Flora Le Breton

Flora le Breton (1899 – 11 July 1951, in Brooklyn, New York City) was an English silent film actress from Croydon, Surrey, England. She was a dainty blonde with dark blue eyes. In the UK she was called both the British Mary Pickford. and the English Mary Pickford.

Her ancestry was English, French, Scottish and Irish. Her Scottish lineage was lengthy and distinguished. She was related to Archibald Campbell, 2nd Earl of Argyll. Her ancestral home, Ware Park, dated to the 15th century. Flora Annie Le Breton was the youngest child of a gentleman of private means, Bertram Le Breton (born 1870), and his wife, and Florence Evelyn Le Breton. She had a sister called Violet (born 1897) and their brother was named Vivian Bertram Le Breton (born 1898). In August 1918, her brother, Lieutenant Vivian Le Breton, who had just weeks before married a Miss Theodora Fairbrother, was killed in action while fighting in France during World War I. Her sister Violet married Major Cecil Haigh and settled in Hong Kong.

She trained for the stage at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art in London. Le Breton earned a scholarship there at the age of fifteen. Founded by Sir Herbert Tree, the academy grant was presented to her by Sir Squire Bancroft and Sir John Hare.

She secured the role of a London flower girl and played opposite Sir Gerald du Maurier for an entire year in the English capital. She was noticed by Andre Charlot, who envisioned her as an English soubrette. He put Le Breton in several revues in which she sang and performed a stiff-legged doll dance that became the highlight of the shows.

Le Breton's film career began in 1920 with a role as Alesia in La Poupee. In 1922 she co-starred with George K. Arthur and Simeon Stuart in Love's Influence, originally titled Love's April. The French heavyweight boxer, Georges Carpentier, made a cameo appearance in the British silent film. Le Breton won many of the London film favourite contests along with actress Betty Balfour. She appeared in the first coloured film made in Great Britain. The Glorious Adventure (1922) starred Lady Diana Cooper and Victor McLaglen. Produced by J. Stuart Blackton, founder of Vitagraph Studios, the film was made in Prizma colour.

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