Anna Lee
A resilient actress whose seven-decade career spanned British cinema's golden age, Hollywood epics, and a beloved role on American soap opera.
1913–2004 (age 91)·British and American actress·Birthday: January 2·The Greatest Generation
Biography
Anna Lee's life was a marathon performance. Discovered in England in the 1930s, she became a staple of British quota quickies and memorable features like 'King Solomon's Mines.' She crossed the Atlantic before World War II, bringing her poised, often stoic presence to John Ford's Hollywood, where she appeared in classics like 'How Green Was My Valley' and 'Fort Apache.' But her most enduring chapter began at age 59, when she took the role of the matriarch Lila Quartermaine on the soap opera 'General Hospital.' For over two decades, she brought dignity and warmth to the part, becoming a daytime television institution and proving that an actor's most defining work could come long after conventional starlets had faded.
The Greatest Generation
1901–1927
Grew up during the Depression, fought World War II, and built the postwar economic boom. Defined by shared sacrifice, institutional trust, and a belief that hard work and loyalty would be rewarded.
Anna was born in 1913, placing them squarely in The Greatest Generation. The events that shaped this generation — world wars, depression, and rapid industrialization — shaped the world they entered and the choices available to them.
#1 When Anna Was Born
The biggest hits of 1913
Anna's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1913Born
The Federal Reserve is established
President: Woodrow Wilson
1918Started school
World War I ends; Spanish flu pandemic kills millions
President: Woodrow Wilson
1926Became a teenager
Robert Goddard launches the first liquid-fueled rocket
President: Calvin Coolidge"Baby Face" — Jan Garber
1929Could drive
Wall Street crashes, triggering the Great Depression
Gas: $0.21/galPresident: Herbert Hoover"Singin' in the Rain" — Cliff EdwardsBest Picture: The Broadway Melody
1931Could vote
The Empire State Building opens as the world's tallest
Gas: $0.17/galPresident: Herbert Hoover"Minnie the Moocher" — Cab CallowayBest Picture: Cimarron
1934Turned 21
Gas: $0.19/galPresident: Franklin D. Roosevelt"Stars Fell on Alabama" — Jack TeagardenBest Picture: It Happened One Night
1943Turned 30
Allies invade Sicily; Battle of Stalingrad ends
Gas: $0.21/galHome: $3,290Min wage: $0.30/hrPresident: Franklin D. Roosevelt"I've Heard That Song Before" — Harry JamesBest Picture: Casablanca
1953Turned 40
DNA structure discovered by Watson and Crick
Gas: $0.27/galHome: $8,750Min wage: $0.75/hrPresident: Dwight D. Eisenhower"Song from Moulin Rouge" — Percy FaithBest Picture: From Here to Eternity
1963Turned 50
JFK assassinated in Dallas; Martin Luther King's 'I Have a Dream' speech
Gas: $0.31/galHome: $13,100Min wage: $1.25/hrPresident: Lyndon B. Johnson"Sugar Shack" — Jimmy Gilmer & The FireballsBest Picture: Tom Jones
1973Turned 60
US withdraws from Vietnam; Roe v. Wade decided
Gas: $0.39/galHome: $22,100Min wage: $1.60/hrPresident: Richard Nixon"Tie a Yellow Ribbon Round the Ole Oak Tree" — Tony Orlando & DawnBest Picture: The Sting
1983Turned 70
Internet adopts TCP/IP, creating the modern internet
Gas: $1.16/galHome: $57,700Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"Every Breath You Take" — The PoliceBest Picture: Terms of Endearment
1993Turned 80
European Union officially established
Gas: $1.11/galHome: $86,600Min wage: $4.25/hrPresident: Bill Clinton"I Will Always Love You" — Whitney HoustonBest Picture: Schindler's List
2004Died at 91
Indian Ocean tsunami kills over 230,000
Gas: $1.88/galHome: $157,300Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: George W. Bush"Yeah!" — UsherBest Picture: Million Dollar Baby
Key Achievements
- She appeared in multiple John Ford-directed films, including 'The Horse Soldiers' and 'The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance.'
- She played Lila Quartermaine on 'General Hospital' for 23 years, from 1978 until her death in 2004.
- She was appointed a Member of the Order of the British Empire (MBE) in 1982 for her services to drama.
- She had a prolific film career in the 1930s and 1940s, starring in over 30 British and American films.
Did You Know?
She performed her own stunts in the 1935 film 'The Camels are Coming,' including riding a horse alongside a moving train.
She was seriously injured in a 1964 car accident but returned to acting after a long recovery.
She was the mother of six children, including actress Venetia Stevenson.
Her father was a clergyman who initially disapproved of her acting career.
“I've played everything from a Cockney maid to a duchess, and I never turned down work.”
