[AMIA-L] Expertise needed on British cinema, 1920s

[Prof Steven P Hill <s-hill4@xxxxxxxx>]

Dear colleagues, esp'ly those knowledgeable on UK cinema:

A number of different actresses with similar or identical names have 
become mixed, all with the given name Eleanor and surnames beginning 
with ST-.     First such actress who needs to be extracted from the 
confusion and to be given her own identity is that British actress who, 
under the name ELEANOR STEWART [ STUART? ], played in the 1926 
Gaumont-British short drama entitled "Back to the Trees." 

In this '26 film Eleanor S. played the role of "Dame Agnes Brain-Marsh," 
who may have been the matriarch of the Brain-Marsh dynasty.  In the 
same film the important role of "Philip Brain-Marsh" was played by the 
major British star John Stuart.  Which raises an important orthographic 
question: should  Eleanor S's surname have been spelled the same as
 John's, with "U" (Stuart) rather than with "EW"?

2d question.  Once this British matriarch Eleanor S. receives her own 
separate identity -- distinct from the Hollywood cowgirl actress Eleanor 
Stewart (1913-2007) -- what were the years of birth and death of the 
British matriarch actress?   Separate vital statistics would make it much 
easier to distinguish between similarly-named individuals...

With gratitude and best New Year's wishes to all,
Steven P Hill,
University of Illinois (USA).
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