Eleanor Robson Belmont

<p> When Mrs. August Belmont died in 1979 just before her 100th birthday she was remembered as a philanthropist and advocate for the arts especially the Metropolitan Opera--but before her triumphs as Mrs. Belmont she had dignified the American stage for 13 glorious years as Eleanor Robson actress. Her splendid voice understated style and always-evident intelligence thrilled legions of theatregoers and enthralled the best playwrights of her time including Israel Zangwill Clyde Fitch and George Bernard Shaw.</p><p> Despite the brevity of her career Eleanor Robson stands as a prototype for many actresses who followed her--women who sought to control their own careers and demanded artistic respect and freedom and who by the twenty-first century would confidently call themselves not actresses but actors. This is the first book-length biography of her focusing especially on her theatrical career.</p>