Britain Lee trained at the
Central School of Speech Training and Dramatic Art at the
Royal Albert Hall, and made her debut with a bit part in
His Lordship (1932), when she was 19. She was known for her roles in films set amongst the wealthy, particularly in
Chelsea Life (1933), in which she starred with
Louis Hayward. In 1934, Lee signed a contract with
Gainsborough Pictures, the biggest British production company of the era. She played
leading lady roles in a variety of different genres at Gainsborough, including the comedy-thriller
The Camels Are Coming, the drama
The Passing of the Third Floor Back, the horror film
The Man Who Changed His Mind and the war film
OHMS. She appeared in the 1935
Jessie Matthews musical
First a Girl as the aristocratic playgirl and other woman, Princess Miranoff. In 1937, she starred in one of the studio's large-budget productions, ''
King Solomon's Mines''. In 1933, Lee met the director
Robert Stevenson, who became her first husband, In 1937, she starred in his picture,
Non-Stop New York, for
Gaumont British. During 1938, she took time off from acting to give birth to her first child. In 1939, Lee and her husband switched to
Ealing Studios run by
Michael Balcon, the former head of Gainsborough. She played a 19th-century Irish
music hall performer who falls in love with an aristocrat in the comedy ''
Young Man's Fancy'' (1939) and a journalist who helps heroes thwart a foreign enemy's plot against Britain in
The Four Just Men (1939). Lee and Stevenson emigrated to the United States,
United States After her move to Hollywood, she became associated with
John Ford, appearing in several of his films, including
How Green Was My Valley (1941),
Fort Apache (1948), and
Two Rode Together (1961). She co-starred with
John Wayne and
John Carroll in
Flying Tigers (1942). She had a lead role opposite
Brian Donlevy and
Walter Brennan in
Fritz Lang's
Hangmen Also Die! (1943), a wartime thriller relating to the
assassination of Reinhard Heydrich. She worked for producer
Val Lewton in the horror/thriller
Bedlam (1946). Lee made frequent appearances on television
anthology series in the 1940s and 1950s, including
Robert Montgomery Presents,
The Ford Theatre Hour,
Kraft Television Theatre,
Armstrong Circle Theatre and
Wagon Train. She made a guest appearance on
Perry Mason as Crystal Durham in "The Case of the Unsuitable Uncle" (1962). She guest starred on
Alfred Hitchcock Presents in the 1963 episode “Last Seen Wearing Blue Jeans” (S1E28). In 1958, she returned to Britain to appear in
John Ford's ''
Gideon's Day (US Title: Gideon of Scotland Yard)'', in which she played the detective's wife. She had a small role as Sister Margaretta in
The Sound of Music, one of the two nuns who thwarted the
Nazis by removing car engine parts, allowing the
Von Trapps to escape. Lee appeared in
What Ever Happened to Baby Jane? (1962) in a main supporting role as Mrs. Bates, a neighbour of the sisters played by
Joan Crawford and
Bette Davis. In later years, she became known as matriarch
Lila Quartermaine on
General Hospital and
Port Charles. Lila was a contract role until 2003, when Lee was taken off contract and dropped to recurring status by
Jill Farren Phelps, a move widely protested in the soap world. According to fellow
General Hospital actress
Leslie Charleson, Lee had been promised a job for life by former
General Hospital executive producer Wendy Riche. When interviewed in 2007, Charleson said, "The woman was in her 90s. And then when the new powers-that-be took over they fired her, and it broke her heart. It was not necessary." ==Personal life==