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George Edward Kelly
(January 16, 1887 - June 18, 1974) U.S.A.

George Edward Kelly

Actor and playwright

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Born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. He was an uncle of actress, and later princess, Grace Kelly of Monaco. George followed his elder brother Walter into vaudeville as an actor, writing his first sketches himself.

At his best George was a superb technician, trenchant observer, and satirist of human folly. But a certain coldness and misanthropy eventually made his later plays unpalatable to most critics and theatregoers.

His homosexuality was a closely guarded secret inside the family. The Kellys refused to acknowledge his homosexuality. His niece Grace, however, saw her uncle as a wonderful man and was highly influenced by him to pursue an acting career, teaching her to be wary of the homophobic Hollywood studio system.

George maintained a fifty-five-year relationship with his lover William Weagley up until his death. Weagley was seemingly passed off often as George's valet.

George died in Bryn Mawr, Pennsylvania. Although Weagley was not invited to the funeral, he managed to sneak inside and sat in a back pew, where he wept.

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Plays:

  • The Torch-Bearers (1922)
  • The Show-Off (1924)
  • Craig's Wife (1925)
  • The Deep Mrs Sykes (1945)
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