’s Music Box Revue.
Jessie went to New York. She understudied Gertrude Lawrence in Charlot’s Review of 1924. When Lawrence fell ill Jessie took over. Her performance received glowing reviews. This marked a significant step in her rising career.
She achieved star status in The Charlot Show of 1926. Jessie danced in ballet with Anton Dolin. She also performed in musical comedy with Henry Lytton Jr. Matthews and Lytton married that year. They later divorced.
Matthews starred in One Dam Thing After Another in 1927. She introduced the hit song “My Heart Stood Still”. She met her co-star Sonnie Hale. Their paths would cross again.
Ever Green premiered in Glasgow in 1930. Jessie played the lead role. The musical was inspired by Marie Lloyd’s life. It featured the first major revolving stage in Britain. Jessie introduced “Dancing on the Ceiling”.
Jessie Matthews transitioned to film. She first starred in Out of the Blue in 1931. She gained recognition in There Goes the Bride. It was directed by Albert de Courville.
She starred in The Good Companions in 1933. Alfred Hitchcock directed her in Waltzes from Vienna. This operetta told the story behind “The Blue Danube”. She starred alongside Hale in Friday the Thirteenth.
Evergreen was filmed in 1934. It featured “Over My Shoulder.” This became her signature song. She starred in First a Girl in 1935. Then she starred in It’s Love Again in 1936.
Exhibitors voted her the sixth biggest star in the country. Matthews starred in films directed by her husband Sonnie Hale. These films were Gangway Head over Heels and Sailing Along.
Her warbling voice made her much-loved during World War II. She appeared in Forever and a Day in 1943. Matthews returned to the West End in Wild Rose in 1942.
Jessie Matthews’ popularity waned in the 1940s. She directed Victory Wedding. She entertained troops in Europe. It was as a member of ENSA.
She ventured into straight theatre. Matthews toured Australia. She played Eliza Doolittle in Pygmalion. She starred with Sonnie Hale in Nest of Robins.
She played Tom Thumb’s mother in the 1958 film tom thumb. She moved to Melbourne and opened a drama school. Matthews returned to the UK in 1960.
In the 1960s Matthews found new fame. She took over the role of Mary Dale in The Dales. She was awarded an OBE in 1970. She continued to make appearances throughout the 1970s.
Her final stage musical appearance was in The Water Babies in 1973. She played Wallis Simpson’s Aunt Bessie in Edward & Mrs. Simpson. Matthews’ last appearance was in Night of One Hundred Stars in 1980.
Jessie Matthews died of cancer in 1981. She was 74. A memorial plaque was unveiled on Berwick Street in 1995. It stands above the venue for her childhood dance classes.
The plaque commemorates Jessie Matthews. It marks the spot where a star was born. Her talent continues to inspire. Remember her legacy as we pass by this place.