Dorothy Brunton
Born(1890-10-11)11 October 1890
Melbourne
Died5 June 1977(1977-06-05) (aged 86)
Darlinghurst, New South Wales, Australia
EducationAlfred House, Presbyterian Ladies' College, Melbourne
OccupationActress
Parent(s)John Brunton (artist) and Cecily Christina, née Neilsen (actress)

Christine Dorothy Brunton (11 October 1890 – 5 June 1977), (some sources have "Christina") generally known as Dorothy Brunton or "Dot" was an Australian singer, dancer and actress prominent in musical comedy from 1915 to the mid-1930s.

Biography

Her father, John Brunton (15 May 1849 – 22 July 1909), was a scenic painter in Scottish theatres before working in Australia with J. C. Williamson, George Coppin and Bland Holt.[1] Her mother English-born Cecily Christina (née Neilsen) was an actress. Dorothy was born shortly after their arrival in Australia.[2]

She was educated at Presbyterian Ladies' College in Burwood, Victoria.[2] and at Alford House, Sydney.[3]

Her stage advancement was the stuff of Hollywood cliche: travelling around Australia and New Zealand with her father touring with the 1908 production The White Heather in his job as scene painter for Bland Holt, her singing talents being recognised by Grace Miller Ward, wife of Hugh J. Ward and developed towards musical theatre; picking up dancing skills as one of the first pupils of dance teacher, Jennie Brenan,[4][5] acting as understudy and triumphantly filling the role when the star becomes ill, even taking parts she hadn't studied.[6]

Her first major engagement So Long Letty (1915–16) was with J. C. Williamson ("The Firm") to whom she stayed remarkably loyal. Other roles around this time were in High Jinks, Tonight's the Night, Canary Cottage, The Girl in the Taxi, Nellie Kelly and The Rise of Rosie O'Reilly.[7] In 1916 she appeared in a movie Seven Keys to Baldpate for J. C. Williamson Films.[3]

She left for America in 1917, where she played in Follow the Girl[8] then London (to the delight of Australian troops on leave), where she made a successful appearance in Shanghai at Drury Lane.[9]

She returned to Australia in 1920, playing in Yes Uncle! and Baby Bunting. She played for Hugh J. Ward 1924 and 1925, then The Climax for Hugh D. McIntosh in 1927, which "bombed" in London. Her "leading man" was frequently Guy Bates Post.

Selected performances

Personal

Dorothy married businessman Ben Dawson in 1931.[12] They moved to London in 1934; she returned to Australia in 1949 after the death of her husband. She had been badly injured in the London bombing and was suffering the effects of Parkinson's disease. She lived alone with a companion and died on 5 June 1977 at a hospice in Sydney and was cremated.

Family connection, if any, between Dorothy and fellow actress Barbara Brunton (1927–2014) has yet to be found. Dorothy's father was John Brunton (c. 1848– 22 July 1909), born in Scotland. Barbara's grandfather James Gibb (–c. 1949) married Mary Brunton ( –1952) on 4 July 1891. Barbara's father James Gibb (13 January 1897 – 28 June 1968) changed his name to James Brunton Gibb before he married Ethel Isabel Lang (1902 – November 1995) on 1 September 1923.

References

  1. ↑ "Death of John Brunton". The Referee. No. 1186. Sydney. 28 July 1909. p. 15. Retrieved 18 March 2016 – via National Library of Australia.
  2. 1 2 Australian Dictionary of Biography
  3. 1 2 3 4 Porter, Hal Stars of Australian Stage and Screen Rigby Ltd, Adelaide 1965
  4. ↑ McCalman, Janet, "Jennie Frances Brenan (1877–1964)", Australian Dictionary of Biography, Canberra: National Centre of Biography, Australian National University, retrieved 11 November 2023
  5. ↑ "Australia Dancing - Brenan, Jennie (1877 - 1964)". Archived from the original on 25 February 2004.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: unfit URL (link)
  6. ↑ The Argus (Melbourne) 3 November 1923
  7. ↑ West, John Theatre in Australia Cassell Australia ISBN 0-7269-9266-6
  8. ↑ Sydney Morning Herald 14 January 1918
  9. ↑ Brisbane Courier 30 August 1918
  10. ↑ Argus (Melbourne) 23 October 1923
  11. ↑ Sydney Morning Herald 19 June 1925
  12. ↑ Sydney Morning Herald 17 August 1931
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