Gosh. Another centenary...
...the lovely Joan Greenwood, star of stage and screen, renowned for her roles in many a classic film such as Kind Hearts and Coronets, The Man in the White Suit, Whisky Galore!, The Importance of Being Earnest and Tom Jones, and much later in life, the eccentric landlady in the cult French & Saunders/Ruby Wax/Tracey Ullman sitcom Girls on Top was born one hundred years ago today.
Beautiful though she was - in 1995 she was chosen by Empire magazine as one of the 100 Sexiest Stars in film history - Miss Greenwood is perhaps most recognisable for her remarkable husky voice:
Facts:
- Miss Greenwood's father was Sydney Earnshaw Greenwood, a painter whose work is displayed in the National Portrait Gallery.
- She was married to André Morell, the actor whose portrayal of Professor Quatermass on television was considered the definitive portrayal of the character.
- André starred in The Hound of the Baskervilles in 1969 (as Doctor Watson), while Joan appeared in the critically-panned 1978 spoof version of the story alongside Peter Cook and Dudley Moore.
- She was brought in to dub the voice of Anita Pallenberg as "The Black Queen" in Barbarella at the behest of the producers, but was not credited.
- She made her stage debut aged 18 in 1938 at the Apollo Theatre in Shaftesbury Avenue, and just two months before her death she appeared in a sketch for a charity gala at the Prince of Wales Theatre just around the corner in Coventry Street.
Joan Mary Waller Greenwood (4th March 1921 – 28th February 1987)
Thank you for such a well-researched piece. I adored Girls On Top. I always wondered if she sang. I would have loved to hear her sing. Hope all is well. Stay safe.
ReplyDeleteI don't think she ever sang, more's the pity; she never even appeared in a musical on stage nor on screen. Presumably, much like other deep-voiced actresses like Lauren Bacall and Fenella Fielding, and actors like Rex Harrison and Dirk Bogarde, she probably would have only spoken the lyrics anyway.
DeleteWe forgive her. Jx
A wonderful actress and indeed a wonderful voice.
ReplyDeleteShe played Lady Harriet in 'The Water Babies (1978)' and delivered the line -
"Stop thief... someone has pinched me silver."
in such a manner I have never forgotten it.
Indeed - and here's the clip. Jx
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