Mexborough and Swinton Times February 8, 1919
A Cinema Girl
Film Firm’s Find
Miss Lavender Lee
Miss Alice (Lavender) Lee, a local girl of uncommon beauty and exceptional talent, has achieved a notable success ‘in the film world. She has won a competition promoted jointly by “Pictures,” a film trade journal, and the Broadwest Films, Ltd., the object of which was to discover an English Mary Pickford.
The competition was entered 8000 girls, who were all required to submit photographs, and from these photographs fourteen candidates were selected for a test at the Broadwest studio. The number of candidates was then reduced to three, and finally Miss Lee was unanimously selected by the judges. The Broadwest Films, Ltd., are an all-British firm, whose leading lady is Miss Violet Hopson, and the winner of this competition is to be given a small part in support of Miss Hopson in one of the firm’s forthcoming productions. If she makes good she will very shortly take her place as a film “star.”
Miss Lee is a daughter of Mr. and Mrs. George Lee, of Scampston, Rillington, and a grand-daughter of the late Mr. J. B. Butler, of Mexboro’, and Mrs. Butler, of Norton. Malton. She was born at Doncaster, and reared in London, and for the past year or so-has been residing with her aunt, Mrs. J. R. Pilling, in. Helena street, Mexboro’, being employed as typist at the Kilnhurst Steel. Works. She is a very athletic girl, accomplished in all kinds of outdoor sport.
She is an expert swimmer, and won the schoolgirl championship of London, together with many medals and certificates. She is also fond of rowing, punting, and motor cycling, and is expert in the driving of motor cars.
Miss Lee has the artistic temperament strongly developed. She is a clever poseur, is interested in amateur theatricals, and has steadily studied the films with a definite view to following that calling.
The Broadwest Film Company, whom she will join almost immediately, believed, they have discovered in her a film actress of altogether unusual ability. She is quite young, little more than twenty, and her success has already caused a furore in the film world. She is quite likely to take her place among the celebrities which Mexborough has produced.
During the past week Miss Lee has been the recipient of a host of congratulatory letter from all parts of the country.
The photograph was the one submitted to the promoters of the competition