Queenie Paul
Queenie Paul (OAM) | |
|---|---|
 Queenie Paul, 1919 | |
| Born | Eveline Pauline Paul 30 December 1893 Pyrmont, New South Wales, Australia |
| Died | 31 July 1982 (aged 88) |
| Occupation | Vaudevillian , theatre producer[1] |
| Spouse(s) | Mike Connors |
| Family | Anthony Field (great nephew) |
Eveline Pauline "Queenie" Paul (OAM) (30 December 1893 – 31 July 1982) was an Australian performer in vaudeville shows (singer and dancer) and a theatre producer, active from the 1910s until the early 1980s. She was particularly known for her associations with the company's of J.C. Williamson and Sir Benjamin Fuller
Early life[]
Eveline Pauline Paul was born in Sydney, the daughter of Frederick William Paul and Antoinette Schuller Paul. Her father was born in Germany; her mother was French.[1] Her nickname came from being the first girl in the family after four sons; she was "the little queen" from a young age.[2]
Career[]
Queenie Paul was on stage with J.C. Williamson as a chorus girl by age 15. In her early 20s she was "principal boy" in a production of a pantomime, The Bunyip.[3] In 1917 she co-starred with an American actor at the National Theatre; she and Mike Connors were soon wed, and worked in shows together for most of the next twelve years. Their "Con-Paul Theatre" company opened in 1931, with them headlining a variety show. In 1932, she was "ballet mistress and star" at the Sydney Theatre Royal.[4] The Connors took a touring company to New Zealand in the mid-1930s. Apart from Connors, who was busy with a new broadcasting career, Paul concentrated on producing shows featuring her chorus line, the "Sun-Kissed Girls".[1]
Honours[]
Paul's stylish wardrobe was often remarked upon and reported about.[5][6] Later in life, she continued performing in variety shows,[7] and she was a regular guest on television talk shows. In 1977 she was the guest of honor on an episode of . In 1982, she was awarded an Order of Australia medal (OAM).[2]
Personal life[]
Queenie Paul married her co-star Mike Connors in 1917. They had three children, Celestine, Colleen, and Paul; Colleen died in 1933. Paul was widowed when Connors died in 1949.[8] She married again in 1960, to Walter John Harding, an accountant. Her great-nephews were Anthony Field of The Cockroaches and The Wiggles, and John Field and Paul Field, also of The Cockroaches.[9] Queenie Paul died in 1982, just two days after her last performance, at the age of 88 years, in her home in Dulwich Hill.[1] Her papers are archived in the Performing Arts Collection at Arts Centre Melbourne.[10]
References[]
- ^ Jump up to: a b c d Jennie Lees, "Eveline Pauline (Queenie) Paul" in Australian Dictionary of Biography, Volume 18 (MUP 2012).
- ^ Jump up to: a b Frank Van Straten, "Queenie Paul OAM 1893-1982" Live Performance Australia Hall of Fame (2007).
- ^ "Miss Queenie Paul" Critic (6 June 1917): 11. via Trove
- ^ "In Defense of Chorus Girl: Queenie Paul Speaks" Arrow (12 February 1932): 21. via Trove
- ^ "Queenie Paul's Dresses" Sunday Times (4 February 1923): 5. via Trove
- ^ "Queenie Paul's Rainbow Frock" Sunday Times (18 February 1923): 5. via Trove
- ^ "Queenie Paul at Royal" Sunday Mail (January 20, 1952): 11. via Trove
- ^ "Show Goes On For Queenie" Daily Mercury (26 November 1949): 7. via Trove
- ^ Field, Paul (8 November 2006). "It's a Wiggly Wiggly World" (PDF). Currency House. Archived from the original (pdf) on 22 March 2015. Retrieved 21 July 2020.
- ^ Evelyn "Queenie" Paul, Performing Arts Collection, Arts Centre Melbourne.
External links[]
- Queenie Paul's listing at AusStage.
- Sheet music for "A Smile for Ev'ry Day", written and composed by Queenie Paul and Harry Mashman, circa 1923.
- Queenie Paul at IMDb
- 1893 births
- 1982 deaths
- Australian singers
- Australian female dancers
- 20th-century singers