Octavia Broske
A white woman, standing and smiling, wearing a dark hat, coat, gloves, and holding a dark handbag over one arm.
Octavia Broske, from a 1905 photograph.
BornJune 4, 1886
DiedMarch 19, 1967 (aged 80)
Los Angeles, California
Other namesOctavia Burke, Octavia Bancroft (married names)
Occupation(s)Actress, musical performer
SpouseGeorge Bancroft

Octavia Broske (June 4, 1886 – March 19, 1967) was an American actress and musical performer.

Career

Four young white chorus girls, wearing bonnets and bouffant wigs or coiffures.
The four Boston Schoolma'ams in The Sultan of Sulu, which opened Jan. 29, 1905, at the Grand Opera House, Seattle. Includes Octavia Broske (upper right).

Broske's stage career began in San Francisco.[1] Her Broadway roles included parts in The Jersey Lily (1903), Tillie's Nightmare (1910–1911),[2] A La Broadway (1911),[3] Oh! Oh! Delphine! (1912–1913),[4][5] Madame Moselle (1914),[6][7] Papa's Darling (1914–1915), and A Lonely Romeo (1919).[8] Away from Broadway, Broske was seen in The Sultan of Sulu (1905–1906),[9] A Waltz Dream (1909),[10] Her Left Shoulder (1912),[11] and Get Off My Carpet (1918).[12] She and her second husband toured as a vaudeville act titled "International Stars of Song."[13]

In 1916, Broske made a recording for Victor.[14] She appeared in two silent films, She Loves and Lies (1920, also marketed as The Marriage Swindle) with Norma Talmadge, and The Great Adventure (1921), with Lionel Barrymore.[15]

Personal life

Broske married twice. She divorced her first husband, George C. Burke, in 1913.[16] She married her second husband, actor George Bancroft, in 1916.[17] They had a daughter, Georgette (1917– 2002).[18][19] In the 1930s, the legality of the Bancrofts' marriage was questioned in court, because it was unclear whether he had ever divorced his first wife, Edna Brothers Bancroft.[20][21] Octavia Broske Bancroft was widowed in 1956,[22] and died in 1967, aged 80 years, in Los Angeles.

References

  1. "Miss Octavia Broske". Cincinnati Commercial Tribune. December 17, 1913. p. 3. Retrieved September 1, 2020 via NewspaperArchive.com.
  2. Kennedy, Matthew (2006-07-05). Marie Dressler: A Biography; With a Listing of Major Stage Performances, a Filmography and a Discography. McFarland. p. 67. ISBN 978-0-7864-2844-1.
  3. Louvish, Simon (2006-11-14). Mae West: It Ain't No Sin. Macmillan. p. 451. ISBN 978-0-312-34878-6.
  4. "Plays and Players". Harper's Weekly. 56: 19. October 26, 1912.
  5. "Dances Venus Waltz". The Philadelphia Inquirer. 1914-02-15. p. 55. Retrieved 2020-09-01 via Newspapers.com.
  6. "'Madame Moselle' Mildly Amusing". The New York Times. May 24, 1914. p. C7 via ProQuest.
  7. Norman (1914-06-01). "N. Y. Stage Letter". The Day Book. p. 13. Retrieved 2020-09-01 via Newspapers.com.
  8. "Octavia Broske". Playbill. Retrieved 2020-09-01.
  9. "'The Sultan of Sulu'". The Leavenworth Post. 1906-12-07. p. 3. Retrieved 2020-09-01 via Newspapers.com.
  10. "Brooklyn Amusements". The New York Times. January 24, 1909. p. X8 via ProQuest.
  11. "'Her Left Shoulder' for Knickerbocker". The New York Times. July 6, 1912. p. 7 via ProQuest.
  12. "Bijou is Presenting Well Balanced Bill". The Journal and Tribune. 1918-03-26. p. 7. Retrieved 2020-09-01 via Newspapers.com.
  13. "Varied Bill at the Majestic". The Houston Post. 1916-12-03. p. 60. Retrieved 2020-09-01 via Newspapers.com.
  14. "Octavia Broske", Discography of American Historical Recordings.
  15. "The Great Adventure (1921)". Turner Classic Movies. Retrieved 2020-09-01.
  16. "Divorce for Octavia Broske". The New York Times. April 13, 1913. p. C7 via ProQuest.
  17. Thomas, Dan (1933-08-02). "Hollywood Gossip". Public Opinion. p. 3. Retrieved 2020-09-01 via Newspapers.com.
  18. "Bancroft Answers Suit: Actor In Los Angeles Says He Was Divorced Years Ago". The New York Times. August 5, 1934. p. 12 via ProQuest.
  19. "Mrs. Bancroft Got the Surprise of Her Life". Elk City News-Democrat. 1922-03-30. p. 8. Retrieved 2020-09-01.
  20. "BANCROFT v. BANCROFT et al". Findlaw. October 15, 1935. Retrieved 2020-09-01.
  21. "George Bancroft in Dramatic Court Role". San Pedro News-Pilot. August 7, 1934. p. 1. Retrieved August 31, 2020 via California Digital Newspaper Collection.
  22. "Death Claims George Bancroft, Toughest of Hollywood's Stars". The Plain Speaker. 1956-10-04. p. 27. Retrieved 2020-09-01.
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