Gaby Deslys

Gaby Deslys
Publicity photo of Deslys, c. 1910s
Born
Marie-Elise-Gabrielle Caire

(1881-11-04)4 November 1881
Marseilles, French Third Republic
Died11 February 1920(1920-02-11) (aged 38)
fr:Rue Antoine-Chantin[1]
Occupation(s)Actress, singer, dancer
Years activec. 1901–1919

Gaby Deslys (born Marie-Elise-Gabrielle Caire, 4 November 1881 – 11 February 1920) was a French singer and actress during the early 20th century. She selected her name for her stage career, and it is a contraction of Gabrielle of the Lillies. During the 1910s she was exceedingly popular worldwide, making $4,000 a week in the United States alone ($130,800 in 2023 dollars [2]). She performed several times on Broadway, at the Winter Garden Theater, and performed in a show with a young Al Jolson. Her dancing was so popular that The Gaby Glide was named for her.[3][4]

Renowned for her beauty, she was courted by several wealthy gentlemen including King Manuel II of Portugal. She eventually made the leap to silent films, making her only U.S. film Her Triumph with Famous Players–Lasky in 1915. She would make a handful of films in France before her death. In 1919 she contracted Spanish influenza and underwent several operations trying to cure a throat infection caused by the disease. She died from complications of the infection in Paris in 1920, at the age of 38.[5][6]

  1. ^ England & Wales, National Probate Calendar (Index of Wills and Administrations), 1858-1995 for Gabrielle Caire
  2. ^ 1634–1699: McCusker, J. J. (1997). How Much Is That in Real Money? A Historical Price Index for Use as a Deflator of Money Values in the Economy of the United States: Addenda et Corrigenda (PDF). American Antiquarian Society. 1700–1799: McCusker, J. J. (1992). How Much Is That in Real Money? A Historical Price Index for Use as a Deflator of Money Values in the Economy of the United States (PDF). American Antiquarian Society. 1800–present: Federal Reserve Bank of Minneapolis. "Consumer Price Index (estimate) 1800–". Retrieved 29 February 2024.
  3. ^ The Gaby Glide, streetswing.com; accessed 6 May 2014.]
  4. ^ Gaby Deslys at the Internet Broadway Database
  5. ^ "Gaby Deslys Dies After Operation". New York Times. 12 February 1920. p. 11.
  6. ^ Gillan, Don. "The Curse of "Suzette" a musical affair by Austen Hurgon".