Background
She was born Alice Mary Ellis in Bath, Somerset and died in Windlesham, Surrey, aged 77.
She was born Alice Mary Ellis in Bath, Somerset and died in Windlesham, Surrey, aged 77.
Napier, known to her family as "Mollie", was married three times. He died in 1965, and she was buried with him in the Churchyard of Street Michael and All Angels, Sunningdale, Berkshire in 1982. Napier was the daughter of Major APB Ellis, an ENT specialist and sometime army surgeon, and Alice Napier.
She took her mother"s maiden name as her screen name.
Having spent much of her childhood in South Africa, where she attended the Maris Stella School in Durban, the family returned to England and she embarked on a stage career. After a few years in repertory, she was offered a screen test by Alexander Korda, and made a few films before he dropped her.
lieutenant was through Paul Stein she met Tauber, and appeared with him in three films made in 1935/36, the first of them, Heart"s Desire, under Stein"s direction. Shortly before Tauber"s death, she set up an artists studio in Beauchamp Place, which became the design and display company Diana Display Limited.
(later DNT Associates) based in Parsons Green, Fulham, London.