Priscilla Lawson
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Priscilla Lawson
Biography
Immortalized as Princess Aura, daughter of Ming the Merciless (Charles Middleton) in the first Flash Gordon serial, beautiful but ultimately star-crossed Priscilla Lawson (née Shortridge) had been crowned Miss Miami Beach in 1935. The honor resulted in a contract with Universal and, in turn, the plum role of Princess Aura. But the studio quickly dropped her option and a stint with Paramount resulted in only a few supporting roles, including 1936's Rose Bowl, opposite former co-star Larry "Buster" Crabbe. She spent the remainder of her brief screen career playing bit parts at MGM and was, at the time, better known for marrying handsome B-movie actor Alan Curtis. According to former co-star Jean Rogers, who had played Dale Arden in Flash Gordon, Lawson lost a leg in an accident while serving in the Women's Army Corps during World War II. Divorced from Curtis, she later managed a stationary shop in Los Angeles. Her untimely death in the Veterans' Administration Hospital in West Los Angeles in 1958 was listed as upper gastro-intestinal bleeding, due to a duodenal ulcer. ~ Hans J. Wollstein, RoviFilmography:
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Priscilla Lawson
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Priscilla Lawson
| Priscilla Lawson | |
|---|---|
| Born | Priscilla Shortridge March 8, 1914 Indianapolis, Indiana, USA |
| Died | August 27, 1958 (aged 44) Los Angeles, California, USA |
| Occupation | Film actress |
| Years active | 1935-1941 |
| Spouse | Alan Curtis (m.1941-1942; divorced) |
Priscilla Lawson (March 8, 1914 – August 27, 1958), born Priscilla Shortridge, was an American actress known for her role as Princess Aura in the original Flash Gordon serial (1936).
She was a professional model by her early twenties and was crowned Miss Miami Beach in 1935. She then received a contract with Universal Studios, which led to her role in Flash Gordon as the daughter of Ming the Merciless. Princess Aura's rivalry with Dale Arden for Flash Gordon's affections was one of the centerpieces of the serial. The role brought her cult figure status.
Following Flash Gordon, Priscilla Lawson married actor Alan Curtis and joined the armed forces in World War II under her married name. It is undocumented, but some people believe that she lost a leg in an accident while serving in the Women's Army Corps. Another report claims that she lost her right leg in a 1937 automobile accident. Lawson and Curtis eventually divorced, and she later managed a stationery shop in Los Angeles, California.
The story that she had lost a leg was denied in an interview with her Flash Gordon co-star Jean Rogers and the story again refuted in a biographical review in an 'Indianapolis' magazine.
Her untimely death at the young age of 44 resulted from upper gastrointestinal bleeding caused by a duodenal ulcer. She is interred at Live Oak Memorial Park in Los Angeles County, California.
Selected filmography
- The Great Impersonation (1935)
External links
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Mentioned in
Alan Curtis
(Actor, Drama/Comedy)
Rose Bowl
(1936 Comedy Film)
Spaceship to the Unknown
(1936 Adventure Film)
Flash Gordon: Space Soldiers
(1936 Adventure Film)
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