Noir: British Noir Films 3. *Actresses and Their Movies
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- Avice Landone was born on 1 September 1908 in Madras, India. She was an actress, known for The Franchise Affair (1951), An Alligator Named Daisy (1955) and Pride and Prejudice (1952). She was married to Bruno Barnabe. She died on 12 June 1976 in Twickenham, Middlesex, England, UK.1908, India, -1976, 67. 79 acting credits, 1947-1972. 30 feature films.
Guilt Is My Shadow (1950). '50
The Franchise Affair (1951). '51
Personal Affair (1953). '53
Operation Diplomat (1953). '53
Escape by Night (1953). '53
The Embezzler (1954). '54
Eyewitness (1956). '56
Prescription for Murder (1958). '58
The 39 Steps (1959). '59
Jailbreak (1962). '62 - Actress
- Soundtrack
Jill Adams (nee Siggins), was discovered while working as a model, having been asked to step in at the department store where she was an artist, when a model failed to show up. She was the daughter of Irish-American silent film actress Molly Adair, and New-Zealand writer, Arthur James Siggins (published under the name A.J. Siggins),. He had first sailed from the Antipodes to Africa as a young man to fight in the Boer war, where he served with the Matabele Mounted Police and later represented The ANZACs at Cecil Rhodes funeral in1902. His first wife was from Mozambique. The couple first met in Tanganyika (now Tanzania), where he was working with the High Commission. She was there on location to star in the silent film version of 'The Blue Lagoon' The young ingénue became A.J. Siggins' 2nd wife. After several years in Africa, during which time two sons were born, they relocated to England, where Jillian M.M.J. Siggins was born in London. During WWII, the family moved to North Wales, where they had 2 working farms. Upon returning to London following the war, and after Jill had become a successful model, she married a young US Navy officer stationed in the British capital, by the name of James Adams, in 1951. They had a daughter (Tina) in 1952. Jill's career began to flourish, but sadly the marriage did not, and now alone she began securing a few minor TV and film roles, before eventually being signed by J. Arthur Rank as one of the corporation's 'starlets'. The bubbly blonde actress, Jill Adams, soon made a string of popular films for the studios - many of which were light-hearted comedies such as 'Doctor at Sea' and 'Brothers in Law' - and she was often referred to as Britain's answer to Marilyn Monroe. She also made a few films in the US and Australia. In 1957, she married the well-known BBC radio and TV personality, Peter Haigh, and they were very much the 'It' couple. They had a daughter, Peta Louise, in 1962. Jill also starred in the popular TV series 'The Flying Doctor' which lasted for 39 episodes. Over the next few years, although no longer getting the bigger roles, Adams continued to work both in radio and on stage. But, by the end of the 60s, with fewer opportunities available, she essentially retired from show business. In 1971, she and her husband Peter moved the family to the Algarve in Portugal, where they ran a hotel and restaurant in Albufeira. When that marriage ended, Adams spent several years with Michael Johnson, a former British radio host and musician, with whom she ran two businesses. She then eventually went solo until meeting Alan 'Buster' Jones, and moved first to the Lisbon area to be with him, and then they relocated to Spain. Following Jones's death in 1996, in the Costa del Sol, she returned to Portugal to be nearer to family. Always a prolific, popular and talented artist, she continued to paint even after being diagnosed with cancer in 2005 and right up until her death in Clareanes, in the Algarve., on May 13, 2008, at the age of 77.1930-2008, 77. 31 acting credits, 1954-1965. 24 feature films.
Forbidden Cargo (1954). '54
Chance Meeting (1954). '54
One Jump Ahead (1955). '55
One Way Out (1955). '55
Strange Affection (1957). '57
Death Over My Shoulder (1958). '58- A statuesque and striking actress with vaguely reptilian aspects, at once sinister and alluring; a smile never more than a whisker away from a sneer and a commanding, imperious presence suggesting innate superiority. Difficult to cast, Patricia Laffan seemed destined to portray the villainous or the eccentric. The daughter of Irish rubber planter Arthur Charles Laffan (1870-1948) and London-born Elvira Alice née Vitali (1896-1979), Patricia was schooled at the Institut français du Royaume-Uni in London and trained in dramatic arts at the prestigious Douglas-Webber School. She emerged on stage in 1937 and made her screen debut by 1945. In between a cluster of nondescript or uncredited roles, we remember her for two indelible cinematic performances: first, as that sumptuously decadent, scheming, malicious Empress Poppaea in MGM's epic blockbuster Quo Vadis (1951) -- sardonic and disdainful in her delivery, at times running close to overshadowing even the great Peter Ustinov in his most famous role as Nero. One of her lavish outfits included a 14 carat gold dress designed by Herschel McCoy. A contemporary BBC interview with Laffan also recounts an incident during the making of Quo Vadis. In this, the actress, while reclining on a divan next to a couple of cheetahs at the end of a love scene with Robert Taylor, was set upon by one of the not so tame cats but managed to escape with a torn dress (the gold one ?) -- "on the other hand, the lions in the arena scene were so bored that they went to sleep in the shade instead of looking hungrily at the Christians".
Laffan's other fondly remembered showing on screen was in the campy Devil Girl from Mars (1954), a typically low-budget Danziger Brothers attempt at emulating the success of The Day the Earth Stood Still (1951). Justifiably derided at the time (for such valid reasons as inane writing, lacklustre direction and props acutely reminiscent of kitchen appliances), it has become a surprising cult touchstone for sci-fi aficionados. Why? Certainly because of the picture's sole meritorious component: Patricia Laffan as the Martian invader Nyah, exotically made up, outfitted in PVC jumpsuit, miniskirt, Darth Vader-style cape and skullcap and making the most of her scenes, delivering her lines with practised cold, languid authority.
Sadly underused, there were to be few other roles of note for this commanding actress in the wake of 'Devil Girl', except, perhaps, for an integral bit in the enjoyable psychological thriller 23 Paces to Baker Street (1956). Subsequent TV appearances saw her mostly confined to conventional aristocratic ladies in period or crime dramas. Patricia Laffan retired from the screen in 1965, apparently to a quiet life in Chelsea, London, where she may have pursued her passions for fast cars, story-writing and breeding bull terriers.1919 - 2014, 94. 34 acting credits, 1945-1965. 15 feature films.
I See a Dark Stranger (1946). '48
Who Killed Van Loon? (1948). '48
I'll Get You (1952). '52
Shoot First (1953). '53
23 Paces to Baker Street (1956). '56
Hidden Homicide (1959). '59 - Dorothy Alison was born on 4 April 1925 in Broken Hill, New South Wales, Australia. She was an actress, known for A Town Like Alice (1981), The Third Key (1956) and Dr Jekyll & Sister Hyde (1971). She was married to Leslie Linder. She died on 17 January 1992 in London, England, UK.1925, Australia, -1992, 66. 67 acting credits, 1949-1989. 33 feature films.
Turn the Key Softly (1953). '53
The Third Key (1956). '56
Pickup Alley (1957). '57
The Man Upstairs (1958). '58
Two Living, One Dead (1961). '61 - Gene Anderson was born on 28 March 1931 in London, England, UK. She was an actress, known for The Day the Earth Caught Fire (1961), The Gay Cavalier (1957) and The Long Haul (1957). She was married to Edward Judd. She died on 5 May 1965 in London, England, UK.1931-1965, 34. 43 acting credits, 1953-1965, 9 feature films.
The Intruder (1953). '53
Doublecross (1956). '56
The Long Haul (1957). '57
The Shakedown (1960). '60
The Break (1962). '63 - Gwen Bacon was born on 24 February 1901 in Rock Ferry, Cheshire, England, UK. She was an actress, known for The Brain Machine (1955), Burnt Evidence (1954) and Crash of Silence (1952). She died on 6 December 1987 in Poole, Dorset, England, UK.1901 - 1987, 86. 14 credits, 1947-1956. 7 feature films.
The Accused (1953). '53
Undercover Agent (1953). '53
Burnt Evidence (1954). '54
The Brain Machine (1955). '55 - Born Hilda Gentle on June 9, 1884, in Edmonton, London, England, Hilda Barry was a very active British character actress who had a very long and extensive career as well in comedies as in dramas. She appeared in over 150 roles on stage, on the big screen and on television. She died on Tuesday, May 29th, 1979 at the age of 94.1884-1979, 94. 96 acting credits, 1950-1976. 20 feature films.
The Yellow Balloon (1953). '53
The Drayton Case (1953). '53
The Brain Machine (1955). '55
Tiger in the Smoke (1956). '56
Scotland Yard Dragnet (1957). '57
Never Back Losers (1961). '61 - Anne Blake was born on 4 November 1908 in Liverpool, England, UK. She was an actress, known for The Spy Who Came in from the Cold (1965), Department S (1969) and The Curse of Frankenstein (1957). She died on 27 January 2000 in Sussex, England, UK.1908-2000, 91. 78 acting credits, 1947-1979. 16 feature films.
tt0050947/. '57
Murder Reported (1957). '58
Dublin Nightmare (1958). '58
Orders to Kill (1958). '58
Scream of Fear (1961). '61 - Stella Bonheur was born on 5 December 1904 in London, England, UK. She was an actress, known for ITV Play of the Week (1955), The End of the Line (1957) and Intent to Kill (1958). She died on 10 October 1997 in London, England, UK.1904-1997, 92. 31 acting credits, 1933-1968. 14 feature films.
The End of the Line (1957). '57
Violent Stranger (1957). '57
Intent to Kill (1958). '58
Hot Money Girl (1959). '59
Identity Unknown (1960). '60
Compelled (1960). '60 - Brenda Bruce was born on 7 July 1919 in Prestwich, Lancashire, England, UK. She was an actress, known for Peeping Tom (1960), Little Dorrit (1987) and The Final Test (1953). She was married to Clement McCallin and Roy Rich. She died on 19 February 1996 in London, England, UK.1919-1996, 76. 124 acting credits, 1938-1996.
Night Boat to Dublin (1946). '46
I See a Dark Stranger (1946). '46
Carnival (1946). '46
My Brother's Keeper (1948). '48
Peeping Tom (1960). '60
Nightmare (1964). '64 - Actress
- Soundtrack
Margot Bryant was born on 8 March 1897 in Hull, Yorkshire, England, UK. She was an actress, known for Coronation Street (1960), The Cure for Love (1949) and Nothing Barred (1961). She died on 1 January 1988 in Heald Green, Cheshire, England, UK.1897-1998, 90. 22 acting credits, 1949-1976. 9 feature films.
The Long Rope (1953). '53
Late Night Final (1954). '54
Cross-Up (1954). '55
The Case of 'The Smiling Widow' (1957). '57- Actress
- Additional Crew
- Soundtrack
Marie Bryant was one of the most popular Black exotic dancer of the late 1930s and early 1940s. Her sexy dancing had lots of culture and class with wowing costumes to top it. Films such as The Duke Is Tops (1938) and Gang War (1940) are the films that featured her dancing a sexy African dance. When her dancing career ended, she started a successful singing career appearing in many movies featuring her marvelous voice. She has many films which are available to her credit showcasing her multi-talents, she's one of the greats of Black Entertainment.1917, USA - 1978, USA, 60. 13 acting credits, 1938-1956. 14 feature films.
Gang War (1940). '40
When Strangers Marry (1944). '44
They Live by Night (1948). '48
The Gilded Cage (1955). '55
Cross-Up (1954). '55- Actress
- Soundtrack
Patricia Burke was born on 23 March 1917 in Milan, Lombardy, Italy. She was an actress, known for The Trojan Brothers (1946), Wishing Well (1954) and The Lisbon Story (1946). She was married to Michael Kimpton, Duncan C. Macdonald and John Collingwood. She died on 23 November 2003 in Draguignan, Var, France.1917-2003, 86. 47 acting credits, 1937-1974. 21 feature films.
While I Live (1947). '47
Forbidden (1949). '49
The Desperate Man (1961). '49
The Impersonator (1961). '61
Strangler's Web (1965). '65- Sheila Burrell was born on 9 May 1922 in Blackheath, London, England, UK. She was an actress, known for Cold Comfort Farm (1995), Paranoiac (1963) and The Feathered Serpent (1976). She was married to David Sim and Laurence Payne. She died on 19 July 2011 in Kingston upon Thames, Surrey, England, UK.1922-2011, 89. 73 acting credits, 1949-2005. 15 feature films.
The Man in Black (1950). '49
The Rossiter Case (1951). '51
Cloudburst (1951). '51
Black Orchid (1953). '53
Blonde Bait (1956). '56
Paranoiac (1963). '63 - She worked in repertory in Ireland and New York. She toured America for two years with the American Theatre Guild. She is best remembered for playing "Dr. Frances Whitney" in the TV Series Emergency-Ward 10 (1957). Despite being a household name, she died in obscurity without any obituaries. She married David Lawrence, an American businessman, in Paris in 1955 and they had one son named Stephen. Her hobbies were listed as swimming and riding.
- Beatrice Campbell was born on 31 July 1922 in County Down, Northern Ireland, UK. She was an actress, known for The Master of Ballantrae (1953), I'll Never Forget You (1951) and Laughter in Paradise (1951). She was married to Nigel Patrick and Robert MacClancy. She died on 10 May 1979 in London, England, UK.1922-1979, 56. 18 acting credits, 1946-1957. 16 feature films.
Wanted for Murder (1946). '46
The Hangman Waits (1947). '47
Silent Dust (1949). '49
Now Barabbas (1949). '49
Wicked Wife (1953). '53 - Fanny Carby was born on 2 February 1925 in Sutton Coldfield, Warwickshire, England, UK. She was an actress, known for The Elephant Man (1980), Lassiter (1984) and The Good Companions (1980). She was married to Roderick Horne. She died on 20 September 2002 in London, England, UK.1925-2002, 77. 121 acting credits, 1952-1998. 31 feature films.
The Detective (1954). '54
Tears for Simon (1956). '56
Women Without Men (1956). '56
Blonde Bait (1956). '56
The Secret Place (1957). '57
The Traitors (1962). '62
The Share Out (1962). '62 - Annette Carell was born on 7 January 1926 in Germany. She was an actress, known for Love and Mr Lewisham (1959), Buddenbrooks (1965) and The Prisoner (1967). She was married to Gerald Savory. She died on 20 October 1967 in London, England, UK.1929 -Germany, - 1967, 38. 45 acting credits, 1952-1967. 9 feature films.
The Tell-Tale Heart (1960). '60
Return of a Stranger (1961). '61
Two Wives at One Wedding (1961). '61
Our Mother's House (1967). '67 - Joan Carol was born on 1 December 1905 in Scarborough, Yorkshire, England, UK. She was an actress, known for Pride and Prejudice (1958), Champagne Charlie (1944) and The Black Widow (1951). She was married to Vernon Sewell and Harold Clayton. She died on 29 May 1986 in Narbonne, Aude, France.1906-1986, 80. 25 acting credits, 1944-1972. 10 feature films.
The Dark Light (1951). '51
The Black Widow (1951). '51
Radio Cab Murder (1954), '54
Johnny You're Wanted (1956), '56
Rogue's Yarn (1957). '57 - Barbara Cavan was born on 2 January 1905 in Nottingham, Nottinghamshire, England, UK. She was an actress, known for The Adventures of Tom Sawyer (1960), Alexander Graham Bell (1965) and BBC Sunday-Night Theatre (1950). She died on 2 April 1988 in Kensington, London, England, UK.1905-1988, 83. 48 acting credits, 1948-1971. 14 feature films.
The Long Rope (1953). '53
1984 (1956). '56
You Can't Escape (1957). '56
The Impersonator (1961). '61 - Belle Chrystall was born on 25 April 1910 in Fulwood, Lancashire, England, UK. She was an actress, known for Hindle Wakes (1931), Hobson's Choice (1931) and Criminal at Large (1932). She was married to Charles William Roy Procter. She died on 7 June 2003 in Kingston-upon-Thames, Surrey, England, UK.1910-2003, 93. 20 acting credits, 1930-1951.
Criminal at Large (1932). '32
Friday the Thirteenth (1933). '33
Poison Pen (1939). '39 - Actress
- Composer
- Music Department
Petula Clark was a star at the age of 11. She starred in British concert halls and on BBC radio singing for the troops during WWII. She was a child star in a series of British films from the end of WWII through to the early 1950s,and by 1954 was having hit records. After a move to France in 1960, having fallen for a Frenchman, she had hit records all over Europe ,and by 1966 with such hits as "Downtown" and "My Love" having topped the American charts, became a truly international star.1932 - . 34 acting credits, 1944-1981. 38 feature films.
Query (1945). '45
Easy Money (1948). '48
Track the Man Down (1955). '55
City After Midnight (1957). '57- Ethel Coleridge was born on 14 January 1883 in South Molton, Devon, England, UK. She was an actress, known for Laburnum Grove (1936), Query (1945) and Plunder (1930). She died on 15 August 1976 in London, England, UK.1883-1976, 93. 29 acting credits, 1930-1960. 19 feature films.
Query (1945). '45
The Fallen Idol (1948). '48
Vengeance Is Mine (1949). '49 - Lean, aristocratic-looking British character actress,on stage from the 1940's. She was noted on Broadway for her performance (and for bringing the house down with her tango on opening night) as Lady India in Jean Anouilh's 'Ring Around the Moon' (1950-51). On television, her aquiline features and impeccable bearing led to her gravitating towards upper class roles as wealthy or snooty socialites -- few more memorable than her unnamed party-goer in the dream sequence of The Prisoner (1967) episode "A.B.and C."; and as Mrs. Butterworth, who not only resides in Patrick McGoohan's old flat and drives his sports car but turns out to be another Number 2 (in the episode "Many Happy Returns"). She also had to graciously scrape the mould of a bread-roll offered her by Steptoe and Son (1962) in "Loathe Story", as the hyphenated mother of Joanna Lumley.
Georgina had a rare lead in the title role of the low-budget thriller The Woman Who Wouldn't Die (1965) as Gary Merrill's crippled and demanding wife, who, unsurprisingly gets killed and disposed of in the potting shed. Of course, she comes back to haunt her evil hubby (really, just a double-cross staged by his two accomplices). In many of her other appearances on screen, Georgina played opposite great British comic actors, from Sidney James to Tony Hancock. Privately, her circle of friends included Denholm Elliott and Terry-Thomas (with whom she shared the stage in 'Full House'). Her final curtain call before retirement in Australia was as the lead in the comedy play 'A Breath of Spring' in 1990.1918-2011 -Australia, 92. 67 acting credits, 1945-1983. 19 feature films.
Solution by Phone (1954). '54
Hot Money Girl (1959). '59
The Shakedown (1960). '60
Woman of Straw (1964). '64
The Woman Who Wouldn't Die (1965). '65 - Born and brought up in Scotland, Adrienne Corri attended the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art (RADA) in London as a teenager and then appeared on both the English and American stage. While still a teenager, she made her film debut in Naughty Arlette (1949). One of her most memorable film performances was in Stanley Kubrick's A Clockwork Orange (1971) as the victim of the bizarre gang-rape by Alex and his Droogs. In addition to film, she also frequently worked in television and continued in theater, specializing in fiery, flamboyant characters throughout her career.1930 - 2016, 85. Glasgow, London. 106 acting credits, 1947-1992. 37 feature films.
Meet Mr. Callaghan (1954). '54
Behind the Headlines (1953). '56
The Surgeon's Knife (1957). '57
The Big Chance (1957). '57
Portrait of a Sinner (1959). '59
The Tell-Tale Heart (1960). '60 - Pauline trained at the Brendan Smith Academy of Acting in Dublin and went on to appear in rep in the North of England and the Dublin Globe Theatre. She appeared in the 1962 O'Casey season at London's Mermaid Theatre and starred in the West End productions of 'The Poker Session' and 'The Hostage'. Her other theatre credits include 'Richard III'. She is married to Gerry Simpson, with whom she has a daughter, Sarah.1925-2007, 81. 64 acting credits, 1954-1995. 13 feature films.
A Question of Suspense (1961). '61
Ambush in Leopard Street (1962). '62
The Very Edge (1963). '63 - Actress
- Soundtrack
Tamara Desni was born on 22 October 1910 in Berlin, Germany. She was an actress, known for The Green Finger (1946), Hell's Cargo (1935) and Bypass to Happiness (1934). She was married to Albert Lavagna, Raymond Lovell, Roland Gillett, Bruce Seton and Hans Wilhelm. She died on 7 February 2008 in Valence, Tarn-et-Garonne, France.1910, Germany, - 2008, France, -97. 20 acting credits, 1931-1950. 20 feature films.
Dark World (1935). '35
Murder on Diamond Row (1937). '37
The Torso Murder Mystery (1939). '39
The Green Finger (1946). '46- Actress
- Soundtrack
Angela Douglas was born in Gerrards Cross, Buckinghamshire but has lived her whole life in South London.
Her first professional appearance was in the West End, aged just 14 years old.
Small roles in television along with teenage modelling and commercials followed. Aged twenty, Angela was taken to Rome for 3 months to work on CLEOPATRA starring Elizabeth Taylor and Richard Burton. Her twenty-first birthday was spent there.
On her return, Angela was cast as Fancy Smith (Brian Blessed's) girlfriend in the popular British TV series, Z CARS. Immediately after she went to Bristol to film SOME PEOPLE, directed by Clive Donner. The leading man was the British movie star Kenneth More. At forty-seven years old he was at the top of his career, following successes in classics such as "Genevieve", "Reach for the Sky", "A Night to Remember" and "Sink the Bismarck!" Older and married. Angela aged just twenty, they fell in love. Society, the press, all frowned upon their relationship, and they were ostracised by many.
Several very difficult years were to follow. Divorce laws eventually changed, and they were free to marry in 1968. In July 1969, she miscarried the longed-for baby with More. During those years Angela still worked for several leading directors including: Ted Kotcheff, Christopher Morahan, Bryan Forbes, and J.Lee Thompson in Hollywood for JOHN GOLDFARB: PLEASE COME HOME, with Shirley MacLaine and Peter Ustinov.
On stage, Angela travelled to Hong Kong to star in the musical SOMETHING'S AFOOT with Virginia McKenna and George Cole. Toronto followed with the play, THE SCENARIO with Trevor Howard. Next to London, in KILLING JESSICA alongside Patrick McNee. Angela also toured with Tony Britton in THE SEVEN YEAR ITCH, and with Anna Neagle in THE FIRST MRS FRASIER. Feature film appearances continued in ITS ALL HAPPENING with Tommy Steele, THE COMEDY MAN with Kenneth More and MAROC SEVEN with Gene Barry.
Angela was then cast to play the female lead in four classic Carry On films - starring first as Annie Oakley in CARRY ON COWBOY. CARRY ON SCREAMING, CARRY ON FOLLOW THAT CAMEL, and CARRY ON UP THE KHYBER all followed.
T.V. Appearances in hit series included: GIDEON'S WAY, THE SAINT, THE AVENGERS, DOCTOR AT LARGE, JASON KING, THE PROTECTORS, FATHER BROWN, OIL STRIKE NORTH...and many more...
In 1979, her husband Kenneth More was diagnosed with a rare form of Parkinson's - MSA (Multiple System Atrophy). Angela nursed him for three years until his death in 1982. The entertainment industry was wonderfully supportive, rallying around to offer her work, but she chose to stay at home and spent eighteen months writing her autobiography: SWINGS AND ROUNDABOUTS. It was incredibly well received by critics and audience alike, with the Daily Mail purchasing the serial rights. The Mail on Sunday went on to give Angela a regular column in its Femail pages. The Daily Telegraph sent her to L.A to write a feature for them. Additional magazines followed suit with offers to write for them.
Angela dipped in and out of films and television during that time. Features included DIGBY THE BIGGEST DOG IN THE WORLD with Jim Dale, Kenneth Branagh's HAMLET, SHADOW RUN with Michael Caine, THIS YEAR'S LOVE, SOUTH KENSINGTON and FOUR FEATHERS with Heath Ledger. TV credits included THE GENTLE TOUCH, THIRD TIME LUCKY with Derek Nimmo, DOCTOR WHO as Brigadier Lethbridge-Stewart's wife, STRATHBLAIR, FOUR SEASONS playing opposite Frank Finley and Tom Conti, as well as guest appearances in long-running series: CASUALTY, HEARTBEAT, PEAK PRACTICE and HOLBY CITY.
In 1989 she met and fell in love with acclaimed theatre director Bill Bryden. They were introduced to each other at a dinner party held by actress Marsha Hunt. In 2009 they married on her birthday in City Hall in New York, with agent Douglas Rae and actress Sally Ann Howes as their witnesses.
In 2018, Angela's first novel was published: JOSEPHINE: AN OPEN BOOK. A powerful and compelling story of a young woman's journey to stardom and the trials and tribulations of show business and celebrity. Set against the backdrop of London's 1960s, her paths cross with the likes of Kirk Douglas, Steve McQueen, and Neil Armstrong. Though a work of fiction, the novel draws extensively on Angela's own experiences.1940 -. 85 acting credits, 1958-2010. 25 feature films.
Feet of Clay (1961). '60
The Shakedown (1960). '60
The Wind of Change (1961). '61
The Gentle Terror (1963). '61
Fate Takes a Hand (1961). '62- Fabia Drake was born on 20 January 1904 in Herne Bay, Kent, England, UK. She was an actress, known for A Room with a View (1985), Valmont (1989) and The Good Companions (1957). She was married to Maxwell Joseph Hall Turner. She died on 28 February 1990 in London, England, UK.1904-1990, 86. 108 acting credits, 1917-1989. 25 feature films.
Dulcimer Street (1948). '48
The Hour of 13 (1952). '52
Violent Stranger (1957). '57
Seven Keys (1961). '61 - Actress
- Music Department
- Soundtrack
Maudie Edwards was born on 16 October 1906 in Neath, Glamorgan, Wales, UK. She was an actress, known for My Learned Friend (1943), I'll Be Your Sweetheart (1945) and Pink String and Sealing Wax (1945). She was married to Walter Galpin Nicholas-Marcy. She died on 24 March 1991 in London, England, UK.1906-1991, 84. 24 acting credits, 1936-1972. 19 feature films.
Query (1945). '45
Pink String and Sealing Wax (1945). '45
Night and the City (1950). '50
Life at Stake (1957). '57
Clue of the New Pin (1961). '61- Jacqueline Ellis was born on 21 June 1934 in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada. She is an actress, known for Laughter from the Whitehall (1963), ITV Television Playhouse (1955) and Fredric March Presents Tales from Dickens (1959). She is married to Brian Heard. She was previously married to Griffith Davies and Jeffrey Bernard.1934 -. 40 acting credits, 1955-1974. 6 feature films.
Never Back Losers (1961). '61
The Sinister Man (1961). '61
The Traitors (1962). '62
Accidental Death (1963). '63
The Hi-Jackers (1963). '63 - Hilda Fenemore was born on 22 April 1914 in St. Pancras, London, England, UK. She was an actress, known for Chance of a Lifetime (1950), The Wallet (1952) and Carry on Constable (1960). She was married to Rex Edwards. She died on 13 April 2004 in Hertfordshire, England, UK.1914-2004, 89. 168 acting credits, 1948-1994. 47 feature films.
Terror on a Train (1953). '53
Turn the Key Softly (1953). '53
Johnny You're Wanted (1956). '56
The Secret Place (1957). '57
Feet of Clay (1961). '60
Strongroom (1962). '62
The Boys (1962). '62
Fog for a Killer (1962). '62
Escape by Night (1963). '64 - Catharina Ferraz was born on 12 September 1902 in Aveiro, Portugal. She was an actress, known for BBC Sunday-Night Theatre (1950), Snowbound (1948) and The Captain's Paradise (1953). She died on 2 March 1998 in St. Leonards-on-Sea, East Sussex, England, UK.--, Portugal, - 1998. 18 acting credits, 1935-1969. 11 feature films.
Snowbound (1948). '48
tt0049852. '56
Violent Stranger (1957). '57
Man Accused (1959). '59
Wrong Number (1959). '59 - Actress
- Soundtrack
Gretchen Franklin made her first screen appearance in the 1954 British suspense film Shadow of Fear (1955), directed by Albert S. Rogell, in which she acted alongside Mona Freeman, Jean Kent and Maxwell Reed. During the 1960s and 70s she made her name through guest roles on various sit-coms, such as Some Mothers Do 'Ave 'Em (1973) which starred Michael Crawford. She also appeared on the BBC's The Morecambe & Wise Show (1968). It was, however, with the BBC's EastEnders (1985) that she became a household name, as Ethel Skinner, at the age of 75. As one of the original cast members in 1985, she stayed with the show until semi-retirement in 1993 - from then until 1997 she made three or four appearances in Christmas episodes or on special occasions. In June 2000, at the age of 88, she was asked back to EastEnders to reprise her role, and declared that she was glad to be free of the boredom of retirement. She once said of herself: "I can play the comedy scenes or the tearjerkers. The directors and producers have realised that." Off screen she devoted much of her time to charity work, giving away the royalties from international syndication of EastEnders to charities that are "all for animals or old people". She died aged 94 in 2005.1911-2005, 94. 118 acting credits, 1948-2000. 21 feature films.
Shadow of Fear (1955). '55
High Terrace (1956). '56
The Secret Place (1957). '57
Young and Willing (1962). '62
The Murder Game (1965). '65- Born in London in 1939, Christina enjoyed extraordinary success as one of London's top models in the swinging sixties. During the era of David Bailey, Norman Parkinson, and Lord Snowden she graced the covers of numerous magazines, starred in many cinematic films and television series. Well-known through her acting and modeling work, she still enjoys fame with her many fans in the UK. Her book, "Beauty My Way" and exercise recording "Music 'n Motion." Christina understood the correlation between health and beautiful skin far before the current industry trends and in the 1980s founded Vitamin E, a company dedicated to promote health and beauty for the skin.
In the eighties she married and moved to Canada where she turned her endless energy to focus on philanthropy and charitable works. Always the champion of children, healthful living, and the arts she went on to found The Minstrel Foundation which funds inner city youth music programs and with her husband, Lyle initiated the Shakespeare Globe Centre of Canada. Through their fundraising efforts, the Blairs assisted noted director Sam Wanamaker in his initiative to build the Globe Theatre which now graces the banks of the Thames in London. With acclaimed actor Christopher Plummer, the Blairs created a scholarship for Canadian actors and directors to learn and work on the stage of the Globe Theatre in London.
Never content to sit idly, Christina joined with Wimbledon and US Open Champion Stan Smith to initiate a fundraising Gala for the Boys & Girls Club of Hilton Head, bringing noted performers to the island to raise several million dollars over the last 20 years.
She enjoys spending time with her three children and her five grandchildren.
She credits her boundless energy to a lifelong devotion to healthful living and fitness. "Without good health, we have nothing. Life is for living to the fullest."14 acting credits, 1959-1964. 9 feature films.
Cover Girl Killer (1959). '59
Two Wives at One Wedding (1961). '61
Young, Willing and Eager (1961). '61
Don't Talk to Strange Men (1962). '62
Fate Takes a Hand (1961). '62
The Break (1962). '63 - Thea Gregory was born in 1926 in Nottingham, Nottinghamshire, England, UK. She was an actress, known for Satellite in the Sky (1956), The Golden Link (1954) and Solution by Phone (1954). She was married to John Gregson. She died on 18 December 2022.
- Diane Hart was born on 20 July 1926 in Bedford, England, UK. She was an actress, known for The Pickwick Papers (1952), One Jump Ahead (1955) and My Wife's Family (1956). She was married to Kenneth MacLeod. She died on 7 February 2002 in London, England, UK.1926-2002, 75. 29 acting credits, 1945-1980. 15 feature films.
The Wicked Lady (1945). '45
The Forbidden Street (1949). '49
One Jump Ahead (1955). '55
Enter Inspector Duval (1961). '61 - Mercy Haystead was born on 2 February 1930 in London, England, UK. She was an actress, known for The Beggar's Opera (1953), Dentist on the Job (1961) and Paradise Lagoon (1957). She was married to Anthony (Tony) Gerald Samuel. She died on 11 January 2015.1930-2015, 84. 23 acting credits, 1950-1962. 12 feature films.
Smart Alec (1951). '51
Chelsea Story (1951). '52
Private Information (1952). '52
Cross-Roads (1955). '55
Death Trap (1962). '62 - Actress
- Soundtrack
Joan Heal was born on 17 October 1922 in Somerset, England, UK. She was an actress, known for The Pickwick Papers (1952), Happy Go Lovely (1951) and A Girl Called Jo (1956). She was married to Jeremy Hawk and David Conyers. She died on 12 April 1998 in London, England, UK.1922-1998, 75. 36 acting credits, 1947-1992. 15 feature films.
The Good Die Young (1954). '54
Svengali (1954). '54
Cross-Up (1954). '55
The Price of Silence (1960). '59
Dead Lucky (1960). '60- Actress
- Soundtrack
Befitting her original name (Violet Pretty), the knockout English brunette Anne Heywood won the coveted "Miss Great Britain" beauty title in 1950 at the young age of 17. Born on December 11, 1931, the daughter of a violinist, she originally trained at the London Academy of Music and Dramatic Art. She gained early experience on the stage with the Highbury Players in Birmingham and moved on to some TV work. The Rank Organization caught sight of her and offered the former beauty queen a seven-year contract. During that time, however, she was pretty much relegated to playing 'nice girl' types in the 50s and 60s.
In later career, her film appearances courted controversy and she seemed drawn toward highly troubled, flawed characters. Very popular with Italian audiences, Anne never endeared herself to American film goers although she did stir up some curiosity with one of her more noteworthy films, the pioneer lesbian drama The Fox (1967). Starring Anne with Sandy Dennis, the two were quite believable as an unhappy, isolated couple whose relationship is irreparably shattered by the appearance of a handsome stranger (Keir Dullea). At the height of the movie's publicity, Playboy magazine revealed a "pictorial essay" just prior to its 1967 release with Anne in a nude and auto-erotic spread. The film won a "Best Foreign Film" Golden Globe Award (it was made in Canada) and Anne herself earned a "Best Actress" nod.
Despite being aggressively promoted in its aftermath by husband/producer Raymond Stross, who was instrumental in reshaping her image with such sexy, offbeat dramas as The Night Fighters (1960), The Very Edge (1963), 90 Degrees in the Shade (1965), Midas Run (1969), I Want What I Want (1972) and Good Luck, Miss Wyckoff (1979), Anne has remained a distinct European film product. She last appeared on TV in The Equalizer (1985) series. Following her husband's death in 1988, Anne remarried (to a former New York Assistant Attorney General) and begged away from the camera. The couple settled in Beverly Hills.1931 -. 34 acting credits, 1951-1988. 29 feature films.
The Depraved (1957). '57
Floods of Fear (1958). '58
Violent Playground (1958). '58
The Brain (1962). '62
The Very Edge (1963). '63
90 Degrees in the Shade (1965). '65- Jan Holden was a stage actress with a reputation for light comedy, who also appeared in several popular television series during the 1950s and 1960s.
She was elegant and pretty, with pale blue eyes. She grew up in Cawnpore in India and was educated at a school in the hills near Simla.
On the outbreak of the Second World War, she and her mother returned to England, where she boarded at Lowther College in North Wales. She holidayed with her schoolfriends.
When she was 18, she was offered places at RADA, the Old Vic School and at Bristol Old Vic; but her father declined his permission. He disapproved of his daughter's theatrical ambitions.
He eventually relented and allowed her to take a directors' course at the Old Vic. She was one of two pupils selected to become assistant stage managers at the Old Vic upon its reopening in 1951.
Jan Holden appeared in repertory, where she met her first husband, actor Edwin Richfield. They were married in 1952, when they were appearing together in Blackpool in a stage version of "The Blue Lamp".
She entered television during the fifties, in series such as Patrol Car (1954), Rheingold Theatre (1953), The Vise (1954), Harpers West One (1961) and The Avengers (1961). She later appeared in Agony (1979) and Oh Happy Band! (1980).
She made several film appearances in pictures, such as: The Best House in London (1969), The Stranglers of Bombay (1959) and Work Is a Four Letter Word (1968).
She endured heartbreak as her twin brother, Geoffrey, drowned in the early 1960s and her marriage broke down in 1973, leaving her with three teenage children. One of her twin daughters died from a brain tumour in 1999. She endured poor health, herself, during her final two decades, but remained cheerful.
She remarried in 1988 to Louis Manson, solicitor and business executive who survived her, with a son and a daughter from her first marriage and two stepsons and two stepdaughters.1931-2005, 74. 69 acting credits, 1954-1989. 22 feature films.
Million Dollar Manhunt (1956). '56
Escort for Hire (1960). '60
Never Let Go (1960). '60
The Whole Truth (1958). '58
A Woman Possessed (1958). '58
Links of Justice (1958). '58 - Noel Hood was born on 25 December 1909 in Bristol, England, UK. She was an actress, known for The Curse of Frankenstein (1957), Armchair Theatre (1956) and BBC Sunday-Night Theatre (1950). She was married to Charles Oliver. She died on 15 October 1979 in London, England, UK.1909-1979, 69. 74 acting credits, 1941-1972. 20 feature films.
Personal Affair (1953). '53
The Surgeon's Knife (1957). '57
Prescription for Murder (1958). '58
Devil's Bait (1959). '59
The £20,000 Kiss (1962). '63 - Actress
- Writer
- Soundtrack
Renee Houston was born on 24 July 1902 in Johnstone, Renfrewshire, Scotland, UK. She was an actress and writer, known for Repulsion (1965), A Girl Must Live (1939) and Carry on at Your Convenience (1971). She was married to Donald Stewart, Patrick Aherne and George Balharrie. She died on 9 February 1980 in Chertsey, Surrey, England, UK.1902-1980, 77. 71 acting credits, 1927-1975. 44 feature films.
Track the Man Down (1955). '55
Time Without Pity (1957). '57
Fog for a Killer (1962). '62
Tomorrow at Ten (1963). '65
Repulsion (1965). '65- Rose Howlett was born on 14 February 1899 in the UK. She was an actress, known for Saturday Playhouse (1958), The Wednesday Play (1964) and The Monkey's Paw (1948). She died in 1971 in Fulham, London, England, UK.28 acting credits, 1947-1970. 14 feature films.
The Mark of Cain (1947). '47
The Monkey's Paw (1948). '48
The Case of Charles Peace (1949). '49
Boys in Brown (1949). '49
One Jump Ahead (1955). '55 - Jacqueline Jones was born on 19 June 1934 in Ealing, London, England, UK. She is an actress, known for The Cool Mikado (1963), The Avengers (1961) and The Road to Hong Kong (1962). She was previously married to Erwin Leonard Cutler and Colin Warman.29 acting credits, 1960-1999. 12 feature films.
Jungle Street Girls (1960). '60
The Fourth Square (1961). '61
Pit of Darkness (1961). '61
Incident at Midnight (1963). '63 - Actress
- Writer
Mary Jones was born on 20 February 1915 in Rhayader, Radnorshire, Wales, UK. She was an actress and writer, known for Account Rendered (1957), Under Milk Wood (1971) and Festival (1963). She died on 26 March 1990 in Camden, London, England, UK.1915-1990, 75. 55 acting credits, 1946-1982. 18 feature films.
Black Orchid (1953). '53
The Steel Key (1953). '53
One Jump Ahead (1955). '55
A Time to Kill (1955). '55
The Atomic Man (1955). '55
The Narrowing Circle (1956). '56
Doublecross (1956). '56
Scotland Yard Dragnet (1957). '57
Account Rendered (1957). '57
The Big Chance (1957). '57
Touch of Death (1961). '61- Vi Kaley was born on 19 November 1878 in Lambeth, London, England, UK. She was an actress, known for Detective Lloyd (1932), My Brother Jonathan (1948) and On Velvet (1938). She was married to Alfred Artois. She died in 1967 in Marylebone, London, England, UK.1899 -. 70 acting credits, 1932-1954. 67 feature films.
They Drive by Night (1938). '38
The Fugitive (1939). '39
A.J. Cronin's Hatter's Castle (1942). '42
Man of Evil (1944). '44
The Shop at Sly Corner (1947). 47
The Hangman Waits (1947). '47
The Silk Noose (1948). '48
No Room at the Inn (1948). '48
Scarlet Thread (1951). '51
Bombay Waterfront (1952). '52
The Slasher (1953). '53
Behind the Headlines (1953). '53 - Olive Kirby was born on 6 April 1926 in Lewisham, London, England, UK. She was an actress, known for The Trojan Brothers (1946), Delayed Action (1954) and The Embezzler (1954). She died on 2 December 2009 in Sidcup, Kent, England, UK.1926 - 2009, 83. 19 acting credits, 1946-1965. 11 feature films.
The Story of Shirley Yorke (1948). '48
The Embezzler (1954). '54
Delayed Action (1954). '54
An Honourable Murder (1960). '60 - Actress
- Writer
Jenny Laird was born on 13 February 1912 in Chorlton, Manchester, England, UK. She was an actress and writer, known for Black Narcissus (1947), Just William (1940) and Doctor Who (1963). She was married to John Fernald. She died on 31 October 2001 in Camden, London, England, UK.1912-2001, 89. 66 acting credits, 1935-1991. 21 feature films.
Wanted for Murder (1946). '46
Eye Witness (1950). '50
The Long Dark Hall (1951). '51
Menace in the Night (1957). '57- Marla Landi was born on 16 April 1933 in Torino, Italy. She is an actress, known for The Hound of the Baskervilles (1959), The Pirates of Blood River (1962) and Danger Man (1960).1933, Italy, -. 22 acting credits, 1954-1969.
The Golden Link (1954). '54
Across the Bridge (1957). '57
Dublin Nightmare (1958). '58
The Murder Game (1965). '65 - Marjie Lawrence was born on 21 January 1932 in Birmingham, Warwickshire, England, UK. She was an actress, known for All the Fun of the Fair (1979), The Rainbow (1988) and Dixon of Dock Green (1955). She was married to Howard Greene. She died on 16 June 2010 in Esher, Surrey, England, UK.1932-2010, 78. 81 acting credits, 1955-2007. 26 feature films.
The Counterfeit Plan (1957). '57
Time to Remember (1962). '62
A Place to Go (1963). '64
Cop-Out (1967). '67
The Squeeze (1977). '77 - Green-eyed blonde bombshell Belinda Lee was born in Devon, England to florist Stella Mary Graham and hotel owner Robert Esmond Lee on June 15, 1935. Nicknamed "Billie," she was an incredible beauty while still a teen attending the Rookesbury Park Prep School in Hampshire and St. Margaret's boarding school in Devon. Expressing an avid interest in acting, she focused on dramatics at the Tudor Arts Academy at Surrey (1947), then gained entry via a scholarship to London's RADA, at which she made her stage debut in "Point of Departure."
Sharp-faced Belinda was noticed by Rank Studio director Val Guest while performing at the Nottingham Playhouse. She was artificially groomed in starlet parts, the first being The Runaway Bus (1954), until Guest helped her obtain a movie contract with Rank and introduced her to one of Rank's prime still photographers, Cornel Lucas. That year she married the much-older Lucas, who helped promote her as a sex goddess with thousands of glamorous photographs.
Belinda was promoted as a docile young beauty, but her parts grew sexier. She worked intently in films but became frustrated with being stereotyped as a buxom peroxide blonde. Boxed in as a second-string Diana Dors, she played a sensuous foil to Benny Hill in Who Done It? (1956) and was served up as sexy window-dressing opposite both John Gregson in Miracle in Soho (1957) and Louis Jourdan in Dangerous Exile (1957).
Now estranged from Lucas, Belinda headed off to Italy for a change of pace and atmosphere but only found more of the temptress roles she tried to avoid--Aphrodite, Messalina, and Lucrezia Borgia--in low-budget spectacles. She also became preoccupied with married men, one being Prince Filippo Orsini, whose position with the Vatican led to a major scandal. This particular turbulent romance and a dissipating relationship with the Rank Studio (her last picture for the studio was Elephant Gun (1958) with Michael Craig) triggered a near-fatal suicide attempt with pills in January 1958. She later divorced Lucas and continued her torrid affair with Prince Orsini, then others.
It all ended much too soon for the 25-year-old when she decided to join her current love, the much-older Italian playboy/journalist/film producer Gualtiero Jacopetti, on a trip to Las Vegas, where he was working on a documentary (Women of the World (1963). While she, Jacopetti, and co-producer Paolo Cavara were auto passengers on their way to Los Angeles from Vegas, their driver lost control of their speeding car and flipped. The 25-year-old actress was thrown from the car and died of a fractured skull and broken neck. The other three escaped with fairly minor injuries. She was cremated in the States and her ashes were eventually returned to Rome and placed in the Campo Cestio Cemetery.1935-1961, 25. 33 acting credits, 1954-1961. 34 feature films.
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Blackout (1954). '54
Footsteps in the Fog (1955). '55
Eyewitness (1956). '56
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The Secret Place (1957). '57
She Walks by Night (1959). She Walks by Night. '59.
Blood Feud (1961). '61. Blood Feud. - Prolific and ubiquitous British bit player Aileen Lewis was born Aileen Mary Halsey on April 9, 1914 in Mullingar, County Westmeath, Ireland. Nicknamed the Duchess because of her regal bearing, Lewis first began appearing in uncredited minor roles in films in the late 1940's and soon started working profusely from the early 1950's onward. Aileen could be frequently spotted looking elegant in a fancy evening gown as a guest at parties, dancing on the floor at a ballroom, or in the audience at either a concert or ballet. Moreover, her trademark aristocratic manner also led to Lewis being often cast as various upper-class ladies holding court with British royalty or as patrons in posh casinos, nightclubs, or restaurants. Her husband Lewis Alexander was a fairly prolific background player in his own right who occasionally popped up in movies with her. Aileen died at age 99 on February 12, 2014 in Felpham, West Sussex, England.1914-2014, 99. 87 acting credits, 1951-1978. 66 feature films.
Murder at 3am (1953). '53
Impulse (1954). '54
Radio Cab Murder (1954). '54
Svengali (1954). '54
Cast a Dark Shadow (1955). '55
Guilty? (1956). '56. Guilty?
The End of the Line (1957). '57
The Third Alibi (1961). '61
Emergency (1962). '62
Echo of Diana (1963). '63
Calculated Risk (1963). '63 - Mona Lilian was born on 27 November 1911 in Leeds, Yorkshire, England, UK. She was an actress, known for Coronation Street (1960), The Adventures of Robin Hood (1955) and BBC Sunday-Night Theatre (1950). She died on 1 April 1997 in Tel Aviv, Israel.1911-1997 - Tel Aviv, Israel, 85. 11 acting credits, 1948-1963.
Sleeping Car to Trieste (1948). '48
Track the Man Down (1955). '55
Blonde Bait (1956). '56
Women Without Men (1956). '56 - Actress
- Writer
- Producer
Joan Maude was born on 16 January 1908 in Rickmansworth, Hertfordshire, England, UK. She was an actress and writer, known for A Matter of Life and Death (1946), Hobson's Choice (1931) and The Lash (1934). She was married to Oliver Woods and Frank Waters. She died on 28 September 1998 in Lewes, East Sussex, England, UK.1908-1998, 90. 28 acting credits, 1923-1956. 23 feature films.
Great Day (1945). '45
Night Boat to Dublin (1946). '46
Corridor of Mirrors (1948). '48
The Temptress (1949). '49- Josephine Middleton was born on 2 September 1882 in Nashville, Tennessee, USA. She was an actress, known for The Browning Version (1951), Libel (1959) and A Lady Surrenders (1944). She was married to Gilbert Southwell Piper. She died on 8 April 1971 in Denville Hall, Northwood, London, England, UK.1886, USA, -1971, 84. 17 acting credits, 1938-1959. 8 feature films.
Went the Day Well? (1942). '42
Waterfront Women (1950). '50
Five Angles on Murder (1950). '50
Shadow of Fear (1955). '55
Libel (1959). '59 - Joan Miller was born on 18 February 1910 in Nelson, British Columbia, Canada. She was an actress, known for BBC Sunday-Night Theatre (1950), For Whom the Bell Tolls (1965) and Anne of Green Gables (1952). She was married to Peter Cotes. She died on 31 August 1988 in Oxford, England, UK.1910, Canada -1988, 78. 59 acting credits, 1936-1977. 21 feature films.
Cry of the City (1948). '48
The Queen of Spades (1949). '49
The Great Sinner (1949). '49
Criss Cross (1949). '49
Southside 1-1000 (1950). '50
Caged (1950). '50
Over-Exposed (1956). '56
Yield to the Night (1956). '56
Menace in the Night (1957). '57
Baby Face Nelson (1957). '57
No Trees in the Street (1959). '59 - Bernadette Milnes was born on 1 April 1930 in Doncaster, South Yorkshire, England, UK. She was an actress, known for The Elephant Man (1980), Cover Girl Killer (1959) and BBC Sunday-Night Theatre (1950). She was married to Michael Anthony. She died on 15 December 2012 in Sheringham, Norfolk, England, UK.1932-2012, 80. 57 acting credits, 1952-1990. 8 feature films.
The Dynamiters (1956). '56
Cover Girl Killer (1959). '59
Man Who Couldn't Walk (1960). '61 - Actress
- Writer
Britisher Yvonne Mitchell was born on July 7, 1915, in London and was first and foremost a stage actress who, after being educated at St Paul's Girls School in London and The London Theatre Studio, began her theatrical career in the late 1930s. By the time of her death, she had performed under the theatre lights for over four decades. Her output in films and TV paled in comparison, but the work she put out in those mediums were of unusually high quality with mature themes.
The dark-haired actress made her starring film debut in The Queen of Spades (1949) and proceeded to become a moving, thoughtful, often anguished presence throughout the 1950s, winning the British Film Award for her touching, sterling performance as the biological mother of a foster child in The Divided Heart (1954). Her slovenly, cuckolded wife in Woman in a Dressing Gown (1957) won her the Berlin International Film Festival Award.
Other important films included Escapade (1955), Sapphire (1959), The Trials of Oscar Wilde (1960) and Johnny Nobody (1961).
On the sly, Yvonne was a novelist of both children and adult books and an award-winning playwright. She also penned an enormously successful biography entitled "Colette--A Taste for Life" based on the famed French writer. The wife of film and stage critic Derek Monsey, she wrote her biography in 1957.
She died of cancer on March 24, 1979, in London.1915-1979, 63. 38 acting credits, 1941-1978. 21 feature films.
The Queen of Spades (1949). '49
Turn the Key Softly (1953). '53
Yield to the Night (1956). '56
Tiger Bay (1959). '59
Sapphire (1959). '59
Johnny Nobody (1961). '61- Edna Morris was born on 11 July 1906 in Bolton, Lancashire, England, UK. She was an actress, known for Sons and Lovers (1960), The Pickwick Papers (1952) and The History of Mr. Polly (1959). She died on 11 August 1972 in London, England, UK.1906-1972, 66. 60 acting credits, 1946-1971. 19 feature films.
The Beast with Five Fingers (1946). '46
Waterfront Women (1950). '50
Stage Fright (1950). '50
Another Man's Poison (1951). '51
A Case for PC 49 (1951). '51
Twilight Women (1952). '52
Dangerous Afternoon (1961). '61 - Phyllis Morris was born on 17 July 1894 in Walthamstow, London, England, UK. She was an actress, known for The Secret of St. Ives (1949), That Forsyte Woman (1949) and The Devil's Disciple (1959). She died on 9 February 1982 in Denville Hall, Northwood, London, England, UK.1894-1982, 87. 60 acting credits, 1934-1968. 36 feature films.
Prison Without Bars (1938). '38
The Fugitive (1939). '39
Black Hand (1950). '50
The Embezzler (1954). '54
Violent Playground (1958). '58 - Actress
- Writer
Barbara Mullen was born on 9 June 1914 in Boston, Massachusetts, USA. She was an actress and writer, known for A Place of One's Own (1945), Four Desperate Men (1959) and The Gentle Gunman (1952). She was married to John Taylor. She died on 9 March 1979 in Hammersmith, London, England, UK.1914 -USA, -1979, 64. 40 acting credits, 1941-1977. 18 feature films.
A Place of One's Own (1945). '45
Corridor of Mirrors (1948). '48
The Gentle Gunman (1952). '52
Four Desperate Men (1959). '59
It Takes a Thief (1960). '60
The Very Edge (1963). '63- Daphne Newton was born on 8 March 1907 in Croydon, Surrey, England, UK. She was an actress, known for Our Mutual Friend (1958), Nicholas Nickleby (1957) and ITV Play of the Week (1955). She was married to Peter Gray. She died on 20 January 1986 in Chagford, Devon, England, UK.1907-1986, 78. 13 acting credits, 1947-1978. 4 feature films.
Brighton Rock (1948). '47
Murder Will Out (1952). '52
Recoil (1953). '53
Cross-Up (1954). '55 - Actress
- Soundtrack
Britain's first notorious post-war sex siren in films, the enticing, green-eyed blonde bombshell Christine Norden, was a singer and dancer who had been performing since her teens. The story goes that she was "discovered" by agents of the distinguished film mogul Sir Alexander Korda while waiting outside a theatre ticket line.
Born Mary Lydia Thornton of humble beginnings to a bus driver three days after Christmas 1924, she was the first entertainer to land on the Normandy beaches in 1944 to perform for Allied troops after D-Day. Korda promptly signed her to a seven-year contract and placed her in stark, dark-edged films as a fetching, sometimes singing femme; she appeared in a surprising number of quality films, including Mine Own Executioner (1947), An Ideal Husband (1947), Nightbeat (1947) and Saints and Sinners (1949).
A prime pin-up attraction over the years, she admitted to many affairs (with both men and women) over the years. By the early '50s her film career was over, however, and she trod the New York theatre boards for the next few decades, making her Broadway debut in the musical "Tenderloin" in 1960 and appearing in such productions as "Marat/Sade." She made history of sorts as the first actress to appear topless on Broadway in the 1967 production of "Scuba Duba."
Christine was married five times and has one of the craters of the planet Venus named after her as a tribute to her being a "forerunner of the modern sex symbol." Her last husband developed and named a mathematical formula in her honor. She eventually returned to London for her final years, developed a respiratory infection and died of lobar pneumonia following bypass surgery at age 63. Her memoirs were discovered posthumously but deemed too gamey to be published at the time. Friend and royal biographer Michael Thornton, to whom they were left, has now made segments of her private story public.1924-1998, 63. 12 acting credits, 1947-1987. 9 feature films.
Nightbeat (1947). '47
Mine Own Executioner (1947). '47
The Interrupted Journey (1949). '49
A Case for PC 49 (1951). '51
The Black Widow (1951). '51- April Olrich was born on 17 July 1931 in Zanzibar, Tanzania. She was an actress, known for Supergirl (1984), Room at the Top (1958) and Princess Daisy (1983). She was married to Nigel Pegram. She died on 15 April 2014 in London, England, UK.1933, Tanzania, -2014, 80. 41 acting credits, 1955-1990. 14 feature films.
Women Without Men (1956). '56
Blonde Bait (1956). '56
Kill Me Tomorrow (1957). '57
Deadly Record (1959). '59 - Lesley Osmond was born on 23 November 1921 in London, England, UK. She was an actress, known for Down Melody Lane (1943), Mysterious Mr. Nicholson (1947) and In Which We Serve (1942). She was married to Alan Chivers. She died in March 1987 in Fulham, London, England, UK.1921-1987, 65. 17 acting credits, 1945-1953. 14 feature films.
Mysterious Mr. Nicholson (1947). '47
This Was a Woman (1948). '48
The Story of Shirley Yorke (1948). '48
House of Darkness (1948). '48
Chelsea Story (1951). '51 - Katharine Page was born on 21 February 1908 in Glasgow, Scotland, UK. She was an actress, known for Vanity Fair (1956), BBC Sunday-Night Theatre (1950) and Only Fools and Horses (1981). She died in 2003 in Bristol, England, UK.1908-2003, 94. 63 acting credits, 1948-2001. 10 feature films.
Twilight Women (1952). '52
Finger of Guilt (1956). '56
Violent Stranger (1957). '57
Identity Unknown (1960). '60
Jailbreak (1962). '62 - Malou Pantera was born on 18 September 1930 in Massa-Carrara, Tuscany, Italy. She is an actress, known for The Avengers (1961), The Electronic Monster (1958) and Female Fiends (1958). She was previously married to Thomas Wiseman.1930 -. 23 acting credits, 1957-1968. 8 feature films.
Violent Stranger (1957). '57
Female Fiends (1958). '58
The Electronic Monster (1958). '58
Transatlantic (1960). '60 - Norma Parnell was born on 28 March 1937 in Liverpool, England, UK. She is an actress, known for Mark of the Phoenix (1958), The Man Who Was Nobody (1960) and Locker Sixty Nine (1962).1937 -. 27 acting credits, 1957-1966. 7 feature films.
Mark of the Phoenix (1958). '58
Naked Fury (1959). '59
Locker Sixty Nine (1962). '62
Candidate for Murder (1962). '62
The Partner (1963). '63 - Ellen Pollock was born on 29 June 1902 in Heidelberg, Germany. She was an actress, known for A Farewell to Arms (1966), The Forsyte Saga (1967) and Armchair Cinema (1973). She was married to James Proudfoot and Captain Leslie Hancock. She died on 29 March 1997 in London, England, UK.1902-1997-94. 93 acting credits, 1928-1991. 44 feature films.
The Informer (1929). '29
Piccadilly (1929). '29
Night Birds (1930). '30
77 Park Lane (1931). '31
Channel Crossing (1933). '33
Non-Stop New York (1937). '37
Bedelia (1946). '46
To Have and to Hold (1951). '51
The Fake (1953). '53
The Golden Link (1954). '54
Scotland Yard Dragnet (1957). '57
The Long Knife (1958). '58
So Evil, So Young (1961). '61
Who Killed the Cat? (1966). '66 - Ada Reeve was born on 3 March 1874 in London, England, UK. She was an actress, known for Night and the City (1950), Nicholas Nickleby (1957) and Mr. Gladstone (1947). She was married to [Albert] Wilfred Cotton (actor) and Joseph Gilbert Fleetwood (aka Bert Gilbert). She died on 5 October 1966 in London, England, UK.1874-1966, 92. 12 acting credits, 1944-1957. 9 feature films.
Night and the City (1950). '50
I Believe in You (1952). '52
Terror on a Train (1953). '53
Eyewitness (1956). '56 - Irene Richmond was born on 15 November 1911 in Gresford, Wrexham, Clwyd, Wales, UK. She was an actress, known for The Likely Lads (1964), Saturday Night and Sunday Morning (1960) and The Brain (1962). She died on 24 May 2009 in Bournemouth, Dorset, England, UK.1911-2009, 97. 28 acting credits, 1956-1988. 10 feature films,
Women Without Men (1956). '56
Blonde Bait (1956). '56
The Brain (1962). '62
The Very Edge (1963). '63
Nightmare (1964). '64 - Nancy Roberts was born on 22 July 1885 in Luton, Bedfordshire, England, UK. She was an actress, known for Black Narcissus (1947), The Grove Family (1954) and It's a Great Day! (1955). She was married to Donald Finlay. She died on 24 June 1962 in Paddington, London, England, UK.1885-1962, 76. 31 acting credits, 1913-1961. 8 feature films.
Prison Without Bars (1938). '38
The Slasher (1953). '53
tt1728207. '61 - June Rodney was born on 26 January 1931 in Stoke Newington, London, England, UK. She was an actress, known for Assassin for Hire (1951), BBC Sunday-Night Theatre (1950) and The Errol Flynn Theatre (1956). She died on 27 November 1993 in Harrow Weald, Middlesex, England, UK.
- Beth Rogan was born on 19 July 1931 in Walmer, Kent, England, UK. She was an actress, known for Mysterious Island (1961), Compelled (1960) and Salt and Pepper (1968). She was married to Timothy Felix Harold and Anthony Gerald Samuel. She died on 25 November 2015 in the UK.1931-2015, 84. 18 acting credits, 1956-1968. 14 feature films.
The Big Chance (1957), '57
Count Five and Die (1957). '57
Innocent Meeting (1959). '59
Compelled (1960). '60 - Cleo Rose was born in 1916. She was an actress, known for Three Stops to Murder (1953) and Sherlock Holmes (1954). She died in 2004 in Staffordshire, England, UK.
- Edith Saville was born on 6 May 1894 in Hampstead, London, England, UK. She was an actress, known for The Greek Interpreter (1922), Four Sided Triangle (1953) and Birds of a Feather (I) (1931). She was married to J. Sabben-Clare. She died on 16 February 1987 in Westminster, London, England, UK.1893-1987, 92. 38 acting credits, 1922-1974. 9 feature films.
A Woman Possessed (1958). '58
Feet of Clay (1961). '60
Two Wives at One Wedding (1961). '61 - Avis Scott was born on 22 February 1918 in Kensington, London, England, UK. She was an actress, known for ITV Television Playhouse (1955), To Have and to Hold (1951) and Waterfront Women (1950). She was married to Jack Matthias. She died on 31 May 2010 in Fort Collins, Colorado, USA.1918-2010, 92. 28 acting credits, 1943-1982. 9 feature films.
Waterfront Women (1950). '50
To Have and to Hold (1951). '51
The Hundred Hour Hunt (1952). '52
Paid to Kill (1954). '54 - Dora Sevening was born on 31 March 1881 in Kensington, London, England, UK. She was an actress, known for The Interrupted Journey (1949), Forbidden (1949) and They Were Sisters (1945). She died on 14 February 1966 in Marylebone, London, England, UK.1882-1966, 84. 11 acting credits, 1944-1954. 9 feature films.
They Were Sisters (1945). '45
The Mark of Cain (1947). '47
Forbidden (1949). '49
The Interrupted Journey (1949). '49
The Long Dark Hall (1951). '51 - Julie Shearing is known for The Share Out (1962), And Women Shall Weep (1960) and Cover Girl Killer (1959).
- Actress
- Writer
Christine Silver was born in London in 1884, became highly popular in the theatre from the late 1890's, her best known stage performance was in George Bernard Shaw's 'Fanny's First Play' in 1911, was a pretty brunette star in few silent movie dramas, first under the direction of Albert Ward in a crime drama 'The Playdell Mystery' in 1916 for the British Empire Film Company, also later with the London Film Company in the early 1920's, often seen in character roles in talkies until her last in 1955, later she appeared in a number of T.V. series, including The Vise and last seen in T.V.'s The History of Mr. Polly in 1959. she was also an accomplished playwright. Died in London age 75.1884-1960, 75. 27 acting credits, 1916-1961. 17 feature films.
Dead Men Tell No Tales (1938). '39
Yellow Canary (1943). '43
Room to Let (1950). '50
Mystery Junction (1951). '51
Whispering Smith vs. Scotland Yard (1952). '52- Actress
- Soundtrack
Phyllis Stanley was born on 30 October 1914 in London, England, UK. She was an actress, known for They Met in the Dark (1943), The Next of Kin (1942) and Thunder on the Hill (1951). She died on 12 March 1992 in San Diego, California, USA.1914-1992, 77. 33 acting credits, 1934-1958. 24 feature films.
There Ain't No Justice (1939). '39
The Next of Kin (1942). '42
They Met in the Dark (1943). '43
Good-Time Girl (1948). '48
Thunder on the Hill (1951). '51- Vi Stevens was born on 28 November 1891 in Islington, London, England, UK. She was an actress, known for Hugh and I (1962), Love and Mr Lewisham (1959) and David Copperfield (1956). She died on 20 March 1967 in Isleworth, Middlesex, England, UK.1892-1967, 75. 80 acting credits, 1943-1965. 19 feature films.
I See a Dark Stranger (1946). '46
Bedelia (1946). '46
Her Panelled Door (1950). '50
Salute the Toff (1951). '52
Hammer the Toff (1952). '52
Turn the Key Softly (1953). '53
Women Without Men (1956). '56
Blonde Bait (1956). '56
Serena (1962). '62 - Actress
- Writer
Valerie Taylor was born on 10 November 1902 in Fulham, London, England, UK. She was an actress and writer, known for Repulsion (1965), Berkeley Square (1933) and Went the Day Well? (1942). She was married to Desborough William Saunders (mining engineer) and Hugh Sinclair. She died on 24 October 1988 in Kensington, London, England, UK.1902-1988, 85. 22 acting credits, 1933-1973. 8 feature films.
Went the Day Well? (1942). '42
Take My Life (1947). '47
Faces in the Dark (1960). '60
Repulsion (1965). '65- June Thorburn was born on 8 June 1931 in Karachi, India. She was an actress, known for The Pickwick Papers (1952), Orders Are Orders (1954) and Fast and Loose (1954). She was married to Morten Smith-Petersen and Aldon Richard Bryse-Harvey. She died on 4 November 1967 in West Sussex, England, UK.1931-1967, 36. 46 acting credits, 1951-1966. 23 feature films.
Delayed Action (1954). '54
The Price of Silence (1960). '59
Transatlantic (1960). '60
Escort for Hire (1960). '60 - Molly Urquhart was born on 21 January 1906 in Glasgow, Scotland, UK. She was an actress, known for The Big Day (1960), A Man for All Seasons (1966) and BBC Sunday-Night Theatre (1950). She was married to Willie McIntosh. She died on 6 October 1977 in Glasgow, Scotland, UK.1906-1997, 71. 52 acting credits, 1948-1978. 19 feature films.
The Stranger in Between (1952). '52
Yield to the Night (1956). '56
Child in the House (1956). '56
Devil's Bait (1959). '59
House of Mystery (1961). '61 - Actress
- Writer
Selma Vaz Dias was born on 23 November 1911 in Amsterdam, Noord-Holland, Netherlands. She was an actress and writer, known for The Lady Vanishes (1938), BBC Sunday-Night Theatre (1950) and Buddenbrooks (1965). She was married to Hans Werner Egli (1899-2000). She died on 30 August 1977 in London, England, UK.1911-1977, 65. 47 acting credits, 1934-1973. 12 feature films.
Bad Blonde (1953). '53
Night Plane to Amsterdam (1955). '55
Wicked as They Come (1956). '56
Strangers' Meeting (1957). '57
The Tell-Tale Heart (1960). '60- Gillian Vaughan was born on 13 May 1937 in London, England, UK. She is an actress, known for The Moonraker (1958), And Women Shall Weep (1960) and The Horse's Mouth (1958). She was previously married to Des O'Connor.1937 -. 19 acting credits, 1957-1974. 8 feature films.
The White Trap (1959). '59
Devil's Bait (1959). '59
And Women Shall Weep (1960). '60 - Ingeborg von Kusserow was born on 28 January 1919 in Wollstein, Ostalbkreis, Germany. She was an actress, known for One Wild Oat (1951), Twilight Women (1952) and ITV Play of the Week (1955). She was married to Kenneth Slingsby-Fahn and Percy Friedrich Graf von Welsburg. She died on 14 April 2014 in Hove, East Sussex, England, UK.1919 -Poland, -2014, 95. 60 acting credits, 1936-1963. 36 feature films.
Chelsea Story (1951). '51
Secret People (1952). '52
Twilight Women (1952). '52
House of Blackmail (1953). '53
Double Exposure (1954). '54
Port of Escape (1956). '56
Across the Bridge (1957). '57 - Eileen Way was born on 2 September 1911 in New Malden, Surrey, England, UK. She was an actress, known for The Vikings (1958), Kidnapped (1960) and Sean's Show (1992). She was married to Felix Warden Brown. She died on 16 June 1994 in Canterbury, Kent, England, UK.1911-1994, 82. 108 acting credits, 1938-1993. 21 feature films.
The Assassin (1952). '52
The Shadow Man (1953). '53
Three Stops to Murder (1953). '53
Bullet from the Past (1957). '57 - Joy Webster was born in 1934 in Birmingham, England, UK. She is an actress, known for Panic in the Parlor (1956), The Avengers (1961) and The Woman Eater (1958).1934 -. 21 acting credits, 1955-1961. 11 feature films.
The Flesh Is Weak (1957). '57
Black Tide (1958). '58
Jungle Street Girls (1960). '60 - Additional Crew
- Production Manager
- Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
25 acting credits, 1937-1962. 12 feature films.
Dead Men Tell No Tales (1938). '39
The Man in Grey (1943). '43
Man of Evil (1944). '44
The October Man (1947). '47- Pauline Winter was born on 12 March 1917 in Richmond, Surrey, England, UK. She was an actress, known for Five to One (1963), The Edgar Wallace Mystery Theatre (1959) and The Ipcress File (1965). She was married to Philip Dale. She died on 9 February 2015 in England, UK.1917 - 2015, 98. 41 acting credits, 1943-1980. 15 feature films.
Temptations (1949). '49
Death Goes to School (1953). '53
Women Without Men (1956). '56
Blonde Bait (1956). '56
Five to One (1963). '63 - Mary Laura Wood was born on 8 March 1924 in Sackville, New Brunswick, Canada. She was an actress, known for I Promised to Pay (1961), BBC Sunday-Night Theatre (1950) and ITV Play of the Week (1955). She died on 30 March 1990 in Alma, New Brunswick, Canada.1924, Canada, -1990, Canada, 66. 32 acting credits, 1951-1962. 14 feature films.
The Accused (1953). '53
Black Orchid (1953). '53
Man in Hiding (1953). '53
High Terrace (1956). '56
Hour of Decision (1957). '57
A Stranger in Town (1957). '57
The Man Inside (1958). '58
The Ghost Train Murder (1959). '59
Escort for Hire (1960). '60
Evidence in Concrete (1960). '60
I Promised to Pay (1961). '61
Fate Takes a Hand (1961). '62 - Katherine Woodville was born on 12 March 1938 in Ewell, England, UK. She was an actress, known for Star Trek (1966), Mission: Impossible (1966) and The Mystery of Edwin Drood (1960). She was married to Edward Albert, Jerrold Freedman, Patrick Macnee and Michael Julian Anderson Wenn. She died on 5 June 2013 in Portland, Oregon, USA.1938-2013, 75. 58 acting credits, 1960-1979. 10 feature films.
Clue of the New Pin (1961). '61
Young and Willing (1962). '62
Underworld Informers (1963). '63
The Crooked Road (1965). '65 - Felicity Young was born on 17 October 1935 in Greenwich, London, England, UK. She is an actress, known for Flower of Evil (1961), The Tragical History of Doctor Faustus (1958) and Freedom to Die (1961).30 acting credits, 1958-1965. 7 feature films.
The White Trap (1959). '59
Cover Girl Killer (1959). '59
The Gentle Trap (1960). '60
Murder on the Campus (1961). '61
Freedom to Die (1961). '61