Effervescent,blondstarofsophisticatedBroadwaycomedyinthe1920s.BornInaFagan,ofIrishdescent,shelostherfatherinacaraccidentfourmonthsbeforeshewasborn.Withoutabreadwinnerinthefamily,shewasforcedtoliveinaboardinghousewithhermother.Fromearliestchildhood,shedisplayedaprecocioustalentforimpersonatingotherpeople,whicheventuallyledtoherabandonmentofschool(HolyCrossAcademy)atage...(展开全部) Effervescent,blondstarofsophisticatedBroadwaycomedyinthe1920s.BornInaFagan,ofIrishdescent,shelostherfatherinacaraccidentfourmonthsbeforeshewasborn.Withoutabreadwinnerinthefamily,shewasforcedtoliveinaboardinghousewithhermother.Fromearliestchildhood,shedisplayedaprecocioustalentforimpersonatingotherpeople,whicheventuallyledtoherabandonmentofschool(HolyCrossAcademy)atage17andherentryintotheworldofvaudeville.Performingunderhermother'smaidennameasanimitatorofestablishedstageperformersmadeherapopularnameinrevuesonbothsidesoftheAtlantic.Ina'sfirstextendedrunonthestage(morethanayear)wasasPrudenceinthe1911musical"TheQuakerGirl",whereaveryyoungF.ScottFitzgeraldbecameenamouredwithher.In1915,sheappearedintheZiegfeldFolies,andinthefollowingyear,hadherfirstmajorhitasthetitularheroineinthecomedy"PollyWithaPast"attheBelascoTheatre. Between1919and1928,InaClairewasalmostcontinuouslyemployedinonetheatricalsuccessafteranotherincomedicplayspennedbythelikesofS.N.Behrman,W.SomersetMaugham,AnthonyTrollopeandT.S.Eliot.Shehadhugehitsinthetitleroleof"TheLastofMrs.Cheyney"(1925)and,asLadyGrayston,in"OurBetters"(1928).Hercurtaincallwasasthestarof"TheConfidentialClerk"in1954,attheMoroscoTheatre.JohnMasonBrown,writingfortheNewYorkPost(December13,1932)calledher"theablestcomedienneourtheatreknows".Immenselypopularwithaudiencesandcriticsalike,shewasnotedforherdeftdelivery,herwitandcharismaandforherelegant,stylishcostumesandcoiffure.ShealsohadtheabilitytocarefullyselectherrolestosuitherspecialtalentforsophisticatedhighcomedyRegardless,InaClairehaslongsincebeenind