(November 4, 1881 - February 11, 1920)
Gaby Deslys was born Marie-Elise-Grabielle in 1881, in Marseille, France, to Hippolyte and Anne Caire. Gaby Deslys grew up with one brother and two sisters, and had another sister who died at thirteen months. Hippolyte was a textile merchant and provided well for his family, but in 1885, Leon, his only son, died of tuberculosis, causing him to withdraw emotionally from his wife and daughters. Gaby exhibited a strong character in her youth, and after she consorted with local boys from the neighborhood, her father sent her away to a fashionable convent in the hopes of mellowing his fun-seeking daughter. But Gaby was already thinking of the stage. After leaving the convent, and with the help of her mother, she convinced her father to allow her to work in local theatres while also working as a seamstress at a dress shop. It has been speculated that this is where it has been speculated that she found her stage name: she was asked to embroider a field of lilies, and took the French "Gabrielle Des Lys," meaning "Gabrielle of the lilies," and shortened it to Gaby Deslys. There are also claims that a French theatre agent spotted her amongst a bunch of lilies in a market and suggested the name. After working as a chorus member and making little money Gaby decided that she must move to Paris to pursue her dreams. In 1902 she landed a chorus position at the "Folies-Bergere."
Gaby, who was untrained in singing and dancing, took lessons any chance she got, and became quite skilled in a short period of time. For the next few years she worked as a chorus girl in several small venues, becoming very popular due to her beauty and the flirtatious zeal she exuded, no matter how small the part. In 1905 she was offered a small role in London in The New Aladdin, where she caused quite a spark due to her sleeveless costume. Next she performed in Les Debuts de Chichine in which she climbed into bed on stage dressed in a delicate nightgown. From then on she would be known for her revealing costumes and sensual roles.
In 1911, she was approached by American manager Lee Shubert to bring Les Debuts to the Winter Garden in New York. She demanded a hefty contract but made the move. Once in America she met actor Harry Pilcer, with whom she was tied to romantically and was rumored to have married, although in her latter years she denied the rumor. She spent the new few years traveling back and forth between New York, Paris, and London, starring in her own creation A la Carte. Her career was flourishing and she was one of the wealthiest actresses to grace the American stage. Around 1914 rumors began to circulate that she was actually Hedwig Navratil and had been born in Hungary. Apparently she strongly resembled the actress, and after Gaby Deslys's death the Navratil family tried to lay claim to her fortune. There were even claims that she had willingly traded identities with the young peasant girl with whom she resembled, but to her death Gaby Deslys denied the ridiculous story.
In October of 1919 she visited a doctor in New York for a severe throat infection which required surgery. Not willing to be scarred, Deslys opted to have the operation which eventually caused her death. She died in a hospital in Paris on February 11, 1920, at the age of thirty-nine. She bequeathed her jewels to the poor of her hometown, Marseilles.
Resources
Gardiner, James. Gaby Deslys: A Fatal Attraction. Sidgwik & Jackson, Great Britain. 1986.
This book is an excellent survey of the life of Gaby Deslys, with background information from her childhood through her career and death.
"Gaby Deslys (1881 - 1920)" / "Who Was Gaby Deslys" Stage Beauty Website. http://www.dgillan.screaming.net/stage/deslys/deslys-g2.html.