Laura Bayley

Biography

Laura Eugenia Bayley (4 February 1862 – 25 October 1938) was a British actress and filmmaker, active in the Brighton School of early cinema pioneers. Born in Ramsgate, Bayley performed onstage in Victorian burlesques, revues, and pantomimes, often with her three sisters. After marrying the showman George Albert Smith, she entered the world of early experiments with motion picture film; she played main roles in many of the most important films Smith made between 1897 and 1903, including The Kiss in the Tunnel (1899) and Mary Jane's Mishap (1903).

Behind the camera, Bayley likely played a significant hand in the creative development of Smith's fiction films, and may have directed some of thos...